ACTU Congress falls into line behind the ALP
A delegate's observations

Trade unionists gathered in Melbourne at the Convention Centre from 
August 18-21 for the triennial Congress of the Australian Council of Trade 
Unions (ACTU). Most of the 800-900 delegates were organised into officially 
sanctioned left and right factions, along similar lines to those of the 
Australian Labor Party. There was little contest of ideas or real debate 
over trade union objectives or policies. Delegates were told to get behind 
the ALP and that is essentially what happened.

To all intents and purposes the Congress was a preparation for the election 
of a Labor Government with the trade union movement, in effect, adopting a 
"don't rock the boat" attitude.

The overall theme of the Congress was "working for a fairer Australia". 
Sharan Burrow hammered this concept in her presidential address to 
Congress. Titled Australians Want A Fair Country Back, her report 
said, "Fairness, tolerance, 'a fair go' — these are the values Australia 
has always aspire to but they are now in contest."

She pointed to the many social and economic inequalities and injustices 
which have only worsened in capitalist Australia.

The concept of fairness was mirrored in the Statement of Australian 
Union Values, the Future Strategies document and in the many policies 
adopted by Congress.

These policies ranged from traditional workplace issues to social, economic 
and political questions as well as international issues and solidarity.

Working hours

Working hours and work intensification, casual employment and employee 
entitlements were among those policies adopted. However no target for a 
reduction of working hours was set despite the fact that many full-time 
workers are now working up to 60 hours per week while overtime is often 
unpaid.

Maternity leave was also on the agenda, but there was no demand that it be 
funded by employers.

There were differences over a range of issues, but tight stage management 
and scripted contributions were used to suppress dissent and present a 
united trade union movement.

This aspect of Congress aside, progress was made in promoting struggle over 
casual employment, unionisation of non-union areas and strengthening unions 
in the workplace.

"A fair day's work for a fair day's wage" was touted as the solution to 
workers' problems although this concept had been torn to shreds by Karl 
Marx more than a century ago.

Some positive proposals regarding traineeships, labour hire, job security, 
greater access to permanent work and other pressing issues were adopted. 
Quite often they fell short of the mark by not directly challenging the 
cause of the problem, instead trying to reduce the damage.

International guests

Guy Ryder, the General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free 
Trade Unions addressed Congress, taking up the theme of "fairness in the 
global economy".

Linda Chavez-Thompson, Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO (US unions); 
Ross Wilson, President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions; and 
Willie Madisha, President of COSATU (South Africa) were among the other 
international guests who addressed Congress.

Big business leader addresses Congress

There was a long list of other speakers, filling in a great deal of the 
time. The most stunning and surprising guest was the Chair of the Qantas 
board, Margaret Jackson AC. Jackson is no friend of the union movement.

She addressed Congress precisely at the time Qantas baggage handlers were 
being sacked and management was attempting to replace them with labour hire 
company workers. This proved to be an embarrassment to ACTU officials. The 
baggage handlers took strike action and succeeded in forcing Qantas to 
withdraw the labour hire company workers.

Margaret Jackson is also a director of the ANZ — another company that is 
in the business of sacking workers.

Jackson was unflinching in her call for "flexibility", the very 
"flexibility" — sackings and casualisation — that Congress was adopting 
policies to fight.

In response to a question about Qantas' plans to contract out and casualise 
work, Jackson said, yes, we have to make some decisions to improve 
competitiveness.

Doug Cameron from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union took 
exception to the choice of speakers and strongly expressed the 
inappropriateness of such speakers at an ACTU Congress.

Strong ALP presence

Two state Labor Premiers addressed Congress — Bob Carr from NSW and Steve 
Bracks from Victoria.

The purpose of the invitations seemed to be about the funding of trade 
union training by the two governments.

Carr said they were committed to a "fairer Australia".

Bracks took the opportunity to give a lecture on the arbitration system and 
emphasise Australia's fairness.

Simon Crean took to the stage but did not receive the usual standing 
ovation accorded to Federal Labor leaders. He promised an agenda of social 
reform from an ALP government including the restoration of bulk-billing, 
and promised not to sell off the remainder of Telstra.

There seemed to be a strong mood of disappointment with Crean's leadership 
among the NSW Right.

In all the guests included six Labor MPs as well as former Labor Prime 
Minister Bob Hawke and Greens Senator Kerry Nettle.

A fairer capitalist Australia

The struggle for a better future being promoted during Congress was steered 
towards a fairer Australian capitalist future.

The dominance of the ALP and social democrat thinking shaped the 
international policies adopted, resulting in a mix of progressive policies 
with outright reactionary ones.

In the case of oil workers in Venezuela, for example, the reactionary role 
of right-wing trade union leaders whose aim was to bring down a left-wing 
government while cementing the privileges and corruption of the former 
directors of Venezuela's oil industry, was not recognised.

Where differences did surface they were often over how best to get the ALP 
elected.

There was, for example, contention over non-union agreements. Whether to 
oppose them outright at the risk of coming up against the ALP which accepts 
them, or to fall into line with the ALP and accept them, which they did for 
workplaces without a union member.

Greg Combet told delegates that they needed to support Simon Crean. He told 
them to settle down and get behind their leader. From now on the pressure 
will be on the trade union movement to go quiet and, thereby, not harm 
Labor 's electoral chances.

This false strategy has been often followed in the past but has only 
weakened the trade union movement and resulted in a steady deterioration of 
the conditions and rights of working people.

Weakness of Left

Although those who caucused as part of the Left were in the majority, this 
position was not used to bring about any fundamental change in the 
direction of ACTU policy or to break the subservience to the ALP.

It was very evident that the Accord ideology of co-operating with employers 
to boost profits still prevails. Class collaboration and right-wing Labor 
Party policies and theories dominated and these are continuing to further 
weaken the trade union movement in the eyes of many workers.

The dominant theme, even where relatively good policies were adopted, was 
to look to the Arbitration Commission or changes to industrial legislation 
to implement the policies rather than to organise the trade union movement 
to struggle for them.

The Left were divided, at one stage moving separate and opposing amendments 
to a policy. It appeared that some of the Left were also concerned not to 
adopt policies that differed from those of the Labor Party.

There was an opportunity for the Left to have begun asserting its 
independence and turning the policies of the ACTU towards trade union 
struggle rather than class collaboration while putting the interests of 
workers first. But this did not happen.

As usual the elections were a charade with backroom deals and positions 
carved up between factions.

The presence of business leaders, funding from corporate sponsors and the 
now customary cocktails on the Monday night (this time courtesy of a legal 
firm) are all evidence of a further move towards corporate unionism.

The emphasis was on sitting down with employers, reaching amicable 
agreements and avoiding conflict or struggle in the workplace.

For a number of rank and file workers and young organisers this was their 
first Congress. They came with great expectations. But after hearing their 
leaders, politicians, academics and MPs, and seeing a Qantas boss on the 
platform, some were wondering what this had to do with the realities of the 
workplace.

They are confronted with the class struggle on a daily basis. They know 
that bosses never let up in their war against workers.