The Guardian 7 May, 2008
May Day Adelaide
It was easily the biggest May Day march in Adelaide since 1998 when workers’ anger was at a peak over the Patrick waterfront dispute. This year that anger was focussed on the Rann Government’s moves to slash injured workers’ entitlements under the state WorkCover scheme. Around 2000 workers gathered in Victoria Square heard AMWU State Secretary John Camillo detail the changes and their devastating potential. After a noisy and colourful march to the Barr Smith lawns at the Adelaide University, SA Unions Secretary Janet Giles took up the WorkCover theme once more. Music, food and entertainment for the kids were then the order of the day. The CPA had a prominent stall which did a good trade in T-shirts, posters badges, classic Marxist books … and coffee and cakes!
The May Day dinner on May 1 was sold out once more, with unionists gathered to hear ACTU President Sharan Burrow talk about how workers won the war against Howard last year but now they need to win the peace. She touched on the mighty task ahead of putting in place a durable and more just industrial relations system. At the Workers’ Memorial on Sunday, the new Member for Port Adelaide, Mark Butler, spoke about the need to rebuild grassroots organisations and revive the spirit of collectivity. There were no new names added to the memorial this year.