Election fever

200 MUA activists elect to get involved in grass roots campaign for workers' rights

The union campaign to oust the Howard government and his anti-worker IR laws is in full swing.

Launched at the "G" in Melbourne on the MUA-sponsored national day of action in November, the "Your Rights at Work: Worth Voting for" campaign is now ready for the countdown to this year's federal election.

"This is a crucial year for the trade union movement," said MUA Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman. "Howard will need to go to polls before October, but it could be anytime. He'll time it for when he thinks he can win. So we must be ready whether he calls it in a month or in six months."

Mick Doleman is co-ordinating the joint MUA/Miners Marginal Seats Campaign. Member polling is complete, with a predictable overwhelming support for a Labor government among the MUA fraternity even in marginal seats; all financial members not registered to vote have been contacted and activists in each branch have been identified and mobilised.

The union organised a marginal seat seminar at St Georges Basin in conjunction with other transport unions and the miners in February. ACTU IR Campaign coordinator Chris Walton attended alongside key representatives of the Rail Tram and Bus Union, the CFMEU (Miners) and the Transport Workers' Union. MUA branch officials and activists were also invited - at least one rank and filer from each state.

While the aim of the marginal seats campaign is to oust Howard, Mick stresses the time spent on the ground is also useful in development strong networks between the MUA alliance partners.

National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said it's important the unions put as many resources as possible into the campaign so the MUA alongside the miners can 'lead from the front'.

Both unions donated $300,000 each to sponsor the SkyChannel broadcast on November 30 and are investing in polling and professional organisers on the ground.

Two union campaign co-ordinators have been working full time in two key marginal seats.

In Dawson, Queensland, the CFMEU (Mining) has Lara Watson campaigning and in Dobell, NSW Shannon Gleeson, MUA has been hard at work since June as marginal seat campaign co-ordinator.

His job is to organise the membership and families by getting them out talking to the community. Dobell needs as swing of 4.8 per cent and Shannon has been helping with getting the message out via local radio and community events.

"We've had a festival of around 10,000 people, a picnic of 500-600, local bands, parades, sausage sizzles, stalls and free ice creams for the kids. It's a chance to get out among the community and highlight what's happening," he said. "We've had the Rights at Work bus up here and got local bands and mussos involved."

The free show bags are full of Rights at Work stickers, badges, and facts and figures.

The year began with yet more examples of how the new IR laws are undermining worker rights, with the Federal Court imposing $325,000 in fines and court costs on one union (the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union) for alleged contraventions of the Trades practices Act while in Sydney manufacturer Tristar Steering and Suspension was shamed in the media for denying a terminally ill accounts manager, his redundancy. John Bevan had cancer and the company was hoping he would die so they could save some money.

Labor needs to win 16 of 23 marginal seats requiring anything from a 0.1 per cent to 7.9 per cent swing to win government. It's by highlighting such examples of worker exploitation and heartlessness under Howard that the election can be won.

"If Howard wins the next election, we've got Buckley's of changing the IR laws under any future Labor government," said Mick. "On the other hand if we win on IR it strengthens our hand with the newly elected Labor government when it comes to related issues like shipping and cabotage."

In the Northern Territory the MUA is working with the ACTU campaign co-ordinator on the seat of Solomon.

"This seat will play a key role in the unions' attempts to revitalise and improve the stature of the NT Labor Council and the MUA's political influences in the region," said Mick. "It boasts the nation's largest hydrocarbon resource development next to WA."

Maritime members have been sheltered from the worst of the laws to date, but Mick Doleman points out if Howard is re-elected, any employers, who have sat back and watched since the laws were introduced and the collective union agreements ran their course could take it as a green light to 'go feral'.

"We have now identified all the MUA members eligible to vote and found around 1,900 who 'appear' to be not registered on either the State or Federal electoral rolls in their nominated address on the union's database," said Mick Doleman.

"That's one in five of the membership. We hope there's another explanation for this, but branches have been notified to follow up and ensure all MUA members are enrolled."

ACTU research also shows 40 per cent of younger workers aged 18 to 26 may not be registered to vote.

"We are calling on all maritime workers to ensure that their families and children are on the roll," said Mick Doleman. "Every vote is crucial this election."

Meanwhile the 215 members who put up their hands to become activists in the marginal seats campaign can expect a letter from the union in the coming weeks.

"I'll also be drawing the branches attention to those comrades in their port with the objective of engaging them in the strategies of the marginal seats campaign in each port," said Mick. "All members are encouraged to take an active role in this political campaign."