by Spirit of Eureka NSW

This article was originally a leaflet given to teachers from across NSW at a monthly NSW Teachers Federation Council meeting

Attacks on workers and unions are increasing. Institute managers try to lock Federation organisers out of TAFE colleges, Campbell-Newman wants to compel employers to take legal action against striking unions, and giant corporations are resurrecting feudal laws to hammer workers. BHP hit the MUA with a $16 million claim under one of the ancient Tort Laws, covering personal damages, for a four hour stoppage. Grocon is going for $6 million from the CFMEU, and the Victorian Government for $2 million, over a safety dispute where a worker has since died. Freehills tested the waters on picketers with the Tort law of “watching and besetting” in the same dispute, but didn’t proceed. An anti-worker armoury is growing, both through parliament and independent from it.

Naked self interest

The problem is capitalism. In times of crisis the corporate thieves who really run the country traditionally turn to Labor. But Labor leaders lie exposed, not only by Obeid’s breathtakingly vile rule of NSW Labor. Time and again ALP governments have attacked the very people they purport to serve, the workers, the battlers. Their default position is service to the rich and powerful under a cloak of pretty words. No principles are involved: self interest sees the Federal Government zigzagging from one opinion poll to the next, veering towards the people when they mobilise or an election is coming, but always back to the lords and masters if the struggle dies down. When the working class was well organised, and the national bourgeoisie was relatively strong, ALP leaders had room to manoeuvre. The ALP’s dismantling of strong unions through the 80s, plus the demolition of any vestiges of independent Australian capitalism by immensely powerful foreign competitors, have undermined ALP governments’ ability to deceive the people.

Passing the baton

Labor’s service to capitalism is no new thing. Workers have been demonised, gaoled and even shot under ALP governments. Despite numerous Labor governments in every state, territory and at the national level, capitalism has gone unchallenged. Why else, but service to capitalism, did state Labor Minister Aquilina try to implement much of Metherell’s agenda in the 90s? Why did O’Farrell transition seamlessly to Labor’s devolution policy, mapped out by Murdoch and his minions? Poor Julia must feel betrayed after doing Murdoch’s dirty work over NAPLAN and MySchool! Each new government builds on the dirty work of the last one, moving further and further to the right. In contrast, the Coalition has always served the more openly reactionary section of the ruling class. The Coalition’s actions are filthy and dishonest, but consistent, projecting an image of strength. An Abbott government will be diabolical for working people and cause huge suffering, not least to young women who will see their access to free, safe abortions savaged. There’s  slightly more room for workers to manoeuvre under the ALP, only if they build their independent capacity to fight.We have to take advantage of their late run for the line on Gonski, by upping our action, but if they manage to pull an electoral rabbit out of the hat, it will be rigid with rigamortis.

In uncharted territory, teachers must learn their own strength. Their willingness to fight is the true measure of Federation’s success. Their spirit, their determination to build the united front  – not parliament – shows the way forward. If that spirit wanes, tactics must change. It’s the people who create history, not politicians, not parliament. Politicians merely wield the rubber stamp, or the knife.