Almost three years since the election of the Rudd Labor Government, it is clear that the ABCC will not be abolished and the laws that single out workers in our industry are still firmly in place.

Before the last election Kevin Rudd met with the CFMEU national secretary and all the state secretaries and gave us an undertaking that he would get rid of the ABCC once in office.

But he changed his mind during the 2007 campaign and hasn’t looked back since. It has been a huge disappointment for workers in the construction industry that they are still subjected to laws that govern no other worker in any other industry.

While the Rudd Government has implemented some good policies such as the stimulus package, which kept many construction workers in employment during the economic downturn, their record on the issue of workers’ rights has not been what we hoped for. There are principled Labor politicians who fight within the party for a fair go for building workers. Unfortunately they seem to continually lose out to those who want to cave in to the bosses.

An insult to building workers
To add insult to injury, we are attacked by Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard every time the issue comes up. Just recently in Western Australia, she repeated her worn out phrase that tough laws are needed for building workers and she wants to ensure ‘a tough cop on the beat’ – insinuating that we’re criminals.

Furthermore, Rudd has made public proclamations against Tasmanian union official Kevin Harkins standing for parliament. I know Kevin personally from working with him in Melbourne before he went across Bass Strait to build the Tasmanian branch of the ETU. He is a good man and a good unionist. If the ALP allowed him run and be elected to the Senate, he would be likely to support our union on the issue of workers’ rights.

In March, the ILO (International Labor Organisation) found that the laws singling out construction workers breach international standards. It also criticised the government for not protecting workers and said something we already knew: the ABCC is biased against workers.

Enough is enough. We can no longer give unconditional support to the ALP. If they continue to ignore workers and their unions, the ILO and countless other individuals and organisations who have spoken out against the ABCC, then we have no choice but to support a political party that supports us.

When we have lobbied all parties, only The Greens have given us a fair hearing. They oppose the ABCC and are committed to ending discrimination against construction workers and restoring our rights.

In the forthcoming federal election there is a real chance of getting more Greens into the Senate so that they, and not idiots like Steve Fielding, hold the balance of power.

The CFMEU doesn’t agree with all The Greens’ policies by any stretch.

But it is in the interest of all working people, and particularly members of this union, to cast a vote for the return of our rights by voting 1 for the Greens in the Senate.

Bill Oliver
State Secretary
CFMEU Victoria (Construction and General Division)