ABCC attack dog now in manufacturing


The ABCC, set up by Howard after the Cole Royal Commission, has only one job: to enforce Howard’s extreme WorkChoices Laws in the building and construction industry. It has now spread its net and is being used against workers in manufacturing and the ports.

The ABCC basically it has acted a bunch of key stone cops, clomping around, spying and trying to bullying workers across the country. Like the $66 million Cole Royal Commission, the ABCC spends tens of millions of taxpayer’s money with next to nothing to show for it. It’s collection of ‘cloak and dagger’ ex-federal police officers would have been a comical joke if Howard had not given the ABCC huge powers to fine and jail union members and workers who refused to talk to them. Workers who refuse to talk or attend an interrogation or then talked about it to their family and friends faced 6 months jail. The ABCC basically has the power to treat workers worse than criminals and workers have no right to silence.

The ABCC was also aimed with another legal weapon called the code of practice. In effect Howard used the code to blackmail bosses and ban them from Commonwealth funded projects if they made wage deals with unions that kept many of the hard won conditions that we have won over the years.


Glass, wood and carpet industries now in the ABCC’s sights


The ABCC now says that even a carpet factory or carpentry workshop that supplies a government building has to be code compliant. That means that they are trying to undo fairly negotiated wages and conditions in carpet factories that supply materials to Commonwealth funded building. They basically want to reduce wages and conditions in manufacturing to down to the ultra low standards in WorkChoices.

They say even a ship which is destined for a construction site has to be code compliant They say that a factory which makes glass or wood panelling which might go onto a construction site or a trucking company which might deliver the glass and timber all have to be code compliant.

Under Howard’s building industry code of practice, they can import products made with child labour in overseas countries but they can’t use products made in a door, carpentry, glass or carpet factory under a decent union negotiated industrial agreements.



But isn’t WorkChoices over now?


Now you are probably saying, ?hang on a minute didn’t we have an election and get rid of WorkChoices?. Why do we still have these gorillas running around and bugging work sheds trying to enforce WorkChoices??

And yes, we did have an election and Rudd has promised to rip up WorkChoices but we still have to wait for new work laws and Rudd has promised big business that the ABCC will be in place until 2010.

Until then any worker can have their civil liberties trampled just because they work on a commonwealth funded site or in a factory supplying a commonwealth site and the ABCC come to visit.


What to do if they come to your workplace


The number one thing to do is to talk to the FFTS first. If you are served with a notice from the ABCC demanding information or documents, talk to your Union Organiser first. Remember talk to us before you talk to them. CALL THE FFTS: (03) 9329 1577


You can help bring an end to these workplace police


Be ready to rally behind any union member who is unfairly targeted by the ABCC’s extreme powers. Let’s stand together and oppose this unjust and ‘way past its use-by-date’ WorkChoices organisation. We still live in a democracy so have your say:


  • CALL talk back radio and ask: why workers are treated worse than terrorists?
  • WRITE to the papers and call for an end to the ABCC.
  • CALL, WRITE and EMIL you local Federal Member: ask them to close down the ABCC.
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