Ian McFarlane - Thoughts on the demise of the union movementOne of the difficulties facing workers in the industrial climate since the advent of the Hawke government has been the strong, almost incestuous relationship between the ACTU and the Labour Government. Many ACTU officials have seen the union movement as a career path that provides a safe ALP seat in parliament as the ultimate award for their compliance. The diminution of real wages referred to in question 4 (in the discussion starter on work) was largely brought about by Labour politics such as the Accord. The union response to the loss of real wages engineered by this policy was to simply allow more and more overtime to be worked to make up the shortfall, a practice that produced the mess we are in today, with Australian workers working longer hours than they ever have historically. If unions were able to enforce a 40 hour week in the workplace today in order to reduce unemployment, many workers would quickly find that they are not earning a living wage and unable to meet their mortgage repayments.The introduction of enterprise bargaining was again, introduced by the Labour Government with no resistance or opposition from the ACTU, a major feature of EBA'S was a "freeing up" of hours worked, more overtime with less penalty rates less disincentive for employers use overtime in question (3). The fall in union membership should be understood as a direct consequence of the absolute failure of union to act in their members interests throughout the past 20 years. It is after all a service industry, and if unions are not able or willing to provide the basic service they were set up for in the first place, the protection of their membership (let alone advancement of conditions) they lose market relevance, therefore support and membership. The loss of membership through industry restructuring mentioned in question (3). It must be remembered, done with the sanction and compliance of the ACTU, with many officials taking the view that a worker's job was his or hers to sell, that is if there was a reasonable redundancy package the process got the nod, no thought for ensuing unemployment. If the union movement is to gain credibility again it must become an independent organisation with the individual and social interests of it's own members paramount. If laws are enacted that deny union members the basic human rights of organisation, assembly. Withdrawal of labour or assistance to fellow workers, then these laws are unjust laws and must be resisted as they were resisted in the past (not become secondary issues because of fear of electoral fall out). Capital (it matters not whether it is Global or Local) will exploit labour in any way it can, to any degree it can, there is little point in wringing one's hands complaining of the "unfairness of it all" the duty of working class movements is to counter this process. The responsibility for the disorganisation, the levels of exploitation and poor working conditions experienced by labour in Australia today must be laid firmly at the feet of the Hawke and Keating governments and the ACTU.
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