Julia Gillard is in trouble.
She made a colourful statement that employers will be hurt if they campaign against Labor�s industrial relations policy.
Predictably, down came the wrath of the reactionary bourgeois media. Significantly, her colleagues were also upset. This shows just how much Rudd Labor is on its knees to the capitalist class. Undoubtedly, the bosses are pleased she has been brought into line by her own party.
The Sydney Morning Herald�s editorial colorfully called her statement a �jihad� against business. No, Gillard does not have any serious on-going campaign against the boss class as the Herald suggests. Even worse, the editorial made a link to the war on terror. This illustrates how the war on terror is being used against working class struggles, not just the real terrorists. How typically reactionary!
Kevin Rudd overwhelmingly had his way at the recent ALP Conference. On the whole, the union movement fell in behind his banner. One exception was the Electrical Trades Union. They promised to fight him tooth and nail. Good, their opposition is fully and totally justified.
Rudd promises to outlaw all strikes not carried out by secret ballot. Of course, the main beneficiary from this will be the bosses. No longer will workers be allowed to simply walk off the job if the boss carries out a serious misdemeanor. Organising secret ballots takes time and money. The time needed to organise these ballots will be used to sabotage workers� efforts. Organising strikes this way costs more money. This will severely limit the number of strikes a union can carry out. The unions are not entirely satisfied by Rudd�s proposal. So politically weak have they become that they will support any form of Labor government as long as it guarantees their existence. Hence, they fall in behind him.
The bosses are organising because Rudd promises to abandon AWA�s. Leading companies such as Rio Tinto and Westpac are planning to counter the unions� campaign with one of their own. This is what prompted Gillard�s controversial comment. She has since apologised.
Sensible agents of the ruling class know better. The Australian (May 3) reported that Freehills�, one of Australia�s largest legal firm, cautioning about being too hard on Rudd (�The end of AWA�s will not bring an end to the world as we know it.�). It was pointed out that Rudd does not want to go back to the old fashioned centralised system which they despise so much. Freehills
is happy about Rudd Labor �cutting unions out of action�. They point out that Rudd�s policies are more employer friendly than Kim Beazley.
It goes without saying that unions should have nothing to do with this reactionary party if they are to be consistent in their basic traditional role of defending their members� basic interests. Rudd�s reactionary policies are not an accident. They flow from the logic of reformism.
The only party which can uncompromisingly fight for workers� interests is a revolutionary communist party.