tao,
How about you say something I disagree with and I'll let you know. The main problem is that a great proportion of working people are indeed "weak and submissive" and fear losing what they have worked so hard to achieve, i.e. a home {roof over their head} a car TV microwave, indeed the workers are their own worst enemies, if only they realised it. This capitalist society has managed to break "mateship" down, if true old fashioned mateship still existed the senerio would be easy. The union cry "the workers united will never be defeated" is true, the difficult part is uniting them. If every union member in Australia struck on the 28th of this month, and was fined $30,000 each for doing so, and refused to pay the fine, where is the prison space to lock us up? Answer - doesn't exist, in other words it's a bluff, that the workforce allows itself to be intimitated by.

The Left wing of the Labor Party is dominated by the right, which is why ALP policy is as it is, and exactly why my wish is for more lefties to join and outnumber them, the conservative right has conspired to lower working conditions, whereas the radical left with lack of numbers can only hope to influence the degree of rape. With more numbers of radicals we could change ALP policy to a socialist perspective, rewarding workers for their efforts. South America is largely socialist now, there is no reason why we could not join them.

Alot of workers have been brainwashed and they thought Howard would look after them. Oh what a mistake that was. Many workers are too weak these days and thats exactly what this government has been waiting for. Put you asleep and then stab you in the back.....

Just back from the NSW ALP state conference and some things are clear.
I have been wrong!
Kim Beazley ,nice bloke that he has always been is about to become prime minister of Australia.
And again I was wrong , AWA,S in my mind always evil but also in my mind the non Labor voters compforter, are to go!, and its Kims better policy that makes that possible.
Kim Beazley IS THE LABOUR LEADER , no other will lead the party.
And he spoke of true policys and that is the only way we will defeat workchoices.
An ALP goverment.
I pledge my 100% suport to see him become prime minister and will never again undermine his leadership.
Nore should anyone who both wants an end to workchoices and to see a good man elected to lead Australia, instead of John Howard.
After highlighting the EVILS of workchoices, includeing contracts without pay rises for FIVE YEARS! [ will fuel rent interest rates not rise in that time?]
Kim Beazley set out his policys to not just fix IR but to fix Australia.
Both on the stage and as he left a cry went up that will circle Australia.
The chant of Beazley! Beazley! Beazley! is the new its time!,its the cry for justice Australia has waited for.

As a trade unionist and working class Australian you will find I will never run away from a fight for workers rights.
So SHONGA and Tao, this is for you, in my view you are of no help to those you say you want to help.
SHONGA the left of my party lost every vote in Sydney, every vote.
The pretentous view that the party is run from Queensland by the AWU is clearly wrong.
NSW AWU is proud and strong and a bloke sitting in a Sydney ofice is clearly in comand.
The AWU is no evil commander, but it is a vital part of the rudder that keeps the ALP within coee of goverment ofice.
The left has its part to play but in a democracy majority rule, SHONGA do not undermine the only chance, yes only chance Australian workers have.
Contracts signed under workchoices for FIVE YEARS! WITHOUT PAY RISES!
demand unity.
Tao, your thoughts if converted into a party would fail to fill a phone box.
No one has the right to impose radical views on us as the will of the workers.
I exist as a proud AWU trade union oficial to serve the workers, and I am yet to find one who can not think for him/her self!
Beazley! Beazley! Beazley!
Workers united can NEVER be defeated.

Good on you Belly,
You have come away from conference all pumped up with hype, nothing has changed mate, Beazley is not consistently strong enough to become Prime Minister, he has proved it by losing 2 elections, and will lead us to yet another defeat next year, because the NSW Branch is stacked with the lunatic right is testiment to the cause/reason the ALP have been in the federal political wilderness for a decade, and if you believe anything else you are deluding yourself mate.

Did Beazley say anything about improving workers lifestyles apart from removing Workchoices to return us to the status quo, I bet he didn't. Typical right wing diatribe meaningless rubbish, if you want to fall for it mate, go ahead it's a free country, but don't expect the rest of us to be dancing in the streets just because Beazley gave the performance of his life, he had to, or he would have been out on his political ear, one swallow a summer doesn't make my friend.

I have met Beazley on many occasions and have asked him questions regarding the "working poor" his response was "they don't exist" he is a pretender, who can occasionally put on a good show, however he has and always will lack substance, as far as ordinary low income working families are concerned, do you know the median wage in Australia is approx $27,700 per annum, which includes lots of low income families who haven't been impressed by Beazley for the last 10 years, if you don't I do, Labor will never win with Beazley.

Well Beazley has announced that he will abolish AWA's. He thinks he is jumping on a vote winning bandwagon.

Point is - individual contracts actually do suit SOME people.

Also his back to the future tack will alienate business from Labor - again.

We need compromise.

As previously stated

1. Return right of collective agreements.

2. Allow Union representation/bargaining/training.

3. Where employer and employee both agree individual contracts can be an option.

4. Set in concrete over time allowances.

We can't turn back the clock but we can take the best from all possible IR reforms.