Communists in the union movement:
Yesterday and Today
Working people hold tremendous power in their hands when they organise collectively. The role of socialists in unions is to inspire their workmates to not only imagine a better world but to organise for a society where exploitation cannot exist and the needs of all are abundantly met.
Communists have a proud tradition of political unionism—working to build class consciousness through their activism in the union movement, connecting struggles across industries, building international solidarity, opposing imperialist war, winning support for Aboriginal rights, and raising the demands of the most oppressed by challenging racism and sexism and educating about LGBTI rights.
Learn the lessons from history and get energised for building on the work of earlier generations of union rebels with courage, a vision and a program.
Panellists:
Doug Jordan is a lifelong socialist, who spent a quarter of a century as a tramway worker and unionist and is a veteran of the great 1990 strike. He presents City Limits, a weekly program on 3CR, and is a campaigner for public housing. He is the author of the recently published, Conflict in the Unions: The Communist Party of Australia, Politics and the Trade Union Movement, 1945 – 60.
Alison Thorne is Melbourne Organiser for the Freedom Socialist Party and a workplace delegate with the Community and Public Sector Union. While working as a teacher, she fought two epic battles, one based on her gay liberation activism and the other resisting union busting. She has put Aboriginal rights on the agenda in the union movement and campaigned for equal pay.
Peter Murray, a passionate environmentalist who is an activist in the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, will chair the panel. Murray worked alongside Jordan in the 1990 strike and led two rail strikes in the ‘80s.
Saturday, 12 April, 4 pm
Solidarity Salon, 580 Sydney Road, Brunswick
The discussion will be followed by a “Nothing’s too good for the working class” dinner, which caters for all tastes, for a $10 donation.
We’ll also take up a collection to boost the fund to help members of Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party travel to Los Angeles in May to participate in the Freedom Socialist Party Convention, A World to Win … A Planet to Save!
Hosted by the Freedom Socialist Party
For more information call 03 9388 0062, email: freedom.socialist.party@ozemail.com.au
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