By Sue Bolton (Wills branch)
On Friday June 6, a fundraiser for the ETU picket line at Smorgon Steel and the AMWU picket lines scattered across Melbourne was held at Comrades Bar in Melbourne.
The function, an initiative of the Socialist Alliance’s state Trade Union Solidarity Committee with the support of the ETU and the AMWU, was pulled together in just 10 days. Despite the short notice, the night was a great success — more than 100 people attended and $2700 was raised for the striking workers.
As well as raising much-needed funds, the event alerted many trade unionists to the fact there are a large number of picket lines in Melbourne at the moment, and that the Smorgon Steel line has been held for more than 100 days. The eight Smorgon workers who came to the fundraiser got a huge morale boost from mixing with other unionists who have been involved in a range of disputes.
ETU state secretary, Dean Mighell, ETU organiser Gerry Glover, and ETU shop steward from Smorgon Steel Ronnie Goodfellow told the crowd about the significance of the Smorgon dispute. TCFUA state secretary Michele O’Neil outlined the situation facing the locked out Geelong Wool Combing workers who are fighting a 26% wage cut, and AMWU organiser Tony Mavromatis described the events leading to the strike by ACI Box Hill workers.
Former AMWU state secretary and Socialist Alliance member Craig Johnston, who was the MC on the evening, pointed out that the laws which are preventing the Smorgon Steel workers from blocking access to the plant were introduced by the Labor Party, and on that note introduced Simon Millar, the main organiser of the fundraiser, to explain why a political alternative such as Socialist Alliance is so necessary.