Unionist to run as Socialist Alliance candidate

Following the surprise resignation of ex-Premier Geoff Gallop a by-election for his vacated seat of Victoria Park will be conducted on March 11. The Perth branch of Socialist Alliance will stand union activist John Tattersall as its candidate.

A safe Labor seat, Victoria Park has been held continuously by the ALP since 1953. In a short clamor for candidacy ALP faction heads have been working overtime with the Right’s Ben Wyatt getting the nod defeating the Left’s Helen Creed, national president of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union.

A sheet metal worker by trade and father of two, John Tattersall is only too aware of the growing difficulties working people face in WA with the looming attacks through PM Howard’s Work Choices and the problems of securing full time employment as a result of the unfettered growth of WA labour hire companies. A resident of Victoria Park, John has been a member of SA since 2002 and believes the time is ripe to build a working class alternative to the ALP.

“It’s about time workers had some real representation in government,” said Tattersall. “The Liberals are obviously on the rampage nationally trying to force people onto individual contracts but after two terms in office Labor have introduced no legislation in WA to protect casual workers or control the excesses of labour hire companies. In fact we’ve seen labour hire grow as companies use them more and more to attack working conditions. Effectively we are already getting here under Labor what Howard is trying to make law for all Australian workers”.

Despite working as a casual on and off for over three years John has been an active trade unionist in his various workplaces despite the obvious dangers to his employment prospects, “Workers need to support each other and not be intimidated into remaining silent. Our unions need to be more active in taking on companies that use outsourcing and labour hire outfits”.