Maori workers challenge Canberra

Date: 07 November 2005

CFMEU Maori workers perform a haka

Several hundred Maori workers who came to Australia seeking decent wages and conditions at work throughout the late 1980's and 1990's took a very powerful message to Canberra on Wednesday 2nd November. The workers performed a Haka on the lawns at the front of Parliament House as the new IR Legislation was introduced. The workers, largely CFMEU members from the mining and construction industries, travelled to Canberra from all over Australia to let the Howard government know what they think of the proposed IR legislation.

Their protest also serves as a timely warning to Australian workers about what they face if the legislation is passed. One Maori worker described how he was paid $25 an hour for his work in construction. Within days of the Employment Contracts Act being introduced in New Zealand in 1991 his wage was reduced to $10 an hour making it impossible for families to survive. In what is known in NZ as the 'Employment Contracts Era' New Zealand workers suffered a 6.5% fall in their real hourly earning during the 20 years from 1980 to 2001. That was the worst performance of the 16 countries in an OECD study in 2003. In fact New Zealand was the only country in the study where workers real hourly earnings fell. Workers in every other country had an increase with the Japanese workers real hourly earnings rising 64%, UK workers earnings went up 46.9%, Canadian 39.5%, and Australian 28.8%. The Howard government will not be happy until they have forced wages down with the net effect of destroying families. The Maori workers Haka was a truly awesome act of contempt and defiance of the proposed IR legislation. The passion and vigour of the more than thirty minute performance was an inspiration to workers everywhere. The audience which included ALP politicians Senator Gavin Marshall and Shadow Spokesman on Industrial Relations Stephen Smith, as well as ACTU Secretary Greg Combet watched enthralled as the workers performed a Haka at it's ferocious best, truly, a message of the heart expressed by words, posture and facial expression. These workers are a bloody inspiration to us all. To all of them go our Thanks for their solidarity with Australian workers.

For further information

Contact:	Len Cooper
Union:	CEPU Victorian branch
Phone:	03 9387 3703
Contact Mobile:	0438 389302
WWW:	http://www.cepu.asn.au

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