Extract from The Guardian
Workers call for better pay and working conditions in Sydney. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
“We are fighting for our lives and a fair go,” Melbourne cleaner Sajita said before an AC/DC cover band performed for the crowd.
The ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, said the disruption caused by Tuesday’s rallies was worth it.
“Our standard of living is going backwards – that should not be happening,” McManus told the Melbourne crowd.
The ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, and the Victorian
premier, Daniel Andrews, at the march in Melbourne. Photograph: William
West/AFP/Getty Images
“That’s because the minimum wage in our country is just $37,000 – that is not enough to support yourself.”
As the rally prepared to get underway, the CFMEU boss John Setka quoted historical figures in a tweet to justify the action, including Martin Luther King saying “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal”.
Marchers at the ‘Change the Rules’ rally in Sydney. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
The federal jobs and industrial relations minister, Kelly O’Dwyer, accused him of comparing Hitler’s Nazi Germany to Australia and said the comparison was “vile”.
“John Setka has done it again. His vile slur against the Federal Govt (sic) likening it to the Hitler regime is beyond repugnant,” she tweeted.
She later criticised the rally and said unions were hurting rather than helping workers.
Andrews said Victorians were working harder than ever but not being rewarded.
“They want a better deal, they’re entitled to that, so they can provide the best for their kids and they can have a better standard of living and greater opportunities than their parents have had,” he told reporters.
The ACTU president, Michele O’Neil, and the Unions NSW secretary, Mark Morey, left, in Sydney. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has dismissed the union’s claims.
“Scratch the surface and the ACTU’s campaign is really about putting power into the hands of big unions, disempowering employees, and removing their choices,” its chief executive, James Pearson, said.
Kelly O’Dwyer criticises ‘vile’ tweet from CFMEU boss but ACTU secretary Sally McManus says disruption was worth it.
Tens of thousands of workers have joined rallies across Australia calling for better working conditions and a pay rise.
The ACTU estimates 150,000 people, including the Victorian Labor premier, Daniel Andrews, rallied in Melbourne on Tuesday and thousands also joined the call in Sydney, Darwin, Wollongong, Cairns, Townsville and other regional centres demanding a “fair go”.
The ACTU estimates 150,000 people, including the Victorian Labor premier, Daniel Andrews, rallied in Melbourne on Tuesday and thousands also joined the call in Sydney, Darwin, Wollongong, Cairns, Townsville and other regional centres demanding a “fair go”.
“We are fighting for our lives and a fair go,” Melbourne cleaner Sajita said before an AC/DC cover band performed for the crowd.
The ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, said the disruption caused by Tuesday’s rallies was worth it.
“Our standard of living is going backwards – that should not be happening,” McManus told the Melbourne crowd.
“That’s because the minimum wage in our country is just $37,000 – that is not enough to support yourself.”
As the rally prepared to get underway, the CFMEU boss John Setka quoted historical figures in a tweet to justify the action, including Martin Luther King saying “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal”.
The federal jobs and industrial relations minister, Kelly O’Dwyer, accused him of comparing Hitler’s Nazi Germany to Australia and said the comparison was “vile”.
“John Setka has done it again. His vile slur against the Federal Govt (sic) likening it to the Hitler regime is beyond repugnant,” she tweeted.
She later criticised the rally and said unions were hurting rather than helping workers.
Andrews said Victorians were working harder than ever but not being rewarded.
“They want a better deal, they’re entitled to that, so they can provide the best for their kids and they can have a better standard of living and greater opportunities than their parents have had,” he told reporters.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has dismissed the union’s claims.
“Scratch the surface and the ACTU’s campaign is really about putting power into the hands of big unions, disempowering employees, and removing their choices,” its chief executive, James Pearson, said.
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