In a rallying cry to the ACTU Congress, the head of America's peak labour body, the AFL-CIO, has outlined a radical shift in the US union movement to activism and challenging global capital. For more Congress articles, go to www.workplaceexpress.com.au
The process of deciding the shape of the ACTU's living wage claim will now involve the grassroots of the labour movement, after the Congress accepted an amendment from the floor.
ACTU Congress delegates have agreed to increase affiliation fees by more than 10% (excluding GST) in the 2001 calendar year, after three years without any increases.
In a reinforcement of its organising strategy, the ACTU has launched a charter of delegates' rights and called on affiliates to join a campaign to implement it through bargaining, award variations and legislative changes.
The IRC has certified a non-union agreement for health fund HCF that provides 300 clerical and customer service employees a minimum pay increase of 8.6% over two years, with 6% of that paid upfront.
Union leaders expect wage growth in both the enterprise bargaining sector and the whole economy to fall behind inflation by the end of this year, and for the situation to be sustained throughout 2001.
A mass meeting at BHP's Port Hedland site in the Pilbara today has, as anticipated, again rejected the company's collective offer and a further meeting in Newman this afternoon is expected to yield the same result, putting the focus of the individual contracts dispute back on the Federal Court trial.
The threat of industrial action in the tax office coinciding with the introduction of the GST looks like being averted, with the CPSU forced to back away from its earlier position of rejecting the department's bargaining offer.
