I have come to realize even more sharply over the last 12 months the extraordinary and unappreciated contribution that the working class – those much-maligned trade unionists and workers make to Australian society.
Through the recent abysmal bushfire and flooding experiences, the greatest contribution towards resolution was made by the fire brigades, the rural fire service, the volunteers; those working on maintaining electric power. The cream of the working class somehow diminished with their courage and application what was an absolute physical and human disaster. Sure, we appreciated them; we cheered them, lauded them, but was that enough?
How many lost their lives saving not just their home, but the homes of their neighbours and those of various people with whom they had no real relationship. The courage, the persistence, the lives they were prepared to risk made us realize the extraordinary value of ordinary working Australians. Ordinary in one sense but remarkable in another.
The cream of the working class…. These are the people whose work ethic, perseverance and love of country have made us the rich society we are. I think sometimes we lose sight of the fact that those in the factories, in the workshops, on the wharves, on the farms, in the mines and in other places of physical endeavour have given us the living standard we enjoy. In recent days we have seen an even more graphic vision of the efforts of these trade unionist, these working-class people with the advent of COVID19.
The nurses on the front line subjecting their lives to jeopardy every day, every shift. The hospital orderlies, the remarkable doctors, the ambulance drivers, the cleaners have all jeopardized their health, their safety with their selfless contribution to the fight which we are slowly in Australia commendably winning. I’ve always had a desire in life to support the underdog.
My father, a wonderful trade unionist taught me to honour the contribution and the dignity of a working man. He showed me that life should be a constant battle to secure a quality of opportunity for all members of society. I don’t think anybody could estimate the extraordinary contribution, the courage, the commitment of these thousands of Australians, not just at the front line of nursing the victims but the others who have kept the country alive.
The transport workers, those working in grocery shops, supermarkets and pharmacies subjecting themselves to the dangers of infection are in my mind Australian heroes. I would like the contribution of all of these workers, these trade unionists to be recognized more clearly and with greater appreciation by all Australians and particularly by the government.
It is a fact that over decades, particularly when conservatives run the government that the contribution to national wealth that comes from the working class is never properly appreciated. Example 1 Every case before the arbitration court over the last decades where workers have been seeking an increase on the working wage has been opposed strongly by every conservative government.
An examination of the Australian economy over the last 20 years shows very clearly the percentage of profit to the employers has greatly exceeded any upward move in the percentage of wages. It is high time that this situation was reversed. Any fair estimation of the economy at the moment even before the extraordinary contribution I have mentioned with bushfires and COVID19 would merit an upward movement in the percentage of wage levels as part of the overall corporate success. Assuming that my estimations are correct that the country has survived the recent social dramas of natural disasters and the pandemic on the back mainly good governments of both political colours and the magnificent contribution of the working class, is it not time to improve the percentage of
National wealth which passes down the line to the working class. I am thoroughly disillusioned that the well-publicised intentions of the Federal Government post-COVID 19 in terms of future legislative moves to assist Australia’s recovery include a ‘revision of industrial relations’.
This term is, of course, a reason for the government’s hate of Trade Unions despite the extraordinary contribution of recent days by these same Unions to save Australia in its days of darkness. The Government again show their abhorrence for the working class. It seems to be implicit in their DNA that the working class will always be at the bottom of the pile and not in any way given due respect for the extraordinary contribution made to Australia’s wealth by Trade Unionists.
Have they not learned a very clear lesson from Howard’s absolute pathetic attempt at WORK CHOICES. It is beyond question that every decent social advantage provided in Australia’s history is a result of pressure from the working class. When was the last social advantage offered to the Australian population by conservatives?
Think old age pension, 40 hour week, workers compensation, industrial relations court, disability pensions, universal superannuation, Medicare, NDIS etc. etc. All of these and many other benefits came about because of pressure from the working class and their trade unions.
How dare Morrison and his unsympathetic government suggest a further weakening of working-class rights as a panacea to the financial difficulties we now experience as a result of the recent bushfires and the COVID 19.
John Joseph Brown AO is a retired Australian politician. He served in the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1990, representing the Division of Parramatta for the Australian Labor Party.
Comments
7 responses to “JOHN BROWN. Three cheers for the working class”
I certainly agree, though I am very apprehensive about the next move on workers. Porter has been promoted as a someone with skills in public policy and an understanding of law, so is capable of developing a revision of IR law in consultation with business and unions.
We shall never forget or forgive Porter for the abject failure as minister for Human Services who created Robodebt (the removal of human oversight and income averaging), an illegal process from it’s creation, and destroyed Centrelink culture by changing it from a supportive Human Service to a brutal automated machine, driving inequality and punishing the vulnerable people of the country without mercy.
The review is unlikely to be a genuine attempt to achieve anything positive, normally this government would get one of a highly paid financial group of consultants to do this work for them without any consultation, and likely already has. It is probably yet another “announcement” preceding a predetermined outcome, or nothing at all.
The problem is getting worse under the current government. The people who “create wealth” are the lowest income makers. There are many problems with senior executives in many companies, particularly large ones. In many cases the “top end” do not know what the work is. They read the financial returns and do not know how those jobs are carried out. In politics, it tends to be the same. They make decisions about labour without knowing what labour contributes. The difference in income between the CEO and the average employee has risen massively in recent years and the big bonuses usually go to those who do not make a real contribution to the increased income. In the U.S. a metal company pay difference rice from 8 to 47 in just 25 years.
Well said!
I am a Unionist and a doctor and I am dismayed by the insistence that only doctors and nurses are Front Line. Anyone who deals with the public is frontline. Within the Health system Oral Health is one of the highest risk areas for COVID transmission from an unrecognised active case – almost every procedure generates aerosols at close range.
The continual attacks on pay rises and working conditions and the lazy stereotype of “bureaucrat” for the people who keep the system running are offensive and self-serving.
It’s good to know someone still cares
Bravo John!
During my working life spanning half a century , I was always a paid up member of a trade union, first as a public servant, later as a teacher. I remember vividly the fight we waged against John Howard’s ill informed and poorly executed attack on the workers rights with his WORK CHOICES legislation. You are totally correct it is us, the hardworking labour force that has made this country prosperous not the big boys in their fancy boardrooms , yet in recent years wages and salaries have continued to decline as profits and the ‘big boys’ perks and bonuses have increased. The attempt by employers and governments to pause or even reduce wages as a result of the COVID-90 Virus Pandemic impact on the economy is absolutely pathetic. Without the working classes’ effort, any economic recovery will be an illusion.
Dear John – What a brilliant “song” of praise for the backbone of the nation – and the truth, too. We look at the representatives of the moneyed classes – Gina and Twiggy and Clive – Gerry and Kerry and Harry and Frank – and Rupert and James – always with their knees pressed firmly into the neck of the workers – and of other sectors of our society – thinking the Juukan Gorge in WA – the Intervention in the NT – “Fair Work” irony upon ironies – the crocodile tears of Joe and other shamelessness from the politicians – I’ve just had an exchange on LinkedIn with Daniel who tells me to keep the red flag flying while he defends Trump and cares for some two billion dollars in a fund of some sort. I am unsure of what he intends with his reference to a red flag but he is yet to explain his reference to attendance at Sydney High School. There is no such school. More sleight-of-Hand privilege and put-down of the working class – that’s for sure!
A sad reflection on the subject is that the working class don’t think they working class and they have the delusion that they are the possessors of asperation.
Still haven’t joined the dots, continuing to accept “that now is not the time ” for better conditions, on the basis that they may lose what they already have, thus demonstrating they have no asperation.
One might add that they (mostly non unionists ) also bargain away hard won union conditions in the process of going backwards (no asperation there)
Yes three cheers for the working class—-
But only on the day they realise that they and the labour they provide are the real currency in the economy and NOTHING gets done without them and their labour.
If your worried about getting a job (real job) JOIN A UNION.
I live in hope.
Well said!
Perhaps it is time that we had a ‘volunteers’ strike. Not long, just a week or so. Let the much vaunted private sector fill the gap. At no cost or remuneration.
Oh… wait… the private sector has been bloated with press ganged volunteers re ‘work for the dole’. This government so values volunteerism that they insist on it.