Dear Member,

Remember where you were today for history’s sake! After three years and a double dissolution election the Turnbull Government’s signature industrial relations bill has passed the Senate in the last sitting week of 2016.

In order for the federal government to pass their draconian bill-The Australian Building and Construction Commission- they engaged in backroom deals with One Nation senators (for goodness sake), the Nick Xenophon team, the so called Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and Victorian senator Derryn Hinch (who probably should go back to his old radio jock job).
 
All unionists and Australian citizens should come together to fight off such authoritarian, despotic attempts to take our rights away. We have stuck together and done it before under the Howard coalition government and previous repressive regimes.
 
Instead of focusing on chasing the billions of dollars that multinational corporations and Billionaires like Clive Palmer avoid paying, you guessed it, the coalition government prefers to go after soft targets like Pensioners, the unemployed and underemployed. The Coalitions blind ideology and the Right Wing of their parties have taken control and are moving Australia down a path of no return.
 
If they want to go after our hard fought for rights and entitlements that we have earned then they will have to go through us-the Union, the Australian people!
If they get their way, Australia’s Industrial relations policy will resemble that of the USA and Mexico’s. I’ve recently been to Mexico and if you’re a millionaire its lots of fun! If you’re a worker that works 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day being paid less than $5 AUD a day, then you won’t have the time to enjoy the lovely resorts and parties that the elite and tourists relish.
 
I wonder if the coalitions next plan involves building a wall around Australia because we already have a moat and we hope that we don’t witness an exodus of brilliant minds and workers to other more tolerant countries, that look after their workers!
 
This is why it is so important that union members become more active than ever before and take a hands on approach and try to recruit their peers to our ranks.
We can overcome this disturbing chain of events and achieve our desired outcomes and benefits if we unite and make our voices heard at work. 
History has taught us that we have more power when we act together!
 
Yours In Solidarity,
 
David Eden
Assistant Secretary
Health Workers Union