It is clear that many union leaders in Australia are very comfortable with their invitations to these Canberra summits. They see that their football team in Labor has won and that is the end of their involvement in solidarity for the people still suffering under neoliberalism, and capitalistic imperialism.
In many ways, the unions have for a while collaborated with Government and the bosses to negotiate terrible enterprise bargaining agreements.
Everything you so accurately say about Sally McManus and the Union movement applies 💯to PM Albanese , FM Wong , Home Affairs Minister Burke etc who have remodelled the “Labor Party “ into some grovelling , worshiping, neoliberal group
which the Late , great Gough Whitlam would not recognise . Gough’s oft-used term , “pissants” leaps to mind . Imagine an Australian Prime Minister addressing the UK Labour Conference and daring to say that the Labor Party should not and must not be about “protest” , as he did this week . Which parts of Labor history is he happy to erase from public knowledge ? ?
The secrecy of his government is also an obscenity , even on domestic policy . Anyone less fit for office in that position is difficult to imagine , although one of his skills is getting rid of any potential leadership rival , as we have seen .
I have witnessed it in the union movement, and when it doesn’t prejudice comrades organising against genocide, I will share it to help those working for solidarity — at home and abroad.
I thought there'd be something in their constitution to hold them to good behavior, but a quick read of their 2021 doco (below) suggested its just jobs, jobs, and more jobs:
If that's the essential picture, then it's a nothingburger ACTU, which appears to only exist to ostensibly help workers get more jobs. And realistically to help the Authoritarian, Center Right ALP (judging by their PM&C, FoI, Foreign, Defense, Energy, Environment, Media, and Zionism actions) organize unions to push the ALP (and USA, and Israel) agenda.
No wonder the ALP is replacing the LNP with voters -the ALP appears to be becoming the LNP.
Those union members who care about stopping the Israel Genocide are invited to leave the ALP+ABC+ACTU bubble, and consider what is needed (and who they can work with to achieve it):
Call for an end to Israel's Genocide of Palestine (only The Greens are willing and able),
Call for unhindered aid to Gaza (only The Greens are willing and able),
Call for an end to Israel's occupation and apartheid (only The Greens are willing and able),
End all military-associated trade with Israel (only The Greens are willing and able).
Genocide and US imperialism happen when a few evil persons are aided by the complicity of millions of apathetic voters and investors and other allies. Your move, chief!
Thank you Joel for your analysis.
It is clear that many union leaders in Australia are very comfortable with their invitations to these Canberra summits. They see that their football team in Labor has won and that is the end of their involvement in solidarity for the people still suffering under neoliberalism, and capitalistic imperialism.
In many ways, the unions have for a while collaborated with Government and the bosses to negotiate terrible enterprise bargaining agreements.
Excellent piece Joel 👍
Yes and yes to every word you wrote . 💯💯
Everything you so accurately say about Sally McManus and the Union movement applies 💯to PM Albanese , FM Wong , Home Affairs Minister Burke etc who have remodelled the “Labor Party “ into some grovelling , worshiping, neoliberal group
which the Late , great Gough Whitlam would not recognise . Gough’s oft-used term , “pissants” leaps to mind . Imagine an Australian Prime Minister addressing the UK Labour Conference and daring to say that the Labor Party should not and must not be about “protest” , as he did this week . Which parts of Labor history is he happy to erase from public knowledge ? ?
The secrecy of his government is also an obscenity , even on domestic policy . Anyone less fit for office in that position is difficult to imagine , although one of his skills is getting rid of any potential leadership rival , as we have seen .
It’s an utter disgrace that the Labor that Australia elected to office is just an “LNP Lite”, at best.
Worse than that , they attempt to fool the public into believing that they are still “a Labor
Government “. As an earlier comment observed , former PM Morrison would be mightily
pleased at their “do as little as possible “ approach . Public Interest Zero .
It takes effort to strangle solidarity.
I have witnessed it in the union movement, and when it doesn’t prejudice comrades organising against genocide, I will share it to help those working for solidarity — at home and abroad.
Exactly Joel, exactly and it is so sad.
ACTU has done nothing to help stop the Israel Genocide, tokenist (ALP) words don't count:
https://www.actu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ACTU-statement-on-Gaza-May-2025.pdf
I thought there'd be something in their constitution to hold them to good behavior, but a quick read of their 2021 doco (below) suggested its just jobs, jobs, and more jobs:
https://www.actu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2021_ACTUConstitutionRulesStandingOrders.pdf
If that's the essential picture, then it's a nothingburger ACTU, which appears to only exist to ostensibly help workers get more jobs. And realistically to help the Authoritarian, Center Right ALP (judging by their PM&C, FoI, Foreign, Defense, Energy, Environment, Media, and Zionism actions) organize unions to push the ALP (and USA, and Israel) agenda.
No wonder the ALP is replacing the LNP with voters -the ALP appears to be becoming the LNP.
Those union members who care about stopping the Israel Genocide are invited to leave the ALP+ABC+ACTU bubble, and consider what is needed (and who they can work with to achieve it):
Call for an end to Israel's Genocide of Palestine (only The Greens are willing and able),
Call for unhindered aid to Gaza (only The Greens are willing and able),
Call for an end to Israel's occupation and apartheid (only The Greens are willing and able),
End all military-associated trade with Israel (only The Greens are willing and able).
Genocide and US imperialism happen when a few evil persons are aided by the complicity of millions of apathetic voters and investors and other allies. Your move, chief!