Union quits Labor Party
PLP ‘failed workers’, union says
THE Health and Community Services Union has abandoned the state Labor Party with its secretary Tim Jacobson describing the Parliamentary Labor Party as “little more than sycophantic electoral opportunists, at the expense of showing any moral fibre”. Mr Jacobson said the unanimous decision was not made lightly.
Meanwhile, state president Ben McGregor is refusing to step down from the state branch despite a call for him to stand aside.
TASMANIA’S biggest union has disaffiliated with state Labor and its leader has launched a scathing attack on the party’s parliamentary wing.
In a one-sentence letter to ALP secretary Stuart Benson, Health and Community Services Union secretary Tim Jacobson said the union’s committee of management had resolved to cease its affiliation from close of business on Friday.
In an exclusive interview with the Mercury, Mr Jacobson said the unanimous decision was not made lightly, but he said the Parliamentary Labor Party (PLP) had “failed workers over and over again”.
“The PLP appear to be little more than sycophantic electoral opportunists, at the expense of showing any moral fibre,” he said.
“It leaves one questioning whether in fact they are even interested in the responsibility of governing in the interests of the people of Tasmania.
“HACSU affiliated to the ALP in 2010 because we felt we could make a real difference for working people – our members in health, aged care, and community and disability services – by influencing the so-called workers’ party from the inside.
“And like many trade unions, we have been disappointed by the processes and personalities who seem to go to extreme lengths to resist genuine input from the rank and file and representatives of working Tasmanians; who, indeed, remain determined not to be influenced.”
HACSU has almost 9000 members. A party powerbroker, Mr Jacobson argued the union’s decision was not related to party president Ben McGregor being removed as a Clark candidate at the state election, or the removal of David O’Byrne as leader.
He remains on the powerful left wing-dominated administrative committee but will not stand again or attend the party’s annual conference at the end of October.
“It is clear that vested interests have a stronger voice within the Tasmanian PLP as opposed to those within the party who spend many voluntary hours making improvements to the party platform, a document which is, by and large, ignored,” Mr Jacobson said.
“The PLP has failed workers over and over again in the time since our affiliation: at its worst in 2011 with health cuts and sackings, but at its most disturbing in its atrophic inertia since then; in its failure to make any ground on improving health, community services or living and working conditions more broadly – and in its apparent lack of will to do so.”
Mr Jacobson hit out at the PLP for “failing to lead” on issues including gaming machines and harm minimisation, the housing crisis or “indeed on anything at all”.
He said his management committee was resigned to accepting that “we alone cannot change those who do not wish to change themselves as Labor continues to run down the same road, making the same mistakes and expecting different results”.
“We know our disappointment is shared by many within the party and this decision weighs heavily but is made in the very best interests of our members.”
Mr Jacobson said having lost its largest affiliate, the ALP had some serious soul searching to do if it wanted to be able to tell Tasmanians what it was and “what kind of world are we fighting for?”.