FAMILIES CELEBRATE STEPS FOR WORKERS
THE backdrop of a federal election offered fresh incentive for the annual Labour Day festivities in Cairns with 500 unionists and their families marching in recognition of workers’ rights at Watsons Oval on Monday. Far North Queensland Council of Unions president Trish Berrill said unions were all about family. “Everyone has brought their kids and grandkids and that’s wonderful to see,” she said. The increased casualisation of the Far North workforce was among the topics raised on the day.
DIVERSITY was the theme of the Cairns Labour Day march, but the election campaign gave the annual event a more political edge.
Children and adults led the chants as about 500 unionists shrugged off the rainy weather to celebrate working rights achieved at the march on Watsons Oval in Manunda.
“Union is all about family. Today, everyone has brought their kids and grandkids and that’s wonderful to see,” said Trish Berrill, Far North Queensland Council of Unions president.
Despite union membership declining nationally, Ms Berrill said that union bodies in Far North Queensland have not fallen out of touch with younger generations in the workforce.
“Union membership would be increasing (in Far North Queensland) because people are realising that unions are standing up for workers and wage growth.”
“People have got to remember that if you work a 38hour week, thank your union person. If you get maternity leave, thank your union person. We’re the ones that fight hard to ensure workers have the absolute best.”
Mulgrave MP and Queensland Speaker Curtis Pitt also attended the event and emphasised that Labour Day is not just a day off, but an opportunity for reflection and recognition.
“Today’s a celebration of the fact that we have working conditions that allow people the right to go to work safely and then go home to their loved ones,” Mr Pitt said.
“Frankly, we still have too many workplace deaths in Queensland and Australia, they’re all preventable. But without the systems that we have in place we’d see a lot more of them.”
The annual celebration of workers’ rights took on a more political edge as the date fell in the midst of the federal election campaign.
“Your blue-collar people … I think they’re absolutely sick and tired of Scott Morrison not turning up to anything. People want to see a strong government leader, and he fails at that,” Ms Berrill said.
“We know that we have members who are working three jobs, casual jobs. These workers need secure employment. (Cairns) would have to be one of the biggest places in Australia where insecure work is a big issue.”
In 2021, the Australian Council of Trade Unions reported a third of Cairns workers were casual, compared to the national average of 21.9 per cent. Labor candidate for Leichhardt Elida Faith, also in attendance, said the Fair Work Act is able to reverse this trend.
“We need to strengthen that legislation. We have casual workers working full-time hours for six years. These people are missing out on important benefits,” Ms Faith said.