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Workers' Liberty
the emancipation of the working class must be the act of the working class Workers Liberty Australia |
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Victoria's ALP Government is backpedaling on all fronts. Premier Bracks is pandering to conservative rural voters who put Labor in office. Meanwhile, ALP policy is ignored.
Legislation to grant legal protection from
discrimination to transgendered people has been delayed due to opposition
from conservative independents, Savage and Ingram. They wanted amendments
to severely limit the scope of the Bill. Savage was concerned that small
businesses would not be able to sack cross dressers!
As the Liberal and National Parties supported
the Bill in its current form it would have been passed. But Bracks did
not want to upset Savage and Ingram.
The gay and lesbian community has strongly
supported the rights of transgender people. "We share similar experiences
of discrimination on the basis of our "difference" from what is perceived
by many in society to be the 'norm'," said Katy Reade, co-convenor of the
Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL).
On other fronts, Bracks has flatly contradicted
Attorney General Rob Hull who had given a commitment to refer adoption
and IVBF to a Law Reform Commission. Bracks said "Whether the Commission
recommends it or not, it wont be implemented under this government".
And Bracks has also ruled out broadening
sex education in schools to include units on gay and lesbian sexuality.
This comes despite a recent VGRL report (see below) showing a high level
of harassment.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender
(lgbt) activists need to work with union and other labour movement activists
to hold the ALP to its promises. Lobbying is not enough we need to take
more militant types of action like pickets and demonstrations.
Unite! Lesbian Gay Bisexual &
Transgender workers organise
Melbourne 8 June
Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender
(lgbt) unionists met to map out a plan of action against discrimination
and homophobia in the workplace and in the unions. Members attended from
unions including the ASU, CPSU, CEPU (T&S), RTBU, CFMEU (Forestry),
HSUA2.
A good start was made to organising. Activists
discussed the sort of harassment and discrimination in workplaces subtle
exclusion in conversations, the "pink ceiling", inequality in superannuation
rights to outright abuse and sackings.
Unions have generally not been very good
on this stuff. Sometimes it is treated like sexual harassment cases "too
hot to handle" or "it is member versus member". It depends very much on
the particular workplace or union official you happen to strike.
Some officials see these and other issues
of oppression as irrelevant or divisive. In reality, it is only when unions
take up the fight of all the oppressed and exploited that they can unite
their members.
Ideas of how to change this included educating
union activists through OH&S courses EEO harassment and discrimination
can quickly become hazardous to the OH&S of lgbt workers.
Meetings are at 6pm on the third Thursday
each month at La Notte 140 Lygon St next meeting 20 July.
A landmark report, "Enough is Enough" found that 79 percent of respondents had experienced assault or harassment in a public place in the past five years.
Written by the VGLRL, the report also found that during 1999:
For more information contact Mathew Jones on 03 9865 6700 or the VGLRL at vglr_lobby@hotmail.com