Thousands of trade unionists went on strike and marched to New South Wales parliament on May Day, International Workers鈥 Day, on May 1.
Big contingents of members of the Construction Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU), Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the NSW Plumbers Union and Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) formed the bulk of the crowd.
There were also contingents from the NSW Doctors鈥 Union (Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation, ASMOF), NSW Nurses and Midwives鈥 Association, Australian Paramedics Association (NSW) and other unions.
Speakers outside parliament condemned Labor鈥檚 forced administration of the CFMEU as an 鈥渁ttack on all workers鈥.
Paul McAleer, from the International Transport Workers鈥 Federation, congratulated CFMEU members for joining the rally 鈥渄espite the threats and intimidation鈥.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all here today to recognise their strength and their courage.鈥
ETU NSW leader Allen Hicks said Mark Irving, the Labor-appointed CFMEU administrator, should 鈥渉ang his head in shame鈥. He said Irving had tried to discourage CFMEU members from joining the May Day march.
鈥淲e are never going to step away from our resolve and determination to put the CFMEU back in the hands of its members and get rid of this rotten administrator,鈥 Hicks said.
With the federal election on May 3, speakers warned the Peter Dutton鈥檚 anti-union and anti-worker Coalition would de-register the CFMEU and further attack workers鈥 rights.
Class unity, for workers around the world, was emphasised, as was the need to oppose Israel鈥檚 genocide in Gaza. Speakers also condemned the AUKUS military pact, which sets up conditions for a war on China.
CFMEU delegate Denis McNamara, who was sacked by the Labor-appointed administration, said unions must have the right to strike in solidarity with workers around the world. He said they also must have 鈥渢he right to stand with Palestinians against Israel鈥檚 genocidal killings鈥.
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The need for unions to stand with First Nations people, and their fight for justice and sovereignty, was emphasised. MUA Sydney branch secretary Paul Keating said: 鈥淭his is their country, that was taken from them by the brutality of colonialism 鈥 There will be no justice for the working class until there is justice for First Nations peoples.鈥
Keating described May Day as 鈥渁n industrial action and a political statement of the working class鈥. He said hundreds of millions of workers would be marching around the world for May Day.
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ASMOF leader Dr Mitch Hickson told the rally about the doctors鈥 struggle for better conditions and pay. He said doctors had not gone on strike since 1998 but, after 18 months of trying to negotiate with Chris Minns鈥 Labor, they were forced to go on strike.
He said it was his first time going on strike, saying doctors are forced to work 鈥渂rutal鈥 shifts because of hospital understaffing. He said the NSW healthcare system is 鈥渄eteriorating and falling apart鈥 and Labor is refusing to address the crisis.
More than 250 workers gathered at the State Library in Naarm/Melbourne on May 1, Brandon M reports. Speakers recounted various international workers鈥聽struggles and stressed the importance of working-class solidarity with First Nations peoples and the need for an organised working class to challenge the ruling class.
Speakers included members of , who spoke against forced administration, a United Workers Union activist, who spoke about the recent Woolworths strike and Iranian activists who spoke against supporting dictators.
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Thousands of unionists marched as part of the annual Labour Day parade in Magan-djin/Brisbane on May 5. The building industry unions, including the CFMEU, had large contingents with the Electrical Trades Union leading the parade.
The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) had a sizeable contingent, highlighting their over a new enterprise agreement, after the old one expired at the end of March. Labor opposition leader Steven Miles the Brisbane Times that that government 鈥渟hould think twice about cutting jobs, cutting services, cutting healthcare, because Queenslanders have spoken up on the weekend that that鈥檚 not what they want鈥.
While fewer unionists carried Palestinian flags this year than last, Justice for Palestine Magan-djin mobilised a sizeable聽 contingent.
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In Gimuy/Cairns, Socialist Alliance and Free Palestine FNQ activists in the parade.
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