Illawarra Mercury: May Day call for action as ‘Change the Rules’ campaign continues

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“It’s not just about yourselves, it is about the legacy that you leave for your kids and the next generation of workers.”

That was the message South Coast Labour Council boss Arthur Rorris delivered to the hundreds of Wollongong City Council staff who packed into the city’s town hall on Tuesday morning.

The stop-work meeting came on a significant day for workers – May Day, the international day of working people that has been celebrated for more than 100 years.

Mr Rorris said the USU was one of the strongest unions in Wollongong and Tuesday’s meeting was an example of an organised workforce. 

The union boss also used his address to the gathering to reinforce the recently-launched, Australian Unions-led ‘Change the Rules’ campaign, which focuses on more secure jobs and fair pay rises.

Ensuring casual workers were “not allowed to rot on that vine with no superannuation or pension rights” and that young people weren’t being exploited are among the key campaign initiatives. 

“We have the opportunity together, just as we did with Your Rights at Work and Work Choices, to get rid of the system that is so bad and so exploitative,” Mr Rorris said.

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