Public sector workers and their families rallied in Port Macquarie as part of UnionsNSW Community Day of Action in protest against the O’Farrell/Stoner Government’s industrial laws, last Thursday.
Rallies were also held in Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Lismore.
Nurses, police, fire fighters, teachers and public servants took part in the rallies.
Wayne Webber, Secretary, Unions Mid-North Coast, said the O’Farrell/Stoner Government’s industrial laws not only leave public sector workers with fewer industrial rights than any other worker in Australia, even less than under John Howard’s WorkChoices, they also strip away the independence of the Industrial Relations Commission.
He said the flow-on effects of these laws to the wider community will be in the form of:
(1)    A reduction in the essential services provided by public sector workers and, into the future, will make it much harder to attract and retain professions such as nurses, teachers, police and fire fighters.
(2)   A reduction in the amount of real income flowing through the tills of local business as public sector workers’ real incomes are reduced or the number of public sector jobs are slashed to maintain the real incomes of those remaining public sector workers. As a consequence, there will be less employment in the private sector, especially in regional areas like the North Coast.
Public sector workers were calling on Mr O’Farrell and Mr Stoner to repeal these laws and will continue the campaign for as long as it takes.
