Your Vote Counts, Make Your Voice Heard
With the Federal Election just 15 days away, it’s absolutely critical for our and our family’s interests that we step up efforts across the union to fight back.The Coalition Government is hell bent on destroying Australian Shipping and smashing the Union movement.
Under the Abbott – Turnbull Government we’ve seen: sham partnership agreements in the tug boat sector, seafarers being actively excluded from working on the Australian coast, and a deliberate campaign to push offshore workers out of their jobs by replacing them with overseas labour.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the Coalition has shown total neglect for the safety of stevedores by refusing to engage on key safety issues in an industry that has already seen too many deaths and serious injury. We also see a port privatisation agenda, undermining well-paying long-term Australian jobs. The Liberal Government, through its anti-worker legislation is contracting out large parts of stevedoring work.
These attacks are not just limited to the Australian maritime sector – it’s happening to local industries as diverse as manufacturing, ship building, construction, and across the public sector.
Turnbull has made damaging cuts to Medicare and has shown total disregard for our kids by scrapping Gonski – leaving some of Australia’s most vulnerable communities behind.
While undermining jobs and our right to work, they continue to nurture and promote tax avoidance in Australia’s biggest corporations, banks and companies like Chevron and BHP who are leading the attacks on maritime workers.
No worker and their family can afford another term under the Coalition Government, that’s why all members must vote to put the Liberals last on July 2.
We understand that on Election Day, you may be away on holidays, busy doing shift work or at sea.
But pre-poll voting has already started and closes on July 1.
You can easily find the location details and the opening hours of your nearest early voting centre by clicking here:
http://www.aec.gov.au/about_aec/cea-notices/pre-poll-voting-centres.htm
Alternatively, apply for a postal vote:
http://www.aec.gov.au/election/pva/
If you’re going to be interstate, you have to go to an interstate voting centre:
http://www.aec.gov.au/election/interstate.htm
If you’re voting from overseas, details can be found here:
http://www.aec.gov.au/election/overseas.htm
You may be in an overseas country without a voting centre, in this instance you must apply for a postal vote. But please allow enough time for the relevant documentation to be sent to you.
Want to do more to protect our jobs? Can you spare a few hours? Will you volunteer for a better future? With 30% of the election outcome determined by early votes, you can make a real difference by leafleting at the pre-polling centres.
We need members greeting undecided voters at the pre-polling booths speaking to them about our issues – Australian shipping, job creation, job security, Medicare, Gonski and penalty rates.
This will be one of the most important things we do this election and we can’t do it without you! Volunteer here:
http://www.australianunions.org.au/volunteer_to_build_a_better_future
MUA Here to Stay!
In Unity,
Paddy Crumlin
National Secretary
Maritime Union of Australia
MUA communications
http://www.mua.org.au/
The Maritime Union of Australia – Australia
