In the lead-up to the 2023 May Day we would do well to learn the lessons of the past … specifically, the sellout of the SEQEB workers in 1985. We include hear a speech given by a leading member of the Electrical Trades Union strike committee in 1985. Bernie Neville was speaking at a mass meeting of sacked SEQEB workers on 17 May 1985 just three months into the dispute that lasted for at least another year. – Ian Curr, Ed., 28 April 2023.
Bernie Neville on the lifting of the trade blockade during the 1985 SEQEB dispute.
Let’s get back to the blockade. Now. I’ll tell you what I think about the lifting of the blockade. I think it’s disgusting. I really do. I don’t care what’s been said here today would always talk about the fact that Joh is a fascist. Well, why do we deal with a fascist? Why do we even bother to talk to him? We’ve up this man on his knees twice. It was on his knees again. And we’ve let him get up. What’s wrong with the trade union movement? Don’t get any false ideas.
Friends and Enemies
The traditional enemies are the Conservatives sat on the opposition benches down there. They are not … we’re finding them within our own ranks now that conservatism, we’ve only got to look at sections of the budget and who it attacks. I’ve always voted Labor. I suppose I will always have to through my sense of loyalty to the workers. But I’ll tell you what, there’s a lot that’s happening to me lately that I don’t like … I don’t like one bit. We’ve been on about picket in the only rights we’ve had to fight this dispute. Now, there’s rumours going round that the picket’s expenses of these people’s being picked up on the pickets will not be met. We get a concrete guarantee one week, don’t worry about it. The next week, we’re told different. I think that this campaign at the moment is a campaign of demoralization. Every time we are put up to a certain peak, and we look as though we’ve got victory. The legs are chopped out from underneath us. If they want to stand here, speaker after speaker and try and give us confidence they do; but then you turn round they promise everything and it’s all gone. It’s gone again I’ve heard the words reinstate the lion’s mane today here we’re talking about reinstating the linesman. There’s a question there, all linesman, the record, it was a slip of the tongue by Willis (Industrial Relations Minister).
Media
The other night on television, there’s a number of 150 people was mentioned. And that was on Glen Taylor’s This Day Tonight that will possibly not be reinstated. These are the people who are the trade union movement will get out there and fight. What we’re going to do is have a movement of scabs. This federal legislation, all it is doing is putting in an extra umbrella of protection for the scabs, the people who’s already gotten the jobs. It doesn’t offer any solution for us for getting our jobs back. We heard mentioned, this is a step back by the sea to ACTU by the lifting of the blockade (between Qld and the rest of Australia), and if it is, that we’re misreading it, if we think that’s what it is. Well, I’ll tell you what, I don’t think it is. (In the background, Keiran: transfer to a new camera roll) that blockade was on and it was firmly in place and it should have been kept on. We have got the support of the rank and file, the union, the rank and file, all around Australia. It’s just wanting guidance to get in there and fighting, fighting by the traditional means. And that is industrial muscle. I would say the best tactics I’ve seen this week on television and it got the most coverage and it jammed up all the phones to Channel Seven. Unfortunately, this coverage came on at 11 o’clock at night. I was speaking to the guy who covered it down at the Taringa Picket yesterday. This bloke was a tradesman, a kiwi, he’s 27 years old. And as soon as the coppers hit him he screamed, and he screamed and screamed. And I think that’s what we should do. We should get back, get in front of the gates, link arms and picket in the right manner. And as soon as the police come and rough us up, start screaming, this is how we’ll get it, we’ll get our message across the same way.
False Unity
We’re not about unions and unity. Well, I’ll tell you what, we’ve all been here week after week and said there’ll be no sellout. We’ve been criticizing those scabs that’s out there doing our job. Well, if the demoralizing us, … do not … I’ve seen a couple of blokes and I’ve heard a couple of blokes come up to me and speak and say, oh, there’s a it’s there. We can go back … a load of rubbish. What you’re going to do, some people will go back. And if you go back and get that job and grab it, what you’ll be doing is scabbing on the rest of your workmates. We’ve always taken (the position) week after week, one back, all back. This dispute is not over till every man is back through that gate. (applause)
Pickets
We had the flying pickets and people calling round trying to get these people out on the flying pickets on Wednesday, and they said oh no the disputes over we don’t need to go out. Willis (Federal Industrial Relation Minister) said you don’t harass the scabs, the SEQEB workers. So these people are sat back now and they think the scabs should be let go and the disputes over. Well this is what I’m on about, a campaign of demoralization. If we don’t do something … we’ve been told it will take three weeks to put a blockade on again. If they put that blockade on, and then they take it off again. What they’ve done is demoralized you to such a level you can take it as a sellout, and that’s what it will be a sellout nothing more, nothing less. Thank you.
Bernie Neville
17 May 1985
