IRON HEEL IN THE SRA / STA
The "Iron Heel" of the bosses is pressing down ever more harder on public transport workers in NSW. The Iron Heel features a wave of boss harassment which is sweeping the SRA over sickies, spearheaded by the latest outrageous union boss sellout "The Family Leave Package Agreement between the SRA and the NSW Labor Council". In the STA, drivers are being worked into the ground with constant DOC's and the extra hour of work per day. Consequently, instead of working a 38 hour week which is the award, drivers are working often 54 hours.
Whilst PT workers' heads are held down by the Iron Heel, the Carr Govt.and its business mates can proceed with its privatisation hidden agenda.
In the bosses' press lately such as the Telegraph/Herald a deliberate campaign is being waged to run down public transport, involving the publicising of the outrageous statements by a British academic. In which he compared Sydney's PT system to that of Calcutta and said bus operators were truckies, whilst expressing admiration for private cars.
This publicity no doubt is creating the climate for privatisation, particularly given Carr Govt. threats to privatise STA bus routes in early July and introduce private freight and commuter rail services, following the subdivision of the SRA into "business entities".
HOW TO BREAK THE IRON HEEL
Important little cogs in the operation of the Iron Heel are surprise, surprise, in fact fellow wage slaves. For their assistance in implementing the bosses' plans they receive a few crumbs - better shifts or some worthless trinkets which their ALP bosses may dispense for faithful service. As many of these bosses' stooges are ALP hacks and number crunchers at union meetings. Despite these little favours, they also face going down the gurgler with privatisation.
It is urgent that those stooges who are union reps and refuse to see the light are recalled and replaced with those fellow workers who will act with a strict mandate from workers' assemblies, with a limited tenure of office.The holding of stop work meetings are an important priority to sort out these stooges, and replace them with "unofficial" delegates, if they won't recognise the dissatisfaction of the rank and file. See the article in this edition, regarding how a notorious boss's stooge was sacked as union rep in 1987 at Sth Melb. tram depot. Such stop work meetings would also be an ideal occasion to establish anti-privatisation action committees. If PTU union bosses attend such gatherings and seek to disrupt them, why not pass a motion to expel them from the meeting.