Australian Left Review
Article Title
Towards New Union Militancy
Abstract
In what ways do you regard recent industrial activity by your union as a new development?
The strike was longer, involvement greater and direct confrontation sharper than in most recent disputes. The assaults on partially completed buildings where employers attempted to use building tradesmen or other scab labor to smash the strike was a particularly new ingredient. We stated that if, in this scattered and fragmented industry, an employer used scab labor he must bear the full consequences. Arising from this private property was smashed where arrogant employers ignored the democratic decisions of mass meetings. It was this destruction of private property which struck fear to the very hearts of the employing class. If a relatively small union could successfully mount such an attack, what could be achieved by the rrfc>re powerful unions with more resources if they acted in a similar way!