Page 562 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 5 March 2008
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the Hardie campaign—
I realised we would not have gotten a zack without them.
The former secretary of the ACTU, Greg Combet, paid homage to Mr Banton and to the thousands who had battled within the union movement. He said that Mr Banton was “a continuum of those collective efforts, but something else as well”. He said:
He had a lot of courage. All those things he did in recent years, he did under considerable duress.
Members may recall the huge workers rights rally organised by the ACTU in 2005 in relation to Work Choices—the largest rally since the Vietnam War. Mr Banton called Mr Combet and offered to speak. Mr Combet said that he was an inspiration to the people who have worked fighting for workers’ rights. Bernie Banton was welcomed as a real workers’ hero. Members may also recall that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd used his victory speech to single out Mr Banton. He said:
… mate, you’re not going to be forgotten in this place …
… when so many … were prepared to … cast you to one side, Bernie, you stand out as a beacon and clarion call to us all about what is decent and necessary in life and … I salute you.
As the former Howard government tried to strip away workers rights, Mr Banton was proof that workers needed protection. Workers can find it difficult to speak up about health and safety issues at work. Mr Speaker, I am sure that you are aware of that, as I am from the amount of time that I spent organising workers in my previous working life. The balance of power does not favour one worker who wants to discuss workplace safety with an employer that can be a large corporate entity.
I would like to say at this point that, just because I say that, it does not mean that I tag all employers with that line; I certainly do not. By far and away the vast majority of employers in this country are trying to do the right thing. But even a group of workers in a small non-unionised workplace can find it difficult to speak out. I saw that time and time again when I was a union organiser.
Workers need to be encouraged to insist on workplace safety. Mr Banton was a shining example of how one worker speaking out can achieve a just outcome for many. Mr Banton knew well that workers often need to join together to get health and safety issues rectified at places of work and that, in focusing on keeping businesses afloat, it is easy for employers to forget about the safety concerns of workers. His example is the strongest evidence of the importance of speaking up, of employees and employers engaging in robust and meaningful dialogue to achieve life-changing—indeed lifesaving—outcomes.
Mr Banton was instrumental in raising awareness about the suffering and needs of asbestos victims. The Stanhope government has worked hard to promote the safe removal and disposal of asbestos and to minimise the prevalence of asbestos related
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