Thinking about the workers


In remembranceInternational Day of Mourning on 28 April each year is a good time to be thinking about the workers.

Mid morning at No. 4 Jetty Port Kembla, Wollongong workers gathered to think about the devastation that comes for the families and communities of the more than a million workers who are killed at work each year. In Australia, approximately 8 people are killed on the job each week and around 15 serious injuries occur every hour.

Our gathering was reminded that honouring those who died at work is important, but much more important are our efforts to improve workplace safety and the need to always put people before profit.

May DayThe next day began the more celebratory May 1 International Workers Day or May Day activities in Wollongong.

A screening of Rocking the foundations, the powerful film about Jack Mundey and the Builders Labourers Federation’s (BLF) efforts to protect the natural and historical heritage of Sydney, was the first of the Illawarra May Day events. The historic Wollongong Regent Theatre, itself the subject of a local green ban, was the venue for the screening and a talk by Jack Mundey.

The dangerous work carried out by the builders labourers and the exploitative practices of the bosses depicted in the film made the previous Day of Mourning all the more poignant. The film showed the development of a grassroots union movement that sought to protect the interests of all people and the environment that supported community life. The influence of the feminist movement and a deep belief in social justice inspired many unionists in the BLF to make personal sacrifices that few of us are ever asked to make.

To quote Patrick White in a letter to the SMH 5 November 1973:

It is a rare thing to find a union with so advanced a social conscience. But how much longer can the citizens of Sydney ask these men to endure the responsibility for protecting a citizen’s right to live comfortably and without anxiety, a responsibility that should be taken by the Government if the Government were in good faith?

It should be noted that there were many women unionists and supporters within or connected to the building industry that were part of these struggles.

Wollongong’s May Day celebrations continued the following day with the ‘May Day Toast’ where old and new friends gathered and those who paved the way for workers rights and community activism were remembered. Current struggles like that of the Tahmoor miners who are trying to negotiate a fair work agreement were explored and support offered.

May Day Parade

Finally, on May 1 flags were raised and banners borne through the streets to the sound of the pipe band. The ritual of flying the flag for peace and human rights in health, housing, education and employment, and voicing concerns on the street are valuable traditions. Whether in commemoration or celebration, it continues to be important to think about the workers.

Sharon Callaghan

Sharon Callaghan writes pieces for the Illawarra Mercury that reflect social and political issues within the community. She has written in different publications on the rights of asylum seekers, democracy, nonviolence, racism, public space, community unionism, human rights and feminism.

More by Sharon Callaghan ›

Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places.

If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate.


Related articles & Essays


Contribute to the conversation

  1. Good to read May day’s still going strong in the Gong, the workers heartland at one stage. In the NT May day is a public holiday but sadly most people don’t know why.

  2. I hope May Day remains a strong political event in the Gong because there is such a rich history of struggle and survival here. It’s a shame that some of the history of May Day has been lost in the NT Rohan.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.