Protesters prepare to march
40,000 workers gather in The Domain before marching on Parliament House. Reporter Geoff Chambers is on the scene
thetelegraph.com.au8 September 2011
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Rally for public sector rights in Sydney today. Striking workers meet in The Domain. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: The Daily Telegraph
Rally for public sector rights in Sydney today. Oscar Noble, 5, with his father Chad Noble meet other fire and rescue officers in Hyde P Show More Source: The Daily Telegraph
Rally for public sector rights in Sydney today. Striking police make way to The Domain. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: The Daily Telegraph
Rally for public sector rights in Sydney today. Striking teachers make way to The Domain. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: The Daily Telegraph
CLOSE TO 40,000 workers marched for an hour after walking off the job to join a mass rally in Sydney today.
Public servants marched for an hour as the stream of protesters passed Parliament House.
Unionists say the crowd swelled to between 30,000 to 40,000 people today.
A heavy presence of teachers makes up the bulk of the march, after they defied an IRC ban preventing them from striking.
Thousands of teachers marched with their children while police officers have also joined their comrades, despite being exempt from the Government’s IR reform.
NSW parliament went into lockdown as the protesters began to march along Macquarie Street.
They arrived at the Hyde Park fountain.
Visitors were unable to attend and workers had restricted access with security and police guarding all access points to parliament house.
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- Protest text folly: 'That's not my number' The Daily Telegraph, 3 hours ago
- Workers rally over jobs, wage caps The Australian, 5 hours ago
- NSW budget 'littered with victims' The Australian, 7 hours ago
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- Teachers to defy industrial strike ruling The Daily Telegraph, 1 day ago
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PHOTOS: SYDNEY BROUGHT TO A STANDSTILL AS DAY OF CHAOS RALLY HITS CBD
Some workers took to the stage at the rally to voice their anger.
A prison officer called Matt railed against plans announced in the budget to cut 350 jobs and close down the Berrima, Parramatta and Kirkconnell correction centres.
``Our concern is this government will not listen until one of our colleagues is murdered,'' he told the crowd.
``Our greatest fear is (that) a prison officer is murdered and doesn't go home to his family.
``Our message to Barry O'Farrell is you are a horrible b*****d.
``You're a liar and we're going to fight you every inch of the way.''
A police officer called Brenda, wearing a blue Police Association shirt, said public service job cuts were to blame for the London riots.
She said the NSW cuts would leave police dealing with more schoolyard assaults and accidents on train lines.
Speaking on behalf of hospital workers and cleaners at the rally, Margaret Pike said her co-workers at the RPA needed protection.
"We've already gone from 450 to 180 cleaners. Barry O'Farrell you've gone to caviar and the 2.5 per cent will buy us dog biscuits," Mr Park said.
Sydney firefighter Leighton Drury said the O'Farrell Government was offering them an "impossible choice".
"Firefighters have got mortgages and bills to pay. We can't see wages go backwards otherwise we can't pay them," Leighton Drury said.
"We're only asking for a fair go for us and the community."
The crowd has just sent an SMS to Premier Barry O'Farrell's feedback mobile number 0459601230.
They are now distributing the beach balls with Barry O'Farrell's head on them to the crowd.
They chanted "shame Barry shame'' after Premier Barry O'Farrell's 2.5 per cent wages cap policy, which will also strip the Industrial Relations Commission of its power to arbitrate on behalf of public sector workers, was condemned.
Mr Lennon told the crowd more than 30,000 protesters appeared to have turned up.
``Friends, we have a problem, there's too many of us here,'' he told the crowd, evoking wild applause.
``We said there would be at least 20,000 people here today, it looks like ... there are 30,000 people here today.
``If the premier had any doubt about the anger of the public sector, all he has to do is look out the window of Parliament House.''
One placard in the crowd said: ``IR laws, stick it up your Barrell O'Farrell''.
Workers rally in Sydney
ASU union representatives prepare at the Rally for Public Sector rights in The Domain, Sydney. Picture: Justin LloydSource: The Daily TelegraphThe crowd started singing `We're not going to take it' several times during Mr Lennon's address, in which he said the O'Farrell government had launched an ``unprecedented attack on public service rights''.
But Premier Barry O'Farrell has dubbed the mass protest as "pointless''.``It's just chaos for the sake of chaos,'' he told reporters in Sydney.
``It's inconveniencing the public pointlessly because the policy is not going to change.''
Worker rally in Sydney
The crowd at the Rally for Public Sector Rights in The Domain, Sydney, this morning. Picture: Justin LloydSource: The Daily TelegraphHe questioned the legality of some of the action, particularly by ferry workers who he said are not covered by the state's industrial commission.
``It's an act of bastardry to pull ferries off,'' he said.
``There would be people who are trying to use those ferries to get to long-standing medical appointments.''
About 400 firefighters have marched their way to the Domain to join thousands of other public servants protesting against the government’s industrial relations reform.
Fire trucks lined College st and blocked traffic having travelled from all across greater Sydney including Parramatta, Campbelltown and the Northern Beaches.
Public sector rally
The crowd at the Rally for Public Sector Rights in The Domain, Sydney. Picture: Justin LloydSource: The Daily TelegraphFire fighter and union delegate Jim Casey said the government’s capping of wages would eventually lead to less fire fighters and less protection of the community.
“We need to be ready to drag this government and give them a good go,” he said.
The firefighters Award is due to come up for negotiation next year.
Worker rally in Sydney
The crowd at the Rally for Public Sector Rights in The Domain, Sydney. Picture: Justin LloydSource: The Daily TelegraphBut Sydney Ferries tried to seek a legal backing from Fair Work Australia to force ferry staff to return to work, after they left without notice.
“I’m going to consider all my legal options,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Public sector rally
The crowd at the Rally for Public Sector Rights in The Domain, Sydney. Picture: Justin LloydSource: The Daily Telegraph“This cannot continue – to leave potentially up to 10,000 commuters in the lurch is completely unacceptable.”
She said it was a “huge convenience” to commuters because they had not been given any notice, unlike teachers and nurses who had warned for many days of the industrial action.
“I’m especially concerned about those people stranded at wharves who had no notice, and who knows what kind of chaos there lives have been put in as a result,” she said.
The Maritime Union of Australia said “many of its members” have stopped work to attend a rally of public sector workers opposed to recent announcements by the O’Farrell Government surrounding the privatisation of Sydney Ferries.
“While peak hour services will not be affected, there will be some disruption to services between 10am and 2pm,” an MUA spokesman said.
“The MUA continues to be frustrated by the lack of action from the O’Farrell Government in guaranteeing the hard-fought rights and conditions of ferry workers.”
Worker rally in Sydney
Union representatives prepare at the Rally for Public Sector Rights in The Domain, Sydney. Picture: Justin LloydSource: The Daily TelegraphMUA members marched to the Domain from Circular Quay at 11am, alongside thousands of other public sector workers with similar frustrations.
“Ferries services have been suspended due to industrial action, effective immediately,” NSW Transport Management Centre spokeswoman Chrissy Gardiner said.
“Ferry ticket holders can use them to travel on Sydney Buses and CityRail services instead.”
Commuters could still use privately operated ferries between Manly and Circular Quay.
Police officers marched against injustice when they join the mass rally outside NSW Parliament House.
NSW Police Association president Scott Weber said he expected thousands of police officers wearing blue union T-shirts to join the rally.
``Today police officers are marching against injustice,'' he told reporters.
``When we see it out on the street we stand up, when we see it in crime we stand up but today we see it in the NSW government.''
The government promised 550 new police officers in the budget, delivered on Tuesday, but Mr Weber said the cutting of 5000 back-office positions in the public service would compromise services.
``We welcome the 550 extra police officers but they will be taken away, off the front of the road, out there in the community, if these public sector workers are cut back,'' he said.
About 150 uniformed police officers will be on duty during the rally.
Public Service Association of NSW general secretary John Cahill said the NSW government's wage cap policy was ``disgraceful'' and called on Premier Barry O'Farrell to say where the 5000 job cuts would come from.
Public sector rally
The crowd at the Rally for Public Sector Rights in The Domain, Sydney.. Picture: Justin LloydSource: The Daily Telegraph``He hasn't told the people of NSW what services will be cut as a result of these 5000 people being thrown on the scrap heap and he hasn't said what programs his government will abolish,'' he told reporters.
Mr Cahill said he expected the union movement to wage a long-term campaign until the next election in 2015.
``We're counting the days already and it's a bit more than three and a half years,'' he said.
``The government does have a very big majority but that doesn't mean they can run roughshod over public sector workers or over the people of NSW.''
Workers from as far away as Illawarra went to Parliament House to send a message to Barry O’Farrell.
And they brought with them hundreds of beach balls with Barry O’Farrell’s face printed on them to kick around outside Parliament House.
Roads around the Domain will be closed between 12.30pm to 2pm.
Teachers defied an Industrial Relations Commission order and strike today, closing schools and forcing thousands of children to stay at home.
Risking a $20,000 fine, the teachers union last night vowed to take as many teachers as it could to the rally in the Domain to protest over the government's public sector reforms.
They defied a ruling by the Industrial Relations Commission yesterday that strike action be postponed for 48 hours.
"Regardless of any reports to the contrary, action by school and TAFE teachers is proceeding and we expect they will join with nurses, firefighters, police and other public sector workers in rallies in very large numbers in Sydney and other areas," NSW Teachers Federation President Bob Lipscombe said.
Nothing can prevent this strike
"Teachers cannot stand by and allow salaries and working conditions to be cut."
Not all schools will shut.
Businesses in Sydney's CBD were warned to brace for major disruptions today during the "day of chaos" strikes.
Unions believe more than 20,000 public servants were expected to march to protest over job losses and the government's capping of public service wages at 2.5 per cent.
Roads were blocked around Macquarie St and traffic will come to a standstill as public servants march on parliament.
Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon said: "The anger with the O'Farrell government and its attack on public sector workers, and ultimately services, means that there will be some disruption tomorrow.
"There will be a huge turnout tomorrow, I can assure you."
Premier Barry O'Farrell shrugged off the planned industrial action.
"The fact is that (today's) day of chaos is just the union movement trying to flex its muscles," he said.
"It won't be a scratch on the 5800 days of chaos that were the 16 years of Labor in office."
Thursday, September 8, 2011
40,000 NSW workers all walk off job to protest at Parliament House | #Ausunions #NSWisconsin
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