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<TITLE>ABC news on todays mass delegates meeting in Melbourne</TITLE>
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<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><FONT SIZE=4>Unionists rally against IR laws. 29/03/2006. ABC News Online</FONT></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><BR>
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</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2>[This is the print version of story</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN><A HREF="http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1603570.htm"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2>http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1603570.htm</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2>]</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B>Last Update:</B> Wednesday, March 29, 2006. 3:12pm (AEDT)</SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A HREF="http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200603/r78942_226306.jpg"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Union delegates rally in Melbourne against the new federal industrial relations laws.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT COLOR="#000000">(ABC)</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><BR>
</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=6>Unionists rally against IR laws</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Parts of central Melbourne have come to a standstill because of a union rally against the new federal workplace laws.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">This is the first time union members have marched since the new federal industrial laws were enacted this week. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Many of them are bitter the laws were enacted amid the distraction of the Commonwealth Games.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">About 1,500 union delegates heard ACTU secretary Greg Combet label the new laws an attack on unionism, fair pay and workplace safety. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">He told the delegates to urge their colleagues to join similar rallies over the next three months but acknowledged they could be in breach of the new laws. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">The crowd marched through Melbourne's CBD to Liberal Party headquarters and vowed to campaign against Liberal members all the way to the next federal election. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">The delegates have been urged to recruit their colleagues for a series of demonstrations planned over the next three months.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">But Mr Combet says workers should not be discouraged.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">"Depends on what their particular workplace agreement might say. It's going to be tough under these laws though for people to express a democratic right to protest and express their right that we believe people should have in this country for free speech," he said. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">"But we are determined not to be intimidated by the laws."</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Union representatives have been collecting money from delegates to support the cause. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">ACTU president Sharan Burrow says the turnout at rallies should not be a measure of the campaign's success.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">"This is about peoples lives and it is appalling to think that we would meter this in numbers," she said.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">"This is about whether or not the values that shape our country are based on rights where everybody is treated with respect."</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=5>Laws will create jobs: PM</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Meanwhile the Prime Minister has rejected ongoing attacks from the Opposition over the Government's new IR laws.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Labor used Question Time to pursue John Howard over claims that eight workers were sacked from a Melbourne company as a result of the workplace relations overhaul.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">Mr Howard told Parliament he does not know the details of the case but says the changes will create more jobs.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P ALIGN=LEFT><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#000000">"These sorts of questions were asked 10 years ago when we brought in changes and here we are 10 years later, 1.7 million more jobs, real wages risen by 16.8 per cent, unparalleled wealth and prosperity across the land and all we get is whingeing from the Labor Party," he said.</FONT></SPAN></P>
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