UNITE Mk2 Sets Up In Melbourne

"Union Smasher" wants to know if the UNITE union recently set up in Melbourne is related to the one here. The following transcript comes from the Australian Socialist Party website

The following is the transcript of a report aired on ABC television's program, Lateline. Broadcast on 29/05/2006. Reporter Rachel Carbonell.
TONY JONES: Well, a new labour organisation in Victoria could ignite a bitter turf war in the union movement. The group, UNITE, plans to operate as a union and represent young casual workers in the retail and fast-food industries. The new outfit is basing its strategy on a successful New Zealand campaign, which secured significant pay rises for fast-food employees. Rachel Carbonell reports.

RACHEL CARBONELL: The UNITE campaign in New Zealand led to pay rises for workers at Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut. It's now taking on McDonald's. And there are plans to start a similar union campaign in Melbourne.

ANTHONY MAIN, UNITE: We're going to be spending a lot of time at the schools, at the TAFE colleges, at the university campuses, and speaking to young people, recruiting young people outside of their work places.


The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers International.

Anthony Main is National Organisor for the Socialist Party.

Their NZ CWI counterpart is called Socialist Alternative, which is a split from a split in the Socialist Workers Organisation. Many leading Socialist Workers are active in UNITE. Some SA/CWI types have also been involved with NZ UNITE, including Tim Bowron.

Tim Bowron, CWI NZ, reports on Unite, the new union for casual/low paid workers in New Zealand and an inspiration for Unite in Australia.