Reasons you will hate me

My heart doth swell at such a sight.

700 days until we give you the sack, Howard.

It was good to be there. I looked up from Swanston St along Latrobe to the Carlton Gardens and the street was full of people. I looked from Latrobe St along Swanston to federation Square and it was a sea of people (that damn video truck spoiled the view a bit, though). I'm an employer, rather than an employee. These laws, along with changes to benefits for single parents and disabled, are about changing our society not our work practises. They are about greed above all and creating a pool of working poor to be grist for the mills of industry and domestic slaves for the privileged. My chest is about to explode. I'd better go now.

I was pleased to see so many people but I was also left with certain amount of despair.

I was there and what upset me the most is that people who aren't unionised, work in offices but essentially perform 'production line' white collar work weren't out there.

Two out of 200 people from my office attended. We are all on individual contracts, there are only a handful of people in the union (about 5) and it seems decisions for voting for a political party or individual have more to do with interest rates rather than interest in the protection of our rights.

I don't know if we are angry enough for any politician to take heed.

Some of the people at the demo today must have voted for Howard. I don't want to rain on the parade but I think I have.

litahnee 'I was there and what upset me the most is that people who aren't unionised, work in offices but essentially perform 'production line' white collar work weren't out there.'

that'd be me. the sackings, or 'restucturing' have already started in the big corporatised institution I work at. How I longed to join the protesters as I made the journey from Flinders St Station to the Gulag. Next time, I promise

I went down to Fed Square but skipped the march. I had to leave when I heard Tim Ferguson was hosting the event. I mean, fight the power and all, but that guy is a spazz.

...I was there [A.M.W.U.Automotive]
Aside from the obvious disgust I feel about the theft of pay and conditions which will inevitably happen with these laws.I am stunned by the idea of employers being able to sue people for exercising free speech.
In fact the process of making illegal what was legal[just because we say so]
should be sending shudders through even the most apolitical out there
...What ISN'T sedition?
Good on you Melbourne..Be proud.

I actually left feeling hopeful. I missed the Kennett-era protests and actually had an epiphany of the fuzzy goodness of collectivism.

However, I had the same thought that at least some of the people marching angrily today put the little prick back in power twelve months ago. So, a handshake followed by a slap upside the head wouldn't be entirely inappropriate.

Also: would have joined in the view that Tim Ferguson is a dick...except he wasn't today. Go figure.

I hope something good comes of this. JWH just infuriates me. The damage he is doing will only show up after he is long gone and he wont get to see the horrible results of what he is doing today.

I was in Geelong, with the unionists, the grandmas, the children, and a huge number of professional people.
Now I work for myself, but I was marching/hobbling for others, coz it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know who is going to get screwed when this legislation comes in.
See the photos on my blog.

Anonymous - I'm both pissed at the idiots who voted for Howard last time, and grateful to the ones who showed up today.

Not much use those of us who voted against Howard voting against him again - it helps, but it won't be enough. We need the idiots who voted for him last time to JOIN US. So hopefully at least some of them were at the protest.

What really worries me is that employers may well go softly-softly until after the next election, knowing that if they go too hard Howard is out. If they go softly, and Howard gets back in, then it's A COMPLETE FREE-FOR-ALL FROM THEN ON IN!!! Employers - stacks on the workers!!!

ps I loved Andrews' patronising response.

Ridin' through the streets of city it made my heart burst with pride for all those folk out there that are going to get screwed by Johnny, swarms of people marching at you in every direction, I'll cherish these memories when my pay gets dropped and get given the arse

I also attended the rally (MEAA member), and I nearly started crying with joy when I saw the sea of people this morning.

I was the only one from my workplace to attend the protest, though most of them are now union members, so go figure??? I suppose this apathy stems from people failing to understand that the rights they enjoy now were hard won. There's some connection that they just can't make.

I am now moving towards working for myself, but if my wages and conditions were dependent on the goodwill (or lack thereof) of my employer for the forseeable future I would want to kill myself. I just don't understand why some people can't see how desperately serious this is.

I was there trying to get behind some of the AEU Banners. A few people from my work don't join the union because "we are happy with our pay, so why waste $25 a month?" That shits me to tears because:
a) Union fees are tax deductible
b) First year teachers enjoy less workload and teachers now have reduced class size due to the union.
c) I would not throw it past a cocky bush lawyer northern suburbs kid to decide that the way to shit off their least liked teacher is to cry sexual harassment.

Yes. But what is that weird building in the right hand side of the crowd?

Ahhh, lovely.

It makes me happy and all... but you see that li'l domed building on the left? I was trying to sit my exam in there. :(

Liah

"Some of the people at the demo today must have voted for Howard. I don't want to rain on the parade but I think I have"

What's more distressing is that even if a handful there voted for Howard the fact is that all the union members present and all around the country (myself included) are funding the ALP who do FUCKING STUPID things like putting Family First ahead of the Greens in their Senate preferences and helping those knobends get elected with just 40000 primary votes.

The Union movement REALLY needs to start asking tougher questions when they hand over their cheques.

RACE UPDATE:
Sydney - Ten's of thousands.
Melbourne - Two Hundred Thousand???

Didn't we win the referendum as well?

The Republic of Victoria thanks you.

Good timing with the Lefty Tim interview, Fits.