Last year when workers at CRA in Weipa were offered individual contracts, those who accepted were heralded by the Liberals as evidence of how the unions were a thing of the past in a brave new world of industrial relations. However, the August/September edition of the AMWU journal, The Manufacturing Worker, reports that fitter Malcolm Loftes and six of his workmates have returned to the union and are once again working under the award.

When the Liberals came to power they believed that crushing the labour movement would be a simple matter. However, we are starting to see stirrings from the rank and file all around the country. If these stirrings continue, the leadership will be either brushed aside or they will be forced into action. Workers like the fitters at Weipa are not returning to the unions because of the leadership, but because of the strength of solidarity. They realised that alone they had nowhere near the bargaining power of what is possible when workers are united.