Both Paula and Meegan have their 2nd day of experience with CFMEU (Mining and Construction respectively). Have they grown hairs on their chest yet?
Meegan - construction
Most workplaces were sensitive about photos, names and brands as union membership still invokes a fear of work security for activism.
Workfloor and office furniture materials and machines.
Inner springs before they become a mattress.
Paula - mining
I am happy to be alive to be able to report this blog....Lara Watson (Polictical and Community Organiser) took me on journey to Toowoomba that included running a red light, playing 'argy-bargy' with a semi up the range and getting lost more than once...(note to self....update 'navman'' regularly!!). Lara is based in Mackay and usually travels the Bowen Basin organising and advocating on site, lodge and regional issues. Lara was instrumental in the running of the Work Choices campaign in the last federal election. Óne thing that I have gained from my experience at the CFMEU Mining is that grass roots advocating and campaining is essential to strength. There is a definite community development and futures ethos in the running of campaigns. The CFMEU has positioned itself to be a major 'player' in local/regional planning forums.
The forum we sat on today was the Surat Basin Local Leadership Group. Members represented local government, agriculture, mining, DET (Tafe), Dept of Communities, Dept of Infrastructure (Federal Govt), Ag Force, Origin Energy and DEEDI amongst others I can't remember. Unbeknown to Lara, members of the committee were instructed not to bring observers, so I was refused entry by the chair (Dalby Mayor, Ray Brown) but we pretended not to hear that and went in anyway!! I was told (with eye contact) that any discussions held in the room were of a confidential nature. (I didn't think it was appropriate at this stage to ask if I could take a photo for our blog!!!).
I am still unsure of the outcomes of the meeting other than listening to Government Department heavyweights deliver reports on various reports for the sake of compiling reports. At one stage during the meeting, I woke from my slumber when the representative from Xtrata was invited to give a status report on the Wondoan Project standstill. Xtrata did a great job at delivering a speech which painted the company as poor victims of Kevin Rudd's current mining tax reforms. Lara diplomatically directed the meeting to information flyers that have been distributed by the CFMEU if they were interested in researching the truth. Chair Brown shut down the discussion reminding everyone that the Local Government priority was to move forward in solving this issue for the sake of local families in the community! Some interesting terminology that I took away from today (ie: you learn something new every day):
PIFU (pronounced piffu)
Regional Planning Framework
Settlement patterns
Land access agreements
The project developed from the project of regional development scenarios (go figure that one!!!)
....stay tuned for tomorrow's blog....
