From the Archives, 1989: Bitter day for all, but heat’s on Greiner
In 1989 the NSW Labor Council led a “Day of Outrage” against job losses and changes to workers compensation by the Greiner government.
First published in the Sydney Morning Herald, 26 July 1989
Just minutes after yesterday's "Day of Outrage" demonstration outside the gates of Parliament House came to an end, the Premier labelled the anti-Government protest the "fizzer of the decade".
Although at its peak the 2 ½ hour march and rally attracted an estimated 30,000 people — dropping off noticeably as protesters grew weary of speeches — Mr Greiner said he had been told that only 15,000 had taken part.
Although he conceded that he had not looked at the size of the crowd, Mr Greiner said the "poor" turnout was proof that the public would not be fooled by the lies the labour movement had been peddling. "They pulled out a crowd about the size of a Souths versus-Easts home game on a rainy Sunday," he said.
Later, in a spirited debate in Parliament, Mr Greiner said the public realised that job cuts were necessary in the public sector to increase productivity.
However, for the leaders of 26 unions who co-ordinated yesterday's demonstration against the winding back of the public sector and "inadequate" changes to the workers' compensation scheme, the size of the crowd was a massive show of strength on a blustery, cold, wet day.
Addressing the crowd, the secretary of the Labor Council of NSW, Mr Michael Easson, congratulated the participants for turning up to show the Government that they were no longer prepared to accept the callous policies of NSW Inc.
"The Greiner Government has cruelly treated the workers of NSW... enough is enough. More than this, the Greiner Government has broken promise after promise."
However, the left-wing secretary of the Public Service Association of NSW, Ms Helen Twohill, drew loud cheers from protesters when she declared that worker support at the next election would have to be earned.
"I'd also like to make it very clear that this is not a party political fight," she said.
"I put people on notice that if Labor governments operate the way that the Greiner Government is today, and they destroy jobs of workers in this State like the Federal Government is doing at Cockatoo Island ... then there will be struggles by the workers in response to those attacks."
Industrial Editor Brad Norington writes: As services return to normal in NSW, Victoria faces industrial turmoil today because of a State-wide strike called over that State's worsening workers' compensation crisis.
Last minute attempts to call off the strike failed. Train and bus services will be stopped, many factories and office buildings will close because of power restrictions and worker absenteeism, even among the non-unionised workforce, is expected to be high.
Schools, banks and non emergency services at Victorian hospitals will also be seriously affected.