Campaign launched for Indigenous “Jobs With Justice”
Mark Fordham, an eloquent Indigenous man and union member from the Northern Territory, spoke recently at a public meeting in Surry Hills, giving first-hand evidence of the appalling working conditions in Indigenous communities under the NT Intervention. The forum was hosted by Stop the Intervention Collective, Sydney (STICS).
Fordham’s presentation was part of a speaking tour along the East Coast of Australia. The tour culminated in a National Day of Action on October 29, in which thousands demonstrated across the country to launch the ‘Jobs with Justice’ campaign.
Fordham outlined how the takeover of Indigenous communities by Government-appointed ‘Business Managers’ under the Intervention had caused massive job losses, as many services were axed. Some 500 further Council jobs are currently under threat. “The government is refusing to fund jobs for local people…services are suffering badly as a result”.
The Community Development Employment Program (CDEP) came under heavy fire in Fordham’s presentation. A work-for-welfare program that once employed 7500 people on remote communities, CDEP has been repeatedly ‘down-sized’ by the current Labor government.
Fordham presented real-life examples of the hazardous and exploitative working conditions of the CDEP, complete with photographs. These included a construction worker at Kalkarindji (Wave Hill), who was coerced to perform manual labour with a broken arm. Rather than being offered light duties, he was threatened with losing Centrelink payments if he refused. “They’ve bamboozled people who don’t know their rights”, said Fordham.
In Ampilatwatja community, rubbish collection is run through the CDEP. Workers pick up rubbish by hand in a flatbed truck, with no Occupational Health and Safety standards.
To top it off, workers on CDEP were being paid $4 an hour plus a food card, under the Intervention’s “income management” scheme, where half of Centrelink payments can only be used in certain large supermarkets.
When asked whether there was scope for changing this situation, Fordham replied, “Yes, absolutely”, and gave his own experience as former Works Manager for Ampilatwatja community as an example.
Earlier this year, Fordham spoke out publicly when his employers, the Barkley Shire Council decided to dump raw sewage on open ground, 800 metres from the local school. When Fordham was sacked in retaliation, the community rallied round. A week later, local women led a strike for jobs and services.
Since then, the Government has launched a massive earthworks program: “a lot of money got released. Suddenly they weren’t broke anymore.” A rubbish tip is finally being constructed, the first the community has ever had. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become involved in setting up a sewage management system, vindicating his earlier objections.
“The people can see that if they stand up, they can change something”, said Fordham. He emphasised the key role of support from non-Indigenous people in the cities: “The more people show support here, the more people feel encouraged to stand up.”
“When the women at Ampilatwatja led a strike in May, that was a direct link to meetings down here…They’re getting the message that there are people out there who support them and not the Intervention”.
The push for Jobs with Justice is on. STICS meets on Monday nights at 6pm at the Teachers’ Federation building, Level 1 23 Mary St, Surry Hills. All are welcome.
www.stoptheintervention.org
By Annette Maguire
