IR rights - strike

today i did something i have never done before. i was part of a protest march. i even got in the spirit and was wearing a red poncho (as were many other australian education members - aeu). annie took a photo, i'll see if i can get it. if you are an aussie, then i am sure you would have seen it on the news tonight. they are saying there was about 150 000 people in melbourne today and about 500 000 around the nation. i was a little disappointed with the way the news described the event, of course, they didn't mention the actual issues of the new ir laws they are trying to bring, that annoyed me a little. if you do want to know more, go to www.yourrightsatwork.com.au to undertand it a little more.

after hearing about the legislation, while convinced that my rights as a teacher were going to be pretty safe, the push from the aeu was to stand up for the rights of our students who would end up in lower rated/valued? jobs that would be affected. i was down with that. but, when i got to the march, i was really moved seeing so many 'working class' people there who really could be affected by these new laws. i was glad that i had made the effort to get out of bed on a day that i would have just loved to have had a sleep in and even that i had given up a day's pay in the first place.

it's important to me to do my best to be proactive where i think that justice is not being served. and sometimes i suck at it, but today i know i did the right thing.