Time to step up for the nation

On 19 June, I had the pleasure of attending the Australian Council of Trade Unions’ (ACTU) Our Voice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Conference held in Brisbane on the lands of the Turrbal and Jagera people.

First Nations peoples are the oldest living continuing culture. First Nations people should have a voice in their own country.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said First Nations People have historically shown the power of collective action, strike power and resistance – the most oppressed people have shown the greatest collective action. McManus said it’s time to have pride in our country and its history, time to step up. Trade unions will be there for Voice, Treaty, Truth.

ACTU President Michele O’Neil spoke about how union history has not always been great. Unions supported the White Australia policy of 1901, this impacted the First Nations Peoples who were considered a ‘dying race’, not something to be proud of.

In 1940-1950, unions opened their eyes and saw the value of Aboriginal struggle. In 1963, the ACTU backed the campaign for wage equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. Unions have grown.

Steve Mann, a proud Torres Strait Islander and the Queensland State Coordinator for the Yes 23 project said regardless of the outcome, we have created a space to be a stronger community, and a chance for conversation.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus with Kylie Booth-Martinez and IEU staff and supporters at Yes 23 rallies on 2 July

This is an opportunity for all Australians to come together and contribute to building a stronger, fairer nation. It’s time to open our nation’s next chapter by voting ‘yes’ at the referendum.

Milly Telford and Amy Gordan from Passing the Message Stick, a two-year project, shows us how to express the fundamental truth, and at the same time shift others to support us.

They gave some insight into how to have ‘those’ conversations by using the four ‘V’s, Value, Villain, Victory and Vision. More information on this can be found at
www.passingthemessagestick.org. Their message is that we need to win the narrative, ‘yes’ makes space for bigger change for our people and country.

The UWU (United Workers Union) are working hard to get the message to our people in NT. Their remoteness means information is not getting to them and in some places English is not the first language, so it’s important to get it right.

The referendum won’t be a tick-a-box, you will need to write ‘yes’. For the mob in some of our remote communities, this will be difficult. Wayne Costelloe, UWU First Nations Leadership and Development Officer, spoke about what the Voice will deliver and reminded us how past policies, created by government without appropriate First Nations engagement, have failed.

In a room of strong First Nations unionists, the message was clear. This is an opportunity for all Australians to come together and contribute to building a stronger, fairer nation. It’s time to open our nation’s next chapter by voting ‘yes’ at the referendum.