The protest is being held to support construction workers facing charges in the Federal Court today.

Earlier this year, 107 workers walked off the Perth to Mandurah rail line to protest against the sacking of their union representative.

Today, 60 of those workers face fines of up to $28,000 each in the Federal Court for breaching a lifetime strike ban imposed by the Industrial Relation Commission.

The president of the ACTU, Sharon Burrow, says the charges are unjust and has urged all workers to fight against them.

"This Government will be content when Australian workers are intimated and cowered and frightened to stand up," she said.

"But guess what, we've got a message for the Government: that day will never come."

The case is the first in Australia to test the new industrial relations laws.

See also:

Rail strikers disrupt Perth court

AAP: August 29, 2006
Adam Gartrell

WEST Australian construction workers fighting unprecedented fines for striking jeered and chanted in a packed Perth courtroom today, provoking warnings from the judge.

The 107 workers on the Perth to Mandurah railway project are fighting fines of up to $28,000 each for going on strike, in February and March, in protest against the sacking of a shop steward.

The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) issued writs against the workers last month under the federal government's tough building industry laws, introduced last year in response to recommendations of the building industry royal commission.

It is the first time individual workers, rather than unions, have faced such fines.

About 100 of the workers and their families today crammed into the Federal Court in Perth today after a union rally through the city streets.

The workers raised union banners and chanted their familiar slogan "The workers united will never be defeated!'' before the proceedings began, drawing warnings from court officials.

Judge Robert Nicholson entered the courtroom soon afterwards but proceedings were disrupted when the workers began chanting and hurling abuse at ABCC representatives, including barrister Richard Hooker.

"You have to understand that the processes of the law require every side to be heard and the law to be considered rationally,'' Justice Nicholson told the workers.

"They're unjust laws!'' one worker called back.

Justice Nicholson threatened to close the court when the workers ignored repeated instructions to quieten down.

The matter was later adjourned until October 18 to give the workers'  lawyers enough time to take instructions from each of them.

They are expected to file defences to the fines by November 1.

The solicitor representing most of the workers, Jeremy Noble, said the matter was likely to become complicated and protracted.

"There are many of these people who have defences and they will be vigorously fighting (the fines),'' Mr Noble told reporters outside the court.

Earlier today, workers around the country rallied in support of the 107 workers.

In Melbourne about 200 union officials and workers rallied outside the Federal Court in Melbourne to support the WA workers who face legal action.

Speaking at the Melbourne rally, ACTU secretary Greg Combet said the union movement had launched a fighting fund to defend workers prosecuted under the new regime.

"We'll fight for them wherever we need to and anyone else who faces the same treatment,'' Mr Combet said.

In Adelaide, SA Unions secretary Janet Giles said up to 300 workers, mainly from the state's construction industry, attended a rally in the city to support the Mandurah rail project workers.

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Unionists rally in solidarity with striking comrades

The Age: August 30, 2006
Meaghan Shaw

ABOUT 2000 unionists rallied yesterday in support of 107 West Australian construction workers who each face fines of up to $28,000 for taking strike action.

The workers are the first rank-and-file union members to be individually targeted under building industry laws that were introduced last year. They appeared at a rowdy Federal Court directions hearing in Perth yesterday, with about 1000 supporters gathered outside. Rallies were also held in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Wollongong and Newcastle.

The members were working on the strife-plagued Perth-to-Mandurah railway project and went on strike in February and March to support shop steward Peter Ballard, who they claimed had been unfairly sacked.

The Australian Building and Construction Commission, set up last year following the royal commission on the building industry, issued writs against the workers last month, claiming they had engaged in unlawful industrial action.

One of the workers, Mal Peters, said the longer the case dragged on, the harder his and his workmates' lives would be. The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union claims Mr Peters was sacked because he spoke out against the fines he and his colleagues were facing.

"I've just got to get on with it and pick up some more work, which is going to be hard, especially with all the attention," Mr Peters told the ABC.

ACTU secretary Greg Combet yesterday told about 300 unionists outside Melbourne's Federal Court that more union delegates were being victimised under new workplace laws.

He said delegates had been targeted at Amcor and Boeing in Melbourne, while three metalworker delegates in Adelaide had also been sacked.

"The Australian people will not stand for the Government suing individual workers and putting people's homes and their assets in jeopardy, and this will be a focus of our campaign in months to come," he said.

Mr Combet said the workers had resolved the issue months ago through arbitration with the project's joint contractors, Leighton-Kumagai, and accused the Government of trying to intimidate the union movement. The ACTU has set up a fighting fund to support the workers.

But Workplace Minister Kevin Andrews denied the Government was involved.

He said the building commission was an independent statutory body that was simply doing its job.

He said the workers had refused to follow an order of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to return to work and the building commission had sought to prosecute them.

"Now that's simply saying that the rule of law ought to apply equally to all Australians," he said.

Mr Andrews rejected a suggestion that the 107 workers could be turned into martyrs and denied that unionists were being targeted. He said the strike had cost the contractor $200,000 a day and delayed the project by four months.

Leighton-Kumagai spokesman Ashley Mason said the contractor was not a party to the building commission action, but said it was suing the CFMEU for damages of up to $15 million for delays to the project.

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Rail worker supporters rally in Perth

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: 29/08/2006
David Harrison

Perth unionists face massive fines for staging an illegal strike.

TONY JONES: Thousands of protestors have marched through Perth in support of a group of rail workers who are facing massive fines over an illegal strike. The unionists walked off the job in February because of the sacking of a colleague. As a result, they've become the first people to be prosecuted under the Federal Government's construction industry laws. If convicted, they could be fined up to $28,000 each. David Harrison reports.

DAVID HARRISON: Thousands of unionists marched through the Perth CBD this morning in support of their colleagues. 107 workers on the Perth to Mandurah railway project are facing fines of up to $28,000 each for walking off the job in defiance of a lifetime strike ban imposed on the project. They voted to take industrial action in support of a sacked union representative.

PROTEST SPEAKER: Touch one, touch all!

DAVID HARRISON: Mal Peters is one of the workers who's been charged.

MAL PETERS, RAIL WORKER: Yeah, it's getting pretty stressful but you just can't do much about it. We've got to keep hanging in there.

SHARAN BURROW, ACTU PRESIDENT: This is a terrible day in Australia's history. This is the day that a government takes working men and their families to court.

DAVID HARRISON: The workers and their supporters then marched to the Federal Court to face the charges - the first of their kind under the new industrial relations laws. The unionists continued their protest inside the court, chanting slogans and heckling the lawyer representing the building industry watchdog which is prosecuting the workers.

JOHN BOWLER, WA EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION MINISTER: This may be a black day, but there's a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel. And the light at the end of the tunnel is the bloody end of John Howard, that's what it is.

DAVID HARRISON: Unions across the country have established a fighting fund and hope to raise over a million dollars. The Government denies the unionists are being unfairly treated, saying the charges have been laid by an independent watchdog.

KEVIN ANDREWS, FEDERAL WORKPLACE RELATIONS MINISTER: If these people have broken the law, well then surely consequences should flow from breaking the law.

DAVID HARRISON: Similar protests were held in Sydney and Melbourne. Thousands of workers marched through the city streets in solidarity with their WA colleagues. David Harrison, Lateline.

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Construction Workers Nervous Ahead Of First Court Appearance Today

ACTU News: 29 August 2006

Families and supporters of 107 Western Australian workers being prosecuted under the new IR laws will hold rallies in support of the first appearance by the workers before the Federal Court today, Tuesday, 29 August 2006.

The construction workers from the Perth to Mandurah rail project are the first Australian workers to face prosecution under the Howard Government's new IR laws and face fines of up to $28,000 each.

"The workers are nervous ahead of their first court appearance and are worried that the case could run for many months before they know the outcome," said Sharan Burrow, ACTU President.

MEDIA ALERT

Support rallies take place today in major centres today - Tuesday 29 August 2006

* PERTH: ACTU President Sharan Burrow will address Perth rally. 8.30am - Assemble on The Esplanade, march to 9.30am rally at Perth Concert Hall. Media contact: Elizabeth Lukin ph 0414 295 693
* MELBOURNE: ACTU Secretary Greg Combet will address Melbourne rally. 12 noon-12.30 - Lunchtime Rally outside Federal Court, cnr of Latrobe and William Streets. Media contact: George Wright ph 0419 556 616
* Canberra: from 12 noon. Garema Place, under trees between DEWR and ampitheatre. Organised by ACT Union Solidarity Network - Phone Paul 0417 048 217
* Sydney: 10.00am Solidarity Rally, Trades Hall, 377 Sussex Street. Contact Tim Vollmer ph 0404 273 313
* Wollongong: 12noon, Corner Kembla and Crown Streets, Wollongong - details ph: (02) 4229 2888
* Newcastle: 1pm, Civic Park, King Street, Newcastle - details ph: (02) 4929 1162
* Adelaide: 12 noon Rally in Victoria Square - media contact Janet Giles, Unions SA ph 0419 825 845

More information: CFMEU Website