Over the past 13 years the manufacturing unions have overseen the destruction of more than 34,000 manufacturing jobs in Victoria. The small size of the rally was an expression of the hostility felt by large sections of workers towards the union leadership. In the early 1990s, VTHC rallies would attract between 30,000 to 50,000 workers. The strike, launched last week, has brought almost half the city's bus fleet to a standstill. The drivers are demanding a common award to cover workers at the three private bus companies, Perth Bus, Southern Coastal and Path Transit.
Drivers are also angry about the run-down condition of the bus fleets.
Transperth, the government department that once operated the public bus service in Perth, maintained a policy of upgrading buses after 12 years service. The bus drivers claim that some of the private operators have kept buses on the road for well over 20 years, despite reports of faulty brakes, gearbox problems, worn steering boxes and rust. Over 400 building workers employed at the Westfield Carousel extension, one of Perth's largest construction sites, went on strike last week when a worker received an electric shock. Five other workers have suffered electric shocks on the site in the past three weeks. Unions claim that the company is compromising safety by rushing to complete the extensions in time for the Christmas shopping period.