- The Guardian
- Issue #2203
The Communist Party of Australia opposes the Associations Incorporation Reform Amendment Bill 2026. Introduced by the Victorian Labor government, this bill is an unjustifiable attack on the Retail and Fast-Food Workers’ Union (RAFFWU) and a direct attack on the organised labour movement in Australia.
The CPA has no interests separate from those of the working class. We will oppose any policy or legislation that attacks the working class or represents a setback for it.
We recognise the historical use of registration to control trade unions and the many setbacks that have resulted from deregistration. We also recognise that a trade union is not defined by its registration status, but by its actions, its members’ determination, and what it does for workers in its industry.
The CPA does not support organisations identified by the media and by themselves (unfortunately) as so-called “red” unions. These groups divide the movement and are not genuine trade unions. By any genuine criterion, however, RAFFWU is a legitimate trade union. Its legitimacy is earned through the real outcomes it has achieved through organising and struggle. RAFFWU’s actions and achievements place pressure on the SDA (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association) and employers to improve agreements across the retail and fast-food industries.
We support the right of workers to join legitimate trade unions that they consider appropriate to their circumstances. We reject the notion that unregistered unions must be disbanded as a matter of principle.
Labor governments are once again paving the way for neoliberal and reactionary reforms by conservative forces in Australia. Deregistration can, and will, be used as a tool to suppress struggle, militancy, and working-class activity.
We condemn the Carroll Labor government in Victoria and urge full support for RAFFWU’s continued existence as a legitimate force for progress for retail and fast-food workers.
