Wellington City Council gags struggleing workers

Yesterday there was a picket on the Terrance, outside the office of the Spotless cleaning bosses who just locked out low paid cleaners.
There were cleaners, other unionists, students, various lefties and Brass Razoo solidarity band.
There was to have been a repeat picket at the same site today, but the authorities stepped in and shut it down.

In the words of the SFWU union organiser:
"The reason why we have changed to the State Services Commission, is because the Wellington City Council has served us with a Noise Direction notice and we can not do any drumming or use the mega-phone, at our The Terrace actions for 72 hours."

The 'noise' was chanting from the workers and agitation on the loudhailer from union leaders, indipersed by tunes by Brass Razoo solidarity band. We had 7 horns, but no drummer, so the workers banged on their buckets to give us a beat. The effect of that was a great united feeling of solidarity fired up at the bosses windows for about 4o minutes. That's why the enemy pulled rank and silenced us.

Wellington City Council's so called Noise Direction notice is nothing other than political intimidation and censorship. The 40 minutes noise we made was not a nuisance to the public. On the contrary. Most people who drove or walked past smiled at us! There have been Council sponsored events which have been much noisier - such as their fireworks display.
The noise we made was the noise of a militant picket, which embarrassed the Spotless bosses. That's why their friends in high places banned a replay.
Our action was banned by the establishment because it was effective.

To win this battle we need to maintain effective actions. The union movement needs to challenge the police imposed restriction on the SFWU struggle, to ensure victory for the workers and to uphold democratic rights. Several times we've been told that the whole of the union movement is behind us on this one. That promise needs calling up.