Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen at a press interview, telling workers not to be intimidated by their union during a strike at the South East Queensland Electricity Board (SEQEB). This is followed by footage of unionists handing out leaflets, a band playing and shots of supporters in a stadium applauding during a rally. A brief interview and footage of speeches indicate wide support.

Educational value points

• The clip shows Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen (1911–2005) at an important moment in his career. Born in New Zealand to Danish migrants, Bjelke-Petersen was elected premier in 1968 and remained in office for 19 years. His government is remembered for the significant economic development that took place in the state during this time, and also for its ultra-conservatism. Bjelke-Petersen took a tough approach to industrial action and public protest, banning street demonstrations in 1977, and inciting the ire of civil libertarians. His government was politically long-lived but later found to be institutionally corrupt.

• Bjelke-Petersen was a colourful political character much parodied around Australia and well known for his offhand manner with the media. He referred to news conferences, such as the one shown here, as 'feeding the chooks’ and used colloquial (often tangled) language in his statements. While appearing casual and relaxed in front of the camera, he was extremely astute in controlling media coverage, cleverly using paid advertorials to communicate with his electorate. He was also quick to sue if he considered something to be defamatory.

• The SEQEB strike was an important event in Queensland’s history. In 1985, the Queensland Government entered into a protracted dispute with the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) over government plans to introduce contract labour. More than 1,000 electrical linesmen went on strike. They were then sacked by the Government without any negotiation and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) became involved. There was widespread support for the strikers in Queensland in spite of a period of regular blackouts but the Government won out in the end. The strike folded and the striking workers were not re-instated.

• The clip portrays a key moment in Australia’s industrial relations history. As the stalemate continued, conflict divided the ACTU and the ETU itself. The collapse of the strike, despite the involvement of the ACTU (which supported a blockade, preventing freight entering Queensland by any route), was seen as a betrayal of the working class by the Federal Labor Government and the ACTU.

• The strike is remembered as a crisis for trade union movements in Australia. Its outcome, of contract labour replacing union members, was seen by unions as detrimental to the rights of workers nationally, and contributed to the erosion of a strong tradition of Australian unionism.

• The clip showcases the work of documentary filmmaker Tom Zubrycki. Zubrycki studied sociology at the University of New South Wales in the early 1970s, which informed his stated aims of using his skills to enlighten and provoke audiences, expose injustice and contribute to a common humanity. His films tend to follow social and political events as they unfold, as in this example and in his documentary Molly and Mobarak (2003). He is a respected and experienced filmmaker and producer, whose 2000 film The Diplomat won two Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, for Best Director and Best Documentary.

This clip starts approximately 1 hour 5 minutes into the documentary.

Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen is interviewed at a press conference.
Joh Well, they won’t be marching. You – you – you’re trying to drum up a whole lot. This thing tomorrow, you’ll find it will be a pretty big fizzer. Pretty big fizzer, no doubt about it. And I say to all the rank and file, the union can’t do anything to you. They can’t shoot you, they can’t hang you, they can’t do anything to you. Take no notice of them, and don’t be bulldozed into anything that you don’t want to be bulldozed into.

Cars drive down a freeway. Intertitle: August 20. Men hand out leaflets outside the voting polling station. An unidentified unionist speaks to the crowd.
Unionist There you are. We want something done positively. No more rhetoric.
Folk music is played by a band in a football stadium.
Interviewer How do you feel about today?
Man Good. Certainly pleased. Overwhelmed.
The crowd claps. Sir Walter Campbell, the Governor of Queensland speaks.
Sir Walter The trade union movement has a long and proud history of struggle and achievement. Queensland unionist will not surrender their conditions of employment nor condemn the workers of tomorrow to conditions of generations ago. Nor will they stand idly by when a thousand of their fellow workers have been sacked for abiding by the principles so cherish and — so cherished and respected by the working class. If Bjelke-Petersen and his queer little minister, Lester, believe that they have the measure of the trade union movement in this state, it’s for us to show them that they’re living in a fool’s paradise and are in for a rude awakening. When we leave here today, it must be with fire in our bellies and well-reasoned strategies for success in our head.
He walks off stage to applause.