Celebrating the 100^th anniversary of

Brisbane’s General Strike

Thursday 2 February 2012 will mark 100 years since Queensland’s first general strike; a turning point in the state’s history.

Following a dispute between members of the Australian Tramways Association and their employer, a number of workers were sacked after they wore union badges to work.

Together with supporters from other unions, who correctly saw the move as a threat to the right to organise as a union, the sacked workers took to the streets in the following days to protest.

On 2 February 1912, now known as Black Friday, the strike came to a head with 25,000 people rallying in central Brisbane.

It was a day of clashes between strikers, who had been denied a permit to march, and police.

The strike officially ended two months later when the Employers Federation agreed there would be no victimisation of strikers.

Remembering our Past.  Asserting our Rights

The centenary of Brisbane’s general strike is a reminder that despite the many gains made by our predecessors, similar issues still arise today, with some employers remaining determined to vilify and harass those who are union members

IEU members in Queensland will mark the day with special morning teas across the schools.  As well, the Queensland Council of Unions will hold a rally at King George Square to commemorate the day.

IEU members know that the right to organise as a union is still as relevant today as it was in 1912.