Every unionist knows that “an injury to one is an injury to all”. This applies to refugees as much as the rest of us.

If it is seen as “normal” that people are detained by the Australian government without charge or trial – or simply deported at a government’s whim – this makes it seem “normal” that other basic rights (union rights, for instance) can also be trashed.

As Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London, put it in 1999: “You can judge politicians by how they treat refugees; they do to them what they would like to do to everyone else if they could get away with it.”

Last week, Socialist Alternative sent out a brief survey asking our members about the discussions we are having with fellow workers about the refugee issue. Below are excerpts from the responses.

From Western Australia: ”I work in rail as a fitter maintaining freight locomotives in Perth and the Pilbara. Racism is a serious problem… particularly in Port Hedland, [mostly] directed towards indigenous people.

“I have… engaged with people patiently, not that I don’t lose my temper from time to time. In the past as a union delegate I’ve been able to take a much more combative approach, but also was effective because I’d earned peoples trust industrially.

“There is no magic simple straightforward argument I’ve used that has won people over quickly. I’ve tried to make things as simple as possible using slogans such as ‘It’s no crime to seek asylum’ and expanding from there. That’s short and sharp to use. Also effective is to say how the two major parties are consciously using the issue to distract from issues of immediate concern to workers: health, education, job security.”

From an office worker in Melbourne: “I have been having quite a few conversations with people at my workplace about refugees… A number of my work mates have said that they are coming [to the rally]…”

“I have only had one negative interaction when I overheard a co-worker say, as she was reading the paper at her desk and as people were walking past, ‘Do you know how we will solve the refugee problem – by shooting them!’ I then said loudly that I will not tolerate racist hate speech in my workplace. She shut up pretty quick.

“One thing that has come up a few times is the question about what does rallying really achieve? This has been a good opening to talk about other movements like South Africa and the anti-apartheid movement, US anti-Vietnam war protests and even same-sex marriage, etc.”

From a Sydney teacher: “I have had conversations in the hallway with three teachers in particular, most are vehemently opposed to the government’s PNG solution. One guy said he thinks it’s wrong for the refugees to come illegally, but he was shot down by another woman who told stories of Iraq refugees for whom there was no legal way to escape. Another teacher realised we were getting loud and suggested we talk about it another time, but it was enough to show there are some pretty passionate voices on the issue in my school.

“We sing (I don’t) the national anthem every morning to a recording, and I’ve remarked to a couple of people that it’s hypocritical (boundless plains to share) and had positive responses from people …”

This sort of activity can all seem like pretty small beer.

But the constant work of making arguments, taking opportunities, figuring out how far to push things, is an essential part of being a socialist. Stopping the right wing tea room grub from setting the political agenda is an achievement in its own right. Trying to build up a group of left wing work mates through argument and discussion is a sound basis for both political and union activity in the workplace. And having political profile and credibility can be crucial when a serious issue comes up at work.

In addition to discussions in the workplace, Socialist Alternative members have joined with others in pushing unions to endorse rallies and carry motions condemning the government’s policy. Among those who have passed motions in support of the campaign are: the Australian Services Union’s Melbourne Metro Delegates Committee; branch committees of the National Tertiary Education Union at La Trobe, Victoria and Melbourne universities; and the delegates committee at Victoria Legal Aid.

The Victorian Trades Hall Council and the National Union of Workers passed very positive motions and issued statements. However, many unions have dragged their feet and some have simply refused to touch the issue. In Canberra, members of Labor’s left faction have been threatened with suspension or expulsion for simply attending refugee rallies. The chair of the left faction, responsible for much of this head kicking, is also the co-convenor of Labor for Refugees in Canberra.

According to the logic of many in the Labor Party, the correct approach to a new policy involving gross and systematic abuse of human rights is to simply shut up. Our approach is the exact opposite. Until election day and well beyond, Socialist Alternative members will be raising our voices for human rights and encouraging other unionists to do the same.