A retired compositor, Father of the Chapel and life-long union activist from South Australia is keeping the AMWU tradition of pamphleteering alive, via a new website Fair Go.
AMWU SA RMD Secretary Rod Parham created the weblog earlier this year, in response to a suggestion from staff at the AMWU’s Adelaide office to keep retired members updated online.
“Someone said to me ‘you can really put a word together’. You should setup a website for the old members.
“Well I like to think as a compositor I had a bit of a head start. Printers have always fancied themselves when it comes to putting words together, whether it’s on paper or screen. So I decided to go ahead and put the website together.
“What we now call blogging, is really what we used to do in the old days; pamphleteering. We would print off thousands of pamphlets keeping members updated about issues, strikes and industrial matters.
“Some of those pamphlets had incredible effects and were really powerful in mobilising members. I just see this as an extension of that.”
Not only does Fair Go feature updates and contributions from AMWU retired members across Australia, but it also carries local and international politics and union related news.
Mr Parham is keen to see other AMWU retired members contribute to the space.
“If they want to send local industrial items, or stories from their past, whatever their division, I’d welcome that. Especially if they’ve got a particular opinion on pensioner issues and our ‘Fair Go for Pensioners’ campaign. But if anyone sends me anything discriminatory I won’t tolerate it.”
In partnership with other union comrades Mr Parham has also created a popular website, The Old Guv Legends, featuring stories and photos from the former South Australian Government Printing Office.
Since it’s creation 18 months ago the blog has received over 400 posts from print union members and it continues to grow. Mr Parham hopes to see the same thing for Fair Go.
Please note the views expressed on these websites are those of individuals, and in do not represent the views of the AMWU unless accompanied by authorisation from the National Secretary.