COMMUNITY PROTEST AGAINST NEW IR LAWS BIGGER THAN EXPECTED

Unions estimate that around 546,000 people have attended rallies and protests across the country as part of Australia's largest ever national workers' protest.

ASU Members and Staff Rally Outside 100 King William Street 15 Nov

Commenting on the latest crowd figures to hand, ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:

"Unions estimate the crowd at the Melbourne Rally was by far the largest in the nation with approximately 210,000 people attending.

Early estimates of the Melbourne crowd proved inaccurate as workers in the city left their offices and others continued to arrive on trains, trams and buses to join the protest.

People attending the Melbourne protest flooded city streets, with the march stretching more than eighteen city blocks and taking more than one and a quarter hours to pass.

A further 25,000 people attended rallies and events in other parts of VIC.

In NSW, around 45,000 people attended Sydney rallies in Martin Place and outside Central station with a further 95,000 people in more than two hundred packed venues and locations around the State.

In QLD 25,000 people attended the Brisbane rally and a further 35,000 in other parts of the State.

In SA unions estimate up to 40,000 attended the Adelaide rally and march with a further 10,000 attending in other parts of SA.

In Darwin around 3,000 people attended a protest meeting and a further 2,000 in Alice Springs, Katherine and other NT locations.

In the ACT around 5,000 people attended a protest meeting at the Canberra Racecourse.

In Hobart unions estimate 6,000 people attended a rally and a further 5,000 in other TAS protest locations.

Initial estimates of the crowds in WA where the rallies have just begun (3.30pm AEST - 12.30pm in the West)) are around 30,000 people in Perth and a further 10,000 in other parts of WA.

The massive turnout at today's rallies shows there is a huge level of concern in the community about the Government's new workplace laws.

People I have spoken to today know that their living standards and job security are under threat. They know they will lose protection from being sacked unfairly and they know that their wages and conditions are at risk by the Government's changes."

Sharan Burrow said, "Today's protest is the first ever to be broadcast nationally and this proved to be a huge success. The union broadcast was screened in more than 300 locations across the country, with many regional venues packed to the rafters."