
Issue No 102		13 July 2001

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News

Public Money Backs a Stellar Bully

The Carr Government had provided development money for a Wollongong call centre that is openly hostile to trade unions and demands its workers take out individual contracts.

The Labor Government's use of regional development funds was placed under the microscope at the launch of the South Coast call centre campaign in Wollongong this week.

In Stellar's case, more than ... was provided by the Department of State and Regional Development. The centre which is half-owned by Telstra, contracts for public and private sector work - but workers receive $12,000 less under individual contracts that workers within Telstra performing similar work.

The South Coast Labor Council's Arthur Rorris said the funding for Stellar exposed problems in the way public moneys were dispensed.

"While we welcome employment to our region, we believe the jobs have to be decent and dignified," Rorris says.

Unions have also renewed their calls for Premier Bob Carr to sign on to the ACTU Call Centre Code of Conduct and Minimum Standards Code.

Under this agreement, all public sector agencies would be required top ensure centres met minimum pay, OHS and freedom of association standards before being awarded state government work.

Labor Council secretary john Robertson says he has raised the issue directly with the Premier, who has accepted the merits of a Code of Conduct in principle.

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Issue 102 contents

Interview: Jolly Green Giant
Senator Bob Brown on the upcoming federal poll, balances of power and what the Greens can teach the trade union movement.

Workplace: Call Centre Takeover
Theresa Davison brings us this real-life story from the coal face of the call centre industry.

E-Change: 1.2 Community � The Ultimate Network
Peter Lewis and Michael Gadiel look at the potential for network technologies to reconnect communities.

International: Child's Play
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has recently entered a new alliance with the Child Labour Schools Company to support a project for child labourers in India.

History: Flowers to the Rebels Faded
With the departure of our own Wobbly, a look at the development of the Wobblies in Australia and their view of Labor politicians and the work ethic seems timely.

East Timor: A Dirty Little War
In this extract from his new book, John Martinkus recounts the scenes in Dili immediately following the independence ballot.

Satire: Telstra Share Failure Ends City-Bush Divide: Everybody Screwed Equally
Communications Minister Richard Alston today claimed that the government had fulfilled its promise to ensure that the bush was not disproportionately disadvantaged by Telstra's privatisation.

Review: Cheesy Management
Currently climbing Australian best-seller lists is the 'life-changing' motivational book 'Who Moved My Cheese?' Rowan Cahill has a nibble but doesn't like the taste.

» Search for a Dude Begins

» Public Money Backs a Stellar Bully

» Workers Get First Meal Break In Five Years

» Soft Penalty for Video Nasties

» Negligent Employers Should Pay

» Brit Cleaners Serve It Up to Aussie Boss

» Rio Tinto Guilty of Hunter Valley Sackings

» Rail Workers Strike for their Families' Security

» Nurses Seek Urgent Action on Pay

» Workers Win Tip Top Delegate Rights

» Telstra Halts Latest Privatisation Plans

» Requiem for the Banks

» Surfers Remember Oil Slick Disaster

» Widespread Mail Disruptions on Cards

» Minister for Caged Hair Gets Hot Welcome in West

» Cleaner Wins Right to Attend Family Reunion

» Howard Cuts R&D Spending by 15 Per Cent

» Fears Grow Over Shangri-La Protests

» Mick Young Play Award

» Activist Notebook