
Issue No 109		31 August 2001

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Letters to the Editor

MUA - Take a Bow!

Conscience of the Nation once more.

Australian Maritime Unionists, by their demand for succor for those in peril on the sea on the Norwegian ship MV Tampa. Whether sheep skins for Russia, no pig iron for Japan or Indonesian independence. Maritime unions have never shirked humanitarian responsibility. What a ridiculous situation Howard and Beasley's decision has placed all Australians, we are all diminished.

The Lords Prayer preceded the Prime Ministers statement on the human tragedy unfolding off Christmas Island. The silence of church leaders, our new Governor General included is deafening, it is impossible to ignore that such silence is racially based, Muslims are not part of our flock. Such hypocrisy will not be lost on our Northern neighbors.

Perhaps Parliaments opening with the Lords Prayer could be replaced by Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".

There is no political mileage in the fate of refugees for either Party but the Greens can take a bow.

Geoff Swayn

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 109 contents

Interview: Union Power
Electrical Trades Union state secretary Bernie Riordan surveys the union movement's troubled relationship with Labor.

International: Spreading the Word
Veronica Apap profiles Kamal Fadel and the battle he is fighting for the independence of his homeland of West Sahara.

E-Change: Training for a Wired Workforce
Education is the entry point into the new economy; but the system still reflects an industrial age view of the world.

Unions: AWU Defends Millennium Train Workers
Mark Hearn looks at how a group of Newcastle workers are setting a new standard in the railways.

Politics: Chatting with Enemies of the State
Brazils MST is the largest and most radical social movement in the Americas. The CFMEU�s Phil Davey drops in for a chat.

History: Struggle and Inspiration
Rowan Cahill argues that it is only through understanding history that we can make sense of the present plight of workers.

Technology: A World Without Microsoft
Heather Sharp argues that all technologies involve political choices and moral values. Computer software is no exception, and it is Bill Gates' choices that dominate.

Review: Let There Be Rock
Kid Rock and Beer Bong, Australia�s Oldest Rock Fans review the week�s music and political events from the safety of the bar stool.

Satire: Tampa refugees ask to go home: "It's less inhumane than Australia"
The 460 asylum seekers on board the Tampa freight vessel have demanded to be taken back to their oppressive homelands, which they now realise aren�t nearly as hostile as Australia.

» The Meaning of Working Life � The Answer is 7.1!

» Unions Stand Up for National Soul

» MUA Salvages Some Pride

» Common Law Report Plea � Make It Public

» Maintenance Contract 'Could Put Lives at Risk'

» Tax Office's GST Scam - 10 Per Cent Off!

» Della Moves on Pay Slip Concerns

» Authorities Scotch Bra-Burning

» Manusafe Decision Faces Appeal

» Orange Finally Saved from Closure

» Award Win For Telco Workers

» Abbott Clears Way for Lower Wages

» SDA Defeats 'Obscene' Westfield Parking Fees

» Labor Calls On Abbott To Abide By Convention

» Nurses Highlight Staff Shortages

» Keystone Cops At Wonderland Protest

» Call for Change in Award Increases

» Green Tin Box Values Gone At Commonwealth

» Dance for Independence

» Get Ready to Wobble

» Activist Notebook

» STOP PRESS: ITF says PM Tampa action illegal