
Issue No 111		14 September 2001

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News

Howard Deserts Ansett Workers

The Howard Government has rejected a proposal to keep Ansett flying, yet is continuing to spend millions on television advertising, Opposition leader Kim Beazley told its former workforce today.


	Beazley at Ansett Rally

The decision by Acting Prime Minister and Transport Minister John Anderson to refuse to underwrite Ansett operations as an administrator took control forced the immediate closure of the company.

Addressing a rally of Ansett workers in Sydney, Beazley called on the Howard Government to dip into the $240 million it is spending to promote itself through advertisements to keep the Australian icon in the air.

"The Prime Minister should take his advertising off the telly and spend it on something serious," Beazley said.

He vowed the Opposition would support any legislation to underwrite the administrator so Ansett could continue to trade and urged the government to put such laws before the Parliament immediately.

Beazley also called on the government to protecting Labor legislation currently before the Senate to provide 100 per cent protection for their workers entitlements.

"If this legislation were passed, you would still be out of a job today, but you would not be facing the prospect of losing everything."

Citing his own personal history with the airline, Beazley pledged to continue to campaign in defence of Ansett and their workers.

He said he had been travelling with them since he was 12 months old. "When I look around you today, I see people who have helped me for the past 52 years," he said.

"I see the faces of people working in an essential industry - we can not operate as a society without you".

National Anger Builds

Rallies were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Launceston as anger grew over the overnight collapse of the domestic carrier.

Workers also took direct action at airports, with workers in Sydney stopping all flights for four hours demanding for assurances on their own entitlements.

In all, an estimated 17,000 workers have been thrown out of work by Ansett, with tens of thousands more jobs at risk through the failure of the airline.

Beazley spoke of how the closure would not only affect the Ansett workforce, but the tourism industry, rural and regional Australia as a whole.

Already some associated businesses, such as travel agents servicing Ansett, have closed their doors.

Help Save Ansett

Call, Fax or Email John Howard and John Anderson and let them know what you think of their inaction and how it will effect your vote at the upcoming Federal Election.

The Hon. John Howard MP

Prime Minister

Phone: 02 6277 7700

Fax: 02 6272 4100

Website Feedback: http://www.pm.gov.au/your_feedback/feedback.htm

The Hon. John Anderson MP

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Transport

Phone: 02 6277 7680

Fax: 02 6273 4126

Email: [email protected]

Also tommorrow (Saturday 15/09/01) Bruce Baird MP Federal Liberal Member for Cook will be holding a feedback session in his electorate. Why not turn up and let him know what you think of his Government's failure to save 16,000 Australian Jobs.

The forum will be held at the Shops near the corner of Port Hacking Road & Bouvardia Street, Dolan's Bay.

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 111 contents

Interview: Amidst the Debris
ACTU President Sharan Burrow surveys the wreckage from a week that rocked the world.

Politics: Consequences of Empire
The horror of the events in New York has not led to all American and international observers feeling committed to bloody revenge.

Industrial: Grounded
Ansett workers lay bare their feelings at seeing their company driven into oblivion.

International: Election Results from East Timor
Fretelin as expected has topped the poll in East Timor�s first free democratic election and the violence predicted by some has not eventuated.

E-Change: 3.2 The Electronic Consumerist
In their latest instalment Peter Lewis and Michael Gadiel ask how effective has the law become in safeguarding the things that really matter to us?

Legal: Howard's Falkland War
Zoe Reynolds chronicles the bizarre tale of the Tampa and how a group of refugees bacame pawns in a bigger political game.

Compo: Round Two Begins
Nancy Searle reviews the Sheahan Report and highlights some of the areas of concern to injured workers.

Economics: Knowledge, Power, Banking
Raj Patel questions whether a new World Bank initiative is actually designed to control the way the Third World thinks.

Review: Political Theatre
The Naked Theatre Company is a youthful, adventurous, professional, Sydney theatre company committed to the development and production of Australian playwrights.

Satire: Howard US Visit "Marginally Overshadowed"
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said his US trip was a complete success, if slightly upstaged towards the middle.

» Howard Deserts Ansett Workers

» Trans Tasman Battle for Entitlements

» Qantas Workers Move To Protect Their Entitlements

» Unions Denounce Muslim Attacks

» Fund Established for New York Workers

» Australian Unionist Lost in New York

» US Flight Crews Support Ansett Workers

» Compo: Threshold Too High

» Della Moves on Premium Evasion

» Travel Site Severs Burma Links

» Paint Company Wants Strike Declared Illegal

» Casino Staff Locked Out Again

» Tax Staff to Strike Back

» Union Applauds Deet Ruling On Clothing

» Unions Take Message to Migrant Workers

» Get Ready to Wobble

» Activists' Notebook

» STOP PRESS: Howard Rolls Abbott on Entitlements