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  Issue No 122 Official Organ of LaborNet 07 December 2001  

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News

Union Concerned At New ASIO Powers


The head of a major union this week expressed concern today at proposals by the Federal Government to radically increase ASIO powers to seize assets and records of Australian organizations in the wake of September 11.

CFMEU national secretary John Maitland says he believes the proposal was a massive breach of civil rights and that there was great potential to misuse such laws.

The Government also proposes to legislate to give ASIO the power to detain without charge and interrogate without the presence of legal representation Australian citizens suspected of having "terrorist links".

"If laws like this were around 20 years ago the CFMEU for example could have been destroyed as an organisation and its leaders detained for financially supporting Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress, who John Howard himself used to call "terrorists"," Maitland says.

Similarly the CFMEU has a strong record of support for the Palestinian people and for the republican cause in Ireland. Both Gerry Adams and Yasser Arafat were once 'terrorists' who in fact went on to win Nobel Peace prizes and be lauded at the White House as visionary leaders of their peoples.

"The tragedy of September 11 cannot be cynically misused by reactionary politicians as a pretext for creating a police state."


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*   Issue 122 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Reality Bytes
Labor's IT spokeswoman Kate Lundy on how a third Howard Government will hurt the IT industry.
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*  Unions: My Way or the Highway
Since 1997, workers employed by Serco/Great Southern Railways, have been locked in a struggle with their employer to have their choice of industrial instrument recognised.
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*  Legal: Three Degrees of Contract
Marian Baird argues there is a need to more fully understand what workers, employers and our society expect from the employment relationship.
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*  International: Bogota Terror
The assassination of a Colombian unionist has prompted international outrage.
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*  History: Freedom or 'Federation'?
Mark Hearn and Greg Patmore argue that the journey to federation was not a one-way street.
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*  Health: Wearing the Right Genes to Work?
Matt Brooks tracks the DNA trail to discover genetic testing in the workplace is already here.
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*  Satire: Demidenko Releases New Book About Her Life As Afghan Refugee
Controversial author Helen Demidenko has written a brand new novel based on her gripping true life experiences as an Afghan refugee.
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*  Review: Can Blinky Bill Save Unions?
Neale Towart browses the kiddies' shelves to find an Australian icon with a union-friendly message.
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News
»  Unions Raise Labor Stakes
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»  Standards Breakthrough in Call Centres
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»  Hotel Cleaners Told: Bring Your Own Mops
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»  Corporate Giant Sponsored IT to India Report
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»  New Front in Battle for Compo Rights
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»  Progress in Email Privacy Push
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»  Christmas Progress on Sweatshops, Truckies
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»  BHP Steel Workers Fight for Security
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»  Union Concerned At New ASIO Powers
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»  Workers Call for Patrons Before Pokies
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»  Overtime Deal Helps Rural Hospitals
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»  Writers in New Chapter for Unionism
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»  CFMEU Backs Standards Inquiry
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»  Mining Company Moves To Ban Fiji Film
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»  Unions Choir Sings Up Storm
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»  2002: Where to Now?
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»  Activists Notebook
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Columns
»  The Soapbox
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»  The Locker Room
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»  Trades Hall
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»  Tool Shed
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Letters to the editor
»  Apology to Tim Harcourt
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»  Tom is Gobsmacked
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»  Who was Gordon Freeth?
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»  More Compo Feedback
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»  Trains of Treasure
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»  The Great Tuckpointer Debate Revived
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