|
||
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
||
|
|
Issue No. 123 | 21 December 2001 |
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Unmaking of History
Interview: Braveheart International: Global Year in Review Unions: A Year at the Barricades Technology: Unions Online 2001 Republic: Terror Australis Economics: 2001: Annus Horribilis Campaign Diary: Melanie and Me Politics: Tony Moore's Final Word Review: You Are the Weakest Program Legal: The New McCarthyism
The Soapbox The Locker Room Trades Hall Tool Shed
 A Fair Go For AllThe First BastionTom Collins' Christmas Wish
|
|
|
NewsBank Workers Get Serious in 2002
The Finance Sector Union, who coordinated action in the NAB. Westpac and ANZ banks last week, has warned banks they face ongoing industrial action in the New Year. Big crowds attended rallies outside the NAB AGM in Melbourne and the Westpac and ANZ talkfests in Sydney. Shareholders were greeted by rapping workers and Christmas carols and asked While FSU representatives addressed all AGMS, a resolution calling on the bank to maximise long-term profitability by addressing community concerns was ruled out of order on a legal technicality. At mass meetings of striking members the FSU unveiled its 'Take Back What's Yours' campaign which will involve bans on overtime, enforcing start and finish times and taking meal breaks. And the banks face more negative publicity, after the campaign gained national headlines with revelations Westpac staff had been issued with BBQ cheat cards to justify cuts to banking services. Joy for Worker Who Spoke Out Meanwhile, the ANZ Bank has lifted a gag on a bank worker who had been threatened with the sack for speaking to the media about staff concerns about the bank's services. The decision came after the ANZ was faced with legal action, consumer boycotts by the union movement and amid questioning at today's shareholder Annual General Meeting. The worker, Joy Buckland, had taken legal action in the Federal Court under the Workplace Relations Act after being threatened with dismissal for making comment to the media. She claimed she was being victimised for her union activity. The ANZ wrote to her last week reversing the company's position - it concedes her right to speak to the media in her capacity as National President of the Finance Sector Union. Win for Workers Everywhere FSU state secretary Geoff Derrick says the back down is a win for workers everywhere who have the courage to raise workplace issues in the public domain. "Employers everywhere - but particularly in the banking industry - intimidate workers from speaking to the media," Mr Derrick said. "Joy's courageous stand will make it easier for all workers to exercise their basic right to speak out on issues that effect their working lives. Workers have a right to get involved in their union and they should have a right raise legitimate workplace issues in public. "It's a Catch-22 for the entire union movement: on the one hand workers are intimidated from speaking to the media. But when their union speaks on their behalf, the employers say: that's just the union - not the workers. "The reality is that the union is the workers - and when you try to gag one worker you are attacking the entire movement."
|
| Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
|
© 1999-2002 Workers Online 
|
|
