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Issue No. 125 22 February 2002  
E D I T O R I A L

Unfair and Dismal
As the credibility of the Howard Government sunk under lies and conceit this week, Tony Abbott � for a moment - looked uncharacteristically subdued.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: If Not Now, When?
New Labor Council organiser Adam Kerslake talks about his plans to bring unions back to basics.

Activists: Fighting Back
Jim Marr talks to Keysar Trad, a unionist who's left the security of the Tax Office for a much bigger challenge.

Industrial: Croon And Divide
Fly a kite, obfuscate the issues, divide your opponents and continue to hammer people: the one-card-trick Howard Government�s latest kite is unfair dismissal reports Noel Hester.

Politics: Politics of Extinction
Trade unionism is a spent force; a dinosaur. This alleged truism is often heard these days, in one form or another. Rowan Cahill unpacks the lie.

History: Harry Bridges: International Labour Hero
Zoe Reynolds marks the centenary of the birth of an Australian waterfront worker who went on to lead one of America's largest unions.

International: Rats in the Ranks
The relationship between Britain�s Blair Labour Government and the union movement has hit a new low, as Andrew Casey reports.

Review: Follow The Fence, Find The Truth
Tara de Boehmler reviews a new flick that sheds light on the debate around the Stolen Generation.

Satire: Howard Screws Refugee Kids: G-G Turns Blind Eye
Startling claims that Prime Minister John Howard screwed refugee children prior to the last election, and also during a hunger strike at Woomera, have been dismissed by the Governor-General Peter Hollingworth.

Poetry: Let It Be
When a certain former Minister for Defence visited England recently, he met Sir Paul McCartney. The former Beatle thought there was something strange about him, but he didn't say anything. He decided to just Let It Be.

N E W S

 Building Workers' Bid to Win Back Lives

 Dog-Tired � Long Hours Leave Beagles Buggered

 Home Care Workers Reject Sweat

 Building Commission's Costly Spin

 Caltex Asked To Explain Price Hikes

 Palm Sunday Resurrected for Refugees

 Dismissals: Labor Blocks The Lot

 Company Collapses: Union Wants Bank Powers

 Women Wanted for Wharf

 Sanity Returns to the West

 Big Brother Raises Hackles

 Legal Action to Block Job Exports

 New Dawn for Dili Workers

 Councils Targeted in Contracting Campaign

 CFMEU Constructs Lebanese Bridge

 Israeli Aircraft Destroy Most Of Palestinian Union HQ

 Activists Notebook

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Shorten's Suite
AWU national secretary Bill Shorten outlines his vision for unionism - from the relations with the ALP to its efforts to regain the heartland.

The Locker Room
Bunnies in the Headlights
Despite their triumphant return to the League, Souths story won't be the last example of tradition being trampled, writes Jim Marr.

Week in Review
Tories in Turmoil
With a constitutional crisis and a dangling mandate, it was compelling viewing for the Howard jeer squad.

L E T T E R S
 Dirty Politics Won't Wash
 Tom's Foolery
 Give Us a Spray!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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News

Israeli Aircraft Destroy Most Of Palestinian Union HQ


The world's trade union leadership reacted this week to the destruction of forty percent of the headquarters of the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) in Nablus, in the northern part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Nobody was killed in the attack.

According a press release issued by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, "such attacks do not reduce tensions in the occupied territories nor lead to any improvement in Israel's internal security."

The ICFTU called on Israeli Prime Minister Sharon to launch a full investigation into the matter and urged that "full compensation be awarded by the Israeli state to the PGFTU" for all resulting damage.

The ICFTU's statement is here:

http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Language=EN&Index=991214783

A similar statement was issued yesterday by the international trade secretariats (now known as "Global Union Federations") which called on Israel to "publicly investigate the circumstances behind this air attack on the PGFTU and to make appropriate compensation to the organisation for what was, we hope, accidental damage to their headquarters and property."

To let Prime Minister Sharon know your own feelings about this attack, and to support the call for a public investigation and full compensation to the Palestinian unions so that they can rebuild their headquarters (which was built with the financial support of unions from around the globe), we suggest the following urgent actions:

1. Email Prime Minister Sharon:

mailto:[email protected]

2. Send messages of solidarity to the PGFTU at this email address:

mailto:[email protected]

3. Let the Israeli trade union movement know how you feel. Email Amir

Peretz, the leader of the Histadrut -- the General Federation of Labour in

Israel. His email address is:

mailto:[email protected]


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