|
Issue No. 128 | 15 March 2002 |
Why I'm Marching
Interview: The Wedge Buster History: Fighting for Peace Unions: Rattling the Gates International: Facing Retribution Technology: How Korean Workers Used The Web Industrial: Working Futures Review: Rumble, Young Man, Rumble Satire: GG Survival Doomed: Fox-Lew In Charge Of Rescue Bid Poetry: PSST
Girl's Maiming Sparks Entry Plea State Law Push For Virgin Sites Outrage at Privatisation by Decree Woomera - Flames, Razors, Rope and Despair Asset-Stripping Sparks Walk-Out Opposition Grows Over Howard's Freedom Attack Heffernan Prompts �Right of Reply� Demands Levy Struck to Support Rockhampton Meatworkers ACTU Assists former Ansett Staff
The Soapbox The Locker Room Week in Review
On Inequality Harmony Day
Labor Council of NSW |
Letters to the Editor Carr and the Fire Fighters
When the New York City firefighters arrived in Sydney last week Bob Carr treated them like Champions. A cortege of police outriders, Ministerial limousines and sparkling new fire engines not yet commissioned for service escorted the heroes of New York City from Sydney Airport to the five star Regent Hotel at the top of George street. Our Bob was quick to link himself and his own political destiny to these men of heroism and tragedy. With hindsight It seems all too familiar to John Howard and his snap decision to hop on the 'War on Terrorism' bandwagon twisting it to his own political advantage. Only this time our Bob was sharp enough to know that the whole world loves a winner. No expense was spared in making our prized guests the coupe d' etat of the international tourism circuit. CNN, NBC and ABC all made great play of The Stars and Stripes being hoisted atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A triumph of US Imperialism and perhaps just a whiff of success for Bob. With 347 New York City firefighters dead this is far and away the single greatest tragedy to have hit any fire service in the world. 195 firefighters remain missing and with less than three weeks to go until the cement mixers move in and reconstruction begins, it is unlikely they will ever be found. Firefighters relate to each other in a far more intense way than many other workers do. The need to trust your life to another person means camaraderie is essential if you are to motivate yourself to run into a burning building while everyone else is running out. Fire Brigades are like families and losing 347 members of your family must be devastating. The New York City firefighters were keen to meet their fellow "Brothers and Sisters" from Sydney so the call went out to all the fire stations around the city and about fifty of us turned up at the pub to say hello. They were all delighted to have found themselves in Sydney and after about three schooners of VB they were starting to look very jet lagged. One young guy told me how he had lost his entire crew and that after one of the towers came down he had to be dug out of the rubble having been lucky enough to be the Engine Keeper on that day. Its hard to know what to say to someone who has lost their entire family. While I hope I never have to experience the grieving these workers are going through they did tell me that their loss is in some way cushioned by the fact that every family of a firefighter killed on duty in the US is given a lifetime pension of 100% of the firefighters wage. A sharp contrast to the US $8 per week that the families of firefighters in NSW are entitled to under the current Death and Disability provisions Bob Carr extends to his state's firefighters. No one in NSW wanted to take away the accolades the NYC firefighters received while they were in Sydney but perhaps now they are gone the Premier can explain why NSW firefighters have the worst Death and Disability provisions of any firefighters in the OECD. Why the decision to butcher the workers compensation entitlements of all workers in NSW shouldn't have firefighters angry at the spectacular hypocrisy of a Premier who enjoys some of the very best Death and Disability provisions in the world through his Parliamentary Superannuation Scheme. Pretty dangerous work really slinging insults and shuffling papers, but then the cheap grog and silver service dining room does keep them in tip top condition. Who knows perhaps the next time I have to drag another unconscious victim from the 26th floor of the housing commission flats in Waterloo I might get the red carpet treatment from Bob Carr. Then again some of the poorest people in Sydney live in the twin towers in Phillip street Waterloo, not exactly the Big End of town. Stop the crocodile tears Bob, bushfires or high rise the public expects to have firefighters covered not thrown into Tony Abbotts damnation of the working poor.
Simon Flynn Redfern Fire Station
|
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|