E D I T O R I A L

The Hijacking of May Day
Unionists watching the shambolic and violent affair that was the M1 protest could be forgiven for wondering what has become of the traditional workers' day?

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Youth Group
Federal Labor's youngest frontbencher, Nicola Roxon, on how the ALP can win back the hearts and minds of the young.

History: Back To The Future
As building unions put old animosity aside, Neale Towart looks at the history of the 'demarc' - and the steps taken to avoid them.

Industrial: On the Street
Jim Marr looks at the human cost of Treasurer Peter Costello's refusal to fund a pay rise for community workers.

Unions: The New Deal
Adam Kerslake outlines the importance of the ground-breaking pact between unions in the building and civil construction industries.

Legal: The Police State Road
Rowan Cahill argues that the Howard Government's new anti-terror laws carries echoes of a more sinister past.

Women: What Women Want
When 300 ALP women from around Australia converged on Canberra for the National Labor Women’s Conference they had more than quotas on thier minds, Alison Peters reports.

Politics: Street Party
Paul Howes looks at how May Day was celebrated around the Globe by those involved in trade unions and those who are not.

International: The Costs of War
Ariel Sharon is facing growing pressure from Israeli unions over the conduct of his war on Palestine, reports Andrew Casey.

Review: Songs of Solidarity
It had rock, grunge, pop and rap. The May Day union anthem song contest had everything, including an element of surprise thanks to competition winner Swarmy G.

Satire: Bono Satisfies World Hunger for Preachy Rockstars
U2’s lead singer Bono has launched a daring solo mission to end the world’s hunger for rock stars who use their high profiles to crap on self-righteously about charitable causes.

Poetry: Woomera
Divide and rule, that age old tactic...the lips of defence personnel inexcusably sewn to dehumanise an imaginary threat, the lives of asylum seekers incomprehensively dehumanised so as to defend a threatening image.

N E W S

Yarra Seamen Take Border Stand

War on Terror Targets Unions

Year Zero for Building Unions

Kinkos Copies Anti-Union Script

Nike Told to Shoosh on Sweatshops

Rapper Wins Wobbly Anthem Prize

Technicians Take Aim At Canon

Unions Target Labour Hire Bidding War

Rally Targets Tight-Arse Costello

Councils To Be Audited On Language Allowance

Scope For Payback In Privacy Limitations

Heavyweight Push For Medibank Private To Stay Public

What About Dad? - TWU

East Timor MPs Question Timor Gap Plan

Artists' Union Bans Voice For Peace

Activist Notebook

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Maurie on May Day
PSA supremo Maurie O'Sullivan had them in the palms of his hands when he delivered the traditional May Day Toast.

The Locker Room
Impractical Punting
Most of life is six to five against. That is, unless you know a Packer or a Waterhouse. Phil Doyle expands.

Bosswatch
Show Me The Money!
It may be May Day - but life in the banking industry has never been sweeter - unless you're in the gambling caper.

Week in Review
Two Bob Each Way
The double standards of modern life have left Jim Marr scratching his head.

Tool Shed
Border Insurgent
Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has blockaded himself into the Tool Shed this week for opening Australia's borders up to flag of convenience ships with Third World crews.

L E T T E R S

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Two Bob Each Way

We should be used to it but, fair dinkum, the double standards of hands-off administrations never cease to amaze. The born-again deregulators in Australia's Federal Government are a case in point, never demurring from regulation when there's a chance of preventing a worker getting a fair go...

The battle to save Australian jobs on the coastal trade escalates as Canberra washes its hands of any resposibilities towards Australian seamen. CSL prepares to lower the Australian flag on the Yarra so it can be flagged in the Bahamas and crewed by Ukranians.

The Howard administration has presided over the destruction of the Australian fleet which has fallen from more than 100 vessels to less than 45 since deputy PM John Anderson took over the transport portfolio and openly encouraged foreign flagged ships.

.....

As Tony Abbott pushes for greater deregulation of the labour market, Rio Tinto exposes an extended digit to the rules as they currently exist. The minerals giant continues to ignore judicial orders to reinstate Queensland and Hunter Valley coalminers, shut out of their jobs since 1998. At least three will never go back, they've died waiting since the first reinstatement order was made.

.....

Sweat shops flourish as immigration and safety regulations go unenforced. Had a look around Canterbury or Marrickville lately?

Meanwhile, under-resourced unions such as the CFMEU and TCFUA are left to try and police immigration and workplace safety as best they can.

.....

Just to make it more difficult, Abbott tosses a wish list of regulations, designed to further limit the rights, effectiveness and resources of worker organisations before the Senate.

His latest batch of proposals seeks to limit union funding; make industrial action virtually impossible in many industries by requiring a tribunal order then a secret postal ballot; bar multi-employer bargaining; make common claims illegal; and further restrict rights to contest unfair dismissals.

.....

Government's refusal to set up an effective mechanism to protect workers' entitlements results in a stand-off at Walker Exhausts, South Australia, which threatens motor vehicle production nationwide.

Dubai Pete would be proud of his protégé as the Mad Monk throws verbal hand grenades from the sideline. His best efforts fail to prevent the company reaching an agreement that sees long service leave protected and, potentially, saves taxpayers millions of dollars.

.....

You have to admit that, at least, they're consistent. Peter Costello picks up the anti-worker baton and lowers the bar with one of the Government's most mean-spirited actions, dodging its share of a 6.5 percent wage increase awarded to men and women employed under the Social and Community Services Award.

We're talking about people, employed by community organisations that take up the slack for Government's failure to take responsibility for mental health and social welfare issues, providing disability services, running halfway houses and places like Sydney's Matthew Talbot Hostel.

.....

While Government baulks at an increase that might lift the take home pay of psychologists working with the nation's most disadvantaged to $500 a week, it resists any call to limit rewards for those who cause the problems in the first place.

Outgoing Tabcorp managing director Ross Wilson, responsible for taking the organisation into pokies in a big way, stares down the barrel of a $41 million golden handshake. At Wilson's end of the specturm it works like this - the company you're in charge of gives you an interest free loan of $8 million to buy 3.74 million shares then, generously, buys back its own shares, pushing the price through the roof. Even though you're required to pay back the original loan, it's still a cool $33 million bonus, mimimum.

Jodee Rich and Brad Keeling's shenanigan's continue to take up valuable court time. They, of course, restricted themselves to $7 million apiece before One.Tel rang off but James Packer, for one, is spewing. Canberra's only reaction, however, is to suggest the abolition of unions' rights to seek community standard severance deals, under which the CPSU gained entitlements for the One.Tel crew.

Everyone's favourite corporates, the banks, are doing rather well out of the deregulated economy. They don't even theorise about trickle down as Westpac and the ANZ announce billion dollar nett profits on the back of drastic staff cuts and branch closures.

.....

With HIH still chugging away in the background doctors cancel private surgery in the wake of the collapse of the country's biggest malpractice insurer. The Government, which conned hundreds of thousands of Aussies into private health insurance with promises of pegged fees, suggests it might be the ideal time to remove any public influence on the industry by flogging off Medicare Private.

.....

But, hey, don't worry they're going to regulate so that, on security issues, Australian citizens can be held indefinitely without legal advice and children, as young as 10, may be strip-searched. It emerges that journalists, doctors and priests may be jailed, under proposed security laws, for refusing to divulge information sought by ASIO.

The president of the Law Council, name of Tony Abbott believe it or not, argues the bill offends fundamental civil rights.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005