E D I T O R I A L

An Aussie Icon
The public deification of the Last Anzac, Alec Campbell, proves the adage that when you scratch the surface of an icon you'll invariably find a far more interesting reality.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Just Done It?
Nikewatch's Tim Connor gives his verdict on the global giant's latest innovation: ethics.

Tribute: Lest We Forget
Rowan Cahill goes looking for the real Alec Campbell and finds a story the Telegraph will not be publishing.

History: Solidarity Forever
Neale Towart looks at the enduring relationship between the union movement and the defence forces and finds it all comers down to solidarity.

Technology: Unblocking the Superhighway
Michael Gadiel argues the case for Open Standards as a way of breaking the grip of big business on the IT industry.

International: Gloves Off
Workers and their unions are facing a battering throughout South America as a wave of economic turmoil sweeps across the continent.

Unions: Out Of Work
Jim Marr travels to the frontline to witness the impact of the Howard Government's decision to close Employment National.

Review: Strange Business
Tara de Boehmler looks at a new flick that exposes the dark side of the Material World.

Poetry: The Lawyer's Lament
One of the big issues of recent weeks has been the explosion of insurance costs for public and community events, many of which have had to be cancelled as a result.

Satire: Government Mourns Loss Of Last Anzac
Treasurer Peter Costello has lamented the death of Alec Campbell, the last surviving ANZAC, bemoaning the lost revenue the government could have gained at his expense following the Budget.

N E W S

Workers Honour Radical Digger

Retailers in Outworker Spotlight

Nurses, Teachers Snare Agenda

Syd in Vicious Backpacker Stand-off

Microsoft Monopoly Under Challenge

Kiddies Not Exactly Having a Ball

NSW ALP Faces Asylum Seeker Test

Canberra Acts on Industrial Manslaughter

Carr Delivers on Dismissals

Santa Claus Strikers on Christmas Island

Abbott Believes Management Should Dictate

Low Paid Not To Blame For Beer Price Rise

Casino Award Covers Eastern States

Security Workers Want Bosses Sacked

Sydneysiders Rally For Western Sahara

Activists Notebook

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
The Cold Hard Truth
The Rail,Tram and Bus Union's Nick Lewocki argues our hard-hearted treatment of refugees is a betrayal of our proud immigrant history.

The Locker Room
The South Melbourne Football Club Pty Ltd
A spectre is haunting football; it is the spectre of revolution; a free market revolution, writes Phil Doyle.

Bosswatch
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Jobs are under threat in the textile and trye markets; but there's better news in the Newcastle mills and the Nike factories.

Postcard
Gas Treaty - The Raw Deal
East Timor is getting less then 40%�not 90% royalties from the oil and gas revenue in the Timor Sea, reports HT Lee.

Week in Review
Origin of the Species
Phil Gould, Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus may have buried the laughable notion that Rugby Union is the sport they play in heaven, but outside Stadium Australia life goes on, as Jim Marr discovers.

L E T T E R S

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Nurses, Teachers Snare Agenda

Both the NSW Nurses Association and the NSW Teachers Federation received widespread publicity after commissioning academics to look into the broad issues facing the profession.

Teachers Federation general secretary Barry Johnston says the teachers commissioned an independent report by Professor Tony Vinson because the state government had ignored requests to undertake its own review.

"It appeared to us that announcements such as the restructure of inner city schooling, were being made on an ad hoc basis," Johnston says.

"We were well aware that any independent inquiry may bring down recommendations with which we may have difficulty, but we were prepared for that to occur on the grounds that we were confident the inquiry would support our broader position.

Key elements of the first chapter of the Vinson Inquiry, include:

� a recommended per capita allocation of professional development funds, consisting of $1,200 per annum for country teachers and $800 for teachers in major urban areas;

� a finding that the bleak picture for teacher salaries has largely continued since it was revealed in about 1990;

� a revelation that the fear of complaints is distorting the professional work of teachers; and

� a recommendation for a peer assisted reflection on quality teaching for all plus a remedial scheme for those experiencing difficulties.

Stop Telling Us to Cope!

Meanwhile, the nurses' report reveals nurses are not being paid for the skills and responsibilities they are now required to access on the job and that major changes in the nature of their work is impacting on the nurses' morale.

According to the NSW Nurses Association commissioned report, which was conducted independently by ACCIRT, the major changes include:

� increases in nursing activity due to increased patient activity and no matching increase in staffing levels;

� increased levels of responsibility;

� an increased number of roles performed due to reduced staffing and redefinition of roles; and

� an increased incidence of nurses working outside their areas of specialty.

NSW Nurses Association acting general secretary Brett Holmes says the union "has been aware of these changes for some time and this research scientifically confirms the extent of the impact they are having on the morale and thinking of nurses".

Recruitment and Retention

He says the union supports the report's recommendation that pay rates be increased significantly in line with the new responsibilities. But he says although unfair pay rates are more easily fixed than many of the other factors affecting recruitment and retention of workers this does not mean the other workplace issues should be ignored.

Unions have seized the public debate in both the health and education sectors, releasing independent reports on government policy in the lead-up to the state election.

Both the NSW Nurses Association and the NSW Teachers Federation received widespread publicity after commissioning academics to look into the broad issues facing their professions.

Teachers Federation general secretary Barry Johnston says the teachers commissioned an independent report by Professor Tony Vinson because state government had ignored requests to undertake its own review.

"It appeared to us that announcements such as the restructure of inner city schooling, were being made on an ad hoc basis," Johnston says.

"We were well aware that any independent inquiry may bring down recommendations with which we may have difficulty, but we were prepared for that to occur on the grounds that we were confident the inquiry would support our broader position.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005