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Issue No. 138 31 May 2002  
E D I T O R I A L

Demonising Unions
There's a common streak running through the Liberal Party's prosecution of its witch-hunt of the building industry unions and the federal ALP leader's push to reduce the influence of trade unions within the Party. That's the view that unions are on the nose.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: The Star Chamber
CFMEU national seretary John Sutton surveys the limited progress of the Cole Royal Commission.

Politics: The Odd Couple
After spending years yelling at each other, a couple of young factional players started talking to each other in the name of refugees.

Tribute: I-Conned
A rogue priest and Philip Ruddock have combined to leave master artist, Rados Stevanovic, living in a suburban park, as Jim Marr reports.

Media: Audiences Before Politics
The real challenge facing the new managing director of the ABC is how to make audiences central to what the national broadcaster does, argues Tony Moore.

International: The Off-Side Rule
It may be kick off time at the World Cup but unions in South Korea and around Asia are using the world�s biggest sporting event to focus attention on workers� rights, as Andrew Casey discovers.

Economics: The Fake Persuaders
Companies are creating false citizens to try to change the way we think, writes George Monbiot.

History: Terror Tactics
As the Howard Government prepares terror legislation to ban organisations, Neale Towart remembers a similar attempt at censorship in the name of security.

Poetry: Food, Modified Food
That old school yard joke "what do you get if you cross a ... with a ...?" is becoming startlingly true. The latest development is a featherless chicken.

Review: Spiderman Spins Out the US
Red Pepper's Rick Giombetti scales the big screen and puts Spiderman in his place, flying in the face of right wingers who would claim the Marvel Comic legend as their own.

Satire: England's World Cup Disaster: Star Hooligan Breaks Foot
The English World Cup 2002 campaign is in tatters after star hooligan Gerard Wilson of Chelsea broke his foot.

N E W S

 Cole Suffers Credibility Crisis

 Councils Armed To Drown Sweatshops

 Miners Win Record Payouts

 Bracks Crew Not Family Friendly

 Time to Charge Directors

 Waterfront Truth One Step Closer

 Speedy Flow-On for NSW Workers

 Star Sin-Binning Prompts Inquiry Call

 New Chief Puts ABC Back In The Picture

 Getting it Wrong on Training

 Gravy Train Gets Richer For Max and Mates

 Reward For Delegate Who Stood Up

 Casino Workers Hit Mat Leave Jackpot

 Drug Haul Sparks Security Warning

 East Timor�s MPs Take Australia On

 ACTU Officials Denied Visas Into Fiji

 Commemorate 100 Years of Votes for Women

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Modernising Labor?
NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson argues that genuine reform of the ALP would go beyond the 60-40 rule, to increase the voice of unions within the Party.

The Locker Room
Juego Bonito
Forget the dour contests of the Premier League and Serie A, it�s the World Cup which transforms football into the beautiful game. Noel Hester analyses the form.

Week in Review
He Who Pays The Piper
Money comes in all colours but, in politics, the hue is usually blue, as Jim Marr discovers �

Bosswatch
Rich Pickings
Australia's wealthiest were on display this week as BRW released its annual Rich 200 list.

Postcard
About Last Night
The CFMEU's Phil Davey, on an APHEDA -Union Aid Abroad delegation to Palestine, recounts his experience trying to get back to his hotel after dark.

L E T T E R S
 Simon and the Creanites
 In Defence of Latham
 Swans A Pathetic Con-Job
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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News

Miners Win Record Payouts


The Howard Government is being urged to rewrite Federal industrial laws in the wake of the country�s biggest unfair dismissal settlement.

CFMEU Miners Union president Tony Maher made the call just hours after mining giant Rio Tinto agreed to split $25 million amongst 190 mineworkers it sacked in 1998 and 1999. The union claimed Rio Tinto had introduced a �so-called merit-based system� to victimise union activists at Mt Thorley and Hunter Valley No 1 mines.

The CFMEU won three previous actions against the multi-national but been forced back into the courts by repeated appeals.

Maher called it "plainly ridiculous" for victimised workers to have to wait so long for an outcome.

"Three of our members have died since winning the first case and, that's an indictment on the Federal Government's unfair dismissal laws," he said.

"Rio Tinto used its enormous wealth to keep this matter before the courts while miners, their families and their communities struggled to survive.

"If unfair dismissal laws are to mean anything they must offer justice within a reasonable timeframe.

"It was fortunate we had the resources and determination to wait Rio Tinto out. A lot of worker organisations are not in that position.'

Today's settlement came after years of industrial, political, legal and corporate campaigning.

Miners took their cases to shareholders in London, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane - at one point inciting a near revolt against the top table.

The settlement applies to 108 miners sacked at the Hunter Valley No 1 mine on October 20, 1998, and 82 miners dismissed from Mt Thorley on November 17, 1999.

Rio Tinto will also offer sacked miners preference on 20 available positions in NSW.

A hearing into the sacking of workers from the Blair Athol mine in Queensland continues.


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