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Crean-ite Is Not A Dirty Word
Amongst the economic fundamentalists within Paul Keating's office, to be a Crean-ite was the ultimate insult. Today as their vision of an unregulated economic paradise gets the death wobbles, it should be worn as a badge of honour.
Interview: Trans Tasman
The head of the New Zealand trade union movement, Paul Goulter, outlines the importance of this weekend's Kiwi elections
Cole-Watch: The Full Story
In 20 years mainstream journalism around New Zealand, the UK and Australia, Jim Marr has never witnessed anything like the Cole Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry.
Unions: The Right To A Life
In the wake of this week's Reasonable Hours decision, it’s time to once again civilise working time, writes Noel Hester.
Bad Boss: Phoenix Rising
Eddie Lombardo just noses out fellow Royal Commission star Ferdinando Sanna for this week’s Bad Boss nomination.
Politics: The Virtuous State
Following Tasmania's first position in The State of the
States 2002, the ALP stormed home in the State poll, reports Christopher Sheil.
International: The Champions
They may be top of the world's football pile, but Brazil also has the dubious honour of 50 million living in poverty, writes Mark Weisbrot
History: Mandatory Mums
Women had been in revolt against “compulsory motherhood” for many years prior to the introduction of The Pill in the 1960s, Neale Towart discovers.
Corporate: Network Governance
A new way to govern public or private sector organisations is becoming urgent as society becomes more complex and dynamic, writes Shann Turnbull.
Review: Navigating The Doublespeak
How can you show a workforce the truth behind managerial doublespeak when the promise of big bucks is wooing them from their collective ideals? Offer them free tickets to Ken Loach's The Navigators and watch the penny drop.
Satire: Hector The Galah Found Hiding
Hector the Galah who was thought to have been stolen from West Ryde has been found hiding on the roof of a building in Surry Hills. He has resisted all attempts to capture him but when interviewed told the following story.
Poetry: Eight Days a Week
This week the Industrial Relations Commission came down with a decision in the reasonable hours case which, while a long way from what the ACTU wanted, could give a bit of steel to workers who want to take back what's theirs.
 League to Blow Whistle on Sweat Shops
Rados Shames Ruddock Into Action
Virgin Contracts Spark Wage Rage
Jobs, Cargo Sail Over Horizon
Reasonable Hours Call to Arms
Big Tobacco Turns to Union-Busting
Athens Workers Pay Ultimate Price
Cranes At Risk in ‘August Winds’
Abbott’s Savings To Cost Workers
Trades Hall Revamp On Track
Top Nurse Bows Out
Name Caller Back to Work
Congo Unionists Need Help
Activists Notebook
The Soapbox
Crossing the Divide
Former Liberal PM Malcolm Fraser made history addressing the AMWU national conference on an issue of mutual concern - the treatment of asylum seekers The Locker Room
Lounge Named Best On Ground
The latest casualty of corporate sport is the loyal spectator on the hill, writes Phil Doyle Postcard
Appeasing Morocco Is Dangerous
Kamel Fadel updates on the latest developments in West Sahara's battle for independence.
Week in Review
Save the Last Dance ...
Labor and the Democrats swap places for the next dance at the political tango, while across the ditch, those darned Kiwis show big brother how it’s done – again! Bosswatch
Walls Come Tumbling Down
It was a week of carnage on the markets – and for a few former corporate high-fliers it was even uglier. Justice? Or just a system in decay?
No Need To Import IT Workers
Kangaroo Court Horrifies Reader
Site Reunites Redundant Workers
Carr Off Course
The Banners of Greed
Join The Party
Shocks and Stares
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News
Abbott’s Savings To Cost Workers
NSW unions have pledged to take on Workplace Relations minister Tony Abbott over his plans to trash state occupational health and safety rights.
They say his plans for a national Workers Compensation Scheme will only result in the further erosion of workers' benefits and rights.
Abbott says he wants to introduce a national scheme to lower costs and complexity for businesses.
But the reason is not good enough for many Australians that have little faith the same concern will be shown to workers.
Australian Services Union secretary Michael Want says he is concerned Abbott will achieve his cost cutting goal by going for the lowest common denominator.
He says there are currently states in Australia where workers compensation standards are well below those of NSW and warns that it is "quite easy to imagine that any reform of Workers Compensation would result in a federal system using the lowest common denominator.
"As we all recall, we are still recovering from this Government's recent reform of the Workers Compensation Scheme in this state and any attempts to further reform Workers Compensation and Occupational Health and Safety causes us major concern and anxiety," he says.
NSW Labor Council safety watchdog Mary Yaager says that while unions argued with the NSW Government over Workers Compensation reforms they "still managed to retain some of the highest benefits for injured workers".
"Most other states do not even provide workers with a weekly income beyond two years," she says.
As for using a national scheme as a cost-cutting device, Yaager says Abbott only needs to look to the New Zealand experience to see his plan is doomed for failure.
"When New Zealand introduced its all encompassing accident scheme the paltry level of benefits delivered to workers was atrocious," she says.
"Yet despite delivering as little as $40 a week to some workers the scheme still managed to blow out by $8billion."
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Issue 146 contents
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