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Our Historical Mission
It has often been argued that unions would cease to exist when employers civilised workplaces. Our historical mission would have been fulfilled and we could pack up and spend out time enjoying the equitable society that would be the fruit of our victory.
Interview: Something Smells
The Postal Union's Jim Metcher lifts the lid on the very strange goings-on in Australia Post
Cole-Watch: Credibility Crisis
Counsels Assisting the Cole Royal Commission face a humiliating public back down in an effort to bring some balance to proceedings, reports Jim Marr.
Unions: Union Cities
Labor Council's Adam Kerslake has returned from the USA with some new ideas on community unionism
Industrial: Lib Men Gang Up Against Working Mums
Working women are in danger of missing out on an adequately funded paid maternity leave scheme, if recent bleatings are acted upon says ACTU President Sharan Burrow.
History: Eureka!
Neale Towart finds an alternative to Baden-Powell�s imperialist scouting movement, where the youth of Australia was fed such radical ideas as solidarity, collective action, equal rights and internationalism.
East Timor: Don�t Rob Their Future
After 24 years of often brutal Indonesian occupation East Timor on 20 May 2002 finally achieved their independence, writes HT Lee.
Review: Black Chicks Say It All
Dorothy can be whatever colour she wants to be and black chicks can talk about anything, writes Tara de Boehmler
Poetry: Self Regulation
While President George W Bush,leader of the heart of
unregulated capitalism, has responded to the recent
spate of corporate cowboydom by whipping out a swathe
of new corporate controls, Australia's Prime Minister
has responded with a feathered touch.
Cole to Hear of Criminal Takeover Conspiracy
Mad Monk Stamp on Aussie Post
Calls To End Woodlawn Logjam
ANZ Fined Over Freedom Of Speech Breach
Hotels Eat Up Living Wage
Qantas Union's Gorilla Tactics
Shearers Black Ban Their Hall Of Fame
Democrats Fire Shot for Workers
Teachers Walk Out At Aust College of Technology
Rail Operators Off Track
Airport Security Worker Spat At And Assaulted
CBA Workers Say Enough Is Enough
Union Made Songs For Masses
Doco Dishes Dirt On Howard�s Gas Wrangle
Activist Notebook
The Soapbox
Cole Comfort
The election of a federal coalition government in 1996 marked the advent of an aggressively anti union agenda that continues to be played out to this day, writes Paul Davies The Locker Room
Salary Crap
Phil Doyle goes wading through the hypocrisy and hubris, and discovers where the smell is coming from. Postcard
All At Sea
It�s on again - the coastal battle between the maritime unions, the government and the shipowners, reports Zoe Reynolds. Week in Review
The Dogs of War
The battle drums were a-rattling across this wide, brown land and Jim Marr was getting a bit tetchy Bosswatch
Speak No Evil
The majority of Australian firms stay silent on options they offer their executives as John Howard continues to stonewall corporate law reform.
Shit Sheets
Susan's Soccer Outrage
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Unions on LaborNET
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News
ANZ Fined Over Freedom Of Speech Breach
The Finance Sector Union has called on the ANZ to review its relationship with its workers after the Federal Court fined it $10,000 for breaches of the Workplace Relations Act.
Justice Wilcox imposed the fine after finding the ANZ had breached the law on four counts for threatening to sack suburban branch manager Joy Buckland for talking to the media about work issues.
In his ruling, Justice Wilcox noted that the ANZ's conduct went 'right to the heart of the rights to be protected under the Act'. He accepted FSU arguments that freedom to join and participate in industrial activities is frustrated "if employees are not free to articulate their dissatisfaction with respect to work related matters, both as between themselves and through media."
FSU state secretary Geoff Derrick says the challenge is now for ANZ to deal with the causes of staff dissent rather than shooting the messenger.
"The ANZ has been found to breach the most anti-worker laws in the country," Derrick says. "No amount of money can hurt a bank like the ANZ but the decision sends a message to workers that they have rights to speak out on workplace issues.
"While ANZ has sought leniency on the basis of their contrition after the event, the reality is that this is the one major bank that has refused to sit down with us and start to deal with the issues of understaffing and stress caused by overwork in the bank."
"It's time the ANZ came out of the cold and sat down with its workforce and deal with the issues that are important to ANZ staff and customers - staffing levels, branch closures and customer service."
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Issue 149 contents
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