
Issue No 15		28 May 1999

News

Labor Council Unveils New Public Face

Australia's first public-access trade union shopfront is the centrepiece of a new organising strategy endorsed by the NSW Labor Council this week.


	The New Face Of Unionism?

The shop, situated in Sydney's bustling Haymarket precinct, will give union members access to a range of services and be a home base for trade union organisers.

It's part of an effort to streamline service delivery to give union officials more time to get out into the public and organise workplaces. Labor Council will embrace this shift with all officers, including secretary Michael Costa dedicating one day in each month to organising.

"The movement is in crisis and we have to take some bold initiatives if we are to survive and grow into the next century," Costa says.

"We want to make the shopfront an appealing and useful public face for unions in NSW.

Key features will include an Internet cafe with free access to union members and officials, a referral service for reputable workers compensation lawyers and a wages and conditions inquiry desk.

The shop will also sell merchandise including T-shirts and books and provide discount movie tickets and holiday deals.

Refurbishment of the shopfront will commence next week with an opening date set for one month's time

The centre will also be the base for the Unions 2000 project, which will place union members in jobs for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

And it will be a base for people who want to join unions to register their interest, with labor Council referring them to the relevant union. Costa says an important part of the strategy is ensuring affiliates are committed to following through on these types of inquiries.

If the city shop is a success, the Council will look at opening a similar store in Parramatta and further into Sydney's western suburbs.

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Issue 15 contents

Interview: Back to the Grassroots
Trade union trainer Jill Biddington looks at old problems through a new lens. Her message: talk to the workers.

Unions: TWU: The Workplace Union
Ring Tony Sheldon, State Secretary of the NSW Transport Workers Union, and if you don't get through straight away you're told it's because "I'm organising members at the moment".

History: Proud to be a Member
Retired transport workers remind young members of the struggles which produced the benefits they now enjoy.

Indigenous: Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide
Australia's treatment of its indigenous people is a problem that won't go away.

Review: Popcorn Goes for the Crunch
A Sydney production attempts to bring Ben Elton's satire of film-shplatt cinema to life.

Labour Review: What's New at the Information Centre
View the latest issue of Labour review, Labour Council's fortnightly update on industrial issues.

Health: Being Lead Astray
Workers in a range of occupations are exposed to lead and are not being made aware of the hazards

» Labor Council Unveils New Public Face

» Revealed: New, Meaner Breed of Body Hire

» Unions Wins Own Safety Prosecution

» Timor Protest Calls for UN Troops

» Pay Equity Jitters as Report Gathers Dust

» Paid Maternity Leave: One Step Forward - One Step Back

» Court Victory for PNG Workers

» First For Union With Multicultural Arts Grant

» Cleaners Clean Up In Backpay Bonanza

» Unions Join Sorry Ceremony

» Guest Report

» Sport

» Trades Hall

» Piers Watch

» Concern at Timor Attitudes

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