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Looking for the Light
As Labor searches for its Light on the Hill at last a senior Labor figure has come out and said it: the main game for the ALP should not be about shedding union involvement but making the movement – and that involvement - stronger.
Interview: Packing a Punch
Former Hawke and Keating Minister Gary Punch injects some sanity into the debate over unions and the ALP
Bad Boss: Basher Takes Back Passage
A new contender for our Bad Boss has emerged as 140 Stegbar workers confront a boofhead with bad attitude, writes Jim Marr
Unions: Five Star Shafting
What is twenty three years of unbroken, fulltime service worth? Eight weeks, according to Tony Abbott, the Federal Government and the cheapskates who run Sydney’s posh Hilton Hotel.
Economics: TINA – Rest In Peace
Sydney University’s Frank Stilwell argues that the ‘There is No Alternative’ school of economics should be consigned to the dustbin of history
International: Against Bush's "War on Terrorism"
Washington has become the first State Labor Council in the U.S. to call on the AFL-CIO to seek repeal of the USA Patriot Act and oppose the Bush Administration, reports Fred Hyde.
Environment: Saving the World
After a ten-day talkfest, are we any closer to saving the world, asks Nick Lucchinelli
History: A Radical Scribe
John Shields loks at the life of Lloyd Ross' brother, Edgar, and his work as a journalist and activist in Broken Hill
Poetry: With A Little Help From My Friend
Even oil giant BP Australasia came out and supported the Kyoto Protocol - but that was not enough for our beloved Prime Minister.
Satire: Colonel Gaddafi Promotes Himself to General
After years of ribbing by his Axis of Evil peers, General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran and General Than Shwe of Burma, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi has finally promoted himself to General.
Review: Workplace Dictatorship
Award-winning journalist Barbara Ehrenreich went undercover in low-wage America to see how people live on six bucks an hour. And what did she find? They can’t.
 Cole Comfort: I’m Not Biased
Grassroots Drives Safety Campaign
Deloittes Curry Favour on Sub-Continent
Ansett Workers Short-Changed
Rail Workers Buck Individual Contract Wage Bribe
Carr to Drive Hilton Deal?
Bush Regenerators Weed Out Dodgy Deal
Insurers in Redfern Rort
Hairdresser Wins Fight For Wage Justice
Cabin Crews Argue for ‘Safety in Numbers’
‘Slave Labour’ In Insurance Industry
Westie Fires Up Over Durries
Beattie Plods into Risky Territory
Sydney to Host Social Forum
Activists Notebook
The Soapbox
Ian West on Suncorp Metway
NSW MLC Ian West lifts the lid on moves to impose 'start before you start' clauses in the insurance industry The Locker Room
Terrible Terry and the Nice Guy from Fitzroy
As the debate over the new coach hots up, Phil Doyle believes that all is not as it seems on the good ship Swan. Week in Review
War on Terror
Next Wednesday, September 11, marks the anniversary of one of the most brutal acts of terrorism in modern history. Jim Marr’s picking it will pass by virtually un-noticed Bosswatch
Broken Trust
The corporate world is holding back the waves of accountability with a crackdown on trusts rubbished and resistance to a new plan to increase corporate disclosure. Women
All In the Family?
Labor Council’s Alison Peters went looking for a family friendly workplace and got caught in a cheesy smokescreen.
Collex Decision is Terrible
Charity Begins At Home
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News
Cabin Crews Argue for ‘Safety in Numbers’
A push by Qantas to increase the official crew to passenger ratio would inevitably lead to lower safety standards, flight attendants have warned.
Commenting on a proposal from Qantas to lift cabin crew ratios from 1:36 to 1:50, the Flight Attendants Association of Australia has vowed to fight any reduction industrially and politically.
"We have the safest aviation industry in the world. Why would Qantas want to downgrade that system?" FAAA national secretary Johanna Brem says.
"Until we see evidence showing there is no safety risk in reducing cabin crews, our members will remain opposed to this proposal."
Young, elderly and disabled passengers would be particularly vulnerable if the reduced cabin crews were implemented.
In its submission to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the FAAA argues:
· Australia should maintain the highest benchmark in the world, reflecting its position as an international leader in aviation safety
· There is no evidence in the world to show that lower ratios offer an equivalent level of safety
· The arguments for lower ratios are purely commercial arguments to cut labour costs.
"At a time when Qantas is making record profits, this is just another example of its arrogance," Brem says.
Safety Cuts on the ground Too
Meanwhile, licensed aircraft engineers are fighting a push under the same review of CASA regulations that would see pilots conducting their own external safety checks.
The Australian Licensed Aviation Engineers Association has commenced a public campaign against these proposals, which have the backing of both Qantas and Virgin.
The ALAEA believes the push is being driven by costs and a belief in the discredited doctrine of "affordable safety"
"The airlines argue the reduction is in line with international standards," ALAEA national secretary David Kemp says. "We would rather maintain Australia's world best standard."
Billboards warning of the changes will begin going up near airports this week.
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Issue 151 contents
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