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Issue No. 161 15 November 2002  
E D I T O R I A L

From New Labor to True Labor
Holroyd Council�s commitment to labour rights, embodied in the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the NSW Labor Council this week, is a ground-breaking commitment by a leader in this important tier of government.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Life After Keating
Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd looks at the world and wonders what might have been ...

Industrial: That Friday Feeling
Anthony Stavropoulos has been working six days a week for the last eight years and now he wants his weekends back. �Remember that Friday feeling?� he asks. �You just don�t get that anymore.�

Bad Boss: Begging to Work
They may put themselves about as the Saints of the Fourth Estate, but bosses at the Big Issue Magazine have been nominated by their own vendors for this month�s Tony award.

Organising: Project Pilbara
Sydney University�s Bradon Ellem reports on how unions are bouncing back in Rio territory

Unions: Off the Rails
The Federal Government is attempting to turn NSW Railways into a political football with a proposal that threatens the safety of freight and passenger trains in NSW and life in our rail Towns, writes Phil Doyle.

International: Brazil Turns Left
Union stalwarts throughout the American hemisphere are cheering the election of Lula � the peanut seller and shoeshine boy, turned union leader - who has been elected as the first working-class President of Brazil.

Environment: Brown Wash
Stuart Rosewarn argues the Johannesburg Sunmmit was a gripping showcase of Australia�s lack of a strategic vision.

History Special: Learning from the Past
Ray Markey looks at union membership growth in the 1880s & 1900s to argue that today�s unions must engage to grow.

Corporate: Will the Bullying Backfire?
Job insecurity, unemployment, a growing gap between rich and poor, massive global poverty and environmental danger are the big issues for the protests at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Sydney.

Technology: Danger Lurks For The Passive
If unions fail to exploit opportunities on the web to gain members, other organisations are likely to fill the void and provide services to workers on the internet.

History: In Labour�s Image
Neale Towart looks at a long-overdue initiative to around NSW through the eyes of the workers.

Politics: Without Power Or Glory
South Coast contributor Rowan Cahill gives his take on the Cunningham by-election result.

History Special: A 'Cosy Relationship'
Barbara Webster looks at Rockhampton between 1916 � 1957 to debunk the �dependence� theory of trade union growth.

Culture: Blood Stains the Wattle
Former Queensland Treasurer Keith De Lacey has turned up in print with a rollicking tale of life during the famous Mt Isa strike of the 60s.

Satire: Iraq Pre-empts Pre-emptive Strike
Saddam Hussein has launched a pre-emptive strike on the United States to prevent it from pre-emptively striking Iraq first.

Poetry: The Executive Pay Cut
Executives accepting pay freezes, or even pay cuts? This outrageous proposal has been put on the table by some capitalists themselves, and taken up by our bard.

Review: Time Out
When a family man invents a new life after losing his steady job, Tara de Boehmler watches his charade escalate until there is no turning back.

N E W S

 Worker Rights Battle Goes Local

 Scourers Face Q-Fever Risk

 Suncorp Feels Heat Over Candid Camera

 Living Wage Claim Not Enough?

 African Chefs Claim Visa Abuse

 Bushfire Volunteers Pay Heavy Price

 Win in Battle For Tea Break Rights

 Reith Adviser Plots New Era of Lawlessness

 Kinko�s Workers Win Copybook Campaign

 Sparks Fly as Build A Life Rolls On

 Rail Towns Fight For Jobs

 Win For Aboriginal Health Workers

 Safety Crisis in Detention Centres

 Miners Take Up Westfund Cudgels

 Wine Workers Go the Full Bottle

 Performers Close to National Deal

 Blair Caught in Industrial Fire Storm

 Nurses Call Public Into The Pink On Aged Care

 Environmental Research Washed Away

 P&O�s Shame as Inspector Banned

 WTO Must Incorporate Labor Rights

 STOP PRESS: Esso Is To Blame

 Activist Notebook

C O L U M N S

Month In Review
War and Pieces of Work
The Bali Tragedy dominated the news this month, leaving many questioning the motive and wondering if this is fallout from Australia�s unquestioning support of George Dubya�s �War On Terror�.

The Soapbox
Beware of Greeks Bearing Historical Allusions
Roland Stephens argues that the current popular line that the USA is a modern day version of the Roman Empire is flawed.

The Locker Room
Over The Fence Is Out
Phil Doyle warms up for another season of hard hitting and fast bowling in the park, making the rules up as he goes along.

Indigenous
The Sea of Hands
Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation are five years old. Spokeswoman Dameeli Coates addressed labor Council to mark the event.

Postcard
Tokyo Youth Call
Tokyo unions are relying on young organisers to infiltrate workplaces as part of a major organising campaign, which focuses on non-unionised companies, reports Mary Yaager.

Bosswatch
Still Crazy After All These Years
With new research suggests CEO carry similar personality traits to psycho-paths, the AGM season is proving that there�s little room for logic in our nation�s board rooms.

L E T T E R S
 Costello's Mad Plan
 Bravo Costa!
 Deck Chairs on the Titanic
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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News

Worker Rights Battle Goes Local


Local government has emerged as the new battleground for workers rights, with unions asking councils to sign up to a landmark ethical labour code.

Holroyd City Council has become the first local government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the NSW Labor Council guaranteeing ethical practices by their contractors.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding, Holroyd Council will insist that contractors they engage recognise employees have a right to join and be active members of a trade union.

The MOU also commits contractors to comply with other employment-related obligations including superannuation, payroll tax and workers comp

Councils signing the MOU agree to supply the NSW Labour Council with a list of upcoming tenders and to survey contractors on a range of industrial relations issues

Where contractors breach MOU standards, Councils agree to take actions, which can include cancellation of the contract.

The MOU would have an immediate impact on council contracts for cleaning, security, road maintenance, water services and clothing supply.

True Labor Councils

Labor Council secretary John Robertson says the Memorandum of Understanding will become a centrepiece of a new campaign to ensure that local government - and ALP-controlled councils in particular - support union values.

"We want Labor councils to reflect true Labor values," Robertson says. "We have seen an explosion of contracting in the past decade, often at the expense of workers' conditions.

"It's bad for workers, it's bad for legitimate business who can't compete and its bad for ratepayers as these contractors are invariably as cavalier in their work as they are in their employment practices

"This is a way to monitor the contractors and, where they don't pass basic tests, hold them to account."

The Labor Council is currently pursuing the MOU with other councils including Strathfield, Parramatta and South Sydney. Sydney Lord Mayor Frank Sartor has also been invited to endorse the Memorandum.

Challenge for All Councils

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding, Holroyd Mayor Mal Tulloch said that the agreement set the bar for all other councils controlled by Labor.

Tulloch, who is also an organiser with the CFMEU, said Holroyd had already been working on ensuring contractors complied with their legal obligations when approached by the Labor Council.

"We had recognised that any savings from some contractors could be undermined if the providers ignored OHS, workers compensation and other obligations," Tulloch said. "Local Government must be compelled not to do business with these people."


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