***********
Here was a turnout of unprecedented proportions; a wonderful, spirited `display of principle by Australians of all ages, backgrounds and religions. Seeing their leaders letting them down so abjectly, the people took on a leadership, joining a global wave of defiance that has recast the Iraqi issue. There is a clear message, that goes beyond a debate over the mechanism for US aggression. People are calling on the United Nations to prevent war; and if it fails to do this, the UN will itself face a serious crisis.
Howard's response to the million Australians who took to the streets was to churlishly accuse them of playing into Saddam Hussein's hands. With the willing support of the Murdoch press, the propaganda lever was switched to overdrive and anything short of unwavering support for the immediate destruction of Bagdad was akin to treason. If the general public needed any vindication for making their stand against the US war machine, this was it.
For a man who spent the first year of his Prime Minister-ship staunchly supporting the right of Hanson-ites to espouse their anti-Asian prejudice on the grounds of freed speech, Howard's response represented a significant shift in attitude. Back then, of course, there was political mileage to be made by acquiescing to the masses, even if it meant trashing Paul Keating's vision of an engaged Australia at immense cost to the national interest. Now the boots on the other foot, 'mainstream' Australia has become the 'mob' and it is Howard who is swimming against a tide of goodwill, not surfing the wave of prejudice.
His comments reflect he is beginning to feel the heat. So to was the extraordinary visit Australian Federal Police paid to The Chaser's offices after it published Howard's home phone number on its front page under the banner "Howard Ignores The People - So call Him At Home on 9922 6189". It's like the guy is looking to become a security target personally, and wants to take the whole nation with him. Or could it just be polling gone mad? Australians turn the Tories in times of national crisis. Create a national crisis and you create the demand for the Tory. And then you never need to retire, whether you're 64, 74 or 84.
Howard has never been loved by the Australian populous and for good reason. Many of us still believe he has won and maintained power on false pretences. He won his first election by withholding any policies, his second by breaking his GST promise; the third by evilly exploiting the plight of desperate asylum seekers. But the images from Sunday's Sydney rally will perhaps be the most enduring: John Howard as puppy with his nose up George Dubya's bum; John Howard as puppet led by the same Bush; the single banner that summed up the national mood: 'John Hunt is a Coward.'
John Howard has sold out Australia's national interest and enlisted us in George W Bush 'Coalition of Evil' without asking us along for the ride. What he's been promised in return is anyone's guess. But if there is a patriotism contest between the mass of protestors and Howard and his buddies in the conservative press, the balance must fall for those who took to the streets last weekend.
The Attorney General�s office has knocked back bills from the three-person legal team that represented around 40 individuals before the Commission, after the union�s NSW branch was denied representation.
The news comes seven days after Senate Estimates revealed that Commission lawyers had carved up $21 million from the public purse.
The Cole Commission doled out million-dollar payments to at least two individuals who led the anti-union crusade. The hauls of John Agius, QC, ($1.489 million); Lionel Robberds, QC, ($1.25 million) and Nicholas Green, QC, (944,000), topped a list of a dozen Commission legal reps who each got more than $500,000 for their efforts.
At the same time, the Federal Attorney General's office is baulking at legal aid accounts, understood to total around $200,000, for lawyers who represented union officials, employees and members.
It is, apparently, prepared to pay only one, rather than three lawyers, for the duration of the second Sydney hearings. It will meet that lawyer's costs at legal aid rates, for eight hours each sitting day, although lawyers often worked double that time.
On some occassions, hearings themselves began at 9am and went through until 8pm. At no stage of the Sydney hearings did the Commission have fewer than 11 legal representatives ranged against the three-person union team.
Senior Counsel representing the Commission pulled down $3800 a day, plus thousands of dollars in expenses. The legal aid rate for solicitors, by comparison, is about $1100 a day.
Taylor and Scott senior partner, David Coleman, accused the Federal Government of "blatant double standards".
"The way it stands all the union representatives will be left out of pocket," he said.
"Senior Counsel Steve Crawshaw is owed a great deal of money, even at much lower rates than Commission Counsel received. Ian Latham is owed money and this company is owed money.
"They have told us they will only meet Counsel's fees for half the Sydney hearings. The solicitor was expected to carry the rest of the workload by himself.
"They paid our first bill but all the rest have been queried.
"Bearing in mind the inequality in representation, this is just ridiculous."
Meanwhile, the Task Force set up as a result of Cole's First Report and headed by Federal policeman Nigel Hadgkiss, has shown its true colours, bringing prosecutions against CFMEU officials in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Task Force has laid two counts against Sydney-based organiser, Joe Brsic, over a stoppage at Sutherland Hospital. The case has already been before the IRC where workers health and safety arguments were vindicated.
Melbourne official, John Setka, is being pursued over his role in the Victorian branch's stand-off with Grocon, also resolved after IRC involvement.
Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Abbott, involved himself in the Melbourne wrangle, backing company moves to register a non-union agreement and resist family-friendly provisions signed off on by all other major construction employers in the state.
Under the plan, the definition of ordinary hours would be extended to 6am to 10pm Monday to Sunday, while the loading for hours outside this time would be significantly reduced.
Currently clerical workers receive penalty rates if they work outside 6am-6pm weekdays and 6am-midday on Sundays.
Employers First have launched the bid to vary the NSW Clerical and Administrative Employees (State) Award, one of the cornerstones of the NSW industrial system
They are also attempting to reduce the quantum of penalty on Saturdays from time and one half to time and one quarter and on Sundays from time and three quarters to time and a half.
And they want to decrease late-night shift loadings from up to 26 per cent to a flat 15 per cent.
Australian Services Union state secretary Michael Want says that if successful, Employers First will attempt to flow the changes on to other awards.
NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson has condemned the employer bid as an assault on working families.
"The Labor Council will argue strongly that workers forced to work late nights or weekends should have the benefit of higher rates of pay to compensate for the impact on their family lives.
The policy, revealed in a paper released by the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry, means rogue employers can help themselves to up to $10,000 worth of workers money without fear of departmental prosecution.
CFMEU national secretary John Sutton is calling for a Senate Inquiry into the department's failure to uphold the law.
"Ten thousand dollars may not seem like a lot to Tony Abbott and his departmental heads, but it is a lot of money for workers and their families," Sutton said.
Sutton said even the Royal Commission had conceded that the policy meant the department would not follow through on the majority of workplace rip-offs.
The policy covers the Federal Department and all states and territories to which the Federal Government has contracted out its enforcement role. It comes at a time when Abbott is pushing for a single workplace relations system across the country.
The Commission further highlighted the lack of Commonwealth interest in defending workers rights, pointing out that the Federal Department had prosecuted only two people for breaches of federal awards or agreements across all industries since 1996, while the NSW Department of Industrial Relations had proscecuted 866 breaches of workplace laws during 2001 and 2002 alone.
"At a time when the federal Minister is putting up legislation for tougher penalties against unions for breaching the Workplace relations Act, his own department has a policy of not enforcing existing law when employers are in breach," Sutton said.
As Sutton was speaking, 60 CFMEU picketers took matters into their own hands and were successful in extracting nearly $90,000 in owed wages, super and entitlements from contractor Adco.
Thirty workers employed on demolition work at Westmead Hospital hadn't been paid for nearly three weeks. Their employer, Acorp Demolition, said it didn't have the money, because although the job had been finished, it hadn't been paid by Adco.
Picket numbers were boosted by other building workers, and several demolition companies pitched in with material support, before Adco came to the party.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Marine Safety Investigation report, blamed chronic fatigue and systems failure for an accident that left a Ukranian seaman in hospital with a fractured pelvis, broken vertebra and ribs, a dislocated hip and groin damage, after being trapped in moving equipment, off Melbourne, on February 18.
The accident report described the workload of the mate and deck mechanic on the Bahamas-flagged ship as "excessive", saying records revealed the mate had done 17 and 18 hour days while the vessel was in port and had been on duty for 80 hours over the five days preceding the accident.
Software developed in conjunction with the Centre for Sleep Research at the University of South Australia suggested the mate's "fatigue rating" was equal to that of someone with blood alcohol levels above 0.05 percent.
The report, released this week, found a "significant failure of the safety management system" on a vessel that has been at the centre of a high-profile dispute between maritime unions, the federal government and CSL.
In a rebuff to Flag of Convenience shipping, it contrasted those conditions with the vessel's safety system and record while it was Australian flagged and crewed.
"Put simply, when things went haywire, the crew might as well have been drunk," MUA national secretary, Paddy Crumlin, said. "Fundamental safe work practices, like shutting down equipment and locking controls before sending in a worker to weld, were ignored.
"Even more outrageous is that, after the accident, the Government failed to cancel the vessel's permit to trade on our coast in contravention of its own guidelines."
CSL provoked a storm of protest when it reflagged the former Australian National Line vessel in 2000 then replaced its crew with lower-paid Ukranians.
The Pacific works the Australian coast, outside the reach of Australian labour and commercial regulations, under a special permit issued by Transport Minister John Anderson.
The ship was diverted to Portland, last month, after workmates heard the injured crewman screaming in pain and freed him from mechanical equipment.
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions secretary-general Guy Ryder told Workers Online the Australian Government had failed to nominate for any positions or committees at the ILO for the past four years.
The ILO has representatives from government, employers and unions, with positions tenured for three years.
Representatives play a leading role in developing ILO Conventions to define core global labour standards, developing programs to maximise employment opportunities and dealing with social and health issues in the workplace.
Ryder says while Australia remains a member nations of the ILO, it seems to be down-grading itself as a multilateral player.
"The Australian has absented itself from the ILO's governing body when in a very deliberate step it chose not to present its candidacy - it wanted to take a back seat in the running of the organization," Ryder.
"It's a sad sign of the Australian Government's regard for the international system and its willingness to be a player in the international system - and it clearly does not want its domestic labour policies to be subject to the guidance of the international community.
"Australia's absence from the ILO's governing body is bad for Australia and it's bad for the ILO", Ryder says.
While the Howard Government has never stated its reasons for withdrawing from the forum, the move followed findings from the ILO that sections of the Workplace Relations Act breached ILO Conventions.
The nationwide survey of 1,032 workers conducted by ACIRRT found women more receptive to unions than men, 20 per cent of whom believed Australia would be better off if there was no organised labour.
Labor Council secretary John Robertson says the findings confirm that unions have successfully softened their image form the days when they were synonymous with blue-collar blokes.
"Today's unions have strong-holds in female-dominated areas like nursing, teaching and child care where working women can see first-hand the benefits of membership," Robertson says.
"Women are also more likely to be working in casual and part-time jobs, areas where unions are working hard to create decent protections."
The Labor Council research, the fifth in a series of studies since 1996, shows a continuing improvement in attitudes to trade unions since the Howard Government came to power:
- 17 per cent of workers agreed 'Australia would be better off without unions' compared with 25 per cent in 1996.
- Only 29 per cent agreed that 'unions in Australia don't look after their members', compared with 43 per cent in 1996.
- 50 per cent of respondents said they would rather be in a union, if free to choose (compared with 48 per cent in 1996)
- while attitudes to management power were stable
Robertson says the study is a useful gauge for testing the progress unions were making in rebuilding its base after big drops in membership numbers during the Accord period.
"We have now experienced growth for two consecutive years and these figures confirm that public attitudes towards unions are turning around," he says.
World's Women March for Mat Leave
Meanwhile, 300 women delegates from the ICFTU World Women's Conference (Melbourne, 18-21 February) demonstrated in favour of a government-legislated paid maternity leave scheme for all Australian working women in Melbourne today.
A crowd holding up banners showing 120 countries where workers already enjoy universal paid maternity leave protection heard speakers from around the world argue that Australia is lagging behind the international community in its treatment of women workers.
Kaye Carberry, Assistant General Secretary of the UK's Trades Union Congress told delegates that the UK is soon to move to six months paid leave, and two weeks paid paternity leave.
Daysi Montero D'Oleo from the Dominican Republic and Chair of the Women's Committee of ICFTU's ORIT (regional organization for the Americas) told how her own country enjoyed 12 weeks guaranteed paid maternity leave for all working women.
Tandiwe Munyani, Chair of the ICFTU's Youth Committee, told the crowd that many African nations were ahead of Australia in maternity protection rights, including her own country of Zimbabwe with 12 weeks guaranteed paid maternity leave.
Australia is the only developed nation apart from the USA without a universal paid maternity leave system. Two-thirds of Australian working women have no paid maternity leave rights.
In the United States, two-thirds of the nearly 50 million working women are mothers of young children, but not one woman in the United States is entitled to paid maternity leave under federal law said AFL-CIO Vice President (USA), Linda Chavez-Thompson
We will continue to struggle until every sister in every country in the world has got the right to work, the right to decent work, the right to maternity protection and the right to paid maternity leave, concluded Helen Creed, Chair of the ICFTU Women's Committee and Chair of the world women's conference entitled "Unions for Women, Women for Unions".
Speeches at Paid Maternity Leave Rally: http://www.icftu.org/
More than half of those surveyed say the pressure of work at News Ltd caused them trouble sleeping and many reported regular headaches, according to a safety survey conducted by the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
This information was collected by a voluntary national survey at News Ltd metropolitan newspapers, conducted by MEAA in October and November 2002, with more than 250 responses from across the country.
Such symptoms are likely to be the precursor to more serious health problems later in life. Interestingly, no-one from the Canberra bureau said their health was damaged by their workload.
"News Ltd appears to have failed to create a positive work environment, with more than a third admitting to chronic irritability," MEAA na5tional secretary Chris Warren says.
"While you might want to chuck a sickie to have a break, there's problems there too, with half the respondents reporting pressure to battle on through an illness."
The pressure comes mostly from management (55%), but 23% reported pressure from colleagues (who have to pick up the extra work) and 22% said they felt obliged to come in themselves, presumably due to their professionalism and unwillingness to leave colleagues shorthanded.
57% said they'd had to work on a rostered day off, an average of 3.7 times since 1 January 2002. Virtually no-one got paid double time, instead receiving a day off in lieu.
While rosters appear to be posted in time, 47% said they change sometimes or all the time. This difficulty in organising a normal family life is worsened for the quarter of all respondents who said they can't take holidays when they want them. Even after holidays are scheduled, 22% said they've been cancelled or rescheduled.
Around half the workforce appears to take work home sometimes or all the time. Canberra reported the lowest 'take home' rate, possibly explained by the fact that 90% said they work an average of 8 hours more than 38 hours a week.
Nationally, 72% said the same, working an average of 7.6 hours per week over 38 hours. That's an extra day's work from three quarters of the workforce. News Ltd gets their pound of flesh and it's getting worse according to the 49% who said their workload increased in 2002.
Ed's Note This story will not be picked up by the Daily Telegraph.
Rudd, veteran peace activist Audry McDonald and Labor Council secretary John Robertson will be joined on the speakers list by five rank and file delegates on the speakers list.
The February 26 Trades Hall seminar begins at 6.30. It will consider how workers can best contribute to the momentum developed by half a million Australians who marched for peace last weekend.
Attention is being focused on another major mobilisation on March 14, which has been designated Workers for Peace Day.
Already, some Sydney workers have declared their workplaces peace sites, while votes to stop work in the event of war are expected to be on some sites this week.
Labor Council's Amanda Tattersall said there was recognition in the peace movement that unions, as the largest mass organisations in the country, would have a vital role in the campaign.
The dominant player in the Australian airlines market will fast-forward rookies from labour hire outfit Maurice Alexander Management onto international flights this Tuesday to cover for striking FAAA members. It is also relocating non-union, labour hire staff from its Bangkok base.
The move came after the company, which rewarded chief executive Geoff Dixon with a million dollar share bonus, refused to deliver on a promised "recognition" clause for increased cabin crew productivity.
The "recognition" deal struck in the last negotiations obliged Qantas to reward workers for their agreement to cut crew numbers. Industry observers suggest it has contributed $40 million towards this year's profit.
"It is agreed that this contribution will be recognised in the negotiation of EBA 6," the document signed by Qantas and the union reads.
FAAA International Division secretary, Johanna Brem, said that when the parties met to negotiate EBA 6 there was no recognition forthcoming.
"We now learn, apparently, that recognition for saving them $40 million doesn't mean money," Brem said.
"Our members accepted a wage freeze, then raised productivity. We have asked management to recognise our role in the company's performance and they have refused."
Australian-based flight attendants will stop work from midnight Monday, until 2pm Tuesday, affecting 30 international flights. Their union has written to the Civil Aviation Transport Authority (CASA) asking it to investigate the propriety rushing newcomers, to be trained this weekend, into key safety roles on international flights.
The Australian Workers Union has called for a review of federal government funding arrangements after Electrolux contracted out sub-assembly work to Wangarang Industries.
The Orange-based sheltered workshop won the tender over Electrolux's existing workforce, who could not match the labour costs.
The company told the AWU that if the contract wasn't given to Wangarang the jobs would have gone to China.
With 1200 workers, Electrolux provides 35 per cent of Orange's income, but is currently looking at outsourcing up to 300 jobs.
AWU state president Mick Maddern, who addressed a mass meeting of Electrolux workers this week, says that sheltered workshops were never designed to take away jobs from workers on award wages.
"I'm very supportive of the concept of sheltered workshops, but when they are bidding against workers on award wages, there is no way we can compete for cost," Maddern says.
"Decisions like this one only undermine community goodwill for institutions that are trying to assist those most vulnerable in our community."
Some 132 recommendations were made at the summit, with unions, employers and safety experts setting industry safety targets for each major employment sector.
At the launch last week of its industrial relations policy, the NSW Government also touted a number of workplace safety achievements already made, including setting up a Workplace Fatalities Investigation Unit with specialist criminal law experts to examine workplace deaths and contribute to police investigations.
It says there has also been a reduction in disputes about payments of benefits. Some 75% of injured of injured workers are now paid benefits within seven days of notifying an injury - up from 53% previously.
Other initiatives included in Labor's Industrial Relations policy include:
� Expanding the YouthSafe project into TAFE colleges and primary schools;
� Establishing a new Safer Towns and Cities Program. The program will bring together local employers, community leaders, unions and government agencies to showcase practical workplace and community safety initiatives in regional centres;
� Developing occupational health and safety guidelines to apply to all call centres across NSW, aimed at protecting workers in the emerging industry; and
� Pressing the Commonwealth to ratify outstanding International Labor Organisation Conventions on occupational health and safety, asbestos, chemicals, air pollution, noise, and child labour.
Labor's industrial relations policy also has a range of initiatives to boost the WorkCover scheme, including:
� Requiring insurers to more actively support injured workers back to good health, aiming for a 10% improvement in return to work rates by 2004/05;
� Providing tailored assistance to unemployed injured workers by using employment agencies that specialize in placing people with disabilities and long term unemployed people back in the workforce; and
� Making better use of health professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, and general practitioners when developing return to work duties.
National Tertiary Education Union President Dr Carolyn Allport says that forcing academics to sign Australian Workplace Agreements in return for research funding makes a complete mockery of the idea of research grants being based on academic merit.
The Union's warning is in response to a report in Tuesday's Sydney Morning Herald that says as part of its higher education reform package, expected to be released in the next few months, the Government is planning to force academic staff to sign an Australian Workplace Agreement in return for government research funding.
"Linking research to individual contracts would be nothing but an underhand and tricky means of lowering the working conditions of Australian university staff," said Dr Allport. "Australian Workplace Agreements provide inferior conditions of employment for academic staff, precisely the reason why previous attempts by the government to introduce them in universities have failed".
"If it is true that this reform is on the table, not only will it create great confusion but it will increase the movement of researchers offshore, directly contradicting the Federal Government's stated aim of trying to attract back Australian researchers who are working overseas," said Dr Allport.
The Sydney Morning Herald also claims the Government is preparing to amend laws to make it a breach of the national interest for academic staff at the nation's 38 public universities to go on strike, by making universities suppliers of essential services under the Workplace Relations Act.
"Amending laws to make it a breach of the national interest for academic staff to strike would be an undemocratic and completely over the top response from the Government that will get little support from staff or students at Australian universities," said Dr Allport.
"If the Federal Government is planning to introduce these measures as part of its higher education reform package, due to be released in the next few months, it will be a recipe for disorder and confrontation in the higher education sector."
"The Government will put the NTEU in a position where it will have no choice but to exercise all the legal and industrial avenues available to it to fight the introduction of these measures."
Thirty five angry truck drivers, loader drivers and mechanics walked out after Hymix Concrete insisted that a loader driver add Saturdays to a week that already averaged 55 hours.
The 35 TWU members picketed the company's four concrete plants, sand plant, quarry and workshop, after the company turned down their offer to re-work rosters its weekend requirements were met.
The 49-year-old at the centre of the dispute was reinstated after a "strong" IRC recommendation that he should be allowed to return to his job at Hymix's Belmonth North sand mine.
The ACTU highlighted the case as part of its "reasonable hours" campaign, designed to win legislative endorsement backing for more family-friendly work arrangements.
TWU organiser, Mark Crossdale, said the man, who was trying to get his family life back in order after a recent separation, had drawn the line at adding Saturdays to his roster.
"This guy just said enough. It's not as though work wasn't a priority. He was doing 11-hours a day while trying to stay a father to his children but he wasn't prepared to sacrifice everything," Crossdale said.
"He was prepared to make a stand and the other blokes didn't hesitate to back him up. Some of them were casuals and the permanents voted to support them if there were any repercussions. They deserve to be congratulated."
GrainCorp's Enterprise Bargaining Agreement with the Australian Workers' Union is currently up for re-negotiation. GrainCorp thought they might try to tip the scales in their favour by cutting off payroll deduction of union dues.
The architect of GrainCorp's de-unionisation strategy is Chief Operating Officer Joe Di Leo, also a well-known identity within the Australian Labor Party.
As a good chardonnay-socialist Joe is often seen at ALP fundraising events, and likes to boast to union officials about his "personal friendships" with senior ALP Ministers.
With the worst drought in living memory reeking havoc across the state with grain growers going bust every where, farmers will be pleased to learn that GrainCorp's Senior Executives are still enjoying the highlife.
Last year the champion of this working class pulled in a cool $357,463.00 - not to mention 100,000 share options.
The AWU is now launching a campaign to make sure that members of the Australian Labor Party abide by the Rules and Objectives of the ALP and call for Joe to be expelled from the ALP.
ALP Rules state "An employer can only join, or remain in the Party, if he/she makes genuine endeavors to ensure all their employees join a union and union/award/agreement conditions are observed."
To all the Anti-War marchers who took to the streets last weekend
On Sunday we all made history by combining to create the biggest anti-war march ever seen in Sydney and contribute to the largest series of protests ever staged across the world.
The strength of this movement lies in the diversity, creativity, passion and imagination of its participants. The placards, tshirts, costumes, and of course the sheer number of people who turned up reflect a vibrant turn to democracy in the face of war mongering from our country's leaders.
Thanks to everyone who showed patience and understanding when the march was more of a crawl, and also was re-routed. Yet it was the kind of problem we love to have; hyde park just WAS NOT BIG ENOUGH for all the people who wanted to march for peace. Ideas for next time include simulcasting our speeches on community radio so everyone can hear the speeches on portable radios even if they are far away. We also will be booking the Domain or similarly large venues for future marches.
We must all remember that this demonstration is a means to an ends and we have more work to do. We must continue to build a movement to stop this war. We must challenge the government whose recalcitrance and arrogance must be defeated.
We MUST keep the pressure up if we are to stop this war. This means that next time a march is called, not only do you need to come, you need to bring that friend, or neighbour or relative or workmate who didn't come along this time. You should get involved in the peace movement on an ongoing basis - join a local peace group, go to local peace events. Lets build a community for peace against our government's single minded pursuit of war.
So thanks again, and take this moment to congratulate yourself and your city for showing that the people of Sydney will not tolerate war and we are willing stand together, with millions around the world to send this message. Please send this message to everyone you know who participated yesterday.
From the Walk against War Coalition
Here is the weekly anti-war diary. It will be sent twice this week as the list keeps expending (advance apologies for repetition).
(to add events to this diary email [email protected])
THIS WEEK:
Walk against the War Coalition Events:
THINGS YOU CAN DO FROM HOME:
Call Parliament House on (02) 6277 7111 and to lodge an official complaint about the PM.
Email the PM and let him know that he is wrong to ignore the protests on Sunday: [email protected] .
EMERGENCY ACTIONS IF WAR BREAKS OUT
(a) rally that day at 5pm at Sydney Town Hall
(b) rally on the Saturday of that week at 12:30pm at Sydney Town Hall
UNION BRIEFING ON WAR AND PEACE
6 for 6:30pm Trades Hall Auditorium
Chair: John Robertson, Secretary Labor Council, Kevin Rudd, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Audry McDonald, Former Union Organiser, Vice-President Australian Peace Cttee
The meeting will also be addressed by 3 workplace delegates who will discuss how they have campaigned on peace at work. All delegates, union activists welcome.
Local Events
>>>>>Friday 28 February: Auburn
No War No Racism. Auburn Community Rally and March
6pm Fri Feb 28, Rawson St Park, Auburn (next to Auburn train station)
Speakers will represent Iraqi Women's Committee, Western Sydney Peace Group, Turkish Community, Greens, Socialist Alliance and others.
There will also be discussion and promotion of setting up a new local No War group in Auburn. For details please ring Roberto Jorquera 9687 5134 or 0428 190276
>>>>>>Sunday 2nd March: Bankstown
Bankstown Peace Picnic. 1pm Bankstown Gardens (Memorial Park), Restwell St, Bankstown. Speakers TBC. Ph Sam 0412 751 508 or 9793 2188.
>>>>>Monday 3rd March
Forum on Religion: How to be Happy on Planet Earth.
7.00pm Monday 3rd March 2003 Petersham Town Hall, Crystal St. Petersham
Contact Robert McCusker [email protected].
>>REGIONAL EVENTS<<
>>>> Northern
22nd Feb: Grafton Peace Picnic
Contact group for the Grafton Peace Picnic is Clarence Environment Centre (ph 02 6643 1863). It will be held on Sat 22 Feb, starting at 11:30, at See Park (cnr Turf and Bacon Sts).
>>LOCAL GROUPS<<
BANKSTOWN PEACE GROUP
Meeting: Bankstown Peace Picnic
Sunday March 2, 1pm Bakstown Gardens (Memorial Park), Restwell St, Bankstown. Contact: Sam 0412 751 508 or 9793 2188.
CENTRAL COAST PEOPLE FOR PEACE
CONTACT: Elaine 43822164 or email [email protected]
DARLINGTON/REFERN PEACE GROUP
CONTACT Sally Quiler on 9699 3936.
EASTERN SUBURBS FOR PEACE NOT WAR
MEETING: Tuesday 18 February: 7pm at Bondi Pavilion.
CONTACT: Tim 9388 0754 or email [email protected]
HUNTER PEACE FORUM (Newcastle)
Contact Gary Kennedy, Secretary Trades Hall on [email protected].
LEICHHARDT STOP THE WAR
CONTACT: Hannah 0418 668 098, Paul 0410 629 088 or Dennis 0418 290 663.
MANLY FOR PEACE
CONTACT: Manly Catholic Social Justice Group Rosemary Ashton on [email protected]
MARRICKVILLE PEACE GROUP
CONTACT: Kylie on 95570115, John on 95587051 or Minh on 0403181586 or [email protected].
MAROUBRA PEACE GROUP
MEETING: Thursday February 27th at 6 pm (venue tba) CONTACT: Paddy Manning on 0414 650 500 or [email protected] .
NORTHSIDE NO WAR
MEETING: Wednesday 26th, 7.30pm Dougherty Centre (7 Victor St, Chatswood).
CONTACT: David on [email protected] or Anne on 0404 090 710.
PENNANT HILLS PEACE GROUP
MEETING: Pennant Hills Community Hall for Thursday Feb 27, 7:30-8:30pm.
CONTACT: Martha on 9484 2422 or email [email protected].
PITTWATER FOR PEACE
MEETING: Tues 25th. Meeting 7.30-9pm. Avalon Baptist Peace Memorial Church. 2 George St Avalong. Contact: [email protected]
.
WARRINGAH NO WAR
MEETING: Tues 18th. Meeting 7-9pm. St David's Uniting Church, David St, Dee Why. Speakers and further actions.
CONTACT: [email protected].
WESTERN SYDNEY PEACE GROUP (meets Rooty Hill)
MEETING: Monday Feb 24 @ 7pm at Rooty Hill Uniting Church, 86 Rooty Hilll Rod North
CONTACT: Tim Vollmer on 0401 769 880, [email protected] or for regular event updates email westpeace- [email protected]
************
A Sporting Gesture
Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney branch presents a special night to support two members - Dave Byron and Ross McKeon - who lost loved ones in the Bali Tragedy.
Details: South Sydney Juniors - Games Room, 558A Anzac Parade, Kingsford
Friday, February 28th, 6.30pm
Dress: Smart Casual
Cost: $40 per head, $400 per table of ten; ninclude three course dinner and entertainment
Retired members: $30
Special guests include: Tony Butterfield - president. Rugby League Players Association
Bookings essential.
Contact Emma or Jaime at MUS Sydney Branch on (02) 9264 5024.
**********************
Struggles, Scabs and Schooners
(A labour history tour with a pint).
When: Saturday 8 March, 2.45pm
Where: Starts at Trades Hall Inn, Trades Hall, Goulburn Street.
Join the tour that takes you through five pubs in Sydney's city and Inner West. Fill your head and heart with some of the great victories and (sadly) some of the defeats of the organised working class, while also filling yourself with a quiet ale or two in some places that have seen more than their share of struggles..
Cost: $30. This covers the cost of the bus and we expect, some food along the way. Depending on the price of the food, the cost may vary up or down marginally. We'll let you know of any change.
RSVP:
If you're interested in coming, call Michael Clifford on 07 - 3845 6900 ([email protected] ) or Chris Gambian on 02 - 9320 0014 ([email protected] ) by 28 February 2003.
This is another FSU politically enlightened event. Speakers include Jack Mundy, Lucy Taksa, Bradon Ellem
There may have been up to 1 million Australians on the streets nationwide between 14-16 Feb and 10 million worldwide but we in the labour movement should take our lead from the WA unions in committing to industrial action against the war. Union industrial action played an important part in stopping the Vietnam war we should not shirk from taking a strong stand this time around too regardless of the UN Security Council position.
On 4 February the West Australian union movement set a challenge for other sections of the Australian labour movement. Nine unions covering 75,000 workers in construction, manufacturing, finance and the public sector resolved to carry out protest strikes and demonstrations when the US led invasion of Iraq begins.
This follows the WA union movement opposition to the State Labor Government's collaboration with the US military on the use of port facilities in "Operation Seaswop". The WA Attorney-General, Jim McGinty, and the Upper House MP, Tony McCrae, publicly opposed the Premier, Geoff Gallop on this issue.
According to a report in the Hobart Mercury, 5 February, 2003:
Unions WA Secretary, Dave Robinson, said, "affiliates unanimously voted yesterday to adopt a strong anti-war position. If war against Iraq commences, with or without UN support, affiliates are recommending that we should work together with other community groups to organise mass protest action against the war", Mr. Robinson said. "We need to send a message that most Australians, while strongly opposed to the repressive regime in Iraq, do not believe that war provides any solution. If war does occur though, let there be no mistake - unions and community groups will be united in promoting widespread action in opposition to it."
There is scant reference to this important development in the national mass media.
By Thursday 6 February, the story had turned up in its opposite form. The ABC reported that the Transport Workers Union in WA would refuse to strike:
"Union State Secretary, Jim McGiveron, stopped short of calling the planned campaign un-Australian. 'If our troops are ordered in by John Howard, we will do nothing whatsoever to affect their well being, their welfare', he said. 'We will be delivering whatever is necessary in support of our troops if they're ordered in'. Never mind the well being and welfare of innocent Iraqis following the insertion of a lethal Australian military presence in Iraq.
The ACTU, NSW Labor Council, the Victorian Trades Hall Council and the Queensland Council of Unions all have taken anti-war positions, but none so far have proposed industrial action to back up this stand. These peak union bodies and most of the Australian union movement have followed the feeble leadership of Federal Labor in looking for a UN Security Council resolution in favour of war as a way out. The majority of union leaderships have not proposed industrial action even if there is a unilateral invasion of Iraq. Socialists should take heart at the stand taken by Unions WA and work diligently within unions to advance a similar position, regardless of whether war is sanction by the UN or not.
Leon Parisis
Who gave authority for our troops to be sent to Iraq or any other country for that matter?
Clause 68. of the Constitution says; "The commander in chief of the naval and military forces of the Commonwealth is vested in the Governor-General as the Queen's representative".
I wrote to the G-G when our troops were sent to Afghanistan and his reply was" The title of Governor General is purely titular and he has no power to order troops anywhere".
This being the case, just who is sending our troops overseas and on what authority?
John Howard referred to "our constitutional arrangements" on the 7-30 Report when he used Bob Hawke as his example of executive authority from the first Gulf War.
Our constitution was written when Queen Victoria ruled and the Governor General was her representative.
When the constitution was developed we took a lot of the USA's constitutional arrangements on board.
In particular, the convention of the separation of powers, which is designed to prevent any of the three arms of government (namely, the Executive [prime minister and inner cabinet], the Parliament [The Queen, the Senate, and The House of Representatives], and The Judiciary [the High court]) having untrammelled power, one over the other.
Under our constitution the people are sovereign and so a decision of this magnitude must have the legal authority sourced from the people. This must be done to ensure that people sent to war on our behalf are given the protection of law relating to their actions and to their subsequent injury or disease cannot be weaselled by future governments as has been disgracefully done by successive governments to the Vietnam Veterans and their widows, since 1983 and our most recent fatality in Afghanistan.
We therefore need to make it absolutely clear where the legal authority to make this most serious decision has its roots.
The authority to make the decision to go to war has moved to the point where now, John Howard is behaving more like a president of a banana republic. He has, it seems, more personal authority than George Bush who must get his authority to proceed to war from Congress.
In other words, we find ourselves drifting into a constitutional limbo. A change to our constitution will be the only way to prevent us handing unlimited power to the Prime Minister of the day, when the office of the President of the USA has restraints placed on it.
It seems to me that we need to call an immediate referendum to amend our Constitution so that the people retain sovereignty by voting on the question of going to war. Or the Parliament decides in a sitting of both houses and the Governor General issues the mobilization order.
John Ward
10 Grosse Road
Dear editor
I am currently undertaking research on several objects for the Museum of the Riverina Wagga Wagga. Among those objects is a broom clamp, from the now Queen Broom Factory in Tumut NSW.
Read a great history article in 'Workers Online' entitled 'Work and
Community'(16 April 1999), written by Jeannie Gehue. I wondered if Jeannie realised that there is a broom factory still operating in Tumut. It is a family owned & operated business (The Tumut Broom Co.)
I would very much like to make contact with Jeannie Gehue, however, I
realise that issues surrounding 'privacy' would prohibit you from supplying Jeannie's email address to me.
Could you possibly bounce my email on to Jeannie?
I'm sure, that in light of her article on the Sydney broom factories, the Tumut Broom Co. would be of interest to her.
Annette Brown
Projects Officer
Museum of the Riverina
from the "Poetic Mouth from the South"
JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
The recession Mr John Howard has to have,
is just around the corner.
To show all the peasants,
its in their very own interests,
to blow Iraq across all borders.
It's not about oil or economic interests,
"the very thought i do deplore",
Whilst at the Commonwealth Bank,
just around the corner,
they paid out $33 million,
to Cuffe the man they most adored.
None of this is my sweet fault,
Said Mr Howard "I find I must implore",
But Qantas still paid out 15 hundred,
to the protesters thunder,
Just around the corner.
I'm not here to do anything,
to solve our local problems.
If you want someone to fix,
Unemployment,Homelessness,Education,
Health,Aged care,Youth or Indigenous problems,
I suggest for answers,
You look around the Corner.
Not so Jim Marr's book 'First, The Verdict - The Real Story of the Building Industry Royal Commission', which will be launched Monday by one of the CFMEU's most unlikely supporters. We can't reveal his identity yet, but it could be a story in itself.
Regular Workers Online readers will be familiar with Jim's coverage of the Cole Commission. While mainstream media outlets took the Commission's carefully constructed spin, Jim dug deeper.
And what he uncovered should concern anyone who cares about a fair go in contemporary Australian society:
- witnesses unwilling to criticise the CFMEU were not called to give evidence,
- Counsel Assisting the Commission made allegations of serious criminality that, after widespread media coverage, were shown to be unfounded
- and serious criminal behaviour by employers, including Commission witnesses, was largely ignored in public hearings .
In short, the Cole Royal Commission was a $60 million political witch-hunt that selected evidence on its capacity to embarrass the CFMEU.
What use the Howard Government makes of the final report will be interesting; the word around town is that bullets could be headed in unforeseen directions - but that's the history of Royal Commissions aimed at the union movement.
But what is already apparent is that Tony Abbott's fishing expedition for corruption and lawlessness within the construction industry has not caught any big fish.
Abbott's mantra of 'lawlessness' sounds alarming, but has mainly been focussed on his contention that industry wide bargaining breaches the Howard-Reith workplace relations laws.
His fetish for individual contracts hit a new high-point last week when he threatened to withdraw funding for research to universities that failed to force their academics onto AWAs. We've always argued that Abbott's IR was a dangerous experiment - but this is going too far!
So, on the one hand we have taxpayer dollars funding an attack on organised labour while, on the other, we have cash inducements to force workers off collective agreements
For a party that professes a laissez faire philosophy, this is a very hands on approach to government. But the Howard-Abbott crowd have never been liberal, they are Tory through and through, who see the State as a tool for maintaining the prevailing power imbalances.
As Marr's book vividly portrays, the Cole Commission was just the most heavy-handed example of this ethos.
Peter Lewis
Editor
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