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Re-considering The Accord
The twentieth anniversary of the Hawke Government’s election provides an opportunity to ponder the Accord’s historical conundrum: how at the moment of the union movement’s greatest influence did it suffer its greatest loss of members?
Poetry: If I Were a Rich Man
Through a distortion in the time-space continuum, we have found a recording showing how people a few years into the future will deal with health care.
Interview: League of Nations
ICFTU general secretary Guy Ryder on the war, core labour standards and why Australia is an international pariah.
Industrial: 20/20 Hindsight
A retrospective analysis of the Accord is needed to help develop future strategies. Is it worth trying again? And if so, what would need to be different?
Organising: On The Buses
A new rank and file leadership team is standing up for the harried bus driver in the run-up to the NSW State Election
Unions: National Focus
A gaze around the country reveals some inspiring and innovative organising initiatives, a fruitful connection with young workers in South Australia and some typically robust industrial campaigns reports Noel Hester.
History: The Banner Room
On the eve of it’s refurbishment, Jim Marr ventures into one of Trades Hall’s best kept secrets; the room that houses relics of labour’s halcyon days.
International: The Slaughter Continues
Chilling new statistics from Colombia's main trade union confederation CUT: nine trade unionists assassinated in the first two months of this year.
Legal: A Legal Case For War?
Aaron Magner looks at the legal implications of the crusade of the Coalition of the Willing
Culture: Singing For The People
When there’s a struggle for social justice, when a war is brewing or rights are being eroded, the first ones to pen, paper and protest are often the folkwriters.
Review: The Hours
On the eve of International Women’s Day Tara de Boehmler follows the tale of three women who would rather choose death than a life devoid of personal choice.
Poetry: I Wanna Bomb Saddam
Scarier than Star Wars, the latest weapon to be deployed in the battle for Iraq is the Singing Dubya.
Satire: Diuretic Makes Warne's Excuses Look Thin
Australian cricketer Shane Warne today admitted that he was still feeling the after effects of the diuretic he tested positive to.
 Sacre Bleu – It’s “La Gong” Now
Mum Raises Labour Hire Bar
Investigate the Buggers
NSW Libs Madder Than The Monk
Kits Strike Terror into Govt
West Braces for Shelling
Executive Pay Under Senate Spotlight
Clean Energy’s Jobs Bonus
Zoo Workers Buck ‘Mercy Killing’
Canberra Firefighters Win Union Backing
Global Equity Under Spotlight
Aussie Workers Fight Indian Child Labour
Water on the Brain
Activists Notebook
The Soapbox
Workers Friend
Shock jock Alan Jones snubbed his Liberal mates to bucket the Cole Royal Commission and launch Jim Marr's book The Locker Room
Boer Bore Boring
In the face of oppression Phil Doyle falls asleep in front of the TV Guest Report
Dead Labor
The Hawke and Keating legacy is John Howard, Leonie Bronstein argues. Seduction
Hands Off, Tony
John Della Bosca argues the NSW Industrial Relations System gives his State a competitive advantage.
Bosswatch
Groundhog Day
Another year, another round of corporate excess. Bosswatch returns from its summer slumber to find the same old dogs up to the same tricks.
Re - Core/Non Core promises.
Strangers in the House
Nursing Home Concerns
Catholic Tastes
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News
Sacre Bleu – It’s “La Gong” Now
Frustrated South Coast community leaders will take the extraordinary step of asking France to represent their views at the United Nations.
A high-powered delegation, headed by conservative Lord Mayor Alex Darling, will meet the French Consul General in Sydney next week to support France’s opposition to war in Iraq and urge it to continue expressing a view shared by “rank and file Australians”.
The delegation will include church, trade union and other community representatives.
South Coast Labor Council secretary Arthur Rorris confirmed his organisation had swung behind the radical proposal because it could see "no evidence of the Howard Government listening to Australians".
"It may seem like a joke but it isn't," he said. "It is a sad state of affairs when we have to even contemplate approaching a foreign country to have our voices heard on such an important issue.
"There is something wrong when the Government of France is more in tune with the hopes and aspirations of ordinary Australians than their own Federal Government.
"We are deeply disappointed that John Howard has seen fit to put the interests of the United States above those of the Australian people."
Rorris said it was historically "ironic" that Australia and the UK found themselves lineing up behind military imperialism while France and Germany were backing peace.
NSW Labor Council has given its support to the Wollongong initiative and urged affiliates to join Tuesday's delegation.
Meanwhile, a South Coast food company has decided to withhold 10 percent of its taxes if Howard supports George Bush's attack on Iraq.
In a stinging rebuff to the claim of Howard apologists that anti-war sentiment was the preserve of "inner city elites" staff and partners at Bega-based, Candelo Bulk Wholefoods, voted in favour of the anti-war protest this week.
"The tax to be withheld is the percentage of our tax the government spends on defence," a Candelo press release reads. Staff and management say they will donate an equivalent sum to the Bega Valley Rural Australians for Refugees.
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Issue 169 contents
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