E D I T O R I A L

Shock and Awe
And so it has begun, the cartoon caricatures are locked in; the cowboy and the tyrant his father created, locked in an endgame that will trash more than the infrastructure of Iraq.

F E A T U R E S

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.

N E W S

Peace Marchers Warn Off Provocateurs

Monk Ignores Job Losses

Trade Warriors Turn to Water

Gap, Target Pay Sweatshop Dues

Firies Douse Insurance Blaze

Kennett Delivers $2m Gas Bill

Vials Sparks Security Scare

Buggers Hit Six

Rail Towns Win Jobs Reprieve

Telstra Dotty Over Witching Hour

Crow Eaters Choke on Waste

CSL Boss in Political Pickle

Lawyers Push Super Class Action

Fair Clothing Activists Take Stock

Activists Notebook

C O L U M N S

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.

L E T T E R S

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Kennett Delivers $2m Gas Bill

When Australian Gas Technology Services went into liquidation last month it was discovered that no provision had been made to cover the entitlements of specialist gas workers transferred over when the company was privatised in 2000.

Together, they are owed more than $2 million in annual leave, severance and long service entitlements.

When the Kennett regime privatised AGTS it sold at below market valuation on the understanding the purchasing consortium would assume responsibilities for entitlements. However, it now appears, that requirement was not written into sale documents.

The situation also underlines Federal Government's failure to honour its promise to ensure employees don't lose out on entitlements. Its GEARS safety net offers a maximum of eight weeks pay, well shy of the money owed to people whose average length of service is 22 years.

One of their number, Steve Cooper, has done 36 years with the business and is owed $138,000.

In another development, there are also concerns about the safety of AGTS super contributions.

AWU national secretary, Bill Shorten, accused Victoria's former Liberal Government of a "massive blunder - reckless disregard for people who have worked loyally for the people of this state".

He said the AGTS failure highlighted the broader dangers of "senseless privatisation".

Shorten said AGTS employees had been central figures in ensuring the safety of the Victorian gas system through roles from which private enterprise could not easily extract a profit.

"These workers were highly specialised. They helped ensure the safety of our gas system and that it complied with regulations. They did a lot of the measuring, testing and compliance work. When gas leaks were reported they were the ones who investigated," he said.

"There are a lot of contractors in Victoria who do some of their work but none who do all of it."

Shorten called on the state government and major AGTS shareholders - Envestra, Energex, Country Energy Gas and AGL Service Businesses - to make up the $2 million shortfall between them.

His union has held emergency talks with current Victorian Energy and Finance Ministers.

The failure of AGTS comes hard on the heels of Connex washing its hands of Victoria's suburban rail network. Connex said it couldn't make a profit out of the deal negotiated with the Kennett Government and handed the railways back to the state.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005