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Headless Nation
So the Governor-General has voted himself out of the Big House, recognising that his capacity to discharge his duties as Head of State had been fatally compromised by the skeletons in his Yarralumla closet.
Interview: Staying Alive
CPSU national secretary Adrian O'Connell talks about the fight to keep the public service - and the union movement - alive.
Bad Boss: The Ultimate Piss Off
Wollongong workers on poverty-level wages are losing up to $5000 for taking toilet breaks, according to the union representing staff at a Stellar call centre.
Industrial: Last Drinks
Jim Marr looks at the human cost of the decision to close Sydney�s Carlton United Brewery
National Focus: Around the States
If Tampa told us that John Howard circa 2003 is the same spotted rabid dog from 1987, this week�s assault on Medicare confirms it reports Noel Hester in this national round up.
Politics: Radical Surgery
Workers are vitally interested in Medicare, not least because they traded away wage rises to get it. Now, Jim Marr writes, the Coalition Government is tearing apart the 20-year-old social contract on which it was founded.
Education: The Price of Missing Out
University students and their families will pay more for their education following the May Budget, writes Tony Brown.
Legal: If At First You Don't Succeed
Love is wonderful the second time around, goes the famous torch song. But is the same true for legislation? Asks Ashley Crossland
History: Massive Attack
Labour historian Dr Lucy Taksa remembers the general strike of 1917 to put the recent anti-war marches into perspective
Culture: What's Right
Neale Towart looks at a new book that looks at the failings of the Left, while reasserting the liberal project
Review: If He Should Fall
Jim Marr caught Irish folk-rock-punk legend Shane MacGowan at Sydney�s Metro Theatre. He was surprised but not disappointed.
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.
Satire: IMF Ensures Iraq Institutes Market Based Looting
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to monitor the Iraqi economy to ensure that the reintroduction of looting into the economy conforms with free-market theory.
 Sanitarium Casts Democracy into Hell�s Fire
Mouse that Roared
Abbott: Look After Number One
Entitlements Revamp � Acid on States
Strong Stuff � Commission Star in Court
Think Before You Drink
Maritime Hero Takes Final Journey
All Ding but No Gong
Aged Care in Terminal Condition
Strathfield Joins War on Shonks
AMWU Returns to the Fold
Green Jobs In Offing
Register for Action
Activists Notebook
The Soapbox
What May Day Means to Me
Reader Marlene McAlear penned this tribue to May Day and worker solidarity.
Solidarity
The Toast
Labor Council secretary John Robertson's toast to the annual May Day dinner in Sydney. The Locker Room
The Numbers Game
In life there is lies, damned lies and sporting statistics, says Phil Doyle - but who�s counting. Postcard
Brukman Evicted
ZNet's Marie Trigona reports from the streets of Argentina in the rundown to last week's presidential election. Bosswatch
The Costs of Excess
Some tall business poppies had their heads lopped this week as the laws of economic gravity applied their always chaotic theory.
Language Most Foul
Unions Deserve Reputation
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Unions on LaborNET
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News
All Ding but No Gong
British retail giant Kingfisher is surrendering to public revulsion over executive salaries in a bid to head off a shareholder revolt.
Just one week after shareholders delivered Glaxo SmithKline a historic slap in the face, reported in Workers Online 179, Kingfisher has agreed to ditch two-year contracts for directors and to review a share option scheme for CEO, Gerry Murphy.
Kingfisher, which runs the Comet and B&Q retail chains, perfomed the policy flip two weeks out from its annual meeting. Key lobby groups, including pension funds, had served notice of their intention to derail the pay arrangements.
Executive pay will be the basis for other fiery AGMs with the Trades Union Congress calling for investor action to prevent banking group HSBC offering American boss, William Aldinger lll, a $75 million package.
The TUC was rallying its network of pension funds to lead the fight against Alldinger's package.
The union peak body wants AGM voting records made public so small investors can examine the records of pension funds. Several large funds abstained and at least was one was reported to have voted in favour of the Glaxo deal.
"It may seem like the tide has turned against rewarding failure in Britain's boardrooms but the large number of abstentions in the Glaxo SmithKline vote vote show that some big investors are still reluctant to take a firm line on greed," TUC spokesman Brendan Barber said.
Kingfisher this week bowed to the trend by cutting the two-year contracts of three executives back to a single year. All three gave up the original contracts without claims for compensation.
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Issue 180 contents
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