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Issue No. 188 | 25 July 2003 |
Solidarity Gets Sexy
Interview: As They Say In The Bible ... Industrial: Just Doing It Unions: Breaking Into the Boys Club Activists: Making the Hard Yards Bad Boss: In the Pooh Unions: National Focus Economics: Pop Will Eat Itself Technology: Dean for President International: Rangoon Rumble Education: Blackboard Jungle Review: From Weakness to Strength Poetry: Downsized
Gloves Off Over Workers� Rights Win for Victims of Rio Tinto "Blood Sport" League Players Join Union Team Kodak Chops Workers from Picture Stool Lady�s Stand Vindicated Nurses Seek Work-Based Elder Care High Tech Pokies Threaten Jobs
The Soapbox The Locker Room Postcard
Does This Make Me a Raving Trot? More on Bullies And More �
Labor Council of NSW |
News The Stack Goes On
Thatcher cut his IR teeth as a mandarin ushering in controversial changes in NSW, West Australia and Queensland. He was given credit for the WA regime, described in the Murdoch press as the country�s "most draconian". He went to Canberra, serving under Peter Reith in the lead-up to the Federal Government's 1998 showdown with the MUA, and was appointed assistant director of the Business Council of Australia. Thatcher was, most recently, secretary to the Cole Commission into the Building and Construction Industry. In that capacity, he confirmed to the Senate the Commission was receiving information from wire taps, and raced to Sydney to interview a builder who had publicly questioned the Commissioner's credibility on occupational health and safety. Subsequent to the Thatcher interview, the builder withdrew claims that struck at the credibility of a Commissioner who would go on to make hundreds of findings against construction industry unions. Since Abbott took over the Workplace Relations Ministry only two of 16 appointments to the commission have come from worker backgrounds. Just before the last Federal election he appointed gung-ho Telstra IR boss, Rob Cartwright, responsible for a unprecedented campaign of job shedding and contracting out at Australia's most profitable company. Thatcher has been appointed to take the place of former TWU secretary, John O'Connor, breaking with the tradition of replacing worker-oriented commissioners with others from similar backgrounds. The Thatcher appointment drew immediate fire from Labor Party Workplace Relations spokesman, Craig Emerson, and ACTU president Sharan Burrow. Ms Burrow said it was "outrageous" that Abbott should appoint people as commissioners who were on the record opposing the judicial role and authority of the IRC.
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