
Issue No 19		25 June 1999

News

Second Wave Means Zero Tolerance

By Dermot Browne - National Communications Officer

ACTU President Jennie George has blasted Peter Reith's new laws claiming they mean "zero tolerance for the industrial rights of working people in this country."


	CPSU Branch Secretary Mal Larsen and Jennie George talk up the Second Wave Campaign.

Jennie this week met with over 40 CPSU delegates to help plan their campaign against the 'draconian' 2nd Wave Legislation.

She told delegates that Reith's latest raft of industrial changes would make it easier for employers to coerce workers into agreements that made them worse off and allow employers to put individual contracts into effect before they had been approved.

She also explained that the changes also would impose complicated procedures for postal ballots before strikes could be taken and stop unions entering the workplace unless they had a written invitations.

Public sector workers have expressed particular concern about the proposed changes to paid rate awards, long service leave and superannuation.

During the delegatessession there was a great deal of discussion about the position of the Democrats given that they will hold the balance of power when the legislation is debated in the Senate.

Jennie explained that the Democrats need to be convinced to "just say no".

As well as participating in the wider campaign, CPSU delegates have now agreed to use their contacts in the workplace and the community to urge the Democrats to vote against the new Bill.

For more on the Second Wave see Trades Hall

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  Issue 19 contents

Interview: Moore for the Battlers
NCOSS director Garry Moore gives the community sector's response to this week's State Budget

Unions: AWU's Bush Blitz
"This is AWU Country". That's the slogan for the Australian Workers Union as it launches its campaign to address the specific needs of workers throughout regional and rural Australia.

Indigenous: Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide
A United Nations committee slams Australia on indigenous native title rights.

International: Unions Post-War Stand
The world labour group demands KFOR track war-crimes authors and says social dimension central to Balkan reconstruction.

History: How Swede It Was
Swedish seafarers play an important role in South Australia's maritime history.

Review: If He Had Only Listened To Me ...
If Michael Thompson had listened to me the current debate raging in the nation�s opinion pages about his book may not have been as hysterical.

» Dirty Linen: Cleaners Beat Hotel Giant

» New Years Pay: Casino Workers Win Triple Time

» Budget Gaps Tell Bigger Story

» Oakdale Miners Take On Canberra

» Second Wave Means Zero Tolerance

» For Olympic�s Sake Let�s Become Weekend Warriors

» Brassed Off: Birch Not Out of the Woods

» No Ship is an Island

» Firey Country Conference to Fuel Bush Resurgence

» Pay Anniversary Marks New Challenges

» Join the Labor Council Team!