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Issue No. 206 05 December 2003  
E D I T O R I A L

A New Mark for Labor
Few of us who care about the future of the labour movement would not admit to a surge of hope and sense of excitement following the election of Mark Latham to the federal parliamentary leadership.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Muscling Up
Labor�s Craig Emerson discusses how the changes to his party�s leadership will impact on the industrial relations agenda.

Unions: Thinking Pink
What�s the difference between a Nursing Home and an Aged Care Facility? More than semantics, according to nurses worried Australia is woefully unprepared for the crash at the end of the baby-boom cycle, writes Jim Marr.

Bad Boss: Global Bully
If nothing else, US-based call centre giant TeleTech is consistent. After being nosed out of last year�s Bad Boss gong it is back, bigger and badder than ever in its search for Tony honours.

Unions: National Focus
In this national round up by Noel Hester, Hugh McKay tells us how the young are sticking together in a bewildered society, the gongs get handed out at the ACTU awards and there is a chance to win as a worthy wordsmith.

Economics: Friend or Flunkey?
On New Years Day as you look at the wine stains and tread on a soggy puddle on the carpet, will you look for the phone and call a cleaner? Gabrielle Meagher gives a few ethical dilemmas to confront before you make that call.

History: Young Blood
Youth is no barrier to political leadership, as the 37-year-old John Watson proved 100 years ago, writes Neale Towart.

Industrial: Living For Work?
Mark Hearn reports from a recent conference addressing the dilemma of work, citizenship and community.

International: Fighting Together
The international trade union movement is launching a Global Unions HIV/AIDS campaign to combat the spread of the virus.

Poetry: Medicare Plus Blues
Is the Government's new health plan a plus for Medicare? Asks resident bard David Peetz

Review: Human Racing
Seabiscuit is a great horse movie but more than that it serves as a powerful metaphor for the importance of living for the future while maintaining passion and compassion in the present, writes Tara de Boehmler.

N E W S

 Peeking Dicks in Pickle

 Lights Out on Cheap Labour

 Blackout Hangs Over Sydney

 Contractors Hang Up on Telstra

 Uni Workers Too Smart For Minister

 Employer Bullies Vie For �Tony�

 South Coast Deal to Build Movement

 TeleTech Safety Rep Vows to Fight On

 Corporates Urged to Come Clean

 MP Too Busy For Teachers

 Bosses Block Good Shops Code

 Engineers Ground Safety System

 Workers Win At Safety Meet

 Merger Threats

 Activists Notebook

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Dear John
In his 500th piece of activist journalism, long-term Workers Online contributor Rowan Cahill sends a personal message to our prime Minister.

The Locker Room
Retired Hurt
Every innings comes to an end, some too soon, and others not soon enough, writes Phil Doyle.

Politics
Wedge Watch
Labor's Craig Emerson puts the spotlight on the Howard Government's politics of division.

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Workers Friend Ian West MLC is back with his monthly round-up from Macquarie Street.

L E T T E R S
 Feds Ignore Building Deaths
 Bob Gould On Kicking The Liberals Out
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News

Engineers Ground Safety System


Aircraft engineers are likely to boycott internal safety investigations in response to the sacking of two Sunstate colleagues.

Licensed aircraft engineers employed by the Qantas regional stopped work yesterday to discuss the dismissals, described by union officials as "clear abuses" of aviation incident investigation procedures.

The Brisbane-based workers called on their union to walk away from "no blame" investigations, used by the industry to speedily identify and correct maintenance faults, if the Sunstate sackings stand. The proposal will go before the ALAEA (Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association) national executive on Wednesday.

"First and foremost, this is a safety issue," ALAEA (Industrial Manager, Chris Ryan, said. "The industry uses no-blame procedures to ensure problems are brought into the open and rectified without engineers worrying they might be hanging themselves.

"That is industry practice, accepted by Qantas. Unfortunately, the actions of this regional operator threaten a system that works in the best interests of everybody, including the travelling public.

"If Sunstate stands by this approach, it will lead to a situation where

aviation workers might think twice before disclosing possible errors."

Ryan said maintenance incidents at Australian airlines were usually investigated under a procedure called MEDA (Maintenance Error Detection Aid) that is specifically "no blame".

The term refers to a generic Boeing program but MEDA-style procedures are used throughout the industry.

Ryan said one of the two men sacked by Sunstate, using statements made in a MEDA investigation, was a supervisor with an unblemished 16-year record of service.


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