*****
Ah, what a fine thing an open transparent democracy is. We must try it sometime.
Our Tool Of the Week demonstrated how to politically shoot oneself in the foot this week by trying to muzzle media outlet Today Tonight who were rather keen to run a story about her recent fact finding.
Trish Draper is just one of many politicians who have found themselves out and about fact finding. Finding facts is one of the things politicians do. Apparently there are a lot of facts to be found in five star hotels.
In fact, our Tool Of The Week ran up $10 000 worth of facts on her jaunt to Europe with her...umm...friend.
Draper is not just a Tool simply for taking a "friend" on a taxpayer funded junket, or even because the government closed ranks to defend her rather dubious justification of same. But it is rather bizarre to then keep details of that trip a secret from the very people that paid for it - the Australian taxpayers.
Could it have something to do with the fact that her "friend" is now assisting police with inquiries into another matter?
Many working Australians wouldn't mind finding a few facts themselves, the facts they are aware of being none too palatable.
Special Minister for State, Senator Erica Betz, green lighted the trip with a spokesperson claiming that the government doesn't go around and audit people's personal relationships.
This will be refreshing news to the millions of Australians on disability pensions, unemployment benefits, and the like - as well as members of the defence forces, all of whom have their personal relationships open to much auditing by the Federal Government. There is a range of punitive measures for those who don't comply with this state sanctioned sheet sniffing.
Draper's defence is just part of the stream of hypocrisy oozing out of the Federal Government, which obviously has one rule for the poor and another for its mates with their snouts in the trough.
This is without even getting into how Howard would have reacted if Draper's partner had been of the same gender.
Democrats Senator Brian Greig told the whistleblower website Crikey.com.au that the Federal Government certainly wasn't supportive of these types of arrangements.
"It's true that the Remuneration Tribunal recently changed the guidelines to recognise my same-sex partner for the purposes of travel entitlements, but it's my understanding (yet to be tested), that this ruling applies only to domestic travel, not international, and it does not seem to apply therefore to overseas 'study tours'."
Greig had complained to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, which found in favour of the same-sex partner, but the Federal Government still did nothing.
"It would seem, according to the Government, that a casual fling from a neighbouring suburb has greater rights than a long-term partner living under the same roof," said Greig.
Let's hope that Draper made the most of her European junket, as she's unlikely to be the Federal Member for anything after the next election.
Draper first adopted the moral high ground when she called for a ban on the 1997 film adaptation of the Nabokov novel Lolita.
One can only admire our Tool of the Week for her consistent position on free speech - she obviously knows what's best for all of us, and she's the one who's going to have it.
The allegations flew after the state government announced an unprecedented move to re-open a wage case that finished six months ago.
The move to re-list the teacher's Special Wage Case - six months after final submissions closed and on the eve of an expected decision - provoked the Teachers Federation to endorse 48-hour state-wide strike.
The state government confirmed its intention just days after Premier Bob Carr used Parliament to make a highly publicised demand for the IRC to restrict the size of public sector wage movements.
Unions have vowed to draw a "line in the sand" over the stand-off, warning Carr that continued interference in IRC deliberations will reap a backlash against his government.
The move to re-list the case came as the NSW Industrial Relations Commission was poised to hand down a decision, widely expected to be favourable to teachers who have waged a long-running campaign to improve pay and conditions in public schools.
Labor Council secretary John Robertson said workers would not stand back and watch the IRC compromised by veiled threats or outright pressure from politicians.
"The IRC is due to hear a number of important Work Value cases this year - involving nurses, teachers, fire fighters and general public servants," says Robertson. "In all these cases the government has a vested interest in the outcomes.
"I have no doubt the Premier has sought to intimidate the Commission. This from a Premier who says NSW has the best IR system in the country and he supports the role of the independent umpire.
"These threats are verging on contempt."
Robertson said the Cabinet office was eroding the standing of the NSW IRC "piece by piece"
One IRC judge asked the government's counsel during the re-list application how many times he thought a party might forestall proceedings by making such submissions.
On top of the planned 48-hour stoppage many schools launched locally-initiated industrial action in response to what teachers say is the Carr Government's "blatant political interference" in their salaries case.
"The Carr Government accepted and fully funded the 5.5% interim increase awarded in December 2002. It is now manoeuvring to avoid this responsibility with the Commission's final decision," says Maree O'Halloran, President of the NSW Teachers Federation.
The Australian Workers Union said NCC executive director John Feil had written to it explicitly rejecting state government claims that it was being forced to repeal the Rural Workers Accommodation Act.
The government has the repeal of this legislation scheduled for this session of Parliament - a move it has said is out of its hands because of National Competition Policy.
AWU state president Mick Madden says that Commerce Minister John Della Bosca has been caught out using National Competition Policy to justify cutting workers rights.
"The effect of repealing this legislation would be that shearers, fruit pickers and other seasonal workers would no longer be entitled to fixed accommodation and could be housed in tents instead," Madden says.
"The Minister has tried to slip this legislation through under the cloud of Competition Policy and he's been caught out.
"One can only wonder what other pieces of legislation and regulation have been repealed on similar grounds.
The AWU is calling on the Carr Government to provide it with a list of all legislation being reviewed under National Competition Policy it can confirm with the NCC that it is genuine and required.
"As for the Rural Workers Accommodation Act - the bid to repeal it should be lifted immediately," Madden says.
The building materials giant has taken repeated hits during the Jackson Inquiry, established by the NSW Government after unions refused to drop criticisms of its corporate restructure.
AMWU secretary, Paul Bastian, has told anyone prepared to listen the company engaged in "corporate bastardry" when it restructured in 2001, leaving massive asbestos compensation liabilities on the books of new entity, MRCF, and trading its Australian identify for a new corporate home in the Netherlands.
Bastian put that line to senior Carr Government ministers, including the Premier, John Della Bosca and Bob Debus. Other unions who blew the whistle on the restructure included the MUA and CFMEU.
James Hardie listed Bastian and the AMWU as "major risks" to its strategy in an analysis prepared for executives, the Inquiry learned.
Few others took much notice, however, until the Australian Financial Review began shedding light on the restructure.
The bottom-line of those articles, which unions and asbestos sufferers groups had been hammering since 2001, was that the $293 million tipped into MRCF would go nowhere near meeting liabilities to sufferers of asbestosis, and mesothelioma, or their families.
Back in 2001, the AMWU claimed James Hardie would fall $1 billion short of meeting its share of the national compensation bill. Hardie-created MRCF now concedes that figure has reached $800 million - and the parent company has refused to bail it out.
It was that core issue that brought admissions James Hardie had misled the public in defending its restructure.
Company legal adviser, Wayne Attrill, told the Jackson Inquiry senior executives knew a press release that said MRCF would be adequately funded was dodgy.
Attrill said he had been seen actuarial advice received prior to the restructure.
Under cross examination from union lawyer Jack Rush, Attrill said, he had raised his concerns with James Hardie's corporate affairs chief, James Baxter, since headed-hunted by Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd.
"I think I'd seen a draft press release and this press release said in very categoric terms that there would be enough funds to meet all claims. I just didn't think that that could possibly be said in such categoric terms and I expressed those views to corporate affairs," Attrill said.
Rush: "What did he (Baxter) say?"
"He said, "oh no, we're comfortable with that statement," Attrill testified.
Lawyers for unions, asbestos sufferers and the Medical Research and Compensation Foundation (MRCF) alleged James Hardie had misled the public, and the NSW Government.
They claimed it had kept information from incoming directors of MRCF and state government, fearing the latter would stop the restructure going ahead.
The Inquiry also heard from a former James Hardie safety officer, Peter Russell, who said he had quit because the company tried to "cover its backside" by refusing to put warnings on products it knew were dangerous.
Emails, from as early as December 2000, between Attrill and David Minty, partner in actuarial firm, Trowbridge, suggested James Hardie should have been aware it was underfunding MRCF.
One headed "Not good news Part lV" alerted Attrill to the fact Trowbridge had posted "gory numbers" about asbestos disease rates on its website - "you should be sitting down and probably heavily sedated before reading it," Minty's email suggested.
Attrill forwarded the warning to the company's legal chief Peter Shafron who, by return email, told him the big boss, Peter McDonald had "hit the roof - wondering how it was that our retained experts could publish something that implicates us so directly without prior notice."
Commissioner David Jackson, QC, last week warned that he expected allegations of "illegalities" to be put before him in final submissions.
Bastian pledged, whether Government or corporate watchdogs moved against James Hardie or not, the AMWU would stay on its case.
"James Hardie needs to know the AMWU will not allow it to walk away from its responsibilities to people dying from these diseases, nor the people they leave behind," Bastian said. "We will pursue Peter McDonald and everyone else involved in this to the ends of the earth, if needs be.
"We have always said they performed this restructure to sanitise their name and to quarantine themselves from responsibilities to lung diseases sufferers."
The cross-party committee, including three Labor members, also wants to give courts the power to make delinquent employers face up to bereaved family members.
Welcoming this week's release of the report into workplace deaths and injury, Labor Council secretary John Robertson called on the Government to extend the same support to families of dead workers it had pledged to other victims of crime.
"This Government went up and down the state promising to be tough on crime before the last election. This is its chance to prove its credentials on workplace crime," Robertson said.
"We don't want gaols overflowing with employers but we do want every employer to know that if they deliberately thumb their noses at safety requirements they can be held accountable.
"You can go to gaol in this state for seven years for spraying graffiti on the Opera House but not for gross negligence that takes the life of an employee. It's ridiculous."
The committee launched its inquiry after 10,000 workers marched on Macquarrie St following last year's death of 16-year-old building worker Joel Exner.
His mother, Sue Baxter, was amongst a dozen people from bereaved families who joined Labor Council, AMWU and CFMEU representatives in applauding the findings.
Key recommendations in the 246-page report include
- "urgent" introduction of a new offence under the Crimes Act, corporate manslaughter
- companies to have their safety performances rated and published.
- courts to consider "victim impact statements" from bereaved family members and to have the ability to direct negligent employers into face-to-face meetings .
- that Workcover reform its liason with victims of workplace accidents and/or their families because its "current and recent practices are inadequate".
- That Workcover commit additional resources to prevention, and that this include launching more prosecutions
The report was released at state parliament, on Monday, by standing committee chairman and Christian Democrat MLC, Rev Fred Nile. Its findings and recommendations were endorsed by Nile, Labor representatives Peter Primrose, Kayee Griffin and Jan Burnswoods along with the Greens Lee Rhiannon
Liberal committee members Catherine Cusack and David Clarke dissented.
Political observers suggest Carr and his IR Minister, John Della Bosca, are likely to support the Liberals on corporate manslaughter.
A gas explosion at BHP Billiton�s Port Hedland briquette plant left four men suffering horrific burns and battling for survival after being airlifted to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Then, today (Friday) a teenaged apprentice was critically injured at a Pilbarra mine operated by the same multinational corporation.
BHP's Billiton's Port Hedland iron ore operation was the focus for accusations reported in last week's Workers Online resulting from the death of AMWU activist, Cory Bentley, whose head was crushed in an early-morning accident.
After Bentley's death, management began removing bright red posters that urged employees to "aim high, move fast" and spelled out massive tonnage targets required by the company.
AMWU secretary, Jock Ferguson, said it appeared BHP Billiton had put production before safety.
The claim was amplified by ACTU Pilbarra organiser, Will Treacy, who said safety standards had "plummeted" since the company launched a 1999 campaign to de-unionise its Pilbara operations.
BHP Billiton lured nearly 40 percent of the workforce onto non-union AWAs with massive inducements, worth up to $100,000 to some employees.
"The thing with these contracts is that they inhibit people from speaking out on safety for fear of being hammered in performance reviews," Tracey said last week. "Anyone who speaks out on safety is labelled a trouble maker."
A stunned Ferguson this week repeated his call for an independent safety audit of the whole BHP Billiton operation.
One of the men burned at Port Hedland this week, after hydrogen exploded during maintenance work, was said to have suffered severe burns to 90 percent of his body.
Three contract workers sustained "bad" burns to their faces and bodies in the same incident.
Their injuries sparked the West Australian newspaper to go digging and within 24 hours it was bringing readers stories from other workers who had been injured in explosions at Port Hedland.
Ken Te Wano told the paper he had been in an "almost identical" accident in July, 1999, while Mary Halls, the cousin of one of the men injured this week, confirmed she, also, had been burned while working at the facility.
"I can't believe this has happened twice to the same family, it is a really dangerous place," she told the West Australian.
Workers Online understands the teenager hurt in the mine accident was being sustained by a life support system.
"BHP makes a massive amount out money out its Pilbara operation but this senseless loss of lives has to stop," Ferguson said. "There has to be a change to its culture of production at all costs."
The 25-year-old was killed in a mobile crane accident at the company�s Dartbrook Mine, near Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley, late last year.
Anglo Coal had rejected written requests for a memorial, accessible to Sullivan's wife and children, from the CFMEU's construction and mining divisions before Queensland building workers took matters into their own hands.
Nearly 100 of them rolled up to the company's inner-city HQ just after 9am, last Monday, and agreement for the memorial had been reached by noon.
"There's something about having dozens of building workers screaming in your lobby that seems to focus the minds of these people," NSW branch secretary, Andrew Ferguson, said.
"It was a good example of cross-border solidarity. We are grateful for the support of our friends in Queensland."
Ferguson said the union was still campaigning for the mining giant to provide financial assistance to Sullivan's widow, Natalie.
"The memorial is a start. Hopefully, within the next few weeks we will be able to fully resolve these claims without having to publicly embarrass Anglo Coal again," he said.
Sullivan was employed by a mobile crane firm that contracted to Anglo Coal. The circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated by Workcover.
Mitsubishi Australia chief executive, Tom Phillips, told workers today (Friday) that the Tonsley assembly line, employing 2500 people, would continue but that the nearby Lonsdale engine plant would close in 18 months at the cost of 650 jobs.
The announcement followed a last-ditch mission to Japan by representative of the Federal coalition and state Labor Governments.
"Any politician who brags about the loss of 650 jobs in South Australia should hang his head in shame," AMWU national secretary Doug Cameron said after the announcement.
"The AMWU is delighted that the sword has been lifted from over the heads of Tonsley workers and their families but the fact remains that there will be substantial job losses through no fault of the workers affected."
Cameron said all Mitsubishi workers entitlements were protected under existing agreements and the union would commence immediate negotiations on improving redundancy provisions.
Cameron accused the Federal Government of doing "absolutely nothing" in its nine years in office to provide the nation with a manufacturing policy.
"It only shows any interest when this sort of dramatic development unfolds. Frankly, it's too little, too late," Cameron said.
He said the AMWU was committed to working with future governments on developing a coherent manufacturing policy.
"Australian workers and their families deserve that sort of attention and the wider community needs a manufacturing base that provides jobs, research and development and innovation."
A number or public service types turned up in their "least tasteful" neckwear as part of a two-pronged CPSU memorial for Reynolds who was claimed by a brain aneurism at the age of 38.
The union is also urging members and supporters to emulate its former national president's decision to join the Organ Donor Program. When he died a number of his organs went to people in urgent need of replacements.
The tie idea was born when, earlier this year, Reynolds' widow, Jenny, donated a selection of his worst neckwear to staff in the CPSU's Canberra office as keepsakes.
The union's website recorded Reynolds passions as his wife, two children, trade unionism, football, politics and "rather tasteless neckties".
His shock death brought a flood of messages from union members, employers and others who had been touched by his passion and commitment.
His leadership had been credited with successfully repositioning the CPSU in the ACT public sector, after massive federal cutbacks, and delivering significant improvements to pay and conditions.
Meanwhile, the CPSU is running a competition offering "very ordinary prizes", to members who can correctly guess the location of four new Defence Department accounts and business centres.
The Government has confirmed that it, rather than the department, will decide the locations and the CPSU is offering members updated lists of the most marginal regional electorates to take some of the guesswork out of their entries.
http://www.cpsu.org.au/news/1077062055_14391.html
On June 1, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad will hold its own event at Martin Place, Sydney, in a bid to ensure Australian athletes don't wear sweatshop runners in Athens.
Twenty sowing machinists wearing facemasks will illustrate the predicament facing millions of garment workers in unregulated third world sweat shops.
An MC will highlight the case of Thai seamstress Noi who will fly to Sydney in July to give a first hand account of conditions in the factory where she worked.
Oxfam has documented Indonesian workers being attacked, intimidated, and harassed for participating in union activities.
Workers in Bulgaria get fined or fired for refusing to do overtime, and often work in dangerous conditions.
"If labour exploitation were an Olympic sport, the sportswear giants would be well represented among the medal winners,"
Oxfam's Margaret Di Nicola said.
Play Fair at the Olympics was launched in March of this year.
It is an international campaign that is focusing on the working conditions of garment workers in the sportswear industry in developing countries.
The campaign has the endorsement of the ACTU and the ICTFU.
Several dozen members of the local community backed the call at a rally outside the Tweed Heads Family Centre today (Friday), alleging their workmate had been sacked for raising allegations of workplace bullying.
Centre staff say they instituted a range of work bans after their colleague told her employer continued bullying would not be tolerated - and was dismissed for her efforts.
The Australian Services Union (ASU) says the employer threatened to withhold wages, due today, in response to its members' campaign.
"It is testimony to these people's dedication that they decided to keep providing community services even if their pay was withheld," ASU president Sally McManus said.
"All workers have the right to raise concerns with management without fear of reprisals and the boss' actions, in this case, are a clear abuse of power."
McManus said rallying workers and supporters had called on Family Centre management to reinstate the employee and sack the boss.
The union has written to Community Services Minister, Carmel Tebbit, and state and federal MPs urging them to come out and support Family Centre workers and to commit to ongoing funding for the service they provide.
The NSW Nurses Association opened its special wages and conditions case in the IRC after the federal government brushed a recommendation in its own report into the industry that addressing staff shortages and wage disparities were of "paramount" importance.
Last week's federal budget earmarked an extra $2.2 billion for aged care operators without addressing inequalities that see nurses in the sector paid up to $150 a week less than similarly qualified hospital counterparts.
The Nurses Association told the NSW IRC this week that its case aimed to address "low wages and excessive workloads" behind the "crisis" in aged care.
The Association says it is running its case on behalf of more than 50,000 aged care residents in NSW, as well as thousands of Assistant in Nursing, Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses.
Its headline claim calls for 21.5 percent wage increases on all classifications, comprising a catch-up component and provision for the next round of public hospital increases.
Other key demands include calls for the insertion of reasonable workloads and qualifications clauses. Currently, the Association says, some establishments use one AIN to care for up to 25 residents.
Six employer respondents are contesting the claims on the grounds of inability to pay.
The case is being heard by the full bench of the NSW IRC which has set down dates into early September.
AMWU secretary Doug Cameron welcomed the initiative announced on Tuesday by industry spokesman Senator Kim Carr.
"To remain the lucky country, Australia needs to invest in local industry and innovation," Mr. Cameron said.
"We have lost tens of thousands of jobs, including thousands of apprenticeship positions, and this Government has stood back and done nothing - no plans, no strategy, no development," Mr. Cameron said.
"Given the situation facing the Australian based automotive industry at the moment, it is vital that we have a Government that recognises that having a strong manufacturing base creates jobs, skills and exports for the Australian economy," Mr. Cameron said.
Senator Carr said the scheme would build a national strategy to increase research, exports, and value-adding.
The scheme would centre on a tripartite Australian Manufacturing Council which consisting of representatives from employers, unions and government.
"The first task of the council will be a stocktake of the manufacturing of the manufacturing sector and then it will oversee development of a ten-year manufacturing strategy," said Senator Carr
Federal Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews announced last week that the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) would be pared back to become a "ministerial advisory group".
The 18-member body, made up of employer, union and government representatives, coordinates campaigns to prevent workplace death, injury and disease and is staffed by public service researchers.
"With 13 workers dying in Victoria just this year the Federal Government's move to abolish NOHSC is tantamount to winding back the clock on national standards in health and safety in the workplace, and could put workers' lives at risk," says Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Leigh Hubbard. "To suggest that the work on health and safety is done and can be relegated to a small committee is an insult to those who have been injured or died on the job."
"The Howard Government's decision to hand those [safety] functions over to the Department of Workplace Relations raises questions about the continuing role of workers and employer representatives in formulating health and safety standards," says CFMEU Construction National Secretary John Sutton. "With over 50 construction deaths per year, our industry needs stronger health and safety standards and more investment, not less."
Employers and unions have criticised the move as a cost cutting measure that could undermine moves towards national health and safety standards.
"It will leave the commission with no research ability," says Victoria's Industrial Relations Minister Rob Hulls.
More than 450 people die in Australian workplaces every year, with up to 8,200 deaths per year attributable to workplace-related injuries, according to a study by Access Economics.
Knox, who was an official with the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) in South Australia will have the centre dedicated his memory. Knox was 29 when he died.
The new garden and training centre will be be opened by Andrew's brother Stuart and SA Infrastructure Minister Patrick Conlon MP.
The centre and garden is part of a new South Australian headquarters for the AWU which will be named in tribute of Jack Wright, former AWU Secretary and Deputy Premier of South Australia.
The new building will also pay tribute to AWU great and shearing legend Mick Young who was also a minister in the Hawke and Keating Governments.
Jack Wright's son Transport & Industrial Relations Minister Michael Wright MP and Mick Young's son Michael will also be present at the building opening.
AWU South Australian Secretary Wayne Hanson said the opening of the new Headquarters of the SA AWU is a practical demonstration of the rejuvenation the AWU has experience over the last few years
"We are immensely proud of this new facility which will enhance the operations of the AWU across South Australia," says Hanson.
Pig On a Spit - Safari Picket
The famous CFMEU safari restaurant picket is now a nightly picket!
The CFMEU are conducting a picket of the Safari restaurant to get the owners to pay entitlements owed to workers (the owners are also builders). The Safari restaurant is in King Street Newtown. Picket is nightly (and every night until they pay up!). From 6pm. All welcome.
Anti-war drawings
The Glen Street Theatre in Sydney is currently showing an exhibition of anti-war drawings and prints by the artist and illustrator Michel Streich.
WAR
an exhibition of satirical drawings and prints by
Michel Streich
showing now until Saturday 29 May 2004
Glen Street Theatre
Glen Street (no Street number)
Belrose/Frenchs Forest, Sydney
tel. (02) 9975 1455
free admission: daily from 9.30 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Monday 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Sunday 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
THE WAR ON TERROR: SAFEGUARDING THE WORLD OR DIVIDING IT?
WAR ON TERROR FORUM
SUPRA, The USYD Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and the USYD UN Society are holding a forum entitled
Speakers:
Dr KEN MACNAB - President, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, USYD
AFROZ ALI - founder and Executive Director of al-GHAZZALI Centre for Islamic Sciences and Human Development
EILEEN MALLOY - US Consul General, Sydney
7-8.30pm Tues 25 May
General Lecture Theatre
Sydney Uni Main Quad
SEARCH Foundation
Rm 610, 3 Smail St, BROADWAY NSW 2007
Australia
Ph: 02 9211 4164; Fax: 02 9211 1407
promoting democracy, social justice and environmental sustainability
Note new email addresses:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Redfern at the Block - Open Day
Whanau Iwi Inc invites you to attend an open day at "the block' in Redfern (between Everleigh Street and Louis street) on Sunday May 30 - 10am to 5pm.
Entertainment
Culture
Stalls
Food
Face painting
Music
Kapa Haka
Hangi
Powhiri and Karakia starts at 10.00am sharp
This will be an alcohol and drug free open day.
Labor for Refugees meeting with Carmen Lawrence>
Date: Friday 4 June 2004 Time: 5.30 - 7pm.
Place: Meredith Burgmann's Office President's Dining Room Parliament House Sydney Aim: Debriefing after ALP National Conference Please advise [email protected] if you wish to attend so that we can organise numbers for the alcohol and nibbles which will be supplied.
Is Australian Democracy Working for Women?
The Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) are holding their national conference in Sydney on the 12th and 13th June. Sessions will cover
* legislation as a way to protect women's rights
* measuring the quality of women's lives
* creating a culture for work and family reform
* what women want
Speakers include Elain Thompson, Pru Goward, Reg Graycar, Eva Cox and Mary Crooks
To register and for further information contact WEL on 9212 4374 or logon to the website at www.wel.org.au
Popular Education Activism & Organising
Education is a key to developing activists and active members of organisations. The new activist educator is an organiser, teacher, consultant and theorist. What methods are being used today to equip activists to build social movements? Does activist education reflect a democratic agenda or is it largely instrumental? How do we know if educational practices are working? Are new theories of learning be utilised? This is the second of a three forum series looking at different education, organising and activist strategies being used by movements and organizations pursuing social justice and change agendas. Union activists, environmental campaigners, community advocates, educators and grassroots campaigners are participating in the forums. The forum will actively engage participants in discussing and analysing different experiences. Case Studies Date: Friday, 18 June 2004 Time: 9am - 1.30pm Location: Centre for Popular Education University of Technology, Sydney Jones St, Broadway (Old Fairfax Building) FEES - $30 for one forum; $50 for two forums For further details contact Lee Malone (02) 9514 3861, Daniel Ng (02) 9514 3843 or Tony Brown (02) 9514 3866 email: [email protected] For updates go the Centre for Popular Education website
The reality is that the Carr Government has worked itself into a little bit of a tangle over the upcoming round of public sector wage negotiations.
By concocting a mini-Budget crisis and then crying poor, Treasurer Michael Egan may have thought he'd be able to set a lower ceiling in the upcoming round of pay claims.
Instead unions have sniffed the wind and more and more of them are deciding that if the government is not prepared to negotiate in good faith, they'll take their case directly to the independent umpire and argue a case based on their work value.
At present we have teachers, nurses, public sectors and firefighters pursuing this course. Other public sector unions may consider following a similar course to deal Treasury out of the wages process.
While unions have drawn a line in the sand over the Premier's comments about the IRC, there are more profound inconsistencies in these attacks.
The Premier has won three terms of government campaigning on the need for increased resources for health education and community protection. These have been effective campaigns, assisted by a dopey NSW Opposition that still views public services as a problem rather than a solution to society's problems.
Either way, the Premier has enjoyed significant electoral success by appealing to the public's desire for the quality provision of core government services.
There is also a lesson in the lukewarm response to the Federal budget - reinforcing a growing trend that people would prefer improved government services to tax cuts.
At a state level, government services are not abstract things - large bureaucracies or poorly targeted programs - they are schools and hospitals and trains and emergency services.
And every parent with a child knows the school is really the teacher, the hospital is the nurse and doctor, the police station is the cop , and - as we've discovered recently - trains don't run without train drivers!
Public sector wages are not just another wage bargain, they are a test of a government's commitment to the provision of public services.
After his foray into umpire-bashing this week, it is hoped that the Premier at the very least allows his Commission to play the role of independent arbiter and ensure that the work value that our public sector workers deliver is reflected in their wage rates.
Anything less would be a breach of core and fundamental Labor values.
Peter Lewis
Editor
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