E D I T O R I A L

Thai-ed in Knots
With all the hype, hiccups, fear and loathing around the Australia/US Free Trade agreement, another agreement all but slipped under the radar this week - a preferential trade deal between Australia and Thailand.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Power and the Passion
ALP's star recruit Peter Garrett shares his views on unions, forests and being the Member for Wedding Cake Island

Unions: Tackling the Heavy Hitters
Tony Butterfield became a State of Origin gladiator at the unlikely age of 33. Even that, Jim Marr reports, couldn’t prepare him for the knock-down, drag-em-out world of modern IR.

Industrial: Seeing the Forest For The Wood
Proposals to flog off NSW’s forests have raised eyebrows and temperatures amongst some of the key players reports Phil Doyle.

Housing: Home Truths
CFMEU national secretary John Sutton argues for a radical solution to the housing affordability crisis.

International: Boycott Busters
International unions have issued a new list of corporations breaching ILO sanctions to do business in Burma.

Economics: Ideology and Free Trade
The absurdities of neoclassical economic assumptions has never stood in the way of their being trotted out to justify profiteering and attacks on the rights of citizens. The AUSFTA is the latest rort we are supposed to swallow, writes Neale Towart.

History: Long Shadow of a Forgotten Man
Interest in JC Watson's short time as Labor's first Prime Minister should not detract from his more substantial role as Party leader, writes Mark Hearn

Review: Chewing the Fat
As debate rages in Australia about Fast Food advertising, Julianne Taverner takes a look at a side of the industry that Ronald McDonald won’t tell you about in Supersize Me.

Poetry: Dear John
Workers Online reader Rob Mullen shares some personal correspondence with our glorious leader.

N E W S

Adecco in the Dock

Chubb Faces Bullying Rap

Print Company Burns Staff

Carr "Prefers" Americans

Drug Cheats’ Eye off Olympics

Unions Crack Skull

Howard Backs $7.30 Report

MCG Vet Kicks Casual Goal

Parking tickets Gonged

Safety Meets Low Expectations

Koori Building for Future

"Super Sopper" Soaks Up Funds

Kelly’s Figures go West

Activists What’s On!

C O L U M N S

Politics
The Westie Wing
As the NSW Labor Government sells its first budget deficit in nine years, the real concern for the union movement is the devil in the detail, especially when it comes to procurement agreements, writes Ian West.

The Soapbox
Rubber Bullets
Labor's IR spokesman Craig Emerson launches a few characteristic salvos across the Parliamentary chamber

The Locker Room
Tears After Bedtime
Phil Doyle says that it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye

Postcard
Postcard from Vietnam
APHEDA's Hoang Thi Le Hang reports from the north of Vietnam on a project being fund by Australian unionists.,

L E T T E R S

WHAT YOU CAN DO

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Activists What’s On!

Boycott and Picket the Safari Restaurant

SUPPORT UNPAID SUBCONTRACT BUILDING COMPANIES IN THEIR CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE

How can you help?

Boycott the Safari Restaurant

Sign our Supporters Petition

Make a donation to the campaign

Picket nightly from 6.15pm - 28 King Street, Newtown.

Business Ethics Forum

- timely opportunity to discuss corporate values and responsibilities

The second Oxfam Community Aid Abroad Business Ethics Forum on Tuesday 13 July 2004 comes at a time when global events have again thrown a spotlight on the social responsibilities of the corporate sector. The forum will bring together representatives from many top Australian companies, government departments, educational institutions and the general public to discuss values and ethics in the workplace.

The forum will take place in Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne's CBD and will feature distinguished keynote speakers:

Justice Neville Owen (Royal Commissioner, HIH Inquiry)

Christine Charles (Corporate Executive, Newmont Australia)

Sharan Burrow (ACTU President)

Corporate governance matters such as boardroom responsibility and shareholder interest, the environmental impact of business and best corporate practice are some of the issues that will be the subject of conversations at the forum.

Andrew Hewett, Executive Director of Oxfam Community Aid Abroad, says a constructive business ethics debate in Australia is vital in this era of corporate globalisation. "Corporations today wield an unprecedented level of influence and power over human development. Current patterns of globalisation are creating opportunities for those with skills, education and assets. People who have these opportunities can make a positive contribution so that the three billion people surviving on less than $2 per day and the one in seven children who have no school to go to are not left behind."

DATE: Tuesday 13 July 2004, 6.30pm to 8.00pm

VENUE: BMW Edge Theatre, Federation Square,

Corner Flinders & Swanston Streets, Melbourne

COST: $75 per head

Drinks and canapés on arrival

For more information visit: www.oxfam.org.au/businessethics

COALITION FOR TRUTH - The impact of the Bush-Howard-Blair invasion of Iraq

A post June 30 assessment

SUNDAY JULY 18, 2-4pm

Guthrie Theatre, University of Technology, Sydney

702 Harris St, Ultimo (near Railway Square, Central Station)

Speakers include :-

Alison Broinowski, former diplomat and author

John Valder AO, former Federal Liberal Party President

Tanya Plibersek, MHR, Labor member for Sydney

Senator Andrew Bartlett, Leader, Australian Democrats

Senator Kerry Nettle, Australian Greens

MC Quentin Dempster

Entry $5.00

Organised by the Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition,

[email protected]

Labor's Policy on the Republic

Shadow Attorney General Nicola Roxon MP

Date: Tuesday 20 July 2004

Time: 6:00pm drinks for 6:30 start

Venue: Glover Cottages

Address: 124 Kent Street Sydney

Admission: $15 members / $20 non-members

Flyer at http://www.republic.org.au/ARM-2001/news&events/Sydney_Speakers_Series_Flyer

.PDF

Republican Trivia Night

with guest MC‚s Chris Taylor & Craig Reucassel

Date: Thursday 22 July 2004

Time: 6:30 for 7.00pm

Venue: Gaelic Club (upstairs)

Address: 64 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills (5 mins walk from Central

Station)

Admission: $20 (includes light supper ~ drinks at bar prices)

Flyer at

http://www.republic.org.au/ARM-2001/news&events/Sydney_Trivia_Night_flyer_Ju

ly_2004.PDF

The Day Before Tomorrow

The Real Threat of Climate Change and What Australia should do about it

Place: @Newtown

62 Enmore Road, Newtown (old Newtown RSL)

Date: Wednesday, 28 July 2004

Time: 7pm to 9pm

Guest Speakers:

world-renowned climate scientist Dr Graeme Pearman

Chief, CSIRO Atmospheric Research (1992-2002)

Anna Reynolds , Climate Change Campaign Director

Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Kelvin Thomson MP

Federal Shadow Minister for Sustainability, the Environment

and Heritage

All Welcome

For more information: Shane McArdle (02) 9564 3588 or Paula O'Sullivan

(02) 9357 6366

A Night of Comedy, featuring Mick Meredith and Thomas Bromhead

Thursday 29 July

Further details here

Strategic Thinking And Planning

An East coast opportunity to work on your campaign or organisation's strategic thinking and planning.

Would you like to be an activist who knows where their campaign is going? Do your current strategies and tactics match the broader social and political context? Would you like to be the kind of community worker who is clear about the aims of their project so that you can clearly evaluate what you are trying to achieve? Many environmental and social justice advocates are flying by the seat of their pants and looking for effective strategies to address the challenges we face. Sometimes we can get stuck in reactive modes, or feel overwhelmed by the challenges of the moment.

The good news is that there are skills and tools for helping us become more pro-active, and creative as an organisation. We can become smarter at strategy!

So would you like to build the skills base in your organisation? How to develop a plan? Strategic analysis? Are you merely being more reactive about your work? This workshop provides you with an opportunity to not only reflect, but to learn new skills in strategic thinking and planning to add to your activist tool kit.

Four seasoned trainers will be facilitating two days of active and experiential learning on strategic campaign analysis and planning.

Workshop goals:

Develop skills in understanding how organisations create smart strategies for change;

Learn new tools for campaign planning;

Increase your skills for accessing creativity and understanding your gifts for strategic thinking;

And apply these skills and tools to your organisation!

When &where:

Brisbane :: Thursday 29th & Friday 30th July :: Brisbane Powerhouse

Sydney :: Monday 2nd & Tuesday 3rd August :: Quakers Meeting House

Melbourne :: Thursday 5th & Friday 6th August :: The Green Building

How much: $220-550 > sliding scale [includes GST unfortunately]

Contact Amy for more details: [email protected]

Work Interrupted

The ACTU will be co-sponsoring a conference on casual and insecure employment in Melbourne on August 2, 2004.

This timely national conference will examine the impact of casual and insecure work on Australian workers, business and the economy.

Casual employment as a proportion of the total workforce has grown from 13% in 1982 to 28% in 2003. It is widespread in many new industries and occupations and is increasingly long-term. Most jobs created in the 1990s were part-time and casual.

This conference will look at:

* the personal experience of casual workers

* international comparisons with Australian casual employment

* the economic impact of casual employment

* policy challenges for legislators, business and unions

This conference brings together some of Australia's leading thinkers and commentators and policy makers from business, unions, academia, politics, and the media to further this important debate.

Union places at the conference will cost $150 per head. To reserve your place download and complete the registration form below and fax it to RMIT University/CASR on 02 9365 6067. Or email your details to [email protected]. Or post the registration form with payment to: Work Interrupted, PO Box 7267, Bondi Beach NSW 2026.

http://www.actu.asn.au/public/news/1087890291_19647.html

hoWARd the arseLIcKEr

-Written by D.B.Valentine - Directed by Mark Cleary

-The Edge Theatre - Cnr King & Bray Sts Newtown

-Advance previews Wed 4th & Thurs 5th August.

-Opening Friday 6th Aug to Sunday 29th Aug.

-Time: 7.30pm (tbc)

-Bookings 9645 1611 or www.mca-tix.com

-More info go to: www.newtowntheatre.com.au click on "The Edge"

The Republican Movement and Reconciliation

ARM Sydney Speakers Series #2: author and academic Mark McKenna - Tuesday 10 August 2004

Further details at

http://www.republic.org.au/ARM-2001/news&events/Sydney_Speakers_Series_Flyer

.PDF

Republican Film Night - Tuesday 31 August 2004

Further details at

http://www.republic.org.au/ARM-2001/news&events/NSW_Film_Night_31_August_200

4_Flyer.PDF

  View entire issue - print all of the articles!

  Issue 228 contents

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005