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Gold Fever
So this is our most successful Olympics ever. Our athletes will return from Athens with their biggest ever haul of medals, more winners per capita than anywhere on earth. If all this is true, why does it all feel so empty?
Interview: Trading Places
New ACTU International Officer Alison Tate cut her teeth delivering aid to developing nations through APHEDA. Now she is helping chart the global union agenda.
Safety: Snow Job
James Hardie has been drilled into our collective consciousness as a story of power, greed and immorality. It is also, as Jim Marr reports, a tale of human tragedy.
Politics: In the Vanguard
Damien Cahill reveals how neo-liberal think tanks have been at the forefront of the corporate assault upon trade unions and social movements in Australia.
Unions: Gentle Giant Goes For Gold
Don’t get between Sydney sparkie Semir Pepic and a gold medal in a dimly lit alley, writes Tim Brunero.
Bad Boss: 'Porker' Chases Blue Ribbon
Perfect Porker, Darren Vincent, brings a history of meat worker shafting to this month’s Bad Boss nomination.
International: Cruising For A Bruising
Europe’s big unions are bruised as they watch companies roll over some of their best-organised unionised workplaces demanding longer work hours – without any recompense, reports Andrew Casey.
History: Under the Influence
Was John Kerr drunk when he wrote and signed the letter dismissing Edward Gough Whitlam from the Prime Ministership in 1975? Geraldine Willissee investigates.
Economics: Working Capital
Where superannuation fits, where it fails and what we should we do about it. Neale Towart gives the tough answers.
Review: Fahrenheit 9/11
There's many a must see moment in Mike Moore's new flick but beating the propaganda machine at its own game wreaks havoc with wearied bullshit detectors, writes Tara de Boehmler.
Poetry: Bad Intelligence Rap
When Flood washed away the PM's sins, the truth was once again left high and dry.
Satire: Osama Bin Manchu
During a recent visit to an elderly relative in a nursing home, I was waylaid by an ancient gentleman who insisted I listen to what he had to say, writes Rowan Cahill.
 Crane Topples at Death Probe
Treasury’s "Scary" Power Play
Aussie Idol on the Farm
Email Volley Defends Delegate
Hardie Slow on the Uptake
Meatworkers Go Full Monty
Sydney or the Bush
Delta Blues
Badge of Honour Signals Row
Libs to Trump Court
Project Champions Working Poor
Jobs Victory on the Border
Scabs in the Valley
Activists What's On!
Parliament
The Westie Wing
The Labor Governments in each State must take the lead to stop the abuse of corporate law in Australia in the absence of action from the Federal Government, as the Inquiry into James Hardie’s has highlighted, writes Ian West. The Soapbox
Cleaners Deserve Our Support
It's time the state's cleaners were given some support, loyalty and long service leave, writes Chris Christodoulou. The Locker Room
Half Time At The Football
Phil Doyle wants to have his pie and eat it too.
Tribute
Faithful Servant
Frank Mossfield was one of the labour movement’s quiet achievers. Former Labor Council secretary Michael Easson pays tribute. Postcard
Lessons From East Timor
Just back from a study tour to East Timor, National Reserach Officer with the Construction division of the CFMEU, Ben Stirling, writes about the experience for Workers Online.
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News
Treasury’s "Scary" Power Play
NSW Treasury is out of control, rewriting agreements without reference to Ministers, other departments, or affected parties, unions allege.
TCFUA secretary, Barry Tubner, is urging the Carr Government to stamp on Treasury mavericks just days after forcing a u-turn from the department over procurement policy.
"Treasury is a law unto itself and the government needs to get a grip on it," Tubner said. "It has the power to over rule our codes of practice and agreements without reference to unions, departments or even the Ministers, and that's scary.
"It says there are too many codes and it is engaged in simplification. It sounds like Peter Reith all over again."
Tubner said Treasury had unilaterally taken around 100 pages of negotiated procurement agreements, designed to ensure the state wasn't underwriting shonks or sweatshops, and reduced them to one paragraph.
When relevant departments and even Ministers had been approached, he said, they knew nothing of the process.
"Essentially, with clothing, it approves any supplier who can get a stat dec to say he is honest. That is not protection, it is not Labor Party policy and it is not what we negotiated," Tubner said.
Treasury backed away from its guidelines after being confronted, last week, by a Labor Council delegation, including representatives from the TCFUA, Transport Workers Union and CFMEU.
Treasury Chief of Staff, Michael Coutts-Trotter, confirmed the old guidelines and codes would apply "until we have settled on alternative arrangements".
"The reinstatement of the guidelines will also be included within the procurement process maps on the Treasury website," he said.
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Issue 235 contents
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