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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
Email Volley Defends Delegate
ADI Shared Services dumped a Garden Island employee weeks after he helped it out of a contract pickle.
The contractor axed John Bastow after he returned from sorting out purchasing problems on the Eurocopter, Defence�s replacement for its Blackhawk fleet, at the company�s Ryde operation.
Now the AMWU is asking supporters to blitz ADI bosses with emails supporting the long-time union activist's right to earn a living.
"They distorted their redundancy selection process to neck John because he was an effective union delegate," AMWU official, Robyn Fortescue, said.
Fortescue says ADI "bodgied the process" to rid itself of the union's T & S Division assistant secretary.
She said, prior to the assessment, ADI set up a new purchasing system. It didn't allow Bastow to attend information meetings and then denied him training.
"At the same time, when they were facing contract penalties, they transferred John to Ryde to help them out of a big hole. He did that and they rewarded him with redundancy," Fortescue said.
Initially, ADI asked staff to volunteer for redundancy. Although volunteers matched required numbers, it still marked Bastow's card.
Fortescue said the company had previously refused to recognise Bastow as a union representative on its Garden Island health and safety committee.
The AMWU has launched unfair dismissal action against ADI - a joint venture between Transfield and France's Thales Group.
Fortescuse says the company has become "very anti-union" since the French arrived.
Emails supporting Bastow and opposing the company's actions are being directed to human resources manager, Gerald Richardson, and purchasing officer, Isabelle Centofanti, at:
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Issue 235 contents
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