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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
Badge of Honour Signals Row
A Sydney rail worker was taken off usual duties for refusing to remove a union badge, this week.
The move by RailCorp bosses was slammed as "provocative" by rail unions and prompted signal staff to threaten action in solidarity with their colleague
The Combined Rail Unions badge day was otherwise hailed as a success by rail unions representing 16,000 workers across the NSW system who have been frustrated by RailCorp management's refusal to negotiate a new agreement that offers a fair outcome for rail employees.
Transit Officer and Rail Tram & Bus Union (RTBU) delegate Fred El Bahou was "harassed" and confined to office duties after refusing to remove his badge.
Signallers informing the RTBU that they would take action unless the delegate was released back to duty wearing the badge as he sought to do.
Across the network station workers, ticket sales staff and other workers wore the striking yellow badges. Loco drivers stuck poster-sized stickers of the badge on the front of trains operating across the system.
The badge day was designed to send a signal that rail workers were committed to a fair and equitable outcome from current enterprise bargaining negotiations.
Reports from delegates indicate an overwhelming support for the campaign from the public.
"We've been negotiating since April and we haven't even reached agreement over core issues, says Nick Lewocki from the RTBU. "Since January promotion has been stymied because RailCorp can't even get their management act together."
"They've cut weekend services 30% and saved $15 million by cutting the Grafton to Murwillumbah rail link and now they are saying we have to fully fund our pay increases."
RailCorp has proposed a 12-month agreement offering a 3% pay rise on the condition that employees co-operate with rail rationalisation - a move that would see hundreds of jobs lost across the state.
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Issue 235 contents
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