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Issue No. 240 01 October 2004  
 
F E A T U R E S

Interview: The Last Bastian
AMWU state secretary Paul Bastian has been at the centre of the three year battle to bring James Hardie to account.

Unions: High and Dry
Jim Marr unpacks the recent High Court Electrolux decision to test whether the ruling matches the media hype.

Security: Liquid Borders
The Howard Government loves to trumpet its national security credentials but a close look at its record in shipping sinks the myth argues MUA�s Zoe Reynolds.

Industrial: No Bully For You
Phil Doyle reports on how bringing dignity and respect to the workplace is undermining bullies.

History: Radical Brisbane
Radical Brisbane extends the 'Radical City' series into the Red North. Two experienced activists, academics and writers turn South East Queensland history on its head.

International: No Vacancies
More than 1400 hotel union workers, members of UNITE HERE Local 2, are on strike at four major hotels in San Francisco, California, writes Andrew Casey.

Economics: Life After Capitalism
A situation that all anarchists dream of? Michael Albert has been more than dreaming., writes Neale Towart

Technology: Cyber Winners
Labourstart's Eric Lee looks at a good news story of global online campaigning that has delivered a victory.

Poetry: Do It Yourself Poetry
Teaser: Wondering why the polls are all over the place? Ask our resident bard and psephologist.

Review: Hard Labo(u)r
The Voice of Southern Labor highlights the role music played in the 1930's US textile strikes, but more than that it provides a lucid insight into the roots of modern capitalism and some truly organic organising, writes Tara de Boehmler.

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L A T E S T   N E W S

Kev Cooks the Books
Claims by the Howard Government that workers on individual contracts are better off have been blown away by a university study into AWAs.

It has come to light as further research has exposed employers as the industrial bully boys of the past decade, with a dramatic rise in lock-outs . [full story]

Black Hole In Libs Kids Plan
A half billion dollar black-hole has emerged in Coalition childcare costing with the ACTU disputing the government�s projected take-up rate for its childcare tax rebate.

The news comes as an ACTU and childcare unions� survey revealed that almost half of all parents were prevented from working because of a shortage of childcare places. [full story]

Xerox Copies Waterfront Tactics
A team of strike breaking photocopier technicians were flown into Sydney this week in a bid smash industrial action by Fuji-Xerox repairmen.

In echoes of Patricks� tactics in the 1998 Waterfront dispute, technicians on training visas from Singapore and New Zealand were used to clear the backlog of jobs caused by the week long strike. [full story]

Hardies Asbestos Woes "Snowballs"
La Trobe Valley power workers were kept in the dark about the danger of asbestos to the point where they threw "snowballs" of the deadly dust at each other and wiped films of it off their coffee cups at work.

The revelations come as the wave of action against James Hardie gathers steam, with high-level talks in Sydney and workers claiming victimisation for protesting in Melbourne. [full story]

Air Fleet Grounded By Job Cuts
Australia�s defence capability is being undermined by bean counters, with the number of worker s maintaining our F-111s being halved in the past three years.

The engineers, members of the Electrical Trades Union, are so concerned about the run down in maintenance standards that they staged a protest outside the Amberley RAAF Base in Queensland last week. [full story]

Musos Lung For Better
A Sydney Musician registered a "dangerously high" level of passive smoke intake after a two-hour gig, according to an AMA-supervised test.

Non-smoking jazz violinist George Washingmachine took the test after similar tests in Perth and Melbourne this year revealed patrons recorded nicotine levels almost comparable with those of active smokers. [full story]

ALSO MAKING NEWS

 Customs Officers Declare

 Dumbing Down The Trades

 Pacific National Sidetracks Hunter Jobs

 Witch Hunt For Whistleblower

 Black Diamond Deaths Spark Mining Inquiry

 Pensioners Strip Over Pension Strip

 Activists What's On!

email workers to a friend latest breaking news from labornet
"I don�t know if it�s a question of being vindicated. I think we�re just happy along with the victims that the issues finally been addressed. "Paul Bastian, AMWU

E D I T O R I A L
Like an AFL team with a star full forward. Latham cleared his attacking zone, leaving space for his single strategic pitch to hit home.

The Abbott and the Archbishop

C O L U M N S

Politics
True Lies
Labor Council secretary John Robertson argues It�s Time � for an IR reality check.

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Much work has been done in the past to ease the plight of clothing outworkers in New South Wales. It's time to step up the pressure, as sweatshops and clothing contract work are thriving stronger than ever, writes Ian West.

The Soapbox
Who Started the Class War?
Evan Jones looks across the Australian political landscape and asks who are the real class warriors?

The Locker Room
First Past The Post
Phil Doyle is coming up in class and is all the better for recent racing

Parliament
Westie Wing
Our favourite state MP returns for his monthly Macquarie Street wrap.

Postcard
Positive Action
Australian unionists are helping give hope to Filipino workers living with HIV/AIDS.


LETTERS to the Editor
 Donkey Vote
 Problem Solved
 How To Run Society

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