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Issue No. 252 | 18 February 2005 |
Wood for the Trees
Economics: Super Seduction Interview: Bono and Me Unions: The Eight Hour Day and the Holy Spirit Economics: OEC-Who? Technology: From Widgets to Digits Education: Dumb and Dumber Health: No Place for the Young History: The Work-In That Changed a Nation Review: Dare to Win Poetry: Labor's Dreaming
Detention Centre for Darling Harbour We Have Way of Making You Walk Financiers Squash Capital Idea Taskforce Stands Over Families Big Australian Changes the Rules
Politics The Soapbox Postcard The Locker Room Parliament
Millstone Revealed But Then Again
Labor Council of NSW |
News Walter’s Mates Pay
All 46 Walter employees on the Parramatta rail project have negotiated new jobs with Lend Lease that protect their entitlements, and have resumed work. Most gained significant wage rises by moving onto the terms of the Lend Lease project agreement. Dozens of subcontractors have also been paid. Worker's demands have also been met at projects at the MegaCentre in Auburn and in Chifley Tower. And 50 others at a luxury apartment project in Zetland are poised to celebrate after an 'in principle agreement' with owner Bank of Scotland. But former Walter employees picketing other former clients warn if their entitlements aren't covered by the end of February a Sydney-wide strike on all building strikes is on the cards. CFMEU delegates voted up the strike plan at a meeting yesterday. Walter's largest employer was the NSW Government, with seven projects on which thousands of workers are owed tens of millions of dollars in pay and entitlements. Union secretary Andrew Ferguson says the state government should have conducted a proper investigation of Walter's financial viability and exposed the true financial position. "The failure of Walter is as much about Government responsibility as corporate collapse," says Ferguson. "Workers and subcontractors were lured to these projects because they thought ... there was no chance of a government builder going bust." The government sites still holding out on workers are Wyong and Gosford Hospitals and three Sydney Water sewerage treatment plant projects. Long Term Plan The CFMEU is calling on the Federal Government to create a scheme that guarantees 100% of employee entitlements when a company goes bust. The current GEERS scheme does not bind the government to pay any entitlements and when it does only at basic award rates. The scheme is capped at eight weeks redundancy, is often very delayed and does not cover unpaid superannuation. The employees of subcontractors to failed companies also have no rights under the scheme.
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