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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 Taskforce Stands Over Families
Taskforce agent, Marcus Clarke, has sent letters to hundreds of homes threatening $6500 fines on CFMEU members who struck to pull Leightons Kumagai into line with established practice on night work. CFMEU representative, Joe McDonald, says members on the Metro Rail Project struck after the company "welshed" on assurances that workers, other than tunnellers, would not be required to do night shifts. Section 127 Orders were given against the industrial action but workers took control of the dispute and stayed out. "Our members won. They reached an agreement with Leightons three months ago and everyone went back to work," McDonald said. "Leightons never involved the Taskforce but they, of their own volition, started sending threatening letters to workers homes months after the matter was resolved." McDonald said the CFMEU was warning members about speaking openly at meetings and watching out for listening devices and provocateurs. The Taskforce was in the gun during Senate Estimates, last year, over secret recordings, then a listening device was found in the delegate's office on a Grollo job in Melbourne. "(Taskforce boss Nigel) Hadgkiss and Co have come out and said they are looking for informants and there has been a question mark over his use of listening devices for years," McDonald said. "How else can they gather evidence for these prosecutions? "This is a new low in industrial relations. It is about intimidation, singling out individuals and threatening their families in a bid to hold down earnings. "The Taskforce has made its intentions clear and our people have to be careful for their own sakes and the sakes of their families." Meanwhile, longtime AWU official, Sam Wood, has taken up a roll with the Taskforce as trade union liaison officer. No building industry unions, including the AWU, were commenting on the appointment this week.
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