*****
Howard favourite Hugh Morgan, who earns more picking his nose than most of us earn in a week, has shared his unique intellect with us all in his role as the grand pooh-bah of the Business Council of Australia.
Hugh's union, the Business Council of Australia, represents the big end of town. It likes to crow that its members employ a million Australian workers.
It's not so forthcoming about its plans to pay them all in salt.
Yes, the man who puts ugh in Hugh, the founding member of those warm and fuzzy guys at the HR Nicholls Society, is the same guy who, as Ian West MLC recently reminded us, "described the original living wage judgement as leading Australian society down to 'catastrophic collision with rural bankruptcy, sudden South American style devaluations, international insolvency and grave social dislocation'."
Well, our economic genius of a Tool certainly got that right, didn't he!
For our Tool Of the Week, slashing wages and conditions, creating a working poor and sending Australian living standards off to the third world are part and parcel of "having a vibrant, adaptive, changing competitive economy".
No doubt it's a lot more vibrant now that his old company, Western Mining, is throwing uranium around the place like confetti. So vibrant it's a wonder it doesn't glow in the dark.
Despite being a Reserve Bank Board honcho, Hugh finds time between awarding the interest rate rises that were never going to happen under Howard to hang out with such fun loving organisations as the Lavoisier group.
The Lavoisier group are a bunch of crackpots running around encouraging a head in the sand attitude to the future - if we say there is no problem then there is no problem, especially with inconvenient little problems like the greenhouse effect.
Hugh showed his hand when he lauded them as visionaries: "We learn from government agencies and their economic modellers that greenhouse policies may cost us upwards of $12 billion per annum in emission
charges. This equates to the economic impact of another GST. And yet we had an election and several years of public debate about the consequences of introducing a GST---contrast this with greenhouse policies."
And....
"Industry faces significant costs to meet our proposed greenhouse gas emission reductions---$100 million for WMC and over $1 billion for BHP. On this basis alone, we have a self-interest and, indeed, a moral imperative to be involved in the greenhouse debate."
What an amazing thought process that can argue that self-interest occupies a moral high ground!
Environmentalism, Morgan says, is the main threat to western civilisation. Who needs an environment when you've got an air-conditioner, eh Hugh?
Hugh points out that increasing amounts of carbon dioxide are good for us.
Well it's good to know that Hugh doesn't want science to get in the way of making a buck.
In fact Hugh doesn't want anything to get in the way of making a buck, especially restrictive work practices such as paying employees or not killing them.
Since Howard got his hands on the nation's title deeds the BCA has been lusting after the prospect of taking Australia back to the nineteenth century and the glory days of the masters and Servants Act. Or better still, the Stone Age, where it can be a straight up survival of the fittest.
They are the economic equivalent of the raincoat brigade in an x r*ted cinema!
"We have for the first time in 30 years a Government that isn't compromised through lack of control of the Senate and expectations of moving forward the reform agenda are, quite naturally, high. There's a measured sense of urgency, given that it's not long before you enter another election round."
Yes, Hugh's Fourth Reich will be of limited tenure, not because Australian's continuing to support Howard is a bit like a turkey voting for Christmas, but because of the terrible restrictions that democracy places on genii like Hugh.
If it wasn't for Democracy Hugh would be able to have the sort of ordered structured fascist dictatorship he craves so dearly.
Given his generous spirit that he shares with his fellow Australians, is it any wonder that Morgan has been charged with with genocide!
In the wake of the record fine, handed down in Sydney today, bereaved families have again urged the minerals company to drop its attempt to have health and safety laws declared unconstitutional.
Victims family spokesman Ian Murray - whose 18-year old son Damon Murray was killed at Gretley - said the families "have been through hell" in their eight-year campaign for justice.
"Today's decision should have provided us with closure but with Xstrata going to Court on Monday to overturn the laws that secured the Gretley convictions, the issue is far from over," Murray said.
If the Xstrata challenge succeeded, he said, mining companies would be immune from prosecutions for breaches of safety laws.
"I don't understand why they can't just cop the fine. All miners and their families are entitled to the full protection of the law and mining companies like Xstrata have no right to seek to put themselves above the law.
Companies are prosecuted for a wide range of violations of the law in areas like tax evasion and pollution yet Xstrata is demanding that mining companies be exempt from prosecutions for negligent actions that lead to mineworkers being injured or killed", Murray said.
Miners Union general president Tony Maher said that Xstrata's challenge had provoked enormous resentment among rank and file mineworkers.
Mineworker representatives from every pit in NSW will rally outside Sydney's Court of Appeal, next Monday, to demonstrate their opposition to the company's stance.
TCFUA representatives raided a suburban bungalow, this week, under NSW rights the Prime Minister intends to strip away when he gets control of the Senate.
Inside, they found seven seamstresses and an employer, Chung Sheng Tan, who they said claimed to know nothing of workers compensation or superannuation.
They said, the fashion industry bottom-feeder undercut "legitimate" operators, then required women to bid for the right to operate his machines.
"Whoever bids the lowest gets the work," TCFUA secretary, Barry Tubner, said.
"The paperwork we uncovered indicated he was paying rates as low as $4 an hour and, as far as he was concerned, workers compensation and super were the workers' responsibilities.
"To earn that money, women were working six and, sometimes seven, days a week.
"This is the American system in action and it will become the norm if John Howard takes over the state systems.
"When he takes away the rights of unions, Workcover and the Office of Industrial Relations to inspect these operations he will remove all protection from workers and honest employers.
"No legitimate manufacturer can compete with this type of exploitation."
Tubner said Howard's proposed contracting legislation would seal the deal. The federal government intends broadening the scope of "contractor" and blocking union representation.
It is the contention of Goldbridge Clothing that Bexley seamstresses are "independent contractors", running private businesses.
"These people are employees, under NSW law, Australian tradition and any reasonable test," Tubner argues.
Tan, who owns the Bexley residence and operates Goldbridge, confirmed the definition of contractor was central to the argument in correspondence with the union.
The union says an hour-long video of the Bexley operation and paperwork supplied by Goldbridge back its claims.
They reveal Goldbridge was making garments for name retailers including Myer, David Jones and labels like Cooper Street.
Follow its raid, NSW Workcover inspectors visited the house and wrote out five notices for non-compliance with occupational health and safety requirements.
New state regulations, imposing a code of conduct on the industry, come into force on July 1, the day the Coalition takes Senate control with a policy to override NSW industrial laws.
The ASU launched an electronic picket of the defence and infringement enforcement contractor after it insisted employees sign AWAs against their wills, and refused to recognise their union.
Tenix, which subsequently employed AWA architect Peter Reith, was one of the first companies to foist federal individual agreements on its employees.
After six years of them, Melbourne-based staff passed judgement in an 83 percent vote for a union-negotiated collective contract. Tenix's reaction was to try to force workers to sign its AWAs -- and to refuse to recognise the union.
Workers struck and are now calling on the public to back their right to choose.
London-based, Labourstart, has mounted an online campaign in support of the Melbourne workers. In the first 12 hours of the campaign more than 1000 protest emails were aimed at Tenix from activists around the world.
The ASU has also purchased advertising on Google to promote the campaign. Whenever the keywords Tenix, union, collective bargaining or AWA are entered into the search engine a link to the campaign web site is included in the results.
The union is urging Workers Online readers to back its members.
Check out the campaign page www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=45 and send a message to Tenix that is time to deal fairly with staff.
Further background on the campaign can be found at the ASU's campaign web site: www.asuvic.org/campaigns/tenix.htm
Workers Online understands Victorian stewards supported the action of AWU members who slapped a Provisional Improvement Notice on heavy, outdated steeples that have led to cuts, bruises and back injuries.
Track staff not only have to erect the heavy fences, constructed from half logs and topped by plastic brush, but they have to get them down and off the track before chasers return for their run to the post.
AWU secretary, Bill Shorten, said there would be no steeplechases at the course until the club dusted off new, lightweight models sitting in its storeroom.
"You can bet on that," he said this week.
"We have been advised the club has new, improved fences and we can't understand why they aren't using them.
"The old model is cumbersome and heavy and our members have sustained a range of injuries in getting them off the track in time. If they took too long, the horses would be back around and everyone would be in trouble."
Shorten said the AWU has raised the condition of the Sandown steeples, last season, and been assured replacements would be on track for this week's start of the metropolitan jumping season.
The ban came four days after race clubs, riders and industry participants joined forces to honour hundreds of jockeys who have lost their lives in race falls.
At nearby Caulfield, a memorial statue was unveiled and racegoers around the country respected a minutes' silence.
For the record, Wednesday's steeplechase was hurriedly replaced by a 3000m highweight, taken out by the Eric Musgrove-trained Super Cobra at 20/1.
Workers Online understands the gelding is being set for Oakbank's Grand Easter Steeplechase where, hopefully, the club will comply with health and safety requirements.
AMWU delegate, Antony Muilwyk, 57, needed 10 stitches in facial wounds after helping the guard escape assailants but the Victims Compensation Tribunal ruled his injuries would "not be unheard of in the robust pursuit of union endeavours".
It awarded him $3600 for scarring but rejected his claim for shock because such experiences "should not cause a person of firm resolve, such as a union representative in the metal industry, too much psychological distress".
Stunned AMWU secretary, Paul Bastian, said Muilwyk's union activities had consisted of "doing a really good job for his workmates over a number of years".
That a statutory tribunal had felt comfortable to discriminate against him so openly, Bastian said, was the result of prejudices being spread and fostered for political purposes.
"The tribunal's reasoning was outrageous because it undermined this man's standing and rights because he was a union delegate. It fostered a prejudice aimed at undermining the legitimate role of union delegates," Bastian said.
He praised this week's NSW Supreme Court ruling that the tribunal had been "irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary" as well as wrong at law.
Justice Roderick Howie called it a "case of stereotyping of the worst kind".
He said a "clear error of law" ran through reasoning that rejected a psychiatrist's report, the testimony of Muilwyk's wife, and trivialised his injury as a "black eye".
The court had heard the fitter and turner tried to help the bouncer by holding a door open to facilitate his escape. Muilwyk, himself, was then assaulted by as many 10 men suffering bruising, scarring, lacerations and what he claimed was was post traumatic stress disorder.
Twenty thousand Nurses Organisation members voted up the historic "fair pay" settlement, last week, after years of community campaigning.
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The deal, thrashed out in the first national collective agreement, since individual and single-site agreements were mandated by the 1991 Employment Contracts Act, delivers wage movements of between 20 and 30 percent.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation says it will "stem the tide of nurses flooding out of the health system".
"After a decade and half of divide and rule industrial relations in the health sector, this agreement will put a fragmented nursing workforce back together and go a long way to addressing the undervaluing of the work our members do," said NZNO spokesperson, Laila Harr�.
"Our Fair Pay claim has been met and that will mean that over the next 16 months nurses and midwives will catch up to other groups through a series of pay increases."
Fourth year Wellington registered nurse, Serena Stace, agreed in an interview with that city's Dominionpost newspaper.
"I was thinking of going overseas but this will encourage me to stay a bit longer," she said.
A key factor in the final agreement was the establishment of an independent inquiry into staffing levels that will make recommendations to health authorities.
The deal is the result of a massive collective campaign undertaken by Nurses Organisation members.
They rallied in centres around the country, wore t-shirts, badges and collected thousands of signatures on petitions supporting their claims.
In a statement, their organisation said that collectivism, backed by a commitment to strike action, had given negotiators the strength to secure the biggest public service pay settlement in New Zealand's history.
Casual librarians have deleted a management plan that saw 15 of their colleagues lose their jobs and would have seen the rest sacked within a year of beginning work.
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission threw the book at University of New South Wales library management, who have been forced to retreat from the policy.
The uni had brought in the new rule to dodge unfair dismissal laws.
The move by library management flared into a dispute with members of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) campaigning against the breach of their workplace agreement.
The NTEU labelled the librarians as "courageous" for taking a stand.
The 15 sacked casuals must now be reinstated to their positions in the library.
Legal action by the NTEU secured interim orders from the Commission forcing the policy U-turn.
The NTEU hailed the decision as an "overwhelming endorsement of the consultative provisions of the Enterprise Agreement, and the rights of NTEU members to be involved in workplace change"
"While there remain issues to be resolved, we're pleased that such an outrageous policy has been overturned," says NTEU NSW secretary Chris Game. "The decision serves as a reminder to what awaits Australian workers if the proposals of the Howard government such as removal of unfair dismissal rights for small business employees.
"If a supposedly reputable employer such as UNSW is trying to avoid unfair dismissal legislation imagine the lengths to which some unscrupulous private sector operators in other industries might go."
As well as reinstating the sacked casuals, UNSW must provide information on casual General Staff and their employment policies in the Library to the NTEU.
More Indigenous But Less at Uni
Meanwhile the NTEU has released new research showing that there was been a 15% decline in Indigenous students commencing higher education.
"Since 2000, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous participation has begun to widen, despite the fact that the growth in Indigenous population has been almost twice that of the non-Indigenous population and has a much higher density in the age groups most likely to attend university", said Joel Wright, NTEU Indigenous Officer.
The NTEU believes that the provision of an Indigenous specific support scheme is crucial to increasing Indigenous participation and outcomes in higher education.
The government will strip entitlements protection from more that a million Australians in its latest bid to undermine the IRC.
The parliamentary library warns the Coalition's move to sidestep an AIRC ruling giving sacked workers access to severance pay will also block workers' access to the GEERs scheme if a business goes belly up.
The government funded GEERS scheme ensures minimal entitlements, such as eight weeks redundancy, are paid.
The changes will apply to workers in businesses with less than 15 employees.
All other workers have access to both severence pay and the GEERS scheme.
The proposed legislation comes as former workers of bankrupt construction giant, Walter Construction, launch a mobile billboard calling for the GEERS scheme to be beefed up.
A busload of the workers met with Kim Beazley in Canberra during the week and presented 4000 signatures calling for change.
The workers argue the scheme is too slow and should cover 100 percent of entitlements.
"It doesn't work," former Walter Construction corporate services manager, Mike Walsh, says.
Over 450 former white collar workers at Walter are owed over $18 million dollars in pay, superannuation, long service, redundancy, annual leave, and untaken RDO's.
"Despite the collapse of HIH, OneTel, Ansett and now Walter there is still no provision to protect the full entitlements of Australian workers in case their employer collapses," Walsh says.
Aussie workers, locked out for choosing to have a collective agreement, are arcing up over an attempt to impose US style labor conditions.
A peaceful protest line has been in place at Merck Sharp and Dohme's South Granville facility since January 28 in an effort to move the US company towards a collective agreement.
"We want to get away from this American system where it's every man for himself,' said one of the locked out workers.
"Rather than negotiate in good faith management has chosen to respond to the workers' legitimate claim for job security with the provocative and ideological tool of the lock out," says Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) state secretary Paul Bastian.
Merck Sharp and Dohme's management has been slammed for "exploiting the worst excesses of the Federal Workplace Relations Act" after warning one worker for going to the industrial umpire, the AIRC, and another for meeting a union official.
"This company is very shy of publicity and wants to share that with their workers," says AMWU organiser Harry Delaney, who has praised the strength shown by the Merck Sharp and Dohme employees.
"These people are comparatively new to trade unionism and now fully realise the benefits."
Unions NSW is backing the protest and the matter has been referred to the peak union body's Disputes Committee.
The AMWU says it has put forward a settlement that "reflects Australian standards" in meetings with Merck Sharp and Dohme management.
The current lock out is effective until April 6.
ANZ bosses ignored four calls to improve safety before robberies at its Peakhurst branch left five staff suffering trauma and ongoing medical problems.
In the fourth robbery, on April 29, 2003, criminals used a sledge hammer to menace staff.
The bank was fined $175,000 this week after the Finance Sector Union proved it had failed to provide a safe workplace.
Before the first robbery in August 2002 the union had written to the bank about security at the branch.
After each robbery the FSU made submissions urging the bank to solve security problems.
Last year the bank spent $55 million improving security across its branch network.
The union's high profile prosecution of security failings at the ANZ's Brookvale branch prompted the upgrade. The bank was fined $156,000.
FSU assistant secretary, Mel Gatfield, says other banks should take a look at what the ANZ has been forced to do and improve their own security.
"They need to ensure staff aren't traumatised, injured or worse due to their focus on profits over safety," says Gatfield.
Gatfield is concerned any federal government moves to stop unions bringing prosecutions and hand powers over to the DPP or Workcover would let unsafe employers off the hook.
"After the first Peakhurst robbery we wrote to Workcover asking them to investigate and we didn't get a response," she says.
Childcare workers have called on the Federal Government to use its "huge budget surplus" to help meet an historic pay rise awarded by the AIRC.
The pay increase delivers in the order of $64.50 and $82.20 for childcare workers from the ACT and Victoria and is the culmination of a three-year campaign by the LHMU.
But a small number of private childcare employers are trying to delay the rise.
The private sector employers want time for special meetings with officials from the departments of Treasury and Family and Community Services.
Jo-anne Schofield from the LHMU is adamant no backroom deal should be struck between the employers and the government.
Instead Schofield believes the Treasurer Costello should provide increased funding, so parents are not forced to meet the extra cost in fee hikes.
"The Federal Government must be a more active partner in addressing the wages issue in the childcare sector," says Schofield.
"Childcare is a critical service for all working women, without improved pay we cannot keep dedicated professionals working in this industry and cut down the huge queues demanding this critical service.
"It is hypocritical on the part of Peter Costello to collect this huge surplus and not provide appropriate funding for this important sector to ensure this largely female workforce can earn decent wages."
The LHMU will release an industry funding proposal next week.
Sydney's iconic Sydney Opera House is celebrating safety with a week of activities developed by the House's award winning OHS Committee.
The third annual Safety Week program is set to make OHS fun as well as getting important information out to staff with stress management, Tai Chi and Pilates complimenting seminars on such safety staples such as risk management, first aid and manual handling, to name but a few.
The week already looks set to be a success with over 400 participants attending 34 events. Participants are also coming from the State Library, Opera Australia, Sydney Dance Company, the Sydney Convention and exhibition centre and on-site contractors.
"We've developed a good quality program," says OHS Committee member Rachel Franks. "And we've been able to adapt that program to the staff."
Franks puts the success of the Opera House's OHS Committee down to its diversity.
"We're very lucky that the Opera House is an amazing place operating within an amazing industry," says Franks. "Everyone wants to contribute.
"It's not just the responsibility to employees, but also ensuring the safety of the millions of visitors the Opera House receives every year."
Nick Davidson from the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) has praised the work of the Opera House OHS Committee and its co-operative spirit, fully endorsing the activities of safety week.
"The Opera House is not dissimilar to a building site,' says Davidson. "There are significant dangers in working in theatre."
The Opera House OHS Committee was recognised with a UnionSafe Safety Achievement Award in 2003.
The human cost of economic rationalisation is gaining airtime on the big screen thanks to new Australian flick Three Dollars, which is also the cost of preview tickets purchased through Mission Australia and Lastminute.com.
But for the first 20 Workers Online readers to email [email protected] free double passes will make it a cheaper night still when they attend a special screening from 6.30pm, Tuesday 22 March at the Palace Verona, 17 Oxford Street Paddington.
Based on Elliot Perlman's best-selling novel and directed by Robert Connolly (The Bank) Three Dollars is about the fine line that millions of Australian families face everyday - the constant juggling of money, time and commitments.
It's about the importance of family, the resilience of the human spirit, the bureaucratisation of daily life, and the human consequences of economic rationalisation and downsizing. The film deals with issues of depression, financial pressure, fatherhood and social responsibility.
But there are also plenty of laughs in this touching portrayal of modern family life and, as the lead character Eddie discovers, it's amazing how far a little change will get you.
To find out more about the Mission Australia/Last minute.com partnership enabling people to buy preview tickets for $3, visit http://www.lastminute.com.au/missionaustralia
All proceeds from preview tickets sold through this partnership go to Mission Australia.
The increasingly popular day out, Struggles, Scabs and Schooners is back for 2005.
The extended pub crawl that revisits the union movements rich history has been confirmed for 19th March 2005 from 3pm.
This year features four pubs, four struggles, four speakers and a lot of singing (which the organisers stress will be with passion, not necessarily talent).
People are invited to join in the celebration of our great movement - remember & learn about great struggles, drink great beer, and recharge our enthusiasm for the next battle.
The bus is already booked out, but fellow travellers are most welcome (walkers are welcome & free!).
For more information contact Chris Gambian on [email protected]
Bill Clinton has boycotted a US Hotel following management attempts to reduce its workers' health benefit scheme.
Clinton was to attend a lunch at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles sponsored by the Association of Southern California Defense Counsels, this week.
But the former president made the stand after employees at a number of hotels in the chain accused their bosses of intimidation.
Until last month the staff were being charged a $40 monthly health care fee, which the workers' union alleges is illegal.
The union is calling for a boycott of The Century Plaza, The Regent Beverly Wilshire, Sheraton Universal, Hyatt West Hollywood, Hyatt Downtown, Wilshire Grand Hotel, and the Westin Bonaventure.
A housekeeper at the Century Plaza Hotel, Rocksand Ramirez, thanked Clinton for his support of the workers' fight for a health care scheme and decent wages.
Hotel workers have consistently rejected contract proposals because, among other issues, they do not guarantee sufficient employer contributions to maintain, for the duration of the agreement, the same level and quality of health benefits workers fought for and won in past contracts.
"Nothing compares to our family health benefits," said Aida Marmol, a housekeeper at Westin Bonaventure hotel.
"We will never give up fighting to make sure our children can be healthy and get the treatment they deserve."
International Women's Day March
Support women's rights to equality.
Union women are encouraged to march with the "Women in Unions" Banner and to bring their own union flags to show our diversity.
When: 12 noon, Saturday 12th March
Where: Town Hall Square, Sydney followed by a march to Hyde Park North
Further info: Alison Peters mobile 0425 231 814 or [email protected]
Regrowth Revegetation and Music Festival
brought to you by REGEN Projects.
Date: 11th - 13th March (gates open 5pm this Friday 11th)
Location: The Regrwoth Festival will be held approximately 3 hours drive south from Sydney, on a beautiful mountain-top property in the Southern Highlands. The property has 270 degree views of Morton National Park and surrounding southern highlands bushland. Directions for the party will be available from our website - www.regenprojects.org
Music: two stages of music will be provided over the course of the festival, with a combination of electronic, dub, reggae, rock, accoustic, folk etc. etc. A full line-up of the music is available at our website - www.regenprojects.org
Treeplanting: will take place on the Saturday from 10pm, so make sure you get there early.
Tickets: available on the web, various shops, and on the door - $40 + booking fee. Again, check out our website for details - www.regenprojects.org
Thanks for your support. Hope to see you all there.
Cheers
Cameron
RE>GEN Coordinator
Public Symposium "Detention without trial - what are the limits"
stice Michael Kirby will speak about the detention of asylum seekers
When: 6pm Tuesday 15th March
Where: Campbelltown Campus, University of Western Sydney
Cost: Free
Other speakers are Dr Michael Head (Law School UWS) and Mr Harlaan Koops (partner at Henry Davis York)
Palm Sunday rally for Peace
Peace and Justice for the Iraqi People - Australian Troops out now - No more preemptive wars
The Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition are organising a rally and ecumenical service for Peace on Palm Sunday.
When: 2pm Sunday 20th March
Where: Prince Alfred Park, Parramatta (corner of Church St and Victoria Rd)
further info: email [email protected]
GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION
SUNDAY 20th MARCH
12 NOON AT TERRIGAL SKILLION
BRING : * PICNIC LUNCH
* WATER
* UMBRELLAS
* RUGS and a spare blanket or length of cloth with which we will form the word NO as a giant 'patchwork'.
* WEAR A WHITE RIBBON [
white ribbons are a symbol of our grief for all those killed in Iraq and our desire for the war to end. White is the symbol for peace in many countries around the world and the symbol of mourning in others.]
NO war
NO erosion of human rights
NO troops in Iraq
NO Australians in Guantanamo Bay
NO mandatory detention
NO forced deportations
NO deaths in custody
"Measuring Social Results"
NCOSS is holding a half day seminar to look at how the social impact of Government and Corporate performance is, or should be, measured.
When: 9am to 1pm, Monday 21st March
Where: Sydney School of Mechanics and Arts, level 1, 280 Pitt St, Sydney
Cost: $80 ($50 for NCOSS members)
further info: www.ncoss.org.au
Sydney: Is Government Delivering a Livable City?
What sort of city should Sydney be? What challenges does it face? And is Sydney a sustainable and livable city?
The NSW Fabian Society is conducting this seminar with:
Craig Knowles (Minister for Infrastructure & Planning)
Julia Finn (Lord Mayor of Parramatta)
Professor Peter Newman (Murdoch University)
The seminar will be chaired by Sean Kidney, Executive Member of the NSW Fabian Society.
When: Wednesday 23 March from 6.00pm - 7.30pm
Where: Theatrette, NSW Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney
Cost: Free
The controversy of one man - Kisch in Australia
When Czech journalist and peace campaigner Egon Erwin Kisch (1885-1948), came to Australia in November 1934, he challenged a conservative Lyons government, caused a media sensation and won the hearts of many
Australians.
The renowned political activist will be remembered in a new exhibition - Kisch in Australia - opening at the State Library of NSW on 14 February 2005.
The exhibition tells the story of the man who publicly defied the government's ban on his entry to Australia by jumping overboard at Port Melbourne (breaking his leg) in his determination to reach the Australian public with his message of anti-Fascism.
According to State Librarian & Chief Executive Dagmar Schmidmaier AM: "The fascinating story of this extraordinary man will be brought to life through original items from the Library's renowned collection, including Kisch's hand-written notes used in his public speeches."
The exhibition panels also include newspaper reports of the controversy surrounding his arrival, rare protest posters campaigning for Kisch's release and letters written in defence of Kisch's freedom.
Dr Heidi Zogbaum, author of the recently published Kisch in Australia: The untold story (Scribe, 2004) said, "Kisch had the ability to give rousing speeches with limited English and drew enthusiastic crowds wherever he went."
"Kisch was convinced that his ban was the result of Nazi pressure on the Australian government," said Dr Zogbaum, "but he was quite wrong. The newly appointed Attorney-General, Robert Gordon Menzies had staked his reputation on keeping Kisch out of Australia."
After his return to Paris, Kisch worked tirelessly on behalf of his fellow writers who had fallen victim to the Nazi regime. Upon the fall of France in 1940, Kisch managed to escape to Mexico. He returned to Prague in 1946 and died of a massive heart attack in 1948.
"The memory of Kisch is kept alive in Germany through the renowned Egon Erwin Kisch Prize for journalism, which honours the "reporter of truth" in a most fitting way," said Dr Roland Goll, Director of the Goethe-Institut, Sydney, who initiated and is supporting the exhibition.
Kisch in Australia is a free exhibition in the State Library's Picture Gallery from 14 February - 24 April 2005. It will then travel to the Migration Museum in Adelaide.
Community Organising School
In light of the re-election of the Federal Liberal Government, reflecting on and increasing our ability to organise and work across movements is vital. We can gain strength if we learn new strategies for working with people from different sectors and experiences.
The Community Organising School 2005 is a part of a broader project that seeks to link experienced organisers from a variety of movements, including community organisations, the union movement, environmentalists and social justice movements, to learn together and to build our collective strength.
Details of the School
The School will be held at Currawong (Pittwater training facility) from Sunday April 3 to Wednesday April 6 2005. It is the first of a variety of cross-movement, capacity building projects to begin in 2005.
People attending the School will learn, share and build organising techniques for expanding our capacity and effectiveness for social change in Sydney and NSW. It will run sessions to draw out experiences and lessons on effective organising and social change practices from participants.
The School�s residential accommodation only allows us to provide 40 places and we are aiming to have a very diverse range of participants in the school. For this reason we are asking people to go through a registration process. If your or your organisation is interested in participating in the school, we request that you distribute the attached registration form to individuals in your organisation, or to other organisations that you work with, and encourage them to register for the School. Registrations are due by Friday 11 February.
The registration fee for the school will be approximately $300 per person (including three and a half days of training, accommodation and food). However we do not want costs to prevent people from registering. If your organisation cannot afford this cost, please indicate this on the registration form. We are seeking sponsorship from larger organisations to subsidise the costs of others. Please do not see costs as a barrier to attendance.
The Community Organising School is the culmination of a year-long discussion between union organisers, community organisations, adult educators and environmentalists. While the School is the first public project, it will be one of many opportunities provided to reflect and learn about community organising. To find out more about the School or to discuss how you can participate in this exciting and timely project feel free to contact either:
Tony Brown, Centre for Popular Education [email protected]
Christine Laurence, Western Sydney Community Forum [email protected] 9637 6190
Melanie Gillbank, Search Foundation [email protected] 0403 051 606
Amanda Tattersall, Unions NSW [email protected] 0409 321 133
Community Organising School Committee
C/- Centre for Popular Education, UTS
PO Box 123
Broadway 2007
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Community Organising School
3- 6 April 2005
Currawong, Pittwater
Aims
To increase our ability to organise and work across movements in order to build cross movement collaboration, by:
o providing the opportunity for organisers and activists to share their experiences with other organisers and activists working in different fields
o identifying differences while examining commonalities and opportunities for working together
o learning, sharing and developing organising techniques for expanding our capacity and effectiveness for social change
o discussing different approaches to strategic campaigning and community organising
The School will draw on the experience, knowledge and expertise of those attending.
Are you organising for social and economic change?
Concerned at the growing power of employers, the state and big business?
Concerned at the state of advocacy and activist groups to influence the agenda?
Wanting to turn the tide and re-build grassroots capacity in local communities and the workplace?
Wanting to build cross movement collaboration?
We are seeking organisers working in/with:
social movements,
young people,
environmental advocacy,
resident action
trade unions
popular arts, cultural development and education
migrant communities,
community organizing and development organisations
student organising
who are committed to working for social, economic and environmental justice.
What's in it for you?
The School will:
bring together organisers and activists from across different sites of activism who are focused on developing new ways of working to build strong and effective organizations,
enable participants to meet, learn from and work with organisers in different fields of practice,
provide an environment where organisers from a range of backgrounds can develop mutual respect, understanding and knowledge,
develop networks as a continuing resource of skills, expertise and influence, and
challenge you to think and act differently.
________________________________________
The program will run from Sunday afternoon April 3 � Wednesday April 6 2005. The Community Organising School is a residential weekend; applicants must be available to attend the entire event.
Union Aid Abroad APHEDA raffle
The annual Union Aid Abroad APHEDA raffle is on again. There are wonderful prizes including an around the world trip for two and the proceeds go to UAA-APHEDA's work to help build human rights, workers' rights and justice in developing countries. If you can sell a book of tickets to friends, family and workmates please contact UAA - APHEDA on tel. 1800 888 674 or by email [email protected]
The raffle closes on June 2nd with the winner drawn on June 16th.
There can be no doubt in any sane person's mind as to the outcomes and the manner in which the Carr Government has achieved them over the last 18 months.
Particularly those Ministers whose behaviours and performances leave a taste in the mouth that requires the addition of copious amounts of Listerine to plain old Sydney Water to remove.
The behaviour of some of these Ministers if not so serious would be comical.
So, it was no surprise then, when an old Comrade who has survived the grim reaper at Sydney Water, showed me an "Every Drop Count Mug", which employees have been receiving.(Perhaps a reflection of the esteem in which their employer held them)
The novel way in which the colour changed in a large blue dot in the shape of a water drop on exposing the revelation that:
Saving water saves:
Water Costs
Energy costs
Chemical costs
Maintenance costs
This created in me a desire for one of these "Mugs" to place on my desk as a constant reminder to save water.
So, in my naivety and assuming that as a consumer I would be a prime target for the distribution of these "MUGS" I rang the Ministers office requesting a "MUG"!
You can imagine how my disappointment turned to frustration as I was sent from the Ministers office to the electoral office then to the media officer, who informed me that the "MUGS" were only for the employees?
Well I think that was what he said?
To cut a long story short:
"As one who has had considerable interaction with the Minister and he has in fact said on the Terry Willesee Show Radio 2GB "Its people like that I want working for me" , I find it hard to believe that there are no "Mugs" in the Ministers office if only for the reason that it is an absolute absurdity to restrict a save water campaign to those whose livelihood depends upon its usage.
There is an old saying "Get me a Mug, and don't come back with water".
Are you available Frank?
Yes Minister!
Tom Collins
The ANZ fought the FSU tooth and nail over making its branches secure and then, after it's taken to court over the Brookvale robberies, ploughed $55 million into security.
Meanwhile staff at the Peakhurst branch are terrorised four times in eight months.
At the same time malignant moron Janet Albrechtsen is accusing the union of bringing prosecutions simply to line the coffers of the labor paty.
I hope now she has learnt to research her work properly before calculating how much she will make for each word of erroneous and poisonous copy.
And by the way, now the banks want us to pay for electronic gadgets so our financial details are safe when we use internet banking.
The bank of Bendigo has already started the fun charging customers $15.00 each.
But why should we bear the cost when it the banks who have benefited the most from closing branches?
They have no shame - it's not even as if they DO anything, they just make money from money.
Or do they really believe the provide "financial services"?
It just goes to prove usery should be banned or at the very least banks nationalised.
They've had their chance.
Timothy Rennie
While our captains of industry moan about a shortage of labour and calls for more government hand-outs, and policy makers scratch their heads about the appropriate response, nobody seems to be talking about the bleeding obvious - this is a failure of market deregulation writ large.
There was a time when the big public sector agencies not only delivered services to the community but were the training ground of the blue collar workforce.
Qantas, Telecom, the railways, electricity commissions and water boards - they trained young Australians in their tens of thousands every year, a public investment in the nation's future economic prosperity.
As recently as the mid-eighties Government Business Enterprises employed 21 per cent of all electrical apprentices, 10 per cent of building apprentices and nine per cent of metal apprentices.
Through the late eighties and nineties these organised were privatised or corporatised on the grounds that private sector disciplines would lead to 'more efficient' service delivery.
Deciphered, this meant that in order to deliver a profit to either shareholders or the government, the said organisations would need to shed workers, charge consumers more and pay their managers a whole lot extra.
To prove their inflated value these managers would need to find ways to cut the costs of their organisation and one of the easiest cuts was getting rid of apprentice schemes.
After all, when you judge your performance over a 12 month cycle, where is the benefit in investing time and effort in training someone who may not reap a return for years into the future?
They were nothing if not effective. By the late 1990's Government Business Enterprise apprenticeships had been reduced by 80 per cent. In all, it's been estimated that the withdrawal of the public sector accounted for around one third of the decline in apprentice intakes over the last 10 years.
So what happened to the training agenda?
At the behest of business, the government switched the emphasis to government subsidies via the New Apprenticeship schemes, a version of corporate welfare designed to provide a cost incentive to invest in young people.
True to form the business community has proceeded to rort this system in a manner that would do the National Party proud, turning burger flipping, cappacino making and cleaning into 'trades' - despite the fact these are high-churn industries where the benefits of training are never realised.
Of course, the attraction of this type of training is that it is cheap and fast for the employer to deliver - compared to the rigour of traditional apprenticeships; while failing to demonstrate any semblance of a career structure.
The collapse of public sector apprentiships and the abuse of these youth training subsidies are the root cause of the decade-long lag in training that is now biting us on the collective backside.
The response of our pro-business, 'let enterprise be free', federal government has been illuminating.
First and foremost, it is attempting to dampen the economically rational response to high demand in labour (ie wage rises) by taking away the few remaining rights to collectively bargain. Even business, when you strip away the BCA opportunism, recognises that IR is not the main game.
In fact, if the New Zealand experience is anything to go by, deregulation actually exacerbates the skills shortage - the lower wages pushing workers offshore leaving a massive gap in the labour market.
Secondly, it is throwing more money at employers to establish their own training institutions, free of the constraints of educational principles - surely a case of throwing good money after bad.
Instead, government - at both federal and state levels - should be using its considerable influence as a purchaser of private sector goods and services to require training of young people. The seeds of such a procurement policy have already been sown in NSW and should be expanded.
And finally, in a superb display of political irony, they are opening the gates to guest workers to fill the short term gaps, many of whom could well be the more fortunate cousins of the political refugees we went into a lather trying to keep out of our country just a few short years ago.
The skills shortage exposes weaknesses in the Australian economy, but in addressing the impact in a piecemeal fashion that is still premised on the efficiency of the free market, we risk compounding the problems even further.
Peter Lewis
Editor
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