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| Issue No 26 |  |
13 August 1999 |
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NewsDIR Launches Indigenous Employment UnitBy Deirdre Mahoney
The launch of a kit produced by the Department of Industrial Relations' Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workplace Services Unit in Sydney this week came with a sobering word of warning for unions.
DIR Director-General Warwick McDonald said the unit, which has been set up to improve the employment conditions of indigenous workers, has already discovered that those likely to use its services are unlikely to be a member of a union, despite the collective ideals unions uphold. DIR has been developing the kit over the past 10 months, after learning that: � there are low levels of use of DIR's existing services by indigenous people � there are low levels of knowledge about employment and industrial rights and obligations demonstrated by managers of organisations which employ indigenous people � the status of award coverage is unclear for some organisations covering indigenous workers � there was a low level of recognition in awards and EAs of the family and social obligations faced by indigenous workers, and � existing efforts needed to be supported. McDonald's message was reinforced by Julie Smith, who worked with the Department to develop a new culture. She explained that indigenous workers did not have the same "self-encased" view of responsibility as other Australian workers. They were taught a collective responsibility and understanding of that by unions and others who believed in collectivism could lead to a path for negotiation. Indigenous workers can contact the telephone hotline service on 1300-361 968 for the cost of a local call, and the kit, which gives information to both managers and employees on indigenous employment issues, is available from DIR.
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   Republic: Looking Forward With the Republic referendum threatening to run off the rails, supporters of an Australian Head of State need to reclaim the debate from the lawyers. Interview: Chatting With KateWorkers Online�s first ever Net night was held in the Yap chatroom this week. Labor IT spokeswoman Kate Lundy stepped up to the plate to talk Politics in a Wired World. Unions: Simply the Best!A major international study has ranked Australian seafarers the world's best. Technology: Unions Log In to Online YapA Conference on Unions and Information Technology for the Australasian Region will be held in Melbourne: November 15-17. History: Edmund Who?John Passant lifts the veil on Our first Prime Minister, a bloke called Barton. International: Turkish Miners' Leader MurderedSemsi Denizer, President of the Turkish miners' union Genel Maden-Is, was shot dead outside his home last Friday evening. Labour Review: What's New at the Organising CentreRead the latest issue of Labour Review, Labor Council's resource for students and activists. Review: Working Class Boyssilverchair might have a new sound, but they�re part of a rich Australian music tradition.
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