E D I T O R I A L

Truth In Advertising
In the past seven days we have witnessed the unprecedented spectacle of a Howard Minister attempting to campaign on �Truth�. That it has come back to bite him on the bum is the clearest proof yet of some eternal notion of justice.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: The Baby Drought
Social ethicist Leslie Cannold has delved into why women - and men - are having fewer children. And it all comes back to the workplace.

Industrial: Lies, AWAs and Statistics
David Peetz uncovers the truth behind the latest statistics on earnings under Australian Workplace Agreements.

Workplace: The Invisible Parents
Current government policies about work and family do not reflect the realities of either family life or the modern workplace. writes Don Edgar.

History: Bruce�s Big Blunder
The Big Fella, Jack Lang, gives an eyewitness account of the last time Conservatives tried to dismantle Australia�s industrial relations system.

Politics: All God's Children
The battle for morality is not confined to Australian polittics. Michael Walzer writes on the American perspective

Economics: Spun Out
The business groups are feeling cocky. The feds have announced their IR changes, business says they don't go far enough. What a surprise, writes Neale Towart

International: Shakey Trials
Lyndy McIntyre argues the New Zealnd IR experiment provides warnings - and hope - for the Australian union movement.

Legal: Civil Distrubance
Tom Roberts argues that there is more at stake than an attack on building workers in the looming legsilation.

Review: Crash Course In Racism
Paul Haggis flick Crash suggests that when cars collide the extent of people's prejudices are revealed sans the usual veil of political correctness, writes Tara de Boehmler.

Poetry: You're Fired
New laws will leave bosses holding the whip and workers with a Raw Hide, writes resident bard David Peetz

N E W S

Choice Bro, Andrews Unmasked

Rev Kev�s Big Stick

Grass Roots Flourish

Academics Give an F

Feds Invoke Feared Beard

Mum Gives Johnny the Slip

Hadgkiss in Family Friendly Assault

Slick Operator Goes Down

Tassie in Grip of Chip Strip

Elderly Boss Gets Cranky

Army Used To Privatise Phones

Dangerous Vic bosses face slammer

Activists Whats On!

C O L U M N S

The Locker Room
Ashes to Dust
In which Phil Doyle travels to distant lands in search of a meat pie, and prepares for the joys of sleep deprivation

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Ian West lists the Top Ten reasons why workers in NSW can gain some solace from having the Labor Party sitting on the Treasury benches�

The Soapbox
Dear John
In response to this year�s Federal Budget, Bishop Kevin Manning wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard

L E T T E R S

WHAT YOU CAN DO

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Do or die time

Let's not screw around. Let's hit back at the proposed IR reform legislation in a painful, paralysing and brutally hard hitting manner! That's my answer to Howards' offer!

The union movement is out financed, out numbered and largely out psyched. For a large majority that reside in this world that revolves around greed, consumerism, money, lust and a dog eat dog mentality the union movement is looked down upon as a poor lost child which represents the losers of society that belly aches a lot but has no real voice anymore as to the outcome of the forgone conclusions set by Government agenda.

Us union members have got our backs to the wall on this one and big business is out for the kill. Over the past decade in particular, legislation has clamped down severely upon the working class of this society in a slow, almost unrecognisable, manner that has eroded us of basic working rights. On top of this the government has opened or will open trade deals with countries considered to be ruled by despots and whose people are nothing more than life long slaves to the whims of money hungry bureaucrats ravaged by the notion of their own gluttony and self-importance.

Already the door has been slammed shut on many avenues of redress. In very near future I believe, as many of my co-workers believe, that unless the union movement takes a hard line with hard hitting drastic action now that we will leave behind a shameful set of employment conditions for the next generation to inherit. Shameful due to the fact that we took no action when the time to act was upon us.

I call upon all union members to push for industrial action in the face of Howard's implementation of the revamped IR legislation. I believe this is the only definite way of demonstrating to the government the true power of the Australian working class.

Lets not kid ourselves, we haven't much left to bargain with and nothing to lose. Become like me - a staunch, firebrand unionist. Prepare for the stoush of a lifetime or die with regret!

Victor Horvat

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005