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Issue No. 289 11 November 2005  
 
F E A T U R E S

Interview: Public Defender
The CPSU's Stephen Jones has confronted the Howard Government's IR agenda at close quarters.

Legal: Craig's Story
An inquest in western NSW is a cautionary tale of the use of AWAs, writes Ian Latham

Unions: Wrong Way, Go Back
The WorkChoice legislation sends Australia down the wrong economic road by smashing the instittutions that have made it strong, argues Greg Combet.

Industrial: WhatChoice?
The Howard Government has shown itself to be the master of illusion, writes Dr Anthony Forsyth

Politics: Queue Jumping
The changes to industrial laws, betray a new vision of Australian society, writes James Gallaway.

History: Iron Heel
Conservative governments using laws to take away basic civil rights. It's nothing new, writes Rowan Cahill

Economics: Waging War
When was the last time you heard an Australian politician talk about incomes policy, asks Matt Thistlethwaite

International: Under Pressure
The push for UN intervention in Burma is intensifying, following a report by Vaclav Havel and Bishop Desmond Tutu into slave labour.

Poetry: Billy Negotiates An AWA
More and more people are meeting Billy, the hero of page 15 of the WorkChoices booklet, including our resident bard, David Peetz

Review: A Pertinent Proposition
Nick Cave's "Australian western" touches on some themes still relevant today, Julianne Taverner writes.

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L A T E S T   N E W S

Nobody Expects the Construction Inquisition
Perth building workers were barred from choosing their legal representatives during the first week of secret interrogations held by John Howard's Australian Building and Construction Commission.

The decision forced at least one worker to go before investigators, armed with sweeping coercive powers, without any representation. [full story]

Howard in Redundancy Raid
The AMWU is moving to prevent John Howard stripping millions of away from 450 redundant Melbourne workers.

�Under John Howard�s new laws these people could lose most of their redundancy payments at a stroke of the company�s pen,� assistant Victorian secretary, Steve Dargavel, said. [full story]

States Sidestep Wage Hurdle
In a bid to beat federal government's destruction of the minimum wage, unions have filed a four percent wage claim for those workers who will remain on state awards.

In a move coordinated nationally, peak union bodies launched the bid in all states, except Victoria where the Kennet Government gave up workers to the Commonwealth in the nineties. [full story]

Catholics Bless Day of Action
The Catholic Church is practicing what it preaches by giving its flock the right to attend November 15 protests against John Howard's new workplace laws.

In contrast to employers such as the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and Qantas, the Catholic Commission for Employment Relations has announced employees have the right to stop work to attend Tuesday's rallies. [full story]

PacNat Bids to Railroad Future
Railworkers are standing up to Pacific National's insistence that it be allowed to strip money from the pockets of future generations.

Pacific National negotiators have told RTBU reps the push to dud new starters is not an issue of cost but rather one of �philosophy�. [full story]

Feds Authorise Invasion
Employers are under-writing a Filipino invasion in a bid to hold down Aussie wages, according to the AMWU.

Queensland state secretary, Andrew Dettmer, levelled the charge in response to Drake Personnel's announcement that it intends using short-term visas to flood the market with 3500 �trades people�. [full story]

ALSO MAKING NEWS

 Howard Censors Workers

 Sol Plays Dumb Card

 Boycott Hangs Over Hardie

 Directile Dysfunction

 Pirates Face Kofi Break

 Miners Don�t Dig Safety Levy

 Keep the Spirit Alive

 Activist's What's On!

email workers to a friend latest breaking news from labornet
�On or off the field it�s strong teamwork, not individualism, that gets results. Just as strong team work wins games, it is collective strength that ensures working people win their fair share. That�s why I�m speaking out against the Howard Government�s plan to stiff-arm people�s rights at work." Rugby League's, Tom Raudonikis

E D I T O R I A L
We are currently witnessing the most brazen political power play since the 1975 Dismissal � only this time it is not a government being put to the knife but an institution that has been part of Australian life since before Federation.

The Whole Troeth

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Men and Women of Australia
What makes a perfect speech? Michael Fullilove has scoured Australian history to find out.

The Locker Room
The Hungry Years
Phil Doyle gets the feeling we�ve been here before

Culture
From Little Things
Paul Kelly's song about the battle for land rights misses one important character, writes Graham Ring

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Ian West takes a look at Public Private Partnerships, and wonders if we should all just drink rum�


LETTERS to the Editor
 Just AWBul
 Convict Costello
 We're Just Serfin'
 Take Warning
 Smells Familiar
 Howard's Gas
 Andrews' Operandi
 To the Shredder
 Stop Violence

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