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Please Explain
It may become the defining irony of the Howard Era that a government that rode to power on the skirt of One Nation and hung there on the bridge of the Tampa is now opening our borders to hordes of low paid guest workers.
Interview: Court's in Session
As the silks line up to challenge WorkChoices, Jeff Shaw is fighting for his own legacy - the NSW IR system.
Industrial: Whose Choices?
The Howard Government's WorkChoices legislation has been dissected by lawyers and the commentariat; now it's the turn of political economists.
Politics: Peter's Principles
Forget John Howard. The force behind WorkChoices is Peter Costello. The Prime Minister-in-waiting has devoted a lifetime to undermining the security and living standards of Australian families, Jim Marr reports.
Environment: TINA or Greener?
What does the greenhouse effect and legislation to control workers have in common, asks Neale Towart
History: Its Not Just Handshakes and Aprons
Power. They have it, we want it. Friendly societies tried to keep it for working people, writes Neale Towart
International: US Locks out Jose' Bove
The US Government has refused to allow France's most famous farmer Jose Bove into the country to address a conference
Education: No AWA - No Job
The Howard Government has given the Australian community its first view of the future by forcing new staff at Ballarat University to sign an Australian Workplace Agreement if they want a job, writes Jenny Macklin.
Culture: Jesus was a Long-Grass Man
The writings of a Middle Eastern theologian may provide guidance to those grappling with indigenous issues, writes Graham Ring
Review: Charlie the Serf
Nathan Brown takes the sledgehammer (and sickle) to Mr Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
 Local Jockey Odds Shorten
Conscience II - RU4 Aussie Jobs?
Online Porkies Spark Class Action
Captain Cook Discovers WorkChoices
Skippy's Escape Breaks Law
PM's Pay Day
STOP PRESS - 262 Day Strike Set To Finish
Strike Sticks it to Glue Boss
Fair Pay Chief Wages War
Millionaires Score Tax Break
Memo Costa: Remember Your Roots
Gate Crashing Gourmet
Australia Mum On Basic Rights
Filipinos Pay for Packed House
Son of Wal-Mart Pinged $2M
Trust Me, I’m a Unionist
Activist's Whats On!
The Soapbox
Hitler in Bowral
Political censorship has made its wasy to the sleepy Southern Highlands, wrties Rowan Cahill. The Locker Room
No Laughing Matter
Phil Doyle tries to take Australian sportspeople seriously, and fails. Parliament
The Westie Wing
Ian West is mistakenly sent an advance copy of John Winston Howard’s Little Blue Book of Australian History…
AWB Kickbacks to Iraq
The Black GST
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News
Strike Sticks it to Glue Boss
Workers at a Sydney glue factory have forced management to quit stalling for the introduction Work Choices and renegotiate their collective agreement.
Sika has agreed to negotiate a collective agreement after 20 workers at its Wetherill Park plant in Western Sydney went out on strike.
National Union of Workers state secretary Derek Beelan said Sika was one of many companies trying to hold off on workplace negotiations ahead of the introduction of the Howard Government's Work Choices legislation.
"The situation at Sika has highlighted the most basic point in the relationship between employers and employees - bosses need workers for production, and workers have the ability to withdraw labour," Beelan said.
"No matter how many changes John Howard imposes upon working Australians, all workers and their unions should always bear this basic point in mind."
Meanwhile union pressure has forced many employees into negotiating new collective agreements.
Almost 3400 union-negotiated agreements were certified in the second half of last year, more than double the 1450 certified during the first half of the year.
ACTU secretary Greg Combet said this was due to a concerted effort by unions to protect conditions following the majority gained by the coalition in the Senate.
Combet told The Age newspaper many companies did not want to be guinea pigs for the new laws.
"They want to get on with their business, make sure their workforce is organised, that pay and conditions are equitable and that there's a decent agreement in place," he said.
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Issue 295 contents
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