E D I T O R I A L

Brand Spanking
It took the Easter Bunny, a couple of diplomatic crises and a bit of classic Howard wedge politics to shift industrial relations off the front pages, but if you think the story is over, forget it.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Head On
John Buchanan has been warning that WorkChoices would be a car crash. Now he surveys the damage.

Unions: Do You Have a Moment?
CFMEU Mining national secretary Tony Maher lets fly at the new industrial laws.

Industrial: Vital Signs
In his new book, Craig Emerson argues that destroying unionism will not be in Australia's long term interests.

Economics: Taxing Times
Frank Stilwell argues that there are progressive alternatives to the slash and burn approach to tax reform.

Environment: It Ain’t Necessarily So
Don't let anyone tell you that jobs and the environment are opposities, argues Neale Towart.

History: Melbourne’s Hours
Neale Towart reluctantly pays homage to Victoria's celebration of the eight hour day.

Immigration: Opening the Floodgates
John Howard is deciding more and more foreign workers should come into this country - without the rights of citizenship, writes John Sutton,

Review: Pollie Fiction
For someone barely 25 years Sarah Doyle has an enviable track record in theatre behind her.

Poetry: The Cabal
Poetry returns to Workers Online with this rollicking ode to employer power.

N E W S

Costello Plans Super Swindle

Control Freak Turns Hand to AWAs

‘Clean Start’ Sweeps Into Action

Fleas Leave Andrews Scratching

The $130 Question: What is He On?

Howard Stings Liberal Mum

Apprentices Assume Missionary Position

$80,000 for Friendly Act

David Phoenix Rises Again

Rights At Work Worth Playing For

Qantas Sackings Grounded

Eight Hours Play

TWU Boss Gaoled

Activist's What's On!

C O L U M N S

Politics
Democracy in Action
Former NSW Premier Neville Wran's speech to commemorate 150 years of responsible government.

Politics
The Westie Wing
There has been activity aplenty in the NSW Parliament this month, reports Ian West.

The Soapbox
From Chaver to Cobber
John Robertson, Unions NSW Secretary, hosting Passover at Sydney Trades Hall discovers the first comrades followed a bloke called Moses.

Postcard
Postcard from New Orleans
Mark Brenner surveys the long-term impact of Hurricane Katrina on the regions workers.

The Locker Room
My Country Right Or In Lane Five
Phil Doyle observes the golden shower at the recent Commonwealth Games, and asks what it means for the last great unpredictable drama.

Obituary
Vale Bill Hartley
Unlike some of his comrades, Bill Hartley never departed from his position as a radical nor did he die rich in assets, writes Bob Scates.

L E T T E R S

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Well That Clears That Up Then

Att: Paul Howes - Are there any tuckpointers out there

A tuck pointer is a tradesman that prepares once ungauged brickwork to produce tuckpointing, the lost art of false jointing. Bricks were kilned and gauged per batch size that varied some in wood fired kilns and clay type.

The tuck pointer was responsible for pointing the lime mortar joints with as similar matching mortar with an array of oxides and soils. ( An art in itself ) From the usually Indian red mortar a paint wash mixed if necassary and trade secret additives were mixed in the wash solution to provide bonding and applied to provide consistency across the entire wall.

While the red pointing was relatively fresh a usually white to cream stopping was mixed with added trade secret binding agents and whiteners. The stopping was applied with a special iron the width of the required joint from a feathered wooden straight edge placed to the wall leaving a raised joint some half a mm high.

The frills remaining were cut via the straightedge with a special tuck pointing tool known as a frenchman cutting some of the red mortar with the frenchman to provide the crisp clean joint that is left.

Today techniques have changed and chemical binding is used rather than the traditional wet to wet methods of years gone by. A skill that would test the most experience of wet trade.

That same method was used on many types of stone.

That is the trade of tuckpointer.

Neil

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