E D I T O R I A L

I'm No Economist, But �.
I'm no economist, but there a few things about the national economic debate right now that I don't quite get.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Rock Solid
Bill Shorten gives the inside story on the Australian Workers Union's involvement in the Beaconsfield rescue.

Industrial: Eight Simple Rules for Employing My Teenage Daughter
Phil Oswald bought up his kids to believe in their rights; so when his 16-year old daughter was told to cop a pay cut she was never going to take it quietly.

Politics: The Johnnie Code
WorkChoices is encrypted deep in the PM's political DNA, writes Evan Jones

Energy: Fission Fantasies
Adam Ma�anit looks at the big business push behind the 'clean nuclear' debate that is sweeping the globe.

History: All The Way With Clarrie O'Shea
The WorkChoices Penal Powers are the latest in a long line of penal sanctions against trade unions, writes Neale Towart

International: Closer to Home
If Australia can forgive its debt to Iraq, why not to Indonesia and the Philippines, write Luke Fletcher and Karen Iles

Economics: Taking the Fizz
While the Treasurer has been popping the post-Budget champers, Frank Stilwell gives a more sober assessment.

Unions: Stronger Together
Amanada Tattersall looks at the possibilities of strengthening alliances between unions, environmental and community organisations

Review: Montezuma's Revenge
Tommy Lee Jones directs and stars in a film about racism and retribution, writes James Gallaway.

Poetry: Fair Go Gone
Employers in the land rejoice, for we are girt by greed.

N E W S

Grandmother Fights Fabrication Company

Bog Standards, Hanssen Exposed

Foxtel Channels Contracts

Telstra Dials Up A Shocker

Viva La Resolution

Smirk Boss Loses Control

Iemma Told To Change At Central

On The Tiles

APHEDA Offices Attacked

Vanstone Sits On Wages

PM Slap for Battered Women

"Spineless" Andrews Apologises

Howard Lags �Best Practice�

Harper's Bizarre Theories

Process Abused - Call Peter McIlwain

Activists What's On!

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
The Beaconsfield Declaration
As the Prime Minister feted Brant Webb and Todd Russell, their colleagues were outside with a message to the rest of Australia.

The Locker Room
Run Like You Stole Something
Phil Doyle observes that there are some tough bastards out there.

Parliament
The Westie Wing
That fun-loving friend of the workers, Ian West, reports from the red leather of the Bear Pit.

Education
Class Action
Phil Bradley draws the lines between education funding and the current skills crisis.

L E T T E R S

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Process Abused - Call Peter McIlwain

NSW secretary, Andrew Ferguson, says the Advocate, solely responsible for certifying collective agreements, is striking out anything that aids collective representation.

Ferguson is furious about the advocate declaring paid delegate's meetings, organised by Unions NSW, "prohibited content".

The Advocate is aggressive in ruling out paid leave to attend any union gatherings, including safety training, even where employers agree.

But Ferguson says it is wrong, in law, in the case of Unions NSW.

"The legislation is clear. We accept legally we cannot have a clause that allows workers to attend a paid union meeting," Ferguson said.

"But the statute is equally clear about what constitutes a union. Unions NSW is not registered under the act and cannot, legally, be considered a trade union.'

Ferguson said the OEA had put lines through dozens of agreed clauses in CFMEU agreements.

The Advocate, Peter McIlwain, made it clear in Senate Estimates, last week, that he checked collective agreements for prohibited content but not check non-union individual contracts that he knew undercut minimums "protected by law".

McIlwain told the Senate that while no individual contracts had been checked, 250 had been analysed and every one of them scrapped at least one protected condition.

"The Employment Advocate has the final say on anything we negotiate," Ferguson said. "There is no appeal, his say is final.

"If we include anything he doesn't like we face massive fines but he doesn't even check individual contracts.

"It's a complete abuse of process."

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Last Modified: 09 Jun 2006