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Spin Cycle
As another successful Week of Action comes to an end, we have again been exposed to the Howard Government�s defence of its IR laws, perhaps the flimsiest in Australian political history.
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.
Bold Post Spy at Rally
NRL Throws Tradition a Dummy
Ballarat Derails AWA Push
Graphic Glimpse Behind the Veil
Biz Blows Cover
John Howard Vs God (0:1)
Andrews A Bit Rich on Wages
Sydney Backs Booze Deliverers
Record Numbers in Blacktown
Hardie Busted Over Burn Victim
Sacked Mum Has Last Laugh
Unions: Book Dodgy AWA Bosses
Jobs War Gathers Pace
Activist's What's On!
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.
Man-Goat Love Drug Link
Dare To Dream
Better Get A Lawyer
The Last Laugh
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News
Biz Blows Cover
One third of business owners disagree with the Howard Government's industrial relations laws, while leading economists say there are no benefits for Australia.
A survey by the Australian Institute of Management found 33.9 per cent of business owners disagree on some level to WorkChoices effect on employment conditions.
Executives and CEOs are the strongest supporters with only one fifth disagreeing.
Although under a half of low-level staff surveyed disagreed, the majority disagreed with changes to individual contracts (61.6 per cent), union restrictions (54.7 per cent), unfair dismissal (59.4 per cent) and job security (74.2 per cent).
Meanwhile, BIS Shrapnel's Economic Outlook bulletin warns instead of helping the economy, WorkChoices will just give more money to the boss.
The Howard Government's failure to invest in skills training and public infrastructure is threatening to constrain the future growth of the Australian economy and could lead to future interest rate raises.
According to senior economist, Matthew Hassan, the laws are "deflecting the debate away from how to grow the [economic] pie bigger, to how best to cut it up".
"The policy problem for the Australian Government is that, to improve growth, the economy needs measures that improve labour productivity and increase the pool of skilled labour."
ACTU President Sharan Burrow the report vindicated the unions arguments against the laws.
"The laws have nothing to do with helping the economy and everything to do with increasing big business profits at the expense of the job security, working conditions, wages and living standards of working families," she said.
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Issue 313 contents
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