E D I T O R I A L

The Power of Ones
Lorissa Sevens is no shrinking violet; she had mown down attackers for her nation playing defence for the Matildas. But even this sort of toughness means nothing in the face of WorkChoices.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: The Month Of Living Dangerously
When the mobs took over the streets of Dili it was the people of East Timor that bore the brunt. Elisabeth Lino de Araujo from Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA was there to witness what happened.

Unions: Staying Mum
Penrith mums, Linda Everingham and Jo Jacobson, are at the heart of a grassroots campaign to boot Jackie Kelly, out of federal parliament. Jim Marr caught up with one half of the sister act.

Economics: Precious Metals
There's a lot of spin around AWAs in the mining industry, but Tony Maher argues all that glitters is not gold.

Industrial: The Cold 100
The Iemma Government has come up with 100 reasons why WorkChoices is a dud, with 100 examples of ripped off workers

History: The Vinegar Hill Mob
This month's Blacktown Rally was not the first time workers had stood up for their rights in the region, writes Andrew Moore.

Legal: Free Agents
Is an independent contractor a small businessperson or a worker? The answer depends upon whether the contractor is genuinely ‘independent’ or not, writes Even Jones.

Politics: Under The Influence
Bob Gould thinks Sonny Bill Williams is a hunk; he reveals all in a left wing view of The Bulletin’s 100 most influential Australians, questioning the relevance of some, and adding a few of his own.

International: How Swede It Was
Geoff Dow pays tribute to the passing of Rudolf Meidner, one of the architects of the Swedish model of capitalism.

Review: Keating's Men Slam Dance on Howard
These punk rockers are out to KO WorkChoices. Nathan Brown joins the fray.

N E W S

Jihad Johnny Targets Perth

Rio Sets Up Own Goal

Telstra Fails to Snag Protest

AWAs Bucket Queenslanders

Kev Gives Aussies the Finger

Movie Blue: Win-Win for Critics

Wage Cut Scam Legal

Hardie Boss Takes 60 Percent Rise

The Stack Goes On

Boss Opens Door For Thieves

Hendy Banks on Mass Amnesia

Eisteddfod Win: Your Rock At Work

Airline Crashes Into Paypackets

Canucks Can BHP

Activist's What's On!

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Work Choice: US Military Style
John Howard has learnt a few lessons on workers rights from his Texan buddy, writes Rowan Cahill.

Politics
Westie Wing
As Pru Goward slams into the glass ceiling of the NSW Liberal Party, Ian West considers how women are faring under the Howard-Costello Government.

The Locker Room
A World Away
Phil Doyle is pleased that a display of subtle beauty and athletic grace has been overtaken by some good old-fashioned mindless violence

L E T T E R S

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Airline Crashes Into Paypackets

Global Tele Sales (GTS) has been investigated by the Victorian work rights watchdog, which has referred its AWAs to the Equal Opportunity Commission over fears the contracts are discriminatory.

The AWAs, put before 80 call centre staff, include penalties for taking sick and carers leave under a "bonus scheme".

"Deductions to an employee's bonus will apply even where they are taking leave within the legal minimum provided by the Federal Workplace Relations Act," says Australian Services Union (ASU) state secretary Ingrid Stitt. "Employees who take sick leave or carer's leave are penalised financially under the company's bonus scheme."

The Company has introduced an elaborate and confusing performance bonus scheme which delivers bonuses ranging from 0% - 4% per quarter. Maximum bonuses are linked to exceeding KPIs (key performance indicators), taking no more than one personal leave day, and never being late for work.

The Australian Services Union (ASU) says the complex bonus scheme will be virtually impossible to achieve.

The Company's own briefing concedes employees' base wages will be cut by up to 10 per cent. Penalty rates are also cut across the almost 24 hour operation, with penalties for work on public holidays and Sundays reduced by a quarter and the penalty for work before 7am and after 7pm Monday to Fridays removed completely.

Global Tele Sales claims it is not putting pressure on employees to sign the AWAs, but in their own documentation the Company makes it clear that:

* The conditions offered are not negotiable;

* The Company will not negotiate a new collective agreement, but if it does it will be on the same or less favourable terms;

* Any employee who doesn't sign won't get Lufthansa travel privileges, and

* If targets for productivity increase and cost efficiencies are not met, "the Company [will have] no choice but to seek concessions from those who have not signed an AWA".

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Last Modified: 07 Jul 2006