E D I T O R I A L

Give Truth A Chance
Civic values - aah another boring conservative rant. Well, perhaps, but here goes.

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

Howard's $30m Rip Off

Jetstar Sells Job Interviews

Jail or Jobs - Seamen Choose

Vanstone Mum on Rorts

WorkChoices Whacks Chalkies

Telstra MIA in Bush

WA Safety Rep On Mission

Sallies Join Sack-A-Thon

CFMEU Dips Out on Fullback

Pollies Brush Sick, Kids

Pollie Cries Like a Croc

Training Minister Gives Himself an A

25 Years On the Grass

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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WA Safety Rep On Mission

Mal Peters has seen delegates and safety reps sacked around him as employers and the federal government went flat out to claim scalps for draconian new powers bestowed on John Howard's building industry police force.

The campaign culminated with Peters and 106 colleagues being charged by the Building Industry Commission with defying orders that forbade them taking any industrial action whatsoever.

They struck for 12 days, after job delegate Peter Ballard was summarily dismissed by the Leightons Kumaigi consortium.

"It's like World War Two over here," Peters told Workers Online. "The guys are shell shocked but they are standing together.

"It's been a non-stop campaign of intimidation.

"One safety rep went away on holiday and found he had been replaced when he got back. A tunneler who raised a safety issue was moved out of the tunnel to the far end of the job.

"They sacked another good bloke who stood up for his mates, Charlie Isaac, and then they sacked Peter when the new laws came in.

"I have already had two written warnings and I know they are after me but somebody has to stand up and tell the truth."

Peters said when agents for the Building Industry Commission started delivering writs to homes, late at night, workers were shattered.

"They thought they had weeded out all the staunch guys but nobody is going to put up with this, not in Australia," he said. "Blokes are really arcing up.

"When we went back to work, months ago, Leightons promised not to pursue legal action and they haven't. These writs, and the threats to people's homes, are the government's doing."

Peters and his wife, Bernie, will speak at union and public meetings in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over the next two weeks.

Dates and venues were being finalised as Workers Online published.

Final details should be available from state branches of the CFMEU, or peak union bodies.

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  Issue 315 contents

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Last Modified: 14 Jul 2006