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Issue No. 325 22 September 2006  
E D I T O R I A L

A Values Call
Opposition leader Kim Beazley has copped a bit of flak in the past week for his Aussie Values Pledge, but we reckon he got it at least half right.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Australia�s Most Wanted
The ACCC is the latest state agency to turn its guns on the construction union. National official, Dave Noonan, discusses the implications.

Industrial: The Fox and the Contractor
With new laws looming for �independent contractors�, Foxtel subbies have had the carpet pulled from under their feet, writes Nathan Brown.

Unions: Industrial Wasteland
A group of inner-Sydney veterans appear to be working to strip their families of retirement incomes. Jim Marr records their desperation.

International: Two Bob's Worth
German and British workers are participating in business decisions while WorkChoices locks Australians out of the conversation, writes Anthony Forsyth.

Economics: National Interest
John Howard claimed that interest rates would always be lower under a Coalition government than under Labor, Neale Towart crunchess the numbers.

Environment: The Real Dinosaur
Economic ignorance remains at the top and the critics are oblivious says Sol Power

History: Only In Spain?
The experiences of self management during the Civil War have been the one positive factor to come from that tragic event, and the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation thrives today.

Review: Clerk Off
Nathan Brown draws solace from some fellow social misfits.

N E W S

 From Comrades to CUBs

 Workers Demand Right to Know

 Flying Kangaroo Eyes Passage to India

 It�s A Secret: Ballot Boosts ABC Campaign

 Brake WorkChoices, NSW Urged

 City or the Bush? It�s Telstra�s Call

 Compo Rights a Burning Issue

 2500 Get Coles Shoulder

 Hardie Payrise Stiffs Victims

 WorkChoices Reverse Somersault with Pike

 Qantas Workers Ground AWAs

 Latest Import: Childcare Workers

 Let Tem Eat Cake!

 Mugabe Thugs Mug Unionists

C O L U M N S

Legends
Westie Wing
MLC Ian West ventures beyond Macquarie St and into the desert of the eco rats.

The Soapbox
Testing Times
Former RLPA secretary and Newcastle Knights prop, Tony Butterfield, fires up over dawn raids.

Obituary
Dare to Win
The union movement has lost an inspirational leader of working men and women, writes Jeana Vithoulkas

Fiction
Tommy's Apprentice
Chapter Two - Tommy�s Tale.

L E T T E R S
 Fair Crack
 Aussie Values DOA
 It�s Not Cricket
 Kim�s New Platforms
 Reaping What You Sow
 Roll Out the Tanks
 Auntie Hijacked
WHAT YOU CAN DO
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News

Flying Kangaroo Eyes Passage to India


Qantas is even further advanced on plans to send jobs to the sub-continent, with two Indian companies short-listed to take over the airline�s IT functions.

Up to 400 employees currently working in-house at Qantas Information Technology Pty Ltd (QFIT), including programmers, website developers and application support staff, are at risk.

Late last year, Qantas announced an IT Applications Services Review, to look at the possible outsourcing of IT application development, enhancement and support services.

In July, two prominent Indian-based companies - Tata Consulting Services and

Satyam - were short-listed to take over the work.

Of 800 IT jobs at QFIT, the Australian Services Union believes between 250 and 400 are under threat, although Qantas refuses to confirm which areas are being targeted.

Applications operated by QFIT include internet and intranet environments like Qantas.com and Qantasholidays.com; operation logistics, crew and engineering operations; Frequent Flyer; and financial and payroll systems.

Many of these applications were built in-house specifically for Qantas and the aviation industry, with specific safety and security requirements.

The employees likely to be affected have a typical length of service of 10 years, with salaries of between $45,000 and $80,000.

"This is another case of an Australian company seeking to cut labour costs to the disadvantage of workers and customers," the ASU's Linda White says.

The ASU is joining in the campaign for 'Right to Know' laws that would force the airline to disclose to customers that their information was being handled offshore.


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