
Issue No 33		01 October 1999

Letters to the Editor

A Meaningful Contribution

I very much agree with your editorial on the 'meaningful contribution made by unions'. It appears that we have been convinced that the unions are here to merely make our life difficult and have contributed nothing. Timor, Green Bands and protection for basic human rights are three simple examples of what unions have achieved in our society.

The economic rationalism model states that there is no need for the union movement as 'the market' will find the perfect point of equilibrium. This translates that some magician will appear that makes everybody better off.

This is not to say that the unions have not made mistakes, but where would we be without the unions? Only by a balance of power between the various groups will we achieve an equitable solution. The next time someone complains about the safety of the rail system or the fact that the a restructure at work is causing havoc and people are losing their jobs, you have two possible responses;

1. Tell people not to worry about it, as the market is in a state of flux and will soon find its equilibrium if we pursue more rationalist policies. Then we will all find the perfect solution and job security will be guaranteed, because the market will ensure that supply equals demand! or

2. If we became a little more politically active (via the union movement or not) to drive our citizen rights and demand what is right, then maybe we could achieve a more equitable system.

I ask which is more likely to result in a more just society (and which is mere superstition)?

Nicholas Palazzo

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Issue 33 contents

Interview: The Boys
Labor Party heavyweights Eric Roozendaal and Damian O'Connor will lock horns this weekend. They fire their first shots.

Economics: Reasons to Be Cheerful
Can we change the way we look at the economy to better reflect community happiness and well-being?

Unions: Breaking the Wave
ACTU President's submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Workplace Relations Act.

International: The Wisdom of Solomon
A disturbing case from the Pacific where corporate lawyers are playing a deadly game.

History: Groundhog Day
Ghosts of Conferences past: some strangely familiar debates and decisions from previous state ALP conferences

Legal: Bad, Bad Things
Some of Australia's leading industrial lawyers argue that the Workplace Relations Act breaches basic international obligations.

Review: Tailing Out
As the BHP steelworks close in Newcastle a special book chronicles the stories of working live that have just become history.

Satire: Police Cut-Backs Lead To Drop In Organised Crime
An audit of the NSW Police has revealed that they have been seriously cutting back their operating budgets to ensure that they will be able to afford the increased security costs of the Olympics.

Work/Time/Life: It's Official: Aussies Work Harder
Australians continue to work long hours in contrast to a world-wide trend in industrialised countries that has seen hours at work remaining steady or declining in recent years.

» Station Cuts Derailed - But More Hits for the Scull

» Social Audit Backed by Community Groups

» Unions Take Common Priorities to State Conference

» Simmering Discontent Hits Boiling Point

» Public Sector Job Numbers Rubbery

» Timor Protest to be Dumped in Reith Wave

» Big Lunch Break for Stress-Free Day

» Arch Apologises for Youth Wage Debacle

» Clean Air Policy Up In Smoke

» Child Carers Stretched to the Limit

» Building Workers Won�t Settle for Half Pay

» Life, Art and Politics