Issue No 33 | 01 October 1999 | |
NewsTimor Protest to be Dumped in Reith Wave
The union at the forefront of recent Timor protests has made a direct plea to the Democrats to ensure it can remain the conscience of the Australian public.
CFMEU state secretary Andrew Ferguson has written individually to all Democrat Senators admitting that the protests of the past month had been illegal under Peter Reith's Workplace Relations Act and that his Second Wave would make meaningful protests even harder. "We believe that the industrial action that the union movement has taken has been one of many factors that prodded the government into finally taking action," Ferguson writes. "Should the proposed legislation be passed we will be restricted to simply passing resolutions - and as the current tragedy has so graphically illustrated, words alone are of limited value." Ferguson warns that under the proposed Reith changes trade union involvement on issues such as East Timor would be impossible. "If, for example, such legislation had been in place during the 1970s, the Green Bans would never have happened. had they been attempted Jack Mundey and other would probably have spent years in jail," he says. "And there are all the other different issues that unions have taken action on over the years, such as aboriginal rights, the environment, anti-Apartheid issues, the Vietnam war and many many more." The Senate commenced hearings into the Reith amendments this week. See Jennie George's submission in 'From Trades Hall' column. APHEDA Rep Surveys Dili APHEDA executive officer Phil Hazelton has returned from Dili where he surveyed the extend of damage and looked at how Non Government Organisations are coordinating the relief effort. He also witnessed the unloading of the East Timor Mercy Ship containing food, medicine and vehicles provided with the help of APHEDA donations.. Hazelton says while security seems to have been restored in Dili and the health situation is stabilising, about the half the buildings in Dili have been burned and many more looted. However he says a number of major buildings are unscathed which is encouraging for the rebuilding effort. Immediate concern centres around West Timor, where refugees are being stripped of their official papers and replaced with documents showing homes elsewhere in Indonesia. And there are still hundreds of people trying to get out of other parts of Indonesia such as Jakarta and Bali. "The UNCHR must be pushed to allow East Timorese to register for immediate evacuation throughout Indonesia," Hazelton says. Opera House Fundraiser The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance is holding a benefit for East Timor in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House on Friday October 8 at 8.00pm. Internationally acclaimed pianist Roger Woodward has agreed to perform at the concert, with all money raised going to the Catholic charity CARITAS. Tickets available at the Opera House box office. STOPPRESS The Transport Workers Union will launch an East Timor Appeal at the ALP State Conference - all proceeds to CARITAS
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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.
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