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Issue No. 330 27 October 2006  
E D I T O R I A L

Fair Weather Friends
This week�s decision by the Orwellian Fair Pay Commission may have surprised some with its seemingly generous quantum, but in doing so it also reinforced the union movement�s central criticism of the new wage fixing structure.

F E A T U R E S

Interview: Cowboys and Indians
Finance Sector Union national secretary Paul Schroder is standing between the big banks and a bucket of money.

Industrial: Seven Deadly Sins
Chris Christodoulou gives seven reasons why WorkChoices is bad for business

Unions: The IT Factor
The future of Australian IT looks grim as big companies lead the rush to India and China, writes Jackie Woods.

Politics: Bargain Basement
Simple principles of democracy underpin the ACTU's collective bargaining proposal, insists ACTU Secrteary Greg Combet.

Environment: An Inconvenient Hoax
Al Gore may be warning of climate breakdown, but what hope the truth when he's up against such a well-oiled machine? asks Paul Sheridan

Corporate: Two Sides
Bilateral trade agreements are a good idea � just ask the US multinationals. The rest of us should strongly disagree says Pat Ranald

International: Unfair Dismissals
Nearly 10,000 workers were fired for their trade union activities in 2005, an annual trade union survey shows.

History: A Stitch in Time
Neale Towart takes some lessons from female textile workers while considering the case for recognition ballots.

Review: The Wind that Shakes the Barley
A film charting the turmoil of the Irish war for independence against British occupation during the 1920s might seem an odd choice for top honours at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006.

N E W S

 Unhappy Campers in Court

 Gran Backs Beazley

 Aunty Strikes at Lakemba Mosque

 Boeing Clause Flies

 Rissole Burns Joint Venture

 US Workers Bush Whacked

 Community Volunteers for Heavy Lifting

 Gong Sounds for Rogue Uni

 ANZ Banks on India

 Hollow Victory for Low Paid

 Life Education for Apprentices

 Activists

C O L U M N S

Parliament
The Westie Wing
Ian West takes a walk around the backyard with the Prime Minister�

The Soapbox
Rise Up
Hugo Chavez's explosive address to the United Nations

Culture
The Fear Factor
A new analysis of the history of fear takes us from the war on terror all the way to the modern workplace.

L E T T E R S
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Leave your human rights at the door

The workplace in Howard's Australia

The new workplace laws introduced by the Howard Government are a serious attack not just on living standards, but also civil liberties. Special legislation has been introduced to allow government investigators to interrogate workers about union activities. The coercive powers of these investigators are greater than the powers of the NSW police investigating major crime.

The right of a citizen to silence has been suspended, with a 6 month jail sentence for workers or union delegates who refuse to answer questions. The government has created an inquisition aimed at workers in the building industry.

We already have 107 workers on a building site being prosecuted and facing fines of $28,600.00 for protesting against the unfair sacking of their union delegate.

6.00pm, Wednesday November 1st 2006

NSW Teachers Federation Auditorium

39-41 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills

Speakers

John Robertson - Unions NSW Secretary

Bernadette Peters - Partner of one of the WA workers being prosecuted

Andrew Ferguson - NSW CFMEU Secretary

Maree O'Halloran - NSW Teachers Federation President

Chris Harris - Greens Councillor City of Sydney

Defend Workers Rights

107 building workers prosecuted for defending a sacked workmate.

Penrith meeting:

6:30pm, Tuesday 31 October 2006

Q Theatre (Joan Sutherland Centre) 597 High Street, Penrith

Speakers:

o Mal & Bernadette Peters (one of the workers facing a $22,000 fine)

o John Robertson (Secretary, Unions NSW)

o Cameron Murphy (President, NSW Council for Civil Liberties)

o Rev. Dr. Ann Wansbrough (Uniting Church)

o Tim Vollmer (CFMEU - construction union)


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