
Issue No 41		26 November 1999

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News

Free National Parks Access as Bans Kick In

By Les Carr

Staff in the National Parks and Wildlife Service will begin work bans from Monday morning, including New Years Eve and Olympic work.

The New Year Eve ban will hit Sydney Harbour celebrations as NPWS controls most of the islands and lots of foreshore land around the harbour. Also banned is the collection of revenue - the public can visit parks for free.

Visits by the Premier, Minister, Director-General and Members of Parliament are also banned - none of those lovely publicity events will be staged.

The bans have been imposed because of the refusal of the Director-General to fill vacancies with people recommended by selection panels for district manager jobs.

For instance, of five people recommended for regional managers in Sydney, the Director-General Brian Gilligan refused to appoint four. Across the state, nine recommended people were not appointed.

PSA President Maurie O'Sulliva says it appears everybody is out of step except Mr Gilligan.

"The jobs were advertised externally. The interview panels were properly constituted, with senior people from NPWS and independent panellists from other agencies. Their recommendations were properly made', O'Sullivan says.

PSA members in NPWS are furious at Gilligan's rejection of experienced and competent people , says Maurie O'Sullivan.

The public service has strict laws and procedures to protect merit selection, ensure fairness, stop discrimination, and stop the appointment of cronies.

"This is an unusual case in that the union and members are supporting the management - the selections were made by senior managers - against the decisions of the Director General. And we are supporting the Government's merit selection laws and policy," O'Sullivan says.

Gilligan's refusal to appoint - members see it as a purge - comes on top of months of turmoil in NPWS. The department is undergoing a restructure from 26 districts to 19 regions across the state.

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  Issue 41 contents

Interview: A Bob Each Way
ALP tactician Bob McMullan is responsible for charting Labor industry policy into the next millennium. He tells us where he�s heading.

Unions: Organiser of the Year
Just ten days to go before entries close for our $2000 air ticket. Here�s another nomination.

History: Labour Daze
A report from the 6th National Biennial Conference of the Australian Society For The Study Of Labour and Community.

Politics: Tomorrow�s Questions
While the turn of the century sees Sydney play host to the Olympic games, the International Youth Parliament 2000 will bring world focus to contemporary issues facing young people.

Health: Red Ribbons
December 1, World AIDS Day has a special place in the history of the AIDS pandemic.

International: Organised Chaos
Persistent rumours are floating around Jakarta that the former boss of the official pro-Soeharto Indonesian trade union movement is about to be charged with corruption.

Economics: Seattle Numbers Grow for WTO Protest
News of the agreement to smooth China�s entry to the World Trade Organisation has created its own "China Syndrome" for organisers of the Seattle WTO event.

Satire: Too Many Media Players!
The Productivity Commission has issued a report calling for the abolition of existing cross-media ownership laws.

Review: Leviathan
John Birmingham has lifted the lid on Sydney�s shady past - and found trade unions to be at the centre of the sordid tales.

Deface a Face: Reith Loses His Shine
With his Second Wave looking more like a splash in the bath-tub, Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith still reigns as the union movement�s favourite bogeyman.

» Labor Hire Faces Deregulation

» Democrats Poised to Say No

» Olympic Job Cut Fears

» Inspectors to Act on Ships of Shame

» Grave Concerns About Body Bags

» Former Trades Hall Boss Into Teachers Fray

» Tools for Timor Plea

» Rio Tinto Sacks 84 for Christmas Eve

» Hotel Workers in Unprecedented Action

» Tug Action Hits Sydney Harbour

» Free National Parks Access as Bans Kick In

» Parkers Issue Ticket To Loitering Government

» Stop Forced Repatriation of Burmese Migrant Workers

» Will the Real Casual Workers Please Stand Up?

» STOP PRESS: Labor Wins NZ Election