
Issue No 44		03 March 2000

Letters to the Editor

In Praise of Silly Suits

Hi there,

I have a couple of things to say on this topic. First is that I'm an organiser with the Vic branch of the ASU and we're about to launch a public campaign to pressure the government to impose conditions of Air New Zealand's takeover of Ansett. We've created a mascot 'Eddie the Emu - crusader for Aussie jobs' who will make his/her debut at this weekend's Ansett Cup AFL Grand Final. We then hope to do an Eddie stunt - such as stalking politicians etc. every week.

We're also using silly suits - fruit and vegetables - at a protest outside a Safeway store in Melbourne's suburbs about the relocation of head office jobs to Sydney. Safeway won't make our members redundant, they want to redeploy them to stores. We also used a Kangaroo suit at a protest outside Qantas last year - Qantas hit the roof big time!

So I wholeheartedly agree with the use of silly suits and other Michael Moore tactics.

I think a local version of The Awful Truth would be ace. Young comedians to front it is a great idea. I think it would be good to do it nationally with a number of young comedians in each state contributing segments. Initially at least, the most obvious outlet for it is the network of community tv stations we're now lucky enough to have and should be making better use of.

Cheers,

Jason Gibson

Organiser

ASU - MEU/Private Sector Vic Branch

Great stuff! See more of Eddie the Emu in our news pages

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Issue 44 contents

Interview: The Big Fella
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley speaks about Labor�s evolving relationship with the trade union movement in the post-Accord era.

Unions: An Interactive Resource
The priority for unions in the 21st century is organising and growth. Greg Combet�s unions @work report identified the direction unions should be moving.

Media: Public Hearings
As the big media players look increasingly tarnished, the broadcasting minnows like FBi are seeking their share of the airwaves.

History: Labour History Under Siege
In good labour tradition, the history section of Workers Online begins the year with a call to arms.

Olympics: Games Greed Boosts Homeless Numbers
'Homeless in Sydney' is shaping up to be the theme of the Olympics with many property owners evicting tenants and pushing up rents.

Women: No Time To Be Casual
International Women�s Day is a day to take action. As a shop steward or union delegate why not use IWD as an opportunity to encourage the women in your workplace to join the union?

International: Serbian And Kosovo Unions Meet
The Italian metalworkers has hosted meetings on how to build a different future for the workers in the Balkans.

Labour Review: What's New
Read the latest issue of Labour Review our resource for students, activists and officials.

Review: Rock and a Hard Place
A hippie festival? Alternative? No way...the music festival know as the Big Day Out (BDO) is fast becoming a mainstream youth cultural event, a snapshot of the broader society that unions are struggling to engage.

» Directors: Two Strikes And You�re Out

» Track Workers Face Spot Drug Tests

» Big Bird Fights Ansett Jobs Flight

» LaborNet A Step Forward in Democracy

» From the Lorry to the Creche, We're Watching

» Penal Provisions Against Teachers Condemned

» Auditor General Moves on TAFE

» Yahoo! Under Fire for Union Censorship

» Unrest Bubbles Over Coke Sackings

» Jennie To Sign Off Online

» Basic Goods Sought for East Timorese

» Western Sydney Added to Campus Tour

» Pay Equity Update

» STOP PRESS: Mac Attack Tuesday