
Issue No 47		24 March 2000

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News

Casual Work Inquiry Moves Closer

NSW Premier Bob Carr and unions have reached in principle agreement for an inquiry into labour hire that could set new benchmarks for the entire East Coast of Australia.

The Premier gave the idea of the inquiry the green light at this week's meeting of the State Labor Advisory Committee (SLAC), the body set up last year to improve communications between the political and industrial wings of the NSW labour movement.

Labor Council secretary Michael Costa reported that Carr had "acknowledged there were questions to be addressed about job insecurity and accepted that labour hire was part of that."

But the Premier insisted that any move to regulation should be done in concert with Labor Governments in Queensland and Victoria to avoid any capital flight from the State.

The Labor Council had proposed the inquiry as a means of kick-starting its proposal to regulate labour hire, a proposal which has been before the government for nearly 12 months.

While outgoing ACTU president Jennie George had been proposed as an appropriate chair of the inquiry by both unions and employers -although her possible involvement in federal preselection would make this difficult.

Terms of reference for the inquiry still need to be negotiated between the Labor Council, employers and the government, but Costa says for the inquiry to be useful, the terms of reference would need to be as broad as possible.

In other SLAC News:

* The issue of Olympic allowances has been referred to negotiations with the Premiers Department, although Carr is "highly sceptical".

* Unions have asked the government to restructure lease fees at the Port Kembla coal loader to ensure the South Coast coal industry remains viable.

* A SLAC sub-committee is devising guidelines to ensure that competitive tendering is not a policy of first resort for government agencies.

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Issue 47 contents

Interview: Telstra Troubleshooter
Andrew Hillard first blew the whistle on Mal Colston�s expenses rorts; now he�s taking on Telstra over its tactics to drive down wages and conditions.

Unions: A Christmas (Recruitment) Story
Staff at the Illawarra Mutual Building Society organised their own Christmas present - and, with the help of a little e-mail, delivered 80 new members to the ASU's Clerical and Administrative Branch.

International: A Move to the Left?
John Passant look�s at �Red Ken� Livingstone�s tilt at Mayor of London and what it means for the Radical Left.

Legal: Going Broke: What Workers Should Do
A no nonsense guide to protecting your entitlements when the boss goes bust.

Politics: "I Can't Believe It's Not Peter Reith":
The NSW Labor Government is waging a dirty campaign against the NSW Teachers Federation in order to gain the upper hand in the long running award dispute.

History: One Big Nation
In the 1920�s rural Australia was arguing for its share of the national wealth through The Bush Workers Propaganda Group.

Satire: Toddler Death Fallout: BMW Releases New Oven
The Victorian Government has turned up the heat on the gambling and car industries following a spate of children being locked inside cars.

Review: The Stranger from Hobart
In his controversial new book, Peter Botsman lifts the lid on the unsung hero of federation, Andrew Inglis Clark

» Insurance Deal Guarantees Entitlements

» Casual Work Inquiry Moves Closer

» Questions Over National Push for 36 Hours Week

» WA Govt Pulls Plug on Unionists

» A Fair Day�s Surf

» Hotel Workers Jam AIRC

» PM's Security Guards Walk off the Job

» SOCOG Dances: Budget Not There

» Women Win Right To Wear Trousers

» Another Rustbucket On Our Coast

» Catholic School Teachers Endorse Strike Action

» We Can't Share the Spirit If We Can�t Afford the Rent

» Unionist Honoured Posthumously

» Radio Free East Timor

» The Soapbox

» The Locker Room

» Trades Hall

» Tool Shed

» Carr's Parisian Lunchmate

» Send Us a Letter

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