
Issue No 64		28 July 2000

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News

Fair Traders Call for World Where People Matter

By Noel Hester

Labor leaders - former and present - may think they're talking rubbish about fair trade but rank and file unionists refuse to be cowed.

On the eve of the Labor Party conference a large contingent- mainly from the manufacturing and construction sectors - served up notice outside Bob Carr's office on Wednesday that they, and their message, aren't going away.

Addressing the 2000 strong crowd, State Secretary of the AMWU, Paul Bastian, made it clear manufacturing workers are ready for robust debate - and action.

'There should be a freeze on tariff reductions until there is a social audit on the effects of free trade,' he said.

'We're going to continue to hold politicians accountable for their ineptitude on industry policies.'

Bastian also returned the flak the AMWU has received from some sections of the ALP. 'The ALP hasn't lost the arrogance that coughed us up to Reith and his like,' he said.

While complimenting the Carr Government for increasing expenditure on infrastructure in a post-Olympics world Bastian said they could do a lot more and blasted the lost opportunities and the secrecy surrounding the Olympics.

'We've seen the rorts coming out of SOCOG and the Olympics. The loss of jobs in the textile industry as clothing contracts go offshore. The printing of tickets went to the USA.. 95% of the musicians at the Olympics will come from overseas.'

Fronting up for the ACTU, new President Sharan Burrows threw her weight behind the fair trade campaign.

'It's a noble cause. We want to put people back into economic planning throughout the world. We want industry planning and community planning. We want fair trade in a world where people matter.'

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Issue 64 contents

Interview: Greg Sword Unsheathed
The NUW national secretary is set to be endorsed as ALP Federal president next week. He talks about the relationship between the two wings of the labour movement.

Unions: Phone Rage, Headaches and Stress
A comprehensive survey of the call centre industry conducted by the ASU has revealed an industry workplace culture dominated by excessive monitoring and stress.

Economics: And the Winner Is .... Sydney?
Austrade chief economist Tim Harcourt looks at the export impact of the Sydney Olympics and asks if we'll win gold.

International: Western Sahara: Referendum Or War?
A June UN referendum in Western Sahara could have provided the people of Western Sahara a chance to exercise their right to self-determination and independence. It didn't.

History: The Union's Roots in Song
We look at some of the songs that kept working people going through their darkest hours.

Media: Unchaining the ABC
The ALP needs to rethink our public institutions to determine how they might better deliver the ends for which they were originally established.

Environment: Motorways Fail the Pollie Test
Our daily grind of congested roads, polluted air, and frustrated motorists is putting all and sundry to the test, and not least Liberal and Labor politicians.

Satire: Murdoch Launches Bid for Under-9s Netball Team
Sydney's lucrative junior league netball broadcasting market has been shaken by a bid by one of the world's most predatory entrepreneurs, Rupert Murdoch, to secure ownership of the most successful team in the league.

Review: Espionage a Trois
The Whitlams' brass section his teamed with some of the hippest cats in Sydney to make the sort of music you'll want to shoot baddies to.

» McMeanies Skimp on Olympics Pay

» Lawyers Pose as Students to Nail Workers

» Fiji Union Protests on Wednesday

» Casino Plumps for Penalty Rates

» AWU�s Push For The Bush

» Inquiry Lifts Lid on "SweetShops on Wheels"

» Fair Traders Call for World Where People Matter

» Accor Makes 'Cheeky' Olympics Offer

» Sacking Threat Was �Group Therapy�

» Doing It For The Love Of It

» Deadline to Vote in ARM Poll Approaches

» Grief Support for Workplace Tragedies

» Workers Invited to Mark Federation