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  Issue No 69 Official Organ of LaborNet 01 September 2000  

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News

Barracks Workers Put The Pinch On Local MP

By Andrew Casey

Cooks and kitchenhands who work at North Queensland's largest Defence facility, in Townsville, are angry that the Defence Department has either not paid them their wages on time, or paid them incorrectly - and Defence also forgets to provide a payslip.

"It is a disgraceful situation. Defence has decided - for the sake of so-called efficiency - to centralise their pay system to Sydney.

" Ever since the Sydney shift our members in Townsville are having to go without money," North Queensland organiser for the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU), Evol Fayers, said.

" Some of our members have had to wait for more than a month to get paid.

" They have to ring a 1800 number to whinge to an unknown, unseen and uncaring face 2,500 kilometres away in Sydney whenever they have a pay problem.

" They cut out the local job last September - and ever since then Sydney has been stuffing up the paypackets of Townsville people," the LHMU's Evol Fayers said.

Townsville is in the centre of the most marginal Federal electorate held by the Howard Government.

The Liberal Party Member for Herbert, Peter Lindsay, would lose the seat if 76 votes changed hands at the next Federal election.

So the LHMU - with 100 members and their families hurt by the pay crisis - decided to highlight the problem this week with a vocal picket line outside Peter Lindsay's office.

The picket was held on Tuesday and Mr Lindsay told the local media all would be fixed in a timely manner.

He assured the Townsville Daily Bulletin that the picket line was not necessary as he had arranged with the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, Bruce Scott, to have the workers concerns addressed.

The LHMU's Evol Fayers wrote to the Minister in December 1999 about this issue and received a reply in May - but still there has been no effective action.

The Townsville paper quoted the local MP, Peter Lindsay, on Wednesday as saying "in future" the workers would all be paid properly.

But on Thursday - pay day - the pay problems were just as bad - so the pickets were put back on Mr Lindsay's office on Friday.

Now the LHMU has decided to add a fresh new picket line onto Mr Lindsay's office - an electronic picket.

" We are asking union members and supporters from around the nation to join the electronic picket.

"Help us in Townsville by sending Peter Lindsay an e-mail Email Me Now! telling him workers should be paid on time, paid correctly and have a right to expect a little thing like a payslip.

" Let him feel the pinch of bad publicity ' cause our members are definitely feeling the pinch in their pockets," Evol Fayers said.

" The cooks and kitchenhands are not the highest paid workers at the Barracks. If the money goes missing out of their pay they, and their families, feel the pinch quickly," Evol said.

" The Howard Government claims it cares for rural and regional Australia but they keep taking jobs out of Townsville - and this is the result."

" The local economy is hurt and the people of Townsville get a poor service,"

PS. If you do join the electronic picket, and send an e-mail to Peter Lindsay, please send a copy to the LHMU's Evol Fayers Email Me Now!


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*   View entire issue - print all of the articles!

*   Issue 69 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Global Warrior
International unions have won a game of political football with soccer`s hierarchy - and Aussie Tim Noonan is behind the victory.
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*  History: King of Broken Hill
John Shields recounts the colourful life of William Sydney 'Shorty' O'Neil (1903-2000) and his place in the rich history of a remarkable town.
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*  International: History Repeats At Firestone
More than 8,000 workers, members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), are set to strike at nine Bridgestone/Firestone plants in the United States at midnight tonight.
*
*  Politics: The Past We Need To Understand
In his Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture Malcolm Fraser retraces the path of Australian race relations and laments the terrible impasse we've reached.
*
*  Unions: Economic Democracy
Sharan Burrow on making Working Australia's money talk and reforming corporate culture for the 21st Century.
*
*  Satire: Another windscreen washer joins millionaire list
SYDNEY, Monday: After just a year in his new job, John Samuels has added his name to the burgeoning list of enterprising Australians who have made their fortunes by offering partial car-washing facilities in convenient inner city road-side locations.
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*  Review: No Long Term
Much political commentary is about the global marketplace and the use of new technologies as hallmarks of the new capitalism. Richard Sennett investigates another dimension of change: new ways of organising time, particularly working time.
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News
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»  Olympics Deal Sparks Soccer Ball Victory
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»  Two Day Strike Hits BHP Mines
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»  Leightons, SOCOG Tremble Before Haka
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»  Hilton Hotels Limp As Strike Bites
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»  Wran Lends Boffins A Hand
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»  ACTU Meets Joy
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»  Barracks Workers Put The Pinch On Local MP
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»  Olympic Win For Taxi Drivers
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»  Australian Unions Keep Spotlight on Fiji
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»  Staff Eye Telstra Prize
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»  Dice Loaded Against American Workers
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»  NZ Union Federations Heal Split
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»  Pressure Mounts On Nike To Live Olympic Ideal
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Columns
»  Away For The Games
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»  Sport
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»  Trades Hall
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»  Tool Shed
*

Letters to the editor
»  Tragedies Waiting To Happen
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»  Kudos For OHS Officers
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»  Open Letter To William Shawcross
*
»  Chippo Politics forums
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