
Issue No 72		06 October 2000

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News

In Your Face Provocateurs

By Rowan Cahill

As Alice might have observed, the long-running Joy Mining Machinery dispute gets "curiouser and curiouser".

The dispute involves about 60 workers at the Moss Vale plant. It has see-sawed between strikes and lockouts since March, following the failure to reach consensus over a new enterprise agreement.

At a recent mass meeting workers voted to adopt a settlement proposal, except for three outstanding issues. The matter is currently before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC).

Central to any settlement is the dropping of proposed legal action by Joy against key unionists.

While talks, discussions, and hearings between the three unions involved (the AMWU, AWU, CEPU), the ACTU, the AIRC, and Joy have variously taken place during the last fortnight in attempts to resolve the dispute, the presence of scabs at the Moss Vale factory is raising more than a few eyebrows.

The scabs, or contractors in management parlance, first crossed the six-month old picket line early in the morning of September 7.

Since then the eleven or so people involved, mostly driving interstate cars, have been factory regulars, coming and going at all hours.

Factory security and surveillance have intensified. Trees and shrubs have either been removed or savagely pruned, allegedly to facilitate photographic documentation of picket line activity. Perimeter flood-lighting has been strategically installed.

The picket line is the subject of Supreme Court injunctions.

In the beseiged factory, the contractors don't seem to be doing much in the way of industrial work.

Some have reportedly acted towards the picketing workers in an "in your face" intimidating manner.

It is probably coincidental, but soon after the arrival of the contractors in the semi-rural community an anonymous and isolated case of property damage occurred targeting a member of Joy's non-striking supervisory staff. A vain attempt was made in the AIRC to use this act of "intimidation" against the striking workers.

There seems to be division within the ranks of the contractors and unconfirmed reports allege the scab team is led by a strike breaking veteran with experience in the Mudginberri, Burnie Pulp and Paper Mill, and Patrick disputes.

The scabs have been sighted at an upmarket local eatery cum lodge type motel, and there are reports of very large weekly retainers.

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Issue 72 contents

Interview: Taking It To The Union Busters
ACTU Assistant Secretary Richard Marles talks to Workers Online about turning back the anti-union sentiment growing in the business community, responsible unionism and the sense of fun to be found at the ACTU.

International: The White Knights
The International Labour Organisation has become the great hope for those fighting to give globalisation a human face. Australian Bob Kyloh is one of those working with trade unions within the ILO to make it happen.

Politics: Industrial Democracy for Australia
Glenn Patmore argues we need new forms of employee representation in the workplace to broaden employee participation.

Unions: Behind The Scenes
In a small office at Homebush Bay, as the world focused on all that was positive about our games, Unions 2000 and SOCOG officials worked tirelessly to ensure that no worker was ripped off. Chris Christoudoulou reports.

Satire: Parade of Icons �Could Have Included Even More Ex-Aussies� Say Critics
The selection of Greg Norman, Paul Hogan and Elle Macpherson to represent Australia in the �Parade of Icons� during the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney Games last night has prompted a storm of complaints from other famous former Australians.

Review: Elliott Smiths Figure 8
Smith is basically the secret love child of the fab four and it�s so blatantly obvious. That�s not a bad thing because one thing Lennon and McCartney were reknown for was there ability to pen catchy tunes.

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» Council Workers Win Community Language Allowance

» Fiji Facing Dictatorship

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» Pressures Mount on Truckies

» Industrial Action Looms At IBM Global

» In Your Face Provocateurs

» Putting A Stop To Workplace Intimidation

» Australian History To Be Buried Alive