
Issue No 73		13 October 2000

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Letters to the Editor

Not a Fan

"One of the highlights leading up to the games had to be CFMEU Olympic Park delegate Mario Barrios running in the torch relay."

I'm certain every schoolchild in Australia has that moment at the top of their list of pre-Games "highlights".

"This was a union event from beginning to end ... we should be proud."

We should be proud to pay the loadings various unions demanded? As for the Games being a "union event", how much did unions contribute to, say, the $US705 million NBC paid for the US TV rights? The Games were a big business event.

"Just when you thought individualism had taken a pathological hold on society nearly 50,000 brilliant volunteers come out of the woodwork to prove that civil society and a sense of public responsibility are very much alive and well in Australia."

And they all volunteered as individuals. This was a triumph of free will, not of collectivist force.

"The stands taken by Savage Garden, Midnight Oil and Yothu Yindi at the closing ceremony show that reconciliation has a momentum of its own that will run over the top of the Federal Government's malicious and opportunist stance on race."

Wearing clothes bearing a simplistic slogan or the Aboriginal flag is "a stand"? Hmmmm ... brave.

"The Games also provided sobering lessons for business."

Yes it did. One of the lessons was: "Unions will gouge you whenever they have the opportunity. Beware."

Tim Blair

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Issue 73 contents

Interview: Righting The Wrongs
Improving the lives of Aboriginal people can't be taken out of the context of the economy, welfare and other areas says Bob McMullan, Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

Economics: At The Mercy Of Gamblers
The plunge of the Australian dollar relative to the greenback has consequences for Aussie workers according to Frank Stillwell.

History: Labour History Under Seige Again
The Friends of the Noel Butlin Archives Centre have recently been informed of proposed changes to the Noel Butlin Archives Centre (NBAC), changes that will cut staff by more than 50% and leave the Archives mothballed in the tunnel where the repository is situated.

Workplace: Fighting The Flexible Firm
We are told that hardship and exploitation at work is dying out, and the new economy offers opportunity, freedom and job satisfaction for all. Richard Sennett unveils the true nature of the flexible workplace.

Safety: Being bossed around is bad for your health
A survey of more than 3,000 Australian workers has revealed that some 54% of workers experience intimidating behaviour in their workplace. In almost 85% of cases it is employers, managers and supervisors who are identified as the culprits.

Unions: Discrimination
New to the union and the maritime industry and with only a few days casual work to live off, Stephen Rolls courageously spoke up against individual contracts during a job interview with Burnie Port Corp.

International: Serbian Workers and Their Unions Fight for Freedom
Serbian workers and their unions have been at the forefront of the struggle for democracy in Yugoslavia as they led a general strike in response to attempts by President Slobodan Milosevic to nullify the defeat he faced in the Sept. 24 election.

Satire: A few more years of civilised brutality will advantage Aborigines: Ruddock
CANBERRA, Tuesday: The Minister for Reconciliation Philip Ruddock has defended his comments to French newspaper Le Monde claiming that Aborigines were disadvantaged because they were late in coming into contact with developed civilisations.

Review: Poetry For Workers By Workers
Poems about the trials and tribulations of a waitress and what you learn in a chocolate factory are among the gems from the 925 anthology.

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