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  Issue No 76 Official Organ of LaborNet 03 November 2000  

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News

Say Sorry, Ministers

By Andrew Casey

Senior Howard Cabinet Ministers want to blame hotel workers and cleaners - members of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union - for their own political woes.

" First we had Peter Reith making unsubstantiated allegations that a Hotel receptionist had 'stolen' his Telecard pin number and caused his political and financial woes," Tim Ferrari, the Assistant National Secretary of the LHMU, said today.

" Now another Victorian Cabinet Minister - Senator Alston - has hinted that Government office cleaners might have something to do with the nearly $5 million loss of Commonwealth laptop computers.

" It really was a silly throwaway line by Senator Alston in Senate question time on Thursday that: ' the cleaners might have had a few spare minutes'.

" Hard-working cleaners, contracted to work in Government office buildings, don't have ' a few spare minutes' Senator Alston. They don't have the time to also do your job of finding the missing laptops," Mr Ferrari said.

" Senator Alston's comments, and before him Peter Reith's comments, fit into a pattern from Howard Government Ministers; blame the workers.

" Alston and Reith should learn: ' if you take care of the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves'," Tim Ferrari said. " That way taxpayers money won't continue to get lost, via missing Telecards, or missing laptop computers.

" Cleaners and hotel receptionists have reputations for honesty and decency - unlike some Howard Cabinet Ministers, who are very well-paid, but have an off-handed approach to the misuse of public monies.

" Early on during Mr Reith's self-created Telecard fiasco we asked him to say SORRY, for the insult to hotel receptionists.

" I guess if Peter Reith can't say SORRY it is too much to expect Senator Alston to say SORRY for his ill-thought out aside about cleaners," Tim Ferrari said.


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In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Withering On The Vine
Cooking shows and 'Bugs fucking to Mozart' may become the staple diet on our ABC as news and current affairs face a war of attrition. Quentin Dempster gives Workers Online an insider's view of our endangered national broadcaster .
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*  US Election: Sugar Candy Politics
Like in everything else, Americans like their politics sugar coated. A Nation in denial, they are happier maintaining the fantasy that the world is a fine and dandy place says Michael Gadiel.
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*  US Election: George W. Bushwhacked by Texas Truth Squad
The Texas Truth Squad are a group of Texan union members travelling the US on a crusade to expose the Republican presidential nominee as a corporate rogue who in his time as Governer proved himself as an enemy of the worker.
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*  History: Federation and the Labour Movement
National celebrations will mark the Centenary of Federation next year. The labour movement's opposition to Federation at the referenda held around the Australian colonies in 1899 will attract less commemoration, although the republicans of 1999 might have benefited from reflection on the causes of working class discontent one hundred years earlier says Stuart Macintyre.
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*  International: Unions Mac Their Day
McDonald's - the biggest employer of young people around the world - is increasingly becoming the target of union recognition campaigns, backed by human rights groups concerned about the fast food chains practices in countries such as Indonesia, China, Russia, Canada and Germany.
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*  Satire: Wiranto�s charity album inspires genocidal maniacs everywhere
Indonesia�s favourite former strongman, General Wiranto, has recently decided to record an album of love songs. Entitled To You My Indonesia, Wiranto�s album has already sold 8,000 copies and is raising money for refugees.
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*  Review: What About the Workers?
A big, gruff bloke in a blue singlet, on strike or just not working, and generally being difficult. That's the trade unionist for you. Barry Cohen's new book What About the Workers? shows this image may have a bit of truth about it, but he would be telling a few good yarns while he was standing about.
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News
»  Unions Seek Community Backing For $28 Pay Rise
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»  Retailers Renege On Fairwear Code
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»  Senate Slams State Sector AWAs
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»  TAB Bosses' Gamble Threatens Cup Day
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»  Fijian Workers Fear Economic Meltdown
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»  Outsource or Perish Says Government
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»  Say Sorry, Ministers
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»  Union Women Set The Pace
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»  Toxic Foreign Flag Ship Threatens Reef
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»  Push For 'Casuals' Parental Leave
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»  Joy Counts Cost Of Scabs
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»  White Boys Talk About Black History
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»  Senate Asks ANU To 'Please Explain' Archive Cuts
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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
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Letters to the editor
»  Up Front Robber More Honest Than Banks
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»  New Offer For Telephone Users
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»  Earthworkers Unite
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