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Currawong: Majority Support But Veto Rule the Hurdle

NSW Labor Council secretary Michael Costa today vowed to pursue a joint-lease on its Pittwater property, Currawong, after the proposal won the support of 90 per cent of delegates.

Delegates at last night's Labor Council meeting voted overwhelmingly to defer the vote to approve the deal with Corporate Renaissance, after a number of dissenting unions asked for more time to consider the proposal.

They also endorsed the following motion:

"Notwithstanding the further deferral of the Currawong proposal, this meeting of the Labor Council of NSW expresses its support for the Corporate Renaissance proposal as being one which will guarantee the long-term future of Currawong and allow the trade union movement to further develop its education and training program. This meeting calls upon those unions not supporting the Corporate Renaissance proposal to reconsider their position and accept the overwhelming majority support the proposal has amongst Labor Council affiliates. Then interests of the union collective must come before the individual unions or members."

Mr Costa said the endorsement of this motion, showed how anachronistic rules were frustrating the will of the vast majority of unions wanted the Corporate Renaissance deal to go ahead. Under Labor Council rules, any seven affiliates can veto a property transaction.

The Labor Council of NSW last night deferred a vote on the future of its Pittwater property, Currawong, at the request of a number of unions planning to vote against the proposal.

"I am confident that these extra weeks will give affiliates time to see the logic of the lease proposal," Mr Costa said.

"In particular, it will give Corporate Renaissance the opportunity to answer the misinformation which has run against the TM movement over recent weeks.

"And it will allow Labor Council affiliates to refocus on the real issue: the need to provide decent accommodation to TUTA to train the union official we need to ensure the movement has a future."

A series of delegates delivered passionate speeches to the packed meeting of delegates. Highlights included:

- Nurses secretary Sam Moaitt: who confessed to being a devotee of TM in her younger days and of experiencing "enjoyable times in the backyards of Strathfield. They were very happy times, if you know what I mean," she said.

- Long-time Currawong user Ian West (LHMU), who disclosed the facility had lost $500,000 in the last ten years and said he feared that without the deal, Currawong would be lost forever.

- Marrickville Mayor Barry cotter, who argued the plan was deficient on environmental grounds and claimed the Friends of Currawong proposal had not been properly assessed.

- and TUTA director Michael Crosby who pleaded with delegates to act to give the training facility a decent home.

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  Issue 8 contents

»	Angry Geeks Down Mouses in Industry First
»	Patrick dispute commemorated
»	Costa Pushes Social Audit Plan
»	Currawong: Majority Support But Veto Rule the Hurdle
»	A Firey Call: Give Currawong Back To The Unions
»	ACTU Braces for Reith�s Second Wave
»	Gordonstone Miners Come to Town
»	Women Take the Fight to Rio�s Front Door
»	Sydney Solictor Appointed ICTUR Secretary

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

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