
Issue No 86		02 March 2001

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Trades Hall

Paul Howes’ Week on the Web

From Netslaves to NIMBYs - our resident Geek is back for 2001 with a potpouri of web action.


	Paul Howes

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NetSlaves

Set up by disgruntled I.T. workers, NetSlaves is a site that lets I.T. workers vent their anger and share their experiences in the new media industry. NetSlaves tells the real story of working in the largely un-unionised I.T. Industry, the stereotype of 21 year old geeks earning six figure salaries is broken down as workers share their tales of long hours, crap money and high stress in the new economy.

Check it out at http://www.netslaves.com.

Global Unions

Several international union federations and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) have launched a new site http://www.global-unions.org. Featuring regular union news updates and campaign information this site could be looking at knocking off Eric Lee's LabourStart http://www.labourstart.org as the number one international union site. That will be tough ask.

ASU & AMWU Revamped

The Australian Services Union (NSW & ACT Services Branch), has recently completed a major overhaul of their site. The site located at http://www.asuservices.labor.net.au was one of the first LaborNET sites online and in terms of union sites nationally one of the most utilised. The new site builds on the achievements of the original and makes it more attractive and accessible to their membership.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has also renovated their large site in recent months. The site located at http://www.amwu.asn.au hasn't changed much of it's original content and layout but has given a facelift to the old site and improved navigation within the site.

Underground Radio Online

Sydney independent radio station 2SER, broadcasting on 107.3 FM, has an impressive website located at http://www.2ser.com. The site fits in well with 2SER's image as a progressive, youth oriented station that is proudly independent. 2SER, as a community station doesn't receive corporate backing so it's major fundraiser is Freaky Loops , Sydney's leading festival of Australian electronic music. Freaky Loops is coming up soon at Bondi Pavilion on 25 March 2001. Check out the Freaky Loops site at http://www.freakloops.com.

Palm Beach: The heart & soul of the workers

Following on from last week's Tool of the Week, Shane Withington, self-proclaimed working class hero and leader of the "Save Currawong" movement, I thought it was time for a review of their site. Located at http://www.savecurrawong.org the site is features information on their campaign to save their holidays on Pittwater, which are subsidized by the union movement. The site features several introduction pages which make it very hard to navigate, but once you get into the center of the site navigation improves.

It's even interactive with an automatic "protest email" system that will clog up union officials' email in-boxes with useless information on how upset these Northern Beaches yuppies are about losing their cheap holidays. Design 5/10, Politics 0/10.

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If you have a site you want Paul to review or to add to the LaborNET Links section email him at mailto:[email protected].

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Issue 86 contents

Interview: Master of Opposition
Over the past five years, John Faulkner has turned the Senates Estimates structure into his own House of Pain. He explains the art of Opposition.

Politics: Beazley the Bridge Builder?
As the Howard Government flounders, Brett Evans looks at the challenges Kim Beazley faces as his hour of destiny approaches.

Unions: Lashing & Loathing at Patricks
Three years since one of the Howard Government’s most infamous episodes, the Waterfront War, Zoe Reynolds discovers how casuals are now doing the doing the dirty work on the docks.

Legal: Workers Without Rights
Mark Morey outlines the legal status and (lack of) rights for foreigners in Australia on working visas.

International: Dispatch from the Dispossessed
Mahendra Chaudhry, Leader of the People's Coalition and the Fiji Labour Party comments on this week’s court decision.

Economics: Business Power and Mobility
The US election season makes it patently clear how Big Business is able to transform its financial resources into political power via campaigncontributions.

History: The Spoilers and the Split
The Movement, Groupers, the DLP and The Doc. All have been blamed in various ways for the ALP split in the 1950s, ensuring the ALP was kept out of federal government until 1972. Can One Nation return the favour?

Review: The New Hard Politics
Dennis Glover argues that policy has taken over from spin as the political battleground of the new century.

Satire: Bradman Latest: Family In Dramatic Court Action
The family of the late Sir Donald Bradman yesterday sought a restraining order against Prime Minister John Howard after it became apparent that he wants to be involved in every single detail of the The Don's funeral.

» StoneTemple Pirate Outrage Hits Canberra

» Five Star Exploitation at Regent

» Workers Say: We Deserve Better

» Carr Called on Ten Year Temps

» National Textiles Workers Struggling 12 Months On

» MUA Prosecutes Patrick for Crippling Workers

» Test Case: Is Redundancy a Universal Right?

» Who Pays for the Public Works?

» Seven-day Strike at Five BHP Mines

» Chubb Cuts Place Security Guards at Risk

» Vic Employers Support New IR Laws

» Lock-Out Tactics Poison Neighbourhood

» Shangri-La: Lawyers Take Over from Thugs

» Daewoo Workers See The Ugly Face Of Globalisation

» Labour Wings to Meet in Macquarie Street

» Costa Kisses the Rings

» Meat Workers Dropped from the Queue for Q Fever Vaccine

» Activists Notebook