
Issue No 89		23 March 2001

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News

Activist Notebook

A forum in Newcastle, action against sweatshops and a petition for free education are all on the activist's agenda for this week.

Rural Forum for Newcastle

The Transport Workers Union is hosting the second in a series of regional forums in Newcastle on Friday March 30.

Under the banner "Regional Australia Deserves a pay Rise' the forum is aimed to provide community and general interest groups an opportunity to discuss the necessity of improved wages in regional Australia.

It will be held on Friday March 30 from 11.00am to 1.00pm at Newcastle Workers Club, corner Union and King Streets.

Fair Wear

Thanks to everyone who have been sending postcards and letters to retailers - and let us know if you need more. The fruits of our labour are beginning to emerge as earlier this month Coles Myer (Grace Bros, Target, K Mart) agreed to send letters of encouragement to its manufacturers, supporting the No Sweat Shop Label - the first of the major retailers to do so.

For this reason, we are asking people to focus their attention on the remaining 3 major retailers:

Mr Peter Wilkinson, David Jones Pty Ltd, GPO Box 503 , Sydney NSW 2001

The Chief General Manager, Big W Discount Stores, City View Road, Pennant Hills, NSW 2120

Ms Amanda Brook, General Manager, Sussan, 20-40 Rosslyn St, West Melbourne, VIC 3003

March has also heralded the national launch of the No Sweat Shop Label in Melbourne, which went very well. We are planning t-shirts sporting the label, and will let you know when they're available.

The Fair School Wear Campaign will be conducting a training day in Sydney for primary and secondary school teachers and secondary school students - 'Speaking out for Justice'. It will be held on Tuesday, 22nd May 2001. There will be guest speakers and workshops including: public speaking; lobbying techniques; drama and street theatre; dealing with the media; and publishing. It looks like being a great day, so spread

the word, and contact Julia at the Fair Wear office - hit 'reply' or ph

(02) 9380 9091 for more details.

Launch of Overland

South Coast Writers' Centre

Top Floor, 93 Crown Street, (Town Hall Building) Wollongong

Sunday April 1 at 2 pm

The issue features a piece by Rowan Cahill on the Joy Dispute at Moss Vale. A number of the participants will be there to celebrate the victory achieved by the Moss Vale workers. Speakers will include Peter Wilson (president South Coast Labour Council) Nathan Hollier (associate editor, overland) and others.

Student Action

The NSW Branch of the National Union of Students needs your help!!

It only takes 10 minutes and one e-mail.

The Education References Committee of the Senate is inquiring into the health and quality of Australia's public universities.

EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO MAKE A SUBMISSION.

A simple email with your thoughts or experiences of universities is more than enough. You might write about the problems those with work or family responsibilities face in accessing education, full fees and rising HECS, falling standards, attacks on staff, the difficulty of accessing welfare, problems with the campus libraries, or general

concerns about corporate interference or the more than one billion in Liberal funding cuts. Anything you like.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS MARCH 31.

We are attempting to organsie at least 250 submissions- which would be about half of the total submissions.

This is one case where you really can make a difference - so why not get it over with and do up a short email submission now?

ADDRESS THE SUBMISSION TO: mailto:[email protected]

YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE CONTACT.

So that NUS can keep its own catalogue of problems on campus, feel free to send a copy of the email to: mailto:[email protected]

Eveleigh Community Weekend

Saturday 21- Sunday 22 April 11am - 4pm

Australian Technology Park

Garden Street, Eveleigh

As part of the National Trust's Heritage Festival, the Australian Technology Park (ATP) in conjunction with the Powerhouse Museum, will be opening up the former Eveleigh Railway Yards to the public and celebrating the diverse community involved in the development of Eveleigh, and its present incarnation as the ATP.

The Eveleigh Community Weekend will feature the launch of the video "Steam Power", which looks at the development of the Eveleigh Railyards and the people who worked there. "Steam Power" will be launched by Mr Kevin Moss MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and will be screened throughout the weekend. This video was produced by Dr Lucy Taksa, from the University of NSW, and Summer Hill Media.

The Powerhouse Museum will be exhibiting a number of important pieces of technology, from horsepower to steam power. The highlight of the display will be the Governor General's carriage, built at Eveleigh in 1901 and used to transport the Governor General and the Duke of Cornwall (later King George V) around NSW for the Federation celebrations.

The weekend will also provide the opportunity for past employees to catch up with former work mates and to revisit their place of work. The Eveleigh Employee Register, launched at the 1999 Eveleigh Reunion, will also be available for all former employees and their relatives to search and add details to.

The Eveleigh Community Weekend promises to be fun for all the family with exhibitions, tours of the site, folk music performances and lots more entertainment, as well as the chance to see how the old industrial buildings have been transformed into the state of the art ATP.

Admission is free and parking is available on site or alternatively people can catch the train to Redfern Station, which has direct access to the ATP.

The Eveleigh Community Weekend is sponsored by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Powerhouse Museum.

The ATP site is managed by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA). SHFA is responsible for property management and development and the heritage conservation of the ATP as well as other prominent NSW landmark precincts such as The Rocks, Circular Quay and Darling Harbour.

For further information please contact Claire Paddison or Laila Ellmoos at SHFA on 02 9240 8500. Fax No: (02)9240 8819 or E-mail: [email protected]

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 89 contents

Interview: Paddy Takes the Helm
Irish, internationalist, republican, socialist & seafarer - Paddy Crumlin intends taking the old traditions of the labour left into the 21st century, the community and cyberspace.

Unions: Breaking the Mould
Mark Hearn looks at how women union delegates are helping to change the culture in the traditionally male bastion of glassworking.

Legal: Washing Their Hands
Mark Morey outlines how Liberal neglect of the working visa system has led to exploitation of guest workers.

International: Violence Betrays Shangri-La
Shangri-La hotel union members carrying a coffin marked Robert Kuok have been assaulted and beaten by police in Jakarta.

Economics: Corporations: Different Than You and Me
Corporations are fundamentally different than you and me. That's a simple truth that Big Business leaders desperately hope the public will not perceive.

History: The Steel Octopus
Be prepared for a flood of Nostalgia from the media about the �Big Australian�, as it prepares to flee our shores and finally internationalise its digging operations. Workers won�t forget BHP�s less than worker friendly past and present (and no doubt it�s future).

Review: Mean Nation
John Allen charts the fall and fall of philanthropy in Australian society.

Satire: Ryan 'A Big Wake-Up Call For Me': Beazley
The narrow victory to Labor in the Ryan by-election has delivered a big slap in the face to Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley.

» Abbott and �Drinking Buddy� Under Microscope

» Working Visas: Ruddock Sells Dump to Abbott

» Tourist Guides Bussed In

» Fair Wear Holds Breath as Carr Celebrates

» Labor to Restore Public Sector�s Dignity

» Its Time for Carr to Act on Safey on Building Sites

» Bread Maker Slices Workforce

» Workers Show Grace Under Pressure

» Engineers Win BHP Redundancy Case

» Transport Drug Pushers Not Charged

» Training Body Needs $150 Million to Cope with Growth

» HIH Urged To Safeguard Employee Entitlements

» Carr Proposal For Public Schools Flawed

» Human Smirk Returns to Spiritual Home

» McGauchie Appointment Draws MUA Fire

» Bove Loses McDonald's Raid Appeal

» James Hardie Called to Account

» Australasian Union Organising Conference

» Activist Notebook