
Issue No 92		20 April 2001

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News

Compo Campaign Gathers Steam

The rolling campaign of industrial action against the Della Bosca reforms is warming up, with commuters the short-term beneficiaries as bans are placed on government revenue collection.

Following a successful fare free day on the ferries, rail unions will give CityRail's 480,000 commuters a free day Monday - a move that would cost the government more than $1 million in lost revenue.

Late today, bus workers voted to join the action and will also refuse to collect fares on Monday.

And fire fighters today called a snap strike over the workers compensation reforms and continuing frustrations with payments for Death and Disability.

More rolling action is planned for next week culminating in a statewide delegates meeting to coincide with the International Day of Mourning for Deaths in the Workplace.

Off the Rails

Members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and the Australian Services Union have endorsed the action - which will run from midnight to midnight on Monday April 23.

Information about the deficiencies of the Bill - and the way it reduced injured workers' benefits and access to benefits - will also be distributed at railway station.

RTBU state secretary Nick Lewocki said the action was a sign of the anger and dismay the changes had generated amongst his members.

"The Government should be put on notice that while services will not be disrupted on Monday, our membership is prepared to escalate the action into stoppages should this be necessary in the coming weeks," Lewocki says.

Brigade Anger Flares

Meanwhile, members of the Fire Brigade Employees' Union caused a racquet outside State parliament, with more than 60 trucks participating in an angry drive-by.

The FBEU has been fighting cuts to their Death and Disability protection for several years and the workers compensation cuts are a last straw.

After stopping work for three hours, fire fighters have voted to impose indefinite bans against risking their own safety in fires where only property is affected.

FBEU state president Daryl Snow says his members will still enter burning buildings were people are inside, but will no longer go in where there is only commercial property at risk. Instead, firefighters will stay outside and use their hoses only.

"Without decent protection, our members see no reason why they should risk their lives to protect capital," Snow says.

Building Workers Shut Down City

One hundred thousand construction workers closed the industry Thursday in the first major action of the workers comp campaign.

The shutdown followed three weeks of site meetings where union officials outlined their concerns with the package and got widespread support for their campaign.

"Our members have shown thier commitment by forfeitning a day's wages," CFMEU construction division state secretary Andrew Ferguson said.

Keep watching http://www.labor.net.au/compo for more updates

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 92 contents

Interview: Beyond the Accord
Simon Crean cut his teeth in the trade union movement, now he's gearing up to run the economy.

Politics: In Defence of Della�s List
The proposition that trade unions should ask members of the ALP for a commitment that they uphold Party policy should hardly be controversial.

Corporate: The Real Rorters
The unspoken sore of the WorkCover Scheme is non-compliance by employers. None more so that in the construction industry, as this CFMEU paper details.

Legal: In the Real World
Lawyer Ross Goodridge exposes the defficincies in the new medical assessment guidelines for workers compensation by looking at real case studies.

International: The Docklands and Global Labour
Ma Wei Pin and Jasper Goss recount how the struggle of a group of Indonesian hotel workers effected a lucrative Melbourne contract.

History: Sweatshops in America
Since the dawning of the Industrial Revolution, many generations of Americans have toiled in sweatshops.

Unions: Losers Never Start
At the end of her six week vigil, Grenadier delegate Michelle Booth gave her heartfelt thanks to the trade union movement.

Review: Working Classes: Global Realities
The Socialist Register 2001 looks at class realities and the lives of workers in the new century.

Satire: Democrats Change Leader
The Democrats have a new leader after belatedly discovering that Meg Lees had become the second Democrats leader in a row to defect to another party.

» Costa To Join Della�s List

» Compo Campaign Gathers Steam

» Della�s List: Dissident MPs Targeted

» Day of Mourning to be Compo Focus

» Small Steps in Negotiations � But Hard Yards Still to Come

» Important First Step for E-Mail Privacy

» Outraged Cleaners Continue AXA Axings Protests

» Grenadier Picket Ends � But Legacy Lives On

» Entitlement Dramas in Health and Printing

» Nurses Still Waiting on Olympics Bonus

» IRC Delays Hit Eight Month Barrier

» Claims of Dirty Tricks Conspiracy at Mobil

» Sydney Water Workers On Strike

» MUA Rides Anti-pollution Wave

» Governments Urged On Child Slavery

» Time To Act on Pay Discrimination

» Construction Union Supports Folk Festival

» Activists Notebook