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August 2003 | |
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Interview: The New Deal Unions: In the Line of Hire Culture: Too Cool for the Collective? International: The Domino Effect Industrial: A Spanner in the Works National Focus: Gathering of the Tribes History: The Welcome Nazi Tourist Bad Boss: Domm, Domm Turn Around Poetry: Just Move On. Review: Reality Bites
The Soapbox Education The Locker Room Postcard
The Secret Life of Us
 Bullies in the RanksIt Is Still About The Members Isn't ItTom's Purpose
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National Focus Gathering of the Tribes
Medicare and education especially will be at the forefront of attention says ACTU President Sharan Burrow. “Since the last ACTU Congress at Wollongong in 2000, federal government policies have caused growing economic inequality and eroded essential public services like Medicare,” Sharan Burrow says. "The ACTU's 2003 Congress will develop strategies to improve the living standards of working people and their families, especially low-paid and casual workers. “We will be building on successful union policies to allow all employees to achieve a better balance between their working life and family responsibilities. "We will be taking the fight to save Medicare and bulk billing into the workplace and campaigning to rebuild our public education system. “Like most Australians we want to see our tax money spent on decent public services so everyone can afford quality health care and education for their children," Ms Burrow says. Major policy areas to be debated at the Congress will include:
The four-day Congress of 800 union delegates will be held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from August 18. Who’s coming Guy Ryder, the General Secretary of the International Confederation of Trade Unions. Guy has been at the forefront of many international campaigns for workers rights and against child labour and has lead the call for effective governance of globalisation through global institutions. Linda Chavez-Thompson - the highest ranking woman in the American labor movement and the first person of color elected to an executive office of the AFL-CIO. Linda has been responsible for putting unionism on the map in some of the most redneck and antiunion parts of the American south. She is a real legend in American unionism. Willie Madisha, the President of Council of South African Trade Unions. Willie was a prominent member of United Democratic Front in the struggle against apartheid. Ken Georgetti from the Canadian Labour Congress. Ken has encouraged Canadian labour to take active control of union pension plans and began a number of successful, socially-responsible investment initiatives. Ken has used the traditional investor structure at annual general meetings to push corporations to assume social responsibility and implement codes of conduct based on respect for workers' rights and protection of the environment. John Monks, the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation and a former General Secretary of the British Trade Union Congress. Among the Australian guests will be Bob Hawke, Labor leader Simon Crean and deputy leader Jennie Macklin, Shadow IR Minister Craig Emerson, Kerry Nettle, the Greens spokesperson on workplace relations, Barbara Pocock, a respected authority on work and family issues, and Margaret Jackson, the chair of Qantas airways. Pru Goward, Carmen Lawrence and Pat Dodson will also be participating. Labor premiers Bob Carr and Steve Bracks will be special guests. Check out the ACTU’s Congress website The ACTU has set up a website for Congress 2003 with background papers and all the draft policies up for discussion and vote at the Congress plus all the latest news. There are also discussion groups for each policy so you can have your say on all the issues. You can find the site at http://www.actu.asn.au/congress2003/. 
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