Anger as IR bill clears first hurdle
The Age, 11 Nov 2005, By Misha Schubert, Canberra
WORKERS who join nationwide strikes against contentious new industrial relations laws next Tuesday, without permission from the boss, risk having their pay docked and potential legal claims for damages. - http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/anger-as-ir-bill-clears-first-hurdle/2005/11/10/1131578172433.html
IR changes 'create US-style poor'
The Advertiser, 11nov05, by Roberta Mancuso
AUSTRALIA'S workforce would become "Americanised" with a large population of full-time working poor under new industrial relations laws, Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today.
Mr Beazley said Australia had shifted "way too far to the right" at the expense of the nation's way of life.
States to blast IR reforms in inquiry
The Age, November 10, 2005
The states and territories are preparing to pick holes in the federal government's controversial workplace reforms during a special Senate inquiry next week.
The Senate inquiry will include up to five days of public hearings in Canberra, starting on Monday, and report to the Senate on 22 November. - http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/States-to-blast-IR-reforms-in-inquiry/2005/11/10/1131578167238.html
Labor would scrap IR laws
The Australian, November 11, 2005
KIM Beazley has made an "absolute, rolled-gold promise" that a future Labor government would rewrite John Howard's workplace laws from scratch.
The federal Opposition Leader warned the Prime Minister yesterday that "we are coming for you, mate", and claimed voters would not forgive or forget the Government's arrogance for going far beyond its election mandate. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17208413%255E2702,00.html
Blogs
Pile-up in Western Sydney
Suki has an opinion
This morning as I was driving to work I heard HoWARd say (in reference to the Paris riots) that he saw a direct correlation between highly regulated labour markets and high unemployment. http://machinegunkeyboard.com/shao/?p=263
Conferences
Do Unions Still Matter?
by Michael D. Yates, Keynote Speech: "How Unions Matter in the New Economy" conference in Toronto, 28-29 October 2005.
[excerpt] - http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/yates041105.html
First, working people want and need good jobs and benefits, but the vision worthy of a struggle to achieve, they need that, too. People are likely to do great things, like build a labor movement, and try to liberate themselves, but only if they are part of something larger than themselves. This is what the past teaches us, whether we are talking about the IWW, the CIO, or the Cuban Revolution.
Since I'm living in the Southwest, I'm reading a lot about the Mormons. You read about the Mormons, whatever you think about them, they did some really, truly remarkable things, because they had a zeal, because they had a commitment to something larger than themselves.
Language such as that used by Andy Stern at the CTW convention is just not gonna cut it, labor-management partnerships are just not gonna cut it, top-down organizing and undemocratic unions are just not gonna cut it.
When workers say that, when they have problems, they look for a church, labor better listen. It better plan to become the church of workers, a revolutionary church, willing to lead workers towards heaven on earth.
Second, we should begin to consider the possibility that existing labor unions and leaders might not be the vehicle through which unions become relevant again. Maybe new organizations, outside traditional labor, will be necessary -- organizations such as the immigrants-led farm workers in Florida who recently won a heroic struggle against Taco Bell. David Bacon, a great labor journalist out in California, had an interesting article in The Nation magazine about immigrant groups, Guatemalans and Mexicans, who come and work in California and meatpacking plants in the Midwest. And he talks about the kind of community cohesion these people have, and they use this community cohesion, churches and other kinds of organizations, to organize workers. Maybe we better be looking towards organizations like that. Maybe we better ally ourselves with them. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, there are organizations of Black workers and Black organizations in the South that are pushing for change. Maybe labor better ally itself with them. Recently there was an article written by a union -- it might have been an SEIU -- member criticizing very harshly some of the organizations, Black organizations, around New Orleans, saying they can't organize anything, they don't have the clout, and so on and so forth. It's the kind of language we really don't need, I don't think. Maybe what is left of labor's left wing around the world will have to break away from the labor power that be, ally themselves with new organizations, and reinvent the wheels of class-struggle unionism.
National Day of Community Protest - Tuesday November 15
Union Information
ACTU - http://www.actu.asn.au/work_rights/get_involved/
The Australian Workers Union - http://www.awu.net.au/national/campaigns/rightsatwork/info_1118817948_26544.html
National Union of Students - http://www.unistudent.com.au/news/1129688740_11783.html
Community and Public Sector Union - http://www.cpsu.org.au/news/1130393023_8000.html
Australian Education Union Victoria - http://www.aeuvic.asn.au/
Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union - http://www.lhmu.org.au/qld/news/1129611555_12767.html
National Tertiary Education Union - http://www.nteu.org.au/bd/uow/8757/8758/12845
Health Services Union of Australia - http://www.hsu.net.au/news/1125371310_18157.html
NSW Independent Education Union - http://www.ieu.asn.au/campaigns/general/229.html
Health and Community Services Union - http://www.hacsu.asn.au/home/Index.asp?UID=&ItemID=398
WA Unions - http://www.tlcwa.org.au/index.php?option=com_extcalendar&Itemid=47&extmode=view&extid=1
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance - http://www.alliance.org.au/
re: IR Bill: links update #3
The 15 year old who had WorkChoices booklets sent in bulk to phony organisations had his protest half right.
Sending the booklets to amusing-sounding phony organisations was funny. It showed how few checks there are in the propaganda campaign the government has wasted our money on. However, sending 5000 was itself a waste of our taxes where the same effect could have been achieved with 1 booklet per phony group instead of 99.
re: IR Bill: links update #3
Alan Curran, I am also capable of doing nasty things to websites and I am a good bit older than 15.
You don't even need the Web to do it. During the anti-conscription campaign in the 70s, students filled in thousands of fake conscription forms, registering among other things their grandfathers and the family pets. Non-violent, no loss to the students and a big slowdown in the bureaucratic process that sent young men without the vote to die in yet another US war.
This boy has seen far more clearly than obviously you have the damage the Howard IR laws will do to his working future, so who is the idiot now?
No doubt his parents would firstly have had the benefits of the almost 100 year old Conciliation and Arbitration Act and the genuine Hawke-Keating reforms, and secondly have had a much more safe and secure working life than your Prime Minister is going to produce for this boy's generation.
re: IR Bill: links update #3
This lad is an idiot, he will make a great "Union Thug" when he grows up.
If he can do that to a government site can you imagine the damage he could do to any website at the behest of Burrows and Combet. I shall certainly watch out for him.
Terrence Ed.: Alan, I think I know who you are referring too, other readers may not. Please refer to the subject of your argument in future posts.
re: IR Bill: links update #3
This lad is my Hero of the Day. Who says that young people are not interested in politics?
re: IR Bill: links update #3
Regarding the "IR changes 'create US-style poor'" comment.
Maybe we should try the French model instead and go for French style poor. The US doesn't have 23% youth unemployment and 10% overall. The US hasn't had nation wide riots caused by a bored, excluded and unemployed poor underclass.
The IR reforms might well be heading towards the US model, I certainly prefer it to France's (and other Euro nations like Germany) over-regulation.
re: IR Bill: links update #3
Alan Curran, I know a former builders labourer by the name of Jack Mundey who really kickstarted the conservation and Green movement in this country.
And now the builders have joined up with the miners to form the CFMEU, this union now protects a number of family members involved in what is still one of the most hazardous industries in the country.
I know who I would look to in protecting my rights at work. Certainly not your Government.
re: IR Bill: links update #3
Dee Bayliss, you are scaremongering regarding the IR Reforms.
All the IR is going to do is to take away the power of the unions, a power they have misused on many occasions - especially in the Building Industry.
re: IR Bill: links update #3
My union, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, is involved with rallies and meetings in the cities, suburban and rural areas throughout the country tomorrow. They're not exclusive, so if you don't have a union but feel being a Webdiarist is in the neighbourhood of AJA membership, go hang out with this mob in your region [the Smithton TAB is my bet for a good time].
re: IR Bill: links update #3
Dear Margo, Kerrie, Hamish & Webdiarists,
Currently in Queen st Mall in Bunker internet cafe.
Just returned from Brisbane March. Speakers started at O8.45 am (Qld time). Speakers were Peter Beattie, Kim Beazley, Grace Grace, and Tommy Raudonikus (former football player/coach).
Beazley reaffirmed his vow to tear up the 'work choices' legislation upon winning power, saying that Queensland was the key to winning govt at next election.
Grace Grace and Tommy Raudonikus gave paticularly strong stirring speeches. The television hook-up with Melbourne was very good. Greg Combet was particularly effective in presenting how the so called 'work choices' would diminish, pay, conditions and relationships at work!
Church leaders, an IR Lawyer, veteran workers and Bob Hawke clearly explained the need to fight these changes.
The assembly of workers, men women and children including me then marched around the block to South Brisbane (estimated at 30,000 approx) to present letter/petition to Qlds Senators Ron Boswell and Barnaby Joyce at National party HQ.
Very hot and muggy today in Brisssy.
re: IR Bill: links update #3
"If he can do that to a government site can you imagine the damage he could do to any website..."
So speaketh the "Cuuran-stien" What pray tell did the lad do to the "website"? Far as I can tell he availed himself of the opportunity to procure 99 copies of a booklet he describes as "full of comforting pictures and not much else" (702 radio yesterday). From the way the hyperventilating Alan Curran is carrying on you'd think he'd infected it with the dreaded "union reds under the beds worm" and sent the department's computers out "on the grass."
Yes, we'd best watch out for this lad: fancy having the temerity to order – legally – 99 copies of a booklet from an incompetent department only too willing to get as many about as possible.
I'd suggest a bex, a cup of tea and a good lie down Alan Hyperbole Curran.
Maybe there's a bonus for the largest amount dispatched?
re: IR Bill: links update #3
"If he can do that to a government site can you imagine the damage he could do to any website at the behest of Burrows and Combet. I shall certainly watch out for him."
Allan, you make it sound like he hacked into their computers and fed them a virus. He simply exploited the Govt thoughtlessness.
What a credit to his parents and teachers this young man is - they must be very proud.