Kimiko Nezu and 19 others punished

Twenty public school teachers were punished for disobeying an order to stand and face the flag during the singing of the national anthem in graduation ceremonies in March, the Tokyo board of education said Monday.

The punishments ranged from a 10 percent salary cut for between one and six months to six-month suspensions from work and nonrenewal of contracts for temporary or part-time workers.

The board decided on the penalties during a meeting Friday.

The board has been punishing teachers since ordering public school principals in October 2003 to instruct teachers and students to stand and sing "Kimigayo" at graduation and entrance ceremonies.

About 400 teachers have been punished so far.

There was speculation this year that Kimiko Nezu, a home economics teacher at Minamiosawa Gakuen School for Children With Special Needs, might be dismissed for having defied the order since October 2003.

Instead, she was suspended Monday for six months.



"Pushing just one view (onto people) must not happen in a democratic society," Nezu said.

Forcing children to sing the anthem without telling them about its history or the history of the Hinomaru flag is not education, she added.

Nezu had been punished several times over the years for remaining seated during the anthem. The penalty has become more severe each time.

"I assumed I would be dismissed this year," said Nezu, who was punished not only for disobeying the order but also for wearing a sweater at her school emblazoned with the phrase "Objection Hinomaru, Kimigayo."

She speculated that the significant public support she has received stopped the board from dismissing her this year.

Nezu, other defiant teachers and their supporters have actively protested the order over the past two months.

"I felt that when many people take some action together, things can be changed," Nezu said during a news conference.

"It's been proved today that no matter how many times you remain seated, you won't be fired," she said.

Victoria: Private Electricity chaos

Victoria's Energy Minister Peter Batchelor has defended the government's efforts to reconnect power to homes across the state after Wednesday's violent storms.

More than 20,000 homes remained without power early on Friday, prompting calls for a swifter response from emergency services.

Electrical Trades Union Victorian secretary Dean Mighell criticised the delays, questioning whether privatisation of the power industry was to blame.

He said the new power companies had cut staff and maintenance.

"It's times like this we are totally unprepared, totally undermanned," Mr Mighell told Fairfax Radio Network.

"The pressure on the guys out there is immense at the moment and the last couple of days, it's huge, and they just haven't got the workforce beside them to help get them there.

"The old SEC (State Electricity Commission) when it did exist, had the manpower to deal with situations like this."

A spokesman for power supplier Alinta said the company had 300 workers fixing the problems.

A 38-year-old Alinta worker died on Thursday while working on damaged power lines in the Mornington area, south-east of Melbourne.

Mr Mighell said it was still unclear what led to the death.

"He seems to have been working among live electricity," Mr Mighell told Fairfax Radio Network.

"We don't know whether he knew it was live ... or it was a simple mistake or actually a fault."

Gosford Council: opposes Electricty sell-off

PUBLIC NOTICE
COUNCIL MEETING 1 APRIL 2008
GEN.3 CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE PRIVATISATION OF NSW ELECTRICITY UTILITIES

RESOLUTION

That Gosford City Council strongly opposes the NSW Government's plans to privatise NSW's publicly-owned electricity retailers and enter into long term leases of the State's generators, Council will:

a) support its community and in particular the significant number of people employed in the power industry by expressing its opposition to the State Government's proposal to privatize and lease the NSW power industry;

b) call on the NSW Government to better management NSW's future energy needs and take urgent action in response to climate change by investing in energy efficiency in homes and business and increasing its renewable energy targets;

c) the Mayor, Jim Macfadyen write to the Premier Morris Iemma opposing State Government's proposal to privatize and lease the NSW power industry;

d) write to each of the Central Coast State Members of Parliament requesting their full support behind the community opposing this plan;

e) the General Manager, Peter Wilson convey this motion to the NSW Premier, Morris Iemma and Treasurer Michael Costa and the NSW Local Government Association;

f) any and all future replies from State Members on the State Government's proposal to privatize and lease the NSW power industry be reported to Council and the Public through future business papers of Council;

g) Council's opposition of the State Government's proposal to privatize and lease the NSW power industry be widely advised including on the Council website and by media releases.

Electricity privatisation update

A group called the Alliance for NSW Future has been established to counteract "the unions' self-interested campaign against reform", the Sydney Chamber of Commerce said.

The open letter says the power sell-off will free up funds to renew other parts of the state's infrastructure.

Christopher Brown, managing director of the Tourism and Transport Forum, said the electricity industry was threatened by ageing power stations, making the sale a matter of urgency.

"We need new power stations. Essentially, if you're a seller, you need to sell now. We should have sold 10 years ago," Mr Brown said.

"I want to see (the state government) building public transport, schools and hospitals."

"With the emissions trading scheme and climate change around the corner and with the continued state monopoly, if they don't (privatise) the prices will get even higher. And we don't want them going up," Mr Brown said.

"We represent hundreds and thousands of businesses who depend upon efficient, clean, reasonably-priced supply of power.

"We want certainty in our power supply. We want NSW power companies to attract talented people to be able to retain customers. So, to do nothing is not an option."

Unions NSW assistant secretary Matt Thistlethwaite said the Alliance for NSW Future was pushing its own agenda of self-interest.

"The establishment of this group should send alarm bells through the community - because, just as they did with Work Choices, the business lobby is pushing their own agenda at the expense of the interests of working families," he said in a statement.

The business lobby could not explain how jobs and electricity assets would be kept in Australia, Mr Thistlethwaite said.

"Big business is rubbing its hands at the prospect of privatising power. The establishment of this group just gives the community further reason to be afraid," he said.

"With more than 80 per cent of the population opposing the sell-off, the government simply has no mandate to proceed."

At a meeting with business leaders recently newly elected Federal MP Greg Combet suggested he no option but to support the NSW privatisation as a minister in the Rudd government. This statement surprised many admirers of the former ACTU Secretary and undoubtedly most of those who voted for him in his electorate.

In the light of Combet's statement the Senator Elect member for NSW, Doug Cameron, made it clear at a meeting in Katoomba that he was opposed to privatisation, and saw no reason why his view had to change because he was about to enter the Senate as a Labor Senator.

Patrick Dispute 10 Year Anniversary

Dan Wollmering, a sculptor who entered a piece in the Contemporary Sculpture Competition at Docklands, won first prize with a piece called Waterfront. It is a work that is based on the events of the 1998 Patrick Dispute.

Next week will be the 10 year anniversary of the MUA/Patrick Dispute. However the MUA is holding a Public Event on Thursday 3 April at Docklands to unveil the piece.



The MUA would be grateful if Unions and supporters could attend this function to remember the assistance given by the Trade Unions that led to the success of the dispute (the MUA was not destroyed which was the key aim of the Howard government at the time). It is a time to remember what became an iconic dispute, that gained recognition all over the world as one of the few times when big business and the government conspired to do in a union and did not succeed.

WHEN: 3pm Thursday 3 April

WHERE: Shed 14 Harbour Esplanade Docklands (Opposite Channel 7 Sign)

More information:
Maritime Union of Australia
Victorian Branch
Ph: 03 - 9329 5477 Fax: 03 - 9328 1682
www.mua.org.au