Saturday, July 04, 2009
Qld: Unions oppose Privatisation
Fifteen hundred trade unionists and their supporters marched through the streets of Brisbane on July 3 to oppose the sell off of Queensland public assets. The protest had been called by the Electrical Trades Union and later was supported by the Queensland Council of Unions.Addressing the rally were speakers from the QCU, AFULE, ASU and the Rail Tram and Bus Union.
Mick Carr from the Maritime Union of Australia told the rally that there was no upside for a one off fixing of the debt by selling off public assets. Peter Simpson , state secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, said that his union wont be putting one cent into the ALP coffers at the next election if this legislation is still on the books.
He said it was time to put a line in the sand.
David Matters from the Rail Tram and Bus Union told everyone that his union, with community support, had won their fight against the prisatisation of the Brisbane City Council bus service in the 1990s.To applause he said, that it was time to put Anna Bligh under the control of working people.
But the surprize from among the speakers came from ALP state president and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Secretary, Andrew Dettmar, who said that his union will not be supporting any politician at the next state election unless they make a no privatisation pledge.
Gleebooks event: Hijacking Sustainability
Gleebooks at Blackheath: first official Blue Mountains event
Saturday July 4, 2.30 for 3pm
Venue: Gearin Hotel
273 Great Western Highway, Katoomba
$10/$7 gleeclub welcome
bookings gleebooks at Blackheath …. 4787 6340
The idea of "sustainability" has gone mainstream. Thanks to Prius-driving movie stars, it's even hip. What began as a grassroots movement to promote responsible development has become a bullet point in corporate ecobranding strategies. In Hijacking Sustainability, Adrian Parr describes how this has happened: how the goals of an environmental movement came to be mediated by corporate interests, government, and the military. Parr argues that the more popular sustainable development becomes, the more commodified it becomes; the more mainstream culture embraces the sustainability movement's concern over global warming and poverty, the more "sustainability culture" advances the profit-maximizing values of corporate capitalism.
Australian academic, Adrian Parr is Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Saturday July 4, 2.30 for 3pm
ADRIAN PARR
Hijacking Sustainability
in conversation with sustainability expert, Stuart Hill
Venue: Gearin Hotel
273 Great Western Highway, Katoomba
$10/$7 gleeclub welcome
bookings gleebooks at Blackheath …. 4787 6340
The idea of "sustainability" has gone mainstream. Thanks to Prius-driving movie stars, it's even hip. What began as a grassroots movement to promote responsible development has become a bullet point in corporate ecobranding strategies. In Hijacking Sustainability, Adrian Parr describes how this has happened: how the goals of an environmental movement came to be mediated by corporate interests, government, and the military. Parr argues that the more popular sustainable development becomes, the more commodified it becomes; the more mainstream culture embraces the sustainability movement's concern over global warming and poverty, the more "sustainability culture" advances the profit-maximizing values of corporate capitalism.Australian academic, Adrian Parr is Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Marriott Hotels clinging to WorkChoices
CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION
Marriott workers need your help
In 2007 we all fought for our rights at work, and we won. Or so we thought.
From 1 July most of us will have access to the new Fair Work Australia laws. Sadly workers at Marriott hotels will be stuck with WorkChoices for three more long years.
At the very last minute Marriott Hotels have rushed through 3 year WorkChoices contracts.
Hundreds of workers at these hotels have signed union cards to say they want a Fair Work Agreement not a WorkChoices contract. They want to have a say.
But they need your help.
Marriott's Human Resources are based in the USA. It's probably not surprising they don't know how seriously Australian workers take our rights at work. They might not even realise how insulting it is to us Australians that after we voted John Howard's nasty WorkChoices out Marriott (a big multi-national company) is desperately clinging to it.
We fought for our rights and we will keep fighting for them if companies like Marriott ignore what Australians voted for 2007.
We need you to send a message to Marriott CEO Bill Marriott in America. Please help us fight for Marriott workers' rights at work.
Marriott workers need your help
In 2007 we all fought for our rights at work, and we won. Or so we thought.
From 1 July most of us will have access to the new Fair Work Australia laws. Sadly workers at Marriott hotels will be stuck with WorkChoices for three more long years.
At the very last minute Marriott Hotels have rushed through 3 year WorkChoices contracts.
Hundreds of workers at these hotels have signed union cards to say they want a Fair Work Agreement not a WorkChoices contract. They want to have a say.
But they need your help.
Marriott's Human Resources are based in the USA. It's probably not surprising they don't know how seriously Australian workers take our rights at work. They might not even realise how insulting it is to us Australians that after we voted John Howard's nasty WorkChoices out Marriott (a big multi-national company) is desperately clinging to it.
We fought for our rights and we will keep fighting for them if companies like Marriott ignore what Australians voted for 2007.
We need you to send a message to Marriott CEO Bill Marriott in America. Please help us fight for Marriott workers' rights at work.
NSW Essential service workers get 4%
From today New South Wales public sector employees will receive a four per cent pay rise following the success of the Public Service Association's wage negotiations in September last year.
More than 70,000 essential service workers will receive the four per cent pay rise, which exceeds the government's initial offer of 2.5 per cent thanks to the PSA and members who rejected the proposed cut in take-home pay last year.
The PSA says the increase comes at a time when many workers are beginning to feel the pinch and will go a long way to helping families who have been working hard all year.
"The success of the PSA's robust negotiations and today's subsequent pay rise demonstrates the real bargaining potential of a strong union and the value of PSA membership," said PSA general secretary John Cahill.
"The wage negotiation process really highlights how important it is to be part of a union and having all your co-workers are there with you throughout such a process."
The PSA said today's four per cent wage increase is a triumph for PSA members and a great reason for more public sector workers to get involved and join the union.
"The more members in the union, the better our bargaining power - so if you want to have a voice the best thing you can do is encourage your workmates to join the PSA and have a say in their rights at work," Mr Cahill said.
More than 70,000 essential service workers will receive the four per cent pay rise, which exceeds the government's initial offer of 2.5 per cent thanks to the PSA and members who rejected the proposed cut in take-home pay last year.
The PSA says the increase comes at a time when many workers are beginning to feel the pinch and will go a long way to helping families who have been working hard all year.
"The success of the PSA's robust negotiations and today's subsequent pay rise demonstrates the real bargaining potential of a strong union and the value of PSA membership," said PSA general secretary John Cahill.
"The wage negotiation process really highlights how important it is to be part of a union and having all your co-workers are there with you throughout such a process."
The PSA said today's four per cent wage increase is a triumph for PSA members and a great reason for more public sector workers to get involved and join the union.
"The more members in the union, the better our bargaining power - so if you want to have a voice the best thing you can do is encourage your workmates to join the PSA and have a say in their rights at work," Mr Cahill said.
Celebrate end of anti-union laws
New industrial relations laws, which begin today, represent an historic step forward for the rights of working Australians and their families.
The new laws mark a turning point and will provide workers with a raft of stronger rights and protections in the current economic downturn, and in better times ahead, says the ACTU.
Women, young people and low-paid workers are among those who will benefit the most from the new laws, said ACTU President Sharan Burrow.
"From today, all Australian workers have a greater sense of security and more respect for their rights at work because of these landmark changes to industrial relations laws," Ms Burrow said.
"These laws are the result of an unprecedented campaign by Australian workers based firmly on the Australian belief of a fair go, who demanded the return of their rights at work after those rights were stripped away by the Howard Government's 'WorkChoices' laws.
"Under WorkChoices, there were countless cases of workers losing pay and conditions, being sacked unfairly and having their basic rights denied.
"At the last federal election, the Australian community said enough was enough.
"These new laws are the culmination of that campaign.
"They will deliver better protection and rights for workers and the ball is now in employers' court to treat their workers with respect and operate within the spirit of the new laws."
The new laws will deliver:
- Genuine rights for workers to collectively bargain and be represented by their union.
- Unfair dismissal for all workers, including about 4 million workers who had no protection under WorkChoices.
- A robust new safety net of awards and national standards, along with a fair and transparent process for setting minimum wages.
- An industrial umpire with teeth to safeguard workers' rights.
see also Sharan Burrow's article in Sydney Morning Herald
Employees enter a new era of rights
"... The courts will be given a new role in overseeing the application of awards and the National Employment Standards, providing a strong deterrent against the infringement of workers' rights and entitlements.
Minimum wage workers can look forward to a much fairer system of setting their pay under the new laws.
Australian Workplace Agreements, used to break down collective strength in the workplace and to drive down wages and conditions, are now outlawed.
On average, workers employed on AWAs and other individual contracts earn almost 6 per cent less than those under union-negotiated agreements. In future, common law contracts will have to be above the industry award.
Finally, no longer will the basic right to belong to a union be eroded by threats of dismissal, pressure, discrimination or victimisation.
Union delegates will be protected during bargaining and it will be unlawful to take action or discriminate against someone simply because they are a union member. There will be a guaranteed right to union representation when it is needed to settle a dispute or negotiate on a worker's behalf.
The new fairer workplace laws are a great step forward but the task of strengthening the lives of working Australians is an ongoing process. We have more work to do to ensure that the laws covering construction workers are recognised as unfair and have no place in Australia's industrial relations system and that we have the strongest possible occupational health and safety laws to guarantee safety at work.
But this week, we celebrate the fact that with the Fair Work Act, Australians again have proper rights at work. "
"... The courts will be given a new role in overseeing the application of awards and the National Employment Standards, providing a strong deterrent against the infringement of workers' rights and entitlements.
Minimum wage workers can look forward to a much fairer system of setting their pay under the new laws.
Australian Workplace Agreements, used to break down collective strength in the workplace and to drive down wages and conditions, are now outlawed.
On average, workers employed on AWAs and other individual contracts earn almost 6 per cent less than those under union-negotiated agreements. In future, common law contracts will have to be above the industry award.
Finally, no longer will the basic right to belong to a union be eroded by threats of dismissal, pressure, discrimination or victimisation.
Union delegates will be protected during bargaining and it will be unlawful to take action or discriminate against someone simply because they are a union member. There will be a guaranteed right to union representation when it is needed to settle a dispute or negotiate on a worker's behalf.
The new fairer workplace laws are a great step forward but the task of strengthening the lives of working Australians is an ongoing process. We have more work to do to ensure that the laws covering construction workers are recognised as unfair and have no place in Australia's industrial relations system and that we have the strongest possible occupational health and safety laws to guarantee safety at work.
But this week, we celebrate the fact that with the Fair Work Act, Australians again have proper rights at work. "
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