Rob Hirst – The Truth Walks Slowly

"The Truth Walks Slowly ©Rob Hurst2016



Mr Rose the cattleman wont let the miners on his land
He says this land is more than me I’m married to the property
Six generations call this home and this is where I’ll rest my bones
Beyond the tablelands you’ll see a line of blurred infinity
The truth walks slowly in the old man’s eyes
The truth walks slowly in the countryside

(the up and down the here and now the why the what the when the how)

The truth walks slowly I’ll sting and bite and scratch the hand of those who’d come and waste this land
Their eyes are void their hearts are blank as empty as my water tank
I know this country rock and stream my sweat has washed the mountain clean
Now I am forced to make a stand cos I’m the one who loves this land

The truth walks slowly convictions slide
The truth walks slowly ‘long the riverside
The truth walks slowly it smells like dirt
the truth walks slowly there’ll be no mining in our rich black earth

The truth walks slowly
seems our lives go flashing by like lightning
seems these times are compromised by fighting
seems these times will be defined by coal seam mining
The truth walks slowly but greed runs fast
There’ll be no mining in our golden grass.

Rob: vocals/drums/strums
Rick Grossman: bass
Rob Woolf: piano/vocals
Jason Millhouse: guitars
Eden Cutler & Erin Pascoe: chant
Stephen Baker: chant
Recorded by Brent Clark 

ACTU – Push for $30 Increase in Minimum Wage

National unions have asked for an increase of $30 per week in the minimum wage.

In its submission to the Fair Work Commission annual review of the national minimum wage on which up to 1.8 million Australians depend, the Australian Council of Trade Unions has asked for the full-time wage for adults to be increased from $656.90 to $686.90 per week. That would raise the hourly rate from $17.29 to $18.08.

ACTU secretary Dave Oliver said a $30 a week rise in the minimum wage "is vital if we're to halt the alarming slide in living standards that is threatening the economic wellbeing of one in five Australians".

He said the economy is picking up steam and corporate profits are rebounding.

"But wage growth has stalled despite Australian workers being more productive than ever," he said. "It's time to give minimum wage workers a pay rise."

The ACTU wants award minimum wages up to and including the benchmark C10 tradespersons' award rate to be increased by $30 per week. It argues that shrinking wages are contributing to inequality and the development of an underclass of working poor.

Minimum wage earners are more likely to be young, female workers in casual or part-time roles.

Lauren Wilson, 29, who works at a call centre in South Melbourne says the proportion of her salary spent on rent has increased from 30 per cent to 50 per cent in the past five years. She is also studying to become a community services worker and is completing the course online.

She earns $19.10 per hour "which is the minimum a person in an outsourced contact call centre can earn".
"In the five years I have been working in this job my cost of living has substantially increased," she said.
"I am making enough money so that I am not eligible for any discounts or support services, but the cost of living is going up and you really feel that squeeze."

Read more:

AWU slams NSW's rejection of South Australian steel

The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) has slammed a decision by the NSW Government to use rail imported from Spain instead of steel produced in Whyalla to supply the Sydney Metro Northwest project.

AWU National Secretary Scott McDine said the decision was a disgrace.

“Australian steel should be used on taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects — that must be the default position,” Mr McDine said.

“Victoria is building its multi-billion dollar level crossing project with Australian steel.

“The South Australian government mandates the use of Australian steel on taxpayer-funded projects.

“The NSW Government should hang its head in shame for rejecting Australian workers in Whyalla in favour of Spanish steel.”

AWU Acting SA Branch Secretary Peter Lamps said it was bizarre that South Australia was missing out to Spain once again.

“The Federal Government created 3000 Spanish jobs that could have gone to South Australia when it handed the contract for two replacement supply ships to Europe this month. Now it seems the NSW Government is making sure South Australia loses out to Spain again,” Mr Lamps said.

“Why are Australian Liberal governments more eager to create jobs in Spain over South Australia?

“The Sydney Metro Northwest project is an $8.3 billion dollar build. A contract of this size could be making a huge difference to Whyalla — but instead its now making a huge difference to Spain.

“Every other steel-producing nation in the world has measures in place to ensure local steel is given preference.

“How the NSW Government could reject South Australian steel in this way simply beggars belief.”

Election Issues: History of Workchoices

Published on 31 Mar 2016

It’s been 10 years since John Howard’s WorkChoices, a major attack on our rights at work. Now the Turnbull Liberal government wants to call an election to take basic civil rights from 1 million Australian workers and to make it harder for unions to do their job standing up for their members. On top of this they have penalty rates in their sights.

WorkChoices taught us that you can’t trust the Liberals with our rights at work.

Let’s remember WorkChoices. Let’s remember that we beat them. Let’s put the Liberals last this election.

BMUC – MEDIA RELEASE: BADGERYS CREEK 13th March, 2016

"We are very concerned about reports that the Badgerys Creek Environmental Impact Statement released late last year was incorrect and incomplete." said Blue Mountains Unions Council President Kerry Cooke today.

"As Unionists we welcome the opportunity presented for new jobs in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains but not at any cost. The EIS has raised more questions than it has answered." he said.

Mr Cooke encouraged Blue Mountains and Western Sydney residents to take every opportunity to inform themselves of all the possible effects of Badgerys Creek airport and to question local candidates about their positions.

"We've recently seen the shocking exploitation of foreign workers in several industries. 

• How many local workers will be employed? 
• Will foreign workers have the rights to fair pay and conditions which they deserve for a fair day's work and which will not undermine those of local workers? 
• Will foreign workers be employed under the controversial China Free Trade Agreement or Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement? 
• And how many secure ongoing jobs will be created? 

Workers and the local economy need reliable incomes to prosper, not more underemployment."

"No doubt many locals are looking forward to improved infrastructure that should come with the airport. The Federal Government has only recently committed to high speed rail connecting Badgerys Creek, Parramatta and the Sydney CBD being built in time for a 2026 opening of the airport instead of 2040.

Will the high speed rail be owned and operated by the public sector or will it be a copy of the expensive and privately owned Sydney Airport link? We'll be sharing the existing roads and rail with the people and freight the airport will bring into Western Sydney.

Will the needs of residents as well as those of airport passengers and workers be served? What other infrastructure is planned? We've seen many infrastructure plans promised then shelved over the years. Will the infrastructure promised ever progress beyond the planning stage?
 
"It's also been reported that the planes will mostly carry domestic passengers and freight. Has high speed rail as an alternative been properly considered?"

"Local workers and business people treasure our Mountains' communities and World Heritage Area. It's our home and for many of us it's also the source of our income. What are the environmental, health and business implications of the flight paths with no curfew? How will the flight paths interact with the ability of our fire fighters to conduct aerial hazard reduction and firefighting?

Mr Cooke concluded by urging voters to ask their local candidates these questions and more about Badgerys Creek Airport and to consider their answers carefully when casting their vote in the upcoming Federal Election.

From Debra Smith
Secretary
Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc