Australian Building and Construction Commissioner Leigh Johns recently launched a sham contracting inquiry and said there was evidence of widespread abuse of contracting in the industry.
The ACTU will boycott the inquiry and "maintain its opposition to the ABCC", which it wants abolished.
The CFMEU construction national secretary Dave Noonan said the watchdog was trying to "put lipstick on the pig" with its inquiry.
"I think most of the unions feel the ABCC is striving for some credibility in the wake of the debacle of the Ark Tribe trial," Mr Noonan said.
The case against Mr Tribe, who faced up to six months in jail for not co-operating with a watchdog investigation, collapsed last month after a legal bungle. "Clearly Mr Johns is trying to put a new face on them and give them a makeover," Mr Noonan said. "Unions aren't interested in being part of a dog-and-pony show."
Mr Noonan said sham contracting was a serious problem but it needed a response from all arms of government. He said Mr Johns was trying "to give a bit more oxygen to the rapidly expiring ABCC", which had a large number of staff that were "union haters and remain so".
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Unions support for WikiLeaks
23 December, 2010 | ACTU Media Release
WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief Julian Assange will today (Thursday) be given his Media Alliance union card, confirming that he is a member in good standing with the Australian journalists’ union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance.
Assange’s Melbourne lawyer Rob Stary QC will accept Assange’s new media card from ACTU President Ged Kearney at a ceremony in Melbourne outside the office of Fairfax Media newspaper The Age.
Media Alliance Victorian branch secretary Louise Connor said that Assange had contacted the Alliance in November, just as the 'cablegate' story began to break, wryly noting that his credit card had been cancelled and that he may not be able to pay his union dues.
“Julian Assange has been a member of the Media Alliance for several years. Clearly, with banking corporations freezing his accounts, his situation is quite extraordinary,” Connor says.
Earlier, on the occasion of the Media Section of the Alliance celebrating its 100th birthday, the federal Media Section committee meeting in Melbourne, voted to show its support for Assange, she says. The Media Section had been created as the Australian Journalists Association on December 10, 1910.
Connor says it was decided that his union fees should be waived. “We’ve drawn up a new union card for him and offer him the full support of his union and professional association.”
Connor adds that attacks on WikiLeaks over the revelations in the cablegate saga are a clear attempt to intimidate journalists like Assange and undermine the public’s right to know. "WikiLeaks is not the leaker of these cables, nor is it the whistleblower. It is an online publisher representing the new media which is working with at least six other media groups to bring these cables to light so that the public can be kept informed.
"Attempts to muzzle the media, whether it is new media like WikiLeaks or old media like the New York Times or the Guardian or Australia’s Fairfax newspapers, cannot be tolerated if we are to lay claim to having a strong, functioning and enduring democracy," said Ms Connor.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said Julian Assange and WikiLeaks deserve our support.
"WikiLeaks is simply performing the same function as media organisations have for centuries in facilitating the release of information in the public interest. Mr Assange’s rights should be respected just the same as other journalists.
"WikiLeaks has broken no Australian law, and as an Australian citizen, Julian Assange should be supported by the Australian government, not prematurely convicted," said Ms Kearney.
WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief Julian Assange will today (Thursday) be given his Media Alliance union card, confirming that he is a member in good standing with the Australian journalists’ union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance.
Assange’s Melbourne lawyer Rob Stary QC will accept Assange’s new media card from ACTU President Ged Kearney at a ceremony in Melbourne outside the office of Fairfax Media newspaper The Age.
Media Alliance Victorian branch secretary Louise Connor said that Assange had contacted the Alliance in November, just as the 'cablegate' story began to break, wryly noting that his credit card had been cancelled and that he may not be able to pay his union dues.
“Julian Assange has been a member of the Media Alliance for several years. Clearly, with banking corporations freezing his accounts, his situation is quite extraordinary,” Connor says.
Earlier, on the occasion of the Media Section of the Alliance celebrating its 100th birthday, the federal Media Section committee meeting in Melbourne, voted to show its support for Assange, she says. The Media Section had been created as the Australian Journalists Association on December 10, 1910.
Connor says it was decided that his union fees should be waived. “We’ve drawn up a new union card for him and offer him the full support of his union and professional association.”
Connor adds that attacks on WikiLeaks over the revelations in the cablegate saga are a clear attempt to intimidate journalists like Assange and undermine the public’s right to know. "WikiLeaks is not the leaker of these cables, nor is it the whistleblower. It is an online publisher representing the new media which is working with at least six other media groups to bring these cables to light so that the public can be kept informed.
"Attempts to muzzle the media, whether it is new media like WikiLeaks or old media like the New York Times or the Guardian or Australia’s Fairfax newspapers, cannot be tolerated if we are to lay claim to having a strong, functioning and enduring democracy," said Ms Connor.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said Julian Assange and WikiLeaks deserve our support.
"WikiLeaks is simply performing the same function as media organisations have for centuries in facilitating the release of information in the public interest. Mr Assange’s rights should be respected just the same as other journalists.
"WikiLeaks has broken no Australian law, and as an Australian citizen, Julian Assange should be supported by the Australian government, not prematurely convicted," said Ms Kearney.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
CFMEU: year in review
2011 will be an important year for workers’ rights and safety.
Labor has said it will reintroduce its previous legislation, which abolished the ABCC, but retains coercive powers. This will not achieve one law for all.
The Greens will hold the balance of power in the Senate from 1st July- their position on the ABCC and coercive powers is well known- they oppose both.
It promises to be an eventful year. And we need you to be there with us every step of the way.
Let’s start by getting our petition to abolish the ABCC up to 10,000 names.
NUW: Ethical chicken, caged workers
The National Union of Workers (NUW) is stepping up its campaign in support of workers at Baiada, the country’s largest poultry producer, by calling on the company’s main bank and largest retailer to insist that Baida guarantee ethical employment standardsAlready under government investigation for a brutal workplace regime including underpayment of wages and benefits and discriminatory practices at its free range, "ethically produced" Lilydale poultry plant in Adelaide, the company has now been cited by the state OHS agency WorkSafe for unsafe practices resulting in the death of immigrant contract worker Sarel Singh. Singh, who had already completed his shift, was decapitated when told to clean a line moving at full speed – 183 birds per minute.
More
Monday, December 20, 2010
AMWU: Visy victory
Striking workers at Visy plants across the country have returned to work after the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) secured a key agreement on Friday afternoon.
Up to 400 Visy workers in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia had been taking part in an indefinite strike action since 3 December, following the breakdown of negotiations between the AMWU and Visy over an enterprise bargaining agreement
Negotiations resumed early last week and the striking workers have now returned to work after the AMWU secured an agreement from the company not to freeze the pay of casual workers.
AMWU national print division secretary Lorraine Cassin said workers were pleased the dispute was over.
"Our members stood strong and have achieved an outcome that they are happy with. During negotiations since Tuesday, the company also moved on the issue of money and we have been able to secure several improvements including delegates' rights," he said.
Up to 400 Visy workers in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia had been taking part in an indefinite strike action since 3 December, following the breakdown of negotiations between the AMWU and Visy over an enterprise bargaining agreement
Negotiations resumed early last week and the striking workers have now returned to work after the AMWU secured an agreement from the company not to freeze the pay of casual workers.
AMWU national print division secretary Lorraine Cassin said workers were pleased the dispute was over.
"Our members stood strong and have achieved an outcome that they are happy with. During negotiations since Tuesday, the company also moved on the issue of money and we have been able to secure several improvements including delegates' rights," he said.
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