1. Lift Industry Mass Meeting

Members working in the Lift Industry, both construction and service, are required to attend a meeting at the Victorian Trades Hall Council in Carlton on Thursday October 24 at 10:00 am.

The meeting will be the first in a series to formulate and support a claim to be put to employers for a new EBA in 2003.

It is vital that members attend the meeting to have a say in their future EBA.

2. New Organiser in Tasmania

Kerry Becker will be retiring as an official of the Union in December this year. Kerry has been an ETU organiser for 15 years and has made a great contribution to the Union.

Kerry’s retirement has presented the Union with the opportunity to base an organiser away from Hobart and in northern Tasmania. This will lessen travel times and allow greater access to members.

Ken Mayes will be officially taking up role of organiser in northern Tasmania as of October 14.

In the second half of October and into November, Kevin Harkins and Kerry Becker will be introducing Ken Mayes to member meetings around the state.

Ken will be based in Davenport and will be able access all areas in the north and north-west.

Until recently, Ken was field officer with CONNECT superannuation and has also been an organiser in Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley in Victoria.

Ken says ìIím really looking to forward to the challenges of organising in Tasmania and particularly the north and North West of the state".

Ken’s contact details will be made available shortly.

3. Royal Commission Update

The Royal Commission's train arrives back in Melbourne today and is due to stay a couple of weeks. The aim of the next fortnight is to condemn the pace-setting long service leave, training, redundancy and superannuation funds utilised in the industry.

These funds have been set up to protect worker entitlements in an industry that sees more than its fair share of business failure.

ETU Branch Secretary Dean Mighell has been called to appear at the Commission today and it is expected he will be attacked over the Union's successful redundancy fund and trusts.

The ETU Distress, Mortality and Training Trust breaks new ground for members and is building the foundation for a future range of new services.

In other news, "The OH&S Rep" reports that building unions hosted a successful health and safety conference in defiance of the Cole Royal Commission.

"Building union health and safety representatives, Bob Cameron, Minister for WorkCover, industry representatives, academics and health professionals gathered in Melbourne on 19 September for an occupational health and safety conference that building unions described as the 'real' Conference.

"Around 300 building union OHS representatives and shop stewards from across Victoria marched down Collins Street and rallied outside the premises of the Cole Royal Commission declaring it a 'health hazard'."

The Construction Industry Health and Safety Conference coincide with a two-day, invitation-only health and safety conference convened by Commissioner Cole.

The rally heard that the Royal Commission had devoted 150 days to the interrogation of building unions and only two days to health and safety, despite its' terms of reference.

The conference also heard of the tragic impact of workplace fatalities on families and workmates from a number of speakers, including wives, mothers, OHS Representatives and OHS Officers.

http://www.ohsrep.org.au/news/

Meanwhile CFMEU State Secretary Martin Kingham has been charged under the Royal Commission Act, 1902, for refusing to endanger the livelihoods of his members by not handing over to the Royal Commission lists of shop stewards attending training.

Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Leigh Hubbard has called on all affiliated unions to attend a rally on 24 October in defence of Mr Kingham who is now personally under attack from the Royal Commission for the 'crime' of acting to protect the interests and privacy of his members.

The VTHC-endorsed rally in defence of Martin Kingham will gather at Trades Hall at 8.45am and march to the Magistrates Court at 9am.

4. New Legal Officer

Welcome to Geoff Borenstein, formerly of Maurice Blackburn Cashman, who has joined the ETU Legal Team at the Melbourne Office.

Geoff has had considerable legal experience, specialising in industrial Law, and will make a valuable contribution to the ETU and its members.

Members of the Southern States Branch can contact Geoff through the Melbourne Office on 03 8341 5555 or directly on 0412 992 740

5.Rally for Peace

Victorian Peace Network is organising a "Rally for Peace" on Sunday 13 October at the State Library. It intends to send a message to the Howard Government that the Australian people do not support any military attack on the people of Iraq.

This war is not about Iraqís military strength but is about oil and the self-proclaimed right of the giant oil corporations and their Texas-based political representatives to control Middle East oil.

Iraq has the world’s second largest oil reserves. As far back as 1945, the US government described the region as: is stupendous source of strategic power and one of the greatest material prizes in world history.

America wants to bully its way into controlling it. This is a war about oil, not democracy.

Speak out, talk to friends and neighbours.

We’ll only stop the war in the Middle East if thousands of people show their opposition. NO AUSTRALIAN INVOLVEMENT!

http://www.vicpeace.org

Starts: 1:00pm

Finishes: 3:00pm

Where: State Library of Victoria
(cnr Swanston & Latrobe Streets)

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