1. Powering on , but not jumping into bed

Although the Alinta power company has settled on an EBA with the ETU, the big Texan TXU won't come to the party and SPI PowerNet our Singapore owned monster is more of the same. It's funny really. Jeff Kennett privatises the power industry and sells off these essential services and one of the buyers just happens to be a state run power company. Please explain?

You might have noticed that Singapore Power's proposed takeover of TXU has the anti competition watchdog, the ACCC, looking down its pince-nez (those eye glasses that sit on the nose).

When the eTU online caught up with the boss cockie and dear close personal friend of Mr Costello, Graeme Samuel, he was very agreeable. 'Yes, we'll be looking at the matter. But I can't add anything beyond what's been reported in the papers,' he said.

The ETU has provided the ACCC with a submission opposing Singapore Power's takeover on the grounds that it will result in a monopoly that gives the company control over generation, distribution and retailing of power. Given privatisation was pursued because our rabid free trade mates in the parliaments around Australia don't like government enterprises and assured us this would create competition, how can Graeme Samuel allow the takeover? You can back it in that if it does go ahead you won't hear boo from John Howard and his mob.

The power dispute has been a very taxing time for everyone within the ETU. Organisers Greg Arnett and Wes Hayes have worked day and night to try to reach a deal which reflects the rights of members and their contribution to this essential service. At a shop stewards meeting on Thursday 24 June Wes recounted a story that would have been funny where it not such a sad reflection on power company TXU.

For some strange reason TXU booked a room at a flash hotel in Melbourne complete with a double bed in which to discuss the EBA. It never reached the stage of a love in because TXU began by declaring that it wanted unrestricted use of contractors and semi skilled worker s to lift and fix power poles. With the bargaining period currently cancelled and offers like that Wes says there's little chance he'll be jumping into bed with TXU.

2. And the Good News?

Although the power dispute is yet to be resolved the agreement with Alinta and the declaration by the Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector (OCEII) on registration are real steps forward for ETU members. Acting chief electrical inspector Bill Greenland tells the ETU the OCEI will be advising line workers that if they are currently' working as 'linies' they must provide evidence that they have a level 3 certificate. Those 'linies' who do not have the certification will be given two years to meet the requirements.

This is a great step forward for 'linies' and the industry. It comes at a time when the power companies have no qualms about expressing their desire to use unskilled workers in this potentially dangerous activity.

Under the new regulations power companies will be obliged to employ only qualified line workers. And those workers must be certified by a registered training organisation. For Allan Mulvena and all who've worked tirelessly to implement a registration system that protects our workers skills this is a great victory.

'The ETU genuinely welcomes this development. It shows that the OCEI is now serious about the safety of our workers and their skills,' said Secretary Dean Mighell .

All members affected by the new regulations have been sent a letter by the ETU in relation to the registration requirements. Not surprisingly, Powercor didn't address the issue with the required zeal so the ETU took it upon itself to advise members. We ask that you fill out the form and send it back to the OCEI in the envelope supplied.

3. Hey Mr Howard. 'Thanks' will do

Maybe one day John Howard will find his way down to a building site to congratulate ETU members on their generosity. Over the past nine months the ETU and other unions have raised close on than $100,000 at the (ARM) Austin , Repatriation and Mercy Hospital site in Heidelberg . Shop steward Reno Lia and OH+S Tim Stevenson have done a remarkable job since proposing that union members parking on the site donate the parking fee to the hospital.

In the August edition of the ETU NEWS we'll tell the story of how Lift Industry unionists raised $7,500 - during the recent EBA bargaining period and donated it to the Children's Hospital after a motion by Trevor Pennington, who'd experienced (as reported on the ETU website) the death of Chris and Desley Pinsent's 6-year-old daughter from leukaemia.

ETU members have also raised $17,500 on sites around town for a project in Chile . You might remember that David Mier and Paul Coffey were part of a delegation to Colombia earlier this year.

The money raised will be used to assist in establishing a television station that serves the interests of workers. In Santiago the seven television stations are controlled by wealthy people. Given the oppression of workers and denial of rights it's crucial that there is a television station capable of addressing these issues. The project Television for the Workers will service the communities of Maipu, Cerrilos, Huechuraba, Quilicura, and Renca where there are concentrations of workers. The station hopes to be completely self financing within five years.

Among the door prizes for members participating in the project was a TV and DVD, won by Marcus Statton. The ETU wishes to congratulate all members who donated to the project and trusts that our Chilean comrades Jorge Murua Saavedra AND Jose Ortiz Arcos have every success in telling a different story bon the TV from the one told by the bosses mates.

4. Putting the right foot forward

Hardly a day goes by without the word obesity rearing its ugly head. 'Did you know that a Chicken souvlaki has only 10g of fat whereas the standard Hamburger with the lot has 30g of fat? That being the case the ETU wasn't too impressed that AFL footballers were being sponsored by McDonalds to visit schools and along the way drop a good word about the Golden Arch that that our kids grow up wanting to drive under. In the August edition of the ETU NEWS we'll be running a story about health and our ETU members might better fight off the problems associated with poor diet and a lack of exercise. Our own fitness advisor Lisa Sutherland dropped in on Omar Merhi and the gang alongside Telstra Dome recently and put them through the paces. Look out for the full story in the NEWS

5. Eureka Under the Stars

Preparations for our Thursday 2 December twilight commemoration in the park alongside the Eureka Centre are steaming along. Shane Howard (of Solid Rock fame) has been confirmed to entertain us along with local actor Dennis Coard.

Since graduating from Victorian College of the Arts in 1988, Dennis has featured in the award-winning feature film Return Home and had guest roles on most T.V. dramas including Blue Heelers, State Coroner, Good Guys/Bad Guys, Water Rats, Stingers, Flying Doctors, Andrew Denton Show and 6 years on the award-winning Home & Away . The Irish born Dennis will deliver a unique one man show that steps us through the events leading up to and following Eureka . Shane Howard will do what he does best, sing and talk. This will be a great night.

There's some cheap accommodation in the caravan park next door and if you bring a tent you can camp right where the miners stockade was built 150 years ago?

Ivan Bolta, Omar Merhi , Joseph Youseff, Vanessa Garbett, Mike Symon, David Hayes, Rob Barby, Mark Farrell, Rick Conduit, David de Graaff, Dean Mighell and Alex McCallum are among those who've attended Eureka Committee meetings. Look out for them if you want to find out more, want to join the committee or have some ideas. Otherwise just email me on phil@etu.asn.au

6. Helping the Kids

Two weeks ago a couple of Youth Workers from Victoria University asked the EU whether they might assist them with a school holiday program for kids from the North Melbourne high rise flats. Mark Brien and Shaun Leane had met the students while studying for a diploma in community development at VUT. On Tuesday Sean and Shaun rolled up the sleeves and dragged out the BBQ to help 6 kids from the flats. Given a couple of the kids were from Muslim families Halal food .was provided by our new age sensitive men.

Ora Landmann a 19-year-old, second year youth work student at VUT described the BBQ as 'amazing.' She was also very impressed with what Mark Brien had to say about how things have changed for young people and how it's become increasingly difficult for kids who would rather do an apprenticeship, as he'd done, rather do VCE Year 11 and 12.

'It's great that unions are prepared to help in community activities such as these. The food was so good and they gave the kids ETU beanies and show bags which gave the kids a good laugh,' she told the eTU Online.

There's clearly a message here fro those power companies who refuse to employ apprentices and for those in the media who've demised the ETU during the current EBA. It's worth remembering that analysts are saying that Australia has a chronic shortage of apprentices and that over the next five years Australia 175,000 people will leave traditional trades and only 75,000 will replace them. Maybe Mr Bracks could talk to the power companies and explain to 3AW that the ETU's on the right track.

7. Howard's End

It's a fact of political life that about now some 40% of voters are thinking they'll vote for one major party and 40% think they'll vote for the other. It's the ETU's considered view that ETU members who are thinking of voting for John Howard's government really need to think again. Here's a snippet from the parliament that might explain why.

Recent changes to the Howard Government's workplace relations legislative program might be summarised as follows:

• The passage of the Codifying Contempt Bill, which gives new powers to the Building Industry Taskforce (new powers cannot be used until regulations covering these powers are tabled in parliament), triples all penalties in the Act, creates a new offence of giving false evidence to the AIRC and extends provisions about the disqualification to union officials with suspended sentences for violent offences. Democrat amendments that would require unions to hold secret ballots of members to elect delegates to political party decision making bodies have been referred to a Senate Committee.

• Tabling of Senate committees reports on a number of Bills, which are yet to be debated in the Senate: Building and Construction Industry, OHS (Commonwealth Employers Employee Involvement and Compliance), Better Bargaining, Award Simplification, Choice in Award Coverage and Simplifying Agreement Making.

• Introduction of the Protecting Small Business Employment Bill to override the recent AIRC decision extending redundancy pay to small businesses; and the OHS (Promoting Safer Workplaces) Bill to override ACT industrial manslaughter laws.
  
  
• Reintroduction of the Fair Dismissal Bill, which would exempt small businesses from unfair dismissal laws.  This Bill is already a double dissolution trigger.

These changes are all designed to weaken the power of our union to represent its members. And that will mean more AWAs and more protracted battles to maintain our hard fought conditions. Don't be mistaken Howard and new Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews want to take money straight out of our pocket and hand it to their wealthy mates. That's why we say don't vote for Howard.

Shop Steward Alistair Davies is one ETU member who won't be voting Liberal.  Ecstatic after securing an EBA at Goninons locomotive service centre in Spotswood, Alistair says, 'because we've never been able to establish collective action at the plant the management had all the power.  We were all on AWAs, which meant less pay and different rules about working conditions.  Everyone was on a different contract.  We're much better off under an EBA.  What we had at Goninons was exactly how the Liberal government wants it across industry.  If you're an ETU member you'd have to be mad to vote for the Howard government,' he said.

8. Wining and Dining?

From Thursday 1 July our branch has a new member benefits provider, Australian company "Where to Enjoy" instead of "Entertainment On-Line". Some of the benefits change, many remain the same. The new 2004 - 2005 membership card will feature the "Where to Enjoy" logo and conditions. In early August the next " ETU NEWS" will be out. That will include a copy of the "Member Benefits and Discount Handbook" which will feature all the benefits including tear out coupons. Some of the benefits are on the web now and they will be added to over the next couple of days. The address is http://www.wheretoenjoy.com/etu/

9. Temperature's Rising

While you're thinking about getting out you might like to contemplate a night at the flicks in Balwyn. Yes Public First and Balwyn Cinemas presents on Friday 30 July at 231 Whitehorse Rd , Balwyn. For only $15, or $12 concession, you can get a bird's eye view of Michael Moore's take on George Bush and all that stuff. It has them talking.

10. Next edition eTU Online

Thanks for reading this issue of eTU online. You'll receive your next issue in August 5, 2004.