Workers and Communities Solidarity Picnic

With John Howard licking his lips after 10 years of lies and deceit, working people have no option but to be strong and organised. It's out in the community that the battle will be won. On Sunday, 2 April, in the Yarraville Gardens , starting at 1 pm, unionists and their families will have an opportunity to tell Howard and his greedy mates where to go.

The gardens are on the corner of Hyde St. and Somerville Rd , Footscray, map 42 C8 on the Melways. It's a 5-minute walk from Seddon Station. Speakers will include Sharan Burrow - President, ACTU, Phillip Huggins - Anglican Bishop, Cath Smith - CEO, Victorian Council of Social Service, Kevin Bracken - MUA State Secretary, Michelle O'Neil - TCFU State Secretary, and others.

Comedian Corinne Grant will host the day. Former western suburbs teacher-unionist, Chris Wilson, and other national and local performers will deliver the music.

The event is endorsed by the VTHC and a collection of unions, and is organised by Western Suburbs Community and Unions Coalition. The coalition can be contacted on 0417 456 001 or 0417 896 297 - email westerncommunityunions@gmail.com or send mail PO Box 2293, Footscray Vic. 3011

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's annual fundraiser raffle opens on 1 March 2006 and closes on 1 June 2006. This is the organisation's major fundraiser for the year and enables it to support overseas projects that aim to strengthen workers' rights and establish independent democratic unions.

The first prize is a trip for 2 around the world, the second prize is an IBM laptop computer and tickets are selling for $2 each. For more information about the raffle and APHEDA go to: www.apheda.org.au

International Women's Day

In the past weeks John Howard and Peter Costello have stuck the boots in to the Muslim community. The men don't have a good attitude to women, said Mr. Howard. Costello followed suit, telling them they should leave the country if they wanted to institutionalise Sharia law.

Some acts carried out against women in the name of Sharia law are clearly barbaric. Do Muslims in Australia support these acts? No! All this begs some serious questions. When did Mr. Howard show an interest in the rights of Muslim women? When he threw them in concentration camps? And what have these two old fashioned blokes done for women?

If John Howard were genuinely interested in the rights of women he wouldn't have passed his IR laws.  These laws and the massive shortage of childcare places are a disincentive for women to work. Women dominate the casualised labour force and have lower wages. And the rates of violence against women in the Anglo-Saxon home are not something decent men can be proud about. Howard uses the Muslim issue to divide the community. 

On Wednesday 8 March 2006 you won't hear John Howard discussing the passing of laws to stop discrimination against women. That won't stop people gathering at 5:30pm at the State Library to celebrate International Women's Day. Speakers will include the ACTU's Sharan Burrow, Danielle Archer, Coordinator of the Young Unionist Network, Trades Hall and comedian Sue-Ann Post.

For further information contact Ellen Kleimaker on 0408 339 720

Your Rights at Work

The campaign against the Howard ?Government's WorkChoices legislation hasn't ended with the passage of these unfair laws. The ACTU has major state and national events planned for 2006. As well as a major advertising campaign, Local Rights at Work groups have been forming all over Australia . According to the ACTU, some already have more than 300 volunteers, and more than 100,000 people have joined the Rights at Work website.

The ACTU has flagged its intention to 'take this fight to the very doorstep of the Liberal and National politicians who lumped us with these unfair laws (and) target them in their electorates'. The ACTU is asking that members join the Rights at Work Pledge.The pledge can be found here:

www.rightsatwork.com.au/campaigns/pledge

The ETU supports this strategy and encourages members to join the fight, wherever they can. This doesn't mean falling in line with the ALP. Sure, the Labor Party has promised to abolish these laws. How many promises are honoured by the big parties? The ETU asks that you cast your vote wisely at the next state election and pressure your local member to take a stand for the community. 'Which side are you?' That's the question they should have to answer.

Why are ETU apprentices being asked to take downtime while the Federal government is offering short-visas to fill alleged skill shortages, you might ask? Is the Federal Opposition's call for an end to such visas, racist? Amanda Vanstone, one time defender of her government's asylum seeker detention policy, thinks so. According to Labor, the new Trade Skills Training Visa 'allows unskilled migrants to take up apprenticeships - at discounted pay rates - in regional areas in trade occupations experiencing shortages'. According to Labor, this goes 'hand-in-glove with the Howard Government's extreme industrial relations changes - low wages, no benefits, and cheap, imported labour to take Australian jobs'.

What we do know is that ETU apprentices are being stood down without pay as the downturn in industry affects employment levels. What's also undisputed is that the Howard government wants to fast track apprenticeships in the electrical industry, something the ETU says will dangerously diminish skills.

Another matter for concern is the claim that the number of unskilled 'linies' slipping into the industry might now be as high as 300. And why has the number of electrical shocks in domestic houses increased dramatically in recent years?

In the coming months the ETU will be taking these issues to the media. Stay tuned.

If ever there was time to be inspired by the struggle for an eight-hour day, 150 years ago, it's now. To that purpose the Victorian Trades Hall Council is looking for volunteers to participate in the upcoming Moomba parade. The parade will take place on the Labour Day public holiday, Monday 13th March 2006. Brian Boyd tells the ETU that anyone interested in participating must have 'stamina, enthusiasm and a sense of fun'.

Members hardly need to be told that the 'Eight Hour Day processions were the largest public events in Melbourne until the mid-20th century' and that 't he eight-hour movement promoted the value of family and community life, which is encapsulated in Melbourne by the annual Moomba procession'.

The VTHC is looking for people prepared to dress in period costume on the float - 2 men and 2 women. The men will be constructing and deconstructing a wall as the float proceeds down Swanston Street .

The people behind the float will be dressed in various depictions of Work, Rest and Play. Brian will be in pyjamas along with his two children, depicting Rest. The next rehearsal is on Monday 6th March at 5.30 pm at Trades Hall. There's a dress rehearsal on Saturday 11th March. Parade Day is Monday 13th March.

Anyone interested in participating should contact Leanne Shingles at Trades Hall on 9659 3583 or by email to lshingles@vthc.org.au

In early January Linda Coffey, wife of organiser, Paul Coffey, had a serious horse riding accident. Fortunately a little girl with her was able to raise the alarm, climbing over barbed wire fencing and sustaining minor injuries along the way.  After an extensive search Linda was found and rushed to the Alfred via air ambulance, where she was put into an induced coma.  It is predicted that about 4 hours had lapsed between the time when she fell and time she was found.  Injuries have affected her left side - range of movement etc - and she is also suffering from post-traumatic amnesia, which is common with these types of injuries. 

Linda is now doing well at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Kew .  She can get out of bed and feed herself, however there is still a long battle ahead to ensure she gets back her full range of movements and memory.

In an endeavour to ease the burden on Paul and Linda the ETU is organising a raffle. The tickets cost $5.00 and are drawn on 31 March.

The prizes include:

1st Prize            106cm High Definition Pioneer Plasma TV $6500

2nd prize            Travel vouchers $2000

3rd prize             Mariner BBQ stainless steel 4 burner $1000

4th prize             1 night at Sofitel, including dinner, breakfast & valet parking

Tickets can be acquired through Jacqui at the office.

In the January edition of the online magazine we reminded announced the scheduling of a major VTHC - All Unions Shop Stewards and Delegates Rally at Dallas Brooks on 29 March 2006. The ETU cannot stress enough how important this meeting is. Yes, we won the public relations battle with our advertising campaign before Christmas. However the Howard government is so anti-worker there will be many real battles ahead.

In the April edition of the ETU News, secretary Dean Mighell will offer an insight into the lengths this government will go to outlaw our EBAs. The VTHC - All Unions Shop Stewards and Delegates Rally is an opportunity to not only grasp what the Howard government is up to. It's an opportunity to explore strategies.

Throughout his ten years as secretary of the ETU, Dean has stressed the importance of acting smart when dealing with employers and governments. 'Believe me, it's the greatest ever attack on our rights, and shop stewards are in the front line. It's critical that we maximise attendance at the rally,' he says.

When: 10 am - Wednesday 29 March

Where: Dallas Brooks Hall

AWAs Spell Trouble

As Howard's AWAs begin to bite, the stories get more gruesome. Only recently, twenty workers at an abattoir in Naracoorte were locked out of their workplace because they refused to sign an AWA requiring them to work on Australia Day. The workers wanted a collective agreement that protected their right to a day off on Australia Day and were locked out of their workplace without pay by the company. Where are jingoists, who wrap themselves in the flag, when you need them?

Such actions make a mockery of the Howard government's claim that workers would not lose public holidays, pay and conditions under their IR laws. So much for the smiling faces in those TV ads that we paid for! The Naracoorte abattoir also employs around 28 workers from China , on temporary business visas issued by the Federal Government.  The ACTU has advised the ETU that 'one of the requirements of the visa is that there are no local people available to do the job'. It's truly outrageous. All the more reason to roll up the sleeves for a dead set barny

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