A New Beginning

As explained in the December edition of the ETU News and the January edition of this online magazine the ETU has moved to Level 1, 200 Arden Street, North Melbourne . The office is now in full swing and with its improved facilities will enable the union to better serve its members.

The new phone number for the ETU is 03 8329 0000 and the fax is 03 8329 0066. The email remains the same: etu@etu.asn.au

Many members are already aware that the ETU has dipped its toe in the world of podcasting. Podcasting is the equivalent of radio on the web. If you go to the ETU website you'll see the link for THE SPARK PODCAST in the top right hand corner. Click here and you can listen to all our podcasts.

At the time of this magazine being emailed to members Episode 9 of the Spark Podcast was about to be added to the list of podcasts. It includes interviews with Dean Mighell, the ETU's historian Ken Purdham, organiser Ivan Balta and more. Through these interviews and general commentary we can counter the unfair and biased anti-union propaganda in the media. Podcasting is a way of ensuring our voice is heard.

Rather than being propaganda the podcasts are both entertaining and enlightening. This means talking to members about a range of issues, in the way a radio program might do. Of course, we'll hear from people outside the ETU also. The great thing about podcasting is that people around the world can tune in.

I'm really keen to hear from members who have listened to the podcast. We'll consider any suggestions. If you have an idea about issues that might be worth discussing just email me (Phil Cleary) on phil@etu.asn.au

ETU Nukes Howard

With the Howard government kow-towing to the nuclear industry and flagging the building of nuclear plants in Gippsland and Portland ETU members would be pleased to know that at the 2006 biennial conference delegates passed a motion - moved by Mike Symon - that completely rejected the Howard strategy.

It included the following:

'Branch conference supports section 70 of the current 2004 ALP National Platform and the commitment that Labor will:

• Vigorously oppose the ocean dumping of nuclear waste.
• Prohibit the establishment in Australia of nuclear power plants and all other stages of the nuclear fuel cycle.
• Fully meet all our obligations as a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT); and
• Remain strongly opposed to the importation and storage of nuclear waste that is sourced from overseas in Australia .'

ETU secretary Dean Mighell has coined the expression 'no jobs on a dead planet' in response to the nuclear push. Dean has been at the forefront of the ETU's drive for a greater commitment to renewable energy. The union genuinely believes there will be massive job opportunities for members in these industries. In the coming months we'll discuss these possibilities in our various communications vehicles.

Marginalising Howard

With a federal election to be held later this year there is much for us all to think about. Although the ETU is affiliated to the ALP, it remains an independent-minded union, whose major concern is the welfare of its members. As Dean Mighell explains in the latest episode of The Spark podcast, it's not his intention to tell people how to vote.

However, he is at pains to explain one undeniable fact. A vote for the Howard government is a vote for a government hell bent on ridding the workplace of unions. This is a government that scuttled our contracting agreement last year and dreams of a world where workers are on AWAs or non-union EBAs.

Port Shambles

The actions of the bosses at the Port Campbell gas plant offer a clear picture of the path the Liberals are forging. Despite the existing EBA delivering remarkable productivity to the Technip company it has sought to rid the site of unions and union agreements.

By way of the Howard government's greenfields legislation - which enables companies to strike new agreements with themselves on site, in order to undercut an existing EBA and the award - Technip is undermining the pattern agreement.

It's simple really. Technip finds a friendly contractor with a non-union EBA - IIS in this case - and gives that contractor all or most of the new work, while the contractor with an ETU EBA - Corke - receives less work. Under the non-union EBA at Port Campbell workers can be told when to take an RDO and whether or not they are required to work on a public holiday. And, as you'll read in the April edition of the ETU News, it just gets worse.

It's instructive that at a mass meeting of AMWU and CFMEU members on Wednesday 24 January 2007 not one member nominated for the position of shop steward or OH&S rep. We'll leave the answer to your imagination! Graham 'Hippy' Dunsmuir, an experienced ETU man and current shop steward at Port Campbell is full of praise for the spirit of ETU members, whom, to a man, have held the line. However with the federal government on its side Technip is a sign of the times. Just one more reason to vote carefully at the federal election this year!

If Howard is to be defeated at the federal election much will hinge on the result in the marginal seat of Deakin, which has as its epicentre in the suburb of Mitcham. If Deakin goes, so too will many other marginal seats and with them the Howard government.

Mike Symon , the ETU's political officer and candidate for ALP pre-selection is playing a crucial role in the Your Rights at Work campaign in the electorate. A swing of around 5% would see the sitting member, Phil Barresi, defeated. Barresi has given his unequivocal support to the WorkChoices, legislation and for that reason alone deserves to lose his seat.

Born in Box Hill and a resident in Deakin for the past twenty years, Mike is part of a great campaign to unseat Barresi. If you can letter box, hand out how to vote cards on polling day or assist in a range of other strategies he'd like to hear from you.

In a recent leaflet Mike said 'Labor, under the new leadership team of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard has given us a real chance of taking Deakin and winning the federal election'. If you want to help in the Your Rights at Work campaign in Deakin, please contact Mike by email on mike@etu.asn.au or phone 0400 411 410.

In December 2006 the ETU assisted Vulgar Press in the publication of the book A Little History of Australian Unionism . It's a great read. Now there's a new book out that might interest members.

Communism: A Love Story, by Melbourne author Jeff Sparrow, is described in the publicity material as the story of those who 'dedicated themselves to that beautiful dream, their experience of its shimmering promise-and of its shattering collapse. I mpassioned, witty and moving, Communism: A Love Story rediscovers a fascinating life (that of communist playboy Guido Baracchi) and makes a provocative argument about the history and the future of politics in Australia '.

Sparrow has been a bookseller, health worker and political activist. He is the co-author of Radical Melbourne: A Secret History and Radical Melbourne 2: The Enemy Within, and is the reviews editor of Overland magazine.

With Kevin Andrews - affectionately known as 'laughing gas' - having been dumped from the workplace portfolio it won't be long before new recruit Joe Hockey confirms what we all know. In reality he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. No one should be fooled by Hockey's penchant for a chuckle. Behind that smile is a bloke who's as devoted to the attack on workers as Tony Abbott.

From his role overseeing the introduction of GST, Hockey moved onto putting the squeeze on welfare recipients: disability pensioners being forced out to work, Newstart being made increasingly difficult to receive and a culture of 'dobbing in' encouraged with the introduction of Centrelink's 'Report-a-Fraud' system. He has been responsible for numerous schemes which - rather than seeming 'friendly' - have airs of a police state.

He fuelled the misconception that the unemployed were 'dole bludgers' with comments such as:

"There is a class of people out there that have to get off their backsides and go to work.there is, in some parts of Australia, an attitude problem and it seems to be more closely linked to coastal areas and warmer climates. We need people to swap the thongs for work boots. It's a sad state of affairs when jobs are going begging in towns like Tamworth ." - news.com.au - 11/10/06

Aren't we sick of blokes like this sticking the boots into decent working people? First class travel, a bountiful superannuation system and few financial worries! And still they want everyone else to work like a slave and cop what comes their way. Well uncle Joe, we're not fooled.

Shop Stewards United

In 2005 the ETU ran one of its most exciting and successful conferences, when shop stewards gathered at the Convention Centre to hear from an array of speakers and participate in workshops.

This year we will be returning to the Convention Centre for a two day conference - Tuesday 1 May and Wednesday 2 May 2007 - to build on that experience. With the WorkChoices legislation beginning to impact on worksites and the role of union representatives being compromised accordingly this is a great opportunity to develop new strategies.

It hardly needs to be said that shop stewards are the bricks in the ETU wall and the people who most feel the heat when the bosses go to war against unions. The solidarity displayed and the knowledge reflected in the discussions at the 2005 conference made it a truly inspiring event. No doubt this year's event will be no different.

The details:

•  Shop Stewards conference

•  1-2 May 2007

•  Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre (north of Yarra, opposite Jeff's Shed)

•  Guest speakers - politicians, Industrial Relations specialists, community activism

•  Themes - ETU update on IR matters, shop stewards role in the ETU - making the ETU stronger, 'vote Howard out'

•  Speakers, forums, workshops

Great chance for networking with other stewards across industries

Flyer to be mailed shortly to register attendance

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