AWAs - All Work No Play

Figures direct from the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirm what all unionists know. AWAs are a disaster for workers. The following excerpt is taken from an ACTU press release issued in February 2007.

'The hourly rate of pay for non-managerial workers on a registered individual contract (AWA) is $26.40 an hour, or 90 cents an hour less than workers on a collective agreement ($27.30). For workers on a typical 38-hour-week, this would amount to an average pay gap of $34 a week between employees on AWA individual contracts and those on registered collective agreements'.

While federal environment minister Malcolm Turnbull scoffs at people critical of how he spends his travel allowance - on an apartment owned by his wife - there's either silence or lies from Turnbull's mates when figures such as these make the news. Unless we get rid of John Howard the number of Australians on AWAs - 240,000 in non-managerial jobs is sure to increase.

As always the news is not good for women. Female workers on AWA individual contracts earn an average of $22.80 an hour, $3.60 less than men on AWAs and $2.90 an hour less than women on registered collective agreements.

For a typical 38 hours work women on AWA individual contracts earn an average of $110.20 a week less than women on registered collective agreements. The ABS data also reveals the growing problem of workers on AWA individual contracts working longer hours than those on collective agreements. So much for family life!

ETU joint assistant secretary Kevin Harkins will join former organiser Shaun Leane - Victorian Upper House - on the political landscape when the federal election is held later this year. Kevin, who has transformed the ETU in Tasmania, is looking forward to a career in the parliament, where he'll be a passionate advocate of the rights of workers.

ETU members should be proud that their union has produced people of the caliber of Shaun and Kevin. Kevin takes over from retiring ALP member Harry Quick, in the seat of Franklin. It's no secret in Tassie that Harry has engaged in some pretty ordinary attacks on our ETU comrade. Some of those have included the expression 'union hack'. It's unfortunate that Harry Quick finds the need to attack Kevin on the basis of his association with the ETU. After all, this is a union that has a strong streak of independence and has fought the good fight against the WorkChoices legislation and Howard government.

Let's hope Harry has a reality check before polling day. And of course the ETU looks forward to having an ally in the federal parliament and wishes Kevin all the best. We should also point out that Tassie organiser Nicole Wells and her partner Darrin are expecting a baby in a few weeks. As Test cricketer and one-time Northcote plumber, Bill Lawry, is want to say 'It's all happening'. A few years back Bill told Channel Nine viewers he didn't vote Liberal. Trust it's still the case.

Languishing Lynne Kosky

How unfortunate that Lynne Kosky in her role as Transport Minister has summarily ruled out any consideration of a Bracks government takeover of the ailing public transport system? The latest defence of the privatised public transport system appeared in an article titled 'Trams, trains likely to remain private' in The Age newspaper last week. The public transport system is a disgrace - brake failures, timetable problems, zealous inspectors - with patrons treated with disregard by the owners.

ETU branch secretary Dean Mighell has put his cards on the table signing a petition calling on the state government to buy back the transport system. As Dean sees it 'There is no point fighting global warming whilst downgrading public transport in favour of expensive freeways that only increase the use of petrol and contribute massively to the emission of greenhouse gases.

In the coming months the ETU will offer its support to the push to reduce greenhouse gases and build environmentally sound coal-fired power stations in the Latrobe Valley. And of course the ETU has no time for Ron Walker and his rich mates talking up the building of nuclear reactors in Victoria. How convenient to have Walker - a former Liberal treasurer - defending nuclear energy at a time when Howard is reeling from community opposition to such plants! There is only one way forward; the building of environmentally sound coal-fired power stations, less reliance on fossil fuels, greater spending on renewable energy and serious investment in public transport.

Radio 3CR - Wednesdays on the dial

Although many ETU members would be unaware that we have our own radio segment - Wednesday mornings at 6.30 am on Radio 3CR - it's time we made the segment compulsory listening. The ETU is currently making a serious effort to promote the segment and do whatever it can to assist organisers Greg Arnett and Dave Mier, as they strive to make the segment entertaining and informative.

If every ETU member were to listen in on Wednesday morning - 855 on the AM dial - we'd have an audience greater than Radio SEN and one to rival many radio stations. Over the past two weeks Greg Arnett, Dean Mighell, Dave Mier and your online magazine editor have discussed a range of topics on the show. The communications department of the ETU is desperately keen to improve the way it communicates with members and the wider community. A live radio segment offers us a great opportunity to do just that. In the coming months we'll increase audience participation by allowing phone-ins and we'll speak to special guests as well.

If you have any thoughts please send me an email at phil@etu.asn.au

Podcasting

The last edition of the online magazine carried an article on The Spark podcast. Members with teenage children are no doubt well aware of the iPod culture. However, you don't need an iPod to listen to The Spark.

To listen to The Spark you need to download iTunes 7. This is a free program that you can easily download from the internet.

Just go to your computer and follow these steps:

•  Type itunes.com into the internet address bar.

•  Click on the download button in the left hand corner and follow the download prompts for iTunes 7 - it's free.

• Once iTunes is installed, open iTunes and click on the iTunes Store button in the main list in the left hand column.
• When the iTunes Store has opened, type 'ETU The Spark' in the search bar at the top right hand corner of the iTunes window and press enter.
• Once The Spark banner and title appears, you simply hit the subscribe button.

There will be a follow up article in the April edition of the ETU News. Radio stations and trade unions are now well down the path of podcasting and I'd love to hear your ideas about how we might improve the podcasts. For feedback and suggestions just email Phil Cleary on phil@etu.asn.au

There will be a major International Women's Day rally on Thursday, 8 March 2007 between 12.00 - 2.00pm. The rally will be held in the Bourke Street Mall near the corner of Swanston Street.

The purpose of the rally is:

•  To engage with the general public, focusing on the 'WorkChoices' laws and the affects these will have on women in particular.  Information, postcards and posters will highlight these issues as well as Gender Pay (In)Equity,  Child Care and other relevant issues.  

•  To gain media attention about the above issues. 

Comedian Denise Scott will host the session in her inimitable style and speakers will include ACTU president Sharan Burrow, Vice President of the VTHC Executive Council, Ann Taylor, and more.

With a federal election not far away ETU members will have the opportunity to hear ALP deputy-leader Julia Gillard take up the issue of women's rights.

All ETU members are asked to attend.

•  Thursday 8 March 2007

•  Bourke Street Mall

•  12 Midday

Those who raise an eyebrow when women talk about discrimination in the workplace or in the patriarchal courts might like to consider the following story from the archives.

In 1963 a Minute Paper was distributed at Commonwealth Level by one A. R. Tayson in relation to the appointment of women trade commissioners.

It included the following:

• It is difficult to visualise them (women) as Trade Commissioners .because they could not mix as freely with businessmen as women do.

• It is extremely doubtful if a woman could, year after year .stand the fairly severe strains and stresses.

• A man normally has his household run efficiently by his wife..A woman Trade Commissioner would have this on top of her normal work

• If we engaged single graduates as trainees, most would probably marry within five years

• A spinster lady can, and very often does, turn into something of a battleaxe with the passing of the years. A man usually mellows.

As irony would have it Mr. Tayson prefaced his comments with 'In countries .where there are no major drawbacks, such as Islamic attitudes, a relatively young woman could operate with some effectiveness, in a subordinate capacity'.

Who needed so-called 'Islamic attitudes' to stop women having equality with men in the workplace when westerners of the ilk of Mr. Tayson are pulling the strings?

In an attempt to counter such attitudes the ETU has appointed Vanessa Garbett as its Women's Apprenticeship Project Officer.

ETU members are well used to seeing their mates and their union raise money for someone in a spot of bother. The following email is yet another example of that generosity.

Dear Phil,

My name is Matt Knight. I am a Third Year Adult Apprentice with APPS Electrics. We got involved in the Worlds Greatest Shave because of our involvement with the Hurstbridge CFA. On this occasion the little boy in question is Blake Karakaltchev.

Blake contracted leukaemia approximately 2 years ago and is currently in remission, although a further 2 years of hospital treatment is required. This is our small way to contribute to leukaemia research and care for those who suffer from this disease.

There are three of us from the Hurstbridge CFA - Matt Knight, Dave Cooper and Ed Lowe - along with Blake's father Alex (who is a member of the CFMEU) that will be shaving our heads on Saturday 17 March to raise funds. We appreciate the support of the ETU (cheers) and all the boys at University Hill Bundoora who have contributed approx $1000.

  Regards and Thanks

  Matt Knight.

If any members wish to donate to Matt's project please ring him on 0414 401 545 or contact me - Phil Cleary - at the ETU office on 8329 0000.

Taking Port Shambles to the Streets

The Port Campbell Gas Plant affair must rate as one of the low points in capitalism's well-documented disregard for workers. It is therefore no surprise that passionate words filled the air when unionists gathered outside Origin Energy's offices - it's their gas - at 360 Elizabeth Street, on 23 February.

Would Origin Energy and the Woodside Company that oversees the project want people to believe these workers were nothing but agitators? Or is it true that, as former sacked workers told the rally, discrimination and harassment is the order of the day at Port Campbell? ETU organiser Danny Timmers knows the answer. 'What we have at Port Campbell is a management approach cultivated by John Howard and his rich mates and driven by IR boss Colin Milne, which, I believe treats working people with contempt'.

Well, Mr Milne, we've got news for you. No amount of smart-arsedness to explain away discrimination will win you and Woodside the battle at Port Campbell.

Union Solidarity's Dave Kerin has delivered some impassioned speeches during his union life but we doubt anything compares with what he offered workers on Friday 23 February 2007. David is truly a great Australian.

Next edition eTU Online

Thanks for reading this issue of eTU online.

You'll receive your next issue in April, 2007.