Cbus Climbs High

Unionists are becomingly increasingly aware of the importance of building construction industry super funds to their financial security. Gone are the days when decisions as to where super funds were invested were made solely by employers. And whilst funds such as Cbus have benefitted from these changes, so too have members in the construction industry.

According to figures just released Cbus has produced average returns of around 10.6 % per annum since 1984 and has funds invested to the value of $12 billion and 500 000 members nationally. One of CBus’ newest projects is the CBW office tower in Melbourne’s CBD as part of its balanced portfolio of investments. The fund has now invested in more than $2.5 billion of Australian property developments and claims to have created an estimated 16 000 jobs since it began.

The ETU believes members are well served by having their super invested in industry funds, where administration fees are lower and, in the case of Cbus, financial performance has been excellent. The ETU recommends that members look closely at the returns provided by the industry funds and do the sums. Ultimately, of course, you should consult a financial planner for advice on how to best manage you super contributions.

ETU state secretary Dean Mighell put it this way: ‘I’m glad I rolled my super over into Cbus and am looking forward to and expecting another good year.’

No Healthy Gambler

The ETU has entered into a partnership with Gambler’s Help to assist any members who might be experiencing problems with gambling. ‘Gambling touches all of us and as a union we’re in a position to do something about it. Part of the role of protecting workers’ rights includes protecting them from the gambling disease. I’ve worked alongside people with a gambling problem and have seen the destruction it brings. This partnership gives us the ability to do something when we come across someone in such a situation. It’s a great opportunity,’ said State Secretary Dean Mighell at the launch of the pilot project on 31 July.

Dean went on to describe poker machines as a serious problem in the state and re-affirmed the ETU’s opposition to them. As this partnership develops, more and more members will come to appreciate its value in assisting anyone with a gambling problem to kick the habit.

To listen to Dean’s speech go to:
http://www.etu.asn.au/graphics/2007/gambler_help.mov

Goodbye Postie

Streets with no posties? Goodbye to the men and women who lovingly deliver our letters and Christmas cards? Angry that 17 full-time postal workers have been told they are no longer required to deliver the mail to thousands of customers in the Fitzroy, Collingwood and Abbotsford areas and are being replaced by part-time workers on 4-hour shifts, stripped of penalty rates, members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) rallied outside Australia Post headquarters on Wednesday 1 August.

Joan Doyle, secretary of the CWU, told 200 protesters that Post’s short-sighted plan for delivery would lead to late deliveries and more mis-directed mail. The union believes that if management get their way in Fitzroy the new system of work will spread throughout all delivery networks.

Yarra City Council mayor Jenny Farrer and Councillor Steven Jolly went on to say that the impact on the local community had to take precedence over the drive for profit. Members of the local community and delegates from the ETU, AMWU, NUW, NETU, FSU, MEAA and Union Solidarity were on hand to support the Fitzroy posties.

The next action planned will take the protest across the river to Managing Director Graeme John's Melbourne residence. A protest/BBQ will be held on Sunday 12 August at 12 noon on the nature strip outside 12 COPELAND STREET, SOUTH YARRA.

As Simple as ABCC

On 31 August in the film Australia’s Secret Industrial Inquisition – Constructing Fear, directed by Joe Loh, will premier in Sydney. The film deals with the work of The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), created by the Cole Royal Commission to put a halt to ‘unlawful practices’ on building sites.

As the publicity material explains ‘Constructing Fear visits all corners of Australia talking to the people who have felt the heavy hand of the ABCC – like the 107 Perth construction workers now facing individual fines of $28,600 each after a strike over a sacked mate; of Brodene, crane driver and single mother of three children, who was involved in a stopwork following a ‘near-miss’ accident with a train on a level-crossing construction site and threatened with gaol if she didn’t appear before the ABCC’.
Regrettably, Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, will not review the existence of the ABCC until 2010, something ETU secretary Dean Mighell and unionists universally believe is a grave insult to workers.
Go to http://www.constructingfear.com to find out more about Joe Loh’s film

Fighting Ford

Here we are in the grip of global warming, when people readily accept that we need to produce smaller cars in order to cut emissions, only to learn that Ford is cutting back on production and sending workers onto the dole queues. There has been a raft of strategies over the years, from the ALP’s Button Plan, that accompanied the reduction of tariffs in the late 80s and early 90s, to straight hand-outs to Ford. Yet here we are once more listening to Ford recount the same old tale of woe.

Jim Kontogeorgis, a senior ETU shop steward in Geelong, had this to say at a meeting last week: ‘On 18 July they told us there’d be 600 job losses due to the end of production of six cylinder engines and that they’d bring the Focus into Broadmeadows and create 300 jobs. We were in shock. Everyone had a sad look on their face. It wasn’t a win’.

‘Ford can do a lot more. But before we consider the options we need to see the details as what the company is doing in relation to the assembling of the Focus in Broadmeadows,’ says shop steward Gerry O’Donnell.

In the coming months the ETU will be front and centre in the campaign to pressure government/s to develop an industry policy that protects Australian industry and Australian jobs. All going well the campaign will feature on our UnionActive site. See the next item.

In the last edition of this online magazine we drew attention to UnionActive – a campaign component of the ETU website - which was developed to provide an online campaigning capacity for the ETU members and friends.
If for example the union movement does begin an online campaign on the Ford issue – as was suggested at the shop stewards meeting on Thursday 2 August - we will need people to sign up to UnionActive. This would enable us to petition politicians, news editors, shareholders and company executives, as has been a feature of the Your Rights At Work campaign. UnionActive provides campaign action tools such as online petitions, targetted emails, surveys, letter writing pro forma, power point presentations, logos and merchandise to use in community and workplace campaigns. Click here. http://unionactive.etu.asn.au/campaigns/pull-the-plug-on-workchoices to join UnionActive now.

As you know, the ETU is committed to looking after the health of its members, as well as their rights at work.

On July 11, ETU members at the St Hilliers site on Springvale Road, Glen Waverley were treated to massages during their lunch break, courtesy of ETU and Fitness2live. As well as providing their online health and wellbeing website https://etu.fitness2live.com.au Fitness2live can also organise a range of on site activities such as massage, as well as blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose testing.

If you are interested in having these any of these activities at your work site, contact Phil at the ETU phil@etu.asn.au.

Remember, you and your partner can join up for the ‘Recharge Your Health’ website for FREE, simply follow this link https://etu.fitness2live.com.au/ , go to ‘Membership’ and ‘Register Now’. You can access a range of health articles, recipes and tools such as:

• The Wellness Record – rates your health out of 100
• The Diet Planner – create a customised weekly meal plan
• The Exercise Planner – create your own fitness program
• Active Health Programs – receive weekly motivational emails to help you towards your health and wellbeing goals

Join now and be in the running to win $100 worth of Adidas gear!

Many of you may have seen the ads on TV for a new McDonalds burger. They are running a competition where people enter with suggested names for the new burger.

Unions and community groups around the world have been fighting against McDonalds over their poor treatment of young workers and their anti-union tactics. UNITE has been at the forefront of the campaign in Melbourne.

Other labour and community groups, including the Young Unionists Network and Animal Liberation Victoria have asked us to help them in an email campaign directed at McDonalds. You can enter the competition every day from the one email address.

Other activists have been entering names such as -

Mc Anti Union Burger
Mc Slave Wages Burger
Mc Corporate Greed Burger
Mc End Youth Rates Burger
Mc Stop Bullying Workers Burger
Mc $16 Min Wage Now Burger

Feel free to use one of the above or better still make up your own name!

Click the link below to enter. The competition is open until August 11th.

http://www.nameitburger.com.au/form.html

In Solidarity

UNITE

www.unite.org.au

And the Winners Are

As you well know, the ETU spares no effort in trying to bring bargains and benefits to its members. Listed below are the winners of the ETU Annual Ticket Prizes:

Stephen Logue from Inverleigh won the Grand Prize of 2 airfares for two people to anywhere in Australia and $500 spending money. Yes, he can take his favourite person anywhere in Australia and spend a lazy $500 on the ETU.

Paul Eade from Echuca, Andrew Driessen from Berwick, and Ian Martin from New Norfolk in Tasmania have won an Ipod each. No doubt they’ll use them to listen to the ETU’s Spark podcast!

Barry Daley from Moe, Graham Mellodew from Narre Warren and Kevin Hogan from Berwick have won a $500 Myer voucher each.

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