The Australian Worker Magazine Issue 2 2009

ISSUE 2 2009 $4.50 (INC GST)

ISBN 978-186396379-4

POSTCARD FROM AN OFFSHORE RIG

Stormy waters

After the ApocalypseFires, fl oodsand healingthe community

FarewellOld MateA tribute to Labor legend Laurie Short

Come on Aussies!

Saving Australian jobs

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www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 3

contents Issue 2 – 2009

AWU EDITOR Paul Howes, AWU National SecretaryAWU NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CO-ORDINATOR Andrew Casey AWU NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERHenry Armstrong

Address: Level 10, 377-383 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 e: [email protected] www.awu.net.au Telephone: (02) 8005 3333 Facsimile: (02) 8005 3300

ACP Magazines Ltd Publishing EDITOR Kyle Rankin ART DIRECTOR Wayne Allen SUB-EDITORS Graham Lauren, Kate BarberPRODUCTION SERVICES Jasmin ConnorPREPRESS SUPERVISOR Klaus MullerPUBLISHING DIRECTOR Phil Scott PUBLISHER Gerry ReynoldsPUBLISHING MANAGER Nicola O’Hanlon

Published for The Australian Workers’ Union (ABN 28 853 022 982) by ACP Magazines Ltd (ACN 18 053 273 546), 54-58 Park St, Sydney NSW 2000. © 2009. All rights reserved. Printed by PMP, Clayton, Vic 3168 and cover printed by Energi Print, Murrumbeena, Vic 3163. Distributed by Network Services, 54 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Articles published in The Australian Worker express the opinion of the authors and not necessarily ACP Magazines Ltd. While all efforts have been made to ensure prices and details are correct at time of printing, these are subject to change.

Features 06 OUR COUNTRY YOUR FUTURE The government is investing billions of dollars in much-

needed infrastructure projects. However, there’s a chance that the resources required will come from overseas – at the expense of Australian jobs.

12 FAREWELL, OLD MATE When labour legend Laurie Short passed away – friends

from far and wide gathered to pay tribute.

18 HERE’S THE DRILL Rough seas and wild weather. We take a look at life on an

off-shore oil and gas platform.

22 AFTER THE APOCALYPSE How are those heroic workers who helped save lives

during this year’s devastating fi res and fl oods coping now?

42 A BLOODY LEGEND! Behind the Jack Howe legend, shearing’s perfect artist

“was always a prominent Labor man”.

44 SUPER STAYERS In this chaotic economic environment, we show why

industry superannuation funds are still the best option.

49 GROUP THERAPY Social networking allows us to connect up with like-

minded people. So log on now!

52 TWICE THE TALENT If you think those who can compete and achieve at the

highest level in one sport have a gift, what about those who manage to do it in two?

56 WAYNE’S WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINE Greater South Australian Branch Secretary Wayne Hanson

loved his beer – but now wine is his tipple of choice and he has some top tips about buying and enjoying “plonk”!

58 ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE Raising funds for picketing workers is a fantastic way to

show solidarity – so whip up a batch of our yummy sweet treats and they’ll sell like hot cakes – pun intended!

RegularsP04 National Opinion P27 Frontline News P40 Meet the Delegates/Offi cials P62 Kidding Around P65 Bindi & Ringer P66 Life Moments

PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of The Australian Worker may contain offers, competitions, or surveys which require you to provide information about yourself if you choose to enter or take part in them (Reader Offer). If you provide information about yourself to ACP Magazines Ltd (ACP), ACP will use this information to provide you with the products or services you have requested, and may supply your information to contractors that help ACP to do this. ACP will also use your information to inform you of other ACP publications, products, services and events. ACP may also give your information to organisations that are providing special prizes or offers and that are clearly associated with the Reader Offer. Unless you tell us not to, we may give your information to other organisations that may use it to inform you about other products, services or events or to give to other organisations that may use it for this purpose. If you would like to gain access to the information ACP holds about you, please contact ACP’s Privacy Offi cer at ACP Magazines Ltd, 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. Cover photo: Getty Images

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4 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au

NZAC Day has just passed

us. It is a day when we

traditionally take time to

remember those who

sacrifi ced so that we can

enjoy the freedoms we now have. This most sacred

of days is made even more poignant by the fact that

young Australian men and women are currently on

active service far away from their loved ones. Our

thoughts are with them for a safe return home.

When thinking of all Australian service personnel

past and present, we should take an extra moment

to think of the sacrifi ces that previous AWU

members made in all confl icts. So many AWU

members served in World War I it was suggested

an AWU division should be formed. An AWU ticket

was found in the mud of France.

Australia’s fi rst winner in World War I of the

Victoria Cross, the highest medal that can be

bestowed on an Australian soldier, was Albert

Jacka, an AWU member.

Jacka launched a counterattack on Turkish

soldiers who had overrun an Australian trench,

killing fi ve with his rifl e and two with his bayonet.

He was found casually smoking a cigarette in

the trench by an offi cer. When asked what had

happened, Jacka replied, “I got the beggars, sir.”

When we take time to refl ect on the qualities

that the Diggers showed, we think about mateship,

toughness, ingenuity, sticking together and a fair

go. These qualities are now integral to the ANZAC

legend, and considered the very essence of what

being Australian means.

When we look at what AWU members have

Lest we forget

w NATIONAL OPINION

A

“Australia’s fi rst winner in

World War I of the Victoria Cross was

Albert Jacka, an AWU member.”

endured over our 123-year history, we see those same qualities shine

through. In the latest of a long line of successful struggles, AWU members

took up the fi ght against John Howard and his hated WorkChoices and won.

WorkChoices stood against everything that we think of as being

Australian. WorkChoices made it nearly impossible for workers to stick

together. WorkChoices tried to force people to turn against their mates,

rather than stick up for them. WorkChoices was un-Australian.

We should also spare a thought for those workers and their families

who have lost their jobs, and who are facing uncertain futures as a result

of the global recession. AWU members in the 1920s and ‘30s bore the terrible

burden for the greed, failures and callous indifference of big business.

Another generation of workers now faces the possibility of a similar fate.

The contemptuous actions of Rio Tinto serve as a reminder of the

un-Australian attitudes of some multinational corporations. Workers in

Gladstone were told just before Easter that more than 500 of them would

lose their jobs in the coming weeks.

The failure of unfettered free-market capitalism combined with the total

lack of human compassion shown by some powerful companies highlights

the need for government and unions to play a strong role in ensuring that

fundamental Australian qualities such as a fair go, mateship and sticking

together are enshrined in every aspect of Australian life.

Bill Ludwig National PresidentQueensland Branch Secretary

Richard DownieNewcastle Branch SecretaryAW

U L

EA

DE

RS

Russ CollisonGreater NSW Branch Secretary

Andy GillespiePort Kembla Branch Secretary

Cesar MelhemVictorian Branch Secretary

Post your letters to: The Editor, The Australian Worker, Level 10, 377-383 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Or email them to: [email protected]

Left: AWU member Albert Jacka was the fi rst Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in WWI.


he AWU is calling for a New

Deal for Australian steel, to

ensure that an industry which

employs thousands of AWU

members is still operating on

our shores once the global economic crisis is over.

The AWU is a union based in regional Australia

and we know that steel is a mainstay employer for

many regional centres – places such as Whyalla,

Westernport, Port Kembla, Newcastle, Sydney

and Brisbane. That’s why we have begun a major

national campaign to protect this important job-

creating industry for Australians.

The AWU has been meeting with industry leaders,

Union members and Labor MPs and senators

representing steel communities, as well as members

of the Rudd cabinet, on elements of our New Steel

Plan to look at how we best face up to the threats

facing steel and the living standards of our people.

We have circulated copies of the 30-page New

Steel Plan to federal and state politicians – you can

download a copy of the complete plan, or a one-

page fl yer from the AWU website: www.awu.net.au

Because of the global crisis the short-term

outlook for steel production in Australia is poor.

Since the fi nal quarter of 2008, demand for steel

has fallen rapidly. Now we are worried that other

countries with subsidised steel mills will dump their

surplus product in our markets, delivering another

blow to our local industries.

The future viability of the local industry hangs in

the balance, and with it the employment prospects

for thousands of AWU members and the fi nancial

security of their families and communities.

Loyalty, mateship and the AWU

TEvery 1000 tonnes of lost steel production results in the loss of 60 direct and

indirect jobs. I am therefore focusing on ensuring the progress we have made

in restructuring the industry as a viable manufacturing force is not simply lost

to the nation.

The AWU is working with the steel industry to ensure that the industry:

• continues production at full capacity for as long as possible;

• commits to current expansion plans;

• fi ghts hostile takeovers aimed at shutting companies down;

• escapes the consequences of injurious dumping onto the Australian and

other markets in which our supplier industries compete; and

• is positioned to take full advantage of government spending on nation-

building infrastructure and thereby offer the quickest and most effective

return to the local economy.

The AWU’s 10-point plan – a New Steel Plan for the 21st Century – has two

main aims:

1) Immediately stimulating domestic demand, including through investing in

nation-building infrastructure projects, in time for support in the 2009-10

budget;

2) Getting serious in dealing with the reality of subsided product from other

countries contaminating steel markets such that competitive, quality

Australian product is unable to compete here and abroad.

That is why the AWU supports a strong preference for Australian steel in the

proposed government infrastructure stimulus package.

We also believe our government needs to overhaul trading safeguards to

protect the nation from countries wanting to dump their subsidised products

onto the Australian market.

When I launched the New Steel Plan in Canberra in April, I was joined by

steelworkers from Port Kembla who helped me explain to cynical political

journalists in Canberra why the Rudd government should react positively

to our proposals.

Following the launch, I have started a regional tour of steel centres to meet with

workers to explain our strategy for defending the industry and securing our future.

If you would like more information, please contact me through our

national offi ce email address: [email protected]

Paul Howes National Secretary

Ian Wakefi eldTasmanian Branch Secretary

Wayne HansonGreater SA Branch Secretary

Graham HallWhyalla Branch Secretary

Stephen PriceWest Australian Branch Secretary

Norman McBrideTobacco Branch Secretary

“Every 1000 tonnes of lost

steel production results in the

loss of 60 direct and indirect

jobs.”

PHOT

O GE

TTY

IMAG

ES

www.awu.net.au6 theaustralianworker

NATIONAL ATTENTION

YOUR FUTUREOUR COUNTRY,The Rudd Labor Government is investing billions of dollars in much-needed infrastructure projects. However, there’s a chance that the resources required will come from overseas – at the expense of Australian jobs. Cate Carrigan investigates why Australians need to support Australian industry.

WRITTEN BY CATE CARRIGAN PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES


ver the next couple of years, Australia�s 9540 schools will undergo a multi-billion dollar facelift , with new school halls and extensive maintenance programs carried out as part of the Federal

Government�s $42 billion stimulus package. The aim is to provide new jobs and building activity to stimulate the economy, but how would Australians feel if the products used were cheaper imports brought in from countries such as India and China, when Australian alternatives were available? Is the idea just to create jobs or also to bolster Australia�s hard-hit manufacturing sector?

It�s a question being asked by the Australian Workers� Union which will be launching a new campaign aimed at pressuring the Federal Government to ensure the companies awarded the school and other major infrastructure projects being funded by the stimulus package will, where possible, give preference to Australian products. And the Union�s new �Buy Australia� campaign, to include advertisements, stickers and a special website, is not only aimed at all levels of governments and business. The AWU wants all Australians to think twice when they go to the shops and take the time to look at locally made alternatives for everyday items such as food, clothes and tools in the neighbourhood hardware shop.

Offshore movesThe move comes as more and more Australian companies move jobs off shore, including the Bonds, Berlei and KingGee maker, PaciÞ c Brands, which recently unveiled plans to axe 1850 jobs and shift some local manufacturing to China. That decision underlines the growing pressure on jobs across the country, with other recent losses in the banking, airline, mining and meat sectors. Unemployment has ballooned in recent months, rising from 4.8 to 5.2 per cent in February. The AWU is particularly concerned about Australia�s 24,000-worker strong steel industry, which has been hard hit by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). At a time when domestic orders and exports have slumped, major expansion has taken place in global steel production in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China

O

and more and more prefabricated steel imports are being used in Australia.

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes says Australian taxpayers� money shouldn�t be supporting the jobs of Indian steelmakers or Chinese steelmakers or Brazilian aluminium-makers but should go to support local manufacturers. �Our steel plants are empty; our aluminium plants are empty. We have no customers for our products,� he says.

Boris Baradi, an AWU Delegate at BlueScope Steel at Port Kembla in the New South Wales steel city of Wollongong, says urgent action is needed to address slowing demand. �I�ve been in the steel industry for 29 years and I�ve never seen it this bad,� he says. In the hot roll section where Boris works, there�s been a 50 per cent cut in orders and he says �rumours are ß ying around� that the company may have to shut the plant for a month or two. A 44-year-old father with two young daughters and one of the 3000 AWU members in BlueScope�s 5000-strong Port Kembla workforce, Boris believes a �Buy Australia� campaign will beneÞ t the steel industry through creating and boosting jobs while ensuring Australians buy a bett er quality local product. He argues the major hardware chains such as Bunnings and Mitre 10 favour cheaper imports, rather than BlueScope Steel products. �They�re importing these cheaper products and this is undermining Australian

“AWU National Secretary Paul Howes says Australian

taxpayers’ money shouldn’t be

supporting the jobs of Indian steelmakers...”

BlueScope AWU Delegate Boris Baradi says, “I’ve

been in the steel industry for 29 years and I’ve never

seen it this bad.”

When Pacifi c Brands announced it was moving offshore, loyal employees were devastated.


NATIONAL ATTENTION

jobs� My greatest fear, and a fear for all who work in manufacturing � not just steel but gas and other industries � is to explain to our families how we couldn�t sell our superior product to anyone for any price. How can we let that happen?�

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes argues that using Australian steel, aluminium and other products to build the infrastructure being funded by the Federal Government stimulus, will boost orders for companies like BlueScope and help keep jobs in Australia during the downturn. �We have companies who prefer to buy these things from overseas because they�re cheaper,� Paul says. �But if they don�t support these industries now, then our steel and aluminium companies may close down. Then, when the economy bounces back, we won�t have the steel and aluminium factories anymore because they will be too expensive to start again.�

The Union argues that at a time when private sector spending has collapsed, governments hold most of the spending power around the world. �If they have that purchasing power, they also have the power to choose what they buy and to impose certain rules favouring Australian products.� Paul says that buying local will also help cut down

Australia�s carbon footprint at a time when there�s growing concern about greenhouse gas emissions. �There is a real carbon cost to buying foreign alternatives to many of the goods that the 135,000 members of the AWU currently produce in this country � such as steel and aluminium,� he says. �Sourcing these products from overseas will increase Australia�s carbon footprint.�

Local suppliers for infrastructureThe Australian Steel Institute (ASI), Australia�s peak steel industry association, has been watching the growing number of prefabricated steel imports with concern. �The increase in the import and use of prefabricated steel around the country is certainly a major threat to our local industry and we�re currently looking at ways to turn the trend around,� says the ASI�s National Industry Development Manager, Ian Cairns. He cites Rio Tinto�s US$1.8 billion expansion of its Yarwun Alumina ReÞ nery in north Queensland as an example of this trend. �The project�s used 12,000 tons of steel from China which we believe could have been supplied locally. Our manufacturers were competitive but they weren�t given full, fair and reasonable opportunity in that project.�

�There are also many jobs in the west [of Australia] that are going the same way, where thousands of tons of prefabricated steel are being imported from China and other Asian countries.�

Ian says the ASI supports the AWU�s campaign to ensure money from the stimulus package is used in a way that gives some preference to Australian goods. �We are not advocating protectionism because many of our members are exporters and they need to keep selling their goods overseas,� he says. �But we do believe the Government could enforce policies to ensure there are full and fair opportunities for local manufacturers in bidding for projects in Australia.� The ASI argues governments should ensure Australian industry is aff orded early and meaningful engagement in bidding for infrastructure projects to ensure that the stimulus package does what it is intended to do � help Australians keep their jobs.

For his part, the Minister for Innovation,

The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr, is opposed to any trade barriers.

Steve Devir, AWU Delegate at BHP’s OneSteel in Perth, remains confi dent about the outlook.


Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr, says he�s sympathetic to supporting Australian-made products but is opposed to any trade barriers. Kim � who says he wears Australian-made suits and drives an Australian-made car � argues the Government can have a policy of preferring local products without forcing anyone to use them and can also encourage people to use Australian inputs for major projects. �There are big resource projects in this country being built almost entirely using imported products � including, for example, railway rolling stock. It is perfectly legitimate to ask whether competitive Australian products could be used instead.�

But, he says, as a trading nation Australia must have access to overseas markets and that shu! ing our trade partners out will only provoke retaliation and destroy Australian jobs. The Minister sounds a warning on mandating the use of Australian steel in Commonwealth-funded projects. �Australia exported $1.7 billion worth of iron and steel and $5.8 billion worth of aluminium in 2008. Does anyone really believe pu! ing a wall up around the Australian economy is in the best interests of these industries?�

Campaign supportBut BlueScope worker Boris Baradi argues that it isn�t protectionist to give preference to Australian products. �I don�t think we as a population of 21 million will spark global protectionism. But in Australia, the spin-off s would be signiÞ cant in

expanding the economy and protecting jobs.�Another Port Kembla BlueScope worker, Risto

Tanecevski, says giving priority to Australian products could be a lifeline for the company. Risto, who has two teenage daughters and works at Blast Furnace Number Six, says he�s not sure what will happen if orders don�t pick up. �The company will run out of cash eventually,� he says. �They are selling product now at less than it costs to make it. They can�t keep losing money.�

In Western Australia, Steve Devir is one of 80 workers at BHP�s OneSteel reinforcing plant in Perth. An AWU Delegate, Steve remains conÞ dent about the outlook but says the company has been aff ected by the economic slowdown. There was a move to cut back overtime but then the decision was reversed because orders came in for urgently needed product. �At the moment, OneSteel is only guaranteeing overtime until May.�

Australian businessman Dick Smith, himself a long-time advocate of Australian-made products through his �Dick Smith Foods� brand, welcomes the AWU initiative but warns that it will be hard to get governments and consumers to change their habits. One major problem Dick sees is that the Federal Government won�t want to �off end the powerful foreign multinationals� by giving preference to Australian companies. �It�s a very good initiative but it will be diffi cult in the long term because most Australians tend to buy the most advertised product or the cheapest, which will most o$ en come from China,� he says. �I�d

The Australian Steel Institute’s National Industry Development Manager, Ian Cairns, warns that increased importation is a major threat.

Australian Made, Australian Grown campaign – how canit help consumers?* The campaign helps consumers identify Australian-made products through the

distinctive green and gold trademark.* The number of licensees joining the campaign is increasing at a record rate and

consumer trust in the logo is unmatched.* There is 98 per cent recognition of the logo domestically and rapid growth in awareness

internationally.* The logo has received strong backing from the fresh and packaged produce industry

as an effective way to identify Australian grown goods.* The AMAG logo can only be used on products that are registered with Australian Made

Campaign Limited and which meet the criteria set out in the code of practice, ensuring products are what they say they are.

Information from the AMAG website: www.australianmade.com.au

h th

Port Kembla BlueScope worker Risto Tancevski says giving priority to Australian products could be a lifeline for the company.


NATIONAL ATTENTION

like to ask all Australians, if you can aff ord it, buy Australian products because other countries will be looking a" er their own people and we should look a" er ours.�

The Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) campaign, has been encouraging Australians to buy local product for more than 20 years, and its Marketing and Communications Manager, Vibeke Stisen says it makes sense for consumers to look for Australian-made products because this supports local jobs, helps the economy and ensures they get quality products. Vibeke says the past months have seen a big jump in the number of companies registering to use the distinctive green and gold kangaroo trademark, now one of the country�s most recognised and trusted logos. �I think as PaciÞ c Brands and other companies make decisions to move overseas, consumers realise if they don�t buy Australian-made then everything

will one day be made elsewhere,� she says. �Manufacturers realise that consumers are increasingly looking to support local jobs and buy locally grown and manufactured goods, so it makes sense to make it easier for them to Þ nd them.� Apart from saving Australian jobs, Vibeke says it�s also about ensuring we continue to have manufacturing in Australia. �It�s not just about Australian consumers helping the Australian economy and looking a" er their own jobs, it�s also about having a sustainable future as a country that exports rather than having to import everything.

�We do manufacture world-class products here, so why wouldn�t you buy them?� ◆

How buying Australianhelps manufacturingEvery $1 million spent in the manufacturing sector creates:● $600,800 in tax revenue● $1,772,500 in value-added dollars (wages, salaries, taxes paid and profi ts)● $170,000 in welfare benefi ts (social security payments that would go to assist and

sustain people who are unemployed)● 17 full-time jobs (four direct and 13 indirect)

SOURCE: The Industry Capability Network (ICN) – an initiative of Federal and State governments and business that works to boost import replacement by promoting Australian-made alternatives and by supporting Australian exports.

Dick Smith, a long-time advocate of Australian-made products through his “Dick Smith Foods” brand, welcomes the AWU initiative.

fi )

“Manufacturers realise that consumers are increasingly looking to support local jobs and buy locally grown and manufactured goods...”

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I

LAURIE SHORT

OLD MATEFAREWELL,

Laurie Short outside the old Federated Ironworkers

Association building in George Street, Sydney, after winning the

court-controlled ballot in 1952.

WRITTEN BY DONNA REEVES PHOTOS PATRICK RIVIERE/FAIRFAX PHOTOS

n the Þ nal days of his life, the only words Laurie Short mutt ered were �I love you�. He would say it to his daughter, Susanna Short, and to the nurses who were caring for him. It reß ected, Susanna says, the gentle, caring and incredibly humble side

of a man who had fought, and won, some of the toughest batt les in Australian union history.

In recognition of his historic contribution to unionism and Australian politics, Laurie was farewelled in April with a state memorial service at the Sydney Trades Hall � a rare achievement for a unionist.

Under the Federated Ironworkers Association banner hanging proudly on the wall, more than 200 people � including NSW Governor Marie Bashir, family, friends, Liberals and Laborites alike � gathered to pay their respects.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard sent a lett er of condolence, describing Laurie as a�great Þ gure of the Australian union movement in a truly historic time�. Highlighting his status as a world-class union leader, international president of the United Steelworkers of America, Leo Gerard, also sent his condolences.

�He was a Labor hero, and we will miss him,� NSW Premier Nathan Rees said, speaking of Laurie�s pivotal role in holding the NSW Labor Party together in the 1950s.

Former NSW Premiers Bob Carr and Barrie Unsworth paid tribute to Laurie, as

When union legend Laurie Short passed away – friends from far and wide gathered to pay tribute.


did AWU National Secretary Paul Howes. The fact that Laurie managed to a! ract

mourners from both sides of politics and from all walks of life is testament to a man who lived his life striving for fairness and equality.

Vale Laurence Elwyn Short AO OBEDecember 18, 1915 – March 24, 2009 �Laurie Short was a great Australian who proved what I always thought � that Australians can do anything, and he did it,� said Bert Evans, former chief executive of the Metal Trades Industry Association. �He was an inspiration to other Australians of what you can do from a humble background to make your mark.�

And make his mark Laurie did, in an extraordinary life that saw him win praise across the board, from Australian political leaders to American presidents, for his contribution to a democratic Australia and visionary approach to unionism.

�We have our considerable freedoms today because of Laurie,� AWU National Secretary Paul Howes said. �Laurie always fought the good Þ ght for a democratic trade union culture, free of thuggery and mindless authoritarianism.�

Born in 1915, Laurie grew up in inner-city Sydney. He le" school at 15 and worked in a radio factory, where he discovered communism. His involvement with the Young Communist League was short-lived, with him becoming impatient at the insistence always to follow the party line, and ultimately because he was expelled from the party for �disruption�.

Laurie became a Trotskyist (a member of the movement dedicated to the principles of early 20th century Russian Marxist Leon Trotsky), helping to establish the Balmain Workers� Social Club. But he eventually abandoned Trotskyism, saying: �I generally came to the conclusion that our Western-style pluralist, parliamentary democracy with all its faults is preferable.�

He later became known for his staunch anti-communist views � views he held until his death.

Laurie joined the Federated Ironworkers Association (FIA) in 1937, and in 1949 challenged the

Laurie with his wife, artist Nancy Borlase, and her portrait of the couple.

Stalinist Ernie Thornton for its leadership. Laurie won the ballot � but the Communist leadership rigged the result and Laurie didn�t become Secretary until the courts discovered that Thornton had rigged the ballot. Laurie became FIA National Secretary in 1951, a position he held for 32 years.

Laurie, more than anyone, is credited with holding together the Labor Party in NSW during a time when it threatened to be torn apart.

�In an era when it could have all come unstuck he saved the Labor Party,� Premier Nathan Rees told NSW Parliament. �He deÞ ned for all Australians what it was to be a social democrat in an era of ideological intemperance and that close call we had with tyranny, the McCarthyism era.�

Laurie was a supporter of multiculturalism and ensured that the FIA was the Þ rst union to support and organise the inß ux of migrant workers in post-war Australia. Those who knew Laurie remember him as a courageous, digniÞ ed and loyal man who had a unique talent for seeing the big picture. He was there, they agree, to make things be! er, but it did come at some personal cost.

Laurie�s daughter Susanna Short recalled that her father�s work meant that he was out a lot of the time.�He used to be in meetings every night, and in my naivety I would say �you lucky pig, you�re going out again�, and he�d say �if you knew�. �

Laurie was married for almost 61 years to the artist Nancy Borlase, who died in 2006. He died on what would have been her 95th birthday. He is survived by Susanna and two grandchildren.

“He was an inspiration to other Australians of what you can do from a humble background to make your mark...”


LAURIE SHORT

AWU NATIONAL SECRETARYPAUL HOWESWe, in today’s labour movement, are fortunate to be able to stand on the shoulders of the giants of the past.

And of those giants none have ever stood as tall as Laurie Short, for in the labour movement’s worst crisis, Laurie saved it from itself.

We have a united and successful movement today because Laurie Short, in the ‘40s and ‘50s, in a miracle of tenacity and persuasion, got good union people, good labour people to stand together inside the Labor Party.

The reasons for Laurie’s evolution to becoming a democrat are clear and understandable – it was clear to him in a time when it was still unclear to many that communist ideology doesn’t work, it tends towards corruption, bureaucratisation, warmongering, torture chambers and show trials in what is now a very predictable way.

But of course in the ‘40s and ‘50s it was less predictable, and less obvious, and his achievement, therefore, was much more remarkable. Many of Laurie’s opponents have characterised his fi ght as simply a factional confl ict between right and left – they were, of course, wrong.

His fi ght was a battle for the soul of our nation, which Laurie’s quiet achievement comprehensively won.

Bob Hawke once famously remarked to Laurie, “As the red fl ag was lowered for the last time over the Kremlin on the 25th of December 1991, you were entitled to more satisfaction than most.”

It was this big picture that he was able to preserve – freedoms that we are so fortunate to enjoy today and that are still so shamefully out of reach for billions of others across the globe.

Laurie Short is a beacon of inspiration to us now. He was a guiding light, a burning bush and a pillar of fi re to all, who

in Shakespeare’s words, “will never see so much, nor live so long”.

Joel Newman, Laurie’s grandson

“The Laurie that I knew wasn’t the political Laurie, he was Granddad. I would describe him as a generally quiet and somewhat reserved man.

He was a kind and generous man.”

William (Bill) Hopkins, Assistant National Secretary, FIA

“His loyalty was something else. When Sir John Kerr sacked the Whitlam Government, it was a great tragedy for Laurie because he was bitterly opposed to the action taken. But he was a good

friend of John Kerr’s and that friendship remained. Even to the end, Laurie actually felt very sorry for John and what happened to him

and was not frightened to admit it. It was another trait of a man with a lot of courage.”

Bill Hopkins

Paul Howes

Joel Newman


Peter Coleman, former Liberal Leader in NSW Parliament

“Laurie’s anti-communism was not McCarthyism or fanatical. It was based on the principal of integrity. There were lots

of anti-communists around him you didn’t want to meet, but Laurie was an honourable

man, uncompromising and highly principled.”

Bert Evans, former Chief Executive, Metal Trades Industry Association

“Laurie was there to make things better. He was there to fi nd solutions to

strikes. He was there to get a proper settlement and when you’re in industrial

relations that’s what it’s about – fairness.”

Bert Evans former Chief Executive Metal Trades Industry Associationd

Peter Coleman former Liberal Leader in NSW Parliament

Michael Easson, former Secretary, Labor Council of NSW; Executive Chairman, EG Property Group

“The Laurie I remember was inspiring and also had a great sense of humour. He was serious

and very committed to the Labour Movement, and yet he had a self-effacing beautiful sense of

life. He was an intellectual who was so proud of his heritage, but curious to fi nd out more.

I think his seriousness and strength of character goes with being a person who wakes up

wondering ‘what new things can I fi nd out today?’”

Bert Evans

Peter Coleman

Michael Easson

Susanna Short paid tribute to her beloved father at Sydney’s Trades Hall.


FORMER NSW PREMIER, BOB CARRLaurie Short’s strength of character and tenacity was the reason that the Federated Ironworkers Association became the only unskilled workers’ union with right wing Labor politics.

But it was a diffi cult struggle. Expelled from his union, verbally abused and physically assaulted, Laurie also suffered a rigged election in the 1949 leadership ballot. When fi nally he was installed in 188 George Street, he was consigned to a desk in the corridor.

Finally successful in reshaping his union, and redirecting the Australian Labor Movement, Laurie ensured the strength of the movement through helping to develop his younger colleagues. Of the people in the Labor

Movement who believed in a free society there were none more tireless, none feistier than Laurie Short.

Bob Gould, bookshop owner and veteran left-wing activist

“Like a lot of people who have changed their political positions he had a certain amount of amnesia about some things, which is entirely human – you can’t really knock him for that.”

Justice James Spigelman,Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW

“I grew up at that end of George Street where my parents had a shop three doors down from the Iron Workers’ building, so I remember Laurie coming into the shop to talk to my parents. Later in life I got to know him in other capacities but I really have a personal sense of knowing him for over 50 years. He was always calm – I just remember that more than anything else. He had an extraordinary capacity to make decisions, but his calmness contributed to that capacity.”

Bob Gould bookshop owner and veteran left wing activist

Justice James Spigelman,

“Of the people in the Labor Movement who believed in a free society there were none more tireless, none more feistier.”

Bob Gould

Justice James Spigelman

Bob Carr

Barrie Unsworth

FORMER NSW PREMIER AND FORMER LABOR COUNCIL OF NSW SECRETARY, BARRIE UNSWORTH

To later generations of unionists who served under his leadership in the Federated Ironworkers Association, he was a legendary fi gure and a valued mentor.

One such person was John Ducker who, like Laurie, came from a humble working-class environment and who, similarly, toiled at the task of being a boilermaker’s labourer.

Laurie brought John into the Sydney Branch of the FIA and, as Laurie’s protégé, John was taught political skills, which were to subsequently impact on the Australian Labor Movement, and promote its revival and success in the 1970s.

In her book Laurie Short: A Political Life Laurie’s daughter, Susanna, quotes John Ducker on attending a dinner party held at the Shorts’ in the mid-1950s:

“The conversation was on a higher level than I was used to,” he said. “There were paintings everywhere and lots of books. After going there, I started buying books on literature and going to art openings.”

Laurie established relationships with signifi cant elements of the intellectual, academic, artistic, legal and professional groups in Australian society. And yet he innately understood the needs and aspirations of his union membership and fought vigorously on their behalf.


THE FORGING OF A UNIONThe Federated Ironworkers Association (FIA) became a registered union back in 1911. The FIA was an amalgamation of smaller iron and steel industry unions with a combined membership of approximately 5000. The new union soon grew with the establishment in 1915 of the modern Australian steel industry when the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) commenced steelmaking operations at the Newcastle Steelworks.

Back then, like the AWU, the FIA soon ran into diffi culties. During 1916-17, poor working conditions and wage cuts prompted by the continuing home-front demands of WWI led to a wave of strikes in the steel industry, culminating in the Great Strike of 1917. The FIA joined most other NSW unions in strike action across a wide range of industries. The NSW government, determined to defeat the strikers, used scab labour to maintain essential services. The result was a defeat for the unions. BHP dismissed the strikers, employed non-union labour and organised a “company union”. The FIA was deregistered in NSW as an industrial union. During the 1920s, a weakened FIA held amalgamation talks with the AWU, but rivalry between the unions and job cuts at BHP led to a decline in union membership and the collapse of the amalgamation talks. However, while the FIA began to revive – it was then confronted by the Great Depression of 1929-33. Australian steel production collapsed to 1901 levels and the FIA’s membership of 16,000 in 1929 was halved.

In the years after the end of WWII, tension between the United States and the Soviet Union developed into the Cold War, with sporadic “hot” confl icts erupting in Korea and Vietnam. In Australia, the Cold War was typifi ed by the 1949 Miners’ Strike, which saw the Communist-led Miners Federation mount an aggressive challenge to the Chifl ey Labor Government. Simultaneously, the intense faction fi ghting in the FIA refl ected these Cold War tensions. Dissident unionists, led by Laurie Short, supported the Australian Labor Party, which resulted in him becoming FIA National Secretary in 1951.

The Challenge of ChangeThe 1980s brought the fi rst signifi cant changes to an industrial relations system born in 1904. The Labor governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating introduced a more workplace-based system of industrial relations through enterprise bargaining. At the same time, employers and the political activists of the “New Right” began to attack unions and the arbitration system, claiming that the system hindered economic growth. Unions were no longer necessary, the New Right said: employers should be allowed to negotiate directly with their employees.

Throughout the 1980s and ‘90s both FIA and AWU members were affected by increasing unemployment – a result of technological change, falls in tariff protection, and poor economic performance from employers who had deferred modernising their operations during the “good” years. Unions had to regroup to fi ght for job protection, and to resist the anti-union strategies of the New Right. Faced with these challenges, many unions reorganised in a series of amalgamations. In 1991, the FIA amalgamated with the Amalgamated Society of Engineers to form the Federation of Industrial, Manufacturing and Engineering Employees. Both the AWU and FIMEE had traditional industrial bases – the AWU in the bush, FIMEE in the steel industry – but both, by the early 1990s, were essentially manufacturing-industry unions, but also sharing common coverage of a number of sites in the construction and mining industries. In 1993, the AWU amalgamated with FIMEE to forge the AWU-FIMEE Amalgamated Union. Then, in 1995, the union became known offi cially as the Australian Workers’ Union – the union we know today.

Extracted from The War That Never Ended, by labour historian Mark Hearn

NSW PREMIER NATHAN REESLaurie Short defi ned for all Australians what it was to be a social democrat in an era of ideological intemperance, cultural bigotry, sectarian violence and the close call we had with tyranny during the McCarthyist era.

He saw the big picture, and he saw it plain. He saw the true menace to Australian civility lay in the Left and Right. And when, in other states, the Australian Labor Party was breaking up, he held the centre…

He lost much personal tranquillity and some friends in his anguished and honourable quest to preserve the decent heart of Australian egalitarianism from Communist takeover on one side, and from sterile conservative dimness on the other.

He was a true patriot, and a man whose conscience, like George Orwell’s, took him fi rst where young men went in the early twentieth century, to the Soviet fantasia and then back to the social-democrat decency of heart and fi rmness of purpose that so suited Australia, and the Australian spirit.

He worked hard for our good, and gave us by his efforts, through the brawls and litigations, the bad blood, and bitter compromises and long nights of the soul, the true-hearted and worthwhile Australia we have today.

He was a Labor hero, and we will miss him.

“He saw the big picture, and he saw it plain. He saw the true menace to Australian civility lay in the Left and Right...”

Nathan Rees

Laurie Short at his 80th Birthday celebrations

N


Here’s theDRILL

POSTCARD FROM A BASS STRAIT RIG

eill Tacey is living the peak-hour motorist�s dream: the AWU Delegate commutes to work each day by helicopter. A production operator on a Bass Strait oil and gas rig, Neill has no work-day traffi c jams to suff er, no car-parking hassles at the other end and road rage is a computer game not a red face in your face.

On a good day, his 72-kilometre chopper ride from the small Gippsland town of Longford to work takes just 30 minutes. It all sounds too good to be true, and sometimes it is.

�You have to remember that one chopper can hold up to 12 people and it could be heading out to any number of platforms,� Neill says. �If it�s not going directly to [my rig] Mackerel, the trip can take up to an hour and a half.�

Once on the rig, Neill�s duties take him indoors and out: computer-bound or exposed to the elements on the platform itself. Responsible for machinery operation and maintenance, regulatory testing, and separating and monitoring the oil and gas at all stages of production, he sometimes has to drill to a depth of 4 kilometres in order to get to the good stuff .

His Bass Strait neighbourhood is home to 21 platforms and installations, serviced by roughly 800 workers (just seven females!) and 600 kilometres of underwater pipelines. Open for business 24 hours a day, almost 4 billion barrels of crude oil and 7 trillion cubic feet of gas have been piped back to the mainland since production commenced in 1969.

Understandably, life on a rig revolves around work and the 12-hour shift s each employee completes. Down time can involve anything from a hit of pool, reading a book, or watching television.

�You�re fairly isolated,� Neill says. �If you go outside the quarters, you have to be fully covered � safety boots, helmets, glasses, gloves,

“You’re fairly isolated. If you go outside the quarters, you have to be fully covered – safety boots, helmets, glasses, gloves...”

Michael Blayney discovers that in the wild waters and weather of Bass Strait, a tight-knit community of 800 workers braves the waves while drilling for oil and gas.PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES

The delegate…Neill Tacey: AWU Victorian Branch Executive member Neill Tacey is a production operator and AWU Delegate on a Bass Strait rig. His 72km chopper ride from home to work takes just 30 minutes.


Gary McCulloch: Neill’s colleague, Gary, works on Snapper platform (all the rigs are named after fi sh). He was off duty and asleep when a “fairly large gas blow-out” occurred.

The workmate…

The organiser…Dave Healy: Dave says the facilities (on the rigs) are getting older and subjected to a salt-water environment. “Updating infrastructure and pipework is high on our agenda,” he says.

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the lot. It�s not like you can go outside and throw a line over the edge and get a suntan.�

And outside can be the most unwelcoming of places. When the strong winds and

high seas decimated the 1998 Sydney-to-Hobart yacht-race Þ eld, reinforced steel was ripped clean

from platform decks. �If you get a decent enough wave, the rigs do move. It�s nowhere near as bad as being on a boat, but I�ve been out there when it�s prett y rough and the platform shift s under your feet,� Neill says.

Inevitably, accidents occur. Neill�s colleague, Gary McCulloch, from Snapper platform (all the rigs are named aft er Þ sh), was off duty and asleep when a �fairly large gas blow-out� occurred due to a faulty O-ring. �It was prett y frightening,� Gary says. �The alarms went off and the platform was shut down. We have ageing pipework, so there�s always a chance something could go wrong.�

This is one of the biggest health and safety challenges facing workers and employer Esso, according to Dave Healy, AWU Organiser and former rig worker of 24 years� standing. �The facilities are gett ing older and they�re out in the middle of the ocean, subjected to a salt-water environment. Updating infrastructure and pipework is something that is high on our agenda,� he says.

Managing worker fatigue is another. Mackerel�s sleeping quarters are �not much bigger than a prison cell�, Neill, now entering his 14th year of Bass Strait platform work, says. �I do a week of day-shift off shore, then I�m home for a week. Then I go back out again and do a week of night-shift before another week off .�

�By the time you reach 55, your body�s prett y much ratshit,� Dave Healy says. �Say you�ve just done a night shift , and then you try and sleep. A helicopter lands on top of your sleeping quarters a minimum of four times a day, and then you have all the general noise from plant and machinery. The longer a person stays in the job, the more fatigued they become.�

Although most workers are happy with the current roster arrangement, it can be tough on families. �I�ve missed a lot of birthdays and Christmases and special occasions, but I just got Christmas off for the next seven years,� Gary McCulloch says, his shift moving into a new phase. �The young blokes all want New Year�s Eve off , but I�d prefer to be with my family at Christmas.�

POSTCARD FROM ROSEBERY

“By the time you reach 55, your body’s pretty ratshit... the longer a person stays in the job, the more fatigued they become.”


Russ Collison’s storyGreater NSW Branch Secretary Russ Collison had just turned 20 years old when he worked on Bass Strait�s Barracouta platform in 1969. It was a diff erent work environment to the one today.

�Initially, I went down to Bass Strait as a TA (Trades Assistant). I got my rigger�s ticket during the course of being there and was a rigger and scaff older from then on.

�One of my stints on the rig went for 43 days without a break. We were working 12-hour shift s. Normally the roster was 28 days on and seven days off . I can remember this TA who stayed on board for 63 days. Not many were complaining, though. It was an opportunity as young men to work hard and put a bit of money aside for a house deposit.

�But people got fatigued and I saw a few blues on board. People were gett ing on each other�s nerves. It�s a small, conÞ ned area and outside it�s dark, windy, cold and with a lot of rain. You can only play cards for so long. It doesn�t matt er what your disposition, nerves jangle.

�A couple of blokes would smuggle grog onboard. Bags weren�t searched and you could smuggle on a couple of bott les of whiskey, no dramas. People hadn�t had a drink for a while, and they�d get stuck in and get a bit homesick. Silly things happened and blokes got belted.

�Working out there really was a young man�s game. It can be a huge sacriÞ ce to your family when you get older. I don�t begrudge them the money they get. I reckon they�re underdone when you consider what they�re giving up.� ◆

“It’s a small confi ned area and outside it’s dark, windy, cold and with a lot of rain. You can only play cards for so long.”

Russ Collison: Russ, our Greater NSW Branch Secretary, was a lad of 20 when he worked on the Barracouta platform way back in 1969. It was a different work environment to the one today.

The veteran…T


SPECIAL REPORT

hen Janene Serio set off for work one Monday in February, the ß oodwaters in the north Queensland town of Ingham were high, and expected to rise to

heights not seen for decades.Fortunately, she had the foresight to take some

extra clothes, as another eight days would pass until she saw her home again.

Janene, Operational Services Manager at Ingham Hospital, was one of several AWU members stranded there through the worst of the ß oods, working horrendous hours to look aft er patients and staff .

�We all just hung in there, and everybody helped everybody out,� she says. �We were that tired by night-time, we could have slept on

WEarlier this year, Australia was hit by floods and fires that caused incalculable damage. So how do those who survive recover from disasters such as these? Melissa Sweet talks to some true heroes, who worked amid the carnage to help others, about how they coped and how they’re faring now.

WRITTEN BY MELISSA SWEET PHOTOS NEWSPIX/SUPPLIEDWRITTEN BY MELISSA SWEET Y PHOTOS NEWSPIX/SUPPLIEDD

apocalypsecement, I reckon. It�s an experience that you don�t want to have every year.�

Many AWU members have had similar thoughts in the wake of a summer of horrifying extremes. While more than 2500 millilitres of rain inundated Ingham and much of north Queensland in the Þ rst few months of 2009, Þ restorms in Victoria claimed more than 170 lives and more than 2000 homes.

History teaches that such disasters can be expected to take a long-term toll upon physical and mental health, health experts warn. But those aff ected oft en are reluctant to seek help.

�A lesson from the Ash Wednesday Þ res is that victims oft en delay seeking care for at least 18 months, despite experiencing considerable suff ering,� two prominent psychiatrists, Professor Alexander McFarlane and Professor Beverley

After the

DSE Forest Firefi ghters put in

a heroic effort to contain the horrifi c

fi res in Victoria.


Raphael, wrote in The Medical Journal of Australia recently. �When they do present to GPs, it is o! en with physical symptoms and the signiÞ cance of these is missed.�

Even though the economic impact of the ß oods in north Queensland is still being felt, Janene and her colleagues in Ingham count themselves relatively lucky. �Going through ß ood is not as traumatic as Þ re,� she says.

When she eventually returned home, Þ nding her bedroom Þ lled with stinking mud, her thoughts were with the Þ re victims.

�We used to sit there at night-time, and say �why can�t this rain be going down south�?� she says. �We really felt for the Þ re victims. Everyone up here at the time said, give us a ß ood any day [in preference] to Þ re.�

The hospital�s cook, Gail Bison, another AWU member who worked long and hard during the ß oods, was one of many Ingham locals who donated their $165 Queensland government hardship grants to the Victorian bushÞ re appeal.

�We felt so bad for those people down there,� Gail says. �What we went through, we recovered from.�

Mass destructionThousands of AWU members have been devastated by the Þ res of February�s Black Saturday, which struck at communities close to the Union�s history.

�The wide swathes of regional Victoria hit by bushÞ res � towns like Marysville, Kinglake, Churchill, Healesville, Yarra Glen, Narbethong, Bendigo and Ballarat � are the heartland of the AWU,� AWU National Secretary Paul Howes says. �Our Union traces our proud history back to this part of Victoria, where we were formed in 1886.�

Up to 20 AWU members and their families, including six Victorian Forest FireÞ ghters, lost homes, while many others have been traumatised by the destruction of their communities, according to Ben Davis, Vice-President of the Victorian Branch.

When the shock hitsCon Cosmas, a DSE Forest Firefi ghter Crew Leader, thought he was coping pretty well with the horrors he’d seen during 18-hour shifts fi ghting the blazes of Black Saturday.

But two weeks after the worst of fi res were over, as he stood in the shower washing his hair, the shock suddenly hit him with a whammy. Realising he needed help, he contacted the AWU and subsequently began seeing a counsellor.

Con continues to suffer the after-effects of the fi re trauma. He has diffi culty sleeping, has lost weight, and becomes stressed in crowds.

“You have good days and bad days,” he says.

While he continues to be haunted by the memories of Black Saturday, he also remembers the burns victims who his team helped and who are now recovering well.

“Amongst all the terrible things that we saw, there was at least one good story that came out of it,” he says.

Con wants other fi refi ghters to accept that they are human and not to be embarrassed to ask for help. “We all suffer from the Australian-male persona in that we think we’re tough and can deal with these things. It has been diffi cult to share this story but I have done so to help those who are feeling the same or worse [to let them] know that they are not alone.”

February’s fl oods in Ingham, Queensland, caused terrible distress to the community.


SPECIAL REPORT

Nearly a thousand members, working for the Department of Sustainability and the Environment, Parks Victoria, the Department of Primary Industries and construction crews on the North-South pipeline put in heroic eff orts Þ ghting the Þ res over several weeks. Many were also involved in recovering the casualties.

�I�ve had many phone calls from stressed-out members,� Ben says.

�The people who dealt with deceased and injured are really struggling. We�re Þ nding that when the adrenaline and emergency wears off , they�re starting to show the eff ects, and a number have sought counselling.

�They�ve been exposed to the worst Þ res in the history of Australia.�

Rod Lynn, a Work-Centre Coordinator with the DSE, has worked on more Þ res than he can remember, both as a Þ rst-att ack-bulldozer operator and out of aircraft .

�Not in my 23 years with the DSE have I seen a Þ re that big,� he says. �This Þ re was so hot, so Þ erce and moved so quick, you could have had all the best technology in the

world, you were never going to stop Mother Nature.�

Rod provides peer support to colleagues, and knows Þ rsthand the toll that Þ res can take. Aft er two narrow escapes in recent years, he developed serious depression. He got through it with help from a psychologist and his colleagues, but he knows that many others are now also struggling.

�I don�t know how long it will take them to recover,� he said. �All the training in the world doesn�t prepare you for what you saw on that day and in the days aft er.�

Rod believes his colleagues� problems are being exacerbated by the lack of public recognition for DSE Forest FireÞ ghters, with most acclaim going to the Country Fire Authority.

�A lot of the thing that�s hurting blokes is they don�t feel they get the recognition, because all you see on the posters and the trees is �thank you CFA�,� he says.

�CFA weren�t the only agency Þ ghting these Þ res. We�ve been left out of it and I�m really, really angry about it because what we go through is just massive.

�A litt le bit of recognition helps you get over what you�ve just gone through.� ◆

CONTACTS For more information about mental-health issues,call Sane Australia: 1800 187263 (9am-5pm weekdays EST. Request free InfoPack 24 hours).Or see www.sane.org and www.beyondblue.org.au

The forgotten disasterFor nine weeks earlier this year, the towns of Normanton and Karumba in far north Queensland were isolated by fl oodwaters.

Phillip Grieve, town foreman with the Carpentaria Shire and an AWU member, began to feel as if the rest of Australia either didn’t know or didn’t care.

“We were cut off for about four weeks before anyone knew what was happening,” he says. “We didn’t get noticed because of the bushfi res down south.”

Even though the fl oodwaters have receded, the fl ood damage will keep Phillip busy for quite some time, with roads, signs and grounds to repair.

“There’s plenty of work,” he says. “We can do as many hours as we like with all the damage.”

How the AWUis helping• The AWU has raised more than $150,000 to support

bushfi re victims• The Victorian Branch is paying $5000 to all members

who lost their homes• The AWU is fi ghting for improved pay and conditions

for DSE Forest Firefi ghters.• AWU workplaces are organising donation drives for

the Bushfi re Appeal• Members needing assistance should contact the

Victorian Branch directly on 1300 362 298

DSE Crew Leader Con Cosmas in the line of fi re.

Gail Bison donated her $165 Queensland Government hardship

grant to the Victorian Bushfi re Appeal. ‘We felt so bad for those people, what we went through we recovered from’.


Disastersand healthStudies have found that:• Women, children, the elderly, the poor

and people with pre-existing health problems are most likely to be killed or injured in disasters.

• Those who were already vulnerable through physical and mental health complaints before the disaster are more likely to suffer health problems afterwards.

• Many disaster-related injuries result from the breakdown of safety controls, infrastructure and from individuals’ attempts to adapt to the disaster. During hurricanes in Florida in 2004, for example, the use of portable generators led to dozens of cases of carbon-monoxide poisoning, including six deaths.

• Search and rescue personnel are at high risk of injuries. Clean-up activities, which may take years, also place workers at risk.

• The provision of practical help as quickly as possible – for example, with fi nding accommodation – minimises the risks of mental health problems.

• Psychological distress can cause physical symptoms, such as headaches, faintness or dizziness, pains in heart or chest, lower back pain, nausea or upset stomach, muscle soreness, diffi culty breathing, hot or cold spells, numbness or tingling, lump in throat, feeling weak and heavy feelings in arms or legs.

• Man-made disasters (such as bombings) have been shown to have psychological effects lasting up to 14 years, while the mental health impact of natural disasters can be evident for up to three years afterwards.

• Social connections – such as being with someone at the time of the disaster and receiving appropriate support afterwards – can help reduce the risk of mental health problems.

• Time is the biggest healer. Many problems, such as post-traumatic-stress disorder and depression, become less common as time passes.

• Alcohol problems, smoking and child abuse tend to increase after disasters.

SOURCE: Professor Sandro Galea, an expert on the health effects of disasters, from the

University of Michigan.

As fl ood waters continued to rise, people – and animals – sought shelter wherever they could.

Flood-affected Ingham in Queensland.

Ingham Hospital Operational Services Manager Janene Serio (right) and her colleagues worked around the clock.

Right: DSE Work-Centre Co-ordinator Rod Lynn says he has never seen

anything like the Victorian bushfi res.


FRONTLINE NEWS NATIONALFRONTLINE NEWS

■ Canadian oil industry tragedy a harsh reminder17 Canadian oil workers were killed

after a helicopter crashed on its way

out to an oil platform on the Grand

Banks, about 300km off the Canadian

province of Newfoundland.

The accident, which left just one survivor,

sent a reminder to oil unions and workers

around the globe about the dangers of

working in this dangerous industry.

The AWU and the Maritime Union

of Australia jointly organise offshore oil

workers across Australia through the

MUA-AWU Offshore Alliance, so

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes,

immediately sent the Union’s condolences

to the Communication, Energy and

Paperworkers union, the union that covers

oil workers in Canada.

“I wrote to the CEP union to express

our heartfelt support to the Canadian union

members and their families,” Paul said. “We

know the anxieties that families go through

when loved ones leave to work far away in

this often dangerous industry. Our unions will

always demand the highest possible safety

standards for oil workers but when a tragedy

like this hits it is especially hard to accept.”

An offi cial from the Canadian union

covering the workers said he believed

that some workers will be so affected by

the tragedy the will leave the industry.

“We have a fairly mature workforce

offshore, a lot of guys in their late 40s and

in their 50s,” Sheldon Peddle, CEP union

Local Branch President said. “And this is

the kind of thing that is probably going to

tip them over the edge and say, ‘You know

what? I’m done with this.’”

And to salute our own offshore oil

industry workers, turn to page 18 for

“Postcard from an offshore rig”.

Unions are cool – It’s offi cial!Recent fi ndings from the Australian Bureau

of Statistics reveal that there has been an

increase in union membership of more than

56,000 workers and that, excluding casual

workers, almost one in four Australian

workers belongs to a union.

According to the ABS survey, more than 1.75

million Australian workers are now unionised and

that unionised workers earn, on average, $96

more per week than non-union members.

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes says

that the data proved, yet again, the relevance of

unions in Australian working life.

“It is essential that workers belong to a union,”

Paul said. “It’s all about protecting jobs, protecting

workers’ rights and improving working conditions.

Unions work tirelessly to protect and represent the

interests of their members. Workers’ entitlements

such as sick leave, annual leave and leave loading,

access to industry superannuation and legal

representation in workplace issues all came

about because unions fought for them – and

continue to protect these rights.”

Paul said that unions were born out

of necessity and they remain paramount

in protecting the livelihoods of working

people everywhere.

“We know the anxieties that families go

through when loved ones

leave to work far away in this often dangerous industry.”

National NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

Left: The Canadian oil industry tragedy is a reminder to oil unions and workers around the globe about the dangers of working in this dangerous industry.


FRONTLINE NEWS NATIONAL

■ Good luck to the Workers’ IconThis year marks the 150th anniversary of Queensland’s formal

separation from New South Wales. And, to mark the occasion,

Queenslanders were asked to vote for their favourite state icon.

“The Tree of Knowledge” at Barcaldine was among a short list of 300 much-

loved Queensland icons and union members and Labor supporters were

encouraged to give their vote to this remarkable piece of history. While the tree

is dead (it was poisoned – and whoever committed this crime remains at large),

its site (and its memorial) and the town of Barcaldine fi gure prominently in the minds

of Australians who believe in fairness and justice and workers’ rights. Back in 1891,

striking shearers gathered under the branches of a tree in Barcaldine, Queensland, and

made the critical decision that hard won workers’ rights had to be consolidated in law

and protected in legislation from future attacks by pastoralists. It was a long and bitter

strike, but the ghost gum, which became known as the Tree of Knowledge, came to be

associated with the birth of the Australian Labor Party and has remained a symbol of the

cause of democracy and Labor ever since.

The irony wasn’t lost on AWU National President (and Queenslander) Bill Ludwig that

while John Howard’s Liberal government legislated WorkChoices, effectively undermining

the right of workers to collectively bargain, it was that same government that gazetted the

Tree of Knowledge on the National Heritage list! The gazette cites the tree as important to

the nation as a scene of actions and decisions, which had a profound effect on the future

of labour and politics in Australia.

We’ll let readers know the result of the ballot in the next issue.

QueenslandBranch NewsRead about what YOUR unionis doing for YOU...

■ Sweet smell of success for Beaudesert sewerage workersThe AWU has achieved confi dential settlements for

members engaged at the former Beaudesert Council (now

known as Scenic Rim Regional Council).

The AWU had raised concerns about the underpayment of live

sewerage allowances to employees engaged as sewerage treatment

plant operators and assistants. Investigation revealed they had not

been paid their entitlements in accordance with the award.

The AWU fi led a case before the Queensland Industrial Relations

Commission and after the fi rst compulsory conference the council

negotiated a settlement.

■ Disability Services Queensland members force management backdownMeetings with members this month at Disability Services

Queensland Loganlea resulted in management backing

down away from unsafe practices they had implemented

or were about to implement.

AWU members had been outraged that management

decided to remove a door to the house kitchen without any

consultation with AWU or workplace health and safety

representatives. No risk analysis had been conducted to

ascertain the consequences of such an action.

The result had detrimental effects on clients and staff

in the house, with clients accessing the fridge in an

unhygienic manner, and clients gorging on food found to

cause health and behavioural problems. After meeting with

members, management was informed that a dispute would

be lodged in the industrial commission if the door was not

put back on. The door was put back on.

On the day of the union meeting members also received

information that due to budget restraints support hours

to assist with client banking, shopping and lifestyle activities

were to be ceased in the next roster. Members voted

unanimously to stop work if management went ahead with its

plans. When informed of AWU members’ intentions to stop work,

management relented and kept the support hours in place.

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■ Own a beautiful memento of our proud historyOn the Labour Day weekend in Queensland this year the AWU celebrated the

opening of a fantastic new memorial at the Tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine –

the memorial to the great shearers’ strike of 1891.The original of this watercolour depicting the shearers’ union camp at Barcaldine hangs in the foyer of the Australian Workers’ Union in Brisbane. Chapman, the artist, assisted union funds by making crayon and ink drawings of the military and labour camps at Barcaldine during the strike. Pairs of the paintings were sold off for half a sovereign but few survived, as they were not framed. Two big fi res at Barcaldine destroyed most of those that were framed.

The AWU painting survived because a former Offi cial of the AWU kept this particular copy hung on the wall of his Aunt Tilly’s dining room in Blackall, Queensland. The Offi cial’s father had been imprisoned during the strike and the work had great personal signifi cance to the family. At some time the painting was packed into an old washing machine box and removed to Brisbane where it resided for decades in a large old Chubb safe. A historian recognised the painting while doing research about the AWU – and it quickly became an icon of the Union and the Labor Party.

To celebrate the memorial in Barcaldine we will give away two posters of this painting to the fi rst two people to email: [email protected] asking for a copy of this piece of AWU history.


FRONTLINE NEWS QLD

“It will introduce a

set of fair and consistent

conditions for all council

employees.”

■ Big pay rises in Union Cape York dealThe AWU’s Far North Queensland

Branch has secured signifi cant pay

rises for hundreds of indigenous

council workers under a collective

agreement with the new Northern

Peninsula Area Regional Council.

AWU Far North Queensland Branch District

Secretary Darryl Noack congratulated the

council for its role in negotiations on the

deal, which he said by guaranteeing award

wages or better for Northern Peninsula

Area Regional Council’s (NPARC) 300

employees ends yearsof unfairness.

Mayor Joseph Elu welcomed the

agreement as a signifi cant step forward

for the council.

“It will introduce a set of fair and

consistent conditions for all council

employees and provides us with fl exibility

to build our skills and capacity for the

future,” he said.

The agreement standardises

job classifi cations, reporting structures,

career incentives and a code of conduct

across the workforce, while providing

wage-cost certainty for the NPARC.

■ Swan’s trip to EverhardWorkplace delegates at Everhard

Industries met with Federal Treasurer

Wayne Swan to discuss the impacts

of the global fi nancial crisis.

Everhard workers were deeply concerned

about the effects of the current global

fi nancial crisis had on their livelihoods, and

were keen to fi nd out fi rsthand what the

Australian government was doing to

minimise the impact. The meeting was

facilitated by the AWU and Swan’s offi ce.

AWU Delegate Robin Birrer asked the

Treasurer what plans the Federal

Government had for assisting the Australian

manufacturing industry by encouraging the

use of locally made products. The Treasurer

stressed that the main aim of the second

stimulus package was to assist the industry

through the building of public infrastructure,

such as schools, roads, and major civil

construction projects; these would then

create a demand for Everhard products, he

said. The decrease in the value of the

Australian dollar had also stimulated

demand for Australian products, Swan said.

Swan also said how important it was

that the government help stimulate demand

when the private sector was in decline.

Robin Birrer commented that he was

pleased that Swan took the time to speak

directly to delegates on site about their

concerns. “It was great to be able to ask him

directly about issues. I’m pleased the Union

asked him to come along,” Robin said.

Long-term loyal AWU member and loyal

employee of QHealth, Maureen Bain,

passed away in December 2008.

Maureen was employed for 38 years at Nambour

General Hospital as a cleaner. During her service

she saw many changes and many workmates

come and go. But no-one will ever forget her

happy, boisterous personality and her positive

attitude to work. Over the years, Maureen made

many true friends; she organised and paid for

Christmas parties, gave great wedding presents

and made sure any of her workmates who had

a baby were looked after well.

Maureen was a great unionist and

a lasting memory is of her at the QHealth

rally in Brisbane where she proudly led the

hospital’s contingent.

On December 3, 2008, Maureen did not

arrive at work, which, given her work ethic, was

unusual. When police went to her house, they

discovered her body.

Maureen’s funeral was like all of her parties,

well attended and with plenty of refreshment.

She will be greatly missed by everyone that

knew her.

By Maree Duffy,

AWU Gympie/Sunshine Coast Organiser

The life of Maureen Bain, 1936-2008

AWU Far North Queensland Branch District Secretary Darryl Noack (back row, left) and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council Mayor Joseph Elu (front row, second from right) at the signing of the union collective agreement.


FRONTLINE NEWS QLD/NSW

Members lead charge against Rockhampton water planAWU members have marched on

Rockhampton Regional Council to send

the message to chief executive Alastair

Dawson that they won’t let him sell of

the city’s vital water assets.

Council management announced a review in

January that proposed a number of options to

consider. Because of activity on the ground, the

council’s management was forced to admit its

preferred option was to corporatise the water

assets of Rockhampton Regional Council.

The plan was to create a new private sector

organisation which would be run separately to

the council to manage water supply. This meant

council employees working in water services

would no longer be employed by Rockhampton

Regional Council and would lose the protection of

the local government award and their enterprise

bargaining agreement.

To oppose the plan, over 300 AWU

members and other unionists met at Stapleton

Park in Rockhampton at a lunchtime protest

rally. A number of elected councillors also

attended. To ensure chief executive Dawson

did not miss the point, council workers voted

unanimously to march on City Hall.

Local organiser Peter Ward said he was

buoyed by the commitment shown by members

in protecting their conditions. Even though

workers were threatened with having their pay

docked and were told by management they could

attend the meeting only in their own time,

members weren’t intimidated and stood fi rm.

Key AWU representatives worked relentlessly

to ensure that people were well informed of the

ramifi cations of corporatisation and that action

had to be taken. As one member stated, “Action

speaks louder than words”.

Collective action by members sent

a strong message to all players that the AWU

members will react swiftly to anything

that places their employment at risk. Other

members commented that the “spirit” of the

campaign reminded all who took part in the

action that “the members are the union, they

have the power, they are the voice”.

The huge turnout was a result of systematic

and targeted contact with members in the

workplace and a new organising call centre. This

was the fi rst time the call centre was trialled, and

the results speak for themselves.

The elected councillors will not make

a decision on the issue for several months.

In the meantime, AWU members will be

campaigning in the community to ensure

everyone understands the risks of setting their

water supply up for privatisation.

After a long fi ght, Ron Bowman,

an AWU member at Lockyer Valley

Regional Council, has won his fi ght

to be reinstated in his job. The

Queensland Industrial Relations

Commission has found that his

sacking by the council was harsh,

unjust and unreasonable.

Ron was fi rst employed by the engineering

department of Lockyer Valley Regional

Council (LVRC) in 2001. His job included

road construction, traffi c control, the laying

of wastewater mains and electrical conduits,

truck driving and traffi c-sign repair.

In August 2005, he underwent

surgery to repair a work-related hernia.

The following year he injured his knee,

also in the course of his employment. The

injuries resulted in him being issued with

a series of medical certifi cates forbidding

him to lift weights in excess of 20kg, and

recommending that he avoid frequent

bending and rotational movements.

Despite that medical advice, he was

■ AWU member no “bludger”regularly asked by his supervisors to take

on heavy work, which caused him severe

pain. When he complained, Ron was

accused of being a “bludger” and a “no

hoper” by the director of the engineering

department – despite his long service and

unblemished record.

In February 2008, the director

of the engineering department sent

a memorandum to the council chief

executive stating that Ron’s medical

constraints restricted his “capacity to be

gainfully employed” within the department.

He was subsequently sacked from his job.

The AWU offi ce took Ron’s matter

to Queensland Industrial Relations

Commission (QIRC), believing Ron had

been treated unfairly. The commission

found, however, that he was a diligent

and industrious employee who had been

diagnosed with an injury which limited his

capacity to lift. He had sought alternative

duties which would enable him to continue

his employment but the council had

rejected his request and terminated his

employment. Further, it found that his

termination was harsh, unjust and unfair.

In a great win for Ron and the other

members of the AWU at Lockyer Valley

Regional Council, QIRC ordered Ron be

reinstated. This sent the message loud and

clear to the LVRC executive that the AWU

would not stand by while its members

were unfairly targeted.

Ron proudly returned to work on

April 1, 2009.

“In a great win, the QIRC ordered Ron be reinstated. Ron proudly returned to

work...”


FRONTLINE NEWS NSW

NSW Branch NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

■ National Park and Wildlife Service pay settlementAfter protracted negotiations with the National Parks

and Wildlife Service, workers have voted by a substantial

majority to accept its offer but are preparing for a continuing

two-year fi ght.

Over 400 members gathered at various locations throughout NSW

over a one-week period to discuss the pay offer with Greater NSW

Branch Assistant Secretary Stephen Bali and NPWS Delegates Garth

Toner and Stephen Moore.

Senior delegate Garth Toner said, “It’s a ridiculous offer where

we receive a pay rise and then for the next 12 months are expected

to have cost savings to wages of 1.5 per cent. But we have secured

back-payment of the increase to July 2008 and we will fi ght hard to

retain all our conditions!”

Compassion during family crises

G James action reveals glass jaw

When John Jolly died suddenly while

holidaying with his family in Queensland last

December, his family was devastated. They

returned to Sydney and approached AWU

Delegate and Leighton Contractors work

colleague Paul McKinley. Together with AWU

NSW Branch Vice President Kevin Brown,

they approached Leighton’s rail project

management offi ce for assistance.

Without hesitation, Leighton organised and paid for

return fl ights, accommodation, meals for the family,

two close friends and the foreman. This allowed for

a dignifi ed and respectful funeral to take place.

On returning home to Sydney, the family

arranged a private service for friends and

workmates. The workers raised $7500 through

a workplace collection and this was matched by

Leighton. On behalf of the family, Paul McKinley

thanks everybody involved in their overwhelming

and admirable show of compassion.

AWU NSW State Secretary Russ Collison said,

“That’s what AWU workmates are about, helping

each other in their hour of need.

“John was a respected workmate and the

family can take solace from how his workmates

rallied after hearing the sad news. He will be

sadly missed.”

■ AWU’s sweet victory for sugar workersSugar cane farmers have been negotiating with RTA

representatives to have the proposed new freeway bypass

through Pillar Valley near Grafton relocated since it was

designed to go through some of the most fertile cane farms

in the region, rendering the farms useless. This would have

a devastating impact on local employment with massive

job losses on the farms and the possible closure of the local

sugar refi nery.

Members of the Clarence Canegrowers Association, Scott Rumph

(AWU North Coast Organiser) and AWU Delegate Jeff Ross

approached Russ Collison, AWU NSW Branch Secretary, to organise

a deputation to meet with NSW Roads Minister Michael Daley for a

last-ditch attempt to save the farms.

The AWU-led delegation had lengthy discussions with Daley and

RTA representatives. As a result, Russ was able to announce, “We

have successfully negotiated a great outcome where the freeway will

be rerouted. This will allow the productive areas of the farms to remain

intact with little to no relocation of family properties. More importantly,

workers retain their jobs. A great outcome for all involved!”

When G James Glass & Aluminium

called workers from both morning

and afternoon shifts together for

a 7am meeting for Monday, March

16, 70 workers assembled to be

informed that 30 redundancies

would take place.

With a form letter, the company’s NSW

extrusion manager David Usher then

called out each worker to be laid off,

wrote their name on top of the page and

issued the redundancy notice during the

meeting. No prior notice had been given

to the Union concerning redundancies

or negotiations undertaken.

Management found one of the most

heartless and demoralising ways to

make workers redundant.

AWU Organiser Ted Mitchell said,

“There is no easy way to make workers

redundant but this was among the

most shameful and disgraceful ways

of sacking workers I have seen in

my 23 years as a Union offi cial.”

Russ Collison, AWU NSW Branch

Secretary, was at the workplace

soon after the announcement. Russ

immediately ordered the AWU to take

action in the Australian Industrial Relations

Commission. Russ said, “What a low-life

act [to be] undertaken by management.

They have disregarded industrial relations

laws and have treated the workers with

contempt. Years of service by workers

ends with a fi nal inhumane act when

being made redundant.”

AWU Industrial Offi cer Vern

Falconer presented the case to

the commission, arguing that the

company’s action was in contravention

to section 668 of the Act because it had

failed to consult and give prior notice

of the redundancies. Commissioner

Larkin ordered the company to begin

negotiations with the union. The case

continues.


FRONTLINE NEWS NSW/NEWCASTLE

■ Newcastle in the GFC: shopfl oor outlook round-up since February 2009

• Rod Mill Newcastle (produces steel

rod that ends up as wire): While it

was operating six days a week

with a four-panel system, since the

Christmas shutdown, the plant has

effectively been one week on/one

week off, Monday to Friday, working

a 24-hour day on a two-shift system.

The plant has also accumulated a

stockpile, which is not ideal. Australian

market share is well down since the

Australia-wide market is down.

• Wire Mill (makes wire in various

degrees for fencing and clothes line,

and so on): The Australian market share

is well down, so business is stagnant.

• Ropes Mill (makes ropes for drag lines,

clothes lines, and so on): Is doing well,

maintaining production, seems

unaffected thus far and still has orders.

• Waratah Manufacturing (products

are used in construction, manufacturing,

housing, mining and rail): Mostly exports

to Indonesia and America. There are

reductions across plant in shift rosters,

but production of grinding media and

rail products is still strong.

• BlueScope Lysaght (makes steel

roofi ng, walling, rainwater, fencing,

home improvement, house framing and

structural products): No loss of people at

this stage but work has slowed. This is a

fi ckle business because it is dependent

on the health of the building industry.

• BlueScope Steel Distribution

(distributes products including steel

plate, sheet and coil, reinforcing fabric,

bar and building products): Mostly sells

to engineering shops and fabrication

companies. No loss of people,

maintaining its market position.

• Sims Metal Management (metal

recycling scrapyard): One-third of

its shopfl oor workforce was made

redundant in April, seven out of

18 members being AWU members.

Prices for scrap metal are low and a

steel industry in a downturn means

requirement for scrap metal is limited.

(For more information about these

redundancies, contact John Boyd at the

Newcastle offi ce: 02 4967 1155.)

• Sankey (makes manufacturing metal

products for industry): 12 people made

redundant due to the downturn (eight of

a total 44 being AWU members).

Is affected by businesses that require

motors, such as the car and pool-pump

industries, demand for both of which are

depressed due to fi nancial crisis.

“The Australian

market share is well

down, so business is stagnant.”

“Non-union workers have

no choice but to do

as they are told.”

Newcastle Branch NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

■ Leave entitlements protectedAWU Organisers and Delegates are prepared to work

with management to ensure there are future employment

opportunities for members but won’t allow advantage

to be taken of members.

Unfortunately, at some workplaces management is using the

economic slowdown as an excuse to drive down leave entitlements.

Stand-downs must be negotiated on a site-by-site basis. The AWU

believes long-service leave can only be used as a last resort and

after extensive consultation with members. Management often seeks

the easy option of forcing people to take leave. Non-union workers

have no choice but to do as they are told. The AWU has helped in

negotiations at many locations including Cement Australia (Kandos),

OneSteel (Rooty Hill) and Crane Enfi eld.

Hedley Fryer, Senior Delegate at Crane Enfi eld, said, “All leave was

bundled into one group and we were expected to use it. We stood our

ground on long-service leave, since this is an entitlement for a decade

of hard work and should not be whittled away. We won! No worker will

be forced to take long-service leave this year. Hopefully the economy

will pick up next year and if not, the fi ght will be on again!”

■ Welcome to new membersThe economic slowdown has resulted in many

redundancies. The manufacturing industry workforce

is expected to decrease by up to 20 per cent –

approximately 200,000 workers in NSW face

losing their jobs.

Union membership is now more important than ever before.

Union members have the ability to infl uence the redundancy

process, to negotiate the taking of leave, protect conditions

and to ensure a safe work environment during these

cost-cutting times.

Union strength lies with its members and workplaces

where a high proportion of employees are union members

are in a strong bargaining position to deliver the best results.

Substantial membership increases have been delivered

at Trend Windows, D&D Traffi c Control, Jalco Group, Tyco

Water and many other workplaces.

We would like to welcome all new members at the

various worksites and look forward to help you deliver

great results in the workplace.


FRONTLINE NEWS NEWCASTLE/PORT KEMBLA

Colongra gas-fi red power station

Port Kembla Branch plays key supporting role in Steel Plan launch

One of the major construction projects currently

underway in the Hunter Region is the Colongra

gas-fi red power station being constructed

by Alstom. To date there have been 47 contractors

and sub-contractors performing work on the site,

all of whom have entered into union collective

agreements with the various construction unions.

The agreements all nominate the New South

Wales Industrial Relations Commission, as presently

constituted, as the dispute-resolution provider.

To this point, the services of the commission have

not yet been needed.

As part of the continuing communication on this project,

the construction unions meet on a monthly basis with

delegates from each of the contractors on site,

after which a mass meeting of all employees is conducted.

This is followed by a meeting with management

representatives and most issues raised at the mass

meeting can be resolved immediately.

On average, approximately 240 people work on

site each day but its numbers have peaked at 300. The

project has currently been going for over 500 days with

over 600,000 man hours worked.

It has an exemplary safety record as seen in

just fi ve medical treatment injuries, 47 fi rst-aid treatment

incidents and one of lost time. Since the last lost-time injury,

the site has recorded 250 LTI-free days.

In addition to the structured communication process

involving delegates and offi cials there is an active safety

committee functioning on site. In conjunction with

the project review group for hazard reporting and

identifi cation, it has made a signifi cant contribution to

general safety on site and has resulted in the presentation

of 37 safety awards.

The safety and industrial record of this project

is an example of what can be achieved when active

union involvement is engaged prior to a project’s start.

Reaching agreement with the primary contractor

to deliver consistent wages and conditions across the

site and ensuring all contractors and sub contractors have

agreements in place prior to starting on the job allows

employees to focus primarily on safety while maintaining

effi ciency and productivity.

Port Kembla Branch Secretary Andy

Gillespie and shopfl oor Delegates

Boris Baradi and Sean Burk recently

played key roles in the AWU’s April 17

launch of its New Steel Plan when

they were involved in presenting the

plans fi rst to Delegates at Port

Kembla and subsequently at the

national launch in Canberra.

The Port Kembla Branch had played a key

role in framing the plan with AWU National

Secretary Paul Howes.

“The launch in Canberra was a

success. The number of inquiries from

employer, government and industry groups

has been encouraging,” Andy said. “The

10-point plan put forward is sound,

reasonable and well researched by our

Union. Steel is a key manufacturer within

the economy and there are a large number

of jobs indirectly related to the industry that

would disappear if it wasn’t to survive.”

“Australia has a key manufacturing

industry that the government must

maintain. Many developed countries in the

world have viable steel industries and

Australia’s is one of the best. We must

maintain this industry for the future

security of Australia and manufacturing in

general,” Andy concluded.

Port Kembla NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

■ Port Kembla Branch helps employers face GFCIn its response to the fi nancial crisis

sweeping the globe, the Port Kembla

Branch is to focus its efforts on

maintaining the current levels of

employment on every shopfl oor of the

companies within its region.

To help companies get through these tough

times, the branch is encouraging workers

to consider taking long-service or annual

leave. These are simple debts to workers

that employers can reduce, and a way in

which workers can help them.

“It is important that companies hang

onto their skilled workforce for when the

market turns around, and encouraging our

members to take long-service leave and

annual leave now is one way to assist

them,” AWU Port Kembla Branch Secretary,

Andy Gillespie said. “Those companies who

survive this downturn and manage to retain

highly skilled staff will fi nd themselves much

better placed to meet the upswing when

economic recovery comes.”

Recruitment has also become an

important focus in the fi nancial crisis. In

conjunction with the National Offi ce, Port

Kembla Branch will be taking on a new

recruitment offi cer to head its membership

drive and to help address the problem of

employers taking advantage of non-

unionised employees.

“With the economy the way it is,

employers are taking advantage of people

without union protection, so it is important

that we reach out to those people who are

being severely disadvantaged,” Andy said.


FRONTLINE NEWS VIC

■ Pride amid disasterImmediately after the tragic

bushfi res of Black Saturday in Victoria,

hundreds of volunteers stepped

forward to help, many at the Diamond

Creek Recovery Centre.

A small group of Diamond Creek

volunteers later got together and

recognised that many more people in

the broader community wanted to help,

but did not know how. In order to harness

this positive, generous energy, volunteers

established People Responding In Disasters

and Emergencies – PRIDE Inc.

One of the group’s fi rst achievements

has been to create “documentation packs”

to assist survivors in organising the important

paperwork they need to get assistance from

bodies such as Centrelink and DHS.

The “documentation packs” consist of

an A-Z expandable fi le and include essential

stationery items including a 2009 diary, A-Z

address book, pens, note pads, stamped

envelopes and highlighters.

The essential items were either

donated by organisations or purchased

through PRIDE Inc from donations. Every

cent PRIDE Inc has received has gone

directly to the survivors of the bushfi res.

Denise Power, partner of National AWU

Organiser and MUA Alliance Coordinator Rod

Currie, is one of the PRIDE Inc organisers.

“PRIDE Inc has managed to produce

700 documentation packs to date,” she

said. “The packs are distributed via case

managers and recovery centres who work

directly with the survivors. We are all very

proud of what PRIDE Inc has been able to

achieve in such a short space of time.”

PRIDE Inc is now gearing up for its next

round of distributions – this time of “winter-

warmer packs” that will include umbrellas,

gloves, scarves, beanies, mugs, tea, honey,

hot chocolate, and playing cards. Anyone

interested in fi nding out more about PRIDE

Inc can phone 0488 580 745 or write to:

PO Box 587, Diamond Creek, Vic 3089.

VictorianBranch NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

“Congratulations are in order for all DSE

Forest Firefi ghters involved in this

campaign.”

■ Fire heroes win parity pay riseThe AWU heroes of Victoria’s deadly

bushfi res have won signifi cant

wage rises as part of an intensive

campaign to be paid on an equal

basis with other State Government

Firefi ghters.

AWU Victorian Branch Secretary

Cesar Melhem praised the unity and

determination of the Forest Firefi ghters

despite the obstructive tactics of some

of their managers in the Department of

Sustainability and Environment (DSE).

“Congratulations are in order

for all DSE Forest Firefi ghters involved

in this campaign, especially the excellent

work of our Delegates, Negotiating

Committee Representatives and lead

Organiser, AWU Branch Vice-President

Ben Davis,” Cesar said.

“These negotiations were protracted

and diffi cult, coming just after the

global fi nancial crisis’ squeeze on

Government budgets. But by sticking

together we have achieved a good

outcome,” Cesar said.

The Victorian Government in March

intensifi ed pressure on the negotiations

by cutting its public sector salary

increase limit from 3.25 per cent per

annum to 2.5 per cent for all agreements

not signed off by May 4.

The new DSE agreement provides

for an up-front increase of up to $5350

a year in Firefi ghters’ base salary rates,

plus 15.75 per cent in pay rises over

three years to be delivered by wage

increases and progression payments.

Senior AWU Delegate and Victorian

Branch Executive Member Rod Lynn

welcomed the deal as “a major

step forward after years of systemic

underpayment.”

“Our campaign is at last starting

to achieve the recognition that the Forest

Firefi ghters deserve,” Rod said.

Cesar stressed that while the

new agreement was an important

breakthrough, it was not the end of the

DSE campaign.

“The AWU will continue to fi ght

to achieve our goal of full pay parity

during the lead-up to the next

agreement. With the ongoing support

of DSE members, I am confi dent that

we can win.”

The Forest Firefi ghters’ campaign

involved extensive use of new

media, including the production

of a DVD, the AWU’s web TV and

community television Channel 31,

as well as effective lobbying of MPs

in regional areas.

Learn more about our DSE Forest

fi refi ghters! For a free copy of

the AWU’s Forest Firefi ghters –

Unsung Heroes DVD showing their

extraordinary work, simply send

your name, address and contact

details to Cesar by email at:

[email protected]


FRONTLINE NEWS VIC

Pipeline workers to the rescueScores of AWU members working on the

North-South Pipeline of the Sugarloaf

Project north of Melbourne risked their lives

to battle the Black Saturday bushfi res in

February, using their heavy construction

equipment to protect people and property

from the fatal infernos.

Forecast soaring temperatures and dry winds on

February 7 meant construction crews were not

working on Black Saturday. However, fi refi ghters

were delighted by the fl ood of volunteers from

among the 300 AWU members on the project

when the Department of Sustainablility and

Environment and the Country Fire Authority

asked for their help during the afternoon, as fi res

engulfed areas around the pipeline.

The Sugarloaf workers operated graders,

backhoes, bulldozers and water-carting

equipment for up to 48 hours straight to combat

the deadly blazes – including those at Toolangi,

Kinglake, Murrundindi and Glenburn – with the

battle continuing for more than four days.

On Saturday night, fi res encircled the

project’s potentially explosive Glenburn

compound, where more than 60,000 litres of

liquid fuel and 300 gas cylinders were stored.

Later that night, the plastic covering of the

Geotech equipment caught fi re in the back of the

yard, sparking concerns that the site should be

evacuated and abandoned.

At that point, John Hogan, the general

superintendent on the construction project

who coordinated the workers’ response to the

fi res, remarked to a colleague: “I don’t know if

we should be here, but I don’t know if there is

anywhere better to go.” They stayed and fought

and saved the compound, as well as many

surrounding properties.

Meanwhile the workers were hearing reports

of the deaths at Kinglake. “You can’t help thinking

about the human side of it. We tried to minimise

the impact around here, save the houses and

farms, because we had the gear,” Garry Auld,

the project’s site superintendant later told the

Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance magazine.

Days later, during the clean-up stage of the

battle, Garry had to bury the burnt corpses of four

horses. “It was very hard and is something you’d

rather not have to do, but the sooner the better,

I guess,” he said later.

AWU Victorian Branch State Secretary Cesar

Melhem said that apart from the construction

crews and the frontline bushfi re fi ghters in

DSE, the union has more than 2000 members

and their families living and working in fi re-hit

communities.

“The AWU family is continuing to support these

members of our community through our ongoing

fi re-prevention work, cash donations and in-kind

assistance from local members,” Cesar said.

■ Women in industry fl ock to AWU seminar■ AWU rep wins his job backMore than 50 women AWU

members and industry group

representatives packed out this

year’s fourth Annual Victorian

Branch AWU Women’s Seminar,

which was held on March 6 to

mark International Women’s Day.

Special guests this year included

three enthusiastic members from

AWU alliance partners, the MUA, as

well as AWU West Australian Branch

Organiser Rebecca Malysz.

The audience was inspired

by keynote addresses from AWU

National Industrial Offi cer Zoe Angus,

Mildura Organiser Amy Knight, AGL

Delegate Anne Davies, Assa Abloy

Delegate Ida Palermo and new Stable

Employees Association Organiser

Emma Davies.

In his welcoming speech,

Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar

Melhem pledged his full support to the

continuing recognition of the signifi cant

role women play in the AWU.

Seminar chair and Branch

Training Offi cer Samantha Bond told

The Australian Worker that a raffl e

raised funds for the AWU-sponsored

Women’s Sewing Project in El

Salvador. No less than 15 popular

raffl e prizes were sourced thanks to

the tireless efforts of AWU Branch

Training Coordinator Kerrie Elsley.

Excerpts from this year’s seminar

were broadcast on the Victorian

Channel 31 Union Show as part of

their International Women’s Day

special on March 10.

An email network of AWU women

members and supporters has been

established and more activities are

planned for later in the year.

Interested women wanting to join

the network may email Samantha at:

[email protected]

Long-time AWU Representative

and oil-industry Operator Andy

Pearse has won his job back

at Shell’s Geelong Refi nery

after the AIRC found that his

sacking was harsh and that he

was disciplined unfairly and

inconsistently by the company.

“Getting my job back just goes to

show the benefi ts of being an AWU

member,” Andy told The Australian

Worker after returning to work at the

refi nery in March.

AWU Organiser Sam Wood

thanked the AWU site executive

members at the Geelong Refi nery

for their support in the major legal

challenge mounted by the Union to

reverse Shell’s dismissal of Andy last

November over a disputed safety

incident. Over fi ve days of hearings,

the AWU’s unfair-dismissal claim

heard evidence from 14 witnesses

including expert testimony from

occupational health and safety

offi cer Dr Yossi Berger and former

refi nery operator Jim Ward. Esso

had previously unsuccessfully tried

to blame Jim for the 1998 explosion

at its Longford plant which killed two

workers and dislocated Victoria’s

energy supplies for weeks.

“The Geelong Refi nery AWU

site executive put in more than

1000 hours of work. We provided

mathematical equations detailing

issues such as the wind speed on

that day of the incident, the slightest

changes in pressure, and where

people were in the refi nery at that

moment,” Sam explained.

AWU Victorian Branch Secretary

Cesar Melhem congratulated those

members involved on winning the

case. “Obviously, it pays to belong to

the AWU,” he said.


FRONTLINE NEWS VIC/SA

■ Whyalla and Greater South Australian Branch amalgamation proceedsAWU members based in Whyalla

and its surrounding area will benefi t

immediately from the wider range

of services the Union will be able to

offer following the formation of the

new South Australia Branch, Wayne

Hanson, its Secretary, says.

The renaming of what was the Greater

South Australian Branch comes as a result

of its merger with the Whyalla-Woomera

Branch and the departure of its current

Branch Secretary Graham Hall.

The Whyalla-Woomera Branch was a

signifi cant servicing facility as the principal

union in Whyalla’s shipyards. Now, however,

it mainly services the OneSteel Whyalla

steelworks whose members now represent

about 90 per cent of its membership.

Through steady reductions in numbers,

the Branch has depleted to a point where

additional injections of funds would be

needed to make it more viable. Graham

Hall, who acted as Branch administrator,

organiser industrial offi cer and workers’

compensation offi cer all rolled into one said,

“We need to reshape the focus, we cannot

go on the way that we are, it is just not fair to

the membership.

“In these ever-changing times where

industrial matters and WorkCover have

become so complex, we need to rely on more

than one person (with specialised expertise)

to look after our members’ interests.”

Wayne Hanson, who will administer the

new South Australian Branch as Secretary,

to be based in Adelaide as of July 1, says he

can’t applaud enough the selfl ess qualities

of Graham, who has made this possible.

“Graham has effectively made the

decision that it would be in the best interests

of members of both Branches – and the

AWU broadly in South Australia – if there is

an amalgamation.

“Let’s not forget, Graham made the

decision to make himself redundant for this

to happen. That to me solutes the qualities

contained in the person. He’s worked

tirelessly on behalf of the membership for

a protracted period of time.”

As a result, however, Wayne says that a

signifi cantly larger branch, more than 10 times

the size of Whyalla’s, will offer all the expertise

needed. Through a full-time Industrial Offi cer,

full-time Workers’ Compensation Ofi cer, and

a full-time growth coordinator, the Union can

expand its capacities to better meet the needs

of those members who live in the Whyalla-

Woomera area.

South AustraliaBranch NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

Fight to narrow genderpay divide continuesUnions should be able to run test cases for

competency-based pay outcomes to help close

the gap between women’s and men’s wages, AWU

Training and Education Offi cer Samantha Bond says.

After giving evidence on behalf of the Victorian Trades

Hall Council to a hearing in Melbourne of the Rudd

Government’s House of Representatives inquiry into pay

equity in April, Samantha told The Australian Worker that

with the right legal changes, union test cases could help

redress the historic injustice experienced by women

working in traditionally undervalued industries.

Unions have proposed 55 separate recommendations

for the Federal Government to achieve systemic changes

under the new Fair Work Australia legislation.

It is currently estimated that despite legislation for

equal pay since 1972, women workers still earn less than

83 per cent of the average male worker in Australia.

Despite some signifi cant test cases run in NSW and

Queensland via their state industrial relations commissions,

the former Liberal government’s WorkChoices laws

weakened the ability of lower-paid workers to achieve

equitable pay rises – especially those with little or no

access to collective bargaining.

“As a result, ongoing segregation of the workforce has

meant that signifi cant percentages of unfair individual-

contract AWAs were introduced into industries with higher

percentages of female employees,” Samantha said.

Whyalla-Woomera Branch Secretary, Graham Hall.


FRONTLINE NEWS SA

Jim Doyle: the new old star on the AWU celebrity list

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd came to South Australia on

April 20 to attend a local jobs forum organised by Mayor

of Salisbury Gillian Aldridge.

Greater South Australian Branch Secretary Wayne Hanson

attended the forum and posed questions to the Prime

Minister about the prospects of extending subsidised training

opportunities beyond those who had been made redundant to

include those being forced to take a shorter week and those

who are underemployed. Wayne explained to Kevin Rudd that it

was just as important for those now employed on shorter time to

be skilled up and ready for new employment opportunities when

the economic slowdown turns around and Australia once again

faces likely skills shortages.

The PM acknowledged Wayne’s comments, saying he

would raise the issues with his deputy, Workplace Relations

Minister Julia Gillard, and agreed that the Government’s skills-

training policies needed more fl exibility. Wayne then probed the

PM about procurement policies in industries such as steel. He

says he was extremely disappointed, however, when Kevin Rudd

evoked the argument of protectionism that suggested he was

more concerned about free trade agreements and international

relationships than he was about Australian workers.

■ Prime Minister visits SA

The AWU now has a new and valuable

member on its speaking circuit, and he is

a unique asset to the Union and a genuine

living treasure.

Jim Doyle, now in his 91st year, has been

a member of the AWU for 76 years and he

is someone of whom Wayne Hanson, Secretary

of the soon to be established South Australia

Branch, can’t speak highly enough.

Wayne says, “Jim is a person who joined the

Union who I can talk to and tap into the history that

goes back to the actual founders of the Australian

Workers’ Union in 1886. The people Jim Doyle sat

around the camp fi res with were actually the direct

descendents of the founders of the Union. Of course,

even at that time they were guys more senior in

years, but Jim was there, a guy who sat around the

camp fi res at the shearing sheds with them.

“Moreover, Jim may be advanced in years, but

Wayne says, he was and remains a man of great

principle. Jim’s birth year was 1918, our proud

Union was then only 32 years old, the AWU now

boasts 123 years of existence. When Jim joined

the Union in 1933 and later volunteered for active

service in WWII, he had the presence of mind to

guarantee that his union dues were paid while he

was overseas so that he never became unfi nancial.

“He maintained that commitment throughout

his life and as a result of that he has been a

continuously fi nancial member of the AWU for

every year of his life since he joined.

“What an incredible person – these are the

real qualities of a genuine trade unionist of that

era. And in Jim, you’re talking about a complete,

encapsulation of AWU history.”

Yet, Wayne says, “In terms of his organising

ability, Jim was given the rough end of the pineapple

in the South Australian Branch – even though

he enjoyed quite a bit of success in his elections

against some of the tall poppies of the AWU.”

Jim was an associate Clyde Cameron, the

former Whitlam government minister for industrial

relations.

In late 2007, Wayne had the pleasure of

announcing at the annual Australian Workers’

Union dinner dance that Jim had just ticked

over the 75th anniversary of his continuous

membership. And although he never sought high

profi le, Wayne says, “The Union took him out to

a restaurant and National Secretary Paul Howes

fl ew over and we gave him a presentation and

a certifi cate.”

It seems that since then there have been

expressions of interest by Branch Secretaries,

and the Western Australian Branch is especially

keen, that Jim should come over to speak to its

delegates. Describing his old friend as “still as

sharp as a tack” and someone who will never

change, Wayne says, “And when Jim gets on the

stump, don’t expect it to be a fi ve-minute affair.”


FRONTLINE NEWS WA

“I became sure that

after family, the greatest friend you can have is

the Australian Workers’ Union.”

West Australian NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

Following a stressful fi ght against

unfair dismissal, Alcoa worker Mick

Lally wants to make sure that all AWU

members recognise how valuable their

membership can be. Here is his story:

“Monday June 23, 2008, was a day shift

fi ve at Wagerup won’t forget in a hurry.

We’d just completed a production shift in

the Alcoa alumina refi nery when the group

leader who had come for a meeting asked

me to come into another room, where he

alleged I was asleep on the previous Friday’s

night shift with two crew mates in the crib

room. He said the other three shift members

had been in the control room at the time

I was allegedly asleep.

“I denied the allegation. He then asked

my colleague Keith Plater to talk to him,

whereupon he made the same allegation

to Keith. Keith likewise responded that it

wasn’t true. The third of us of whom the

allegation was made was on sick leave and

not confronted until later.

“By mid-morning all fi ve shift members

were asked to attend the operation centre

manager’s offi ce so an investigation

could be launched. We were advised that

we should bring union representation if

we wanted. Keith was fi rst in at 1pm. By

1.45pm fi ve crew members had been

interviewed and the investigation process

dispensed with, with all members of the

crew denying the allegations.

“The shift’s end came at 6.30-7.00pm,

and at 5.45pm, the production group leader

instructed Keith to go to the operation

centre manager’s offi ce. I was to follow. At

that meeting, we were confronted with a

■ Back in the grooveletter from HR alleging serious misconduct

and asked to show cause within 24 hours

as to why our employment shouldn’t be

terminated. We were then escorted off site.

“The three shift members who weren’t

alleged to have been asleep were also taken

to the manager’s offi ce and asked to sign

a letter from HR – a fi rst and fi nal warning

for gross misconduct for knowingly being in

a room in which a fellow worker had been

asleep. They too denied it and said they

couldn’t sign because the allegation was

false. The letters were withdrawn and the

workers told that on the following day the

manager would discuss with the refi nery

manager a different discipline for them.

“That next day was turmoil at its best.

Although not yet terminated by Alcoa, we

were confronted with the show-cause letter.

Help came from AWU Convenor Darren Lee,

and we needed to establish our rights.

“The day was draining for Keith and I.

Not allowed on site to discuss the matter with

Darren, we had to meet at Keith’s house.

After lunch, a request for us to go to Darren’s

offi ce to provide a response to the letter

was fi nally agreed. This was something the

operation centre manager had not wanted to

happen. Martin Pritchard, the AWU alumina

representative, helped present our response.

“On Wednesday, a training day

for the crew, the two members who

attended were given a HR letter

alleging serious gross misconduct

with 24 hours to show cause why

they shouldn’t be terminated. In the

meantime, they were to be suspended

for two weeks.

“Following termination of our

employment on Monday, June 30, Keith and

I had a series of meetings with the Union

Reps. Darren and Martin’s knowledge and

advice on how the process was going to

be followed was invaluable. Then, after

fi nally returning to work, our colleague Paul

suffered the same fate as Keith and I.

“I’ll never forget the stress of this whole

experience; it occupied my thoughts day

and night, affecting all of my daily activities.

“With the dispute process in effect the

next week, the Union was able to negotiate a

deal with the company under which it would

keep us on full pay while it (and eventually

the unfair dismissal) process was followed.

It became extremely drawn out – expediting

the matter turned out to take six weeks,

where I had expected it to take just two.

“After three conciliation processes

between ourselves and the company, for

which the AWU engaged lawyer Mike

Lourey, it was fi nally agreed the matter

would go to arbitration in the Australian

Industrial Relations Commission.

“After fi ve months of meetings and

discussions, I became sure that after family,

the greatest friend you have is the Australian

Workers’ Union. But the real support comes

when the AWU engages lawyers to fi ght

your case in the commission. This is simply

a fi nancial burden that the average punter

wouldn’t be able to afford. Finally there was a

light at the end of the tunnel.

“Barrister Mark Cox was to fi ght the

case in the Australian Industrial Relations

Commission (AIRC). This provided an insight

into just how much work one person could

do and how much he could absorb in a short

period of time in ensuring that our case

would ready for the arbitration hearing.

“We spent four days in the AIRC with

Mark on our side. The company had no

less than four people fi ghting its case over

the four days of hearings. Then on Tuesday,

December 2, it was over. An experience none

of us will forget. With the evidence heard and


FRONTLINE NEWS WA/TAS

“The AWU in Tasmania will not support or endorse requests for workers to

take a wage freeze.”

TasmanianBranch NewsRead about what YOUR union is doing for YOU...

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC),

created by the greed and excess of

corporate high-fl yers, has hit the

world economy hard. The impact on

working people throughout the world

has, in many cases, been devastating.

In Tasmania, some working families

with dual incomes are now without any

employment-based income at all.

In such an environment things are

tough and it’s in such times that employers

begin to implement measures which

impact on workers’ earnings to bolster the

corporate balance sheet.

“The opportunism of senior executives

and others at the ‘Top End’ of town can

never be underestimated,” Ian Wakefi eld,

AWU Tasmanian Branch Secretary said.

“From state government and private sector

employers in mining, manufacturing,

forestry and construction.”

The AWU in Tasmania has been

hit with a barrage of employers seeking

a wages pause in order to protect

their corporate balance sheets. These

are the same people who demanded

wage restraint during the so-called boom

at the same time as company directors

and CEOs doubled and tripled their

own earnings.

“The AWU in Tasmania will not support

or endorse requests for workers to take

a wage freeze. Balance sheets which

show earnings and profi ts below forecasts

are no excuse to ask workers to bear the

brunt of the GFC. Clearly, bad planning and

bad management underpin such results,”

Ian said.

Tasmanian Branch members in the

state service and private sector industries

have overwhelmingly rejected such

requests and will continue to do so.

■ Wage freeze not an option

fi nal submissions given, it was time to refl ect

on the whole process, on what we did well

and what we could have done better. Mark,

however was very confi dent in the way the

case had been presented, but also warned

that anything could still happen with regard

to the result.

“On December 23, over a cold beer

with a mate, I was discussing what had

happened over the previous six months

when the call came through from the

lawyers with the result. I took a deep breath,

then heard the words I didn’t think would

come: you have won your case and the

commissioner has stated that you are to be

reinstated in your employment with Alcoa.

An unbelievable weight lifted from me.

Within minutes, the phones were ringing, as

if everyone knew the result.

“After 29 weeks, on January 12, Keith

and I returned to work at Alcoa in the old

operation centre. Without the support of

the AWU and the individuals involved, the

outcome would have been much different.

“Now back in the groove of shift work,

we would like to thank many for the support

they have shown us, including Brad Eyears,

shift fi ve AWU shop steward, Dean Levett

op centre AWU Convenor, Darren Lee Site

AWU Convenor, Martin Pritchard AWU

Alumina Rep and Stephen Price AWU State

Secretary, and Mike Lowery and Mark Cox

for the legal help. To all of you, thanks for

your support and help over this period, it has

been greatly appreciated.

“To Keith Miller, Gary Wilson and Barry

Holland, the other half of shift fi ve, your

support throughout this ordeal has been

way over and above what people expect of

their shift buddies. That is what makes you

all such special people to work with.

“And to those who should ever

begrudge paying their union dues in the

belief it isn’t worth it, believe me the day

when things go wrong, the AWU is one of

the greatest friends and supporters you

can have.”


became the Branch Secretary up here

in January 2009 after coming back to

the AWU in 1997 as Branch Organiser

and Union Trainer.

Prior to that, I spent

approximately two years as Newcastle Branch

Organiser with the Federated Clerks Union,

looking after members from the Central Coast

of NSW to the NSW/QLD border. This move was

a “forced” change in my employment due to the

closure of the Trade Union Training Authority in

July 1994 after a shift in methodology by both the

then Labor federal government and the ACTU in

how union training was to be delivered.

I started at TUTA late 1989 as a National

Industry Training Offi cer and quickly realised how

lucky I was in getting this gig.

Meeting unionists from all over the country,

doing what I loved most – face to face training

and taking what I learnt from one course onto the

next, made for a truly great fi ve years.

I left high school at the end of sixth year (Year

12) having had more than enough of schooling

and got myself an apprenticeship in plumbing.

After 9-10 years digging holes and putting my

hands up pipes and so on, I moved onto the then

Tomago Aluminium Construction site.

I left there to work for my father-in-law’s

aluminium-fabrication business as a welder for

a couple of years before returning to Tomago

Aluminium – fi rstly on “start up” in potline

1 and 2 and then as a full-time casthouse

operator until 1989.

The Union has played a part in most of my

working life and I was brought up under a number

of rules, one being never bludge on your fellow

worker, as in join the Union, support the Union

and don’t get the shits if it doesn’t go your way.

wMEET THE OFFICIALS

I

This is something, I believe, that is lost on a lot of members in this day

and age, irrespective of what age they are.

Being a Union offi cial can be the worst job in the world at times,

but thankfully the good outweighs the bad, with great rewards coming

on the back of good recruitment campaigns and collective-agreement

negotiations, as well as seeing good occupational health and safety

processes implemented.

It is also rewarding to see motivated and caring individuals become

workplace Delegates, which in turn sees a sound union working on that

particular site.

In what spare time I have, I love surfi ng and Newcastle is great

for that.

There are great challenges ahead for me and my team here in

Newcastle, what with the economic crisis and the Rudd Government’s

carbon trading scheme and its direct impact on our membership, a

confronting issue. But, with a strong leadership group and their support

staff capable of working to address these problems, we will come

through this as a much stronger AWU.

Richard Downie

Name Richard Downie

Job Newcastle, Central Coast and Northern Regions Branch Secretary

And… Former plumber, former Trade Union Training Authority Training Offi cer, devoted surfer

“Being a Union offi cial can be the worst job in

the world at times, but

thankfully the good outweighs

the bad.”


“I work as a peer-support person in the

department, and that is very

rewarding. We help each other

through the tough times.”

hen I joined the

Department of

Sustainability

and Environment

in Victoria as a

fi refi ghter 23 years ago, unions were a part of it.

You just joined up. After I transferred from one

department to another, I became a delegate and

have done that for about 15 years, which has

been very challenging.

I got invited to join the AWU executive

committee when Bill Shorten was in charge.

It was really challenging when Jeff Kennett

was Premier because of the industrial relations

changes at that time. Union membership dropped

right off and it was diffi cult to make people,

particularly younger ones, understand the

benefi ts of being a member, and that there is

more power acting as a group.

But over the last eight or nine years it

has gotten easier. I reckon John Howard’s

WorkChoices was really a godsend to the unions.

Memberships began to rise again.

At the age of 14, I left school basically

illiterate. When I was seven, I lost my big brother

in a car accident. He was 17. I was the youngest

child of eight kids. I reacted very badly to his

death. When it happened, I started wagging

school and going to the wrecking yard where

his car was and just sitting in it. My mother

didn’t really know how to deal with that, because

of her own grief.

After a serious illness, including kidney failure

and time in the Alfred hospital intensive-care unit,

I left high school for the “school of life”. I did odd

jobs and went to live in Melbourne for a while.

Then in about 1985, I got on a summer fi re crew

with the Forestry Commission, as it was back

Wthen, in Orbost where I grew up, and it went from there. I live just out of

Donvalley now.

I’ve been fi ghting fi res for 23 years and I’ve gone from machine

operator to my current position as Work-Centre Coordinator.

Being a fi refi ghter, and I guess my childhood traumas, have taken

their toll on my personal life. I pushed people close to me away.

My marriage broke up, but I’m now good mates with my ex. We have

two beautiful daughters aged 15 and 10, Cassidy and Madison.

During a bushfi re last year I got caught in a burnover while

driving the fi rst-attack bulldozer, which is used to create escape

routes when roads are blocked and to make fi re breaks. The machine

started breaking down and the temperature in the cab increased to

the point where I nearly passed out. I thought “this is it”, but

miraculously I got out.

I was driving fi rst-attack-bulldozer again during the recent fi res

and the same thing happened, causing me to have a lot of anxiety.

I have been having counselling provided by the department, which

is helping a lot.

The recent fi res were Mother Nature at her most fi erce. They were

like a freight train. I was in the Bunyip [State Forest] and we DSE blokes

worked out we couldn’t get at it, so we evacuated, to re-evaluate the

plan of attack, which was to try to protect houses.

I went up in the chopper with an air-centring machine which drops

balls with glycol-powdered crystal that ignites after about 40 seconds

of hitting the ground, to do contained burn-offs, so it really is “fi ghting

fi re with fi re”.

Some of the blokes saw some pretty horrifi c things during these

fi res – dealing with the seriously injured and fi nding corpses.

I work as a peer-support person in the department, and that is

very rewarding. We help each other through the tough times. It doesn’t

replace formal counselling, but it is a very important strategy.

I think the state government needs to change its thinking and

recognise us as full-time fi refi ghters. The AWU is backing this push and

the state is slowly acknowledging the nature of our work, that we are

not just construction and management.

We need to recognise everybody. I’ve got nothing against the

volunteers, they are important too. But let’s be inclusive. My goal

is to have everybody acknowledged for the work they do.

Rod Lynn

wMEET THE DELEGATES

Name Rod Lynn

Job AWU Delegate, Work-Centre Coordinator and forest fi refi ghter with Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment

And… Burnover survivor, workplace peer-support person, proud dad and top bloke

AS T

OLD

TO L

AURA

MAC

FARL

ANE


LABOR ICONS

ABehind the Jack Howe legend, shearing’s all-time Gun “was always a prominent Labor man”WRITTEN BY JEREMY VERMEESCH PHOTOS NEWSPIX/FAIRFAX

s AWU stalwart Jack Howe made world history 116 years ago � by shearing 321 sheep in seven hours and 40 minutes at Alice Downs in western Queensland � disbelieving punters tried to

slow him down by jumping on his back, tickling him, and throwing his sheep back into the pen.

That was the memory of Harry Dunn, Jack�s pen mate on the legendary day � Monday, October 10, 1892 � as recounted by Jack�s grandson-in-law, Barry Muir, in his excellent book, Jack Howe � the man and the legend (Blackall, Qld, 1989).

�Someone made the mistake that weekend of bett ing that Jack couldn�t be able to shear 300 in a day, and so Jack bet on himself, his mates bet on him and other fellows bet he couldn�t do it because it was an impossibility,� Barry told ABC TV�s Landline in 2004.

Like Don Bradman�s, Jack�s all-time world record, which is all the more remarkable and unlikely to ever be surpassed because he used blade (and not machine) shears, remains unbeaten to this day. Indeed, 58 years passed before even a machine shearer exceeded Jack�s blade record, when Ted Reich shore 326 sheep in a day at Julia Creek in 1950.

Jack of all tradesUnlike many blade men, Jack had adapted quickly to machine shearing, and tallied up the then world record of 237 sheep in one day at Barcaldine Downs in 1892. There is also an unconÞ rmed account in The Australian Worker (October 7, 1968) of Jack shearing 319 sheep in one day at the new machine shed at Alice Downs in the late 1890s.

Certainly, as Barry says, those who lost their money on Jack�s impossible achievement had �underestimated his sheer physical power and determination�.

Jack was a giant of a man, but uniquely well proportioned: weighing 114kg, he had a 127cm

B hi d th J k H l d h i ’ ll ti

legendA bloody

LEFT: The legendary Jack Howe has been immortalised by this stunning statue at Blackall in Queensland. Blackall was home to the Universal Hotel – Jack’s favourite pub which he purchased in 1900.


chest, 43cm biceps, 70cm thighs and hands �the size of a small tennis racket�, according to one of his sons. Renowned for running 100 yards in 11 seconds (in his socks!), Jack also won prizes for Irish dancing.

Barry points to other clues behind Jack�s success. His blade shears were of the best-quality steel and Jack sharpened them so neatly that they glided through the wool with a single push. The shears were assisted by a driving strap with att ached �knockers� � and therefore made no �clicking� sound, as is erroneously celebrated in the eponymous popular song.

�Jack had a reputation as an artist in his trade, and a perfectionist,� Barry writes. Perhaps some of these traits were inherited from his father � Jack Howe senior � who enjoyed some fame in his own right as a skilled circus acrobat and �Australia�s Þ rst clown�, as one newspaper dubbed him.

The man and the shirtJack�s name remains most famous because he originated the �Jackie (or Jacky) Howe� � the singlet-style garment still worn by shearers almost everywhere. Previously, shearers traditionally had worn long-sleeve ß annels both to protect their skin from cuts and to keep themselves warm even when dripping wet with sweat. But Jack found the long sleeves too restrictive and had his wife Victoria, a seamstress, make a sleeveless top, which quickly became popular throughout the industry and is now sold in cott on.

Apart from his legendary shearing, the historical record off ers litt le about the real Jack Howe. Certainly he was a dedicated family man, bringing up six sons and two daughters (two other children died in infancy) during his 30 years with Victoria.

Photographs of Jack sporting his two gold shearing medals, wearing his suit and posing with his Model-T Ford might suggest otherwise, but the records show that despite his talents and a lifetime of hard work, Jack struggled Þ nancially.

He did not retire from shearing until he was aged 39, when he bought his favourite pub, the Universal Hotel in Queensland�s Blackall, in 1900. Two years later, he moved on to run the relatively more salubrious Barcoo Hotel for Þ ve years.

In 1907, Jack bought back the Universal � which had become more of a family home than a hotel � selling the Barcoo to do so, and stayed there another 12 years. Nevertheless, the pub remained mortgaged until his death� largely to fund his son Leslie�s property, Tambo, which Jack called �Shamrock Park� .

In 1919, Jack Þ nally moved out of Blackall to develop Sumnervale � the pastoral lease won in a government selection ballot in 1915 by another of his sons, Darsey � as a sheep station.

Typically, Jack�s departure from Blackall in 1919 is remembered for the biggest send-off party in the town�s history. But the decades of hard labour had worn him out, and he died a physically broken man the following year at the age of 59.

That life of economic hardship, despite his brilliant skills and extraordinary determination, helps explain the other great passion of Jack�s life � Labor politics.

From at least 1887, Jack was an idealistic but shrewd activist in the ß edgling AWU�s bitt er struggles to improve shearers� wages and conditions, and a senior offi ce holder for years in the Blackall Workers� Political Organisation.

During the historic shearers� strikes of the 1890s, Harry Dunn remembered Jack as the only man brave enough to keep manning the Union offi ce in Blackall aft er police had locked up the other leading offi cials and organisers. Before his arrest, local organiser Bill Kewley left Jack in charge of all the Union�s books and Þ nances, which he is reputed to have hidden under his and Victoria�s bed.

Jack was instrumental in engineering the Þ rst election to the Queensland parliament of Tom Ryan, who went on to become Premier from 1915 to 1919, when he moved on to federal parliament.

When Jack died in 1920, Tom�s telegram to the newly widowed Victoria said: �I have lost a true and trusted friend and the Labor Party has lost a champion.� ◆

theaustralianworker 43

ng the Union

JACK HOWE, champion shearer in

the blade days, has died at Blackall

after a long illness. Howe is credited

with having shorn 321 sheep in 8

hours and 40 minutes with blades at

Alice Downs. When Howe quitted

the shearing ranks he went on to the

land, purchasing Shamrock Park and

Sumner Vale. Subsequently Howe

was licensee of two western hotels.

He was always a prominent Labor

man, being a treasurer of the Workers’

Political Organisation for some

years.When Howe left Blackall for his

selection less than a year ago, he was

given the biggest send-off in the

history of Blackall. Howe will be

known to workers all over Australia,

apart from any other consideration,

as being the originator of the “Jacky

Howe” shirt – the armless garment

now in use everywhere in the

Commonwealth. He is survived by 6

sons and two daughters.

e wamroequ

of Blacky own to workerst from any ort fr

g the oeing

The Australian Worker reported Jack Howe’s death on page 10 of the August 5, 1920 issue. However it reported Jack’s record shearing time as being 8 hours and 40 minutes.


FINANCE

T

Super

he global Þ nancial crisis continues to exert its toll on job security and workers� rights, while at the same time shredding their retirement savings. In the 12 months to the end of February, the Australian

sharemarket shed a substantial 37 per cent of its value, while commercial (but not residential) property dropped a massive 58.2 per cent.

Regrett ably, super funds are not exempt from the rout, although not-for-proÞ t industry funds, which manage the retirement savings of vast numbers of AWU members, outpaced the retail competition (see �Median performance by industry segment to 28 February 2009�).

Overall industry funds, which include the likes of AustralianSuper, Cbus, First State Super and Sunsuper, lost 17.2 per cent, compared with

Superannuation funds have been hit hard during the global economic downturn. But superannuation is still an important component of any worker’s financial future. Tom Scahill investigates why industry funds are by far the best option for your superannuation investments.WRITTEN BY TOM SCAHILL PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES

stayers


the 25 per cent losses incurred by commercial funds. It is worth noting that industry regulator the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority says there are 70 industry funds with $200 billion in assets.

Industry funds are member focused,not profit focusedMichael Dwyer, Chief Executive of First State Super, says, �It�s times like this when not-for-proÞ t funds have a clear advantage.�

While lower fees are important (see �Top 10 lowest average fees based on a $50,000 account balance�), industry funds have also charted a more conservative path with their investments. In the case of First State Super, Michael says a combination of sensible hedging strategies, minimal exposure to unlisted investments such

as commercial property and infrastructure and a higher weighting towards lower risk assets such as cash has helped it minimise losses. He explains, �We take a member-focused, not proÞ t-focused approach to asset allocation.�

Low feesLower costs shouldn�t be underestimated and the scale of industry funds, according to Michael Dwyer, consistently delivers aff ordable fee structures to members. �Industry funds represent millions of members, while retail funds represent tens of thousands of members,� he explains. �The fee deal is virtually transferred to the members without a proÞ t being added to it.�

Tony Lally, Chief Executive of Sunsuper (with 1.1 million members and assets of $12 billion), agrees and says his company charges a

Median performance by industrysegment to 28 February 2009 (%)

SEGMENT 3 MONTHS FYTD 1 YR 3 YRS (PA) 5 YRS (PA)

INDUSTRY FUNDS -5.1 -16.4 -17.2 -1.8 4.7

RETAIL MASTER TRUSTS -6.5 -22.6 -25.0 -6.1 1.9

Note: The allocations for master trusts refl ect the average strategic allocations for master trusts and consultants in Chant West’s Strategic Asset Allocation Survey. Source: Chant West

Top 10 lowest average fees basedon a $50,000 account balance

FUND NAME AVERAGE FEE

FIRST STATE SUPER – EMPLOYER SPONSORED DIVISION $207

TELSTRA SUPER CORPORATE PLUS $227

EMERGENCY SERVICES SUPER SCHEME-ESSPLAN ACCUMULATION FUND $239

MEAT INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES SUPERANNUATION FUND $247

QSUPER – ACCUMULATION $255

OFFICERS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND (OSF) $256

SUPER SA – FLEXIBLE ROLLOVER PRODUCT $272

GESB SUPER $280

AGEST $297

CLUB PLUS SUPERANNUATION $302

Source: www.superratings.com.au/toptens/topfees 5/4/2009

Ian Silk of AustralianSuper says that Union members can be absolutely confi dent union representatives on boards have their best interests at heart.


member fee of $1 a week and an administration fee of 0.05 per cent of a worker�s superannuation savings. �This is a small amount and if you have $10,000, it works out at $57 a year. It�s very litt le,� Tony says.

In addition, industry fund members pay investment fees � expect to pay around 0.8 per cent of your retirement savings in a balanced-investment option, which invests in a mix of cash, bonds, shares and property.

It�s worth noting that most Australian workers have a signiÞ cant majority of their superannuation in balanced-investment options,

which specialist superannuation researcher Chant West says balanced funds

outpointed shares and commercial property by dropping only 15.8

per cent in the 12 months to February. However, more

complex investments such

as international shares usually charge higher investment fees.

The industry fund difference Originally established by unions and employer associations in the mid 1980s, industry funds have always aimed to service the retirement savings requirements of workers by providing decent returns and lower fees. On the ß ip side, retail funds such as master trusts share the proÞ t spoils between shareholders and customers.

Ian Silk, Chief Executive of AustralianSuper, which manages $27 billion worth of assets for 1.4 million members, says member focus represents the important diff erence between industry and retail funds. Sunsuper�s Tony Lally concurs: �The reality is [retail funds] don�t have the same motivation we have to look aft er members, and most sell their services through Þ nancial planners, who are very expensive,

“The reality is retail funds don’t have the same motivation we have to look after members.”

FINANCE

i vestment option, which invests in a mix oand property.that most AustralianiÞ cant majority of their balanced-investment opsuperannuation researcays balanced fundsd shares and commerciay by dropping only 15.8ent in the 12 months toebruary. However, mor

complex investments

investment option, wcash, bonds, shares a

It�s worth noting workers have a signisuperannuation in b

which specialist sChant West sa

outpointedproperty

per cFe


David Atkin, Chief Executive of Cbus, says that industry funds have an appreciation for specifi c industry issues.

given their high fees and commissions.�Most industry funds also originated from

speciÞ c industry sectors, according to David Atkin, Chief Executive of Cbus, which manages assets worth around $13 billion for more than 550,000 members.

Established in 1984 for the construction, building and allied industries, Cbus is now a �public off er� industry fund, and can off er a membership to workers from any occupation or industry.

David Atkin explains, �It means that industry funds have an appreciation for [speciÞ c] industry issues and their demographics.

�If you�re focused on an industry and know the key players, you�re more likely to have the support of the unions, and employers and are more appreciative of the vocational issues and able to support professional development in a more active way through sponsorship programs.�

Cbus actively supports apprenticeship-of-the-year awards and off ers health-care programs targeted at its majority male membership.

Massive scale also delivers signiÞ cant buying power to industry funds, which enables them to off er members competitive insurance deals. First State Super�s Michael Dwyer explains, �It comes down to the scale of the funds and the fact no proÞ t margin is taken by [them].�

David Atkin adds that industry specialisation is also at play here: �Cbus knows its construction and building members are working in dangerous work sites. We�ve been able to use the leverage of our 500,000 members to get a great deal on [insurance] premiums for those members [which is much bett er] than if they approached another fund.�

Workers have a say in where theirsuper is investedAustralianSuper�s Ian Silk explains that the management and administration of industry funds puts members Þ rst. �Retail funds are managed by employees of the relevant Þ nancial institution they work for and they�ll be on the trustee board of the super fund,� he says.

�With industry funds, workers and employers

have equal representation on the board, which is there to act in the best interest of members.� He adds, �Union members can be absolutely conÞ dent union representatives on the boards have their best interests at heart.�

In the case of AustralianSuper, AWU National Secretary Paul Howes is a member of its trustee board. �This is the supreme decision-making body of the fund and the AWU has a seat at that table through Paul Howes,� Ian Silk says.

As for investment decisions (known as �asset allocation�), this is oft en the responsibility of an investment committ ee. Ian Silk says most industry funds outsource their investment management � which is paid for by the investment fee described above � to the very best specialist investment managers in each sector. This could be Industry Funds Management, which specialises in investment management for the not-for-proÞ t sector or, on occasion, a commercial organisation.

�We�ll sometimes invest money with an organisation that might be a retail competitor, such as AMP, if we believe they�ll deliver the best returns for members.�

Besides 16 managed options, AustralianSuper also allows members to invest their super savings directly in one or more of Australia�s top 200 companies and trusts listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. �Macquarie manages the transactional side of this for us,� Ian Silk conÞ rms.

More investment choice and servicesThat they off er limited investment options and services was a criticism regularly levelled at industry funds and one that has now clearly been addressed. Sunsuper, for example, now off ers members as many as 27 diff erent investment options, from shares to ethical investments.

Tony Lally says, �Most members opt for our balanced option, while our growth fund is available to people with a longer-term perspective and who are comfortable with more active assets such as infrastructure, hedge funds, property and shares.

�These higher risk assets generate higher returns over the longer term and this is our second most popular fund.� ◆

Michael Dwyer, Chief Executive of First State Super says that it’s times like this when not-for-profi t funds have a clear advantage.


TECHNOLOGY

G

therapy

uess which age group has witnessed a 40 per cent surge in home internet connections over the last two years? It�s the 65-to-74 year-olds.

Surprised? Leigh Kostianen isn�t. With this in mind, she�s launched her own social-networking site especially for this emerging market of web-savvy Aussie seniors.

Just like Facebook and MySpace � the two most-recognised and popular social networking portals with millions of users worldwide

The internet is playing a fantastic role in bringing people together.Social Networking allows us to connect up with like-minded people, or those whose circumstances are similar to our own. Aidan Ormond logs on to investigate.WRITTEN BY AIDAN ORMOND PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES

Group

� Leigh�s users utilise social networks and social media in the same way as their younger counterparts.

Called Grandparents Network (www.grandparentsnetwork.net), the site has already hit 400 members aft er launching in August last year. The penny dropped aft er Leigh observed relatives and family friends, whereupon she realised there was a need for a new twist on social networking, as this enlightened internet entrepreneur explains.

�It�s a place for them to be valued for

“Guess which age group has witnessed a 40 per cent surge in home internet connections over the last two years? It’s the 65 to 74-year-olds.”


TECHNOLOGY

their experience. There are no ß ashing banners or widgets to confuse them. And they enjoy GpN for its safe environment as they have contact with the owner and its demographics, as they know the whippersnappers won�t be there.�

Leigh�s users enjoy playing online games, join groups and develop common interests or support networks amongst themselves. It�s Facebook for older kids, you might say, and as one GpN user reports happily on the site: �You should be so proud of yourself for giving us �oldies� friendship and company.�

So, can social networking online have a socially beneÞ cial role? GpN members may think so. And others may also agree.

Livewire (www.livewire.org.au) is a new social-networking site aiming to help improve the emotional and social wellbeing of sick youngsters.

Backed by the Starlight Foundation and

supported and co-funded by the Federal Government�s Clever Networks program, Livewire facilitates �safe� social networking with other sick youngsters in similar situations.

An estimated 450,000 young Australians between 10 and 21 currently live with a serious illness, chronic health condition or disability, so you could say there is a market for it. In doing so, it is believed that this social interaction (albeit an online one) can have therapeutic beneÞ ts by reducing feelings of isolation and mood disorders.

Child and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg says the concept of social networking is ideal in this context. �Livewire is wonderful because you have 24-hour-a-day, immediate connection with a community of people feeling exactly the same way.�

Livewire hopes to connect 20,000 young people, siblings and parents by the end of 2009,

Online campaigns for activistsIf you want to set up an online campaign, fi rst conduct some research to see how other groups do it. A good place to start is http://groups.yahoo.com.

Also be clear on what your group actually does, who it’s targeting and how it benefi ts your members. For example, your group might want to highlight the third wave of asbestos victims, or provide a veterans’ support group. If you get the foundations right, the net can be a valuable tool.

Facebook is, of course, highly popular but it’s also a commercial enterprise with limitations. For instance, one Canadian union organiser was so good at signing up friends that he was blacklisted by the site.

UnionBook (www.unionbook.org) is different. It’s owned and run by trade unionists for trade unionists. Launched this year, it’s a place to create groups, campaign and discuss issues relating to working Australians and other global work and justice-related matters.

But unions can still have a Facebook presence. The Australian Workers’ Union has come up with its own web application allowing supporters to place the AWU badge onto their own Facebook profi le.

And the Transport Workers Union recently launched a Facebook page called “Keep Bonds (Pacifi c Brands) Down Under” (www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53626159705&ref=ts).

Nimrod Nyols, the site’s administrator, says the site is a hub for those involved in fi ghting for the estimated 1800 workers’ jobs set to go over the next 18 months. The page publicised rallies in support of the workers and there are useful links, discussion boards, wall posts, news, videos and picture-upload features.

“It’s cost-effective as we don’t have the budgets to run multimillion dollar TV ads,” Nimrod says.

Don’t forget your own Union! The AWU’s Facebook page has a whole lot of information about the Union’s work and other issues that you really need to know about, so log in at:

www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=5905029587


and plans to work with Diabetes Australia and The Spastic Centre and to provide access for its eligible members.

Another site that uses an online social-networking component to help is Disaboom (www.disaboom.com). It provides disabled internet users � and, importantly, their carers � with blogs, forums and shared knowledge about various disability-related topics. �It�s a place to make friendships and discuss the day-to-day challenges with others who understand,� the site explains.

So as you can see, it seems a litt le online social networking can have a potentially beneÞ cial social impact on elderly, sick and disabled internet users. It might just make life a litt le more bearable, and perhaps even fun.

But consequences might be unintended. As another GpN user comments: �Wild seniors on the loose ... you bett er believe it.� ◆

Who’s watching you?Social networking at work is something that many employers frown upon. Some companies have strict policies on the issue, while others have guidelines about when, who and how employees can use the company’s communications systems – even at lunchtime and other breaks. In view of this, don’t log on at work, keep social networking as a home-based hobby.

Online social networking can have a potentially

benefi cial social impact on elderly, sick and disabled

internet users.


SPORT

talentTwice the If you think those who

can compete and achieve at the highest level in one

sport have a gift, then what about those who

manage to do it in two?WRITTEN BY AIDAN ORMOND

PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES

Cricket and soccer are both equal fi rsts for elite sportswoman Ellyse Perry.


E

llyse Perry is no ordinary Aussie teen. In fact, she�s a sporting whiz kid. The 18-year-old has done what few, if any, athletes have ever done � she�s been picked to play for two senior Australian teams in diff erent

sports at the same time.In the last 24 months the fresh-faced Sydney-

sider has debuted for Australia�s women�s soccer team and been handed her baggie green cap by Australia�s cricket selectors.

What�s more, in a miracle of time management, this saintly-faced superwoman has juggled her secondary education with her budding career as Australian sport�s next big thing.

Ellyse�s batt ing and bowling was a major part of Australia�s campaign at the recent women�s

cricket World Cup. And she is also considered a key part of Australia�s Women�s Football World Cup plans for 2011.

So, how does she do it? Well, to start with, she�s a naturally gift ed athlete. �Playing diff erent elite sports can actually beneÞ t her,� her national football coach Tom Sermanni says. �The key is to manage her in such a way that�s in her best interests.�

Thus far both sports have realised this and cooperate amicably when they require their star athlete, says Tom. �I think both sports have done a proper job of looking aft er her welfare, which is the important thing.�

Ellyse has said that one day she may have to choose between sports. She�s just not sure which one. And with this in mind her football coach

Identifying cross-over talentFinding such talent is Australia’s The National Talent Identifi cation and Development program run by the Australian Sports Commission.

Tammie Ebert, a senior coordinator of the program, says various testing protocols are used to identify whether such athletes will succeed but agrees there has to be a desire from the athlete to want to excel.

“They fi nd out pretty quickly perhaps if it’s not really what they want to do. Mostly they’ve fi nished with their sport and want to try a different one and achieve at the next level.”

Recent examples include Bridie O’Donnell who went from rowing and triathlon to road cycling. And Emily Rosemond is a very promising sprint cyclist after moving from speed skating. If she achieves her dream, Rosemond would be only the second athlete to represent Australia at a summer and winter Olympics.

Tammie adds: “These athletes, they already have that mentality, commitment and understanding of what it takes.”

From rugby league to boxing was a natural

progression for Anthony “The Man” Mundine.


SPORT

notes: �We don�t want her to want to make everyone happy, and she ends up burning herself out.�

On a similar track to Ellyse are Aussie athletes who excel at one sport then move to another and continue their heroics.

Take Anthony Mundine. He was a talented rugby league player with St George before making his boxing dream become a reality in 2000. �The Man� has since become a two-time World Boxing Association Super Middleweight champion.

Likewise, Scott Draper reached a career high

42 ranking on tennis� ATP tour in the 1990s and was a three-time Australian Davis Cup member. Aft er retiring, he switched to golf and gained his 2007 Australasian PGA tour card. That same year he lift ed the New South Wales PGA Championship trophy.

And back in 1984, Aussie Paul Narracott ran in the 100m and 200m at the Los Angeles Olympics before contesting the two-man bobsleigh at the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Then there�s Nova Batman (you may remember her as Nova Peris). She was also the Þ rst athlete to win international gold

“Scott Draper reached a career high in tennis. After retiring, he switched to golf and gained his 2007 Australasian PGA tour card.”

Nova Batman (formerly Nova Peris) has represented Australia at the Olympic Games in both hockey and track and fi eld.


“I was nine when I said I wanted to run at the Olympics. I was 12 when I said I wanted to play hockey for Australia... I guess I lived my dream.”

medals in two diff erent sports � Olympic hockey in 1996 and Commonwealth Games athletics in 1998.

�I was nine when I said I wanted to run at the Olympics. I was 12 when I said I wanted to play hockey for Australia,� she tells The Australian Worker.

Aft er winning gold with the Hockeyroos in 1996, Nova craved a new challenge and it was her long-held dream of running at an Olympics that spurred her on. Four years later, she ran at the 2000 Olympics. �I knew what I wanted to do well before I changed sports,�

Nova adds. �I guess I lived my dream.�But moving from one sport to another can be

very diffi cult. �I had my critics and there were jealousies,� says Nova, who has been immortalised in the National Museum in Canberra.

�There were those in track and Þ eld saying I�d never be able to do it, and those in hockey who said told me I still had years ahead of me. It requires sheer determination and self-belief,� she says.

And that�s something Ellyse Perry has plenty of as she looks to write her own dual chapter in Australian sports history. ◆

From speed skating to sprint cycling, Emily Rosemond may well become the fi rst athlete to represent Australia at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

After a successful career in pro tennis, Scott Draper is now making

his mark on the fairways.


PRIVATE LIVES

n the hot, dry Adelaide summers of the early �70s, Wayne Hanson would return home aft er a hard day of toolmaking, conditioned to reach for an ice-cold beer. His wife Janine soon put a stop to that...

�The temperature would be nudging 40, and I�d sit under the pergola in the backyard, and crack open

a long neck,� says Wayne. �My wife�s always hated the smell and taste of beer, and she would say to me that it was a pity that she couldn�t sit down and enjoy a drink with me out of the same bott le.�

The pair came to an arrangement. Living on the doorstep of the Barossa Valley wine region, Wayne replaced his bott le of West End Export with a local bott le of Sauvignon Blanc, and a drinking partnership (and love aff air with the grape) was formed.

�It was a time of initiation and experimentation,� says Wayne, casting his mind back to those early days. �We kicked off with some prett y ordinary wines, but Þ nished up with some decent selections. I made a few mistakes, but because of my wife�s exceptional senses of taste and smell, she made some very good selections.

I

Greater South Australian Branch Secretary Wayne Hanson has four passions in life – the trade union movement, furniture restoration, outdoor cooking, and an unquenchable thirst for the finest Aussie wines. So what wines make Wayne pop his cork? Charge your glasses and read on to find out!WRITTEN BY MICHAEL BLAYNEY PHOTOS BEN SEARCY

Looking back, it was dopey me buying all the crap stuff .�It took Broken Hill-raised Wayne some time before he

felt comfortable drinking wine, let alone spitt ing instead of swallowing. His father, a hard rock miner and dedicated beer drinker, wouldn�t touch the stuff ; wine was a beverage he disparagingly called plonk at every opportunity. Even in �enlightened� Adelaide, drinking wine 35 years ago was oft en perceived as the preserve of the well-heeled and well-bred.

�Times have certainly changed, but it�s always been a litt le bit diff erent over here. A lot of our members have always loved their wines. South Australians have never been ignorant when it comes to wine, and it�s rare that you go to a gathering these days and the only drink available is beer. People may have a few cleansing ales, but they�ll give the wines a crack at some stage.�

Wayne is particularly fond of matching foods to complement his wine collection. When twirling the tongs outdoors, he likes to sup Sauvignon Blanc with barbecued Þ sh, and suggests bubbles go well with red meat. �If you like your meat rare and you�ve never tried a sparkling Shiraz, give it a try. I�ll cook a steak on high for a minute and a half to two minutes on each side, and it�s off and I�m into it. It�s a sensation.�

Through much testing and tippling over the years, Wayne�s favourite grapes are Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. Even so, he believes the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is a subjective caper. �Everyone has their own distinctive sense of taste and smell. I prefer not to be hard and fast about it. If you enjoy drinking a particular wine that costs under 10 bucks, keep drinking the thing. I don�t see a need to go for the more expensive examples if you�re satisÞ ed. But people do get duped. If you buy a cheap bott le of wine without tasting it Þ rst, don�t kid yourself that it will improve with age.�

Wayne is coy about the size of his cellar, although his stocks were depleted over the latest Christmas holiday period when his extended family �came over and gave it a thumping�. His cellar houses a 22-litre port keg that has been �humming since 1987�. His American daughter-in-law, in particular, has taken a liking to the port.

�The keg has French oak tops and American oak sides. Over time those timbers go through the wine, and it has a brilliant taste of cinnamon, raisins and sultanas. All I do is top it up with Tawny port. It�s got to the stage where I can top up my keg with cask port. Morris is one I�ve used in the past. ◆

WORLD OF

WINE

Wayne’s

A grand old tradition!

“Drinking port is a real part of our culture, the AWU’s culture, the

shearers’ culture,” Wayne says. “We drink port in small glasses, but those bastards used to pour themselves a schooner of the

stuff after a day shearing sheep. They’d sit around the campfi re

and get stuck into the port every evening. It’s good to keep a

tradition like that going.”


Wayne was a dedicated beer drinker, but wine is now his tipple of choice.

Wayne’s WinnersRED RECOMMENDATIONSUNDER $20 “The Zema Estate Shiraz from Coonawarra is a very reliable wine with excellent ageing potential up to seven years. The taste is mainly berries and a plum finish, and the older it is, the more plum will come through. It has a beautiful flavour and is brilliant with roast lamb. You should be able to pick up a recent vintage, say 2006, for close to 20 bucks. Keep an eye out on the specials and you might get it cheaper.”OVER $20 “A Penfold Bin 28 that’s been sitting there humming for seven years is as good as it gets. It’s a lovely powerful wine with plenty of red berries. Sometimes you can pick them up for $25. Ideally, buy it as a 3-year-old to drink as a 7-year-old. For a big occasion, I’d recommend John Riddoch, Neil Ashmead Command Shiraz, or a Rockford’s Basket Press. They’re all top drops, but we’re talking about wines that are around about $100 in value.”WHITE RECOMMENDATIONSUNDER $20 “There’s a host of wines around this price range. You can pick up Giesen “The Brothers” Sauvignon Blanc on special for close to $20. It has a superior taste and finish to the regular Geisen’s drop. It has a concentrated dried apricot taste. Chilled perfectly on a hot day, this is a bottle of wine you can knock off in one sitting with ease.”OVER $20 “Although it’s not much more than $20 a bottle, the Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc is great value. This is a popular local wine from the Adelaide Hills. The fruity flavours go well with an Atlantic salmon fillet, but any fish or poultry matches up with this wine.”


FUNDRAISING TREATS

Sweet treats for solidarity fundraising are always winners. But knocking up a batch of something tempting needn’t be a chore – and homemade cakes and slices are always the best. School fetes and strike fundraisers never tasted so good! PHOTOS JOHN PAUL

causeall in a good

basic vanilla biscuitsmakes 30prep time 20 minutes baking time 15 minutes

200g butter, softened½ teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup (160g) icing sugar1 egg1¾ cups (260g) plain flour½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Grease oven trays; line with baking paper.2. Beat butter, extract, sifted icing sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; stir in sifted flour and soda, in two batches.3. Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls; place on trays 3cm apart.4. Bake biscuits about 15 minutes; cool on trays.

variationscranberry & coconut Stir ½ cup (65g) dried cranberries and ½ cup (40g) shredded coconut into basic biscuit mixture before fl our and soda are added.pear & ginger Stir ¼ cup (35g) fi nely chopped dried pears, ¼ cup (55g) coarsely chopped glacé ginger and ½ cup (45g) rolled oats into basic biscuit mixture before fl our and soda are added.brown sugar & pecan Substitute 1 cup (220g) fi rmly packed brown sugar for the icing sugar in the basic biscuit mixture. Stir ½ cup (60g) coarsely chopped pecans into basic biscuit mixture before fl our and soda are added.choc chip Stir ½ cup (95g) dark Choc Bits into basic biscuit mixture before fl our and soda are added. Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls then roll balls in a mixture of 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Little Abby saved her pocket money to shout picketing workers a cuppa.

www.awu.net.auwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.w.ww.awawawwwawu.uuuu.u.nneneneneeenen ttttttttt.t.t.t.aaaaauauauauauauauaauua theaustralianworker 59

quick-mix patty cakesmakes 24prep time 2 minutes cooking time 20 minutes

125g butter, softened½ teaspoon vanilla extract¾ cup (165g) caster sugar3 eggs2 cups (300g) self-raising fl our¼ cup (60ml) milk

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line two 12-hole patty pans with paper cases.2. Beat ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium; beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and paler in colour. Drop rounded tablespoons of mixture into each case.3. Bake cakes about 20 minutes. Stand in pans 5 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool.4. Top cakes with icing of your choice.

variationschocolate & orange Stir in 1 teaspoon fi nely grated orange rind and ½ cup (95g) dark Choc Bits before putting mixture in cases.banana & white chocolate chip Stir in ½ cup overripe mashed banana and ½ cup (95g) white Choc Bits before putting mixture in cases.passionfruit & lime Stir in 1 teaspoon fi nely grated lime rind and ¼ cup (60ml) passionfruit before putting mixture in cases.mocha Blend 1 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon strong black coffee; stir in before putting mixture in cases.

2 cups (300g) self-raising fl our¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon¹⁄³ cup (75g) caster sugar90g butter, chopped1 cup (160g) sultanas1 egg, beaten lightly½ cup (125ml) milk1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Grease oven trays.2. Sift fl our, cinnamon and sugar into medium bowl; rub in butter. Stir in sultanas, egg and milk. Do not overmix. Drop rounded tablespoons of mixture about 5cm apart onto trays; sprinkle with extra sugar.3. Bake about 15 minutes; cool on trays.

glacé icing2 cups (320g) icing sugar20g butter, melted2 tablespoons hot water, approximately

1. Place sifted icing sugar in small bowl; stir in butter and enough of the hot water to make a fi rm paste.2. Stir mixture over small saucepan of simmering water until spreadable.

variationschocolate Stir in 1 teaspoon sifted cocoa powder.passionfruit Stir in 1 tablespoon passionfruit pulp.coffee Dissolve 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules in the hot water.

rock cakesmakes 18 prep time 15 minutes cooking time 15 minutes


marmalade almond coconut squaresprep time 30 minutes cooking time 35 minutes makes about 18

125g butter, chopped1 teaspoon almond essence¼ cup (55g) caster sugar1 cup (150g) plain fl our¼ cup (20g) desiccated coconut¹⁄³ cup (15g) fl aked coconut¼ cup (85g) marmalade, warmed

topping90g butter, chopped2 teaspoons grated orange rind¹⁄³ cup (75g) caster sugar2 eggs1 cup (90g) desiccated coconut1 cup (125g) almond meal

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease 19cm x 29cm rectangular slice pan.2. Beat butter, essence and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in fl our and desiccated coconut; press into pan. Bake 15 minutes or until brown.3. Meanwhile, make topping; spread over hot slice, sprinkle with fl aked coconut. Bake further 20 minutes or until fi rm. Brush hot slice with marmalade; cool in pan.

topping Beat butter, rind and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth; beat in eggs until combined. Stir in coconut and almond meal.

Kitchen solidarityRaising funds for picketers is a fantastic way to show solidarity and help ease some of the fi nancial pain fellow workers experience when fi ghting for their rights.

These recipes are from The Australian Women’s Weekly 1000 Best-ever Recipes

from ACP Books RRP$74.95, available from selected bookstores, newsagents

and online fromwww.acpbooks.com.au.

FUNDRAISING TREATS

Low feesAt Sunsuper, it’s super simple. Low fees. No commissions. Our profi ts go back to our members. Phone 13 11 84 or visit www.sunsuper.com.au

Products issued by Sunsuper Pty Ltd ABN 88 010 720 840 AFSL No. 228975 RSE Lic No. L0000291 RSE Reg No. R1000337. You should read the Product Disclosure Statement before making any investment decisions. For a copy call 13 11 84.bcm:sun 0257

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SYDNEY

www.awu.net.au

A big day out for the family needn’t cost a fortune. Jayne D’Arcy takes a tour of Sydney to discover some fun, family-friendly activities to please everyone. WRITTEN BY JANE D’ARCY PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES/JOHAN PALSSON (ART GALLER Y OF NSW)

kiddingaround1. Walk across theSydney Harbour BridgeThere�s no way the kids will forget the Sydney Harbour Bridge if they�ve walked all 1149 metres of it. We�re not talking �climbing� here: this is the prett y adrenaline-free, and free, alternative.

The walk starts at Cumberland Street at The Rocks (you may need help if you need to get a stroller up the stairs) and you simply follow the pedestrian path all the way over to Milsons Point, near Luna Park (cyclists use the other side of the bridge).

Check out the views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House on your right, and don�t panic; high fences mean you don�t need to worry about kids gett ing too adventurous. Expect the walk to take up to 30 minutes, bring the sunscreen and some water and tie your hat on. There are no seats on the walk, but plenty of prett y places to rest at either end, including a small playground at Milsons Point. when: You can walk across the bridge whenever you want as it�s open 24 hours, seven days a week.where: Begins at Cumberland Street, The Rocks, and ends at Milsons Point Station. Once you get over the bridge you can catch a ferry from Luna Park or a train from the station.

2. Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)There�s nothing quite like taking kids to a contemporary art gallery and watching their facial expressions change. Nah, not in a bad �I wanna go home� way, but into a confused �what the?� way. There�s always going to be something there that will scare the bejesus out of them, and Sydney�s MCA is no diff erent. From a life-sized Superman staring at a strange litt le hairy face, to coloured mirrors slicing down a wall, there�s a lot here that will provoke a bit of curiosity.

For something a litt le more structured, ask at the entrance for an activity sheet and pencil and follow the instructions to Þ nd art that engages kids further. The sheet is aimed at 5-12 year olds but even three-year-olds will get something from it.when: Daily 10am-5pm.where: 140 George Street, The Rocks (close to the Circular Quay ferry terminal, Circular Quay train station and the free Sydney CBD shutt le bus 555).contact: www.mca.com.au; (02) 9245 2400.

3. Art Gallery of NSWAdults used to be the only ones who beneÞ ted from hiring audio tour guides, but at the Art Gallery of NSW there�s now a kids option, too.

Just download the kids audio tour from www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au (click �collection� then �kids audio tour�) onto an MP3 player for free, then pick up the accompanying brochure at the Gallery.

The Gallery�s Þ ve collection areas are colour-coded and, armed with the photos of the child-friendly art, kids will be able to locate the pieces, press play, then listen to a recording of children talking about it. Another option is using an iPhone or similar to go online and listen to the description once the piece is found.

If you�re not into downloading stuff , maybe the free Sunday performances for kids are a bett er option. They�re held every Sunday at 2.30pm and there�s usually something diff erent on every week. Coming up is cartooning, miming, puppeteering and didgeridoo dance, but for a complete list check the website or give them a call. when: Daily 10am-5pm (except Wednesday when it�s open 10am-9pm)where: Art Gallery Road, The Domain. It�s a 10-minute walk from St James and Martin Place train stations, or catch bus 441 from the Queen Victoria Building. contact: www.gallerykids.com.au; (02) 9225 1740.

4. Royal Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens is home to some great wildlife, though some take more eff ort to locate than others. The easy ones to spot are the Grey-headed Flying-foxes. The Garden�s population ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 and they certainly make their presence felt; many heritage trees have received permanent damage from their litt le claws and it�s not surprising that they�re being discouraged from roosting here. The best place to see them is Palm Grove, where they hang and cackle above you in their thousands.

A lot quieter is the Golden Orb-weaving Spider. There are plenty of them around the Gardens, look for their large webs in the bushes and trees. Also keep an eye out for Tawny Frogmouths hanging out near the Government House entry (they huddle and make themselves look like a branch), eels in the ponds at Farm Cove and Sulphur-crested Cockies near the Henry Lawson Gate. Kids are welcome on daily guided walks that run at 10.30am from the Palm Grove Centre, and early piking is Þ ne.when: Opens at 7am daily but closing hours range from 5pm-8pm depending on the month. where: Nearest train station is Martin Place, or catch bus 441. It�s an easy walk from the Sydney Opera House. There are a number of entrances.contact: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au; (02) 9231 8134.

5. Customs HouseThere�s a secret under the ground ß oor of this building, but luckily it�s there for all to see. Under a glass ß oor is a complete replica (1:500) of 10 square metres of the Sydney CBD. There are no labels on the buildings, so it�s up to your imagination or knowledge, but the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Circular Quay are prett y obvious.

It�s most fun to visit this at the end of a Sydney adventure, when the kids can actually recognise where they went, stayed, ate and played, and it�s certainly one of the few opportunities anyone gets to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

If you visit this aft er an exhausting day of visiting everywhere else, there�s even an adjacent bar and newspaper reading area where you can relax while the kids crawl over Sydney. when: Customs House is open weekdays 8am-midnight, Saturdays from 10am-midnight and Sundays from 11am-5pm. where: 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay (just behind the ferry terminal). The free Sydney CBD shutt le (bus 555) stops nearby.contact: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/customshouse; (02) 9242 8595.

theaustralianworker 63

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MOTORCYCLE SERIES BORN TO BE WILD

Illus

trat

ion

Myl

es

indi & Ringer are a long, long way from their home in the outback. They are very excited because they are having a holiday in Sydney. When their friends Gum Leaf the koala and Hopscotch the kangaroo

heard that their friends were off on a big city B

KIDS’ PAGE

indi & Ringer are a long long way adventure, there was no way they were going to miss out on all the fun, so they�ve come along too! Colour in the picture of our friends having fun in Sydney. What city sites can you identify? There�s the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and Centrepoint Tower. The friends have also met a new pal � Splash the dolphin.


LIFE MOMENTS

If you have a plain name like John Smith or Sue Jones, perhaps you’ve always yearned for a monicker a little more original. Well, maybe you should be happy with what you’ve got! WRITTEN BY ANDREW STEVENSON

n 1930 in Australia, names were a piece of cake. When you married, one name would do for a whole family. Just as a woman promised to love, honour and obey so did she accept that her Dad�s surname no longer had any use aft er marrying the love of her life. When the bride tossed the wedding bouquet over her shoulder

she also left behind her name. For years it had been the only one she�d known, from now on it was a relic: her maiden name.

When she had a child, things were prett y simple, too � especially if it was a boy. It was very hard to argue with a name like John although, if you already had one of those, you might try William or Robert. Margaret would do for a daughter, with Patricia and Joan as fallbacks.

But John�s gone. Last year in Victoria, John ranked 89th in the state�s most popular names, beaten by � wait for it � Jett , Kai, Seth, Cody and, of course, Jayden.

Margaret, Patricia and Joan have faded into obscurity, replaced by the �boutique� names, such as Summer, Amber, Taylay and Taylah. And, ahem, Dakota. Does anyone else think it�s a litt le odd how the names of US states are starting to label our kids?

But that�s just Þ rst names!Pity the kindergarten teachers trying to

help children who can only just hold their pen to learn how to write their names. Some of them continue over two or three lines of kiddy writing, with Þ rst names, second names (using all manner of unique spellings) before the ultimate challenge: working out what a child�s surname might, in fact, be.

Mum brings her daughter to school, so that gives the teacher a head start. Let�s say she�s a Ms Black. But, then, here comes Dad, a Mr Crow. Don�t tell me, thinks the teacher, as she looks at the girl. It can�t be true. Yes, it is. Take a seat, Dakota Black-

Crow, and prepare yourself for a lifetime of sniggers.Or maybe not. Maybe there are so many strange names,

variants and combinations that it no longer matt ers. Maybe Dakota will grow up and marry Christopher Lloyd-Jones and decide the name game has gone too far, that bestowing on a child a name like Montana Lloyd-Jones-Black-Crow is beyond

ridiculous. Well, we can only hope�Who�s going to put a stop to it? No one really.

You can�t keep on changing your name willy-nilly (now there�s a possibility) but good taste standards are unlikely to be enforced � beyond the school playground that is.

Apparently, we�re normally only permitt ed to change names once in a year, but they may still be refused. The law says, �If a proposed name is considered obscene, off ensive, too long, consists of symbols without phonetic signiÞ cance or contrary to public interest��. So, sorry Taylah Rabbit-Burrows, you can�t change your name to �Ώ� even though the rock star Prince did, when he changed his name for a time to some strange symbol that was supposed to signify love.

So what�s the alternative? In a designer age, with a wardrobe full of designer clothes (and, perhaps, a designer baby) there�s nothing to stop Summer from inventing her own family name to be shared by her husband and all her children to come. Daze, perhaps?

And all will live happily ever aft er. At least until Summer and Chris split up when the whole batt le to decide who we are and what we should be called begins again.

Just as we choose our own email addresses � maybe in future people will choose their own names. Maybe their birth name will be just something they carry around until they're ready to change it to something else. Don�t like what you were born with? Don�t worry. Log on and register another � as long as no one else has beaten you to the punch. ◆

name game

IStar fi leHere are just some of the whacky names some celebrities have bestowed upon their kids…

• Frank ZappaDweezil, Moon Unit and Diva• Rapper Vanilla IceDusti Raine, Keelee Breeze• Jamie OliverPoppy Honey, Daisy Boo• Nicole Kidman and Keith UrbanSunday Rose Urban Kidman• John Cougar MellencampJustice• Michael Hutchence and Paula YatesHeavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily • Glamour model Jordan and pop star Peter AndrePrincess Tiaamii• Gwyneth PaltrowApple• Elle MacphersonAurelius Cy• BonoMemphis • Sylvester StalloneSage Moonblood

YEARSSSSYEAYEAYEA

From 1984 until now, it’s always been the two of

usbAnd we wouldn’t have it anyother way.

For 25 years, we’ve looked after the superannuation needs of our members.

• By investing back into the industry to help create and sustain jobs for our members.

• By keeping fees low and paying no commissions to fi nancial advisers.

• By being experts in super and ranking among Australia’s top superannuation funds.

• By being run only to benefi t you - our members.

Cbus. Working for you and your industry.

Call Cbus on 1300 361 784 or visit www.cbussuper.com.au

General Advice Warning. This information is about Cbus. It doesn’t take into account your specifi c needs, so you should look at your own fi nancial position, objectives and requirements before making any fi nancial decisions. Read the Cbus Product Disclosure Statement to decide whether Cbus is right for you. Contact 1300 361 784 or www.cbussuper.com.au for a copy. Cbus’ Trustee is United Super Pty Ltd ABN 46 006 261 623 AFSL 233792 Cbus ABN 75 493 363 262

Steven Saunders - Member since 1999

Documents

The Australian Worker Magazine Issue 2 2009