Mailbag

WORKPLACE REFORM BLUES

BY THE BOLLARD BARD

Well I'm a working man, and I like to pay my union dues

Yeah! I'm a working class man, and I likes to pay my union dues

But to choose to pay my dues I'm gonna lose

Got Johnny Howard's' IR reform blues

I work for my family, send my kids to school in shoes

Yeah! Workin' for my family, send my kids to school in shoes

But them socks and shoes my kids are gonna lose

Got Johnny Howard's workplace reform blues

Scores of conditions dwindle down to one's and two's

Yeah! So many conditions, fizzled out to one's and two's

New IR laws leave little left from which to choose

Got Johnny Howard's workplace reform blues

I used to have a smoko, lunch and some overtime too

Yeah! Used to have a smoko, lunch and penalty rates too

Now people I hate to be the bearer of bad news

But I got them Howard government IR reform blues

I've always helped my comrades, now I need some help from youse

Yeah! Always helped my mates out, now I need some help from youse

I'll help you to help me to help youse

Get over them Johnny Howard IR reform blues.

YOU'RE FIRED

The new work laws are an attack on the long-standing Australian principle of the "fair go". I watched the show called "You're Fired" on SBS. It was clear that this fight isn't just a legal battle. It's about how we go about our daily lives. No wonder unions are being attacked the hardest.

All of us union members have a story about ourselves or a workmate needing a helping hand or a second chance. Whether it's a Mum who needs to negotiate a part-time work agreement or a young worker who needs to get together with everyone on site and push for permanent jobs or an older workmate who needs help with a compo claim - we all want a fair go.

Paul Monro who used to hear matters at the Industrial Commission spoke on the show about how industrial issues are just as much about fairness as they are about the law. In my workplace we are trying to get the boss to recognise that casuals are just as entitled to some paid maternity leave as the permanents are. It's about being fair. We haven't sorted it all out yet. But without most of us being in the union and having a union agreement we wouldn't even have a chance.

The "Your Rights@Work" campaign is about fairness. We should all get active and stand up and defend our right to a fair go.

If you missed the "You're Fired" show you can find it at - http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/

Cindy O'Conner

Union No. 9021125

DRACONIAN LAWS

MUA members on the Australian-crewed oil tanker Nivosa gave our heartfelt support to the "NSW Says No To Unfair Work Laws" rally on June 28. Unfortunately, we were at sea at the time of the rally but we were sure the workers of NSW would take to the streets in their thousands to protest against the repressive IR laws introduced by this disgrace of a government.

Soon there won't be a family left that hasn't felt the sting of this draconian legislation. Now is the time for all workers to unite to show we won't be downtrodden by this fascist little upstart.

Yours in solidarity

MUA members MT Nivosa

AWE INSPIRING

I've been a bit lax with stopwork meeting attendance in past months, but MWJ keeps me alert to maritime affairs. It exemplifies what workers need to hear from their leaders and writers. With the mood and experience it throws on the dynamic and sheer world-class polemic examined (especially in the national secretary's column and reports on all mass action campaigns etc) one can't help but be aware of the unity and strength of our MUA.

Recent stopwork meetings discussed the marginal seats strategy to defeat the Coalition any time between now and early 2008. It is a great trade union strategy. The effort involved in targeting these seats - so many of which are held by a half per cent or less - is so redolent with the possibility of winning the seats, and as a consequence government, the simplicity and prospect is awe-inspiring!

I can visualise immediately Coalition politicos in true fear having wallowed in privilege on the gravy train of Liberal policies the past decade. The IR legislation will be instilling more than a little fear that their days are numbered - as they should be.

Every time a Coalition member addresses a public gathering from now to election day, let at least one trade unionist have a banner and voice asking, "Where do you stand on unfair dismissal?" Put them on a path of protest to their own party.

John Cleaver

Life member 0542

HOWARD'S MATESHIP

John Howard reached new heights of hypocrisy when speaking in Federal Parliament about the rescued Beaconsfield miners. Howard praised the Australian mateship shown in the help given to fellow workers in times of tragedy.

Howard praising mateship? He must have been kidding.

The first question asked in Question Time that day came from Catherine King, Labor Member for Ballarat. Why were 39 casual employees at Maxitrans in Ballarat sacked and replaced by 25 Chinese guest workers? The Maxitrans casuals had been employed for up to two years. The Chinese workers were given visas to take jobs away from Australian workers.

Great Australian mateship, Howard! You have shown Australian workers you are unwilling to support them being trained and retrained to fill the huge shortage of skilled tradesmen and women.

Howard should be ashamed to call himself an Australian, let alone a mate, when he throws Australian workers on the scrap heap while bullshitting to them saying he is their friend. The reception he got from redneck forest destruction workers in Tasmania before the last federal election has gone to his head. He is now under the illusion he is the workers' pal.

Consider the mateship he has displayed by having Australian seafarers replaced by crews from flag of convenience vessels, given single-voyage permits to take Australian seafarers' jobs. Guest workers have taken over the shipment of molasses in Townville that has been carried in ships manned by Australians for 15 years.

Howard must have the conscience of moran to even think he is pro-Australian worker, while his mates in big business make unprecedented profits by using imported slave labour at the expense of the Australian working class.

With friends like Howard, the Aussie worker does not need enemies.

Ross J Campbell

Retired member

FAIR GAME

Now John Howard is back from China will he charge into the St George rugby league players' dressing room and berate those morons for allowing their union to sign a new lucrative collective bargaining agreement? His beloved St George Dragons, as part of the NRL, have agreed to an increase in the minimum wage for all 15 NRL clubs' top 25 players from $37,500 to $50,000.

Under the new IR laws, John Howard's Work Choices AWAs offer $12.75 per hour and 12 months unpaid maternity leave, but no overtime, no penalty rates and no travelling allowance.

Now who said rugby league players were all brawn and no brains?

Gary Bell

AdsteamTugs

Union No: 1118

DELEGATE HARASSED

Comrades, I am writing to add theFar Scandia's voice to the thunder of disgust about the mooted movement of MUA delegate Wayne Lemon off the Lady Grace.

This is not an isolated incident, as this company over the years has harassed many delegates with the hope of turning the MUA into tame cat crews. Thank god we have delegates of the calibre of Wayne, who will not be intimidated and will always fight the good fight.

While some have weakened, we still maintain enough militant members to keep the offshore oil and gas industry on course. Let us all unite to stop the attacks on the delegate system. There is no discrimination under the delegates' charter and Far Scandia's equal opportunities policy, but these seem to be ignored.

If this forced movement is allowed to happen what message does it send to the other middle management personnel?

Yours in unity

Howard Norman, Warwick Rothacker, Jim Lindop, Craig Worthing and Marc Sweeney

Far Scandia

Bass Strait

ABSOLUTE CONDEMNATION

Dear Prime Minister,

Crew members of the Maritime Union of Australia engaged aboard Iron Yandi wish to convey their absolute condemnation of your government's policy of recruiting foreign guest labour to fill Australian jobs while you continue to ignore the real problem of lack of funding and encouragement for training programs and support mechanisms to facilitate school leavers, younger workers and the unemployed into meaningful skilled employment streams.

This glaring deficiency coupled with your anti worker, anti family industrial relations legislation is already having a detrimental effect on the confidence of working people and families.

To further exacerbate this by importing foreign labour at the expense of young Australians who could be trained in those