Australia: Thousands cram city in IR protest

Thousands cram city ...

The march comes a day ahead of the hoWARd government gaining control of the Senate clearing the way for non scrutiny policies by the people for the people of this country.

Marchers in Melbourne also heard from Bill Shorten, national secretary of the Australian Workers Union.

A MASS of people has choked Melbourne's CBD in drizzling conditions to protest against the Howard Government's planned sweeping workplace changes.

An estimated 100,000 workers and union supporters stretched from Federation Square, the length of Swanston Street to near Trades Hall, where the march set out at 10am (AEST).

Federal Lib/Lab leader kim beazley addressed the marchers in Federation Square just after 11am, where he said the protest would send a strong message to prime minister john hoWARd.

Pointing to the MCG several kilometres away, beazley said: "This crowd would fill the G three times."

"I've spoken at many protests in Melbourne in the 25 years I've been in Parliament, I've never seen a crowd like this".

The march comes a day ahead of the hoWARd government gaining control of the Senate clearing the way for non scrutiny policies by the people for the people of this country.

From the newswire: Referendum

The corporate media giants were bought out lock, stock and barrel by Howard's advertising revenue and many other corporate interests besides humanity.

The media is quicker than the majority of the population who are either too busy getting on with their own lives, families and mortgages or making too much money to be bothered. And of course the power freaks that are in on it are doing the devils work because they thrive on power.

There is no opposition in government unless it is politically correct!

Similar rallies are being staged today across the country.

Marchers in Melbourne also heard from Bill Shorten, national secretary of the Australian Workers Union.

"Today we present our case not in the tone of a feeble beggar but in the thundering voices of a powerful movement," Mr Shorten said.

"Today we are demanding the right to which Australian citizens are entitled."

The union movement fears the Government's changes will lead to reduced wages and conditions for workers and result in job insecurity.

The marchers chanted slogans including "Howard is a coward" and "Shame Johnny, shame" as they walked down Swanston Street.

At the head of the march, the protesters carried a large banner which read "Stop the attack on workers rights".

A number of union figures are addressing the rally, still underway.

15,000 workers rally in Brisbane

King George Square overflowed with rallying workers, protesting the imminent introduction of the Howard governments retrograde Industrial Relations policies.

Thousands march through Perth


June 30/05 - THOUSANDS of workers led by federal industrial spokesman Stephen Smith have marched through the streets of Perth as part of a mass protest against proposed industrial relations changes...

Workers Online
PM Rallies on Spin. John Howard is spinning the merits of his industrial assault off a Kiwi rally driver who made a motza out of individual contracts.

[Anti-IR] RALLY TODAY against Howard's IR reforms
There is a march planned straight after the meeting by the more progressive unions from Town Hall through the streets of Sydney. I place bigger emphasis on the march rather than the meeting, as opposed to the Labor Council's moderate stance on the matter.

Australia's Biggest Ever Workers' Meeting To Take Place In NSW Friday, 1 July
Australia's largest ever workers meeting will take place this Friday, July 1, from 8.30am. It is being organised by Unions NSW and will involve workers from all across New South Wales taking part in a massive link-up via Sky Channel.

By PC June 30 05

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Thousands attend Sydney rally over IR changes
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Ever wondered why there are so many homeless, why we need a 10 pc GST, lack of services for mental disability, still paying off the Olympics, poor public transport planning etc etc etc?

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Thousands attend Sydney rally over IR changes

Thousands of people have packed Sydney's Town Hall in protest against the federal Government's proposed industrial relations changes and many other rights related issues that have been diminished by the HoWARd Government.

The meeting was the focus of action across New South Wales today.

It was standing room only at Sydney's Town Hall as numerous unions watched a state-wide television hook-up outlining how the industrial relations changes will affect them.

Secretary of Unions NSW John Robertson told those gathered that the removal of unfair dismissal rights for workers in companies with less than 100 employees is among their chief concerns.

"You'll become a second class citizen, you'll be able to be dismissed without reason, sacked on the spot with no recourse to an independent body," he said.

Central Sydney ground to a halt when the thousands of protesters left Town Hall and made their way to the Harbour Bridge where they erected a banner.

By The Workers United 1 July 05

Related:

HoWARd Gov't could be slued, community warns
The community says the fascist HoWARd Government may be slued from the highest industrial crane if they introduce industrial reforms.

Work for the dole and prison industry slavery
Work for the dole certainly offers a lot of variety. The impression given by the government is that most unemployed do creative and helpful work assisting the community.

'Social Services cheats' may face election next time around
The Federal fascist HoWARd Government is attacking the poor and underprivileged again (on all fronts - now including social services, disabled, single mothers, Medicare rebate and IVF treatment.

Single parents deserve a living wage and not persecution
Being a single parent is hard work. It means a lot of responsibility. But you are not paid properly to do this work. You are paid way below what is recognised as the poverty line. StandUp! Believes that looking after a child is a job and should be paid for like any other job.

Labor sees problems in welfare proposals
The Federal Opposition says proposed changes to Australia's welfare system are a cost-cutting measure and will leave disability and sole parent pensioners worse off.

Dismantle the war machine, slash taxes, privatisation and keep social services The Centre for Independent Studies report says the flat-rate income tax of 10 per cent would ensure most Australians could afford to pay for essential services such as health and education, instead of relying on welfare [social service] payments.

Costello to force single mums to look for work?
SINGLE mothers would be forced to look for work once their children reached school age, under a draconian welfare package outlined last night by fascist Pastor Peter Costello to bolster funds to spend on military hardware and the ongoing illegal and degrading war in Iraq.

The HoWARd Government is simply robbing the disabled blind
KERRY O'BRIEN: Federal cabinet adjourned today still undecided about the final formula for what has become politically one of the toughest reform challenges the Government will face this term. For the past two decades, the disability support pension has been one of the fastest growing welfare payments [social security payments.]

Encouragement is the key to social-services-to-work programs
Corporate Welfare! I think we should start with Ingeus Company. Telling us what we already know for $$$$!

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Peter Saunders: Many DSP claimants are older men with limited skills who have had difficulty finding work?

Welfare Reform for Warfare Expenditure?
John Howard: "Self-evidently we would have liked the major combat to have gone differently ... [but] coalition withdrawal or defeat is unimaginable."

Govt plots post-July strategy?
Fascist Prime Minister insists he is not on a mission to punish welfare recipients [social services.]

HoWARd 'determined' to make the disabled woRK?
The Federal Government is considering a system of "coercion" and incentive to force the disabled to work. But what happened to 6 billion-budget surpluses? Why do they need to force disabled people to work? Do they need more money and less disabled people? Or do would they rather spend the money on WAR?

Opposition pension claims valid
The Federal Governments secret agenda to cut pensions, including the disability and single parent payments while spending billions on military hardware is just too much for most disabled people to accept.

Thousands march for disability protest
"We are not prepared to go back to the dark ages. This has to be reversed," Mr Preston said. "We are hoping that the community sees that we shouldn't be taking money from people with disabilities. These people have had it tough all their lives (and) there is already more unmet need than we can cope with."

Howard's Job Network Bailout
Up to 670,000 people on disability support pensions will be encouraged to sign up to the Job Network under a radical new plan to get disabled people off welfare and into work.

THE HILLSONG'S ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF ' NEO-LIBERALISM' Only a bent mind would envisage the possibility or think of the concept that a '2nd Neo-Liberal 'front' promoted by the right and posing as a Church would enter politics under the flag of "Family First Party".

Costello, Howard's Disciple
JOHN HOWARD AND PETER Costello lost their vision for Australia from the time they were elected and embarked on a vision for the neo-Liberals.

Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel?
Well praise the Lord the light is Hell bent here on Peter Costello, treasurer of the Howard Government who now has his own "flock" of onward Christian Soldiers.

Corporate Welfare

Corporate welfare or how to steal social services?
Ever wondered why there are so many homeless, why we need a 10 pc GST, lack of services for mental disability, still paying off the Olympics, poor public transport planning etc etc etc?

Unemployed:

Work for the dole is legal slavery
Work for the dole was originally sold to us by Howard as a warm and fuzzy light work project. We would be working for nothing but we would be enjoying giving back something to the community, so it was reckoned.

FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT!
Peter Costello commended this result in his budget speech. Even if we were to believe this figure it still means more than half a million living at a level much lower than that is recognised as poverty.

Mark Latham's, token gestures for older unemployed
StandUp appreciates the fact that Mark Latham is concerned about older unemployed people. His specialist job network proposal aimed at older people might provide a bit of assistance.

Work for the dole failure for two thirds
THE Un-Australian: " MORE than a third of the people who completed the Howard Government's work-for-the-dole programs last year were in jobs or studying within three months of finishing.

Work for the dole? $10.00?
StandUp! Wishes to draw your attention to a serious attack on all of us--work for the dole. We were assured that unemployed would not be forced to work in areas where employed workers would normally be employed. This has shown to be a lie! Under work for the dole, unemployed have been forced to carry out; concreting, tiling, landscaping, repairs, renovation, painting, gardening, nurses and teachers aid work.

'WORK FOR THE DOLE' REDUCES JOB PROSPECTS
A major independent study commissioned by the Government and released today under Freedom of Information by The Australian newspaper indicates that the 'Work for the Dole' program actually reduces the job prospects of unemployed people.

Youth welfare system unfair: ACOSS
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is warning urgent action is needed to fix youth poverty and disincentives for the unemployed to improve their job prospects.

Bringing up children Can we afford it?
Peter Costello expects us to carry out our patriotic duty by going home and having more children. But for most people it is a struggle to bring up one child let alone two or three.

Federal Budget: Tax cuts for the rich!
For the Howard government, unemployed people are not even worth thinking about.

Private job network agency blues
Can you trust a private job network agency? No you can't! A friend of ours is registered at MTC Marrickville.

Indigenous Social Justice Association Djadi Dugarang
INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT. Part 1

Centrelink puts the screws on prison debt
A 1999 study by the Brisbane Prisoners Legal Service revealed that on leaving prisoners had an average debt of $14,031. Almost one in five had a debt to Centrelink while in prison. This debt arose as a result inability to cancel things such as leases, Social Security payments, utilities and telephones.

Democrats approve tougher welfare penalties: But how does that pan out?
There used to be an old saying in Australia" if your hungry steal a sheep and leave the pelt on the fence.

Six weeks, six months, six years: inmates have little chance of making fresh start Even prisoners who serve short sentences are likely to suffer long-term consequences, including increased rates of homelessness and unemployment.

Military Spending

Howard: We as a nation have got to invest heavily in defence?
Fascist Prime Minister John HoWARd has indicated the Government will make major changes to work place laws, cut disability support forcing the disabled to work and increase his defence commitment.

Hill primed for war!
Australian Caretaker Defence Minister Robert Hill has announced a multi-million dollar upgrade of the Pearce Air Force base in Western Australia. Hill says $87 million would be spent on a major upgrade of the base, which is Australia's main flying training facility.

Troop deployment not a deepening of effort: Hill
Deploying an extra 30 troops to Iraq was not a deepening of Australia's involvement because they were being sent to protect those already there, Defence Minister Robert Hill said yesterday.

Auditor Generals damning defence report
The Defence Department computer system upgrade has cost Australia tens of millions of dollars in a gigantic bungle, according to the Federal Opposition. The Commonwealth auditor-general has issued a damning report into the project.

JUSTICE KIRBY: JUDICIAL ACTIVISM

Activist judges are alert and aware of common decency. They can make governments accountable for breaches of human right standards. Over the past week at the University of Exeter, High Court Justice Michael Kirby has delivered a series of tongue-lashings to his critics, those "bully boys (and girls)" who believe activist judges undermine the democratic deal and dare to say so.

Kirby's insight is decent, last week Justice Kirby threw at the Federal Government's barrister, the Solicitor-General David Bennett QC, in a ground-breaking case heard in the High Court, testing for the first time Australia's Mandatory Immigration Detention Scheme.

Australia's highest court finally rebels against the outlandish efforts of the Howard fascist government.

Fortunately, Kirby is delivering knowledge to his critics for the sake of humanity. He told his English audience that critics of judicial activism "are contemptuous of fundamental human rights and jealous of any source of power apart from their own". They "hate it when judges express the law in terms of legal principles to protect minorities, the weak and the vulnerable".

Contemptuously those bullies who criticise judicial activism are feeding their greed and lining their filthy pockets all the time. These vultures are all too willing to side with fascist governments regardless of human rights.

Dictators like John Howard and his cronies have lost sight of human rights standards.

Howard has undermined the parliamentary process and the rule of law. Politicians and (corporate club critics) who grasp at the notion of "human rights". Critics who lie, bend the truth and deceive us all, a result that is politically motivated and makes them feel good but bears little relation to democracy and justice for all in the struggle of life.

A STRUGGLE ON TWO FRONTS: PRISONS & IMPERIALIST WAR

On guard to protect liberty from evil minded rulers, thoughtful? You bet. Judges who use their role to encourage human rights (and therefore promote liberty) have reminded us of their job description. Of course, judges have to make choices when they interpret vague laws.

Undoubtedly, the common law legitimately moves in small, incremental ways. The benefit is that when you give them a platform judges take a deep, intricacy Kirbyeinsight mile to tell you what is in their soul. They travel down roads they have a right being on, using as their road map their own vast personal experience and knowledge.

Guantanamo escape may be justified: Kirby

For example, inside Kirby's Guide to Law-Making you will probably find a long chapter on "human rights" followed by an even fatter chapter on international law, because, as Kirby said in an interview in April: "(International law) will make us more creative." And then there is the chapter on protecting "minorities, the weak and the vulnerable" where phrases like "community values" and "social justice" will equal any references to the rule of law.

Why? Because the rule of law is guided by community values and social justice. So for all those critical bullies (Un-Australian's) that think they're not in the same boat. Think again! In other words the Un-Australian's don't see themselves as 'equal', that's why judges speak out above their critics.

As one judge on a bench of seven, Kirby's activist forays make human rights a reality opposed to fascist governments and corporate media who just don't care. But don't you worry, because they'll get by without their rabbit pie.

In NSW, unfair dismissal laws stop unscrupulous employers who try to pay employees below award rates by using independent contractor arrangements. Think garage sweatshops and overworked, underpaid migrant workers.

The Un-Australian newspaper said, "You soon had senior executives claiming unfair dismissal, using the same laws to secure $14 million option packages and has been extended to corporate executives who are neither weak nor vulnerable."

Are senior executives equal regardless of their status? Should corporate media journalists place barriers before equality and the law, for their hip pocket nerve endings? How would they react if it were their job on the line? Was this argument by the Un-Australian newspaper, just a sleazy way of undermining judicial activism? A payback? Or simply a way to undermine unfair dismissal laws as being useless and invalid?

An alleged expert Sydney lawyer John Colvin put on a pedestal by the Un-Australian newspaper to back up their story, who is in employment law said, "he has seen the IRC become the rich boys' legal playground."

He has written about the "lucky executives in NSW" who can apply to the IRC to "set aside negotiated contracts of employment even when they provide for lengthy notice periods, termination payouts, share schemes and bonuses.

"An employee will always call a termination "unfair" but why do IRC judges so often agree? Because they can. "Fairness," says Colvin, "is a bit like beauty, which can reside in the eye of the beholder." NSW politicians made it easy for them by drafting vague laws, leading the judges out into the wilderness and abandoning them, as former High Court judge Hayden Starke said once."

"Laws can translate into expensive litigation. Employers will pay a premium to avoid those costs. That jacks up the costs of employment and that, in turn, acts as a disincentive to business to set up headquarters in NSW."

But do unfair dismissal laws act as a deterrent to keep away bad business practice in NSW. If the answer is yes then perhaps it serves the greater good Mr Colvin?

The IRC has claimed jurisdiction over all sorts of commercial contracts far removed from the original intention of parliament. Fortunately, the state's highest court is [allegedly], objective and impartial.

Overturning a decision of the IRC, the president of the NSW Court of Appeal, Keith Mason, recently delivered a scathing critique of the IRC: "Like the Chief Justice, I am profoundly troubled by the march of the commission's jurisdiction into the heartland of commercial contracts."

On it went. "The matter is also troubling," said Mason, "because it must frankly be stated that the members of the commission do not generally have the experience of the judges of the Equity Division in such matters and because ... the commission lacks the ongoing assistance of appellate and other supervision by the Court of Appeal or the High Court in such matters." Translation: An interventionist court out of control and out of its depth. That about sums up what's right about having a balance with judges.

What would Kirby make of this latest criticism from judges of the NSW Court of Appeal?

You are entitled to your opinion!

By No Rabbit Pie 27 November 03

THE FOX: They'll get by without their rabbit pie so run rabbit, run rabbit, run run, run!

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