Thank you Abetz

With lines such as this one, the new opposition IR maggot is going to make life so much easier for us progressives.

"Underneath it all, modern awards are largely the same old prescriptive rules about conditions of work, penalty rates, hours, loadings."

Damn those low paid workers (and remember it's only the low paid who are award reliant) getting things like penalty rates and rules concerning their conditions of work! How dare they have basic standards!

Abetz is well-known for his homophobic views and "pro-life" views on abortion and euthanasia. He's a true right-wing warrior. I'm sure the Australian public will grow to love him...not.

Labor 'ignores' building watchdog

According to The Australian, John Lloyd is feeling lonely and unloved by Gillard's office.

Good. Hurry up and fuck off already.

Jesus image appears on banana peel

I am not going to blog endlessly about this article. I just wanted to say it is shit journalism, even by News Limited "standards". We don't live in the Dark Ages. This is not news. It's not even worthy of a B-grade blog.

What is happening with the NUW in Queensland?

There's a bit of a mystery as to what happened to the officials attempting to block the Charlie Donnelly backed takeover of the Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia branches of the NUW. Certainly in WA the elected officials had their SDA gig to fall back onto, with that union being far bigger. But in SA and Qld the officials there were left without paid positions once those branches amalgamated into the Victorian backed General Branch.

The situation up in Queensland is bizarre. On 22 September 2009 the 'National Union of Workers Industrial Union of Employees Queensland' (NUWIUEQ) (the transitionally registered state union of the NUW) registered the Australian Business Number 34 732 750 564, based at the postcode 4129, which is the Logan area, south of Brisbane. Certainly not their Milton location.

In addition to this the NUWIUEQ has obtained right of entry permits for three individuals: John Cosgrove, the former State Secretary of the now abolished Queensland Branch of the National Union of Workers (ie the federal union), Michelle Holweg and Nick Story. See below.



Even more curious is the fact that Michelle Holweg appears to be the Secretary of the transitionally registered association and not John Cosgrove, despite his clear involvement. This can be evidenced in the Kerry Ingredients Australia Pty Ltd and National Union of Workers Industrial Union of Employees Queensland (Murarrie) Enterprise Agreement 2009 - 2011. Page 37 clearly shows that the address for the NUWIUEQ is 'The Groves', Unit 5, 3986 Pacific Highway Loganholme 4129. This is one of the few examples I can find of the NUWIUEQ having negotiated an agreement. It appears that most workplaces are choosing to deal with the NUW National Office, including the big employer Golden Circle.

Recent job advertisements (click here and here) on the Labornet website indicate that National Office has plans for growth and to possibly make sure this breakaway is crushed before it starts (although it's curious the closing dates for applications aren't until March 2010).

It is clear the NUWIUEQ has not given up the fight to operate as union in its own right. What is not clear is who is involved, besides the above three individuals. You'd imagine their financial membership is rather limited also so where is the money coming from? It's also puzzling as to why there is no telephone listing, at the very least, for this breakaway union. They have an office - why no phone? I expect details will come out in the new year...

The plot thickens.

For more information on the background to this story you might like to check out these links:
* NUW heads to Federal Court over bid to abolish branches
* Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009: NUW NSW and QLD State Branch Submission

Postscript to this story (22 March 2012):

The NUWIUEQ was apparently defunct for some time. In 2011 the national office had clearly taken over the NUWIUEQ and had it deregistered. I've never heard of a union deregistering ITSELF. I can only assume it was to make sure national office had complete control.

The race for the top job of the ACTU

Well the way some left-wing unions are sooking you'd think the world had ended because Ged Kearney has gotten the nod over Cath Bowtell to replace Sharan Burrow as president of the ACTU

I have met both Kearney and Bowtell over the years and both were worthy of the job. However, it must be said that Kearney has the polish which Bowtell doesn't have. Bowtell is more a behind the scenes person. She knows her stuff but doesn't have the media experience. The ANF are a big union. Burrows was formerly president of the teachers' union - Kearney is also leader of a large white-collar union.

Having said all of that Bowtell has far more personality than Jeff Lawrence. Maybe he could bugger off, instead of the other ideas the Right unions have of creating another Assistant Secretary spot. Seriously, Jeff Lawrence is about as exciting as watching wet cement dry.

Paul Howes has also once again shown himself to be a whinger. When he grows some stubble maybe he'll have some cred.

everyone will blame Labor

If the analysis by the "left-wing" SMH is anything to go by then we're going to see the media get stuck into the ALP for the recent bate of strikes. And we're also going to see half-truths and facts conveniently forgotten, such as

1. In the postie strike the plan was to have mail be delivered even if there was no stamp. Australia Post threatened any employee who did this with a deduction of their entire pay! The Fair Work Act 2009 allows employers to deduct pay for bans, but only on a proportionate basis to the action. So the posties said they'd strike instead - these facts seem to be missed in the article linked to above.

2. The strikes being undertaken were legal under Howard's laws too. Indeed many workers have had to jump through hoop after hoop to have their industrial action. It is coincidence they're occurring at the same time, in part. The Aus Post workers would've been on the grass months ago if management hadn't appealed decisions of Fair Work Australia to the Full Bench.

I just had to share this photo. I cannot take credit for either the photo or the dog. I do feel sorry for the dog having that animal's name written on him.

Tony Abbott eh?

Finally I have someone to hate again. And Tony makes it too easy!