Up to 20,000 people mobilised for a four-hour march through Caracas on November 20. The demonstration, led by campesinos (peasants), was in support of the reelection of revolutionary Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the December 3 election.
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The NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) and Homelessness NSW/ACT have criticised the Iemma state government for not doing enough for the homeless, following the government聮s November 14 release of a 10-year plan to tackle the problem.
On November 15, 2000 members of the Electrical Trades Union packed Dallas Brooks Hall to discuss an initial response to the federal government聮s denial of a common law agreement between the ETU and National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) that covered 10,000 workers and about 1000 employers.
One of the biggest lies that the corporate media has relentlessly pushed for many years is that the trade union movement is a 聯special interest group聰. They argue this because only 23% of workers are members of trade unions today. However, studies show that the great majority of workers look to unions to defend their rights at work, would join unions if given the opportunity and if they didn聮t risk being penalised by their boss.
John Parker, secretary of Victoria聮s Gippsland Trades and Labour Council, condemned the findings of the federal government聮s panel of so-called experts on nuclear energy. 聯Any attempt to build a nuclear power plant in Gippsland will be strongly resisted聰, he said on November 22.
Among the proposals included in the Australian Council of Trade Unions聮 industrial relations legislation policy, adopted at its October conference, were provisions for unions to be able to hold elections to win recognition in workplaces where the boss refuses to bargain with them. These ballots are aimed at addressing the lack of a mechanism whereby unions can make an employer negotiate a collective agreement for workers. Such ballots have been a feature of the US industrial relations system for over 70 years.
Victoria鈥檚 Labor premier, Steve Bracks, claimed victory in the state election on the evening of polling day, November 25. Bracks said that the result was a message to the federal government 鈥淭o stop dictating about nuclear reactors, and industrial relations, and start listening to families right around this country鈥. With 75% of the vote counted, the ALP had won almost 44% of the vote, a swing against it of around 4.3%.
From November 21-22, Nelson Davila, Venezuela聮s chief diplomatic representative in Australia, visited Perth. He held meetings with the officials and organisers of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union; addressed the Unions WA council; and was the guest at receptions organised by the Australian Islamic College and the Curtin Centre for Human Rights Education. Davila concluded his visit by speaking to a public meeting of 70 people at the MUA hall in North Fremantle, where he explained the development of the people聮s power movement in his country and welcomed the launch of a Perth group of the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network. Pictured: Davila and MUA WA secretary Chris Cain.
The following are comments by Socialist Alliance trade union activists on some of the key questions facing the union movement.
Workplace Relations Act (1996)
This law stripped allowable matters in industrial awards back to 20, restricted the right of union officials to enter workplaces and introduced individual contracts (AWAs).
Trade Practices Act (1974)
Sections
Debate continues over how guest workers and those on 457 visas should be treated. The WA branch of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) passed a resolution at its July state conference that recommends avoiding falling into the federal government and bosses鈥 divide-and-rule trap.
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