News briefs

Freedom of association

SYDNEY — The May 27 Sydney Morning Herald reported that the federal government hastily dropped a plan to allow employers to sack workers for being union members after the paper asked the office of industrial relations minister Peter Reith for a comment. The previously unreported change would have been part of Reith's "second wave" of attacks on workers' rights.

Current laws, including the Workplace Relations Act, make it illegal to discriminate against workers on the grounds of union membership. The government wanted to make belonging to a union grounds for dismissal if the employer was trying to break a union "closed shop". Industrial law expert Professor Ron McCallum of Sydney University said the government's view was that freedom of association could not operate if there was 100% union membership.

Aborigines genocide claim

CANBERRA — Wadjularbinna Nulyarimma of the Gungalidda people from Queensland, Isobel Coe of the Wiradjuri people from NSW and Kevin Buzzacott of the Arabunna people of SA appeared before the Federal Court on June 1 in a case with 20 other plaintiffs seeking a ruling that genocide is an offence against Australian law. Aboriginal people are seeking a declaration that customary laws against genocide have become part of domestic Australian law, despite the fact that parliament had deliberately not incorporated the international genocide convention into domestic law.

If this declaration is made, it could be used by Aboriginal people to attack the validity of Howard's Wik "10-point plan" and the legislation passed to enact it. Nulyarimma argued the case in court, saying that native title laws and the health system were "genocidal acts against my people".

Newcastle Council opposes protest ban

NEWCASTLE — The Newcastle City Council upheld the right of groups to assemble on public property at its May 25 meeting. The vote followed a threat by a security guard and a city mall management official to call police if picketers attending the May 23 Indonesia and East Timor solidarity picket did not move on. When councillors Margaret Henry (Greens) and Keith Parsons (ALP) visited the picket, they promised to take the issue further.

SA public servants gain 9%

ADELAIDE — Workers in the SA public service voted by a 93% majority to accept a 9% wage increase from October. The agreement brings together more than 40 enterprise agreements.

From July, all workers will get the same salary for the same classification. The agreement includes two weeks' paid maternity leave, guarantees against forced redundancy and a review of specific employment conditions.

Unions oppose industrial law changes

ADELAIDE — More than 2000 workers chanted on the steps of Parliament House on June 3 against the state Liberal government's proposed changes to the industrial relations laws.

ACTU president Jennie George said the proposals are worse than the federal changes being proposed by Peter Reith. Casual workers and workers employed in businesses with less than 15 employees will not be covered by state industrial relations laws.

The United Trades and Labor Council plans to lobby the independent and Democrat MPs before the bill is debated in the upper house.

From GLW issue 364