INSID

E More workers fight for entitlementsHow Australia avoided recessionJock Ferguson remembered

AUTUMN 2010

NIGHTMARE onABBOTT STREET

AMWUNEWS2

Some horror films don’t deserve a sequel

AMWU News is the official publication of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, (registered AFMEPKIU) National Office, 133 Parramatta Road, Granville, NSW, 2142.

Editor: Dave Oliver

AMWU Communications Team: Tim Chapman, Jem Wilson

Design: dcmc Design, Melbourne

All information included in this publication was correct at the time of publication, but is subject to change at any time. Please contact your union organiser for updates.

© AMWU National Office

Made in Australia by AMWU labour

Dave Oliver's editorial ........................................................................... 3

Workers at Forgecast still fighting ......................................................... 4

Fairfax workers win ............................................................................... 5

Delegates gear-up for campaigning ...................................................... 6

Safety standards save lives ................................................................... 7

Vale Jock Ferguson ................................................................................ 8

Rally against asbestos exports ............................................................ 10

How Australia avoided recession ......................................................... 11

Delegate Profile ................................................................................... 12

AMWU News

AMWUNEWS 3

AUTUMN2010

“In a few short months Tony Abbott has taken the Liberal Party back down the ultra-conservative path.

The Rudd Government has copped criticism from unions where it has let workers down, but its decisive action in the face of the economic crisis stands in stark contrast to the scorched earth workers’ rights and manufacturing wasteland policies of the Coalition.

EDITORIAL

Nobody would have thought that after the ‘Your

Rights at Work’ campaign and the 2007 election result, WorkChoices would again be centre stage in the lead up to the 2010 election. Even though Brendan Nelson and then Malcom Turnbull promised WorkChoices was dead, the majority of the Liberal Party wouldn’t accept the clear rejection by Australians. In a few short months Tony Abbott has taken the Liberal Party back down the ultra-conservative path.

Under his leadership, the Coalition have not just reverted to their extreme position on slashing workers’ rights, penalty rates, individual AWA contracts and removing protection from unfair dismissal. Abbott has taken up climate change denial, questioned women’s place in modern society, and proposed reckless free-market deregulation as if the global economic crisis never occurred. For manufacturing workers, his policies could not be worse. He has echoed the do-nothing policies that saw 100 000 manufacturing jobs lost during the Howard era.

Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey, has raised the prospect of scrapping the succesful industry programs Labor has introduced.

The Rudd Government has been by no means perfect. It has copped criticism from unions where it has let workers down, but its decisive action in the face of the economic crisis stands in stark contrast to the scorched earth workers’ rights and manufacturing wasteland policies of the Coalition.

While the Coalition proposed nothing, Labor delivered investment in jobs. Its industry plan for our auto and components sector in 2008 was a forerunner for the stimulus packages that sustained so many families’ incomes and jobs during the crisis. There is no doubt that the Rudd Government’s action prevented Australia from entering the recession that hurt every other developed economy in the world.

The Labor Government has also meant that manufacturing workers now have a say in the government policies that affect our industries. When we challenged Labor on the lack of local content in the stimulus infrastructure projects, we were able to get a set of rules put in place to increase local

content and raise the standard for workers by mandating Fair Work principles on those projects.

Employer attitudes are another reason why a return to the coalition would be a disaster. Employers understand that a Labor Government means co-operation is more rewarding than attacking workers, but an Abbott election will see us right back where we were under WorkChoices.

All elections are close and no-one should kid themselves about the real chance of this happening. If only 3 in every 100 people change their vote, it will happen.

This election will be fought out on many fronts: jobs, the environment, health and workers’ rights. We always need to push Labor to improve, but we cannot be complacent about what a return to WorkChoices under Abbott would mean.

Dave Oliver

AMWU National Secretary

Summer of discontent: Forgecast workers still

fighting for entitlements

AMWUNEWS4

NEWS

As Summer turned to Autumn 57 workers who face losing

$4.4 million worth of redundancy, superannuation and other entitlements, entered their 14th week of protest outside the premises of their former company.In November last year, the 57 Forgecast workers were sacked and told the company did not have the money to pay them what they were owed.

The workers maintained a round-the-clock protest all through the long, hot summer to draw attention to their fight for justice.

AMWU State Secretary, Steve Dargavel, said the AMWU and AWU members at Forgecast are the latest victims of a system that allows bosses to subvert corporate law in order to avoid paying workers entitlements when companies are liquidated.

AMWU National Secretary, Dave Oliver, met with the workers in February to talk about their struggle and the union’s campaign for a national entitlements system that protects all workers’ entitlements from company collapses.

He said the protest at Forgecast is part of the larger battle for changes to the Federal Government’s redundancy and insolvency laws.

“You are not alone,” he told the workers. “The Union is fighting for a proper workers’ entitlement scheme that will ensure this never happens again. We also want laws to pursue employers’ personally when they leave a company without assets to cover entitlements. That’s the message we will be taking to the Federal Government in the lead up to the Federal election, and we’ll be highlighting your plight and the plight of other workers facing the same situation.”

AMWU delegate at Forgecast, George Pavlov, says that while most Australians enjoyed the Christmas break, workers from Forgecast spent a long summer protesting outside the factory and living on next to nothing.

“Some of the people here have young families and mortgages. They were left without a cent before Christmas and they’re now owed hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

When Foregcast went into liquidation, its millionaire director, Ian Benyon, set up another company with the aim of selling himself Forgecast and all its assets.

By doing this Mr Benyon has tried to make himself a creditor in the collapse of his own company.

George Pavlov says Mr Benyon is trying to avoid paying his workers’ entitlements.

“He thinks he can do whatever he likes and get

away with it,” he said.

With the help of the union, workers from Forgecast have lodged claims under the Federal Government’s General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS).

But because the GEERS scheme is capped, the workers from Forgecast will lose out on $1.4 million in unpaid entitlements and super. It’s a devastating blow for the workers, many of whom have served the company for over 30 years.

Brian Coates was a tool maker at Forgecast for 25 years and he’s taking part in the picket-line. Brian believes he’s owed around $114,000 in unpaid entitlements and super.

At 61 years of age, Brian says he’ll be lucky to get another job and he’ll need the money he’s owed for his retirement.

He says the current entitlements system doesn’t offer enough protection for loyal workers like him.

“The owner should be held accountable,” he said.

“He (Mr Benyon) has other companies so he can afford to wait. We’ve been out here for 14 weeks but the protest might last another six months. He’s got plenty of money. But we need jobs. We need an income.” ■

Right: Dave Oliver met with Forgecast workers to talk about plans for a National Entitlements Scheme that will protect 100% of workers’ entitlements.

Because the GEERS scheme is capped, the workers from Forgecast will lose out on $1.4 million in unpaid entitlements and super. It’s a devastating blow for the workers, many of whom have served the company for over 30 years.

As the AMWU News went to press, 140 workers at Paragon Printing

Ltd in Wodonga, Victoria were being laid off for 48 hours.The devastated workers face being made redundant without receiving entitlements totalling $10 million, including superannuation which has not been paid since December. Many workers haven’t been paid for up to three weeks.

The day after placing both companies in administration, the owner, Amir Hyster, fled overseas.

The workers have rallied at a meeting of

creditors, demanding to know who will be held accountable for the company’s collapse and their unpaid entitlements.

The administrators say it’s likely that Paragon Printing was trading while insolvent and the company has not paid tax, superannuation or salary-sacrificed payments.

The plight of these workers is another example of why we need to create a national system that protects workers’ entitlements in full and holds company directors to account for their legal obligations to employees. ■

Paragon Print workers face losing $10 million in entitlements

AMWUNEWS 5

NEWS

Solidarity rewarded in Fairfax clerical disputeThe proposed agreement

will deliver a wage increase of 9.55% over three years.

It also provides security in terms of rostering, with part-time workers awarded set minimum hours and full-time workers protecting their right not to be forced to work on weekends.

The protections were won after a prolonged campaign that included industrial action, by the

AMWU members.

The proposed agreement presents significant improvements on the deal first proposed by management in February 2009, which included a flexibility clause that would allow overtime and other conditions to be taken away from individual workers.

AMWU Print Division National Secretary, Lorraine Cassin, said the action taken by AMWU

members is a great example of how union solidarity can achieve better outcomes for all members.

“These members have won dignity and respect within their workplace because they collectively stood together at a difficult time.”

AMWU organiser, Nadia Machlouch, said the new agreement was secured after the members made the difficult decision to launch industrial action.

“The industrial action brought the company back to the negotiating table and for the first time in a long time we were able to have real negotiations. It wasn’t just management saying, ‘this is the way this is going to be’. Our members stood up to the pressure to accept a whole range of things they weren’t comfortable with.”

The members should be proud of the way they conducted the campaign and won a better deal.

“It was acknowledged by The Age management that this was the toughest negotiation they have had with the clerical workers,” said Lorraine Cassin.

“When the proposed agreement was finalised, members’ responses were really positive. As a union we are pleased with the offer because it improves existing conditions and recognises the hard work of these members.” ■

AMWU support leads to Kickstart campaign success

517 new apprentices have commenced work in AMWU workshops nationally due to union support of the Federal Government’s Kickstart program and the work of AMWU officer Cory Wright.

The $100 million program was announced by the Federal Government after the AMWU campaigned for more support for apprenticeships, particularly during the economic downturn which has seen a 25% decline in apprenticeship commencements.

In the three months leading up to 28 February 2010, the Kickstart bonus of $3350 was made available to employers who took on a young person aged 19 years and under into a traditional trade Australian Apprenticeship.

More pay, better training and fairer treatment for new apprentice members

Representatives from the NSW Growth

Unit and Skilled Trades Committee have visited nine TAFE campuses across Sydney to meet with apprentices and discuss the importance of joining the AMWU.The TAFE visits are an opportunity for the union to listen to the concerns of apprentices and promote the union’s campaign to increase apprentice rates of pay, tool allowances, quality of training, job

security and reduce TAFE fees.

NSW organiser, Daniel Kyriacou, said the AMWU spoke to over 800 apprentices about the importance of joining the union.

“A lot of these apprentices don’t understand how the union can help them or they’re worried that their bosses will sack them if they join the union. So it’s a real opportunity for us to dispel some of these myths and spread the message about the benefits of signing up.”

The TAFE visits are the continuation of a three week pilot program

conducted by the union in 2009, which resulted in over 90 apprentices joining the AMWU.

“When you start out in the workplace, there are a lot of things you need to learn, and the apprentices had a lot of questions they wanted answered”, Daniel said.

“A lot of them were worried about job security and how they’re going to survive on an apprentice wage, so it’s important for us to show how being part of the union will help them stand up for their rights and conditions.” ■

Clerical staff at The Age are set to vote on an agreement that will deliver significant improvements in rostering and a three year deal on increased wages.

Paragon Print workers face losing $10 million in entitlements

AMWUNEWS6

A double win for United membersAMWU members at United Rail

Limited in NSW have won an increase in apprentice ratios, better redundancy provisions and improved wages under a new union collective agreement.Shortly after the agreement was reached, the company announced it had been awarded a new contract worth $126 million to supply coal locomotives and wagons to Queensland Rail.

“It’s fantastic to know that we secured the agreement before the new contract with Queensland Rail was awarded,” said AMWU organiser, Mark Hoban.

“Our members will now be employed under an agreement that provides protection in terms of wages, conditions and job security.”

Bill Simmons, an AMWU delegate at United Rail, said the members where ecstatic with the outcome.

“I think it’s important that we’ve come out on a high from our campaign. It was a good win and we’re in

a better position to influence management on the decision making process in the future,” he said.

Bill said AMWU members worked hard to increase union membership and unity in the workplace and that helped sustain the campaign.

“Coming into the negotiations we focused a lot on unity and building the shop up so we managed to get 100% union membership including all contractors on site,” he said.

“There was a lot of unity in the shop and that’s the foundation for having a good campaign.”

Negotiations on the union agreement began over a year ago, when the AMWU members at United Rail rejected a proposed wage rise of 3.75 % over 15 months.

Even though the previous agreement expired in March 2009, Mark Hoban said the members decided to hold out until they could reach an agreement under the Labor Government’s new Fair Work laws.

After holding two days of stoppages outside the United Rail workshop in Chullora in January, the

AMWU members have now secured a deal which provides for an 8 % wage increase over 26 months.

The new agreement also includes redundancy provisions.

“We wanted a commitment on redundancies,” said Bill Simmons. “In the present circumstances it’s important to have a redundancy provision to fall back on.”

Bill said the agreement also provides improved workplace classification structures to allow for more career advancement as well as a commitment to employ four new apprentices this year.

It’s estimated the company will have to create up to 60 jobs to fulfil the new contract to provide trains and locomotives to Queensland Rail.

Bill hopes these new employees will recognise the benefits of entering a unionised workplace.

“The new workers will be walking into a union shop, a good organised shop,” he said.

“They’re all potential members and we’ll be looking to organise them. We’re 100% union and the management have no qualms about that. We’re a disciplined and well organised unit and that’s why the company values us and why we’ve got this new agreement.” ■

Our members are concerned about job

security, securing their entitlements and

building up their rights at work using the new

Fair Work Laws

NEWS

Delegates ready for a year of campaigning

United members took action to support their bargaining campaign.

“

AMWUNEWS 7

NEWS

Delegates ready for a year of campaigning AMWU delegates are seizing the

opportunity of a federal election year to campaign hard on securing workers’ entitlements, maintaining strong industry policy, developing our clean energy industries to tackle climate change and other key issues for manufacturing workers.

Delegates in each state met during February and March to discuss the union’s campaign aims for the year with National Secretary, Dave Oliver, Acting National President, Paul Bastian and state officials.

In each state delegates raised issues directly affecting their workplaces as well as areas concerning manufacturing workers across the country.

“The overall message that we got was that our

members are concerned about job security, securing their entitlements and building up their rights at work using the new Fair Work Laws”, said Dave Oliver.

Victorian delegate, Max Webster, summed up many delegates attitudes, saying “We need to put a lot of pressure on the Government to make good on the things that they promised us, especially in terms of legislating against employers so they can’t take our entitlements and our rights, because that is just theft.”

Delegates were given fact sheets summarising key issues for manufacturing workers. Copies of these fact sheets are available to all members in the delegates’ section of the website - www.amwu.org.au

Several videos shown at the forums are also online at www.youtube.com/AMWUTV ■

Benefits of health and safety training keep ticking over

Having a heart attack at work doesn’t sound like a great thing to

have happen to you, but Steve Martin considers himself lucky.“Lucky it happened on the job. If I wasn’t here and…if it wasn’t for Lindsay’s training I would have been in real trouble. It was all pluses from my side of things.

Last December, a defibrillator that Steve’s company, Boeing, had purchased was used to save his life.

Shane Horton said that the company made the purchase after workers made the case. “We have an ageing workforce, so it makes sense. The recommendation came from the health and safety co-ordinator Matt Eldridge and we were able to put a case together and justify it and convince the company to buy it. It’s turned out very well, and now we have three more machines being brought on to the site.”

Steve went to work feeling fine that day, but suffered a cardiac arrest just after lunch.

After he collapsed, two work mates were able to begin CPR, but when health and safety officer Lindsay Bawden showed up, the defibrillator wasn’t being used because it had a battery fault.

Thinking quickly, Lindsay reset the machine and put it to work. The $3500 machine kicked in and was able to get Steve’s heart started again.

In total eight Boeing workers trained up in advanced resuscitation worked on Steve until an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital.

“It was really up to the eight first aiders that are trained and their input: Lindsay Bawden, Shane

Horton, George Grant, Simon Flamos, Mark Croucher, Brian Sieve and Mark Haidle”, Steve said.

“When I was recovering, the specialist said that I was in the one per cent of people that survive a cardiac arrest outside of hospital.”

“The company also gave my wife a lot of support during that time that we appreciated.”

AMWU delegate at Boeing, Scott Hall, said that the incident demonstrated the importance of companies taking health and safety seriously.

“There’s no question that workplaces are much safer where workers and unions are involved in safety,” he said. ■

Thinking quickly, Lindsay reset the

machine and put it to work. The $3500

machine kicked in and was able to get Steve’s

heart started again.

“

Scott Hall and Mark Croucher with Steve Martin holding the defibrillator, Lindsay Bawden and Shane Horton.

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NEWS

Jock Ferguson remembered as workers’ hero In February, unionists across Australia mourned the passing of Jock Ferguson, the WA secretary of the AMWU until 2008. Jock died of a heart attack on 13 February 2010. He was 64.

A Scottish piper and a union guard of honour helped usher over 800 mourners into a Fremantle chapel to send Jock off.

The huge crowd, which included union members, industry chiefs and MPs was a testament to the regard in which Jock was held in all walks of life.

The current AMWU WA secretary, Steve McCartney, praised Jock for his leadership of the union movement in Western Australia and his role as a mentor and teacher to other union members.

“Jock was a long-term fighter for the rights of working people in this state. His leadership, dedication and friendship will be sorely missed by the AMWU,” he said.

National Secretary, Dave Oliver, spoke on behalf of the union at the funeral.

Jock is survived by eight children, three grand children and his partner, Tina.

An AMWU tribute to Jock can be read at www.awmu.org.au

Make it here or jobs disappear

140 AMWU delegates in Queensland have

marched across the Kurilpa Bridge in Brisbane as part of the Manufacturing Matters campaign.The slogan for the campaign is ‘Make it here or jobs disappear’.The Brisbane action capped off a week of events in Rockhampton, Gladstone, Maryborough,

Townsville and Mackay.

The delegates carried hundreds of work boots collected from members across Queensland to symbolise the jobs that would be lost if manufacturing contracts in Queensland are allowed to go off shore.

The Kurilpa Bridge was constructed by local contractors using local content.

Queensland State Secretary, Andrew Dettmer, said the State Government needs to intervene and ensure that contracts are awarded to local tenders.

“We want the State Government to extend the local industry policy to private sector projects that require government approval. So that every coal mine, every rail line, every piece of private

sector infrastructure has a plan to maximise local jobs and local content,” he said.

“The State Government must take decisive action to ensure Queensland industries are considered first for tenders. We don’t want to see manufacturing jobs walk out of this country.” ■

“

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NEWS

Women speak upWomen AMWU members from across Victoria met in

December to discuss the role of women in the union and

ways to get more female workers involved.

Over two days, delegates, activists and officials

discussed the issues that particularly affect women in

manufacturing, where only 20% of workers are women.

Anne Lenne - VarianWe all hear that women are natural carers and nurturers. That’s why we need to care and nurture ourselves. Like many others, I once thought that management would do the right thing by me if I did the right thing by them, but I found out the hard way that’s not the way it is

Things happen and management keep you in the dark. I find out about new laws, workers’ rights and women’s industrial rights through the union and on the internet. I’m often the one telling the company that they need to implement those policies.

I was once hesitant about becoming active in the union because I didn’t want to dive into something I didn’t know, but I had no choice but to stand up for myself and others.

Use that protective and nurturing instinct and get active in the union. It will open your eyes and you’ll never look back. ■

Helen Graesser - The AgeManagement aren’t being ‘nice’ when they address issues like childcare and flexibility for women workers. These are issues central to our working lives – sometimes they decide if we can work or not, or whether we can put food on the table and pay our bills.

More women need to stand up about their rights. They need to attend union meetings and get involved so issues that are important to women are raised and dealt with.

There was a woman at my work a while ago who was harassed by HR because she was taking too much sick leave – her kids were sick. I stand up and speak out about things like that, because they are simply unjust and I encourage all women who are members of the union to do the same. Our battles will not be fought by others. We have rights and if we want to see them upheld, we are the ones who have to fight for them. ■

Silvia Trejedor - Department of DefenceOnly 20% of our workforce are women which is all the more reason why every one of us should be active. It can be an isolating experience being a minority, that’s why we need to overcome our hesitation and get involved.

I know a lot of us want an easy life. We want to do our jobs and go home to our families at the end of the day, without any further commitments. But we are often forced by situations to take action on behalf of others and ourselves.

Once you take the first step to stand up for yourself and others against injustice, you can’t go back to not caring, not speaking up. I say to all women and young people, that you have an important role to play.

The easy life is a boring life anyway and who wants a boring life? ■

Debora James -The AgeI’m the only female delegate in my workplace and it has been a real challenge at times to get other women more interested and active in the union.

But I keep going because I hate injustice. I can’t stand people being bullied or stood over. We have a great EBA, but management is always trying to undermine it, they’re always trying it on and I am always encouraging my workmates to stand up for themselves and their rights.

I encourage all women to use their voice. As a union member you have a right to be heard and your issues are important. Even if you don’t want to become a delegate, become active, become vocal. Every worker who is a union member has a voice. So use it. ■

What does being a woman and a unionist mean to you?

Economics for EveryoneIf you tune out when you

hear the finance report and you think that economics is technical and confusing, then it’s time to think again because you’re part of the economy and you need to understand it.That’s the view of Jim Stanford, an economist with the Canadian Auto Workers Union and the author of “Economics for Everyone: A short guide to the economics of capitalism.”Stanford has written a book to try and help everyday people understand the economy; a book for union members, activists, and mums and dads. His idea is that if working people understand the capitalist economy then they will be more successful in changing it.

“Economics for Everyone” is free of jargon and statistics and it’s easy to read, with short chapters, illustrations and cartoons. It’s the kind of book that makes you re-examine your own life and your role within the economy.“Forgot the market updates,” Stanford writes. “Here’s a better way to find out about the economy – your economy. Ask some questions… Can you comfortably pay your bills each month? Do you regularly save? Is your income higher than it was five years ago? If

you had a little more income what would you do with it?”Those who seek to benefit from the capitalist economy often tell us that ‘the market’ is responsible for job losses and inequality. But Stanford picks apart this ideology, saying that unemployment and recessions are built into the capitalist system.“Income distribution is determined by power more than the markets,”

he writes. One of Stanford’s key messages is that union membership gives individuals the political power to back up their demands for a fairer system.

“Workers and poor people only get as much from the economy as they are able to demand, fight for and win,” he writes. “There is no

reason to believe that the success of capitalists will ever naturally ‘trickle-down’ into improved living standards for the bulk of humanity.”He says that if we don’t understand the economy, we will believe the lies of people and corporations that want to exercise power over us.“Never trust an economist with your job,” he writes. “Learn about economics yourself. And make up your own mind about what might protect your job – and what might destroy it”.The AMWU has 50 copies of Economics for Everyone to give away to members who write in or send an email to news@amwu.asn.auA lecture on the global financial crisis by Jim Stanford during his recent visit to Australia is available at www.amwu.org.au ■

AMWUNEWS10

NEWS

We all know what it’s like to have a bad day, but for some of us those bad days seem to never end. It could be anxiety or depression, it could be a drinking problem, but one in five Australians has a mental health problem. If you feel this way then you’re not alone and there are ways to get help.The Superfriend Industry Funds Forum Mental Health Foundation was launched in February and it can offer assistance and advice to all superannuation fund members.

Superfriend is a nationwide initiative aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of industry superannuation fund members.

Focusing on early prevention and response, the program’s goal is to reduce the incidence of suicide and the impact of mental illness on individuals, workplaces, friends and families.

The Superfriend website contains advice and tips on how to make our workplaces healthier, happier and more productive.

It also contains information to help you raise awareness about mental health issues and remove any stigma surrounding mental illness.

If you or someone you know is having a tough time, tell them to visit:

www.superfriend.com.au

Superfriend mental health service for union members

Protests as Canada still exporting asbestos

More than 150 trade unionists have marched

through the Indian capital, New Delhi, warning that thousands of Indian workers are dying from exposure to Canadian asbestos.The protesters delivered a letter to a trade delegation from Quebec calling for an urgent end to the Canadian asbestos trade.“Over 100 000 workers are exposed to asbestos daily in India and are falling sick and dying from Canadian Chrysotile asbestos,” they wrote. “And it is not just the workers who suffer, their families bear the burden of the disease too because they lose their sole bread winner and are left destitute.”Paul Bastian, the acting National President of the AMWU, said the asbestos trade was a stain on Canada’s reputation.“Its utter hypocrisy for them to sell asbestos to developing countries when asbestos is illegal

in Canada and the government there is spending millions of dollars removing asbestos from schools, hospitals and buildings,” he said.“It’s a disgrace that Canada cares so little about the lives of workers in the developing world.” The World Health Organisation states that all forms of asbestos are deadly and after many years of concerted union campaigning, the use of asbestos is now banned in 50 countries including Australia, New Zealand and the European Union.Despite this, Canada continues to export 90% of its chrysotile or white asbestos to developing countries such as India and Pakistan where

there are few safety regulations and little knowledge of the dangers posed by asbestos.At the protest in New Delhi, victims of incurable asbestos related diseases described how they are suffering after working in factories covered in deadly asbestos dust.Coinciding with the protest in India and the comments by Mr Bastian, scientists from 28 countries have written to the Premier of Canada calling for the use and export of asbestos to end.“We call on you not to export this same public health tragedy to developing countries, where surely there is more than enough injustice and suffering already”, they wrote. Unions worldwide are lobbying for an end to asbestos exports and the AMWU has joined with APHEDA (Union Aid Abroad) this month in launching a public education campaign to reduce the use of asbestos in Vietnam.Peter Jennings, the Executive Officer at APHEDA, hopes the asbestos awareness project will help prevent workers being exposed to asbestos in Vietnam and cause other countries to rethink their use of this toxic substance.“This project will assist the Vietnamese union movement to produce credible research to inform the ongoing policy debate in Vietnam between employers, the government and the unions. It will also provide practical and direct assistance to workers in the short term who are likely to be exposed to this deadly fibre.” ■

“It’s a disgrace that Canada cares so little

about the lives of workers in the developing world.”

Acting National President, Paul Bastian

“

AMWUNEWS 11

As the Global Financial Crisis threatened to engulf Australia, the Federal government launched a series of

financial stimulus packages in a bid to stimulate the local economy, support jobs, boost infrastructure and lessen the effects of the global recession. In the end, Australia managed to avoid recession completely.The government’s response was so effective because it chose initiatives that were timely, temporary and targeted:

1) The government responded quickly and decisively to the global financial crisis, implementing stimulus measures from October 2008. Timely action allowed the stimulus to support the economy when it was needed most.

2) The stimulus measure’s temporary nature ensured that they did not affect the sustainability of the budget.

3) The stimulus measures were also carefully targeted to ensure their effectiveness in boosting demand, in turn supporting jobs and economic activity. The large capital component of the stimulus addressed long term needs for economic and social infrastructure.

Fiscal stimulus packages were announced in October 2008, December 2008, February 2009 and in the May 2009 budget, but at every step the Coalition opposed the government’s decision to invest and create jobs.

Without government intervention, the economy would have contracted and the unemployment rate was predicted to rise to 8.25% – meaning hundreds of thousands of Australians were at risk of losing their jobs.

Many workers still suffered, but the AMWU estimates that an extra 50 000 manufacturing workers who would have otherwise lost their jobs, kept their jobs because of the stimulus packages.

The ‘timely temporary and targeted’ approach in Australia is estimated to have added 2.5% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009-2010 and 1.75% to GDP in 2010-2011.

Australia also achieved these outcomes with very small increases in government borrowing compared to other countries (see table). Not only was the stimulus

borrowing small and affordable, it has saved tens of thousands of jobs. It shows that Joe Hockey and Barnaby Joyce’s scare campaign about debt has no economic credibility. ■

Why was Australia the only OECD country that did not go into recession?

Economics with Nixon Apple

PROJECTED NET GOVERNMENT BORROWING AS A % OF GDP FOR 2013

Source: Economy Watch and Australian Treasury

Australia USA Canada France Italy Germany Japan UK

10%

100%

50%

0% 80% 30% 81% 124% 82% 136% 90%

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BEFORE CRISIS/AFTER CRISIS

US:

10%

5%

0%

Source: OECD Harmonised Unemployment Rates, March 2010

OECD Australia

2007 4.4%

20075.8% Jan,

20105.3%

20074.4%

US: OECD Australia

BEFORE AFTERJan, 2010 9.7%

Jan,20108.7%

AMWU National OfficeLocation: Level 4,133 Parramatta Road, Granville Postal: PO Box 160, Granville, NSW 2142 ....................................................... (02) 8868 15002nd Floor, 251 Queensberry St, Carlton South, VIC 3053 ........................................................ (03) 9230 5700

NSW BranchLocation: Level 1, 133 Parramatta Road, Granville Postal: PO Box 167, Granville, NSW 2142 ..................................................... (02) 9897 4200Albury/Wodonga ........................................... (02) 6024 1099 Newcastle .......................................................(02) 4929 2644 Western Region .............................................. (02) 6337 7162 Wollongong .................................................... (02) 4229 7611

VIC Branch1st Floor, 251 Queensberry St, Carlton South, VIC 3053 ........................................................ (03) 9230 5700

Albury/Wodonga ............................................ (02) 6024 1099 Ballarat ........................................................... (03) 5332 2910 Bendigo .......................................................... (03) 5442 5101 Dandenong ..................................................... (03) 9701 3044 Geelong ..........................................................(03) 5229 9358 Latrobe ........................................................... (03) 5134 3306 Portland ......................................................... (03) 5523 2525 Shepparton .................................................... (03) 5822 2510

QLD BranchLocation: 366 Upper Roma Street, Brisbane Postal: PO Box 13006 George Street, QLD 4003 ........................................................(07) 3236 2550 Mackay ...........................................................(07) 4953 0550 Rockhampton ................................................. (07) 4927 1487 Townsville ...................................................... (07) 4771 5960

SA Branch1st Floor 229 Greenhill Road, Dulwich,

SA 5065 .........................................................(08) 8366 5800Whyalla .......................................................... (08) 8645 7115 WA Branch121 Royal Street, East Perth, WA 6004 .........................................................(08) 9223 0800 Bunbury .......................................................... (08) 9721 7933 Henderson....................................................... (08) 9410 1400

TAS Branch28 Station Street, Moonah, TAS 7009 .......................................................(03) 6228 7099Devonport ...................................................... (03) 6424 7177

ACT OfficeCanberra .........................................................(02) 6273 2412

NT Office1st Floor, 38 Woods Street, Darwin NT 0800 ...........................................................(08) 8941 1511

contact the website for news and views www.amwu.org.au email amwu@amwu.asn.au

PROFILE

Michelle ParkinStreets Ice Cream, Minto, NSW

I’ve been a delegate at Streets for just over a year now. I decided to take on the role because there were a lot of things happening that I wanted to help improve, especially with health and safety. We haven’t had the best OHS system but it’s getting better now that we’ve raised awareness about the issues. Now people know that everyone is responsible for safety, whereas before it was left up to management or the OHS Rep.

Being a delegate is about helping the workers, which is important to me. If I had one sentence that’s how I’d sum it up. It’s been good to be able to help and be in that position.

I’m about to do training on bargaining. We’ve got our collective agreement up this year so it’s a big year. I can’t even imagine what we’re going to be in for.

Some bosses are so good at ignoring the point or taking things out of context if it suits them that I think, ‘no-one could actually be so stupid’. I think they must do their own training. There is a definite strategy behind what they do.

They always try on a different interpretation of an agreement and we have to make sure we don’t let them walk over us.

I wish that everyone would realise that everything we’ve got today comes from what unions have achieved over the years. Without the union we’d just have a dictatorship. We keep the bosses on the right track and make sure workers get a say.

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