I agree there is a need for an alternative news source.

I suspect that where this has fallen over is that the PR advisers have wanted to target (limited) resources at mainstream media and have in the short run been successful to some extent.

However, I think the media's interest will lag over time and the labour movement will be left without an alternative medium to get their message out.

For many years the left bemoaned the lack of media that put their point of view, and complained at the news presented by the capitalist press. The internet has changed all that. The cost of servicing a web page on the internet is so low that any opinion, no matter how marginal, can easily be presented. Any period of surfing the net will prove that. The fact that Workers Online has folded speaks more of lack of will than anything else. It makes one wonder whether unions have really had their day.

PROBLEM NUMURO UNO....
with a 'left' oriented press is that it is JUST as biased and full of half truths as the 'Capitalist' press. Unions have destroyed the work ethic in Australia. (by exceeding the limits of fairness.)
EXAMPLE.
A person who spends 3 yrs full time studying say...electronics, and emerges with a certificate, can expect pay of around $45,000 in the real world. His training means that no-one withOUT that training can make critical life threatening repairs, and adjustments to say medical equipment.

UNSKILLED WORK...BUILDERS LABORER.
A person who's training consists of the nearest public bar, and who's work consists of 'dig that hole'... 'move that stuff from where it is, to over there' and which can be done by anybody without any special training whatsoever, can expect to be paid a MINIMUM of $26.5/hour working on a building site as a humble laborer. That hourly rate is enhanced substantially if the value of the building exceeds $2,000,000. So, its a mere starting point.
It translates into an annual income of: $52,000. When you add various allowances for a few drops of rain, a few degrees of temperature above a set limit, and other things, this is further increased. If the 'site' is out of Melbourne CBD there is a higher site allowance. Pay also depends on WHO the company is, but it won't be lower than the figure above.
I obtained these facts from the CFMEU union itself. (phone call)

UNIONS have basically destroyed the value of work in this country. They have been driven by a spurious idea of 'class warfare' (as in the case of the BLF) and have placed pretty much zero incentive out there for people to obtain training. Why spend 2 yrs of your life to train when you can do nothing and get more pay ? If that is not a dangerous socio-economic trend I don't know what is.

WORKER NEWS..what would it say ? "Lockouts by the evil galactic lord such and such building company" or.. "Workers make unreasonable demands for unsustainable pay increases" ?
go figure.

Are we headed in the same direction as that of the USA? Given that the last adjustment to the base wage there was in !996, $5.00 an hour and just being raised to $7.00, approx figures. A review early in 2006 was defeated by the then republican congress. Imagine in Australia no wage review for ten years? Then only to $7.00 an hour. What person, could in Australia, live on $7.00 an hour, picking oranges here is $15.00 an hour and I had trouble with that.
fluff