Belly
Ii is very easy to advise the workers --DO NOT DO IT!-- but are not many workers brave like you, or may be you are a bureaucrat and you speak without risks. Labors have mortgages and need their work, they have children, rents, school fees, some people are old enough and knows that if they lose their job probably they could not find an other one, workers have one million needs real one or not. Only a strong Union Movement in cooperation with a real independent body could solve this kind of problems. Most employers do not understand or care for their responsibilities to their employees, not many employers understand and undertake their social responsibilities.
But we can not have a strong Union Movement if we ignore our member's voices. Migrants, members of the Union have to tell many things about their victimization
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Federal and State Conservatives are a complete rabble. Joe Hockey is pathetic in Parliament. The only thing going for them is that they have the National Press on their side relentlessly undermining Labor and the Greens. Trying to conjure up fictitious corruption accusing Kevin Rudd of accepting favours from bent Burke. Why are right wing politicians always claiming that they are religious ?. Is it because they are ashamed of their greedy selfish politics and turn to the Church to make themseves feel better. Why are religious people always right wing and generalising are never tolerant towards Homosexuals ? Perhaps it is a lack of Education and this Education should be taught in schools to learn that Trade Unions are the defenders of all working people.

Bronco Lane
You know very well that the Union Movement controlled from the ALP. This is not good for the Union Movement as the ALP partly only express labor's rights and benefits. The Union Movement should be enough autonomous and ready to fight ALP governments Federal or State if they ignore labor's rights. The Union Movement must create direct links with Australian society instead of the links threw the ALP. Migrants, Women, youth or elder people have their own special problems, worries and interests and it is easy for the Union Movement to cooperate with them and promote the common interests. Turn your eyes on European Union Movement and you will see that the organized labors from the total number of labors is much higher than in Australia. Why in Scandinavian countries about 80% of employees are members of the Union and in Australia less than 20%?
It is easy to blame all the others but the membership density in Australia indicates that the Union Movement has a huge problem. For me the biggest problem is the division of employees in Anglo Saxon and non Anglo Saxon Unionists or employees and of cause the victimization of the non Anglo Saxon employees. Even we, the lefts and members of the Union do not trust the Union because we know and saw our victimization. How can we expect from the other migrants to become member of the Union?
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

ASymeoakis mate this is my last comment in this thread but I need to say it so here it is.
I am ever bit of me, proud to be from the Labor/Union movement, I am a union official.
No youth I am a lot further to the right than you, I have fought my party and my unions battles for 50 years.
Once from the very left my journey to the right has not been alone Australian voters came with me.
Todays ALP is a product of that evolution.
While I will be forever proud of past union history, will watch lockout again today, we unionists owe it to those who gave us todays working conditions to leave our movement in safe hands and better conditions than we found it.
No return to marginalized leftist ways that are not ever going to return to this country.
Numbers elect governments not dreams pride in having the best policy's but never power is still total defeat.
Mate may I say I understand workers fear?I am brave enough IF my case is honest to fight any one for safety at work.
The miss use, the lies that some used safety for harmed us all real safety is no weapon it is something not to bank not to flog bosses with but fix NOW instantly.
I am offended by your need to seek fairness for migrants outside the general population, why?
If you have been as badly treated as you say it is a problem for the whole not a reason to separate us into different groups.
I hope I am an ambassador for future trade unions that we remind each other we are about fairness and equity for all who work.
One day if the blindness that tells conservatives we are the enemy can be over come we may be able to live with being seen as property of just the ALP.
So very often the ALP uses us as a doormat, let us see if we get rights of entry back.
If we do use them wisely.

ASymeonakis



ASymeonakis
What do you think of Julia Bishop?

I enquire again of you please to clear up something that despite asking you many times you didnt answer.

You told Taryn that you knew nothing of paper to UN complaining ATSIC had been stopped from collecting the funds for aboriginal people.

However ASymeonakis we were actually responding to the document you put up for Foxy on ATSIC and UN .

I am just wondering why you feel it was wrong to dismantle ASTIC?
( Or have I totally misunderstood what you were saying)


In the begining I said to you perhaps AFIC and ourselves could help you establish a few different services for migrants.

That said you seemed to want no contact with us or AFIC and I am just wondering why. Dont get me wrong there are PLENTY of people not happy with some of issues with AFIC and I would have to be one. We are always having scaps but hey we are trying= WE are I mean!

AFIC aside we talk with many other Muslim people and organisations who do not acknowledge AFIC as leaders.

I think it would be fair to say your pretty well informed. You would be capable of understanding our web page. The link we provided showing you how we are working to bring in more skilled labour from overseas.

Of course you know we also work to improve animal welfare. I was encouraged by reading your coments on head wear for Muslim women and by your regection of the am against the Sharia law, and you singed many petitions to support Muslim women.

ASymeonakis Do you understand that most on this forum including David have absolutly no idea about and the different Muslim groups?
Dont You ?


If we could just clear up what it was you meant about the UN doc and aboriginals. When I have more space perhaps you may allow me to explain to you why.

Dying days of AWAs sees 170 more WorkChoices victims: act now!

Dear Antonios,

In the dying days of WorkChoices AWAs in Australia, 170 workers face the prospect this week of either signing an individual contract that leaves them up to $300 a week poorer - or losing their job.

Two weeks ago Julia Gillard stood up at the dispatch box to introduce Labor's bill to abolish AWAs.

At the same time, a company called Equity Valet Parking was rushing through a plan to rip off 170 loyal Qantas Valet Parking workers. Their new contract comes into effect on Saturday March 1.

We have just five days to save the latest victims of unfair WorkChoices AWAs.

Email Equity Valet Parking Director John Demetre from our website now!
www.rightsatwork.com.au/campaigns/helpthese170workers

There is a gap between Labor's legislation banning AWAs being introduced and being passed. Mr Demetre and his company are trying to take advantage of this gap, and put all staff on a five year AWAs that cuts their pay between $150 and $300 per week. That's up to $15,000 per year. The individual contract takes away shift penalties, overtime payments, paid meal breaks and job classifications.

The staff, some of whom have worked in valet parking for twenty years, have been told if they don't sign the AWA they will not be employed by the new company.

These workers need all the support they can get. Please forward this email to your friends, family and colleagues and get them to email the company director too.

This is the link they need to follow to quickly and easily make their voices heard: www.rightsatwork.com.au/campaigns/helpthese170workers

Yours urgently,
Sharan Burrow, Jeff Lawrence,
and the Rights at Work campaign team