At least Steve has the balls to come out in public and fight his fights
You did mate, and not with a lot of help from the more powerful unions... I feel for you SP, it must have been like "running against a wall with your head down" after listening to that....
Sort of makes this thread stand out, what chance did the pilots have when left to rely on the FWA....
A bit chilling after listening to that interview regarding FWA and some of its employees.... and it won't be last last time we hear about this.... the time bomb is ticking for Labor and and its backroom boys.... they have done nothing to save workers jobs in aviation, the record is there now for all to see, so that old claim the party is good for the worker has become redundant, just doesn't mean anything anymore... As for the Liberals, I suspect they knew what was going on as well... and just played dumb..
It is good to revisit this video, sowing more seeds of doubt, totally useless debate wasting parliamentary time pretending to deal with a huge crisis...
FWA's decision has arguably put permanent Qantas employees jobs at risk as Qantas can now bring in (after pretending to consult) contractors and labour hire workers on lesser employment rates of pay and terms and conditions. This is simply a race to the bottom that's been endorsed by FWA. The Industrial Umpire needs a good kick in the arse and shown the Red Card.
Qantas secures Fair Work victory over outsourcing limits
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Qantas has been dealt a victory in its long-running dispute with 3800 baggage handlers after the industrial umpire rejected their claims for a limit to be put on the outsourcing of work.
The Transport Workers Union, which represents baggage handlers and other ground crew, had wanted outside labour hires to be capped at a fifth of the number of full- or part-time Qantas workers.
But in a judgment released today, the Fair Work commissioners ruled that the TWU's claim failed because Qantas had for many years used labour hire and contractors, which had not been shown to adversely affect the airline's other employees.
"To interfere with management's decision on such a matter would require clear and strong evidence of unfairness," the judgment said. "No such case has been established."
Qantas today welcomed Fair Work's decision, declaring that it had mandated that the airline "is entitled to run its business free from union control".
The airline's head of government and corporate affairs, Olivia Wirth, said it was clear that the TWU's demands were "out of step with what is fair and reasonable for a union to demand".
Qantas put the cost of the industrial dispute last year at $68 million.The decision prevents the baggage handlers from taking protected industrial action for at least the next two years.[/QUOTE]
It appears, no matter how big a union is these days, it's hard to beat this FWA system... now known as FWCA Fair Work Choices Australia.... what's the difference?...
He never finished high school, leaving in Year 9.[citation needed] However by the age of 16 Howes abandoned far-left politics and joined the Australian Labor Party.[1]
Is there a difference these days? I guess that's what happens when one doesn't complete one's education.
There is a big difference between left and right in the union movement. The left are like the ones who want to stick up for our rights. The right like to make deals to prevent the need to fight and in doing so give up many of our rights.
I reckon there is no difference between the right of the union movement and the Torries. This is why people have lost faith in unions.
Don't forget Paul Howes is part of the ALP "Military Industrial Complex" that brought us the FWA - a piece of legislation supposedly designed to protect workers but in reality is a just a (Labor and Labour) lawyers picnic.
Consider what would have happened in the "bad old days" under Howard's Work Choices:
Parties would have slugged it out based on their various levels of commitment to the fight and most likely, when they both had a bloody nose, sat down and negotiated.
What happened under the FWA? Fancy QF Lawyers - who were always going to run rings around Labor's straight-out-of-uni-into-the-public service "B" team of legislative drafters, find various loopholes in the thousands of pages of eyeglazing legalese and short circuit the whole thing to their advantage. Thanks Ms. Gillard.
Once upon a time unionists gathered out side the factory gate with a placard and a 44 gallon drum with some burning logs in it while they picketed the joint. Now it's left wing suits doing dirty deals with right wing suits behind closed doors with zero transparency while the high priests (FWA tribunal) genuflect before the the thousand page book that is the FWA.
BTW - this is a repeat in general terms of how the Hawke Govt. ran IR. A three legged stool of Big Govt, Big Biz & Big Unions (ACTU). If your were a small business or a small union (eg. AFAP,AIPA,ALAEA) you were st*ffed as AN & TN pilots found out.
Last edited by D.Lamination; 10th Aug 2012 at 13:42.
I reckon there is no difference between the right of the union movement and the Torries. This is why people have lost faith in unions.
IMO they're actually worse. Tories don't pretend to be pro worker. Their manifesto is pretty clear and they tend to stick to it. I don't generally agree with it but at least they're usually fairly honest about what their interests are.
Too many of the right wing Labor types publically espouse labor values while privately milking the system for whatever they can get, and the members be damned. Nor are the likes of PH workers; far too many of them have gone straight from uni (or grade 9) into the machine without a days real 'work' in their lives. Nor are they even very good at the machine stuff, as their recent string of public debacles shows.
They're not even competent faceless men, and their continued incompetence is doing enormous harm to the ALP and the union movement.
Last edited by Worrals in the wilds; 9th Aug 2012 at 01:36.
The Australian union movement has lost relevancy, hence it's rapidly dwindling membership. Neverthless they wield a disproportionate amount of power thanks to the aparatchiks who have wormed their way into the ALP we see today. Said it before and I'll say it again; the ALP started on its slippery slope to irrelevancy when Goof took over.
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And yes, I would love to see a return of the Dockers.
Bunch of thugs and crooks, them and the BLF. But at least they didn't pretend to be anything else.
Last edited by Captain Sand Dune; 10th Aug 2012 at 06:56.
As long as he is using his own money for the legal challenge that all the best to him
If I was in the Engineers' union I would have been more than happy to contribute to a fund to back Steve up if that turd of a thing Howes had a crack.
Howes is a gutless, self aggrandising, arrogant, back stabbing moron with delusions of grandeur who's never got his hands dirty either at a workplace or in the heat of a union battle.
Just look at who he backs in the Labor party, you're a real winner Paul how a third rate academic fool like him gets to choose the leader of a political party says a lot about the 'party' that's 'running' this country.
Respectful point of order; he doesn't appear to be an academic. All reports say he left school at 14 and I don't see any academic qualifications listed on his AWU website entry or wiki.
I've ranted long and hard about academic wankers taking over the unions to the exclusion of workers, but as far as I can see he hasn't even achieved that status.
Last edited by Worrals in the wilds; 12th Aug 2012 at 08:40.
Howes is a gutless, self aggrandising, arrogant, back stabbing moron with delusions of grandeur who's never got his hands dirty either at a workplace or in the heat of a union battle.
Ha Ha, dont hold back Jack, tell us what you really think.
Sorry Worrals, you are right of course I was more referring to the performance he put on at the Press Club. He thinks he's a bit of an intellect, I could of used a better word like........tosser, wanka, spanka etc.
[QUOTE]And yes, I would love to see a return of the Dockers./QUOTE]
Why??
[I]"Several prominent former members were involved in the Melbourne gangland killings. Lewis Moran and Graham Kinniburgh were both former members and met on the Melbourne waterfront. Five persons who were members or associated with the Union were connected with the attempted robbery of Trans Australia Airlines Flight 454."/I]".....quick ref at Wiki..but it is documented.
Dangerous when one forgets history and glamorises criminals who used a Union as a front, does not progress the legitimate Union cause one iota.
Last edited by squarebear; 13th Aug 2012 at 10:52.
If you dont recognize that governments, poilticians and CEO's are silk tie wearing thugs, bullies and executioners in their own right then you are deluded. Its all criminality, only the clothes have changed..
Squarebear, I call it an 'even fight'. If you dont recognize that governments, poilticians and CEO's are silk tie wearing thugs, bullies and executioners in their own right then you are deluded. Its all criminality, only the clothes have changed..
Yeah baby.
Quote:
I'd like to agree as well but I may find myself seeking refuge in the Ecuador embassy by the end of the week.
Lets party - go fishing, play footy with the kids, take the boat out, bath the dog, relax on a Sunday arvo. Anything but worry, helplessly about the bloody awful mess this poor old country is in. I intend to do so, the suns out.
Could be worse. Imagine 20 years locked up at Mascot in the Leprechaun's office, or locked up in Jmac's office in Brisbane, or worse still - Locked in a basement with Joolia and Hairdresser Tim???
Looks like the fight is heating up. From today's Fin Review, p40
"The defamation case brought by the not-very-faceless boss of the AWU, Paul Howes, against the aircraft engineers' union boss, Steve Purvinas, hit the Victorian Supreme Court yesterday, with Justice Beach taking all of 90 seconds to proceed with the case after the AWU's lawyers provided a 48 page diary of the wondrous ways they've attempted to serve Purvinas for three months (based on his instructions by phone) - at airport lounges, in his front porch, at his office etc. Justice Beach decided to give Purvinas the minimum 30 days to prepare his defence.
According to the statement of claim, it comes down to an email Purvinas sent to his members, in which he accused the AWU of being "nothing more than a group of company advocates in union shirts that Tony Abbot [sic] would be ashamed of ... The AWU are delivering to Qantas an on-tap group of strike breakers."
Purvinas' hatred of the AWU may explain his attendance at a recent event held by the neo-con Australian Taxpayers Alliance addressed by former 2UE shock jock Mike Smith, who was there to speak about Julia Gillard's days as a solicitor at Slater & Gordon and her involvement with former AWU official Bruce Wilson. and who acknowledged Purvinas in the front row."
Given the other union news of the day perhaps it would have been cheaper for the ALAEA to buy a "luxury mansion" and rent it out to favoured personages than this mess will probably end up costing.
Absolutely ridiculous, employers will be laughing all the way to the Chairman's Lounge, various lawyers will engage in a feeding frenzy and members funds will perhaps be spent on less than optimal tasks.
Nor are they even very good at the machine stuff, as their recent string of public debacles shows. 
how a third rate academic fool like him gets to choose the leader of a political party says a lot about the 'party' that's 'running' this country.
I was more referring to the performance he put on at the Press Club. He thinks he's a bit of an intellect, I could of used a better word like........tosser, wanka, spanka etc.
