Attention Tasmanian timber workers

[anakie]

it is not even two weeks since the re election of that little prick who you all stood up and cheered for.


Howard considers 'essential services' strike ban


Prime Minister John Howard has outlined some of his fourth-term industrial relations agenda, which may include new rules to outlaw strikes in all utilities.

Mr Howard says he regards Australia's airlines as an "essential service".

He will not rule out introducing new laws to outlaw strikes in all utilities providing essential services.

Mr Howard has told the 7.30 Report that he has no plans to intervene in a dispute between Qantas and its workers, which could lead to strikes over Christmas.

"In a globalised economy, and most particularly when you're dealing with a company that quintessentially competes around the world, that the relocation of some of their employees... is understandable," Mr Howard
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200410/s1225300.htm

So your hero is now going to outlaw strike action in any industry he considers 'essential' and looks like he will back scab labour ala the wharf fiasco of a couple of years ago.

QANTAS employees are angry about their jobs being outsourced overseas and under Howard's vision they will not be allowed to strike.

No strikes, no job security, small if any wage rises. Unhappy with any work practices - tough. Go to work, shut up, get shat on and be thankful for it.

[Saynt]

1. Mob of idiots

Loggers, especially the wankers in Tasmania, are the black sheep of the working class. Maybe that should be the black shirts...

I think a cartoon I saw in the Courier Mail sums it up perfectly. John Howard, portrayed as a rat, with a bunch of loggers behind him singing 'He's a lumberjack and he's okay, cutting down forests and protecting our pay!'

They didn't seem to understand that Labor had well protected their pay anyway, while KEEPING many of the old growth forests. Ah well, idiots in flannel.

[Djinn]

2. I've been pro union all my life

the first time I wouldn't cross a picket to get to work I was 15, but frankly if Howard helps Gunns do a Corrigan/Patrick job I'll be happy to see everyone of those vile traitorous arseholes unemployed.

I don't have a problem with them protecting their jobs or even opposing Latham's plan or even Latham himself, but when they said that shit about Howard being a "leader" and stood around cheering him I nearly vomitted.

Fuck the lot of 'em

[Matilda]

3. Loggers are a breed all on their own.

Never seems to occur to them that when all the trees have gone,
they'll have no jobs anyway. Thick as a couple of planks most of
them.

The really sad thing in my book is that the decimation of the unions
began with Hawke and Keating, aided by the abominable Bill Kelty.
I can never quite forgive them for that.

And now this country's being run by the kind of people who made the
formation of unions essential in the first place. The "fuck the
workers" brigade.

[oscarmitre]

4. Perhaps it's a case for the union movement

of hitting the bottom and then rebounding. Good point- that we're now under the yoke of those who made unions necessary. Here's hoping the coming abuse which will be heaped on us by the Feds and their business cronies will see the union movement revitalised.

No I'm not fantasising.

[Matilda]

5. It could happen.

It will be that, or 14 hour days for slave wages and no penalties.

[SweetLeftFoot]

9. Unions

The Victorian buildings unions, ETU, CFMEU, Fireies especially, have been kicking goals for agood few years now. The only problems is that Howard will now legislate all their gains away.

[Djinn]

6. One of teh many reasons I've never voted ALP

"The really sad thing in my book is that the decimation of the unions
began with Hawke and Keating, aided by the abominable Bill Kelty.
I can never quite forgive them for that."

add privatisation and deregulation on top of that - my entire voting life the ALP have sold out their constituancy - I've always wanted to vote for them but these days I doubt whether I ever will

[Matilda]

7. We can also add the erosion of the education system

as we used to know it. Especially the imposition of university fees
and the consequent downgrading of standards.

I agree with you - I now sit quite happily in the Green camp. I
would prefer to see Labor win in the Lower House to the Libs, but
it will be a wonderful day when the Greens start making inroads
into the Reps.

[iangb]

8. It's a Tasmanian 'thing'.

Premier Lennon all but kicked Latham out of town when he presented his plan for Tas's forests.

He then proceeded to scare the bejeezus out of the forestry workers.........with more than a little help from Gunn's boss John Gay and the 'local' media. By the time Howard arrived the workers had been convinced that they'd face immediate retrechment if Latham were elected, and that their communities would die.

What you saw in Launceston was the result of some very effective manipulation of ordinary Australian's by powerful vested interests. Here, those interests happen to include both major political parties (who rely on Gunn's Ltd. for substantial funding), and the Murdoch owned Hobart Mercury who regularly promulgate Gay's interests.

FWIW the CFMEU national body has virtually disowned its Tasmanian membership after their performance.

[Matilda]

10. Now Gunns have lodged a writ against conservation groups,

in particular the Wilderness Society, claiming $6.4 million in
damages due to earnings lost because of protests.

It seems that Australians who care about their country risk being
sued if they demonstrate publicly against those who will destroy
it for short-term profit.

I don't know what chance they have of pulling it off, but it's
right up Howard's alley.

Free speech, anyone?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1265859.htm

[Djinn]

11. when I heard this I figured Gunns has truly lost it

how much did this kind of stupid SLAPP (strategic litigation against public participation) writ end up costing McDonalds when they tried to go after Helen Steel and Dave Morris - apart from the time and estimated 10 million POUNDS the PR was disastrous and it only highlighted the problems Steel and Morris were speaking about in the first place.

Go for it Gunns, personally I'm looking forward to seeing there abominable practices highlighted in court...clearing in protected areas, the use of poison and fire, cutting jobs, waaay to cosy relationship with the TAS government etc etc...hey maybe they can sue me too now!

[Matilda]

12. Biggest worry -

"waaay too cosy relationship with the TAS government". And it's
both sides of politics too.

I don't know anything about the judiciary in Tassie, whether they're
all rabid right-wingers or what. And after the way the bozos voted
down there, who knows how much public support there'll be?

Bob Brown's vowing to fight it and it's something I hope people in
other states will take up, because these people are EVIL.

[iangb]

13. I suspect that the writs are intended to..............

.....limit the controversy surrounding Gunn's pulp mill proposal.

The Greens, Widerness Society et al have been gearing up for a major confrontation over the mill, and the increased resource needed to feed it. Faced with legal action these groups may be either too preoccupied and/or cautious to mount a really effective camaign.