MELBOURNE — About 50 tramway workers and supporters protested outside the Age building on June 19 over a story in the June 14 Sunday Age headlined, "If you drink and drive, you're a bloody tram driver". An accompanying photo purported to show a tram driver drinking a stubbie of beer while on duty. Photographer Wayne Ludbey subsequently admitted he was instructed to take a picture showing tramway workers in a bad light to accompany an article already written. An investigation found the driver had in fact been drinking ginger beer, but the Sunday Age refused to print an apology.
SYDNEY — The NSW Industrial Relations Commission has ordered the reinstatement of two AWU members sacked after they joined the NSW Labor Council's general strike against the Greiner government's anti-union Industrial Relations Act last October. The IRC also ordered the Australian Jockey Club to back-pay the two racecourse handicappers, Mark McGrath and Matthew Davis, for the period since they were sacked. The commission said the dismissals had been harsh and unreasonable.
- Fairfax journalists, including those working for the Sydney Morning Herald, Financial Review and the Newcastle and Wollongong daily papers, struck for 36 hours on June 17 when talks stalled on their claim for an immediate 1.5% pay rise and a further 3% on completion of productivity negotiations. The journalists were also concerned about a company redundancy plan and productivity claims. Discussions have since resumed and a settlement is reported to be close.
- Following industrial action by the NSW Teachers' Federation, Liberal education minister Virginia Chadwick has provided a written guarantee that moves to make schools responsible for their own budgets will not threaten any classroom jobs. The union has not ruled out further action on issues including career paths, possible disadvantage to schools in less prosperous areas and erosion of the state education system.