Suncorp-Metway staff reject non-union agreement
BRISBANE — Staff at the newly merged Suncorp-Metway Bank voted on November 14 to reject a non-union industrial agreement. Although the plan was defeated by only 51% to 49%, Janice Mayes, state secretary of the Australian Services Union, said: "It's a massive win for workers who want their union rights recognised. The overriding factor in the voting decision was that workers were unhappy with the whole integration process."
Staff at the new bank have been angered by cuts to jobs and conditions, the closure of branches and other attacks resulting from the privatisation of Suncorp and the Queensland Industry Development Corporation, followed by the merger with the private bank, Metway, earlier this year.
Progressive wins ACT CPSU election
Progressive candidate Jenni Eccles has won the position of ACT branch secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union. One of three candidates, Eccles convincingly defeated the ALP right candidate David Smith, receiving 51% of primary votes. The vote for the other progressive candidate, Henry Leveson-Gower, brought the combined progressive vote to 75%. The voter turn-out for the by-election was double that in the recent national elections.
Harradine cancels gay and lesbian ball
Over the last few months Gayme Introduction Agency has been planning the Gay and Lesbian Jamaican Ball, to be held in the Great Hall of Parliament House on November 22. At the 11th hour, Senator Brian Harradine had the event cancelled.
The event was to be a fundraiser for ACT AIDS Action Council and the Canberra Gay and Lesbian Choir. These groups will join others in a coalition to protest and campaign to reverse Harradine's decision.
State funds Felicity Kennett
MELBOURNE — It was revealed on November 18 that the premier's wife, Felicity Kennett, has a government Visa card which has been used in major department stores, hotels and restaurants.
Jeff Kennett has responded to accusations of rorting by saying that the card is necessary for emergencies. He explained that the card was used to purchase two pairs of sunglasses (at a cost of over $300) because the store would not accept his wife's American Express card, and the money was subsequently refunded. The store concerned has been accepting American Express cards for the last decade.
Wollongong escarpment
WOLLONGONG — On November 22, 300 people protested against plans to build housing on the Wollongong escarpment. The bushland, which is being sold off by BHP, contains many species of rare animals and plants. Speakers at the protest included Jack Mundy, a former leader of the Builders Labourers Federation's "green bans" in the 1970s.
Auditor General's role weakened
MELBOURNE — On November 20, state parliament passed a bill to remove the power of the Victorian Auditor General to carry out audits. The bill was supported by all but one Liberal MP, Peter McLellan, who abstained in the vote. Several protesters were removed from parliament during debate around the bill.
There has been widespread anger about the changes, which privatise government audits. With protest meetings attracting thousands of people, Kennett was forced to back down on some of the other planned changes to the Auditor General's department's role. The Auditor General, Ches Baragwanath, has announced that he will continue to fight the changes by remaining in office, reversing a previous decision to resign in protest.
Child-care cuts hurting families
In the May 1996 budget, the federal government removed the operational subsidy for community based, long-day child-care centres; froze the ceiling for child-care assistance at $115 for two years; reduced the child-care cash rebate for families earning over $70,000 from 30% to 20%; and introduced a range of other cuts. Then in May, it cut the operational subsidy to outside-school-hours care services.
On October 28, the NSW Council of Social Services held a phone-in to measure the effects of these cuts. Over 430 calls from across the state revealed that 91% of child-care users had experienced fees increases this year of between $1-15 per day; 40% of callers had to change their work arrangements because of increased fees; and 58% noted a drop in the quality of care in the centres.
Illegal fishing in Southern Ocean
It is estimated that over the last year 140,000 seabirds were killed by illegal long-line fishing in Antarctic fisheries. In defiance of a 1994 International Whaling Commission ruling, five Japanese whaling ships left for the Southern Ocean Sanctuary on November 12 to catch whales for "scientific" investigation. Greenpeace spokesperson Richard Mills said the fleet's real aims were to provide whale meat for the Japanese market and give cover for the killing of protected species.
A meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in Hobart early this month reported that over eight times more illegal fishing than legal fishing is taking place in the Southern Ocean. Greenpeace has called for the commission to take more action.