New Spy Scandal comes as Major Blow to Israel

New spy scandal comes as major blow to Israel,
AIPAC Serious implications can lie ahead for US-Israeli ties
By Hussein Ibish Daily Star staffTuesday, August 31, 2004
Analysis

WASHINGTON: Washington was rocked late last week by allegations that a Pentagon policy analyst on Iran, Laurence A. Franklin, had passed classified information to Israel through the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the leading pro-Israel lobby group in the US.
He is also said to have had extensive meetings with Naor Gilon, head of the political department at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, and a specialist on Iran's nuclear weapons program.
While both AIPAC and the Israeli government have issued categorical denials of any espionage activities, most observers say that law enforcement officials would not leak the accusations if they did not have the evidence to prove their charges.
Franklin is said to have provided the Israelis with a secret presidential directive on Iran related to its ongoing nuclear program.
Full Article at http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=7909

http://www.impeachblair.org/

On the 26th August 2004, a group of MPs published a report on the potential impeachment of the Prime Minister for High Crimes and Misdemeanours in relation to the invasion of Iraq.

The report sets out compelling evidence of deliberate repeated distortion, seriously misleading statements and culpable negligence on the part of the Prime Minister.
This misconduct is in itself more than sufficient to require his resignation.
Further to this, the Prime Minister’s conduct has also destroyed the United Kingdom’s reputation for honesty around the world; it has produced a war with no end in sight; it has damaged and discredited the intelligence services which are essential to the security of the state;

Pics of the March in NYC

Today in New York City, 500,000 people marched in solidarity with the rest of the world, denouncing policies of the U.S. government from every possible angle.
After a 6-hour long march, protesters did not just pack up their signs and go home. Various autonomous contingents sprawled out across the city, doing everything from a "kick the heads of state" soccer game in Central Park, to jail solidarity demonstrations for those arrested, to a relentless verbal assault campaign on Republican delegates trying to hide out in Broadway theaters.
"Republican scum! Your time has come!" was a chant that could be heard up and down the avenues this afternoon.
Pics at http://nyc.indymedia.org/feature/display/106765/index.php

Laywer to Visit Guantanamo Bay Britons

By PA News Reporter http://news.scotsman.com/
A lawyer will today begin visiting two of the Britons being held at Guantanamo Bay for the first time since their imprisonment.Strict orders have been put in place by the US Government about what she can say on the men’s condition and state of mind following the visits today and tomorrow, according to UK-based lawyer Louise Christian.American-based Gita Gutierrez is due to visit Feroz Abbasi, 23, of London, and Moazzam Begg, 36, from Birmingham, this week.

She will not be allowed to report any details of the visit to their families.Visits which had been arranged for Richard Belmar, 23, and Martin Mubanga, 29, both from London, have been postponed.
Mr Begg was arrested in Pakistan more than two years ago and Mr Abbasi was captured in Afghanistan in 2001.Mr Begg’s father Azmat has just returned from America, where he was campaigning for his son’s release.
He said: “I won’t be able to ask anything about the visit by the lawyer or pass on any kind of message to my son.“For almost three years he has not been able to speak to anyone and I’m worried about the effect it is having on him.”
Feroz Abbasi and Moazzam Begg had been due to face a military trial but these were suspended while discussions continued about their detention.
Five other Britons who spent up to two years at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba were handed over to British custody in March and were freed without charge.

Pity David Hicks couldn't get any help from Alex Downer, but the US Military did let David talk to his dad for 15 minutes recently.

10 Ways Bush Screwed New York

A presidential potpourri of cuts, blunders, stonewalls, deceptions, and distractions
The 10 Ways Bush Screwed New York by Wayne Barrett, special reporting by Daniel MaglioccoAugust 24th, 2004 10:25 AM

Here's a welcome from New York 9-11 Veterans for Truth, a big hello for Republicans from a city hit by a couple of swift jets 35 months—not 35 years—ago. It's matched by just as friendly an insistence that the convention focus on how Bush-Cheney responded to our riverbank assault, rather than on an ancient Mekong attack, where the first test of courage was being there. With the president scheduled to barely show up here all week, wouldn't it be respectful if the delegates and media actually got around town to see just what he's done to us since the bullhorn bravado of 2001?

This article is a real eye opener as to what has happened in NY after Sept 11.
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0434/barrett.php

October 9 over the years

From http://www.crikey.com.au/index.html
So, what happened on October 9 and what does it mean? Political editor Christian Kerr reads the tea leaves:
29 August 2004

· In the year 1,000, Norseman Leif Ericson discovered what he called Vinland – part of North America. Will Australians find a new world on October 9?

· In 1446, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed II, was forced to abdicate by the Janissaries. So it’s not all bad, hey Peter!

· Scandal struck baseball on October 9 in 1919, when the Cincinnati Reds “won” the World Series in the Black Sox scandals. Ah, liars may prosper – but they get caught.

· On October 9 1940 Winston Churchill was elected head of the Conservative Party. If he wins, will John Winston also not let senility stop him hanging on to the top job?

· Australia formally became autonomous from Britain on this day in 1942 with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act. Does this mean Malcolm Turnbull will win Wentworth?

· Che Guervera was shot on October 9, 1967. A bad omen for latte lefties.

· The Khmer Republic was proclaimed in Cambodia on this day in 1970 – but surely a Green government isn’t going to be elected here?

Libs hire PM's son for Spam Blitzes

By Mike SeccombeAugust 28, 2004
At least another three senior members of the Howard Government are using a software company of which the Prime Minister's son, Tim, is a director to deliver spam email to their electorates.
The Health Minister, Tony Abbott, the Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, and parliamentary secretary Ross Cameron are all using Net Harbour for their electronic campaigns.
The NSW Liberal Party said on Thursday that it had contracted Net Harbour to distribute "spam" email in John Howard's seat, Bennelong.
In a peculiar financial round robin, the party paid the company and Mr Howard then reimbursed it "from his own pocket".
But it is now clear the arrangement was more than Mr Howard privately helping out his son's struggling business enterprise - the contract with the NSW division of the party applies to a number of other MPs.
The activities of Tim Howard's company involve exploiting a loophole in the Government's anti-spam laws, which make it illegal for companies to send unsolicited bulk email. The legislation does not apply to political parties or, apparently, commercial organisations working on their behalf.
The Opposition spokeswoman on information technology, Kate Lundy, yesterday said that because Net Harbour was a commercial operation it could be acting illegally.
From Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/27/1093518092781.html

General Throws PM Overboard

By Patrick Walters, National security editor The Australian
August 28, 2004
TWO high-ranking military officers have backed Mike Scrafton's account of the children overboard affair, revealing that the former defence bureaucrat told both of them in 2001 he had informed John Howard that the high-seas incident did not happen.
Major-General Roger Powell -- the army general who conducted the original military inquiry into the children overboard affair -- said he recalled Mr Scrafton saying in December 2001 that he had made it clear in several phone calls to the Prime Minister that there was no substance to the claims that children had been thrown overboard from the asylum-seeker vessel SievIV three months before.
Full article at http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10590070%255E601,00.html

Understanding The EBA Negotiating Process

When Australia Post continued to negatively affect our rights and continued to insist on the input of very unacceptable clauses in the EBA6, your Union sought membership authority to take industrial action for the first time in nearly 30 years. Australia Post informed their staff, through inflammatory newsletters and team briefs, that the industrial action would not get them to change their minds, and that the EBA6 would include all the previously mentioned negative clauses. An extremely effective industrial action took place. This action was supported across the membership in all divisions and in all states. The action resulted in a significant loss of income to many members. Australia Post, in other states used a secondary workforce even after the action ceased thereby continuing to disadvantage members.

The result of the effective stoppage was that Australia Post did change its tactics and did agree to significantly reduce the harsh claims in the initial document. Your union still believed that the new revised EBA6 document was not commensurate with the efficient, dedicated work done by our members to make Australia Post the enterprise that it has become.
Your Union sought a back-pay clause and even more changes. We gave Australia Post an ultimatum. Australia Post was told that further industrial action would follow if more changes were not made. Other forms of strategic action were implemented. This indicated to Australia Post that your union had the support of the membership and that the membership wanted to continue to pursue a fair and just EBA6.

These continuing actions forced Australia Post to make the following changes to the previously unacceptable EBA6 document.

Union workplace representatives will be paid training and receive official status.
Union workplace representatives will have a charter introduced into the EBA6 which will give the representatives a better chance to adequately represent members in the field.
It was agreed to put arbitration and consultation into EBA6.
Better maternity leave provisions were introduced.
Better employment arrangement clauses were put into EBA6.
Stronger clauses protecting against contracting out were put into the new document.
Retail shoe allowance was significantly increased.
Protection for tea breaks was introduced.
AIMS was taken out of the document and will not be implemented.
Machine sort rates will not be unreasonably used to monitor workers.
Strong and acceptable limits are to be placed on retail franchising arrangements.
There is to be no fulltime DODO.
Any form of DODO will only be introduced into super centres for part timers and only after Union consultation.
There will be no absolute requirement to work fixed teams or fixed shifts in order to obtain the team skills loading.
There is to be a review of the transport structure.
Salary sacrifice provisions are to be enhanced.
Australia Post will make a payment to members to seek superannuation advice.
Meal Allowances will continue to be paid according to the current process.

Australia Post also agreed to increase the pay offer to 4% up front with three payments 8 months apart of 2%, and a four hundred dollar bonus.

Your Union continued the campaign. The aim of all negotiations is to get the best deal available and possible for the membership. Australia Post was then directed by its owner, the Liberal government, to cease all negotiations with the Union, to withdraw all offers mentioned above, to cease any involvement by the Union and not to allow the Union to have access or to provide workplace representation of its members. Your Union then sought expert advice and assistance from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Secretary, Greg Combet of the ACTU lead further negotiations.

During these new negotiations, Australia Post’s position was clear. With direction from the government they were to terminate the bargaining period thus giving the membership, no access to protected industrial action. Australia Post would then continue to trade under the provisions of EBA5. This would allow Australia Post open slather on:
Franchising
DODO
AIMS.

The CEPU would be left with no access to workplaces and our local representatives may loose their right to effectively represent member’s issues. There would be no access to arbitration, no improved consultation, no union representatives training and no Union representatives charter. Only disputes which had no impact on Australia Post’s finances would be allowed to be arbitrated by a third party.
The government directed Australia Post to launch an all out full anti-member attack. Australia Post would then go down the track that Telstra took some years back. They would offer members pay increases through Australian Workplace Agreements whereby individuals would argue for their own pay increases thus loosing the bargaining power of the collective. Australia Post would then withdraw from all forms of EBA negotiations. Telstra’s strategy was to decimate the Union by sacking key union representatives, to stop payroll deductions and limit access. If any of this type of action were to take place your CEPU would need to mount a strong and continuing campaign with a minimum of ten days of industrial action and still face an anti Union employer not willing to back down just before a Federal election and with government support.

There is an understanding amongst the membership that an orchestrated, comprehensive campaign would then be required to affect any change over perhaps the next five years. No further pay rises, no union involvement, and a possible hostile government for the next five years. Many of the other state branches and many of our members in Queensland rejected this scenario, particularly when the benefits of the EBA6 (newly negotiated), as listed above were taken into account.

This is part of a Special Edition of The Latest Postal News dated 24th August.
To be added to The Latest Email List, contact cdtsqld@cepu.asn.au

EBA6

CEPU Members strong participation in the Australia Post EBA6 Campaign has been instrumental in reaching a point where recent discussions with Australia Post has produced an outcome where we are close to an "in principle" agreement on EBA 6.
CEPU had last week sought the assistance of the ACTU to try and reach a settlement. Your Union negotiators with the involvement of the ACTU met with Australia Post on Wednesday 18 August and Friday 20 August.

The meetings have achieved a significant shift on the key issues of Part-time Dedicated Delivery, Franchising and Duration of the Agreement. Your Union negotiators and the ACTU now believe that agreement "in principle" is likely to be reached, subject to CEPU Divisional Executive endorsement to be followed by membership report backs for your endorsement (union membership vote).
"In principle" agreement means that members will avoid needlessly losing pay during the report back process.
Final documents in relation to EBA6, Post Logistics and Linehaul will be provided to relevant membership groups as soon as final copies become available.
Discussions are now underway to determine the union's process, including the timeline for reporting back to members. As soon as these arrangements are determined members will be advised accordingly.

Brian Baulk
DIVISIONAL SECRETARY

Musicians join chorus against Howard

From Sydney Morning Herald
August 22, 2004
A CD containing anti-Prime Minister John Howard songs is gaining increased attention among young voters.
The Rock Against Howard album, featuring top Australian bands including Something for Kate and Frenzal Rhomb, is due for release tomorrow.
Most of the tracks contributed by 34 bands criticise the Prime Minister, and other politicians also are targeted: TISM has recorded a track titled The Philip Ruddock Blues. US President George Bush also gets a mention. But the music centres on condemning John Howard in the lead-up to an election.
"A lot of bands realise it's coming down to the crunch, they've been talking about their concerns in interviews and now they've decided to contribute songs which they feel will show their dislike for the Howard Government," said Frenzal Rhomb's Lindsay McDougall

Another Recieved Email

The CEPU have sold us out for what appears to be short term political gain.The EBA that will be put to the membership to vote on is a disaster. Post and the CEPU did not negotiate on any of the issues presented in the log of claims put forward by the CEPU in November 2003. The log of claims put forward by Post was the only log of claims addressed. This is EBA1 thru 5 all over again. We, the workers have been screwed again. Our only chance is to run a strong NO campaign.
VOTE NO FOR EBA6

Also I have been speaking to some members today and the feeling is similar, they felt Post's agenda will be steamrolled through, regardless of workers demands.
Certainly Davo will not listen as he has told us since the begining.
Why do they call it negotiations?
I want to see the document!

AGM CEPU QLD 26th August

Just thought i'd write and mention the CEPU Anual General Meeting.
It's on next Thursday Night 26th August at Peel St.
Anyone wanting to change or express opinions about Union activities should attend.

Why not devote some time to actively participating in CEPU directions.
Some fresh ideas could be just what the CEPU needs.

What is the Deal?

Considering the strength of previous newsletters from CEPU this latest seems more positive but has only vague references to some issues.
It doesn't mention backpay, Casualisation, or the state of the pay rise situation which has been described by the unions as a payoff.
Considering we were at an end to negotiations, having someone else outside my paid representatives walk in and make a deal, concerns me, and makes me question the ability of CEPU, and wonder what the agenda is.

Active members have given a lot and felt they had to make a stand during this campaign.


Unity is Strength

Poor Enviroment for Workers

Surge Of Low Paid Jobs Confirmed With Today’s ABS Earnings Data 19 August 2004

ABS data released today shows a drop in average weekly earnings - confirming there has been a surge in low paid jobs in the economy says the ACTU.
Commenting on the latest ABS data, ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:
“Today’s ABS data shows there has been a fall of 0.5% in all employees total earnings over the last quarter with average wages now standing at $747.70 a week, in seasonally adjusted terms.
It is very unlikely there has been a wage cut for employees at the top end, and so this new data is proof that low paid jobs are surging.
ACTU research shows:

Almost two out of every three net new jobs created in the last three years paid less than $600 a week - less than $31,200 a year (see table below).
Almost one million Australians are working overtime but not being paid for it. This is an increase of almost a quarter (23.8%) since 1996.

There are now more than 2.2 million casual workers - an increase of 22% since 1996.
Part time jobs growth continues to outstrip full time jobs growth with no full time jobs created in the last month but an extra 21,600 part-time jobs.
More than 28% of the total workforce are now in part time work and yet research shows there are more than 600,000 part time workers wanting more hours of work.

http://www.actu.asn.au/public/news/1092895398_16170.html for full article from ACTU website.

Hundreds of Rail Jobs Shed

QUEENSLAND Rail will cut 700 workers in the "first phase" of efforts to downsize its 13,500-strong workforce and become more competitive in a national freight market.QR chief executive officer Bob Scheuber said yesterday the government-owned corporation had already lost a key contract that would cut its container haulage on Queensland's main north-south line in half.
From early next year, QRX – Queensland's largest general freight provider, owned by the Toll Group – will switch its rail services to rival rail freight company Pacific National, costing QR about $32 million in lost revenue.
"It is no use trying to pretend that the current situation at QR can continue without significant issues being addressed," Mr Scheuber said.
"These issues include management of costs and workforce planning, as well as efficiency of operations and business capability.

"QR currently has about 13,500 on staff, and this is too many for its requirements."

http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10512241%255E952,00.html for full article.

An Email I recieved

To all concerned Post employees.
The union has capitulated. They are going to put a very ordinary EBA up for a vote. 10% over 34 months ending 31 December 2007. Vote with your feet!!!
There can be no good reason to support an organization that has no concern for its members.
Having said that, there is no good reason to vote in the affirmative for an EBA that is worthless.
VOTE NO TO EBA6!!!
We must remember that Post is the bully in this debacle. Post has only Post to be generous to. Post is a reflection of the incumbent government. Post does not consider us as any more than disposable units of production. We are easily and readily replaceable with casuals and part timers. Post wants us and unions squashed. They are doing a good job of it.
VOTE NO TO EBA6!!!

Anyone if you know other details please post a comment or email me.

Retuning US Forces lose benefits

By Larry Margasak, Associated Press August 16, 2004
WASHINGTON -- Increasing numbers of National Guard and Reserve troops who have returned from war in Iraq and Afghanistan are encountering new battles with their civilian employers at home. Jobs have been eliminated, benefits reduced, and promotions forgotten.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2004/08/16/returning_troops_lose_benefits/

EBA negotiatios resume

Here’s where things stand now, as far as I can tell.

Sometime last week further threats to stop Payroll Deduction made CEPU State Secretaries consider signing the EBA. But the grassroots feeling from the floor put enough pressure to cause a difference of opinion over EBA6.
Apparently some believe our demands were not met during EBA5 negotiations after pressure was applied by AP negotiators using stoping Payroll Deductions as a threat.

Industrial Action was applied for Strike Action on Wed 18th and Thurs 19th August across the Eastern States.
The National Executive has invited the ACTU National Secretary Mr Greg Combet to assist negotiations.
AP negotiators have agreed to meet with him on Wed 18th to discuss where we go from here.
A National stoppage as early as next week has not been ruled out if negotiations continue to break down.
But apparently Johnny Howard is not keen on calling an election during a protracted strike action either so maybe that might help keep Davo at the table.

Lets recap on the issues again
The casualisation of the workplace.
The selling off of Retail Post.
DODO full and part time.
Back pay to the end of EBA5.
10% straight up not in little instalments.
The right to arbitrate.
Rights for delegates.

No one wants Industrial Action, not Post, not workers and not Joe Public.
It’s now up to all parties to sit down and nut out a fair and just EBA for all of us.

Help fight for Clean Schools

Home ACTU News Union News from http://www.actu.asn.au/
Parents Won’t Volunteer To Clean Schools: Exclusive Poll 13 August 2004
NSW public school parents are telling Bob Carr he shouldn’t expect them to volunteer and help out in the cleaning of local schools if the State Government goes ahead with a plan to cut back cleaning contracts in 2005.
In an opinion poll just completed 88 percent of already over-stretched parents said it was unreasonable to ask parents to help clean their children’s schools.
“Imagine it. A parent rushes home from work, has dinner, drops the kids off at footy training and then goes in to wash the windows in the kid’s classroom.
“No wonder people think it is unreasonable, the community is already complaining about the unfair work-life balance they are trying to maintain – now Bob Carr’s Government wants to pile on more demands,” Annie Owens, NSW LHMU Cleaners Union Secretary, said.

E-mail protest campaign starts

The NSW LHMU Cleaners Union is launching today a protest e-mail campaign to give the community an opportunity to voice their discontent about these cleaning contract proposals directly to the Premier, the responsible Minister, John Della Bosca and the Education Minister and Deputy Premier, Dr Refshauge.
Just log onto the LHMU website to find the e-mail protest campaign :
www.lhmu.org.au/lhmu/campaigns/nsw_cleaners/protest_form.html
or go to the front page at www.lhmu.org.au.
The e-mail protest campaign and the union’s opinion poll research are released today, on the same day that school cleaners in New England, Goulburn, Kogarah and Ryde walk off the job for 24 hours to take part in the rolling stoppages which have now gone on for a fortnight.

Trading Places

This item taken from http://workers.labor.net.au/latest/ is well worth reading.
- Interview with Peter Lewis

New ACTU International Officer Alison Tate cut her teeth delivering aid to developing nations through APHEDA. Now she is helping chart the global union agenda.

New Site, good one Cattle Dog!

A new blog has arived on the scene it's at http://nippingatheels.blogspot.com/
I will add a link when I can.

This will surprise you!

Davo just cracks me up, and I so look forward to his next juicy update. He didn't waste any time this time round, with the opening line having me on the floor in fits of laughter.
"Post's decision to reward our people with an imediate 4% increase has recieved strong suport from all over Australia."
I gotta say for once I agree totally with Davo!
In fact I haven't spoken to anyone who thought it was a bad idea.
And I think that must show we are all making progress.


I'll comment further on Davo's Update when I can get past the first line.

Those Crisp White Shirts

I always wondered weather they were worried about dirt getting on thier crisp white shirts, then I realised, unlike you and I, dirt doesn't stick to the clean white shirts.
It just falls straight off.
It must be something in the fabric softner.

Turnbull accused of criticising war on Iraq

August 10, 2004 - 7:27PM

From http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/index.html?from=lhsnav
High profile Liberal candidate Malcolm Turnbull today backed Australia's decision to join the war on Iraq despite publicly expressing concerns that history might judge the invasion to be an error.
Mr Turnbull's comments have embarrassed the Government as it defends itself against claims from 43 prominent former military chiefs and diplomats, who signed a document saying Australia joined the war based on a false assumptions.
A Labor backbencher raised the issue in Parliament today, asking Prime Minister John Howard if he was aware of Mr Turnbull's comments to a candidate's forum at Bondi last night.
"He said 'History will judge Bush's invasion of Iraq as an unadulterated error,' " Ms Plibersek told Parliament.
"Does the Prime Minister share the views of the endorsed Liberal candidate for Wentworth and immediate past federal treasurer of the Liberal Party?
"And did the Prime Minister know of these views when he supported Mr Turnbull against the current member for Wentworth"?
Mr Howard gave a one word answer.
"No," he said.
Mr Turnbull won Liberal preselection for the Sydney seat of Wentworth after a public fight with sitting Liberal MP Peter King.
He issued a statement saying he had been misquoted by Ms Plibersek, although he admitted suggesting history might judge the war as an error.
"I am afraid she has been misinformed or some members of the audience misheard me," Mr Turnbull said in a statement.
"It was a spirited meeting with plenty of interjections.
"I was asked a question about the war in Iraq and Australia's participation in it.
"I observed that history judges wars by their outcomes and it may well be that history will judge [US President] George Bush's decision to invade Iraq as an error. Only time will tell."
He said he told the meeting that was not an issue for Australia.
"I think Australia's decision to support Bush was correct. The correctness of our Government's decision does not depend on the wisdom of Bush's decision."
In Parliament, Opposition Leader Mark Latham asked Mr Howard to apologise for comments from Government backbenchers who labelled 43 signatories to the Iraq letter as "doddering daiquiri diplomats and disgruntled old men".
"Is the Prime Minister aware that these eminent Australians include many who have served their nation in time of war, including combat veterans and commanding officers in six wars?" Mr Latham asked.
Mr Howard said his personal comments on the letter had all been directed at the merits of the arguments put in the letter.
But he refused to carpet his MPs for their comments.
"I think from time to time people in this place use expressions that many others find offensive," he said.
"And I would have thought that the last person in this Parliament who has any moral authority to demand apologies is the Leader of the Opposition."
AAP

Pay Rise for Postal Workers

09aug04 from http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/breakingnews/
ABOUT 35,000 postal workers will get a 4-per-cent pay rise from today, in what Australia Post said was an attempt to sideline the militant communications union.The automatic rise has been granted despite the failure of six months of talks between the parties to reach a formal enterprise agreement.
Australia Post spokesman Matt Pollard said it was hoped the payment would break the resolve of union members to take further industrial action.
"We'd like to think that by paying our people, that will cause them to say, 'well, it's actually the union that is holding this process up'," he said.
The payment follows full-day postal strikes in all mainland states, and rolling half-day stoppages in Tasmania.
But Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union Victorian postal branch secretary Joan Doyle said postal workers would fight on.
"People will be happy to take the pay rise," she said.
"It takes the pressure off us and we've still got the ability to take protected industrial action."
She said Australia Post's offer was a bad deal as it allowed job-splitting and further contracting out of work.
The 4-per-cent rise is the first instalment of a 10-per-cent offer over 28 months, which also includes a $400 performance bonus.
The conditions in the previous enterprise agreement will remain in force in the event that no new deal is struck.
But Mr Pollard said it was hoped the union would return to negotiations to reach a settlement.

Post EBA6

Amendments are starting to come more frequently from Post, now thier offering 4% from Aug 4th (yesterday!) and 2% every eight months after that aparently. Why can't we have 10% straight up,
2% in a few years won't even cover inflation!

Despite the union's negotiators position that any Delivery Position must include a sorting function, Post have responded at clause 9.25 that no more than 2.8% of Postal Delivery Officers FTE's on part time dedicated delivery.

New JI Leaders Plotting Attacks Says Minister

From Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/05/1091557981733.html
August 5, 2004 - 4:06PM

Regional terror group Jemaah Islamiah has replenished its leadership and there are indications the al-Qaeda linked organisation is planning fresh attacks, Singapore's home affairs minister said today.
The stark message from Wong Kan Seng echoes recent warnings from other ministers in Singapore that despite action by anti-terror forces around the region, the terror network, which intends to create a Pan-Islamic state across South-East Asia, has yet to be broken.
"Though some of the Jemaah Islamiah leaders have been caught, younger ones have risen to take their place and sleepers may have been roused to prepare for activation," Wong said at a ceremony to mark Singapore's National Day, which is on August 9.
Wong said key JI plotters - Malaysians Azahari Husin, Noordin Mohamed Top, Dulmatin, and Indonesian Zulkarnaen - were still at large and "are said to be planning the next attack".
He did not elaborate.
The first three are explosives experts, and each is said to have played a key role in the preparation and execution of the Bali bombings in October 2002. Zulkarnaen has been named as the organisation's operations chief, replacing Hambali who was arrested last year.

Old Date, New Credibility Issues

By Glenn KesslerWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, August 4, 2004;
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/
The White House's failure to make it clear that the dramatic terrorism alert Sunday was based largely on information that predated the Sept. 11 attacks is a case study in the difficulty of managing such warnings for an administration whose credibility is a central issue in a difficult presidential campaign.
At one level, experts yesterday credited the Department of Homeland Security for narrowly targeting the warning to selected buildings in three cities, rather than raising the threat level across the nation. But they said the effort was seriously undercut by the revelation that much of the surveillance of those buildings took place three to four years ago.

"Their efforts to focus attention on specific areas and targets is good," said William H. Webster, a former FBI and CIA director who is vice chairman of the Homeland Security Department's Advisory Council. "But they obviously have a ways to go," he said, adding that "it opens the door for people to be suspicious and cynical."
Webster said the administration is trying to avoid appearing as if it is "crying wolf," and he felt the news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge was "studied and not designed to raise panic levels." He also noted that terrorist acts often take years of planning, so a "three-year spread doesn't mean the intentions have changed; it just means nothing has happened."
Still, Webster said, it is unclear when -- or whether -- the threat level for these buildings could be lowered, given that the surveillance that prompted the alert was old. In an odd coincidence, another high-profile New York landmark -- the Statue of Liberty -- reopened yesterday for the first time since the 2001 attacks, despite the increased vigilance in the nearby financial center.

Bush & Co Knew

Features > August 3, 2004
From http://www.inthesetimes.com/
Despite the whitewash, we now know that the Bush administration was warned before the war that its Iraq claims were weak
By David Sirota and Christy Harvey

If desperation is ugly, then Washington, D.C. today is downright hideous.
As the 9/11 Commission recently reported, there was “no credible evidence” of a collaborative relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. Similarly, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. With U.S. casualties mounting in an election year, the White House is grasping at straws to avoid being held accountable for its dishonesty.
The whitewash already has started: In July, Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee released a controversial report blaming the CIA for the mess. The panel conveniently refuses to evaluate what the White House did with the information it was given or how the White House set up its own special team of Pentagon political appointees (called the Office of Special Plans) to circumvent well-established intelligence channels. And Vice President Dick Cheney continues to say without a shred of proof that there is “overwhelming evidence” justifying the administration’s pre-war charges.
But as author Flannery O’Conner noted, “Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” That means no matter how much defensive spin spews from the White House, the Bush administration cannot escape the documented fact that it was clearly warned before the war that its rationale for invading Iraq was weak.
Top administration officials repeatedly ignored warnings that their assertions about Iraq’s supposed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and connections to al Qaeda were overstated. In some cases, they were told their claims were wholly without merit, yet they went ahead and made them anyway. Even the Senate report admits that the White House “misrepresented” classified intelligence by eliminating references to contradictory assertions.
In short, they knew they were misleading America.
And they did not care.

This is what we want

So what is it that workers really want?
As far as I can tell its;
In clause 9.22 it talks of a review which examines delivery issues in the context of the future needs of the company, and the expected future enviroment and customers requirements.
We feel it should also consider the issues and needs of the Workers, and should put into writting a comitment to identify and examine employees issues.

Instead of clause 9.23 saying DODO trials will only continue with agreement of AP and CEPU at National and State level it must read "No Full time or Part time DODO to be implemented."

We feel we are entitled to back pay from the end of EBA5 and the only way we will forgoe this back pay is an increase in the pay percentage (from 10%) and a much higher first percentage increase.
We think 5 or 6% increase from the date of certification and 2% every 8 months till the end of the agreement would be a fairer apraisal of the work performed by us.

We don't feel it's right to have casual staff working for 12 week periods, clearly these can be employed with more transperancy as fixed time contractors or like.

We are still concerned about Franchising and feel you should leave the current conversion policy for traditional Post Offices and conversion to LPO's.

On another note, it seems we will be receiving an early pressie (maybe as early as next pay period) from Post in the form of a Pay Increase similar to the one they want to give us at certification of EBA6, don't be bought off!
This is just a cheap tactic to butter you up and get you to vote yes to a deal which still needs some work to make it fair for us the Workers.

Anyway we should all get ready for more industrial action if they don't give ground on our requests for changes to EBA6.

AMA backs Labour's FTA stance

This from the ABC website http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1168456.htm
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has backed Labor's plan to protect the price of subsidised medicines, which the Opposition has set as a condition for its support for the free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.
Labor wants protection for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in the form of laws to stop major drug companies delaying the introduction of cheaper generic medicines.
Prime Minister John Howard has ruled out accepting the amendment because he says there are already adequate safeguards in place.
Debate on the FTA will resume in the Senate today.
AMA vice president Mukesh Haikerwal says Labor's proposals will strengthen existing arrangements.
"The benefits of the current scheme are that we do have a review process that is independent and that there is some transparency," he said.
"Increasing the transparency and by enshrining the situation of access and generic drugs being allowed on [the market] quicker will actually make the situation better."

Schoolboy behind 70% of Net Viruses

August 4, 2004 - 3:48PM
A German schoolboy arrested in May was responsible for 70 per cent of all viruses received worldwide in the first half of this year.
Sven Jaschan, 18, was still at school in Germany when he admitted writing and spreading the Sasser and Netsky "worms" and their variations which caused vast irritation and damage.
Graham Cluley, senior technical consultant at computer security company Sophos, said: "It is simply staggering that a single German teenager can have had such a dramatic impact."
The Sasser worm caused huge disruption to businesses and organisations in May, hitting, among others, British Airways, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Taiwan's national post office, government departments in Hong Kong and Australia's Railcorp train company.
The Sophos report also shows many more new viruses are being created. The company detected 4,677 new types of virus up to the end of June, up 21 per cent on last year. Actual numbers of infections are not known because many remain unreported.
However, of all e-mails sent, around one in 11 contain viruses.
Police arrested Jaschan at his family home in Waffensen near Bremen on May 7 after being tipped off by individuals motivated by a $US250,000 reward for information leading to conviction offered by Microsoft.
A court date has not yet been set. Technically he could face up to five years in prison, but he may escape a custodial sentence because he wrote the viruses before his 18th birthday in April.
Jaschan told the German magazine Stern that he spread the viruses to gain his peers' respect and admiration. "I felt as if I had written a first-class essay. How Netsky spread, I think it's terrific, and my classmates thought I was terrific.
"Then it was reported on TV. That was cool. Only occasionally did I wake up in the middle of the night and think, yikes, there might be trouble."
He is now hoping to turn from poacher to gamekeeper by seeking a job with a computer security company.
The Telegraph, London

Unions at loggerheads on vote

By Greg Roberts and Megan SaundersAugust 04, 2004
A CALL by the Australian Workers Union for the US free trade agreement to be supported has isolated left-wing unions opposed to the deal.AWU national president Bill Ludwig said yesterday that despite some misgivings, he believed the agreement was in the national interest.
"The question you have to ask yourself is whether it's better to have the door ajar than have it closed," Mr Ludwig said.
"Overall, you have to say yes. With a population of 300 million over there, that's not a bad market to get into."
But Australian Manufacturing Workers Union national secretary Doug Cameron attacked the "nervous Nellies" in the ALP leadership group and warned that Labor would lose votes to the minor parties at the election as a result of yesterday's decision to back the FTA.


Mr Cameron said the AMWU's national council would reconsider donations to the ALP and raised the prospect of the union only supporting politicians who were opposed to the deal.
"I think there are some nervous Nellies in the Labor Party who are not prepared to differentiate the party at any cost," he said. "There are some leadership people who have led this party to two election defeats, and these political geniuses still think they have sway. We will continue to campaign against the free trade agreement right up until the election."
Mr Ludwig said because sugar was excluded from the agreement, his union, which covers workers in sugar mills, had been at least as badly affected as the AMWU and other unions against the pact.
"We were more than disappointed sugar was left out," Mr Ludwig said.
"But in any of these issues there is a downside and an upside. If it's in the best interests of the rest of the economy, then we just have to cop that."

Moore vows to take cameras to Florida

Last Updated Fri, 30 Jul 2004 12:05:58 EDT
BOSTON - Michael Moore pledged on Wednesday to take a film crew to Florida on voting day in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the contested presidential election of 2000.
"I am committed. I am coming to Florida," Moore was reported as saying in south Florida's Sun-Sentinel newspaper.

Michael Moore
"Together we will guarantee to every Floridian that their vote will be counted this year," he added before a cheering crowd of delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Moore's latest film, the wildly popular documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, takes U.S. President George W. Bush to task for the invasion of Iraq and his handling of the Sept. 11 attacks.
But it begins by recounting the events of the last presidential election, which was decided in Florida. Some Americans, Moore among them, believe that the Bush campaign stole the election from Al Gore by disenfranchising black voters in the Sunshine State.
Bush won the election in Florida by 537 votes after a lengthy recount that eventually wound up in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Republicans, however, have repeatedly dismissed the charge that they did anything improper. "I don't think anyone should ever answer Michael Moore seriously," said Reed Dickens, a Bush campaign spokesperson.
Moore says he plans to travel to Florida in October and stay through the election, which takes place on Nov. 2.
He had words of warning for the president's brother, who is governor of Florida.
"I really want Jeb Bush to know that the majority of Americans really resent doing things that would deny the right to vote to registered voters in the state of Florida."
Written by CBC News Online staff

ALP Left vows to fight to the end

By Patricia Karvelas and Steve LewisAugust 03, 2004
LABOR's Left faction will oppose the free trade agreement at today's special caucus meeting, ensuring a lively debate on one of the most sensitive issues to confront the Opposition in years.Despite pre-election fears that John Howard will seize on Labor's internal divisions, the Left last night rejected the case for the bilateral deal.
But both the dominant Right faction and most of the 12 members of the Independent/Centre-Left grouping will back the deal, ensuring it will be formally endorsed this morning.
NSW backbencher and socialist Left factional convenor Tanya Plibersek said last night the Left would vote as a block against Labor support for the FTA.
"We will argue against it in caucus. It's a very substantial feeling in the Left that it is not a good agreement," she said.

"We'll put the argument in the caucus strongly that as it stands this is a deal we can't support."
It is understood that left-wing frontbenchers including health spokeswoman Julia Gillard and deputy leader Jenny Macklin will also argue against the FTA in shadow cabinet.
It is also understood that several members of the Right also expressed their opposition to the deal, including Arch Bevis, Anna Burke and Julia Irwin.
But former leader Kim Beazley yesterday gave what one of his colleagues described as an "impassioned" speech at a meeting of the Right faction in favour of the FTA. The newly-appointed defence spokesman told his Right colleagues that passing the agreement will allow Labor to re-focus on its policy strengths such as health and education.
Ms Plibersek said while there were "some differences of opinion" in caucus there had been an overwhelming feeling that the FTA needed to be stopped, regardless of perceptions that the ALP was split on the issue.
"We are a democratic party. People have a right to a view. We are not like the Government."
Labor senator George Campbell said opposition to the deal was solid in the Left.
"With the exception of the first recommendation, my view is that the 41 recommendations of the Labor senators is the most solid grounds for why we should reject the free trade agreement," he said.
But while there was unanimous support in the faction for the deal to be opposed outright in caucus today, there was a fiery debate around the tactics the Left should use to oppose the deal.
Some MPs argued that the Left should stay quiet about their decision, in order to protect the ALP from Mr Howard's argument that the party was divided because Mark Latham was a weak leader.
"We were conscious of the fact that the Government would use this to undermine Labor and Mark but most people ended up agreeing that the deal had to be fought out publicly as well as in the caucus," one MP told The Australian.

Johnny is a big boy now!

I got this item from http://www.johnhoward.blogspot.com/ it's a great site for a laugh!

Sunday, August 01, 2004
Happy birthday to ME! I'm the birthday boy!
Janette says that being 65 also makes me a big boy, but it meant I had a big decision to make.
I could stay on as the ruler of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party, and being all powerful and stuff... or I could retire and get a Seniors Card.
It was a tough decision to make, 'cause like, senior's meals, cheap movie tickets, and cheap bus fares are hard to turn down.
But then I realised that it wasn't fair to deprive the country of having me as the PM, so I decided to stay on.
Also, it's funny watching Pete Costello suffer.
He came to my birthday party, but I reckon it was only 'cause his wife made him. He was a total sooky-sooky-la-la all day, and he wouldn't play musical chairs or British bulldogs (though that ended up being a pretty good choice, 'cause Amanda Vanstone spear-tackled me heaps hard and I scraped my knee and she said I was crying, but I wasn't, and besides, it was my birthday and I could cry if I wanted to. Not that I did).
He did play pass the parcel, but got all huffy when I got a Sailor Moon pencil case, and all he got was a Dragon Ball Z sticker. He asked if I'd swap, and when I said no, he was all, "Figures." Then when I was eating a piece of my Birthday cake (Jannette made it in the shape of a Deputy Sheriff's badge!), he was all, "So you're gonna have your cake and eat it too, are ya?" And I was like, "Uhm... yes."
I got a great haul, though. Like:

Three new cardigans
Shannon Noll's CD (thanks, John Anderson... not)
Cowboy Dress-ups
A Lord of The Rings DVD (we all reckon that Phil Ruddock looks like Gollum and Alex Downer looks like Frodo. I reckon that I look like Aragorn)
The 9/11 Commission Report
Two new Robert Menzies posters
A new bright yellow kanga cricket set
A t-shirt with "I run the country and I vote" on it
A St George beanieWhat I'd really wanted was some wicked gangsta gear, like a chain necklace with a big diamond-studded "JH" hanging off it, and a shirt with "I put the 'PM' in 'PIMP'" on it. But Janette was all, "Think of what people will say!" I told her people would say, "Day-um! J.Ho's got some fine-ass bling happenin'. He the Mac Daddy!" But I got into trouble for saying "ass". I told her it wasn't that different from Phil Ruddock's Amnesty International badge, but she wouldn't listen.It's so unfair, I'm 65, I'm not a little kid anymore.
posted by Johnny H at 9:53 PM

Casual & Insecure Jobs Are Taking Over

Research Shows Casual & Insecure Jobs Are Taking Over - Media Conference Today 01 August 2004
New ACTU research released today shows that around one in three women are now employed casually and have no access to paid sick leave or annual holidays or even paid leave on a public holiday.
Releasing the research at a national conference on casual and insecure employment in Melbourne today, ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:
"Casual and insecure work is taking over and this is having a terrible effect on people's lives as well as the economy.
Research shows that since the Howard Government was elected in 1996 more than four out of ten (42%) net new full time jobs have been casual and there are now more than 2.2 million Australians working casually.
The whole idea of casual work is that it should only be for jobs that are short-term or have widely varying hours, but the research shows that this is not the case.
A startling finding is that most casual jobs are long term jobs with more than half of all casuals staying in their jobs more than one year.
The research also shows that even with the extra pay loading casuals receive because they do not get paid leave and holidays, they are paid 21% less than permanent workers.
Most casuals receive only $15 an hour (inclusive of casual loading) whereas most permanent workers receive $19 an hour (not including their paid sick, holiday, carers and long service leave).
The generally low pay and lack of permanency means that banks are reluctant to lend to casuals and they find it harder to buy a house. Only 35% of casual workers own their own home compared to 60% of permanent workers.
Rising levels of casual work is also having a negative effect on skill development and productivity in the economy. Less than half of casuals (45%) who have been in their job for more than a year received any training in the past 12 months compared to 71% of permanent workers.
Australia has the second highest proportion of temporary or casual workers of any developed country.
The fact that so many countries have much lower rates of casual work shows that job insecurity is not essential to a competitive economy and that the problem can be fixed."

Trade Deal Muddies Waters

Clean drinking water has emerged as the latest risk posed by the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement, with the deal taking away the powers of governments to regulate this essential service.
The Australian Services Union, representing employees in Sydney Water, says the FTA is designed to prevent governments from placing regulations on essential public services.
"The agreement would freeze the current regulations but ties the hands of future governments to deal with issues that may arise such as dealing with water shortages, threats to water quality and environmental safeguards," say executive president Sally McManus.
Under the agreement, she said, the US Government could intervene and prevent a state government from introducing laws affecting the people it governs.
"If, for example, the state government wanted to increase fees for high users of water, the US Government could veto the legislation," McManus says.
"The reason for these barriers is that the Free Trade Agreement is designed to open the way for future privatisation of state assets, where regulations are seen as an impediment to the free operation of the market.
"This is just one of the many crazy ways that the Howard Government is planning to trade off our national sovereignty"

DODO Can it still fly?

So how about the rumour that a Brisbane Delivery Centre has been trialing a de facto dodo since the trial started in Engledene, not mentioning any names.
Aparently thier Relievers are working night shift making it 5 or 6 over while they are short Posties on the floor. Posties are doing triple and quadruple splits.
It is my understanding these Posties are Dedicated Outdoor Delivery Officers but you can bet Post calls it sound management practice or some such smoke screen.

A rose by any other name smells just as sweet, it sure smells like DODO to me.

Still it seems it doesn't happen unless someone has the guts to bring it to the atention of the CEPU.
Maybe we should all walk around and ignore these sorts of management tricks for fear of reprisals or rejection of transfer or whatever it is being held over thier heads.