Riot Police arrest 15, seize rifle

Imagine being the Postie in this suburb!

Hats off and and all our best wishes to those who have to go in there to provide services for the comunity.

http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,12394367%255E953,00.html
By Paul Carter, Krystyna Pollard and David Crawshaw28feb05

RIOT police have arrested 15 people and seized a rifle today amid continuing violence sparked by the deaths of two teenagers in a stolen car.

Rioters meanwhile threw bottles, fireworks and stones at a line of police during a fourth night of unrest at Macquarie Fields in south-western Sydney.

After an hour of relative calm, the situation escalated just after 9pm (AEDT), this time at the corner of Berrigan Crescent and Eucalyptus Drive.
For about 20 minutes, up to 60 police in riot gear were pelted with rocks, fireworks and bottles in the fourth consecutive night of violence in the troubled suburb.

Huge payout for classroom stress

Jason Gregory28feb05
http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,12392389%255E952,00.html
HUNDREDS of state teachers have received payouts for psychological illnesses and mental disorders since June 2002 with most of those blamed on dealing with violent and bullying students.

The new figures reveal that in the past two financial years $5.75 million was outlaid in WorkCover payments to 440 stressed-out educators found to be the victims of physical, mental and verbal abuse.

Queensland Teachers Union president Steve Ryan said yesterday many students had been charged with assault and other offences after teachers or the department on their behalf had complained to police.

It is also believed some teachers also have filed civil compensation suits.
"There are more (than the 440) in the system who are undergoing a lot of stresses directly caused by managing the behavior of students," Mr Ryan said.
"They may go on short periods of leave or just put up with it and carry on."

Two sue over gorilla breast fetish

From correspondents in San FranciscoFebruary 20, 2005

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12312018%255E1702,00.html

TWO American women sacked from their jobs caring for a "talking" gorilla are suing their ex-employer for allegedly ordering them to bare their breasts to the nipple-obsessed simian.The former employees claim in their bizarre lawsuit that they were told to display their breasts in order to bond with, Koko, a 33-year-old female gorilla famed for her ability to "speak" sign language.
Nancy Alperin and Kendra Keller launched legal action against the Gorilla Foundation, based in Woodside, near San Francisco, and its president, Francine "Penny" Patterson, earlier this week, according to several local newspapers.
Ms Patterson told Ms Alperin several times last year that "exposing one's breasts to Koko was a normal component to developing a personal bond with the gorilla", the suit alleges, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

"On at least two incidents in mid-to-late June 2004, Patterson intensely pressured Keller to expose herself to Koko while they were working outside where other employees could potentially view Keller's naked body," the suit states.
"On one such occasion, Patterson said, 'Koko, you see my nipples all the time. You are probably bored with my nipples. You need to see new nipples. I will turn my back so Kendra can show you her nipples'," the suit adds.

The women say they never did undress for the voyeuristic gorilla.

Union Visits and The Common Cold

From "The Latest Postal News" dated 11th Feb 05

UNION VISITS----------------------Howard moves to ban them

Visits from union officials are a nuisance to bosses. Officials may uncover unsafe practices, discrimination, award or EBA breaches, and bullying or general mistreatment of employees.

Even the threat of a visit keeps some from behaving badly.

So they want to be relieved of that threat.

Now that Howard has the numbers he is moving to “improve’ Reich’s laws which have made it more difficult for union officials to visit their members on the job.

He has new legislation before parliament called the Right of Entry Bill, which would get bad bosses off the hook. The ACTU has made submissions opposing this bill, which are available to members on request. They run into17 pages, so cannot be reproduced in The Latest, but ring 32550330 and we will post them out.

The ALP, and probably the Greens and Democrats, will oppose this bill. The logic is with the ACTU argument, but Howard will win.

Who said politics and unionism don’t mix?

The index for the ACTU submission, below, shows the scope of the argument by them.

1.Introduction. 2.Issuing of permits. 3.Revocation and suspension of permits.
4.Investigation of suspected breaches. 5.Notice of intended entry.
6.Where discussions take place. 7.Overriding of state law.
8.Right of entry provisions in agreements.

4.GO TO WORK SICK--------------------You damage your heart

LONDON – Staff who struggle from their sick bed to the office may be helping their bosses but they are pushing themselves towards an early grave, according to new research.
A ten-year study of 10,000 Whitehall workers conducted by University College London has revealed that working even with a common cold can put undue strain on the heart.

The research team said that in many cases the culture of “presenteeism” could lead to the onset of coronary heart disease.
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, the head of the study said people who went to work when unwell “could be hastening their own deaths”.

Good work Kylie, and all the team at CEPU QLD!
If you want to be in their E mailout, send an email to cdtsqld@cepu.asn.au

Adler faces possible jail

by Peter TruteFebruary 16, 2005
From The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12266963%255E1702,00.html

FORMER high-flying businessman Rodney Adler faces a possible jail term after pleading guilty to charges including dishonesty and making false statements in his time as a director of failed insurer HIH.Adler's surprise guilty plea today came on what should have been the first day of an expected four-week jury trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court.

Sitting in the dock, Adler spoke quietly but clearly and displayed no emotion as he answered "guilty" to each of four charges read out.
Adler, who was banned in 2002 from being a company director for 20 years over trading in HIH shares, stands convicted of two criminal counts of disseminating false information arising from the same transactions.

Last year he lost a High Court bid to have the criminal proceedings permanently stayed on the basis he had already been penalised with the ban.

The 44-year-old is also now guilty of two new charges of being intentionally dishonest as an HIH director to obtain $2 million from the insurer for a company of which he was chairman, and of making false statements to obtain the money.
Each of the four charges carries a maximum penalty of five years' jail and fines ranging from $22,000 to $110,000.

Hamburger Hill under the grill

http://www.crikey.com.au/politics/2005/02/16-0006.html is worth a look.

Russell Hill
Crikey's spy in the Defence Department

Is it an "interview" or an "interrogation"? Our Defence operative reports on a Robert Hill's appearance today before the Senate Estimates committee.


There's only one game in town today. And it's not Democrats leader Lyn Allison asking questions about nuclear dumps - let alone Labor's worthy committeewomen Jan McLucas or Kate Lundy hunting down bureaucrats from the Office of the Staturs of Women.It's all about today's Senate interrogation of Robert Hill - or should that be, "interview"?
It would be a stretch to say that Minister Hill was appearing before the Senate Defence estimates committee voluntarily.But not everyone was looking reluctant.

An interesting cast of characters assembled for the inquiry:Labor's Grand Inquisitor, John Faulkner, is clearly enjoying himself back in the limelight. Robert Hill is hunched over with his hands below the table like a naughty schoolboy, drinking lots of water.
There's varying levels of enthusiasm from committee members.Democrats former leader Andrew Bartlett is there, with a copy of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners, tucked under his arm. He's optimistic if he thinks the issue at hand is about the torture of prisoners - it's about the torture of the Minister.

(I wonder if a public servant has ever evoked the Geneva Convention - "outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment" - over estimates grilling?)

I been a bit lazy lately, but will try and do updates more regularly.