THE LABOR PARTY'S UNION ALBATROSS

Three current articles below

Labor leader in the grip of reactionary unionists

As far back as December, we’ve been giving Rudd some gentle advice that he needs to pick the Labor Party up by the scruff of the neck and shake off the union ticks and fleas. In short, Kevin Rudd needs to do a Tony Blair. Since then Rudd has failed to heed the advice, outsourcing IR policy to the ACTU and union luvvie and IR spokeswoman, Julia Gillard.

Maybe Rudd will listen to Cameron, a Labor Party strategist responsible for counting voter preferences, who pointed out that: “The majority of voters are anti-union and they don’t want the unions back in their lives.” D’oh. Even better, Rudd may listen to Blair, the British Prime Minister who long ago recognised what Cameron is only now telling us. Blair’s first speech as PM to the British Trades Union Congress in 1997 is one of the finest modern day political speeches you’ll find, the sort of speech that inspires regardless of your politics.

Rudd might draw inspiration from: “"Let us build unions that people join not just out of fear of change or exploitation but because they are committed to success, unions that look forwards, not backwards...” Or this: “We will keep the flexibility of the present labour market, and it may make some shiver but, in the end, it is warmer in the real world.” Or this: “I say to the trades union movement..........You have a responsibility to people who are unemployed as well as employed.”

When Blair, Britain’s most impressive and successful Labour PM, announced his intention to step down last week, he apologised for the times he had fallen short as leader and gave his thanks to the British people for the times he succeeded. In fact, Blair deserves thanks from the British people for modernising a decrepit trade union movement and making no apologies for retaining Margaret Thatcher’s free market reforms.

It’s hard to imagine Rudd rising to a similar challenge in Australia. It requires a rare leader who can recognise imperfections on his own side of politics and the positives on the other side.

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Mining chiefs put Rudd on notice

KEVIN Rudd has been delivered a strong personal message from mining chiefs to rethink his industrial relations policy so their companies can operate under a Labor government without union interference, or else put the nation's mining boom at risk. The Labor leader will consult his deputy, Julia Gillard, after being told during a weekend tour of West Australian mines that retaining "direct employee relationships" with Australian Workplace Agreements was critical to the industry's success.

But Ms Gillard, Labor's industrial relations spokeswoman, flatly refused yesterday to retreat from Labor's pledge to abolish AWAs if the ALP were elected later this year. She said Labor would not accept AWAs or any other form of legislated individual contracts but insisted that the party would accept flexible awards or enterprise agreements, and individual contracts under common law would also be available. "We are continuing to discuss these issues with the mining industry and the business community generally," she said. "One clear way of achieving flexibility is to have individual common law contracts that have as a foundation modern, simplified awards."

Ms Gillard also conceded that more than half a million workers could remain on AWAs for some years if Labor won office, under party acceptance that the terms of such contracts should be served out until they expired. "If someone is content on their AWA ... they would be free to serve out its term," she told The Australian. And she confirmed that thousands more workers would be able to continue to sign AWAs if the ALP won the election, before new laws were passed by parliament. "It's not possible for a government that isn't sworn in to ... change people's legal rights and entitlements," she said.

Ms Gillard denied that she had been sidelined by Mr Rudd over his West Australian trip to hold talks with mining groups over the weekend. "It's completely routine for Kevin and I to do meetings with business together and do them separately," she said.

Mr Rudd travelled by charter jet to West Australian mines on Saturday with Rio Tinto chief executive of iron ore Sam Walsh, BHP Billiton iron ore president Ian Ashby and Woodside managing director Don Volte. "I'm stunned by the magnitude of what I've seen here," Mr Rudd said after experiencing mining operations with AWAs and no union involvement.

Mr Walsh said the mining chiefs wanted to impress on Labor's leader the importance of maintaining a direct relationship with employees so companies could meet their business goals. He said business did not expect a "magic wand" from Mr Rudd but looked forward to further talks. Australian Mines and Metals Association chief executive Steve Knott said companies had suggested a compromise to Labor of leaving AWAs in place but re-applying a no-disadvantage test that existed before the Work Choices laws came into force. Mr Knott said companies opposed collective bargaining and awards, despite flexibility measures advocated by Labor. They did not want a return to ritual negotiations potentially involving unions every three years.

Mr Howard yesterday urged employers to pay either full award rates or full monetary compensation until legislation for the planned fairness test was in place. Asked about correspondence with BHP Billiton executives yesterday, Ms Gillard confirmed that union "right of entry" into workplaces had been raised.

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Rudd ready to backflip on individual labour contracts

KEVIN RUDD is canvassing a reverse on individual work contracts despite the hard-line public stance of his industrial relations spokeswoman, Julia Gillard. The Labor leader's office is consulting with industrial relations and economics "hard heads" in the party, including the former industrial relations spokesmen Stephen Smith and Simon Crean.

There is a strong core of frontbench support for replacing the Howard Government's controversial Australian workplace agreements with another form of statutory individual contract that includes a safety net for those earning less than $100,000. The safety net would ensure new contracts meet minimum standards and improve upon the contracts they replace - and would probably be acceptable to business. "There's a few who have been pulled into this," said one source.

A number of insiders expect Labor will announce a new individual contract regime towards the end of June. But the internal and broader electoral politics are fraught, given the former leader Kim Beazley's pledge to tear up AWAs and any form of statutory individual contract. One frontbench Gillard supporter said Mr Rudd committed to honour the Beazley pledge in seeking her support in his leadership challenge. "He made commitments as part of him becoming leader that there wouldn't be a reneging on Beazley's position."

While Labor maintains a healthy lead in opinion polls, it has faced a torrid fortnight since presenting its industrial relations platform at its national conference. Yesterday the Prime Minister, John Howard, stepped up his attack. "If Labor wins, the union movement will be back in charge of industrial relations and that will be overturning one of the five fundamental economic reforms of the last generation," he said.

While Mr Rudd avoided the media, Ms Gillard mounted a strong defence of Labor's platform, but she did leave open the possibility of creating a statutory individual contract to replace AWAs as part of "fine-tuning" or "transitional" arrangements. Repeatedly asked if she ruled out such contracts, Ms Gillard told the Herald: "We will be abolishing Mr Howard's individual work agreements; we don't believe you need individual statutory agreements to get flexibility."

Mr Rudd's advisers yesterday strongly denied he had sidelined his deputy when he travelled without her to consult mining leaders in Karratha at the weekend. He met leaders of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Woodside Petroleum in six hours of one-on-one talks, but failed to allay their concerns. "He's trying to sell us a Skoda [a budget Czech car] when we're in a BMW world now," one senior mining source said. The managing director of Rio Tinto Australia, Charlie Lenegan, said he remained "very disappointed" with Mr Rudd's workplace policy and said they had not been discussing any compromise. "What we've been doing is outlining our concerns. There have been no negotiations," he said.

Mr Rudd, Ms Gillard and their advisers insist the leadership duo enjoy a close working relationship and have been united on workplace policy since before the party's national conference. "Kevin understands there's a problem, and Julia understands there's a problem, and they're discussing what to do [about replacing AWAs]" one frontbencher said. One adviser said their differences were presentational - Mr Rudd using the language of consensus, Ms Gillard opting to "draw a line in the sand and defend it". A source close to the leadership said the backlash from business had improved their bargaining position with the ACTU. Others warned negotiations would be more difficult as its secretary, Greg Combet, seeks to enter politics.

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Gasp! Hard-Left public broadcaster funds anti-Moore doco

What a blunder for them. No way would they have funded it they had known how it would turn out!



A controversial documentary about Oscar winner Michael Moore, which is creating hot debate in North America, was partly funded by Australian money. The film, Manufacturing Dissent, explores Moore's life and questions some of his ethical practices during the making of documentaries including Bowling For Columbine and Fahrenheit 911. Although the filmmakers were initially supporters of Moore who simply wanted to explore his remarkable career, the documentary eventually turns nasty, claiming Moore has fudged some facts in his famous docos to drive home his agenda. Moore, who is considered the most powerful documentary maker in the world, is said to be outraged by the film's emerging profile on the documentary circuit.

Although it was made by Canadian filmmakers Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine, the movie was completed only because of early funding from SBS in Australia. While Manufacturing Dissent takes a few easy pot shots at Moore's phenomenal wealth, it also raises questions about ethical documentary making. The documentary had its premiere in North America nearly three weeks ago, with film fans queuing for hours in the hope of gaining entry to the screening.

The film is expected to be one of the biggest drawcards on the global film festival circuit this year, with every likelihood it may screen at one of Australia's key film festivals before being aired on SBS this year. A spokeswoman from SBS confirmed the Australian link to the project, saying early funding had helped the filmmakers finish the Moore project. SBS executives pre-bought the licence to the film. "The money for that is given at an early stage in the filmmaking, which guarantees some funding to the filmmaker so they can finish the program," the spokeswoman said.

Moore is yet to comment publicly on the documentary, but in at least one segment of it, his minders are seen forcing the crew to stop filming.

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Howard to reshape schools

JOHN Howard will today outline a new push to "reshape the nation's education and training landscape" and force public schools to provide more information for parents on bullying and violence in the classroom. In a major speech outlining the Government's agenda if it wins the next election, the Prime Minister will sharpen his attack on Kevin Rudd's "education revolution" with a pledge to deliver a new era of accountability for parents. He will warn that principals need more support to enforce discipline in the nation's schools and parents must be given report cards on violence and disruptive behaviour.

In his speech to the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, he will also touch on the Government's proposals to place new compliance requirements on the next four-year $40 billion schools funding deal for the states. It is the second in a series of speeches titled Australia Rising, the first of which was delivered last month in Brisbane when Mr Howard warned that only the Coalition could be trusted to deliver targets to cut Australia's greenhouse gas emissions without wrecking the economy.

The new schools funding deal that is being prepared by federal officials will include demands for greater autonomy for principals to hire and fire teachers and requirements to publish more information for parents on academic performance and attendance rates. The outcome is expected to deliver defacto league tables for parents, ensuring school performance is transparent on a range of measures.

"While the states and territories have primary responsibility for government schools, my Government is determined to lay a platform for high academic standards, good teachers, principals with real power and proper accountability," Mr Howard said. "Like all Australians, I am very concerned at reports of school violence and disorder. Parents would be well- served by more information about school discipline, bullying and disruptive behaviour in the classroom. "Parents are entitled to expect that their child is safe at school and that teachers and principals have the authority to ensure a strong learning environment. We want to provide teachers and principals with the necessary support for their essential work."

Mr Howard ignited a schools values debate before the 2004 election when he blamed "politically correct" teachers for an exodus to private schools. In the latest salvo, he will warn that the rise of violence in schools must be tackled.

Australian Secondary Principals Association president Andrew Blair last night said teachers needed more protection against violent students and parents. "We've got examples of kids bringing knives and weapons to school," he said. "I know of one case where very authentic-looking replica pistols have been brought in. I know of cases when students have got up in class and pointed these replica pistols at teachers. "Teachers are dealing with more young people with serious social and emotional problems who are in some cases arriving at school without any food. It varies from cases of parents coming in and physically attacking teachers and principals. "Unquestionably, there needs to be much greater support given to schools via legislation to give schools more power to remove trespassers and when we have violent parents and violent students."

However, Mr Blair also warned there was a continuing problem with private schools dumping difficult-to-manage students on the public sector. "All schools in this country receive government funding, so in my view there's got to be mutual responsibility for taking students who are troubled," he said.

The reforms Mr Howard will outline today are also expected to require the states to offer teachers performance-based pay and to lift literacy and numeracy standards. "School teachers are an important but undervalued profession. Teachers work hard in the interests of their students and my Government's role is to provide further support in their crucial work shaping the lives of future generations," Mr Howard said. "My Government is dedicated to promoting choice, quality and strong values in Australia's education and training system. "Education is crucial to Australia's future. Quality education will lift workforce participation and productivity, helping to maintain today's prosperity," he said.

In separate reforms, the Howard Government is also planning to unleash the same market reforms embraced by universities to shake up the TAFE sector and ensure training is more responsive to the needs of business. Mr Howard will highlight a range of measures in the budget, including summer schools for teachers, a bonus pool of up to $50,000 for principals to award to teachers and reforms to increase philanthropy and business donations to the nation's universities. "The $5 billion Higher Education Endowment Fund deservedly attracted many of the headlines, but new programs to improve literacy and numeracy, more Australian Technical Colleges, summer schools for teachers and reforms to fast-track apprentices will also enhance the quality and diversity of our education and training," Mr Howard said. "For some years now, my Government has aimed to restore prestige to vocational education. The broad community support for Australian Technical Colleges, dedicated centres of trade excellence with incentive structures, including flexible workplace agreements and links to local industry, indicates we are on the right track."

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