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Come Celebrate the New Industrial Laws
July 1 2009 is the first day of the new Industrial Laws and Fair Work Australia.  Unions have worked hard to ensure better laws for workers and are celebrating our achievements.

Join us to mark the occasion :
Wednesday 1 July
Wheatsheaf Hotel
39 George Street, Thebarton
from 6.00 pm
Entertainment provided by the Lonely Cosmonauts
Come along and have a great night

We Don't Want Your Construction Laws Here
SA Unions says to Gillard that there is no need for special construction industry laws in this state, and that such laws are hurting our building industry and worker safety. Read on>>

Fair Work Australia Welcomed by SA Unions
SA Unions welcomed the decision of the State Government to be the first state to formally adopt the new Fair Work laws.  It has been done in a way that guarantees South Australians will continue to have a say about industrial laws for our state. Read on >> 

SA Unions Budget Falters Behind Bold Federal Vision
SA Unions says Kevin Foley's 2009 state budget is out of step with the federal government's strategic vision for weathering the financial crisis.

This budget is pursuing cuts and caps with little commitment at the state level towards protecting existing jobs and increasing skills training. Read on >> 

Abolish the ABCC - Support Ark Tribe
On Tuesday morning 9 June 2009 a member of the CFMEU, a rigger called Ark Tribe, will be appearing at the Elizabeth Magistrates Court to face charges that he refused to answer questions from the ABCC about a union meeting last year.

Please come along to support Ark in our campaign to abolish the ABCC.
Tuesday 9 June
9.30 am
Elizabeth Magistrates Court, 15 Frobisher Road, Elizabeth

Ark Tribe’s story can be viewed on youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofB0TKkNPmM

Restore Justice and End NT Intervention
A poignant exhibition of the hardships created by the Howard government's 2007 intervention into Northern Territory Aboriginal Communities opened in Adelaide tonight at the ArtLab, 70 Kintore Avenue, Adelaide.  Called "autonomies" it is a photographic exhibition and aural journey into the lives of Aboriginal people stripped of their independence.

While it is good news that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday announced that the Racial Discrimination Act would be reinstated, this doesn't address the overall concerns of communities living under this dehumanising regime." Read on>>

Landmark Industrial Ruling for Victim Support
SA Unions hope the long awaited conclusion of the industrial death case of Daniel Madeley will be seized as an opportunity to better support victims' families Read on>>

Workers Rally for Safety
Workers rallied outside the meeting of the Workplace Relations Ministers and the Acting Prime Minister, Julia Gillard to call for the abolition of special laws in the Construction Industry and the introduction of the strongest possible Occupational, Health and Safety laws across every state in the nation.

Unions are calling for the strongest possible laws in every state and territory that ensure:

• The absolute duty of care of employers to provide a safe workplace
• Proper and effective right of entry provisions for union officials
• A strong system of independent health and safety representatives in workplaces
• A strong system of prosecution for employers who breach safety laws
• The abolition of special laws in the Construction Industry

>>.. read on

Dead and Buried - Good Riddance to WorkChoices
SA Unions says tens of thousands of South Australians and millions of the nation's voters can take pride in their efforts to get rid of the Coalition's awful WorkChoices law, and the return to workplace fairness that's heralded by the passage of the Fair Work Bill.

The 'Your Rights at Work' community campaign and its thousands of tireless and committed volunteers deserve recognition for the efforts at restoring workplace balance and fairness.

SA Unions are particularly relieved that an attempt to increase the definition of a small business as employing 15 workers up to 20 was scuppered.  It means many thousands of vulnerable part time and casual workers - especially women, migrants and the young will no have reasonable protection from unfair dismissal. >>.. read on

Another Near Miss on City Construction Site - No Joke - CFMEU Says Safety First

The CFMEU says unions must be given greater ability to ensure safety standards on building sites after another incident at a city construction site today.

An incident involving a crane coming in contact with formwork came very close to endangering the public. “This was no April fools joke” CFMEU secretary Martin O’Malley says.

It follows an accident three weeks ago where a bin lifter fell outside the worksite on Pirie street at Hindmarsh Square, and another last week where a rack was overloaded and collapsed, narrowly missing a worker.

"Three major incidents in around three weeks, combined with numerous injury reports on a daily basis shows something’s not right” Mr O’Malley says.

Senator Nick Xenophon - Urged to Put SA Jobs First
Senate amendments to the Fair Work Bill around the definition of a small business would have a big impact in South Australia and SA Senator Nick Xenophon is being urged to put SA at the heart of considerations over unfair dismissal laws. >>.. read on

People Want Protection from Unfair Dismissal
SA Unions says the Federal Opposition is utterly out of touch with the Australian community in its bid to stymie the introduction of fairer work laws.  We call on all Senators to give workers the protection they demand, especially with job security more important in these uncertain times of global economic crisis. >>.. read on

Clean Start Campaign
Contract cleaning firms have flocked to the historic Clean Start Union Collective Agreement, and now contracting firms cleaning more than half of Australia's capital cities have signed.

Nearly 30 companies in total have now signed.  They signed because cleaners stuck together and campaigned together until the companies agreed that they deserve fair jobs and decent pay.  >>.. read on
For more information visit the Clean Start Campaign Website.

ABBC - How does it affect Construction Workers?
The Australian Building and Construction Commission or ABBC was established by the Howard Govt in 2005 in response to the Cole Royal Commission into corruption in the building industry. Catherine Zengerer from Your Rights at Night Radio Show investigates the history of the ABCC, talks to a union delegate to find out how workers in the construction industry are affected by the laws that apply only to workers in that industry, and to ACTU Secretary, Jeff Lawrence, to find out what the ACTU's response is to the ALP's position that the ABCC will remain in force until at least 2010.

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