Apec
Sydney 2007
 Sydney
lockdown during Apec summit
The APEC summit is an Australian initiative
started in 1989. There are 21 nation members. The 21 members
represent 40% of the world’s population, 56 per cent
of global GDP and around 48 per cent of world trade.
Howard’s Coalition Government spent well over $200
million on the annual talk shop dressed up as a “leaders’
summit” of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
in Sydney this September. American President, George W Bush
attended presenting his vision for the summit. He wants 2007
APEC to: help secure a breakthrough for the Doha Round talks
(World Trade Organisation negotiations on lowering trade barriers);
explore a “free trade area for Asia and the Pacific”;
improve the “free trade agreements” already negotiated
in the region; defeat “terrorism” and halt “weapons
of mass destruction”; promote energy security and clean
energy; fight corruption and foster “good governance”.
America's leader George w bush must be the most disliked
man in the world and arrived in our country with an entourage
of 650 people to protect him.
Sydney was shut down as our Government bowed its’ head
to the might of the APEC leaders and the people of Sydney
were expected to bow our heads to the Governments 170 million
dollar security machine. All the leaders from around the world
came to Sydney to wheel and deal as Australia was put up for
sale. Australia is selling Gas, Uranium, land and people to
the highest bidder.
The City of Sydney geared up for a protest to show our Government,
and the attending APEC leaders, we don’t want our troops
in Iraq, we are not happy with the IR law changes, that there
is a lack of action on global warming and we will not support
a Government who does nothing to change these issues. The
population of Australia was told time and time again that
the protests planned to be violent. The Governments actions
to prevent this violence was to close down the city and erect
a fence and if you entered into the ‘exclusion zones’
you could be detained and held without charges for 48 hours.
On the day of September 8th 2007 10,000 people attended the
march to peacefully demonstrate their concern on the issues
raised and their support for change. The protest was peaceful
with no serious incident. The organisers of the protest should
be proud of the job done. The organizers are the ‘Stop
the War Coalition’ and ‘Stop
Bush Organisation’.
Sedition
Australian Government reintroduces
Sedition Laws.
Sedition Laws have always been
used to quash political opposition. My government, which I
or my family or brothers sisters friends could have voted,
for wants to silence our right to speak up against their new
band of draconian laws that are continually being introduced,
or reintroduced as in this case. The sedition laws first appeared
in 1590 and Australia's sedition laws were amended in anti-terrorism
legislation passed on 6th December 2005, updating definitions
and increasing penalties.
In late 2006 the Howard Government
proposed plans to amend the Australian Crimes Act 1914, introducing
laws that mean artists and writers may be jailed for up to
seven years if their work was considered "seditious"
or inspired sedition either deliberately or accidentally.
So in effect these laws could be used against legitimate dissent
as in opposition to Iraq war, IR laws , Environment issues,
policy on refugees, terrorism laws, and too many issues to
list.
Australian
IR Disgrace
IR Policy Details
Liberals new IR policy is a single, national
set of rules for minimum terms, conditions, awards and agreements.
Under the new laws any new workplace agreement will only have
to include five basic conditions:
• a minimum wage – currently $12.75
per hour (less for workers under 21)
• annual leave of 4 weeks per year – 2 weeks of
which can be ‘cashed out’
• sick/carers’ leave of 10 days per annum
• a 38 hour working week – which can be averaged
out to avoid the payment of overtime
• unpaid parental leave of 52 weeks
What it really means for us:
• Employers have the right to sign employees
to an individual contract – this means no collective
bargaining.
• There are no longer guarantees in
place for RDO’s, paid public holidays, annual leave
loading, overtime payments, penalty rates, allowances, paid
maternity leave, part time and casual loadings and redundancy
pay. These are all negotiable under individual contracts.
• The weakening of unions by restricting
union access and employee union rights. Fines of up to $6000
are applicable for employees using strike action, $33,000
for unions asking employers to cover employees’ unfair
dismissal and workers can be fined or jailed if refusing to
supply information to government officials.
• Industrial Relations Commission can
no longer settle industrial disputes
• Specific to the construction industry
– the establishment of the Australian Building and Construction
Commissions (ABBC). This ‘watchdog’ would have
powers to investigate and enforce a Building Code, with the
power to impose jail sentences on union officials refusing
to appear, produce documents or answer questions. Employers
are forced to notify ABBC of disputes. Penalties for wildcat
strikes ($110,000 for Unions, $22,000 for individuals)
Solution
There is no credible evidence supplied by
the government to suggest that these IR changes will enhance
the Australian economy as claimed.
Workers of Australia need to stick together
and fight against the unfair changes. The way to do this is;
• Be active
by supporting protests against this legislation
• join a union
• inform other workers of the results of the new laws |
