Labour notes

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance has warned against 
signing the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement. The entertainment 
industry union says that the agreement only gives a guarantee of 
four per cent of Australian content for pay TV. In addition, 
current protection for free-air-television have been slammed by 
the union as "inadequate": no local content levels have been set 
for any new technologies. "The agreement denies the right of 
Australian people to determine access to their own culture. John 
Howard is allowing a foreign nation to determine Australia's 
cultural future", MEAA NSW Secretary John Mills.

* * *

Melbourne's Age newspaper has been accused of abusing the 
Victorian Police and its editorial power in an effort to sack 86 
workers in defiance of Industrial Commission orders. Commissioner 
Dominica Whelan ruled that The Age newspaper not make any of 
their maintenance workers or Spencer Street printers redundant 
until the expiry of their enterprise bargaining agreement with 
the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union. AMWU State Secretary 
Dave Oliver said that up to 80 police were assigned to protect 
the newspapers' premises at Tullarmarine where there was no 
industrial action taking place. According to Mr Oliver the police 
set up road blocks and asked workers for identification before 
letting them in. This was happening while the paper was 
publishing editorials condemning unions and criticising workers 
and promoting its right to renege on the agreement. Mr Oliver 
called the "biased" editorialising of the dispute "disgraceful".

* * *

The Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union has 
welcomed the findings of the Senate Inquiry into Poverty. "The 
Senate Report highlights the crisis of low pay and notes that a 
job no longer protects Australians from living in poverty." The 
report also calls on the Australian Industrial Relations 
Commission to establish a new minimum wage benchmark which would 
give an average Australian a decent standard of living in today's 
society. "We have been saying for some time that we do not have a 
genuine Living Wage in this country any more — $448 a week is 
the current minimum and that is a joke", said LHMU National 
Secretary Jeff Lawrence.

* * *

Australian Taxation Office staff have been quizzed about their 
political leanings, foreign friendships and financial affairs in 
what has been termed a security blitz, much to the anger of 
workers. Staff working in areas such as fraud and the audit 
office were forced to undergo security checks in 2001. Workers 
were asked if they had been a member of a club or a union. The 
ATO is also asking referees if staff members have affiliation to 
political organisations "whose views come into direct conflict 
with Australia's constitutional and democratic system of 
government". Employees of the organisation are also being asked 
to name all those persons they have lived with over the last five 
years and if any of those have travelled overseas.