The Guardian 28 June, 2006
Cancer-stricken father sacked
A cancer stricken father of three, sacked by his employer after taking time off to receive chemotherapy, blames John Howard for ripping livelihoods off the sick.
Lyle White, a supervisor at Ullrich Aluminium in Smithfield, will join thousands of Sydneysiders at Blacktown Showground on June 28 at 9am to "make our voices heard".
"I’m fighting a big enough battle without the government getting stuck into me as well", said Mr White, who undergoes six hours of treatment every 21 days. Hewas diagnosed with lymphoma in January.
Earlier this month he was dismissed for "performance reasons" after he explained to bosses he would need time off for chemotherapy.
Thousands of Sydneysiders are expected to head to Blacktown, the geographical heart of the sprawling city, and to take the campaign to the seat of Liberal MP and WorkChoices supporter, Louise Markus.
The rally is part of the ACTU week of action, with protests scheduled across the country.
"This is about working Australians and their communities standing up against these unfair laws", says Unions NSW Secretary John Robertson. "If John Howard and Kevin Andrews think they can ignore the message this rally will send they do so at their own peril."