Johnno
The Living Force
This isn't "alternative media", rather mainstream media.....still seems the best section for it.
Yesterday I took part in a demonstration/rally involving approximately 40,000 people (according to media reports)to protest the Australian conservative governments Industrial Relations laws. Basically these are a bad thing if you are an Aussie worker with a union; capital is funnelled upwards to the powers-that-be rather than spread around reasonably equitably as it has in the past.
The Rally was organized by the ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Unions) who mobilzed each individual union which then organized for workers to attend. It was entirely voluntary with some workers forgoing pay to attend, it was on an off-shift day for me so there were no problems.
Yes, it could be argued that the unions are just another example of a power sharing group, unions being in charge of the labour commodity rather than the commodity of capital. In some cases "the scum rises to the top", however usual such types join the Labor party and become politicians! Nevertheless the union movement in Australia is a good example of the "little people" sticking togther for some sort of collective benefit. It is under serious threat with the new industrial relatins laws.
News Corporation has a "Your say blog post" and here is how they framed the rallies
Yesterday I took part in a demonstration/rally involving approximately 40,000 people (according to media reports)to protest the Australian conservative governments Industrial Relations laws. Basically these are a bad thing if you are an Aussie worker with a union; capital is funnelled upwards to the powers-that-be rather than spread around reasonably equitably as it has in the past.
The Rally was organized by the ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Unions) who mobilzed each individual union which then organized for workers to attend. It was entirely voluntary with some workers forgoing pay to attend, it was on an off-shift day for me so there were no problems.
Yes, it could be argued that the unions are just another example of a power sharing group, unions being in charge of the labour commodity rather than the commodity of capital. In some cases "the scum rises to the top", however usual such types join the Labor party and become politicians! Nevertheless the union movement in Australia is a good example of the "little people" sticking togther for some sort of collective benefit. It is under serious threat with the new industrial relatins laws.
News Corporation has a "Your say blog post" and here is how they framed the rallies
My favourite comment so far has been.UNIONS are trying to reignite community animosity towards the Federal Government's Work Choices IR laws with mass rallies around the country today. Do you think the protests will have any impact? Have you been affected by the new workplace laws?
The greatest irony is us arguing this on a News Limited blog. After all Rupert Murdoch practically started individual contracts when he shut down his Fleet Street Presses and only hired staff who sign individual contracts at their Wopping plant. locking out the unions.
Is News Limited still suffering from "Wopping" bias? Have a look how they phrase the blog question, read the editorials and decide.
I wonder what penalty rates a blog moderator gets at news limited?