Thousands of Customs Officers attended stop-work meetings around Australia on October 13. They voted to take further industrial action next week if needed as part of their campaign to have the federal government agree to a fair pay agreement. Customs officers at than fifty locations took action. This caused delays at international airports, ports, cargo inspections, international mail centres and other customs sites.
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Many workers are told by their employer to get an Australian Business Number (ABN). Such workers are said to be 鈥渋ndependent contractors鈥 rather than employees. This allows the employer to avoid various obligations, such as minimum wage rates, paid sick leave and annual leave.
ABNs are issued by the Australian government through the website (abr.gov.au). No payment is required to obtain an ABN from this site.
Yet many people pay private companies to get them an ABN. Googling the term 鈥淎BN鈥 recently, I found advertisements saying things like: 鈥淎BN registration for only $95.鈥
The Occupy Wall Street movement is an ongoing series of protests that began in New York City in September this year and has now spread internationally.
Victorian postal workers have won a two-week moratorium on unsafe delivery methods while attempting to resolve a health and safety dispute with Australia Post that started in August. Their union believes Australia Post is preparing to roll out the system across Australia.
About 44 posties were stood down without pay by Australia Post at its Airport West and Mount Waverley Delivery Centres in September, after they refused to carry out a new delivery system that increases risks to health and safety on the job.
The released this statement on October 14.
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The Occupy Wall Street protest started small. But it has now become a global movement, with occupy events planned in about 1500 cities worldwide.
It鈥檚 born out of the recognition that, in country after country, ordinary people are being made to pay for an economic crisis caused by the super-rich. The 99% are being told they must surrender their livelihoods, their future, their security and their dignity to keep a broken system afloat.
This article from a participant of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Pham Binh, was written on October 13. The movement has spread around the United States and internationally.
The people of Brisbane have many reasons to join the global occupy movement. Living costs are rising, while the state government is bent on privatising the state鈥檚 public services and has endorsed the expansion of the destructive and unwanted coal seam gas industry.
In line with the international day of action for real democracy on October 15, the 鈥99%鈥 in Brisbane will meet at Post Office square in the city at 9am. Protesters plan to occupy for as long as is necessary.
About 2000 health and education workers rallied outside state parliament on October 13 as part of their campaign for improved pay and working conditions. State school teacher aides and Queensland health workers angrily protested together, outraged at the state government's wage offer of only 2.5% a year over three years 鈥 less than inflation.
The teacher aides were also demanding increased working hours. They have faced cuts in hours in recent years. Their union, United Voice, wants a government guarantee that the aides could work for up to 35 hours a week.
The High Court in London will soon decide whether Julian Assange is to be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of sexual misconduct. At the appeal hearing in July, Ben Emmerson QC, counsel for the defence, described the whole saga as 鈥渃razy鈥. Sweden鈥檚 chief prosecutor had dismissed the original arrest warrant, saying there was no case for Assange to answer. Both the women involved said they had consented to have sex. On the facts alleged, no crime would have been committed in Britain.
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