December 2001
QANTAS: PREFERS SINGAPORE TO MELBOURNE
A business plan by Qantas to send seven of its 767 fleet to Singapore next year for maintenance - adding to three aircraft already approved in October to be sent to Singapore for maintenance - at a total cost of $14 million is short-sighted, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Shearers win $18.20 a week pay rise
"The company will escalate the action," says Qantas
A secret Qantas industrial relations strategy paper warns company managers to prepare for "a major dispute" to break maintenance unions fighting against a proposed wage freeze.
Qantas rejects AWU olive branch and recommendations of the independent umpire
The Australian Workers’ Union national secretary Bill Shorten said the AWU was "very disappointed" Qantas tonight rejected a solution put forward by unions, and recommended by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to voluntarily arbitrate a long-running enterprise bargaining agreement dispute.
AWU offers "circuit breaker" to end deadlocked dispute before Christmas
The Australian Workers’ Union, one of two unions representing 2500 maintenance workers, has offered to have the independent umpire arbitrate the protracted Qantas dispute.
November 2001
Howard's Pacific Solution Threatens Australian Jobs
AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten has condemned Prime Minister John Howard for exploiting insecurities about jobs and globalisation to win the 10 November federal election.
MINING GIANT PASMINCO SHUTS UNIONS OUT
The Australian Workers’ Union, the largest union at mining giant Pasminco will go to the Federal Court of Australia in a bid to overturn a creditors’ committee decision to shut it out of committee meetings.
AWU takes Qantas to industrial dispute umpire
The Australian Workers’ Union is taking Qantas to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to voice its concerns about the treatment of its maintenance workforce.
October 2001
AWU Rallies for Fair Trade
Trade unionists from 80 countries have called for labour rights standards to be included in world trade agreements, as the World Trade Organisation endorses a new global free trade plan that is silent on the subject of worker rights.
Union leaders pay tribute to founding father
After 74 years of laying in an unmarked grave one of Australia’s greatest union leaders, William Guthrie Spence (1846-1926), has been given the burial he deserves.
ANSETT WORKERS WILL JOIN THOUSANDS AT JOBS RALLY
Ansett maintenance workers will be among the Australian Workers’ Union members to attend a voluntary rally with thousands of workers for job security and a fairer industrial relations system tomorrow.
August 2001
Tristar Win: AWU Will Fight For National Entitlements Scheme
AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten says the dispute at the Tristar car components plant in Sydney was the first battle in a major union campaign to fully protect workers' entitlements, including unpaid wages, superannuation, long service and annual leave.
National Secretary: Paul Howes