Graham Matthews

  • NSW public sector \'day of action\' for July 30

    On July 3, NSW public-sector delegates met at Unions NSW and unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for “a day of action on July 30th where members will be called upon to demonstrate the extent the public relies on services delivered by public sector workers”. Public sector workers will “withdraw their goodwill” on the day, Unions NSW secretary John Robertson said at a press conference on July 3, although he has ruled out any strike action.

  • Reserve Bank governor only gets 4.3%!

    Take a moment to commiserate with Glen Stevens, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia who, after a year working hard for the budget bottom line, only received a pay rise of 4.3%. By contrast, last year he scored a 6% increase for his efforts.

  • Threat to jobs and safety on NSW trains

    A report released on June 5 by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) calls for massive job cuts and fair hikes to make Sydney train services more “efficient”. The report recommends cuts amounting to $480 million a year, the June 6 Sydney Morning Herald reported.

  • NSW budget a gift to big business

    NSW Treasurer Michael Costa’s third budget, on June 3, included massive handouts to big business and a nasty backhander to workers.

  • NT teachers begin rolling stoppages

    Northern Territory teachers carried out rolling stoppages on May 26-28 as part of their campaign for a new enterprise agreement with the NT government. Teachers also held an after-work rally in Darwin’s city centre on May 29.

  • Petrol populism and public transport

    Petrol prices have sky-rocketed in the last six months. The cost per litre now pushes $1.60, with predictions in some quarters of a $2 per litre price by the end of the year.

  • Labor's budget: Welfare to Work left largely intact

    Labor’s first federal budget in 13 years was well received by much of the welfare lobby, despite its shortcomings. “The Brotherhood of St Laurence welcomes the Rudd Government’s first Budget because of its focus on helping disadvantaged Australians to overcome poverty and achieve their aspirations”, Tony Nicholson, BSL executive director said in a media release on May 13. “Robin Hood may have just fired off his first humble arrow”, said Dr John Falzon, CEO of the St Vincent de Paul Society, in his statement on the budget.

  • Fairfax threatens to ditch collective bargaining

    @9point non = On May 19, the Fairfax media empire issued a notice to 1200 editorial staff whose collective agreement is up for renewal that requires staff earning more than $100,000 per year to individually renegotiate their agreements.

  • Labor's me-too budget

    The Rudd government’s first budget, touted as a “Robin Hood” budget, takes very little from the “rich” and gives practically nothing to the poor and disadvantaged. In its fundamentals, it continues on from where the former Howard Coalition government left off.