Work scheme ‘killing Aborigines’
Natasha Robinson; 11/8/08
Arnhem Land leader Galarrwuy Yunupingu has called for the abolition of the federal Government’s longstanding Aboriginal employment scheme, labelling it a welfare trap that is “killing Aboriginal people”. Heated debate about the future of the Community Development Employment Projects, currently under review by the Government, dominated the annual indigenous Garma festival which wraps up tomorrow in East Arnhem Land. Mr Yunupingu sparked furious debate among academics and those working in the Aboriginal service industry yesterday when he labelled CDEP a “weapon” that had been used to trample Aboriginal people’s rights and deny them access to the real economy. The employment project — founded in the late 1970s and designed to be a welfare-to-work transition scheme — was premised on the belief that “money spoils blackfellas”, Mr Yunupingu said at an economic development forum at the festival yesterday.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24158944-2702,00.html
Overseas students flout work rules
Richard Kerbaj; 11/7/08
International students are making a mockery of immigration laws by flouting visa conditions which limit them to 20-hour working weeks, with those driving taxis in Victoria clocking up to twice as many hours behind the wheel as they’re allowed. Despite a warning from Immigration Minister Chris Evans that taxi owners who employed students in breach of their visa restrictions risked up to two years’ jail, cab advocacy bodies and student drivers revealed the industry was largely ignoring the law. Student bodies have urged the Rudd Government to lift the 20-hour cap, saying overseas pupils should be entitled to juggle their academic commitments with as many hours of work as they can manage. The Australian understands the Howard government planned to target Victorian taxi businesses as a first step in a national crackdown on students who were rorting the employment restrictions of their visas.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24159241-5013404,00.html
Gillard tells Telstra that AWAs are dead
10/8/08
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard says it is not in Telstra’s interests to squeeze the last drop of “bitter lemon” from Work Choices. The telecommunication giant said last week it will bypass unions when the controversial individual contracts are scrapped, and deal directly with employees in negotiations for a new workplace agreement. Wage negotiations collapsed last month with Telstra accusing unions of putting forward “unlawful” proposals that would jeopardise its bid to build the national broadband network. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) accuses Telstra of stalling, saying it should return to the negotiating table.
See: http://news.theage.com.au/national/gillard-tells-telstra-that-awas-are-dead-20080810-3suw.html
Tags: Aboriginal, Australia, AWAs, Students, Workers