Ever since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, people have become familiar with governments raising and lowering threat levels. In the USA, for example, the threat levels are color-coded. A "low" level of threat is green, an "elevated" threat level is yellow, and "severe" -- meaning an immediate threat of attack -- is red.
It's tempting to apply to concept of color-coded threat levels to workers' rights as well.
In Australia, following the re-election of the right-wing Howard government and its capture of both houses of parliament, we should be speaking of a threat level of "severe". Australian unions are deeply worried that the government is embarking on an attack on workers rights which is unprecedented in its ferocity.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is today calling on workers in Australia and all over the world to send a loud and clear message to the Australian government reminding them of their "responsibility to respect the core labour standards" which Australia has signed up to.
Please go to
http://www.labourstart.org/oz and send off your message right now.
Then -- pass on this email to other members of your union.
It's now the weekend in Australia. Let's make sure that on Monday morning, when Kevin Andrews, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, comes into his office and checks his email that his inbox he finds thousands of our messages.
Spread the word: the threat level to workers' rights in Australia has been raised to "severe".
Source
LabourstartUniversity workers in Austarlia have been contacting university workers around the world looking for guidance and HELP!
