The Media Alliance may soon be able to collectively negotiate the terms of engagement of freelance journalists with Fairfax Media Limited, ACP Magazines Ltd, News Limited and Pacific Magazines.
ACCC
ACCC gets very tough on deals reducing competition
By now you’d think even the slowest thinking Australian businessman, lawyer and media mate would be getting the message that the ACCC is going to knock back any deal that could involve a lessening of competition.
Business As Usual: Chi-X Australia wins favour … matter of timing on AXA, NAB
Yesterday was a busy time for funds manager and insurer AXA Asia Pacific and the National Australia Bank, BHP Billiton will now be a tougher company to read, a new lease of life for a Melbourne printer and other business news.
Airport competition benefits — everyone for seconds the only sensible answer
Major airport buyers bought the right to charge customers at the airline, retail and individual level anything they think they can get away with in the medium- to long-term.
Telstra result: flick go the shares as sales drop across the board
The only thing Telstra management is any good at is sacking workers, since just about the only area where Telstra appeared to improve its bottom line was in labour costs, which fell by $185 million.
Where to buy fake ‘authentic’ Aboriginal art
How much of what is sold as Aboriginal art in Australia is authentic and genuine and how much is fake? asks Bob Gosford from Alice Springs.
Fairfax Media, unions in freelance stoush
Journalists and their union are battling it out over lengthy delays in action against an extraordinarily harsh contract offered to freelance contributors by Fairfax.
Where’s the warning for investors from the big polluters?
Some of Australia’s biggest polluters continue to say one thing in public about the CPRS and tell their shareholders another.
When is a cage egg green? When it plants trees
Some battery egg producers are giving their cartons a green sheen so dazzling, it threatens to blind consumers to the nature of their egg-laying process, writes Crikey intern Aaron Flanagan.
Telstra split paves way for better competition
The government’s plan for Telstra appears to require a form of divestiture, says Andrew Bartlett. It would be great to have better laws — forcing asset sales — wherever anti-competitive behaviour exists.
Conroy orders Telstra to do the splits
The government has again smashed Telstra’s monopolistic agenda with a raw display of executive power — announcing its intention to force the company to separate its wholesale and retail arms.
Housing: a giant experiment in moral hazard
However successful the Government has been at managing the short-term effects of the economic crisis, it has failed to use the last twelve months to drive significant reforms in the banking sector that will deliver long-term outcomes.
ACCC head warns News and Fairfax over cartel risk
Graeme Samuel has reminded newspaper companies of the need to abide by the Trade Practices Act after Fairfax chief executive Brian McCarthy touted the possibility of talks with News Ltd last week.
Emirates for court in ACCC robber airlines push
The great global air freight price fixing scandal caught up with another airline in Australia today when the ACCC said it was taking Emirates to court over alleged cartel like behaviour.
The Big Four banks are guilty of corporate crimes
The NAB fee backdown is small consolation to bank customers who have been victim to one of the greatest corporate thefts over the past decade.
The ACCC is failing to rein in the cartels
the ACCC operates an all care and no responsibility system of law enforcement, writes Sinclair Davidson. They should not simply be able to engage in trial by media and trial by fishing expeditions.
Political snippets: Good economic news not so good for the Opposition
The stock market has dragged itself upwards and today the minutes of the last Reserve Bank Board meeting are talking again about China perhaps being after all Australia’s economic saviour. Poor Malcolm.
Another day, another big deal for a struggling bank
Never mind what the big banks say, watch what they do.
Tips and rumours: Memo to lobbyists: update your details please
In today’s Crikey tips and rumours, a request for lobbyists to update their details and NSW Treasurer Eric Roozendaal tries to avoid “dirty dancing” incident.
Hypocrisy watch: Foxtel lectures Free to Air TV on competition
Foxtel CEO Kim Williams spoke yesterday about the need for greater competition in TV. Perhaps the problem is more that he’s just about to get some.
Companies must justify their ETS whingeing
The hypocrisy — or, more accurately, blatant dishonesty — of some of our biggest polluters is on the public record. Roll up Boral, Bluescope Steel, Caltex, Rio Tinto, Woodside and Xstrata.
