Crabb: Is the Coalition a bunch of union bigwigs?The Opposition is like a “crumbly old trade union”, writes Annabel Crabb. The evidence? Tony Abbott declared an industrial dispute on Question Time and threatened to strike.
Unions
Australian actors call cut on overseas ads
Actors in the Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance are striking on overseas commercials being shot locally, after the Screen Producers Association of Australia terminated its rates and conditions agreement. Although, as the SPAA wryly noted: “You cannot strike if you are not employed.”
Unions win some lose some at Ruddfest 09
Ruddfest 09 delivered “good outcomes” for unions, with entitlements for workers of collapsed companies. But workplaces will not become more “union friendly”.
VIDEO: Unions at Ruddfest
How are unions involved in the ALP national conference and what are they asking for? ACTU President Sharan Burrow explains in an interview on ABC Radio National.
ACTU bites its tongue, retreats to attic
What trade-off has the ACTU received for biting its tongue about the building industry? So far, just some half hearted words of encouragement about ‘buying Australian’.
News Ltd and the cold shoulder of redundancy
The journalists’ union is taking a hard look at News Limited’s redundancies, writes Christopher Warren.
newspaper death watch 
Globe gives in
The Boston Globe’s largest union has finally agreed to a deal with parent New York Times Co., accepting $10m in pay and benefit cuts. But the paper’s future is still far from assured.
Union had better back big safety claims against Qantas
Did Qantas last June allow a Boeing 767 which had experienced severe turbulence before landing at Cairns continue its journey without completing all of the mandatory inspections required?
Union makes demands on Fair Work’s first day
Not exactly a move to set employers at ease. On the first day of Fair Work Australia, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union started pushing for a pay rise. Industry is concerned, says Ewin Hannan.
Globe and Times Co reach tentative agreement
After months of negotiation, the Boston Newspaper Guild has agreed to a contract settlement to keep the paper running. But not without compromises and significant wage cuts.
Bolt: Gillard will soon be the Aussie Margaret Thatcher
Julia Gillard, once a leader of the Socialist Forum, is now butting heads with the unions — and that’s exactly how she wants it, says Andrew Bolt.
Guy Rundle: Forget the ALP, time for a Greens/unions unholy alliance
The Greens are the new Labour party. And it’s time the unions in question recognised it.
The NSW government’s foray into blatant protectionism
The blatant protectionism in yesterday’s NSW budget could be highly damaging to Australia’s long-term economic interests.
Why the building industry needs a history lesson
It’s hard to think of a major figure from Australian trade union history who wouldn’t fall foul of the current building industry code, writes Jeff Sparrow.
Political snippets: PM plays a dangerous game of bluff
Labour looks like its told the unions what for, but will that translate into votes? And finally, some good economic news.
Gillard’s ACTU spray a centrist triumph
Julia Gillard’s speech at the ACTU Congress yesterday a display of raw executive power, writes Bernard Keane.
Crikey Says: Unions’ GFC response stuck in the 70s
Australia’s union movement has not developed intellectually in the past 30 years. And it shows.
Union greed could kill The Boston Globe
Union greed and intransigence could kill off The Boston Globe newspaper.
ACTU’s rebranding strategy undermined from within
The ACTU’s “growth and campaign” revitalisation plan, the bare bones of which were leaked by dissident unions to the AFR on Monday, could end in tears,.
Job losses in ACT public service?
With the ACT set to end the financial year $41.3 million in the red, it’s preparing to impose a 1% efficiency dividend, which has unions worried about jobs.
Workers sack the boss at Chrysler
The union has taken control of Chrysler, emerging with a 55% stake in the firm following its bankruptcy filing.
From internet to lunch: CFMEU bikie rumour takes wing
A minor kerfuffle has erupted over bikie gang comments apparently made by Victoria Police Chief Comissioner Simon Overland.
Budget countdown: innovation and protectionism
Industries are lining up for the same sort of generosity that Kim Carr likes to dole out to the car industry.
Unions trade member interests for seats and influence
The revelations over the ABCC do little to explain the broader labour movement’s continuing counter-productive closeness to its lackeys in the ALP.
Former MP fights back: electorate staff behave badly too!
As a former MP I can tell you it’s no picnic “managing” your electorate staff either and they often behave very badly, writes Harry Wilde.
