The Vintage Reds have made a submission to the Productivity Commission concerning their Public Inquiry into the Workplace Relations Framework, which can be read below: Continue reading
Author Archives: vintagereds
Vintage Reds Trans Pacific Partnership Submission
The Vintage Reds are concerned at the lack of public debate and transparency on the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership.
Vintage Reds Submission Regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)
27 February 2015
New useful information websites
Vintage Reds have long been concerned that the concentration of media ownership in Australia leads to overly conservative press.
Some time ago we started collecting websites that we found to be useful for gaining a more balanced view of issues of interest in Australia and the world in general.
A couple of good new sites have just been added to our list –
http://www.aldaily.com/
http://www.jubileeaustralia.org/
A L Daily (Arts & Letters Daily) is a cornucopia of ideas, criticism, culture, history, disputes etc. Short descriptions of a huge range of articles, opinion pieces and publications. This site is gold (even if it can consume your entire day!).
Jubilee Australia began as a movement of ordinary people speaking out against the injustice of ‘third world’ debt. More than a decade later it remains a critical voice in Australia, and a dynamic member of the international movement for global justice. They seem most active in relation to their ‘Voices of Bougainville’ report.
To see the consolidated list of suggested websites, sign up.
February 2015 Speakers
The Vintage Reds welcomed Libby Hay (CPSU), Naomi Brooks (UnionsACT) and Chris Cooper (Fair Go for Canberra) to the meeting.
Between them the speakers outlined the campaigns currently running and planned for the rest of the year. These involved volunteer teams to run stalls, phone bank calls, and kitchen table conversations.
Libby spoke about the Save Medicare campaign, and how privatisation of Medicare and Veterans’ Affairs systems was the first stage towards privatisation of both agencies. What are the possible consequences of so much public data being handed over to private contractors?
Naomi and Chris spoke on the Fair Go for Canberra campaign. Many of the issues being covered arose from the 2014 Budget.
Report on Vintage Reds Lunch Thursday 26th @ the RUC Turner
What a fantastic time! I think the Penster said it best > “It was very pleasant – good food and company and a very pleasant setting.”
Eleven intrepid VRs enjoyed a very pleasant lunch & the RUC got 2 new members!
Saturday arvo was also interesting at the RUC. It was pumping with the Canberra City Pipe & Drum Band performing & some strange function with some dressed to the 9’s, & some to the 0’s (we think ‘Pretty in Pink’ may have been a theme for some & the young bearded wonders looked a bit strange in the pink dresses!). There also seemed to be a group sporting green attire!
Almost a bit too interesting!
We hear that there are going to be a few changes to the menu, so we may consider the RUC again for March’s lunch.
Stay tuned for future details . . .
Dennis Gazlay
Australian Labour History Society Conference, Melbourne University, February 2015
A group of Canberra’s Vintage Reds – Don Dwyer, Peter Ellett, Jane Timbrell and Bob McFadden – who attended the Australian Labour History Society Conference, at Queens College, Melbourne University, held on 11-13 February 2015.
November 2014 guest speaker, Anita Chan
Vintage Reds Guest Speaker for the November 2014 meeting was Dr Anita Chan.
Dr Chan is a Research Professor at the China Research Centre, University of Technology, Sydney; and a Visiting Fellow at the Political & Social Change Department, ANU. She spoke on Chinese trade union and labour rights history, from the early days of the PRC up to the present.
October 2014 Guest Speaker, Pauline Westwood
Our fellow Vintage Reds member Pauline Westwood spoke to the October meeting about the TPP. Pauline was formerly a senior policy officer in the public service and a senior research librarian.
For updates and more information on the TPP, see the Australian Fair Trade & Investment Network Ltd, AFTINET.
The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)
The TPP is a controversial and highly secretive “free trade” agreement currently being pushed by big corporations and negotiated behind closed doors by officials from the United States and 11 other countries – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam, with a couple of other countries about to join.
Maintaining the Rage
Jane has written a new article for the Australian Unions’ Working Life blog. (Originally at http://workinglife.org.au/2014/10/08/maintaining-the-rage-long-into-retirement/)
“I QUICKLY learned that after retirement there is a whole new world for a committed trade unionist and there is much for us to do.
It is not hard to feel concern for our old work colleagues or for the next generation of workers confronted everyday by the outrageous excesses of the Abbott Government.
Retirement has also made me look at all the other hard earned rights and privileges that the union movement has won for our society.
I am thinking of superannuation, the aged pension, Medicare: all of which provide me and other retirees with a comfortable retirement.”
September 2014 guest speaker, Tom Greenwell
Vintage Reds website: Up and running!
September’s guest speaker was Tom Greenwell, in his role as the Digital Media Project Officer of the Australian Education Union’s federal office in Canberra.
Vintage Reds are grateful for Tom’s patient guidance as we grapple with the complexities of our new website. Thank you Tom!
Photo: Bill Rowlings