LL:AA: Vic State Library staff SOS
- STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA . . . KNOWLEDGE CENTRE OR CALL CENTRE? PUBLIC FORUM - A Public Forum for all academics, writers, researchers, historians, genealogists, students, trade unionists and other users and supporters of the State Library of Victoria. Staff, ex-staff and library users speak about where the State Library is heading and why the public should support the staff union's claims for respect, recognition and appropriate remuneration. Speakers include:- Morag Loh, Mimi Colligan, Wallace Kilsop & Karen Batt The State Library of Victoria is one of the nation's great cultural collecting institutions. Redmond Barry, the Library's founding force, described it as 'a great emporium of learning and philosophy, of literature, science and art'. In recent years, its greatness has been undermined. An emphasis on bricks and mortar and public events has been to the detriment of collections and staff. This trend must be reversed. With the Library now emerging from its major redevelopment, it is timely to discuss where it is heading and how we can resource the "knowledge economy" necessary for Australia's development. In a period of electronic revolution, libraries world wide are facing the challenge of reinventing themselves. Staff and users have the expertise and experience to ensure that the SLV becomes a "knowledge centre", a base for research and scholarship, rather than a "call centre". We need a world-class reference section which acknowledges that there are major reference tools published by key world organisations which appear in paper, not electronic form. Conservation of collections is a crucial issue. Important public collections have been allowed to gather mould. We need frank and open debate on conservation programs and the place of both paper and digital storage. We need sound public administration. The previous government's Financial Management Act 1994 forced accounting standards that, combined with Executive performance contracts, have been counter-productive. Human resources have become costs and liabilities that need to minimised. Conservation programs have become 'luxuries'. Yet collections - and the staff who care for them - are the basis of the Library. RESPECT Respect for staff knowledge, scholarship, expertise and professional standards must be paramount. Staff skill bases need to be increased across the whole gamut of information media for them to serve the public well. But instead, library workers are being de-skilled. A traditional service ethic of thoroughness and inventive sleuthing must be encouraged. Staff must not be coerced into lowering standards or punished if they do not conform. The Library exists because of its collections. These collections must be respected. Instead, periodical and newspaper titles are being cancelled. RECOGNITION Staff have no direct voice in the Library's governance and have no access to the Library Board of Victoria. Staff should have a staff-elected representative on the Library Board so that the people with the best knowledge of the collection and the needs of users can be involved in decision making. REMUNERATION State Library of Victoria workers are amongst the lowest paid library workers in Australia. The fact that the starting rate for a qualified professional at the Library is less than $30,000 is appalling. The fact that some staff have worked for more at than ten years at the Library and are still paid less than $30,000 is a disgrace. SLV salaries are below those of Victorian Public Service rates. For qualified librarians, the interstate average is 19.8% higher on average at the entry point, and 3.2% higher at the top of the pay scale. (For details, see the Australian Library and Information Association's Salary scales 2002/2003 at www.alia.org.au) This indicates that Victoria does not value the State Library's research collections or those who make them available to the public. Yet, with globalisation, we will only survive as a community if the public has access to information and knowledge. Library workers have an essential place at the forefront of the Knowledge Economy. 2 - 4pm Saturday, February 15th , New Ballroom - Trades Hall, 54 Victoria St (cnr Lygon St), Carlton www.tradeshallarts.com.au > > > PASS IT ON > > > -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:
LL:AA: Defend union rights
Defend the building unions Defend union rights Rally Thursday 6 February 9 am Trades Hall, 54 Victoria Street, Carlton South The VTHC urges affiliates and activists to join a rally in defence of the building unions and Martin Kingham on 6 February at 9am at Trades Hall. Martin Kingham will appear in the Magistrates Court on this day facing charges arising out of the anti-union Cole Royal Commission. VTHC secretary Leigh Hubbard has warned trade unionists to expect increased anti-union activity from the Federal Government when the Cole Royal Commission report is handed down on 31 January. Mr Hubbard said the Howard Government would use the Commission's findings to justify the intensification of attacks on basic union rights. "The Royal Commission has been exposed as a blatant exercise in union bashing. The government has wasted over 60 million dollars in tax payers money in an attempt to destroy the CFMEU." The union movement in Victoria must conduct a unified campaign to stop any further attack on workers democratic rights Mr Hubbard said. "I would urge all union members and activists to attend a rally at Trades Hall on February 6 in support of building unions and CFMEU state secretary Martin Kingham as the first step in a campaign to defend basic union rights in 2003." Source: www.vthc.org.au Australia Asia Worker Links - PO Box 264 Fitzroy Victoria 3065 Australia Tel: 61 3 9663 7277 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: www.aawl.org.au ABN: 82 920 590 967 Assn No: A1318 .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:URL: APE website updated.
The APE website (www.angry.at/racists) has been updated with lots of new music. Music from Mexican-American death/grindcore band Tazumal, and Puerto Rican nu metal band Ricanstruction, is now in the 'punk/metal/noise' page. Free-weed, a collection of hip-hop of the theme of marijuana prohibition, is on the hip-hop page, along with music by Marxman. The Scarlet Banner Station, a collection of radical music (mostly folk songs but some other styles), and some remixes of Billy Bragg songs, are both on the 'other music' page. Both the 'other styles' page, and the 'war' page in the 'issues' section, have the 'Peace Not War' collection, which features anti-war songs from Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg, Public Enemy, Massive Attack, Fun-da-Mental, Midnight Oil, Crass, the Mark of Cain, and many others. All People Equal 'Anarchy Against Bigotry' [EMAIL PROTECTED] .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:DDV: city-wide March 5 organising meeting
MARCH 5 STUDENT STRIKE IN UNION WITH STUDENTS IN THE US To all interested activists, supporters of March 5 Student Strike, CITY-WIDE MARCH 5 ORGANISING MEETING MONDAY FEBRUARY 10TH 5PM TRADES HALL Campuses are continuing come on board the March 5 Student Strike and organising for the day is under way. This meeting has been called to organise the platform and march for the city convergence protest on March 5. High School students, young workers and unemployed and university students should all come to help shape this convergence protest. A proposed time for the convergence protest is 2pm to allow campuses and High School students to get there from all quarters of Melbourne. To discuss these details we need representation from all campuses invloved. In solidarity, Marcus Pabian Youth and Students Coalition Against War [EMAIL PROTECTED] 0403 876 934 office 9639 8622 .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:INFO: Legal Moves on Detention
The Sydney based Public Interest Advocacy Centre is representing a number of Iraqi and Kuwaiti asylum seekers in applications to the Federal Court for release from detention. Most of their clients have been in detention since 1999, awaiting removal from Australia for periods of up to three years since the exhaustion of domestic processes in relation to their refugee application. As the Australian Government remains unable to remove them, they face indefinite detention. Their legal claims lay on a recent court decision (Al Masri v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs). In that case, the Court found that where there is "no real likelihood or prospect of [a asylum seekers] removal in the reasonably foreseeable future, [the] continued detention is unlawful". However, at least one later case thought that the legal decision was faulty. Therefore, the matter has gone to appeal to a Full Bench sitting of the Federal Court. For more information, see PIAC's web-site at www.piac.asn.au/litigation. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
