Letter in reply to yesterday's Advertiser front page is ignored

A letter sent to the Advertiser in response to it's disgraceful attack on building workers yesterday, has been forwarded to arkstribe.org.au instead. You can read the Advertiser hatchet job here.

Dear Ed,

I thought your lead story “Thug rule” (The Advertiser 15/6/09) would deal with the “standover tactics”, “bullying” and “intimidation” that force building workers to take short cuts to ensure that projects are completed within or ahead of deadlines.

Instead, it rehashes tired innuendo and “cases under investigation” to attack building unions and justify their continuing unfair and discriminatory treatment. There has been one case brought against a union official under the draconian ABCC regime. That case was dropped.

The second charge is against Ark Tribe, a rank and file member who organized a petition about safety issues at the Flinders University site. Subsequently, Safework SA issued the builder with two improvement notices.

Now Ark faces 6 months jail for refusing to attend an ABCC interrogation about the matter, an interrogation at which he has no right to silence and no right to legal representation.

Remind me again – who are the “thugs” and “bullies”?

A concerned citizen.