Iemma Riled By Strike Threat
The Age
Tuesday July 8, 2008
THE NSW Government will make a desperate attempt today to head off a rail workers' strike that threatens to disrupt next week's World Youth Day celebrations. The Government will ask the industrial relations umpire to effectively prevent the pay strike, planned for next Thursday when Pope Benedict arrives. Premier Morris Iemma said yesterday the threat by rail workers to cause "wholesale disruption" was blackmail on "one of the biggest days in the state's history - and most important". The threatened strikes would damage not just Sydney's reputation, but that of NSW and the entire nation, Mr Iemma said, but vowed that the threats would not see his Government shift its position in pay negotiations. The stoush with the NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union is not the only threat to the Government's hopes for a smooth-running World Youth Day. The NSW Council of Civil Liberties yesterday lodged a challenge to the Government's controversial new World Youth Day laws - under which people could be fined $5500 for annoying a pilgrim - on behalf of two women planning to lead mass protests during the six-day festival. The council argues that the Government does not have the power to outlaw annoying behaviour, and claims that such a power is "so broad and disproportionate" that it goes against the constitutional right to political communication. The tough laws have also fired up protesters in Melbourne, with a coalition of university and other groups calling itself Youth Against World Youth Day planning a rally outside the Victorian Parliament on Sunday. Members of the coalition also plan to wear annoying T-shirts and hand condoms to Youth Day pilgrims outside a planned Mass at Melbourne's Telstra Dome on Friday. Meanwhile, World Youth Day's homestay program is in disorder, with thousands of families around Sydney yet to be told who they will be hosting, just a week before their guests arrive. Overseas pilgrims have registered similar complaints, with some groups not being told until last week where they would be staying despite buying airline tickets months ahead. Organisers of the homestay program had to revise the number of homestay pilgrims from 40,000 down to 25,000. One parish priest, who asked not to be named, said he was told to expect English speakers, but was last week called by a bishop in Peru who asked if necessary preparations had been made for the visit. Other parishes said they were still waiting for the final details. A World Youth Day spokeswoman assured host families that they would be contacted by organisers soon. "As you can imagine, there's a lot of people to manage, and it's a very complex task," she said. -- With JONATHAN DART
© 2008 The Age