Summary of Chronicle

(1) 21/04/06 Notices of a Constitutional Matter were filed to the High Court and served to all the Attorneys-General of the Commonwealth, of the States and of the Territories.

(2) 25/04/06 Blog: http://www.upholdingworkersrights.blogspot.com was setup.

(3) 28/04/06 Appeal for petitions was posted on ACTU’s ‘rights watch’ blog at http://www.rightsatwork.com.au/rightswatch/

(4) 28/04/06 A lawyer of Commonwealth Solicitor wrote a letter in response to the Notice to the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth, and informed that the Attorney-General would not intervene the matter in the proceeding for special leave to appeal, but might intervene in the appeal, if it was granted, in some condition.

(5) 02/05/06 I wrote an email to Ms Burrow of ACTU and sent a copy to both Mr Bracken of MUA and Mr Croke of Union Solidarity in response to the letter of 28/04/06 from the lawyer of Commonwealth Solicitor.

(6) 03/05/06 Appeal for the petitions was called on http://www.unionsolidarity.org. From that website, forms of the Petitions have been downloadable and background information has been referred to http://www.upholdingworkersrights.blogspot.com.

(7) 03/05/06 The High Court listed the Constitutional matter in relation to Hilda’s appeals “for publication of reasons and pronouncement of orders” on 10 May 2006.

(8) 04/05/06 Blog: http://www.upholding-peoples-rights.blogspot.com was setup.

(9) 05/05/06 Evidences of public importance of the Constitutional matter arising from Hilda’s appeals were forwarded to the High Court and to the Attorneys-General of the States and of the Territories. They were informed that relevant updated information might be found at http://www.upholding-peoples-rights.blogspot.com.

(10) 07/05/06 The number of people, who have supported and signed the petition to the Commonwealth Senate regarding Workers’ Constitutional Rights arising from unlawful termination case of Hilda, have reached 750.

Our Appeal for Petitions on the Website of ‘Union Solidarity’

http://www.unionsolidarity.org

Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Accountant sacked after complaining she was forced to “cook the books”
An accountant was sacked after complaining that she was forced to falsify accounting records. After she informed the board of the company, the Auditor, the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry about her boss’s unlawful instructions she was immediately dismissed.

Outrageously a recent Full Federal Court hearing ruled against the worker ordered her to pay the employer’s cost and upheld the unfair and unjust dismissal because her claim was “vexatious and without reasons” because she did not complain “to a Court or Tribunal” before she was terminated. In other words for refusing to continue to comply with unlawful directions she was sacked. Because she didn’t go to a legal authority first the court offered her no protection.

The case highlights the horrible “catch 22 situation” many workers now find themselves in. If they expose their boss’s illegal or dangerous activities they risk losing their jobs, but not doing so they become complicit in their boss’s activities.

A petition is circulating demanding constitutional protection for workers resisting unlawful instructions. Please download and circulate widely.

download petition to Commonwealth Senate download petition to Victorian Parliament

background: http://www.upholdingworkersrights.blogspot.com/