The air traffic control system in Australia has started closing
down bit by bit each day and night due to lack of qualified Air Traffic
Controllers. Tonight (Sunday) airspace between Darwin, Brisbane and
Mount Isa is uncontrolled, and also between Sydney and Tamworth and
Coffs Harbour. Government controlled executives will not hire more
controllers because their personal remuneration packages (bonuses)
depend upon reducing overheads (staff). The few new controllers that
have been employed are too few, too late. The crisis we all expected
and warned of has started this weekend.

Staff at The Sydney Morning Herald
are being told that if they move from one job to another deemed by
management to be less important – ie from editing to writing, or from
one editing position to another – they will lose their previously
negotiated pay rises. Whether or not this is legal remains to be seen.