Winehouse too late to pick up prize

Winehouse too late to pick up prize	23.05.2008
Amy Winehouse scooped the best song gong at one of Britain`s most prestigious music awards ceremonies today but true to form for the troubled singer, she arrived too late to collect it in person. Radiohead, Mika, Take That and Phil Collins were among the other stars honoured at the Ivor Novello Awards in London. Winehouse`s father Mitch, a London taxi driver, picked up her award for the self-penned song Love Is A Losing Game and told the audience that she was "getting better". "I don`t know what I`m doing up here," he said. "Amy unfortunately couldn`t make it but she`s getting better and she sends you all her love," he said, in an apparent reference to her public battle with alcohol, drugs and self-harm. He also thanked his daughter`s manager, who he said should be awarded the "equivalent of the Victoria Cross", Britain`s top military honour for courage on the battlefield. Winehouse, 24, later turned up halfway through the ceremony and draped her arms around his father, saying: "I`m fine, really well." Last week, she was told by police she would face no further action after being filmed apparently inhaling crack cocaine from a pipe. And in April, she was cautioned by police after slapping a man during a night out in London. Her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, 25, is currently in prison awaiting trial on charges of assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Radiohead won best album for In Rainbows, which they sold online and invited fans to pay how much they liked for it. Mika was named songwriter of the year, Take That won most performed song for Shine, and Collins won the international achievement award. Share this article Digg this Post to del.icio.us Post to Newsvine Post to Facebook Add to kwoff
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05/23/2008		France hit by national strike
MORE than half a million French workers took to the streets today, unions said, for a one-day show of force against President Nicolas Sarkozy`s government over pension reforms

05/23/2008		Georgia leader wins vote
PRESIDENT Mikheil Saakashvili claimed victory today in Georgia`s parliamentary election, which European officials generally welcomed despite lingering concerns about the fairness of the ballot

05/23/2008		Demonstrators target Dalai Lama
DEMONSTRATORS targeted the Dalai Lama on the third day of his visit to Britain today, on the eve of closely-watched talks between the Tibetan spiritual leader and Prime Minister Gordon Brown

05/23/2008		WHO gets nod to tackle alcohol
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to draw up a global strategy to tackle youth binge drinking and other forms of harmful alcohol consumption blamed for 2.3 million deaths a year, officials said today

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Latest Comments:

As a public servant - i'm stoked.i work very hard for my money... i do feel there is too much disparity for the two rises tho, low income earners really must struggle.
Posted by: debbie of Brisbane 6:45pm today

Two faced dog wait to we become Rudd¿s Socialist Democratic Peoples Republic of Australia
Posted by: Bob of Goldcoast 6:37pm today

You bunch of moron labor voters.I am pretty sure you all were warned countless times that voting Krudd in would be to the detriment of the hard workers in this country.Well, you cop it now and complain.Interest rates, petrol prices, inflation.Your senior was going to fix all of these.How do you feel now you screwed and bent over hard workers?? You pay through your posterior to pay for Krudds cronies to enjoy the price of a plasma tv EXTRA every week.Your ignorance to knowledge and intelligence is now costing all Australians,including those who warned you what this would mean.Thanks for nothing labor bludgers.
Posted by: lindsay of adelaide 6:33pm today

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Low-paid to get an extra $21 a week
Rudd signs off on 18.9pc pay rise for public servants
Employers set to `hoard workers` through downturn

THE country`s lowest paid workers will take home an extra $21 a week but it may be small comfort when they see how much Kevin Rudd has awarded his top public servants - a whopping $1400 a week.

The pay umpire has granted minimum wage earners an extra $21.66 per week, $5 less than unions were asking for.

On the same day the rise was announced, it was revealed that the Prime Minister had signed off on a 18.9 per cent pay rise for the secretaries of all 19 government departments, taking the packages for the highest paid public servants from $410,890 to $488,557.

Just months ago, Mr Rudd urged politicians to show restraint on their own pay levels as an example to the community to keep inflation pressure down.

"We need to be able to face the Australian community in the eye and say that we in the privileged position of this place are doing one small bit when it comes to exercising some wage restraint on our part," he said in February.

Australian Fair Pay Commission (AFPC) head Ian Harper announced the rise for minimum wage earners today, saying the rise, when combined with relevant tax and social security changes, would provide low income households with real increases in disposable income from October 1.

"It is a decision that takes into account the state of the national economy and the circumstances of low paid Australians,`` he said.

Prof Harper said the commission was aware of the financial pressures on low income households.

"Movements in consumer prices, in particular, have put many low income households under considerable financial stress,`` he said.

He said the commission had sought to rebalance the factors in the economy such as inflation, employment conditions and factors putting pressure on low-paid workers.

The ACTU had argued for a $26 per week rise, which would have lifted the minimum wage to $548.12 per week, while employer groups said a $13.30 rise was more reasonable.

Last year`s rise was $10.26 a week.

Wage divide

Professor Richard Mulgan of the Crawford School of Economics and Government said the wage rates in the private sector were much higher, but there was also a greater degree of pressure and responsibility.

However, he said it may be difficult for the Government to justify the generous wage increases for senior public servants when it was calling for others to show wage restraint.

"This is the difficultly with relativities in this area. It`s a question of who you compare yourself with," he said on ABC radio.

"If you compare yourself with a private sector manager then you`re not earning a great deal."

"On the other hand, if you`re comparing yourself with the people you`re working alongside and other public sector workers at a time when you`re trying to talk a little bit about wage restraint ... it`s not particularly helpful."

The Federal Government had declined to nominate a figure but said the AFPC should balance the potential impact of minimum wage increases on inflation, employment and the financial needs of low-paid workers.

The commission believed the pay rise would have only a minor impact on those factors.

But Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said the wage rise would put a $1.35 billion impost on labour costs.

"A number of small businesses are going to have to find additional money and that could mean they will defer spending or defer investment,`` ACCI spokesman Scott Barklamb said.

He said the wage rise was "economically a risky one``, and businesses that would be impacted included retail, hospitality and small manufacturing.

- With AAP

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