ADELAIDE — 1000 public sector workers from the miscellaneous division of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union unanimously rejected the Liberal government's meagre enterprise bargaining pay offer at a stop-work meeting on February 8. The meeting endorsed a campaign of bans to force the government to respond to their claim within seven days. The LHMWU is demanding a $20 rise immediately and a further $48 by February 1997. Another mass meeting will be held before the end of February.
- A broad coalition of environmental and community groups has come together to organise a rally to protest against the Keating government's decision to continue woodchipping the last of Australia's native forests. A rally has been called for Sunday, February 26, starting at 10am at Parliament House. The next organising meeting will be on February 15 at 5.30pm at the Centre for Urban Ecology, Halifax Street.
MELBOURNE — Building workers walked off the job on February 3 in a pay dispute with Bundeway, a company associated with former Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union members voted to walk off the American Express site in Collins Street until problems with back pay have been resolved. "It seems the builder hasn't paid subcontractors, and our members are still waiting for what is properly owed to them", said CFMEU secretary Martin Kingham. "We have asked for a meeting with Mr Hawke's company to help resolve the dispute. We expect that Bob Hawke, with his impeccable union credentials, will help fix this problem up quickly."
- The Kennett government's appeal to the Supreme Court to prevent the reopening of Northlands Secondary College was met by a rally of more than 100 school supporters outside the court on January 30. Northlands parent Gary Foley outlined the history of the struggle by students, parents and staff to save the school. "The kids at this school didn't fit into the mainstream school system; they were seen as 'unteachable'. They were considered 'boongs and white trash', and Northlands took them in and showed them that they were important and they could learn. If Northlands remains closed, where do they go?" Martin Kingham from the building section of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union expressed his union's solidarity with Northlands.
SYDNEY — The Australian East Timor Association (AETA) held a picket outside the Attorney General's Department demanding "Stop the 'blood for oil' Timor Gap treaty" on February 10. Speakers included Agio Pereira from the East Timor Relief Association and Gil Scrine and Jefferson Lee from AETA. Pereira spoke of the "illegal and barbaric invasion of East Timor sanctioned since 1974 by the Australian government". A range of other speakers gave their support to the struggle for self-determination of the East Timorese as information leaflets were handed out and signatures collected on petitions from passers-by.