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Andrews plans new wave of attacks on unions

BY CHRIS LATHAM On November 6, federal Coalition workplace relations minister Neil Andrews introduced a new raft of anti-union legislation in federal parliament. The federal government's Building and Construction Industry Improvement Bill 2003,

Write On: Letters to Green Left Weekly

Green issues David Harris (Green Left Weekly #561) complains, "I have a problem with the green in 'Green' Left Weekly. Number 559, October 29 is a classic example, not one article on green issues!". Harris goes on to list the Otway forests and

Kurdish asylum seekers: Government lies again

BY SARAH STEPHEN John Howard's government has been caught lying once again about asylum seekers. On November 12, the government's people-smuggling task force was forced to admit that, contrary to explicit claims by government ministers, 14 Kurdish

Redevelopment goes off the rails

BY JESS MELVIN MELBOURNE — "Redevelopment" has gone off the rails at Melbourne Central train station. As part of the "new evolving Melbourne Central", rail commuters have been diverted from their usual direct exit point to Swanston Street, which

WA teachers escalate industrial action

BY CHRIS LATHAM PERTH — On November 6, the Western Australian branch executive of the Australian Education Union (AEU) announced that a 24-hour strike would be held on November 18 to support the teachers union's campaign for a new certified

SCOTLAND: Railway workers may affiliate with socialists

BY RICHIE VENTON GLASGOW — A bit of working-class history has been made in the past few weeks. Two branches of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers (RMT) have voted to affiliate to the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP). After

10,000 workers call for a 'fair go'

BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS MELBOURNE — More than 10,000 people rallied in opposition to the federal coalition government's attacks on union, health and education on November 11. The protest was part of Victorian Trades Hall Council's Fair Go campaign.

BRITAIN: 100,000 expected for anti-Bush demonstration

BY MARCUS GREVILLE LONDON — The Stop the War Coalition (STWC) is hoping for a turnout of more than 100,000 people for the November 19-21 demonstrations against the state visit of US President George Bush to London and in opposition to the US and

Free Hector the Protector

BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE HOBART — Forest activist Neil Smith, known as "Hector the Protector", was jailed after turning himself in to Tasmanian police on November 13. He refused to pay a $5000 fine for sitting in a tree during a 1998 forest

GERMANY: Thousands oppose transport of N-waste

BY NORM DIXON Thousands of people mobilised in an attempt to stop the transport of tonnes of nuclear waste from La Hague in France to a "temporary" N-waste dump in Gorleben, northern Germany. On November 9, 5000 people turned out in Dannenberg

CFMEU imposes green ban on Pyrmont site

BY MARCELLE HOFF SYDNEY — The NSW branch of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has announced that it will impose an interim ban on construction of a high-rise development at the former Water Police site at Pyrmont's

Bacon plans privatisation

BY SHUA GARFIELD HOBART — "Contrary to yet another commitment" is how Phillip Baker, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union's Tasmanian branch secretary, described plans by Labor Premier Jim Bacon's government to privatise software company