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Disabled workers paying the price

Matthew Davis, Perth The federal Coalition government, through its May budget, has introduced tax breaks for the rich and a "blame and shame the poor" approach. The measures, which will take effect on July 1, include tightening eligibility for

Fighting moood at NSW delegates' meetings

Susan Price& Marce Cameron, Sydney Cross-unions delegates' meetings held across Sydney and regional NSW on May 27 were well-attended, with the largest of at least 1000 delegates at Sydney's Masonic Centre spilling into a second auditorium. The

A century of oppression for Aboriginal people in WA

Jan Cowan, Perth How far have we come to PM John Howard's "National Day of Healing"? Looking at the "Sea of Hands" only adds contrast to the three homeless men sitting metres away on the park bench, discreetly saluting the event from their brown

Workers send Howard into hiding

Bronwyn Jennings, Geelong PM John Howard had to cut and run on May 28 when he was confronted by workers protesting the federal government's anti-worker changes to the industrial relations laws. Howard was in Geelong to announce funding for the

Mandatory detention must go!

Sarah Stephen At least 10,000 unauthorised arrivals have been through Australia's immigration detention centres since July 1999, including 3899 children. Thirteen people have died in detention. At least four asylum seekers have been killed upon

VENEZUELA: A movement of revolutionary ideas

Roberto Jorquera, Caracas On May 21, more than 1000 people attended the Third National Seminar on Ideological Formation, organised by the Centres for Ideological Formation (CFIs). The CFIs are grassroots groups initiated in March this year by

BELGIUM: Arctic leaders appeal over global warming

Visiting the European Union headquarters in Brussels on May 25, indigenous leaders from Arctic regions around the world called on the EU to do more to fight global warming and to consider giving aid to their peoples. Associated Press reported that

PM abandons guarantee that no worker will be worse off

Sue Bolton, Melbourne The federal Coalition government's announcement on May 26 of its new draconian anti-worker legislation has resulted in an avalanche of calls to union offices and ALP offices. Perhaps Prime Minister John Howard has been

Marx for middle-class radicals

Why Read Marx Today?By Jonathan WolffOxford University Press, 2002136 pages, $26.95 (pb) REVIEW BY ALEX MILLER This book is intended to be both an introduction to the main lines of Marx's thought and also an answer to critics of Marx who question

Union defence committee launched

SYDNEY — At a May 10 Defend Our Unions public forum at the Gaelic Club in Sydney, attended by 60 people, it was unanimously decided to launch a cross-union defence committee to oppose the federal Coalition government's anti-union laws. The public

Union unity beats Alcoa

Barry Healy, Perth Unity among rank-and-file members of different unions has beaten back an attempt by contractors hired by Alcoa to prevent unions from organising on the job. One of the activists involved told Green Left Weekly that the Alcoa

INDONESIA: Workers strike against maker of US designer brands

On May 14, at least 2500 workers employed by Katexindo Citra Mandiri, went on strike to protest ill-treatment and unpaid overtime. Katexindo is an Indonesian-owned garment factory licensed to produce clothing for several famous US designer brands,