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Bolivia: 'Permanent mobilisation to deepen revolution'

Below is the text of the resolution of the National Coalition for Change (CONALCAM) meeting held in Cochabamba on August 22-23. It is reprinted from Bolivia Rising, &http://bolivirarising.blogspot.com. CONALCAM brings a together the United Union Confederation of Peasant Workers of Bolivia; the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia; the National Federation of Cooperative Miners; the Federation of Neighbourhood Councils of El Alto; the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qullasuyu; the National Federation of Bolivian Peasant Women Bartolina Sisa; and the National Confederation of Small and Micro Businesses.

Business threatens capital flight

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) — representative of the 100 largest companies in Australia — has threatened that its members will be “forced” to relocate offshore if the federal government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) is implemented.

Brisbane rallies to save Mary River

A busload of “Save the Mary River” activists from Brisbane will join an expected 1000-plus protesters to form a human chain at the location of the planned Traveston Dam on the Mary River on September 6. The rally will be part of GetUp’s climate torch relay, in support of actions to address climate change.

Peru: Indigenous rebellion in the Amazon

Peruvian President Alan Garcia suffered a major political setback on August 22 after Congress voted 66-29 in favour of repealing controversial presidential decrees that would have facilitated the privatisation of communal indigenous lands.

'Historic' Ballarat agreement boosts NTEU strategy

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has finalised the first agreement in a new round of collective bargaining in universities. The University of Ballarat agreement gives a 10.9% pay increase over 15 months.

Write on: Letters to the editor

Educational feudalism Julia Gillard sure wants to take the neoliberal stick to public education and parents. Firstly, impoverished parents who find it difficult to send their children to school every day will become even more impoverished by

Call for moratorium on water licenses

The NSW Greens have called for moratorium on the issuing of water licenses in the Murray-Darling Basin until a thorough independent study of the cumulative impact of mining on water resources in the basin has been made.

Uruguay: Discontent grows against government

On August 20, Uruguay’s sole union confederation, the Inter-union Plenary of Workers–National Convention of Workers (PIT-CNT), organised its first 24-hour general strike since the centre-left President Tabare Vasquez, from the Frente Amplio (FA), was elected in 2005.

Fuel costs cause more hunger in the bush

“People are eating mainly bread, flour, milk powder and sugar, and deriving a huge proportion of their energy from these foods that cost the least but are going to fill people up and divert hunger”, Julie Brimblecombe told ABC Radio National’s The World Today on August 25.

Greens WA candidate rejects 'growth at all costs'

Toni Warden, the Greens WA candidate for Kalamunda in the September 6 Western Australian elections, is a founding member of the Stop the Eastern Terminal Substation Action Group (SETS) and a member of the Hills Climate Action Group. She told Green Left Weekly that the main issues in the election are the climate emergency and social inequities exacerbated by WA’s resources boom.

Construction workers accept 15% pay rise

Up to 5000 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union members in Victoria’s building industry unanimously endorsed an enterprise agreement that guarantees a 15% pay rise over the three years of the agreement.

Iraqis want occupation's end, US pushes extension

Under pressure from Iraqis opposed to the ongoing occupation of their country, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamil al Maliki released a statement on August 25 calling for the complete withdrawal of all foreign forces from Iraq by 2011.