Office closure angers union members

NEWCASTLE — Rank-and-file members of the Community and Public Sector Union have reacted with disbelief and outrage to a proposal by the CPSU National Management Committee (NMC) to close the Newcastle organising office.

The 1500 members in the Hunter region were not consulted on the decision, which follows the closure of other regional offices.

Workplace delegates and activists from tax, Centrelink and other divisions immediately organised a petition campaign against the closure and are urging members across the country to send emails of protest to the members of the NMC. Plans are underway for a community picket of the CPSU office in Sydney.

Sarah Oliver

Social forum discusses democracy

BRISBANE — The third annual Brisbane Social Forum was held on May 7-9 at the University of Queensland. It focused on the federal government’s undemocratic response to the mass demonstrations opposing the war on Iraq.

Over 300 people attended the opening session featuring prominent lawyer and refugee rights advocate Julian Burnside.

A broad range of groups participated including the Greens, Oxfam, Socialist Alliance, Resistance, union activists and Greenpeace.

Jason Cahill

From Green Left Weekly, May 19, 2004.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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