Bill Mason

BRISBANE — A pregnant diesel fitter, sent on unpaid maternity leave by her employer Mount Isa Mines, has successfully appealed to the Queensland industrial commission against the giant company. The commission on November 16 ordered

Queensland hospital workers strikeBRISBANE — Nurses, doctors and support staff in south-east Queensland staged a snap 24-hour strike on July 6 in an unprecedented display of anger against poor wages and working conditions in

BRISBANE — Residents of Springbrook, in the Gold Coast hinterland, have vowed to fight tooth and nail against a proposed Naturelink tourist cableway in the region. Thirty of them protested outside a June 18 meeting attended by

Police withdraw charge against Aboriginal academicPOLICE HAVE dropped charges against a prominent Aboriginal academic whom they strip-searched and jailed after she allegedly accused a police officer of "acting like the Ku Klux

BY JAMES VASSILOPOULOS & BILL MASON "What do we want? Democracy! When do we want it? Now!", chanted 250 Indian-Fijians and their supporters at a rally outside Parliament House in Canberra on May 31. The protest, organised by the Movement for

Protest hits Rio Tinto AGMBRISBANE — Hundreds of angry protesters gathered outside the annual general meeting of the mining giant Rio Tinto here on May 24, accusing the company of human rights breaches and destructive

Teachers plan state-wide strikesBRISBANE — After teachers at Sarina High School near Mackay walked off the job for 24 hours on May 23, the Queensland Teachers Union has warned that unless Premier Peter Beattie began serious talks

Queensland's national parks under-fundedBRISBANE — Queensland's national parks could take up to a decade to recover from years of under-funding and the state government should triple funding to the national standard, a report for

Queensland teachers to strikeBRISBANE — Teachers at Sarina High School in north Queensland are to defy the state Industrial Relations Commission and strike for 24 hours on May 23, and other schools will hold stop-work meetings to

Shiftworkers to gain on penalty ratesBRISBANE — Up to 200,000 Queensland shiftworkers stand to gain a wage rise following a historic union claim for afternoon and night penalties to override an "outdated" flat rate. At the end of

Let off for minister over Yanner affairBRISBANE — Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said on May 8 that he was taking no further action against mines and energy minister Tony McGrady for a letter the minister forwarded to the judge

Mangrove-destroying road dumpedBRISBANE — The Queensland government has decided to drop the controversial Mackay East-West Connector Road project after a six-year campaign by conservationists, anglers and businesspeople. In an