Jane Beckmann

  • Rail supporters organise

    NEWCASTLE — Newcastle's Save Our Rail campaign has called a protest for November 19 outside NSW Parliament House in Sydney. The group is protesting the proposal to close rail services between Broadmeadow station and Newcastle

  • MUA victory in Newcastle

    MUA victory in Newcastle By Alison Dellitand Jane Beckmann After 45 days locked out, maritime workers employed by Patrick Stevedores returned to work on May 23. The workers have been sub-contracted to Newcastle Stevedores. The return to work was

  • Newcastle: MUA morale high despite threats

    By Jane Beckmannand Alison Dellit NEWCASTLE — Maritime Union members here employed by Patrick have a long struggle still ahead of them. Patrick's Newcastle manager, Chris O'Brien, has said repeatedly that he would close the facility rather than

  • MUA winning in Newcastle

    NEWCASTLE — Patrick Stevedores has closed down its Newcastle terminal saying it can't guarantee the safety of the workers. This follows several victories for the picket line here. The first victory came on April 13 when Patrick

  • Workers rally to defend MUA

    NEWCASTLE — More than 2500 workers joined a spirited and confident rally and march through the streets in support of the Maritime Union of Australia on March 12. A clear message was that the struggle of the MUA is a struggle for

  • Rally supports Hunter miners

    NEWCASTLE — More than 700 people packed the Newcastle Workers Club auditorium on November 21 to support the striking Hunter Valley miners. John Maitland, national secretary of the Construction, Mining, Forestry and Energy Union,

  • Hunter Valley miners continue the fight

    HUNTER VALLEY — Last week the dispute at the Hunter Valley No 1 coal mine near Singleton escalated. Unable to defeat the miners, Rio Tinto has applied to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) to be allowed to

  • Meeting forms new party

    NEWCASTLE — Up to 60 people met here on November 23-24 and formed a new party of the left called the NewLabor Party. Participants and observers came from Melbourne, Sydney, Lismore, Wollongong, Canberra and Brisbane, and included

  • Battle to preserve Tomago sand beds

    NEWCASTLE — The Tomago Sandbeds Action Group (TSAG) is fighting to stop the mining company RZM from destroying old growth forests, threatening endangered species and polluting the aquifer at Tomago. It set up a blockade on May 10

  • Wallsend Hospital holds firm

    Wallsend Hospital holds firmNEWCASTLE — After six months, the picket line at Wallsend Hospital is as firm and determined as it ever was. Barbara Hardes told Green Left at the picket, "We are staying no matter what

  • Newcastle Greens take council seat

    By Jane Beckmann and Stephen O'Brien NEWCASTLE — The head of the Green ticket, John Sutton, appears almost certain to have won a seat in voting for the Newcastle City Council on September 14. The Greens and progressive independent candidates