ADELAIDE — The country town of Whyalla will be hit by a stoppage of 1800 workers from the BHP plant as they go out on March 29 in support of a national campaign opposing changes to the performance pay scheme. The combined unions claim seeks two 4% wage increases over two years plus a 6% productivity increase backdated for the last 12 months. BHP management predicts that the Whyalla stoppage will cost the company $1.6million.
MELBOURNE — Three members of a team of East Timorese "youth ambassadors" were farewelled at a function at the CUB Malthouse Theatre on March 24. Democrat Senator Sid Spindler, who addressed the function along with Catholic Bishop Hilton Deakin, called upon the Australian government to exert pressure on the Indonesian government to stop the continuing human rights abuses in East Timor and to release Xanana Gusmao.
PERTH — About 120 people attended a Politics in the Pub forum on "Stopping the Backlash" sponsored by Green Left Weekly on March 26. Speakers were likely Greens senator Dee Margetts, Lynn Alice, lecturer in women's studies at Murdoch University, Louise Pratt, guild education president at the University of WA, and Michelle Hovane,, a member of the International Women's Day Collective and Democratic Socialist candidate for Perth in the recent federal election.
SYDNEY — The Public Hospital Coalition will rally against privatisation of health services in front of Parliament House on March 31 at 12 noon.