DARWIN — Coca-Cola has forced the Northern Territory government to scrap its 10c deposit recycling scheme.
The scheme was introduced in January last year, but Coca-Cola, Schweppes Australia and Lion Pty Ltd took the NT government to the federal court.
The federal court ruled on March 4 in favour of the beverage companies, which challenged the recycling scheme on the basis that it was “costly and ineffective” and added 10 cents to the retail price.
Coca-Cola said "Australian families do not deserve to be slugged with yet another cost of living increase”.
This was rejected by Greenpeace spokesperson Reece Turner, who said this was absurd because customers would get a refund. "It is the height of corporate arrogance, and any claims Coke makes in future about sustainability have been completely trashed."
Coca-Cola called the police on a Sydney protest against the decision on March 5.
— by Jay Fletcher
Workers protest migration plan
MELBOURNE — A thousand workers marched on parliament house to protest against a Victorian government plan to establish "special migration zones" in Geelong and Bendigo. This would make it easier for employers to use overseas workers on temporary 457 visas in these areas.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union state secretary Steve Dargavel told the rally that workers on these visas were usually too frightened to join unions because they could be "sacked and kicked out of the country". One such worker who did join the AMWU was paid less than half of what he had been promised, then sacked when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The union got him medical treatment but he sadly died.
Dargavel stressed that the union's quarrel is not with such workers, but with the government that put them in this position.
Dave Noonan, national secretary of the CFMEU Construction Division, and Leigh Diehm, assistant state secretary of the AMWU, also addressed the rally.
— by Chris Slee
Dump anti-wind farm laws
Research by Friends of the Earth estimates that the wind policy championed by former Premier Ted Baillieu has cost Victoria:
•Around $887 million in lost or stalled investment.
•650 direct jobs lost or stalled in construction.
•54 ongoing jobs in management of wind farms.
•1408 indirectly associated (flow-on) jobs.
Job opportunities, investment and income for farmers and local councils have moved west as a result of Baillieu’s ideological opposition to this clean energy source.
FOE are urging the new premier Denis Napthine to dump Baillieu’s regressive anti-wind farm laws.