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Budget extends forced labour programs

By Jonathan Singer The federal government's budget has increased the push to impose compulsory work on the unemployed in return for dole payments. The government is to enforce "mutual obligation" — the obligation on the jobless to work for

German Greens vote for war

By Lisa Macdonald At a day-long congress on May 13, the German Greens voted to support NATO's bombing of Serbia and Kosova. Delegates voted 444-318 for a motion backed by Green foreign minister Joschka Fischer and the party's national executive.

SA public transport workers protest

By Bronwen Beechey ADELAIDE — Public Transport Union (PTU) members held a five-hour stop-work meeting on May 11 to protest against the deterioration in wages and conditions which has resulted from privatisation of public transport. Under SA

Join the action on May 22

By Wendy Robertson Students in Australia and overseas have declared May 22 an international day of solidarity with the struggles for independence in East Timor and genuine democracy in Indonesia. Rallies and demonstrations are planned in 11 cities

Private port proposed

By Ana Kailis PERTH — The WA Liberal government's decision to establish a non-union private port at Naval Base, south of Fremantle, has fuelled speculation that the unionised Fremantle port may be wound back. The private tender was issued to four

SBS remembers the sixties

Amidst a raft of entertaining music documentaries, SBS is also screening as part of its "The Sixties" theme week (May 22-29) some political films that should be watched by every activist who either was too young to be there or was there but whose

Marathon Foods dispute

Marathon Foods dispute By Sarah Lantz MELBOURNE — A sign stating "Dim sims, spring rolls and rotten bosses" adorns the front of the Marathon Foods Company in Kensington where Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) members and supporters

Castro: 'Force is no solution'

Castro: 'Force is no solution' Following are excerpts from a speech by Cuba's President Fidel Castro to a mass rally in the University of Havana on May 4. Brutal and destructive air strikes are taking place in the very heart of Europe, which are

Budget aims at education for profit

Budget aims at education for profit By Zanny Begg The May 11 federal budget pushes forward the privatisation of secondary and tertiary education in Australia. Private schools will be handed an extra $561 million over the next four years, in

Solidarity with East Timorese and Indonesian people grows

Solidarity with East Timorese and Indonesian people grows Campaigning in solidarity with the East Timorese struggle for independence and the Indonesian people's struggle for democracy heated up around Australia last week, building up to the

Welfare only for the rich?

Welfare only for the rich? Comment by Margaret Allum Right-wing commentators and politicians have greeted criticisms of Aboriginal welfare programs by the former chairperson of the Cape York Land Council, Noel Pearson, with roars of approval.

Maps for the CIA

Maps To Director of Central IntelligenceCentral Intelligence AgencyWashington, DC 20505 It has come to my attention that there was a bit of a boo-boo in Belgrade this past week. Apparently the Central Intelligence Agency had some difficulty