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Ecologically sound sounds for CD surfers

Ecologically sound sounds for CD surfers Music for Our Mother Ocean 3Various artistsSurfdog/Hollywood Records through Festival Review by Barry Healy The Surfrider Foundation is a Queensland-based organisation of surfies trying to clean up the

Bank profits built on job cuts

Bank profits built on job cuts By Jonathan Singer On November 4, the Finance Sector Union (FSU) again called on Westpac to reverse its decisions to close more country branches and cut 3000 jobs, after Australia's four big banks announced record

Working overtime (counting the money)

By Allen Myers Industrial relations minister Peter Reith last week responded to the ACTU's launch of a campaign against excessive working hours by saying that most workers want to work overtime, because they want the extra money. Of course, if

Timorese to hunger strike against early deportation

Timorese to hunger strike against early deportation By Kerrith Cabot Hundreds of East Timorese refugees in the Leeuwin "safe haven" in Perth told relief workers and human rights lawyers on November 5 that they intend to go on a hunger strike to

Seed industry giants: who owns whom?

A shrinking number of colossal companies — nicknamed the "Gene Giants" — dominate global sales of seeds and agrochemicals, according to a report released in September by the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI). The top five gene

News briefs

Court rules against Rio Tinto A Federal Court ruling has found that three union delegates at the Rio Tinto-owned Hunter Valley No. 1 colliery were victimised when they had leave for union business "unreasonably refused". The company threatened the

Grave challenges ahead for Indian left

By Eva Cheng The Indian left scored very mixed results in the September-October general elections, but the challenge ahead is extraordinary. The Hindu neo-fascist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to secure national power a second time by

... and ain't i a woman?: Abortion: as early as possible, as late as necessary

... and ain't i a woman?: Abortion: as early as possible, as late as necessary An international conference on abortion, "Abortion in Focus", to be held at Coolum on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in November, will offer information on abortion

Breaking free from the ornamental prison?

StiffedBy Susan FaludiRandom House Australia1999, 662 pp., $27.95 (pb) Review by Kath Gelber It was with some trepidation that I approached Susan Faludi's new book, Stiffed, and it had little to do with its sheer volume. I was impressed by Faludi's

Loose cannons

Don't mention it "Giving can improve a company's reputation and do wonders for morale, not to mention profits." — Donna Greaves, adviser to something called Philanthropy Australia, urging corporations to give to charity. Great expectations "I

Autonomous Marxism — DIY revolution

By Zanny Begg Amongst the student left there has been increasing support for "autonomous organising" of the oppressed. Tactical discussions about the best path towards liberation for groups such as women, gays and lesbians, and indigenous people

Ticket machines used to spy on workers

SYDNEY — The State Rail Authority has been accused of breaching privacy laws by using electronic data received from station ticket machines to take disciplinary action against rail workers. Rail unions say 10 workers had faced disciplinary action,