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Why the government fears the UN

Why the government fears the UN The Australian government has been rattled by criticism from United Nations human rights committees. On March 24, the UN's Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued a report severely

Kurdistan: Iraqi communists appeal for support

On March 20, the following letter was sent by the leaderships of the WORKER COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRAQ (WCPI) and WORKER COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRAN to Antonio Guteres, president, and Luis Ayala, secretary-general of the Socialist International. The letter

Aboriginal leader fined for protest

BY BRONWEN BEECHEY ADELAIDE — Arabunna elder and anti-uranium activist Kevin Buzzacott pleaded guilty to a charge of "failing to cease to loiter" arising from a December protest, in the Magistrate's Court here on March 29. Buzzacott was arrested

Action updates

Seattle should happen here SYDNEY — The large protests against the World Trade Organisation in Seattle in December can and should be replicated in this country, more than 100 people at a Politics in the Pub forum on March 31 were told. A

Workers First challenges national leadership

BY CHRIS SPINDLER MELBOURNE — The militant Workers First team's election campaign in the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union for the positions of national and state secretaries and for one metal division organiser in Victoria is under way. The

TransAdelaide workers fight back

BY ERICA HAINES ADELAIDE — TransAdelaide rail maintenance workers are the latest casualties of the South Australian Liberal government's privatisation steam train. As the April 23 deadline for the privatisation of TransAdelaide's bus services

Liberals wiped in Brisbane election

Liberals wiped in Brisbane election BY JIM MCILROY BRISBANE — The Labor administration of mayor Jim Soorley swept to victory in the Brisbane City Council election held on March 25. Soorley gained 56% of the primary vote; Liberal candidate Gail

and ain't i a woman: No paternity, no payment

No paternity, no payment Three thousand paternity tests are carried out in Australia every year in laboratories which use DNA samples to ascertain biological parenthood. The samples can be from swabs taken from inside the child's mouth or even

BHP, Rio Tinto, cyanide spills: Australian companies' eco-terrorism

By Viv Miley Cyanide spills by Australian-owned overseas goldmining operations in January and March are further evidence of the fact that Australian companies are systematically abusing the environments of poorer countries, which are forced to

Messages on GLW's 400th issue

The Central Leadership Committee of the People's Democratic Party (PRD) of Indonesia and the branches of PRD receive Green Left Weekly every week. Many PRD leaders have read GLW since early of 1990s. GLW is very important for us because it

France: Communists discuss new direction

MARTIGUES, France — Delegates to the 30th national conference of the French Communist Party (PCF) meeting in this southern French industrial city, in late March, voted for significant changes to the structure and direction of the party. Party

Closer to 36-hour week

BY JORGE JORQUERA MELBOURNE — The Construction, Forestry, Mining, Energy Union (CFMEU) appears close to a 36-hour week agreement with construction corporation Multiplex in Victoria. The union put bans on Multiplex on March 30 after the company