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Construction workers fight award stripping

BY SAM WAINWRIGHT SYDNEY — On March 6 Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) members employed on NSW construction sites went out on strike for 48 hours. They are defending a range of conditions that will be removed from their award under

BOUGAINVILLE: 'Rio Tinto must be brought to justice'

BY LARRY DOUGLAS On March 7, 200 Bougainvilleans "visited" the Papua New Guinea-appointed governor, John Momis, in Buka and handed him a statement disapproving of the decision of the PNG government to oppose the Bougainvillean law suit against

The People v Philip Ruddock

BY MARY CARROLL SYDNEY — One hundred and thirty people filled the Manly Youth Centre Hall on February 28, attending a "People v Philip Ruddock" meeting called by the northern branch of the Socialist Alliance. Speakers were moved to tears as

BHP washes its hands of dead river

BY SIMON DIVECHA BHP Billiton is attempting to wash its hands of responsibility for 10 years' damage caused by its Ok Tedi gold and copper mine in Papua New Guinea. The company is putting its majority share in Ok Tedi Mining Ltd into a holding

'Suits against detention'

BY JENNY LONG SYDNEY — Around 400 people gathered for the ChilOut (Children Out of Detention) and NSW Teacher's Federation's "Suits against detention: Middle Australia protests!" rally on March 7. Chilout's Junie Ong opened the speaking list,

and ain't I a woman: US companies exploit women in Guatemala

and ain't I a woman: US companies exploit women in Guatemala Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a report — "From the household to the factory: sex discrimination in the Guatemalan labor force" — which exposes the widespread abuse of

Howard's truth

Election blindercan't be kinderlip sewingchildren throwingpeople smugglingcountry jugglingcompassion presumingtime consumingqueue jumpingpeople dumpingrazor wirecells on fireleaky shipspoliticians' slipsTampa pamperingrather hamperingPacific

Afghan woman to address conference

BY SARAH STEPHEN Tahmeena Faryal, a 23-year-old activist involved in the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), will be a featured speaker at the Second Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference, which will be held in

Socialist Alliance briefs

Socialists picket Bracks MELBOURNE — Supporters of the Socialist Alliance held a rally outside the Treasury Place office of Victorian Labor Premier Steve Bracks on March 5, protesting at the government's failure to reverse service cuts carried

Forest blockaders undaunted by police violence

BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE HOBART — On March 6, Tasmanian police broke up the Weld River community picket. The picket was established on February 4 to save more than 3000 hectares of unlogged, old growth forest, immediately adjacent to a World Heritage

Woomera asylum seekers resume protest

BY SARAH STEPHEN A hunger strike by around 150 mostly Iraqi asylum seekers held in Woomera detention centre began on March 7. Fifteen shallow graves were dug, and detainees buried themselves up to their necks, indicating that they would rather be

How Muhammad Ali became a legend

AliDirected by Michael MannWritten by Eric Roth and Michael MannWith Will Smith, Jon Voight, Jamie Foxx and Mario Van PeeblesScreening at major cinemas REVIEW BY NICK EVERETT Michael Mann's Ali is a welcome departure from typical Hollywood