Issue 295

News

CPSU confuses members in Telstra strike By Leo Wellin For the first time in 10 years, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which represents 10,000 staff at Telstra, coordinated a successful 24-hour strike against giant phone company on
Dispute over ABC TV restructure By Kath Gelber SYDNEY — ABC TV technical staff have been involved in an ongoing dispute over restructuring as federal government budget cuts begin to take effect. In a bid to restructure ABC TV and radio into
Anti-Hanson action in Adelaide By Melanie Sjoberg ADELAIDE — More than 300 noisy protesters gathered outside the Hyatt Hotel on October 18 to demonstrate their opposition to Pauline Hanson and the Liberal government's racist agenda. Many young
WorkCover stoppage gains broad support By Bronwen Beechey MELBOURNE — In what promises to be the largest union stop-work and rally since the huge protests against the Kennett government's industrial relations laws in 1992, workers will be
By Melanie Bulland Liam Mitchell SYDNEY — In protest at the federal government's decisions to mine uranium at Jabiluka and construct a new nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, 70 people attended a public meeting on October 20 at the Resistance
University of Canberra left polls well By Nick Middleton CANBERRA — Students at the University of Canberra went to the polls on October 21-23 to elect next year's Students Association. They gave a good vote to left and progressive candidates,
Rallies against Howard's 10-point plan By Nikki Ulasowski and Nick Fredman In Canberra on October 21, more than 750 people from around Australia gathered at 7am to form a human chain around Parliament House, aimed at opposing the federal
By Jane Beckmann NEWCASTLE — More than 700 people packed the Newcastle Workers Club auditorium on November 21 to support the striking Hunter Valley miners. John Maitland, national secretary of the Construction, Mining, Forestry and Energy Union,
Students rally against fees and cuts By Sean Healy A week of action called by the National Union of Students against cuts to tertiary education and student fees featured rallies and actions across Australia last week. From Sydney, Mel Bull
Distribution barred Missed out on your copy of Green Left Weekly recently? Maybe your regular seller wasn't at the spot where you normally pick it up from her or him. Perhaps it was illness, or an urgent appointment, but there is also another
Conference discusses abortion rights By Margarita Windisch MELBOURNE — The Royal Women's Hospital Pregnancy Advisory Service, in conjunction with the Abortion Providers' Federation of Australia, hosted a conference on October 11-12 which
By Paul Glenning EMERALD, Qld — In the face of company goons posing as security guards, miners at ARCO's Gordonstone mine have had a small win. Management has been forced to back off from the more blatant intimidation and harassment it has used
Police called to community barbecue By Sue Bull QUEANBEYAN — The Henderson Road Residents Action Group were forced to hold their October 19 community barbecue on the tiny nature strip between the abandoned railway goods yard and the busy road.
By Ben Courtice MELBOURNE — More than 60 people attended an anti-racist conference strategy over October 18-19 organised by Campaign Against Racism (CAR), an activist group that has organised the rallies against One Nation meetings. The first
Actions against Jabiluka By Tom Flanagan and Jane Black DARWIN — Anti-uranium activists are planning to blockade the Jabiluka uranium mine if the Aboriginal traditional owners of the mine site, the Mirrar people, fail to get justice in the
By Jen Crothers and Kath Gelber SYDNEY — More than 6000 people rallied outside NSW Parliament House on October 22, demanding the equalisation of age of consent laws. When homosexuality was decriminalised in NSW 13 years ago, ALP Premier Barry
Union leadership retreats on Centrelink agency agreement By Philippa Stanford After several months of negotiations with management and debate amongst members the Community and Public Sector Union leadership within Centrelink, the federal
Rally against military aircraft noise By Tim E. Stewart DARWIN — Fifty people rallied on October 22 against the extreme noise pollution caused by jets operating out of Darwin airport as part of the "Pitch Black" war games. The protesters

World

By Peter Gellert MEXICO CITY — A week after Mexico's worst storm in recorded history, the country's Pacific coast has barely started picking itself out of the rubble and destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Paulina. The hurricane lashed the
International campaign to free Nigerian unionists The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions launched a campaign of "targeted action" on October 20 against Nigerian oil exports to win the release of detained
By Eva Cheng Massive, dumping of the Thai baht, Philippine peso, Indonesian rupiah and Malaysian ringgit have forced these countries to float their currencies, ending their link with US dollars and slashing their purchasing power by 20-50%. Prices
US calls Tamil Tigers terrorists By Sue Bull On October 8, the United States announced moves to make it illegal to give money or other material support to 30 foreign groups designated as terrorist. Visas will also be denied to members or
By Norm Dixon The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has appealed for international support in its struggle against the privatisation of basic services. The union has been waging a bitter fight against the privatisation of water and
Italy's Refounded Communist Party (PRC) has retreated from opposition to the 1998 budget. LIVIO MAITAN, a member of the party's national leadership, warns that, until it elaborates a strategic alternative to the centre-left ("Olive Tree") government,
By Peter Montague A new strategy for disposal of hazardous materials is emerging in the US. After years of unsuccessful efforts to gain public acceptance of waste disposal in the oceans, in landfills and in incinerators, frustrated federal and
Indonesia: anti-Suharto protests grow A few Australian foreign correspondents in Jakarta, such as the Sydney Morning Herald's Louise Williams, are writing about "the mood turning" in Indonesia. Green Left Weekly asked MAX LANE, national
By Deepa Fernandes HAVANA — "Revolutionary ideas will live on as long as there are revolutionaries, patriots and noble hearts, as long as there are people who carry within them the finest human virtues", Cuban President Fidel Castro told the

Culture

The Birthday PartyBy Harold PinterDirected by Michael GowWith Ralph Cotterill, Jerome Ehlers, Sacha Horler, Gillian Jones, Colin Moody, Don ReidCompany BBelvoir St Theatre, Sydney, until November 30 Review by Allen Myers The two entire back walls
Learning How to DieBy Pablo Armando FernandesTtranslated with an introduction by John BrothertonHavana: Editorial Jose Marti, 1996. Review by John Nebauer Learning How to Die (Aprendiendo a morir) is an English/Spanish anthology of poetry by Pablo
Sub UrbiaDirected by Richard LinklaterCastle Rock EntertainmentOpens on October 23 Review by Marina Cameron This latest film by Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused), based on the play of the same name by Eric Bogosian, is another
The War of the Gods: Religion and Politics in Latin AmericaBy Michael LöwyVerso, 1996. 163 pp., $35(pb) Review by Sandra Wallace Michael Löwy's War of the Gods tackles the relationship between religion and politics from a Marxist point of
SYDNEY — Formed by a group of committed lefties in 1932, during a severe economic depression, the New Theatre is Australia's oldest continuously performing theatre, professional or amateur. Since then, New Theatre has mounted more than 400
People's court jester wins Nobel prize By Dave Riley In a decision that has angered the Vatican, Dario Fo — Italy's leading contemporary performer/playwright — has been awarded the Nobel prize for literature. The Swedish Academy's choice
Martov: Politician and HistorianBy I. Kh. UrilovMoscow: Nauka, 1997. 472 pp. (In Russian) Review by Boris Kagarlitsky Yuliy Martov is usually considered one of the most tragic figures in the history of the Russian Revolution. With Lenin, he was
Social justice prize exposes Labor By Arun Pradhan PERTH — This year's Michael O'Rourke Prize for Social Justice and Equity was awarded to Anne O'Callaghan at a ceremony at the Curtin University Centre for Aboriginal Studies on October 17.
Peter Hicks at the Three Weeds SYDNEY — At the launch of his latest CD, The Bottom Line, at the Three Weeds in Rozelle on October 18, singer Peter Hicks proved why he is one of Australia's most popular folk artists. With songs such as "The Man

Editorial

Editorial: Action on greenhouse needed now Action on greenhouse needed now Last week several more imperialist governments revealed the negotiating positions on greenhouse gas targets they intend to take to the December UN climate change