News

#1 Students boycott 'holding pens' DARWIN — Postgraduate students at Charles Darwin University have launched protest action after more than 30 students were informed about their forced relocation to what the CDU Postgraduate Students'

Cam Walker, Melbourne They say a week's a long time in politics — but it's nothing compared to thirty years. Friends of the Earth Australia is turning 30. From modest beginnings, FoE International is now the world's largest grassroots

Amelia Taylor, Gold Coast A group of casual and low-paid workers on the Gold Coast has begun to organise, inspired by the New Zealand-based Unite union's "Super-size my Pay" campaign, which has mobilised thousands of casual workers in industrial

Lisa Macdonald, Sydney Braving heavy rain, around 100 people rallied at Sydney Town Hall on July 15 to demand "Close Guantanamo", "Stop the torture" and "Bring David Hicks home". The action, organised by Sydney's Stop the War Coalition, the

#1 Socialist candidates protest Kodak closure MELBOURNE — On September 21, two Socialist Alliance candidates in the October 9 federal election — David Glanz (standing in Wills) and Sue Bolton (standing for the Senate) — participated in a

Karen Fredericks, Melbourne A mass meeting of 150 La Trobe University staff gathered on June 24, at two days' notice, to condemn a paltry enterprise bargaining offer from the university, contingent on increased student fees and the Coalition

Stuart Martin, Melbourne The workers at Colrain's Derrimut site who have been fighting the imposition of individual contracts (AWAs) won on December 19, despite the company's use of scabs, physical intimidation and the police to attempt to break

Rachel Evans As the effects of climate change begin to be felt around the world and with the Howard government pushing for increased uranium mining in Australia, the need for a strong, grassroots environment movement has never been so urgent. The

#2 Meat workers win after long battle LAUNCESTON — On September 15, an 18-month industrial dispute came to an end at Blue Ribbon's plant in St Leonards. Seventeen workers received $500,000 in wages owed, which had accumulated since the

Paul Oboohov, Canberra Sixty members and supporters of Save the Ridge blockaded tree-clearing machinery to prevent it leaving a fenced compound on the Bruce/O'Connor Ridge on June 18. They aimed to stop tree-clearing for the Gungahlin Drive

Mel Hughes, Sydney This year's Queer Collaborations (QC) conference, held at the University of New South Wales on July 3-7, was attended by 250 people, most of them university students. The conference — Australia's largest national forum for

Sandy Whelan In the lead-up to the June 28 union protests against the Work Choices laws, Australia Post issued a number of bulletins warning staff that taking industrial action under the current enterprise agreement was illegal and that