News

On October 30, the federal Industrial Relations Commission approved the enterprise bargaining system it rejected last April. The decision, which approves a cut-down Accord Mark VI as a covert Accord VII, was welcomed by the ACTU, the

Unemployed squat in Health Department houseCANBERRA — The Unemployed Workers Union squatted in a house belonging to the ACT Department of Health after discovering that the property, usually reserved for its secretary, had been

Mt Isa miners walk out Miners at MIM's Mount Isa operations struck on November 6 in protest at traditional union work being performed by non-union members under a company restructuring process. The 2400 Australian Workers Union members walked out

Call to end use of traps SYDNEY — Animal rights activists demonstrated outside Parliament House on October 24 to protest against the use of the steel-jaw leg-hold trap in New South Wales. The traps are theoretically banned under the

MELBOURNE — Victorian Premier Joan Kirner has hailed proposed new rape laws as "trailblazing", but Melbourne barrister Jocelyn Scutt says the changes will do no more than bring Victorian law into line with reforms in WA, NSW

WA gay pride marchPERTH — Five hundred members of Perth's gay and lesbian community celebrated gay pride through Northbridge on 26 October. The march had a party-like atmosphere with floats, many banners, balloons and the

WA Greens choose senatorPERTH — The Greens WA have chosen a new senator to replace Jo Vallentine, who steps down on January 31, 1992. Christabel Chamarette, formerly better known as Christabel Bridge, but now using her

Coles sackings prompt strikeMELBOURNE — Members of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association at the Coles New World warehouse in Port Melbourne began their third week on strike on November 2. The strike started

Abseilers attack government light billBRISBANE — Environmentalists staged a novel protest against Queensland government power wastage here on the evening of October 30 by abseiling down the side of the Executive Building in

BRISBANE — Farcical scenes broke out in the Queensland parliament on October 31 as attorney-general Deane Wells began to read a statement by special prosecutor Doug Drummond justifying his refusal to proceed with a second trial of

Partial step on driftnets BRUSSELS — Moves against driftnet fishing adopted by the European Community Fisheries Council on October 28 might have been a step in the right direction, if the largest driftnet fleet in the north-east Atlantic had not

Chose wrong constituents "For seven months he performed the high-wire trick of remaining faithful to his poor and clamorous constituency while trying to stay in power." — Time magazine on Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide, overthrown in a