News

  • Solidarity with maritime union

    SYDNEY — The Maritime Union of Australia's (MUA) Action Conference on May 17 attracted around 1500 participants, mainly maritime union delegates and workers, from around Australia. The striking Vickery workers sent a

  • Nick Origlass

    On May 16, well known battler for the working class Nick Origlass died in Sydney at age 88. Nick Origlass was one of the early members of the Trotskyist movement in Australia. He was a committed and militant unionist who led the Balmain branch of the

  • Third stoppage in SA education campaign

    ADELAIDE — Nearly 2000 teachers from schools in the central and western suburbs rallied in the city on May 15 in the third rolling stoppage by SA teachers in as many weeks. The stoppages are part of a campaign to secure improved

  • Teachers demand 24% pay rise

    SYDNEY — On May 15, the NSW Teachers Federation announced that it had lodged a claim with the Industrial Relations Commission for a 12% pay rise from July 1, 1997. This is in addition to a claim before the state government of 12%

  • Illawarra activists meet

    WOLLONGONG — There is a long and proud history of militant working class struggle in the Illawarra. The waterside workers, metalworkers and miners can claim much credit for winning many of the rights working people take for granted

  • Nationals divided over gun control

    BRISBANE — The Queensland government's support for gun control could split the National Party, police minister Russell Cooper said on May 13. The warning came as Coalition MPs, including Cooper and Liberal leader Joan Sheldon, faced

  • Unsolved problems at Kakadu mine

    The Northern Territory Environment Centre (ECNT) and the Australian Conservation Foundation have condemned ERA's plans to mill uranium from the Jabiluka mine at Ranger. Speaking after a week-long visit to the Kakadu National Park, ACF

  • Public servants vote for bans

    CANBERRA — At a mass meeting at the National Convention Centre on May 13, more than 2000 federal public servants voted for bans. People were forced to sit in the aisles as reports on the attack on the federal public service were

  • Meeting demands: 'Stop the theft of Telstra!'

    ADELAIDE — One hundred people packed the Pilgrim Church Hall on May 15 for a public meeting organised by the Keep Telstra Public Alliance. The meeting was chaired by Reverend Lee Levitt-Olson, who opened the proceedings by

  • Loose cannons

    Spot the madman "The bulk of licensed sporting shooters would have quality guns worth more than $4000 each. You don't buy those sorts of weapons to kill people. It's the madmen who buy the cheaper variety." — John Wyche of the NSW Sporting

  • CPSU campaign struggles to its feet

    After the recent round of Community and Public Sector Union mass meetings, bans are now being placed in many areas of the Australian Public Service. The bans include cutting off information to government ministers, withholding

  • University staff endorse May 30 strike

    SYDNEY — In the face of proposed massive cuts to tertiary education funding, a stop-work meeting of Macquarie University academic staff on May 8 endorsed the national 24-hour strike for May 30. The meeting reaffirmed the