News

By Kerry Vernon Brisbane— The Queensland Labor government is considering restricting access by workers to common law claims for negligence against employers. In a letter to unions, minister for employment and training Wendy Edmond outlined the

@FM24 WIDE = Row divides Queensland ALP Socialist Left By Bill Mason BRISBANE Four federal Labor MPs who are members of the Socialist Left faction in Queensland have publicly dissociated themselves from the SL's newspaper Keep Left, as the

By Brian Jones SYDNEY — The Leichhardt and Marrickville Councils elections on September 9 offer some interesting insights into the politics of the inner west and reveal some of the problems the ALP is facing at the local level. The area

By Jennifer Thompson The federal government on August 31 announced a two-month "cooling off" period before the sale of the publicly owned Australian National Line (ANL) to British-based multinational P&O. This is to allow P&O to reach agreement

There's always the dole "They wouldn't be working with me if they weren't happy." — Horse trainer Gai Waterhouse, replying to claims by the Australian Workers Union that her strappers and stable hands are paid below award

University ultimatum to academics By Alex Bainbridge NEWCASTLE — The University of Newcastle administration delivered an ultimatum to its academics' union on August 23, demanding that work bans be lifted. The bans have been partially

By Andrew Watson BRISBANE — A stop-work meeting and rally of armoured car workers here on August 23 resolved to strike indefinitely from August 28, unless the state government responds to their demands for an inquiry into the armoured car and

WA workers oppose anti-union bill By Anthony Benbow PERTH — An estimated 10,000 workers took to the streets on August 22 to protest against the Liberal government's union-busting legislation. The rally and march, organised by the WA Trades and

Memorial meeting for Ernest Mandel By John Percy SYDNEY — More than 90 people filled the Resistance Centre here on August 20 to honour the memory of Ernest Mandel, world-renowned Marxist scholar and revolutionary who died in Belgium on July

By Sally Mitchell DARWIN After two months of negotiations which ended in a deadlock, on August 25 Power and Water Authority unions took their wages dispute with the government to the Industrial Relations Commission. Work bans have been

By Margaret Allan NEWCASTLE The Greens have announced their candidates for the September 9 elections for the City Council. Apart from the ALP, the Greens are the only political party to stand candidates in all of the wards. Three quarters

Some concern "I have some concerns, particularly as some of the changes they [banks] have made are actually contrary to the recommendations in our report." — Dr David Cousins, head of the Prices Surveillance Authority, when banks raised fees