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Pay equity victory for NSW women

BY CHRIS PICKERING& STEPHEN O'BRIEN SYDNEY — On March 28, the New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission acknowledged that library workers have been underpaid because they are predominately women. The IRC handed down a ground-breaking

Building global solidarity

BY MAX LANE The following speech was the opening presentation to the final plenary session of the Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference held in Sydney, March 29-April 1. Max Lane is a member of the national executive of the Democratic

Loose cannons

Loose cannons Freudian slip “But there needs to be a focused, coalition effort in the [Middle-East] region against peace.” — US President George “The Crusader” Bush, March 30. Bribery “The head of the Federal Government's royal

ACT Labor for Refugees builds momentum

BY NICK MARTIN CANBERRA — Labor for Refugees ACT was formed immediately after the 2001 federal election to give form and an organising avenue to those seeking a change in policy. Meeting at the ACT Trades and Labour Council, the group has

International solidarity for Villawood prisoners

BY LISA MACDONALD SYDNEY — More than 1000 refugees' rights campaigners joined visitors from more than 20 countries in a march to Villawood refugee prison early on March 31, Easter Sunday. The action, initiated by the 2nd Asia Pacific

Thank you

On April 2 the organisers of the March 31 refugees’ rights protest at Villawood received a faxed letter from the detention centre, here are some excerpts: “We, residents of the Villawood detention centre, very much appreciate and thank you

On the box

Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 9pm. Phone 9565 5522. Visit <http://www.channel31.org>

State powers and the 'war on terror'

BY MANOJ ABEY SYDNEY — In the wake of the September 11 World Trade Center bombings, the federal Coalition government announced that it would introduce a spate of new "security measures" to deal with the threat of terrorism in Australia and

NETHERLANDS: 'A spectacular miscarriage of justice'

BY NORM DIXON The terrible miscarriage of justice perpetrated on January 31, 2001 — when three Scottish judges in a juryless court pronounced Libyan citizen Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi guilty of the murder of 270 people in the December 21,

Solidarity to be banned

BY ALISON DELLIT One of the eight "anti-terrorism" bills currently before the Senate — the Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002 — will, if passed, enable the federal attorney-general to "ban" organisations. Membership of,

Woomera and beyond

Woomera and beyond The Easter protest at the Woomera immigration detention centre successfully highlighted the brutality of the Australian government's policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers. It has added momentum to the

ITALY: Towards a final showdown with Berlusconi?

BY DICK NICHOLS BOLOGNA — What did it take to get up to 3 million people — of all ages, from widely different social backgrounds and from every corner of the country — to the March 23 demonstration in Rome against billionaire media