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Bronwen Beechey, Auckland In an historic victory, the Unite workers' union has won a union employment agreement with Restaurant Brands, New Zealand's biggest fast-food chain. The new contract awards significant pay increases and improvements in
The number of trade union members in Australia rose by 70,000 in the 12 months before the federal government gained control of the Senate, according to an Australian Associated Press report on March 28. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
Vannessa Hearman Following Indonesia's withdrawal of its ambassador to Australia, Hamzah Thayeb, from Canberra in response to the granting of temporary protection visas to 42 West Papuans, the Australian government has been at pains to point out
Union leaders tell Green Left Weekly why the June 28 national protests against Work Choices are so important. Tommy Watson (CFMEU-FEDFA division Victorian state secretary) We've got to continue these rallies and community actions. We know what
John Hepburn It turns out that size really does matter. Or to be more precise, it's the size of matter that matters. Scientists are now manipulating matter at the "nano" scale (one billionth of a metre) and finding that common materials are capable
Paul Benedek, Brisbane More than 1000 workers from most unions attended a Queensland Council of Unions "Workers' Breakfast" on March 29, to protest against the enactment of the Howard government's Work Choices laws. The crowd heard from former
Jim McIlroy & Coral Wynter, Caracas Around 450 delegates from some 35 indigenous communities, representing more than 500,000 people across Venezuela, met on March 24-26 for the Fifth National Congress of Indigenous Peoples, under the theme of
Emma Clancy, Sydney Two 17-year-olds from Sutherland have been exploited by an unscrupulous boss in the building industry who owes them more than $10,000 each in unpaid wages, according to the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union's NSW
Graham Matthews, Sydney On March 23, Qantas closed its heavy maintenance facility at Mascot, making 480 workers redundant. While the company has promised that it will not outsource maintenance to China, the 140 extra jobs promised for Melbourne and
Sue Bolton, Melbourne At the 1800-strong Victorian union delegates' meeting on March 29, Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Greg Combet talked about what sort of industrial relations policy the trade union movement should ask the Labor
Dale Mills A coalition of community and legal organisations has slammed the Australian government's decision on February 15 to declare the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) a terrorist organisation in Australia. The listing of the PKK as a terrorist
CAIRO — The fourth Cairo Conference took place on March 23-26 under the theme "With the resistance in Palestine and Iraq — against globalisation, imperialism and Zionism". Those attending the conference included the International Socialist