Bill Mason

  • Pregnant worker wins appeal

    BRISBANE — A pregnant diesel fitter, sent on unpaid maternity leave by her employer Mount Isa Mines, has successfully appealed to the Queensland industrial commission against the giant company. The commission on November 16 ordered

  • Queensland hospital workers strike

    Queensland hospital workers strikeBRISBANE — Nurses, doctors and support staff in south-east Queensland staged a snap 24-hour strike on July 6 in an unprecedented display of anger against poor wages and working conditions in

  • Protests grow against Gold Coast cableway

    BRISBANE — Residents of Springbrook, in the Gold Coast hinterland, have vowed to fight tooth and nail against a proposed Naturelink tourist cableway in the region. Thirty of them protested outside a June 18 meeting attended by

  • Police withdraw charge against Aboriginal academic

    Police withdraw charge against Aboriginal academicPOLICE HAVE dropped charges against a prominent Aboriginal academic whom they strip-searched and jailed after she allegedly accused a police officer of "acting like the Ku Klux

  • Protests demand action on Fiji by Australian government

    BY JAMES VASSILOPOULOS & BILL MASON "What do we want? Democracy! When do we want it? Now!", chanted 250 Indian-Fijians and their supporters at a rally outside Parliament House in Canberra on May 31. The protest, organised by the Movement for

  • Teachers plan state-wide strikes

    Teachers plan state-wide strikesBRISBANE — After teachers at Sarina High School near Mackay walked off the job for 24 hours on May 23, the Queensland Teachers Union has warned that unless Premier Peter Beattie began serious talks

  • Protest hits Rio Tinto AGM

    Protest hits Rio Tinto AGMBRISBANE — Hundreds of angry protesters gathered outside the annual general meeting of the mining giant Rio Tinto here on May 24, accusing the company of human rights breaches and destructive

  • Queensland's national parks under-funded

    Queensland's national parks under-fundedBRISBANE — Queensland's national parks could take up to a decade to recover from years of under-funding and the state government should triple funding to the national standard, a report for

  • Queensland teachers to strike

    Queensland teachers to strikeBRISBANE — Teachers at Sarina High School in north Queensland are to defy the state Industrial Relations Commission and strike for 24 hours on May 23, and other schools will hold stop-work meetings to

  • Let off for minister over Yanner affair

    Let off for minister over Yanner affairBRISBANE — Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said on May 8 that he was taking no further action against mines and energy minister Tony McGrady for a letter the minister forwarded to the judge

  • Shiftworkers to gain on penalty rates

    Shiftworkers to gain on penalty ratesBRISBANE — Up to 200,000 Queensland shiftworkers stand to gain a wage rise following a historic union claim for afternoon and night penalties to override an "outdated" flat rate. At the end of

  • Rail workers walk out over safety

    Rail workers walk out over safetyBRISBANE — The Queensland Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) struck for 12 hours on April 13 against the introduction of driver-only trains in north Queensland. The "wildcat" strike was called at