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Unions confront MIM over safety

Unions confront MIM over safety By Bill Mason BRISBANE — The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the electricians' union are locked in a battle over safety with Mount Isa Mines at the central Queensland Oaky Creek

Zany underworld musical nonsense

The Cabaret From HellWritten and Directed by Terry BurganThe Dispensary Cafe, Sydney Review by Brendan Doyle The Devil's ratings are down. His cabaret show needs a lift, while God's Sunday gigs are sold out for eternity. How long can the

WA parliamentary gallery occupied

WA parliamentary gallery occupied By Michael Bramwell PERTH — For a few hours on the night of April 15, parliament for once reflected its title as "the house of the people", when 120 trade unionists armed with banners, balloons and their

Those who were and weren't too polite

Suffrage Days: Stories From The Women's Suffrage MovementBy Sandra Stanley HoltonRoutledge, 1996. 309 pp., $39.95 (pb) Review by Phil Shannon The movement for the women's vote early in this century, argues Sandra Holton in Suffrage Days, is

'Odd couple' in South African water privatisation plan

'Odd couple' in South African water privatisation plan By Norm Dixon The Congress of South African Trade Unions has hit out at moves to privatise parts of South Africa's water supply, saying it would "never be acceptable". A surprising

US expands war machine around starving North Korea

By Eva Cheng Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on April 17 rounded up enough votes in parliament to pass legislation forcing the landowners in Okinawa to renew leases of the 12 US bases when they expire on May 14. More than 3000 landowners

Kinshasa paralysed by general strike

Kinshasa paralysed by general strike By Norm Dixon Millions heeded the call by the moderate opposition to turn the Zaire capital into a ville morte (dead city) on April 14 and 15. Workers, shopkeepers, market vendors, students and even the

and ain't i a woman?: Legalising discrimination

Legalising discriminationLegalising discrimination Outraged that unmarried women and lesbians have exercised their rights under law, right-wing groups are arguing for amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act to legalise discrimination in

Anti-racism movement formed in Adelaide

Anti-racism movement formed in Adelaide ADELAIDE — On April 9, an inaugural general meeting established the Celebrating Diversity Coalition (CDC) to replace the Anti-Racism Alliance. Attending were more than 30 anti-racism activists and

London march for social justice

London march for social justice By Sam Wainwright LONDON Around 10,000 people marched here on April 12 to call for social justice and to expose the anti-working class pro-big business policies of John Major's Conservatives, the Liberal

Action updates

Latin American Action launched BRISBANE — Australian Aid for El Salvador organised a public meeting on April 12 to acknowledge the success of the FMLN in the March 16 general election in El Salvador and to launch a new organisation.

International news briefs

Spratly talks in stalemate China and Vietnam's April 9-11 negotiations in Beijing over the disputed ownership of the Spratly Islands ended in stalemate. Tension rose again after Beijing set up an oil rig in March which Vietnam strongly protested