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May Day

BRISBANE — Despite heavy rain, 3500 unionists turned out for the annual Labour Day march from the Trades Hall to Albert Park on May 5. Members of a wide variety of unions marched behind their union banners, with floats, placards and flags in

Governments plan to victimise teachers

Governments plan to victimise teachers By Sean Healy Under the guise of offering teachers and schools greater "freedom" and raising the status of teachers, the federal government has launched a campaign to push teachers onto

Clinton in Mexico: differences papered over

By Peter Gellert MEXICO CITY — US President Bill Clinton's May 5-6 visit here was designed to improve much deteriorated bilateral relations. In the past year, Mexican outrage over the Helms-Burton law, US congressional certification of the

International news briefs

Turkish troops chase Kurdish rebels Turkish newspapers reported on May 1 that as many as 40,000 Turkish troops crossed 10 kilometres into northern Iraq in an effort to attack guerillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party. Turkey regularly stages

BHP: 'It's called economic rationalism, but it's greed'

By Alex Bainbridge and Jane Beckmann NEWCASTLE — Newcastle City Council and the steelworks unions organised a public meeting of 150 people in the Town Hall on May 8 to build community support for the campaign to save the BHP steelworks. Geoff

A racist attack on native title

Editorial: A racist attack on native title A racist attack on native title In his much-featured and analysed criticism of the blatantly racist lies being spread by Pauline Hanson on May 8, PM John Howard said that Hanson was "wrong" to

Save our services!

Save our services! By Jeremy Smith BALLARAT— One hundred and fifty people braved the worst of Ballarat's weather to attend a public meeting on May 6. The meeting was organised by the Save Our Services committee to initiate a campaign to

Students occupy Melbourne University

By Alison Dellit MELBOURNE — On May 8, the Melbourne University administration building was occupied as part of the national day of action against cuts to higher education. The occupation was specifically in response to Melbourne University's

A woman by any other name?

By Marina Cameron As a young feminist, I have been dismayed over the last few years to see words such as "chick", "babe" and "girl" creeping back into use in feminist and left circles. It makes me very uncomfortable to see feminists wearing

and ain't i a woman?: Docile 'feminism'

Docile 'feminism'Docile 'feminism' Naomi Wolf's new book will be released in Australia this month. Promiscuities: A Secret History of Female Desire has generated much more of a stir in the US and Britain than it deserves. Maybe it's

Not as good as it gets

With more than a tinge of cynicism, John Howard recently announced that under the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement, funding for public housing will be slashed by only $50 million in 1997-98, not $200 million as recommended by the Treasury.

Curragh miners strike

Curragh miners strike By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Production at Blackwater's Curragh coal mine in central Queensland stopped on May 9 when 300 workers voted unanimously to strike for two weeks. Workers at the Arco-owned operation set up