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Construction workers fight for entitlements

BY TRISH CORCORAN& HELEN BRANSGROVE SYDNEY — Angry about suddenly losing their jobs and their employer's refusal to pay their entitlements, 140 construction workers occupied the head office of Deemah Marble and Granite and then the office of

Loose cannons

Impeccably neutral "[Australian Broadcasting Authority chairperson David Flint] has impeccable political connections — he is close to the Prime Minister — and is seen by the industry as neutral." — Anne Davies in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Indy Media Centres launched in Melbourne, Sydney

Indy Media Centres launched in Melbourne, Sydney BY SEAN HEALY SYDNEY — Independent Media Centres are now up and running in Melbourne and Sydney, where they'll provide a protesters' eye view of protest actions at the World Economic Forum's

Australia abuses refugees' human rights

BY SIMON BUTLER Perhaps most people would like to believe that state-sanctioned abuses of human rights occur only in Third World dictatorships. The reality, shamefully, is far different. The human rights of refugees in Australia are consciously and

Long walk at halfway point

Long walk at halfway point BY SEAN HEALY The "long walk" for Aboriginal justice, from Lake Eyre in South Australia to Sydney, has reached its halfway point. Starting from Lake Eyre on June 10, the walkers, who include Aboriginal elders and their

The art of fighting back

BY JACKIE LYNCH MELBOURNE — Art met politics on August 3 when 30 people attended a public forum hosted by anti-sweatshop group Fairwear in Westspace, a gallery run by a collective of "activist artists". The forum was held during a Westspace

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, 9-11pm. Ph 9565 5522. Access News — Melbourne community TV,

PAKISTAN: Workers sacked for forming union

LAHORE — The Dada Bhai Cement Factory in the Norrieabad District, in Sind province, has become the focus of attention of Pakistan's labour movement. Sixty of the factory's workers have lost their jobs for attempting to forming a union. Thirteen

FIJI: 'Indigenous rights' smokescreen for elite rule

FIJI: 'Indigenous rights' smokescreen for elite rule Terrorist leader George Speight has claimed that his gang's kidnapping of the government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was to defend "indigenous" Melanesian Fijians' political

ALP votes to support mandatory sentencing

ALP votes to support mandatory sentencing The ALP national conference voted on August 3 to withdraw its opposition to Western Australia's mandatory sentencing legislation. In a deal with the WA branch, the party changed its platform so that

PORTUGAL: 'Globalise the struggles'

PORTUGAL: 'Globalise the struggles' SAN GIAO — A huge banner with the words "Globalizar as lutas" (Globalise the struggles) heralded the 17th youth camp of the Fourth International, held in San Giao in central Portugal, July 23-29. Around 400

Community legal centres defy 'NGOcide'

BY KAREN FLETCHER ALICE SPRINGS — On August 2, the third day of the National Conference of Community Legal Centres, delegates learned that Prime Minister John Howard had announced he would amend the Sex Discrimination Act to make it legal to deny