As striking workers at office supplies manufacturers Esselte Australia in Minto entered their seventh week of resilient action against forced Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), their boss was getting more desperate.
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When Rafael Correa was elected president of Ecuador in 2006, campaigning on a strong anti-neoliberal platform to bring about a 鈥渃itizen鈥檚 revolution鈥, one key social force seemed notably absent from his campaign 鈥 the country鈥檚 powerful indigenous movement.
Around 100 posties and unionists rallied outside the headquarters of Australia Post on August 1 to protest the latest attempts by its management to undermine the wages and conditions of its employees and reduce its service to the community.
91自拍论坛 Weekly supporters packed out a global solidarity dinner and cultural night in Footscray on July 28. Special guest Malainin Lakhal, secretary-general of the Union of Saharawi Writers and Journalists, addressed the crowd. Singer/songwriter Anthea Sidiropoulos got everyone dancing and singing to the Greek blues (Rembetika) and Greek love songs (Kantathes).
On July 31, ALP environment spokesperson Peter Garrett and Labor leader Kevin Rudd 鈥 or at least larger-than-life puppets of them 鈥 lead a march of 150 people in Newcastle against the coal industry.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting will be held in Sydney in September. Twenty-one nations are represented, from both the First and Third Worlds. It describes itself as the 鈥減remier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region鈥. In reality, it works to ensure that the Third World nations attending further open their markets. This makes it easier for multinational corporations, along with First World nations, to strip the poorer countries鈥 natural resources with no regard for the environment and to further exploit their work forces.
In an August 2 media release, Sydney branch of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) announced that it rejects 聯any suggested implication that demonstrating against the injustices of globalisation and war means support for violence聰. The MUA statement was made in response to a NSW police training video for the September APEC summit that featured footage of MUA officials participating in legal non-violent protests.
#151; A report in the August 2 Herald Sun has Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Trevor Dobbyn calling for ticket inspectors to be issued with handcuffs, because he says, 聯Our officers get publicly vilified for what looks like an assault on someone, but in fact they are trying to restrain them after they聮ve been arrested聰.
Imagine a world where international trade was fair. Where, instead of sending troops and police overseas, the Australian government sent thousands of doctors and teachers to poor countries to provide free medical care and education to help the people there improve their lives. The Australian government is not doing this. It has sent hundreds of troops to help steal Iraq聮s oil and sends police to the Solomon Islands and other places in the Pacific to guard the theft of these countries聮 natural resources.
The following is abridged from a July 29 report by the Residents Action Movement (RAM).
#151; The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) is on the verge of formal affiliation to the ALP despite many members expressing their opposition. The proposed affiliation was endorsed in March by the union聮s governing council, reversing a decision two years ago not to affiliate to the ALP.
When US President George Bush comes to Sydney this year, it will be vital that we use his visit to draw attention to the ongoing struggle for same-sex marriage rights and an end to all homophobic policies. PM John Howard and Bush top the list of threats to civil liberties, including some of the most basic rights queers are still fighting for.
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