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stand to gain a wage rise following a historic union claim for afternoon and night penalties to override an "outdated" flat rate.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
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Looking out: It diminishes all people"True music ... must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time." — George Gershwin, 18981937 The achievements of bandmaster and composer John Philip Sousa
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Biological parenthood A group of scientists from France, Italy and Spain have made a breakthrough in fertility treatment which will allow women using donated eggs to conceive a child which is genetically their own. The technique, described in
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Networker: Looking for love In just a matter of hours the "love bug" computer virus swept across the world on May 4, causing a claimed $10 billion damage. Computer users internationally received email messages declaring love. The user just had to
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Rollercoaster@stockmarket.comAfter skyrocketing some 260% in 17 months from 1400 points to the March 10 peak of 5048, Nasdaq — the United States index which measures the prices of key hi-tech stocks — suffered a series
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Canberra fiddles with more than the accountsIn the days before the federal budget was presented on May 9, media commentators expressed concern that the federal government's 2000-01 budget surplus projection of $500 million —
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Child-care expansion not an option"Some have wrongly attempted to stereotype my government as possessing what is described as an old-fashioned attitude to women. Not only is that wrong, but I think it is in part born of a
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Everything you need to know to dob in a dole bludger The prime minister has called on the Australian public to "dob in a dole bludger". That's appropriate — the PM and his colleagues have a wealth of experience in pointing a finger at the
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Nothing but air Psst! There's money to be made between us. Big money. Betwixt wherever thou art and me is air. It's colourless, normally odourless, weighs hardly anything and comes in such quantities that there's more than enough to go around
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Manufacturing bosses, politicians of both Labor and Liberal stripes and right-wing media commentators are watching closely the current election inside the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), which ends on May 19. And
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Domestic violence program debatedADELAIDE — A trial project targeting repeat domestic violence offenders is under way in the Port Adelaide and Adelaide south coast areas. The 12-month trial gives increased powers
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What are shares really for?Supporters of capitalism often claim that shares are issued to channel "savings" for productive activities, which would otherwise be underfunded and "malnourished" causing the economy and jobs to suffer.
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Few Australians heard about the March meeting in Bonn, Germany, at which a handful of delegates, led by those from the United States and Australia, brought negotiation of an international treaty to eliminate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to a
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Scrap the Timor Gap TreatyMedia reports during the recent visit to Australia by East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao highlighted the improving diplomatic relations between Australia, East Timor and Indonesia. Not so widely reported
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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,
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Write on: Letters to the editor Johnny Coward John Howard is to be applauded for his stance on reconciliation. Not because an apology is not in order, nor because reconciliation with the traditional owners of this country is not an important
News
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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
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Song for Reconciliation SYDNEY — "Songs get through to people's soul", Aboriginal singer Betty Little said, explaining why her music is a powerful tool for building bridges of understanding between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
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'Vote with your feet' on May 28SYDNEY — Supporters of Aboriginal rights should make a statement against government attitudes to reconciliation by marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the Council for Aboriginal
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Murdoch students fight course cutsPERTH — Students have reacted angrily to plans by Murdoch University vice-chancellor Steven Schwartz to cut course and staff numbers. They have begun a series of protest actions in the lead up
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Security guards attack picketersMELBOURNE — Striking workers at Gordon and Gotch in Burwood have been bashed and intimidated by management's hired security guards in a dispute over an enterprise agreement. One worker was
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Police attack Beverley blockade BY BRONWEN BEECHEY & JIM GREEN ADELAIDE — Protesters at the Beverley uranium mine in northern South Australia have vowed to continue their blockade of the site, despite violent assaults by police and private
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Activist forced off union bodyPERTH — The Western Australian branch of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has thrown one of its most conscientious rank-and-file delegates off its delegation to the WA Trades and
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Newcastle protests treatment of refugeesNEWCASTLE — As the refugees, some fleeing political oppression, others fleeing poverty, left the ferry in hope of finding a new life they were met by grim grey-suited
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Money's the answer "We recognise that AIDS is a major problem, but weakening intellectual property rights is not the solution." — Alan Holmer, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association of America, opposing regulations
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Workers rally against Telstra fat catsBRISBANE — Fifty Telstra workers rallied outside the telecommunications giants' Roma Street offices on May 10 to protest against 10,000 planned redundancies and the scheduled
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Lucas Heights reactor shutdown: mum's the wordSYDNEY — Information leaked by technicians working for the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has revealed that Australian medical science could get along
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Students tell Nike: 'Just stop it' MELBOURNE — Twenty students held a mock fashion parade outside the Nike Superstore during the lunchtime rush on May 10. The protesters were in calico bags emblazoned with the words, "I'd rather wear a bag than
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Tax office workers strikeMELBOURNE — Unionists at the Australian Taxation Office struck and picketed their offices on May 11 in support of a demand for a better agency agreement. The workers, mostly members of the Community and
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HOBART — Vice-chancellor Don McNichol has sought to stare down rising student discontent at the University of Tasmania, refusing to give any promises to meet a log of claims put to him by a student general meeting of 100 students
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Students occupy UQ Senate chambersBRISBANE — Students at the University of Queensland occupied the University Senate chambers here on May 10 in protest at a proposed restructure of the Arts faculty until police were brought
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Bondi protests Olympics impactSYDNEY — Despite being described as a "sad turnout" of "rabble" in a vicious editorial in the Australian, a 200-strong action succeeded in delaying construction of the
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Burmese protest arrests SYDNEY — Burmese exiles and supporters held an emergency action outside NSW Parliament House on May 12 to protest against the Burmese military regime's arrest of U Aye Thar Aung, a leader of the Committee Representing
Analysis
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The budget and 'democracy' Every year, at 7.30 pm on the second Tuesday of May, the federal treasurer gives a half-hour speech in which he (there has never been a woman treasurer) "hands down" the national budget. In the following hours and days,
World
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An ugly coalition The week before the April 16-17 demonstrations against the WTO and IMF in Washington, the AFL-CIO leaders had their own rallies in Washington. One, called by the Teamsters union (part of the AFL-CIO), underscored an ugly new
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UNITED STATES: Nike cuts support to universities Footwear and sports clothing giant Nike has cut millions of dollars in sponsorship money to three prominent US universities. The universities claim the move is in retaliation for their support for
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BOUGAINVILLE: PNG frustrates independence referendum Statements by Sir Michael Somare, Papua New Guinea's minister for Bougainville affairs, have exposed the lack of sincerity behind the PNG government's apparent agreement to allow the people of
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LEBANON: Israel bombs again as deadline nears RAMALLAH, Palestine — The Israeli government's latest round of bombings in Lebanon has raised concern about the possibility of a major war following the expected pullout of Israel's troops from
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UNITED STATES: March for immigrant amnesty NEW YORK — Nearly 3000 people marched on May 1 in New York City to demand a general amnesty for undocumented immigrants and better conditions for all workers. The march was part of a national day of
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SOUTH AFRICA: Misdirected strategy weakens workers' movement JOHANNESBURG — The broad left (both in South Africa and internationally) has taken a cautious approach to critically analysing the program and activities of South Africa's largest and
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PALESTINE: Teachers resume strike RAMALLAH, Palestine — Palestine's teachers resumed a long-running strike on May 2 following the Palestinian Authority's (PA) failure to fulfill promises for wage rises for 25,000 teachers working in public
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PHILIPPINES: Army must withdraw from Mindanao The following statement was issued in Manila on May 4 by the Sosyalistang Partido ng Paggawa (SPP — Socialist Party of Labour). The SPP, a mass-based socialist party, demands that the Estrada
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BRITAIN: Labour cracks down on asylum seekers LONDON — A plane hijacked by Afghan asylum seekers provided the pretext for a resurgence in overt racism against refugees, urged on by right-wing newspapers and Britain's Labour government. The social
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SOUTH AFRICA: Millions strike over job losses Close to 4 million workers in South Africa joined a national strike against job losses on May 10, according to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). Around 400,000 strikers marched
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Special fund appeal for a special issue Progresibo, the socialist unity paper in the Philippines, needs to help build a solidarity campaign in support of the Bangsa Moro peoples, who are facing a 200,000-strong Philippines army assault on their
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The 100,000 East Timorese refugees in camps in West Timor face daily hardship and terror from the pro-integration militia gangs which control or are active in many of the 200 camps. The repatriation of refugees to East Timor has slowed considerably.
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SYDNEY — "The goal of our union is to create prosperity as a welfare state similar to that of Europe or the US", Indonesian union leader Muchtar Pakpahan told 50 unionists gathered in the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous
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Before dawn on May 4, some 300 US federal agents — backed by a large Marine presence offshore — began clearing protesters from the US Navy's bombing ranges on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. The agents removed 216 protesters from the 14
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SRI LANKA: Government in crisis as Tamils advance The People's Alliance government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga is facing a serious political crisis in the wake of military advances by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the Jaffna
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Old CDS needed for East Timor Old CDs needed for East Timor The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union in Sydney is collecting old CDs for East Timor's only community radio station, Voice of Hope. The appeal was launched at a
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The loud complaints from the British Labour government and hysterical coverage by the international capitalist mass media have given undeserved credibility to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's populist claims that he suddenly intends to "resolve"
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SAN FRANCISCO — The demonstrations in November-December in Seattle against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have rightly inspired activists in the labour movement. Many have commented on the coming together of youth and students concerned about
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The International Union of Agricultural, Food and Hotel Workers — which has 330 affiliated unions in 124 countries — has pledged to wage "a very strong" campaign on behalf the more than 9000 workers, mainly women, thrown out of
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As protesters from around the world were gathering outside his Washington, D.C., office on April 16, World Bank president James Wolfensohn was rehearsing his riposte: you're not the defenders of the poor, he would tell his critics, we
Culture
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Songs of protest, humour, justice and love The Times We've Been ThroughPeter Hicks$25 from Resistance Centres (addresses page 2)Order at <; or phone (03) 6295 1032 Review by Alex Bainbridge Unfortunately, there
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Short story by Craig Cormick "Smell that fresh country air", says John Citizen, with the car window wound all the way down, and the wind blowing through the whole car. "This is the best idea you've ever had", says his wife, Gail, from the front
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Peter Hicks tour dates Peter Hicks' tour dates Peter Hicks is touring to launch The Times We've Been Through. He is playing with percussionist Jules Witek and promises "some pretty damn hot progressive music". Friday, June 2, Selby Folk Club,
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Serial satirist captured Double Disillusion: Musings from a Rebel ComicBy Rod QuantockLothian Books, 1999229 pp., $19.95 (pb)Inspector Mastiff of the Yarra turned up the collar of his gabardine coat as the wind whistled with
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Socialist web site praised The glossy Internet.au magazine took a stroll on the radical side in its June issue with a review of the web site of the Democratic Socialist Party. It said: "At some point in our lives we've all had a copy of the Green