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SHOCKFACTS: Individual contracts

One of the federal Coalition government's proposed industrial relations changes will allow bosses to force workers onto individual contracts that cut pay and reduce conditions to just five minimum standards. Workers who refuse to sign individual

Waging war in Afghanistan won't stop terrorism

Doug Lorimer On July 13, Prime Minister John Howard announced that the federal Coalition government had decided to send Australian troops back to Afghanistan to help prop up the regime of US puppet President Hamid Karzai, in the face of a

Police attack Camp Platypus

Jim McIlroy, Brisbane At dawn on July 12, 130 police officers invaded the site of Camp Platypus on the banks of the Obi Obi Creek, in the small Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Maleny, to evict 60 protesters who had occupied the area of a

Finest socialist folk singer of his generation

Sit Down and SingRoy Bailey with Martin Simpson & John KirkpatrickFuse Records, 2005Available from <http://www.roybailey.net> REVIEW BY ALEX MILLER Roy Bailey is based in Sheffield, England, and is described by veteran British

Palmer Report: safety valve, or stimulus for change?

Sarah Stephen After five months and numerous delays, the Palmer Report investigating the wrongful detention of mentally ill Australian resident Cornelia Rau finally became public on July 14. No doubt breathing a joint sigh of relief, immigration

CUBA: Hurricane Dennis causes severe damage

Marce Cameron Cuba was hit hard by Hurricane Dennis, the most ferocious storm to lash the Caribbean island nation in four decades. It caused the deaths of 16 Cubans and left a swathe of wreckage in its wake. The death toll would have been far

Howard's lies on industrial relations 'reforms'

Sue Bolton When Prime Minister John Howard returned early from holidays on July 7 to combat public opposition to his government's proposed anti-worker/anti-union laws, he repeatedly refused to guarantee that no worker would be worse off under the

Greens, socialists oppose new troop deployment

Doug Lorimer While the ALP has endorsed the federal Coalition government's decision, announced on July 13, to send Australian combat troops back to Afghanistan to join the US-NATO occupation, the Greens and the Socialist Alliance oppose the move.

Unions ACT plan Senate protest

CANBERRA — Unions ACT is planning an 8-10am protest on August 9, on the front lawns of Parliament House. The gathering, on the day of the first sitting of the new Senate, will protest the federal Coalition government's proposed anti-worker

IRAQ: Terror in London, terror in Baghdad?

Rohan Pearce The response of US President George Bush and the other leaders of the "coalition of the willing" to the horrific July 7 bombings in London was never in doubt — they confirmed the need to "stay the course" in Iraq, allegedly because

Newcastle University votes for job cuts

Kerry Vernon, Newcastle The Newcastle University council voted by a 75% majority on July 12 for a proposal to cut 250 general staff jobs, for an estimated saving of $15 million a year, and 162 academic staff jobs to save $16 million a year.

Castro: 'Never before has inequality been so great'

Castro: 'Never before has inequality been so great' On June 15-16, heads of government and foreign ministers from the Group of 77 (G77) member-countries and China met in Doha, Qatar, for the Second South Summit. The G77, the largest coalition of