Labor’s budget hits workers with cuts and new costs
Working class and poor people expecting relief from Labor’s budget did not get any. Disappointment rippled through households as it became clear that they were the targets of a...
Abbott: WorkChoices wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Keep quiet on industrial relations—until now, that was the Coalition’s plan for sweeping to power come 14 September. But after coming under serious pressure from business groups and the...
Nation-wide protests fight Gillard’s university cuts
The $2.3 billion cuts to universities have unleashed a wave of anger across the country. A national day of protest on budget day organised by the National Tertiary Education...
Strike four shuts down Sydney Uni
Sydney Uni staff took their fourth day of strike action this semester on 14 May. Once again the university was successfully shut down, with even less people visible on...
Gillard and Gonski leave private schools inequality untouched
Many people have welcomed Julia Gillard’s plan to boost funding to public schools. But the scale of the money continuing to go to private schools ensures an already drastically...
Thousands strong construction rally demands safety at Grocon
Ten thousand construction workers and supporters marched to demand improvements to workplace safety on Grocon sites in Melbourne on 30 April.Grocon workers are fighting the company’s refusal to...
Wave of opposition among Victorian teachers to leadership’s pay deal
A groundswell of opposition is building against the Victorian teachers union (AEU) recommended deal. Teachers and support staff are furious about the union officials’ dishonesty with the numbers—presenting the...
Bangladesh—workers murdered by bosses’ greed
Rescue workers at the collapsed Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh, gave a brief cheer following the disaster as they heard the building’s owner had been arrested.But the moment passed...
Malaysian elections stolen: people power the answer
Malaysia’s ruling party managed to narrowly hold power in elections in May, but only as a result of a rigged electoral system and widespread fraud.Over 50,000 protesters expressed...
Venezuela’s election too close for comfort
The close outcome of Venezuela’s election on April 14 following the death of former leader Hugo Chavez poses challenges for the future of the country’s experiment with “21st century...
Migrant workers in Greece fight back after racist shootings
Three farm supervisors opened fire on a crowd of 200 migrant workers, shooting 33, eight of them seriously, on a farm near the southern Greek village of Manolada in...
The pull of parliament: can The Greens learn Germany’s lessons?
The conservatising influence of parliament is having its effect on the The Greens. James Supple argues they must heed the warning from the history of the German GreensThe Australian...
Understanding immigration and 457 visas
The increased use of 457 visas is part of a broader shift in Australia’s migration program over the past few decades, explains Penny HowardAustralia’s immigration rules have always served...
Marx’s theory of alienation: A world where workers have no control
Alienation: an introduction to Marx’s theory
by Dan Swain BookmarksThis useful little book provides a very good introduction to Marx’s theory of alienation.For Marxists, the term alienation has a special...
Dead Wrong: Latham’s recipe for killing what’s left of Labor
“Not dead yet: Labor’s post-left future” Quarterly Essay 49
By Mark Latham, Black Inc $19.99Former leader of the Labor Party, Mark Latham, has made a name for himself as a...
Budget billions keep asylum seekers in detention
The Gillard government has locked in spending of $7.5 billion over the next four years to detain asylum seekers in Australia and offshore on Nauru and Manus Island. That...
