This report is of an NUW enterprise bargaining dispute where the employer responded to a union protected action ban after negotiations failed with an indefinite lockout. Workers responded by occupying their canteen. The dispute continues. “We want to get back to work! We’re calling on IFF’s Asia Pacific Regional Operations Manager, Arjan Koudijs to meet […]
Vale Tom Uren
1. Bridges of Goodwill – Reminiscences Tom Uren Read Tom’s philosophy at the end. Illawarra Unity – Journal of the Illawarra Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, 7(1), 2007, 32-36. http://ro.uow.edu.au/unity/vol7/iss1/5 The State Funeral for Tom Uren will take place at 11am on Wednesday 4 February in the Sydney Town […]
Abbott in more trouble
Back in Melbourne: Australia Day weekend 2015 and wounded Abbott in trouble, the corporates attack and the labour movement responds. Update: Neman gone: Abbott to go http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/01/queensland-election-drubbing-puts-tony-abbotts-leadership-under-pressure?CMP=soc_567 ‘Just 16 months after being elected prime minister, Tony Abbott faces hostility on all fronts, but the greatest threat lurks within his own party. The danger for the […]
Indonesia: Unfinished Nation
I am back in Indonesia in 2015 learning more about culture, unions and politics. I read 13 books and post these reviews. 1. ‘Unfinished Nation: Indonesia before and after Suharto’ by Max Lane, Verso, 2008 and two other Max Lane books. Max Lane’s books provide a key analysis that are most interesting. Max is an […]
People opposed to war with China
We want peace not war with China Australians are strongly opposed to any involvement in an armed conflict between China and Japan even if the US was backing Japan and the US president personally requested Australian support, a new poll has found. The poll, commissioned by the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI), found 71% thought Australia […]
Syriza wins in Greece
Update: The anti-austerity far left party Syriza has won the Greek election by a decisive margin, but just short of an outright majority. http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/jan/25/greek-election-syriza-confident-of-victory-live-updates Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras said his party’s victory marked an end to the “viscious cycle of austerity”. Dick Nichols looks at the Syriza win, https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/58111 Alexis Tsipras leader of SYRIZA Update: […]
Employers – again in 2015
Employers in 2015 continue the campaign to abolish or limit penalty rates, read SMH http://workinglife.org.au/2014/12/31/after-a-dire-2014-unions-hopes-rise-for-2015/ ACTU issues survey http://www.australianunions.org.au/our-voice-2014 New push to give casual workers the right to permanent work. Unions are pushing to give more than two million casual workers in Australia the right to become permanent employees. http://www.actu.org.au/Media/Mediareleases/Newpushtogivecasualworkerstherighttopermanentwork.aspx Chris Slee on CFMEU https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/57999 […]
Behind China’s Wildcat Strike Wave
1. Review: Behind China’s Wildcat Strike Wave Insurgency Trap: Labor Politics in Postsocialist China, by Eli Friedman. Cornell University Press/ILR Press, 2014. October 15, 2014 / Jane Slaughter http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2014/10/review-behind-chinas-wildcat-strike-wave When Honda workers in China went on strike for higher wages, their union sent thugs to convince them to return to work. (Earlier, read my 2010 […]
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
I strongly recommend reading The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan Here are some reviews. HEROES, CERTAINLY BY SUSAN LEVER 26/11/2013 http://www.sydneyreviewofbooks.com/heroes-certainly/ I read Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North in the same week that I saw the Griffin Theatre production of John Romeril’s The Floating World, the classic […]
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