New unionism network

This New Unionism Network is worth following. http://www.newunionism.net” promotes the principles of organizing, workplace democracy, internationalism and creative thinking in the union movement. It includes: State of the unions A ‘one stop shop’ for quick information on national union membership numbers, union density, membership trends and labor rights. Among other things, the data confirms our [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

Wild cat strikes should not be unlawful

In today’s press are reports of a so-called ‘wild-cat strike’ at Australian airports after hundreds of baggage handlers and other staff walked off the job yesterday morning in response to concerns about outsourcing and security issues. The term ‘wildcat’ is used derogatively against the workforce. Yet from the workers view they are not ‘wild-cats’ . [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

The Free Market and the Social Divide in Education

The Free Market and the Social Divide in Education by Trevor Cobbold, at the National Public Education Forum Old Parliament House Canberra, 27-28 March 2009 As Geoffrey Robertson has just said, education is a human right. Education for all without discrimination is an essential feature of a democracy. It is also a guarantee of democracy. [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

DPM fails to support minimum wage

On the ABC’s Insiders this morning, the prattle about our Defence Minister should not have occured after DPM Gillard put it all to rest! The journalists can’t seem to analyse and ask questions about the capitalist crisis and debate the coming G20 conference, where those against corporate globalisation and financial disaster can oly protest in [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

Protest on environment

Leading climate scientist: ‘democratic process isn’t working’ Protest and direct action could be the only way to tackle soaring carbon emissions, James Hansen, NASA’s Chief Climate Scientist has said. He says that corporate lobbying has undermined democratic attempts to curb carbon pollution. “The democratic process doesn’t quite seem to be working.” Speaking on the eve [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

International union claims

Brussels, 23 March 2009 (ITUC President Sharan Burrow: In a worldwide push for action by G20 governments to pull the global economy out of recession and chart a new course for job creation, financial regulation and global governance, trade unions across the world are today delivering a common set of demands to their national governments. [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

Crunch Time Conference

Crunch Time A Sydney conference with speakers from Australia’s leading progressive think tanks. At the halfway mark of the Rudd Government’s first term, and a year on from the 2020 Summit, this conference considers the principles and values that should guide progressive policy making into the 21 st century. For the past three decades governments [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

Abolish ABCC says ILO

A damaging report has just landed on Kevin Rudd’s desk from the International Labor Organisation (ILO) slamming the Rudd Government for allowing the ABCC to continue to operate. This is the sixth time the international community has come out against the ABCC. But the PM is ignoring the report. http://www.rightsonsite.org.au/file.php?file=/news/IIIYFXAPNP/index.html Building and construction workers need [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

‘Fair’ Work Act

I was going to go and watch in Parliament as I do the ‘Fair’ Work Act debates but could not bear seeing MPs watering down further the protections for workers. Nor to live in the new by-partisan spin world that ‘WorkChoices is dead! ‘ (in name only). We will see later what good/bad news for [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }