Solidarity night in Brisbane
By Nick Everett
BRISBANE — Sixty people attended an evening entitled "Solidarity with the fight for workers rights and justice and democracy: Indonesia and East Timor" at the Resistance Centre in New Farm on April 29.
The event was organised by Aksi — Indonesian Solidarity Action. Claire Moore, the state branch secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, spoke about the Indian Ocean trade union conference in Perth and the hidden agenda of the ACTU.
Nick Everett spoke on behalf of Aksi, regarding the PPBI's (Centre for Working Class Struggle) May Day campaign in Indonesia and demand for higher wages.
A video about the campaign in solidarity with East Timor was shown, introduced by Sam Lazzaro of Resistance. Lazzaro spoke about the need for continued campaigning in solidarity with East Timor and against the military ties the Australian government has with Indonesia.
Special guest Terasita Carpio, from the United Workers of the Philippines federation, gave greetings of solidarity.
This was followed by an SBS Dateline documentary on the newly emerging independent trade unions in Indonesia, focusing on ACTU collaboration with the government-run yellow union.