In 2001, more than 30 workers over 50 years of age were suddenly given 24-hour termination notices by their employer, Guppy Plastic Industries Sdn Bhd. The workers were then told they could return later when they would be offered contract jobs. The chairperson of the workers聮 union described the move as a dirty tactic to make the women contract workers, to further maximise the company聮s profits at the expense of the workers. The 50-year retirement age for women workers is below the normal standard and is different to the company聮s retirement policy for male workers. On May 15, nine of the sacked workers took the case to the industrial court, seeking back pay, compensation for loss of income and redundancy payments.
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Activists from climate-action groups, environment collectives at the University of Queensland and Griffith University, Friends of the Earth, the Queensland Nuclear Free Alliance, Resistance and the Socialist Alliance are coming together to organise a 聯Stop Global Warming聰 rally in the week of World Environment Day (June 5).
On May 29, an unpredictable drama will begin. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock will try to overcome a series of embarrassing blunders by the entire Australian chain of command at the joint Australia-US Pine Gap spy base in the Northern Territory, and four activists will face trial in Alice Springs for entering a prohibited site.
Packer protest trial
I have serious doubts about the results of the Packer protest trial ("Charges against Packer protesters dismissed", GLW #707). While I appreciate the support of the NSW Council of Civil Liberties (CCL), and the lawyers who
Thousands of Palestinians joined rallies on May 15 throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories to mark the 59th anniversary of al Nakba (聯The Catastrophe聰) 聴 the establishment of the State of Israel and the consequent expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes 聴 as renewed fighting took place between Fatah and Hamas.
The Wilderness Society (TWS) has taken Malcolm Turnbull, the federal environment minister, and logging giant Gunns Ltd to court in an attempt to stop a pulp mill being built in Tasmania聮s Tamar Valley.
On May 7, New Matilda published an article by Antony Loewenstein, titled , in which he reports on his impressions of Cuba. Loewenstein describes Cuba as a 鈥減olice state鈥 with 鈥渘o freedom of speech鈥. He takes issue with Australian academic, Tim Anderson whom, he wrote, 鈥渙ught to know better鈥 for arguing that Cuba has more democracy than the US, (see ). Below is Anderson鈥檚 reply to Loewenstein鈥檚 article.
The following letter was sent by 91自拍论坛 Weekly on May 16 to the editor of the Australia/Israel Review, the journal of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council.
As of 2004, foreign capital controlled 76.6% of Chinese industry, a study produced by academics from Beijing聮s Communication University has found. The findings of the report, which was released in March, are consistent with a November 2006 report by the Development Research Centre of the State Council, China聮s cabinet.
The Queensland University of Technology says it has yet to decide the future of its humanities and human services school. The comments came after a meeting of QUT academic board, outside which 100 students rallied for almost four hours on May 16 before pursuing an agitated QUT vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake across campus.
A report released on May 14 by the Federation of Community Legal Centres of Victoria, accused police of using excessive and unwarranted force against protesters and bystanders during the November 17-19 G20 summit in Melbourne of international finance ministers.
If watching the ABC TV鈥檚 drama Bastard Boys is the only information that you have about the Maritime Union of Australia lockout of 1998, then you would probably conclude that the dispute was won by the brilliant tactical skills of Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) secretary Greg Combet and former Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) national secretary John Coombes, and the legal talents of union lawyers.
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