Telstra sell-off condemned
BRISBANE — Members of the Community and Public Sector Union gathered outside Telstra House on November 6 for a lunchtime picket to oppose government plans to privatise the country's telecommunications giant.
Speakers, including CPSU Queensland secretary Claire Moore, condemned the sell-off of the nation's biggest public asset as a rip-off aimed at further enriching the wealthy few who would end up owning the corporation. They pointed out that the Coalition's longer term plan to sell all of Telstra threatens even more jobs than the 23,000 already set to be lost. The November 6 picket is part of an ongoing campaign. For information contact (07) 3847 3404.
Woodchip boycott campaign
PERTH — On November 6, 25 conservation activists picketed the annual general meeting of West Australia's largest woodchipping company, Bunnings, to protest against the Liberal government's increased licensing of woodchipping in old growth forests and Bunnings' destruction of dwindling old-growth habitat. The picket launched a consumer boycott campaign organised by the WA Forest Alliance (WAFA) and the Wilderness Society on corporations logging jarrah and karri timber. For more information, call WAFA on (09) 220 0651 or look them up on the World Wide Web: http://www.highway.1.com.au/arts/wizrds/karri/.
Russian Revolution anniversary
SYDNEY — Three hundred people gathered in Granville Town Hall in the western suburbs on November 8 to commemorate the first socialist revolution, in Russia nearly 79 years ago.
The October Revolution celebration, organised by the May Day Coalition, included speeches, greetings, poetry, singing and music. All groups involved emphasised the inspiring example of the 1917 revolution despite different opinions about later development of the revolution. Speakers noted the continuing need for internationalist, working-class action to defeat the global private-profit system which is based on war, state brutality, exploitation, racism and sexism.