Staff of the Immigration and Border Force agency marked the first day of their newly merged federal department on July 1 by going on strike for the second time in a week.
Two-hour stoppages and meetings took place at seaports, workplaces and international airports, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Adelaide. Significant disruption of services was reported.
1059
鈥淲hen I graduated from high school - Catholic high school - in 1983, I didn't even think that this would ever be on the map,鈥 said Jeff Mead, now a middle school teacher from San Francisco. The 鈥渕ap鈥 that Mead was referring to took on a drastically new appearance on June 26 when the US Supreme Court announced its five-four decision to strike down state laws banning same-sex marriage. This effectively legalised such marriages across the US.
The radioactive exposure tour 鈥 the RadTour 鈥 organised by Friends of the Earth and the Anti-uranium and Clean Energy collective (ACE), was on again this year from June 27 till July 8. Twenty-five people travelled from Melbourne through south and western NSW then onto South Australia.
麻豆传媒 Weekly's Rachel Evans caught up with the RadTour at Lucas Heights and spoke to Dr Jim Green from Friends of the Earth.
* * *
How has the campaign to make Australia nuclear free been going?
Bolivian President Evo Morales inaugurated a new football (soccer) stadium on June 24 in the central department of Cochabamba, naming the new athletic facility after the late Venezuelan revolutionary leader and president, Hugo Chavez.
During his inauguration speech, Morales highlighted Chavez's legacy, saying: 鈥淗e was a leader who possessed so much solidarity, as a president he taught us not be afraid of those who try to dominate us.鈥
Unions have slammed plans to axe more than 2700 jobs from the NSW power industry this year. Publicly owned electricity network companies Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy have revealed plans to cut 2749 jobs from September, offering staff just one week to consult on the proposal.
The announcement follows the recent passage of legislation by the NSW government to privatise the power "poles and wires" network. The proposed job cuts are part of preparations for the sale of long-term leases for the three public power companies.
Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy (RATE) has led a successful occupation of the Redfern Block for more than a year, calling for affordable Aboriginal housing to be built on the site. RATE has been fighting off attempts by the Aboriginal Housing Corporation (AHC), led by Mick Mundine, to develop the site with a $70 million commercial and residential development.
In the 1960s and 鈥70s the Block became a focal point for the modern day urban land rights movement. Protests led to grassroots organisations such as the Aboriginal legal, medical cultural and housing services.
Command & Control
Eric Schlosser
Allen Lane, 2013
632 pages
A Short History Of Nuclear Folly
Rudolph Herzog
Melville House, 2014
252 pages
Atomic Comics: Cartoonists Confront The Nuclear Age
Ferenc Szasz
University of Nevada Press, 2013
179 pages
Atomic bombs have only been used in warfare twice, but they have nearly been detonated, through accident or mistake, many more times, writes Eric Schlosser in his book on nuclear weapons mishaps, Command and Control.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has called for Australia Post (AP) CEO Ahmed Fahour to be sacked over his plans for 1900 job losses from the government-owned postal service. The call follows Fahour's statement on June 26 that AP would spend up to $190 million slashing employment in the agency in response to a declining volume of letter deliveries.
AP employs 36,000 staff, with about 23,000 working in the mail service. Fahour claims the cuts follow losses in the mail delivery section totalling more than $1.5 billion in the last five years.
Venezuela halves malnutrition
Venezuela was by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on June 8 for meeting the UN millennium goal of halving malnutrition, Venezuelanalysis.com reported.
Marchers in Honiara in support of West Papua鈥檚 bid to join the MSG, June 19.
The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) granted the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) observer membership during a summit meeting in Honiara on June 26. It also upgraded Indonesia鈥檚 membership from observer to associate.
Float, Float,
Dirty old boat
Dirty old trade
People afloat,
crying,
dying, fish holds of shame.
Wave after wave,
desperate, wretched, people
abandoned,
stranded
by men who profit hope.
Men who politic no hope,
praying to Jesus,
Who spoke,
"Knock and the door shall be opened for you"
Prime Minister, who prays spoke,
Nope nope nope.
Vote, Vote,
Dirty old vote
Dirty old politics
People remote,
receive,
believe, lies full of shame.
Wave after wave,
affluent, feckless people
democracy,
hypocrisy.
Deny the dirty old boat.
Decry the people who float
An alliance of business, welfare and environmental groups and trade unions has formed to produce a joint set of goals and principles on climate policy.
The Australian Climate Roundtable announced its formation on June 29. The group formed to try to reset the highly politicised and entrenched debate in Australia on climate change. It aims to demonstrate to politicians and the broader community that there is more that unites the business, environment, union and social groups than divides when it comes to wanting action on climate change.
- Previous page
- Page 3
- Next page