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Rally against cut to refugee support

More than 200 people participated in a rally and march for refugee rights on September 2. A similar rally was also held in Sydney.

The demonstration was organised at short notice by the Refugee Action Collective in response to the federal government's decision to end the $100 a week income support for people who were brought to Australia from Manus Island and Nauru for medical treatment and evict them from the houses they are living in. This will initially affect 100 people, but may eventually affect many more.

Britain: Historic McDonald鈥檚 strike 鈥榡ust the start鈥

The strike at two branches of McDonald鈥檚 in Britain was 鈥渏ust the start鈥, Labour鈥檚 shadow chancellor John McDonnell said on September 4. Speaking at a rally outside Parliament the day before, the shadow chancellor hailed the striking workers as an 鈥渁bsolute inspiration鈥.

Workers at the burger giant鈥檚 restaurants in Cambridge and Crayford, south-east London, downed aprons in protest at the harassment of workers and the victimisation of union members.

Iran鈥檚 1988 political prisoner massacre remembered

Members of Sydney's Iranian community and their supporters marked the 29th anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners in Iran with an exhibition and gathering in Sydney's Martin Place on September 3. The display included an 8-metre-long list containing the names of more than 4700 victims.

During the summer of 1988, thousands of Iranian political prisoners were executed across the country. These prisoners had survived the mass executions of the early years of repression which followed the crushing of the 1979 revolution and were serving long sentences.

Collingwood star backs Lumumba鈥檚 racism claims, AFL caught lying

Aboriginal AFL star Leon Davis has backed up the allegations made by his former Collingwood teammate Heritier Lumumba about racism inside the club, saying he 鈥渟hared his pain and grief鈥 as a Black man.

Socialists and Sanders: A further response

In his September 2 article 鈥淩esponding on Sanders and reforming the Democrats鈥, Barry Sheppard fundamentally mischaracterises the position I outlined in 鈥淪ocialists and Bernie Sanders鈥. I specifically did not argue in favour of the far left in the US trying to 鈥渞eform鈥 the Democratic Party.

Employers rob workers of $17 billion in superannuation

In another example of wage theft, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) has revealed that employers have failed to pay superannuation for their staff by an average of $2.81 billion every year between 2009 and 2015: a total of $17 billion.

The worst offenders were small and medium businesses in the construction, retail, food and accommodation sectors.

The ATO has been investigating "the superannuation guarantee gap" 鈥 the difference between the 9.5% superannuation guarantee payment required by law and the contributions employers actually make.

Hairdressers next to lose penalty rates?

Life could become harder for some of Australia's lowest paid workers.

The Australian Industry Group, on behalf of Hair and Beauty Australia, has asked the Fair Work Commission to slash Sunday and public holiday penalty rates in the hairdressing industry.

They want to reduce Sunday penalty rates for hairdressers from 200% to 150% and public holiday rates from 250% to 225%.

The Australian Workers Union said the cut would mean a qualified hairdresser could lose $85 a week for an eight-hour Sunday shift and almost $4500 a year.

Drug testing welfare recipients is about money not love

The federal government has proposed a drug testing trial for new welfare recipients.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the proposed policy as being 鈥渁ll about love鈥, saying: 鈥淚f you鈥檝e got a friend who is on drugs, what do you want to do? You desperately want to get them off it.鈥

This needs to be examined.

Summits set agenda to Stop Adani

More than 350 activists participated in the Sydney Stop Adani Summit on September 2.

Participants came from a range of organisations. Some were part of the Stop Adani Alliance, which includes the Bob Brown Foundation, the Australian Conservation Foundation,聽, GetUp!, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, Sea Shepherd and the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

Connecting culture to history and community

Mark Munk Ross is hip-hop guru Munkimuk 鈥 whose beats, rhythm, sense of humour and hard hitting themes have earned him the coveted title of 鈥淕randfather of Indigenous hip hop鈥.

Mark has been working in a remote Aboriginal community at Brewarrina in north-western New South Wales, regenerating age-old fish traps that are the oldest known human-made structures, dating back farther than the pyramids of Egypt.聽聽

He spoke to 麻豆传媒 Weekly about his recent projects.

NSW government is 鈥榙estroying鈥 TAFE

New South Wales鈥 world-class public TAFE system is on its knees. The state government鈥檚 savage funding cuts and ongoing neglect has seen enrolments plummet and TAFE campuses, particularly in regional areas, fall into disrepair.

But the Coalition government鈥檚 鈥渟olution鈥 is to further cut funding and replace practical learning with glorified internet cafes in already isolated regional areas.

Canberra early childhood educators

Early education workers walk off for equal pay

Early childhood educators, from Cairns to Hobart and from Perth to Townsville; from big cities like Sydney to the聽smallest like Launceston, walked off the job on September 7 to demand equal pay.