227

Geelong workers' strike solid

By Geoff Spencer GEELONG — The E.P. Robinson Pty Ltd plant here is an amazing sight. There are glass panels missing from the skylights; a number of others are slipping. More than one worker has narrowly missed being hit by a falling panel. When

Chechen leader calls Yeltsin's bluff

By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — In a surprise development on April 8, Dzhokhar Dudayev, the central leader of the Chechen resistance forces, broke with the rebels' past position and called for direct negotiations with Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

Jailing of eco-activist brings headaches for Yeltsin

MOSCOW — Jailed Russian environmentalist Alexander Nikitin has won an important victory in his fight to beat espionage charges brought against him by the Federal Security Service (FSB — the former KGB). On March 26 President Boris Yeltsin

East Timorese young people in struggle

KIM COMERFORD and NICK EVERETT, from Brisbane ASIET (Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor), recently travelled to East Timor. Over 10 days they were able to observe the impact of the 20-year occupation of this nation by the Indonesian

In the mould of Chandler

The brush-offBy Shane MaloneyText Publishing, 1996. 314 pp., $14.95 (pb)Reviewed by Phil Shannon Shane Maloney, novelist and humorist for the Australian left magazine Arena, is not Raymond Chandler, ace writer of classic private detective novels, but

Defeating voluntary student unionism

By Alison Dellit The campaign against voluntary student unionism legislation, introduced by the Kennett government in 1994, has entered another stage. With the cancellation of federal funding under the Coalition, many student unions have less than

East Timor protester jailed

By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Jim Dowling, a long-time peace activist and member of the Catholic Worker group, was jailed for three months on March 22, for a peaceful protest with other Christian demonstrators at the Defence Force Headquarters in the

Anti-uranium alliance formed

By Paul Howes and Mark Walsh SYDNEY — On April 12, more than 20 people representing a range of organisations met to organise anti-uranium mining campaign activities in Sydney. The group planned a protest action to be held outside the Energy

Rank and file control in French strikes

By Mia Butzbaugh "We're all drivers of the strike here", a metro worker in Paris told me. This was not the rhetoric of union bureaucrats. This was the reality of general assemblies, where French workers met daily to vote on whether to continue

Another look at porn

The Post Porn ModernistBy Annie SprinkleAthenaeum Theatre, MelbourneReviewed By Kim Linden Annie Sprinkle provides a thought-provoking look at pornography and new age erotica through the eyes of a woman who has made it BIG in the porn industry. The

Action updates

East Timor campaign WOLLONGONG — A lively demonstration in the Crown Street mall on March 30 brought Saturday morning shoppers' attention to BHP's theft of East Timor's oil and the Australian government's support for Indonesia's occupation of

Life of Riley: Little John

John Winston Howard, MHR (Lib) Bennelong: Get a load of that deficit! Phew! What a big 'un! You could have knocked me over with a feather. I said to my offsider — didn't I, Pete? — I said, "What we have here is a failure of big government". And