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Child-care for the rich

By Theresa Moore As PM John Howard railed against the "use" of children on the MUA picket lines, toddlers were in the forefront of demonstrations outside public hearings of the Senate committee of inquiry into the impact of commonwealth government

The uses of racism

Editorial: The uses of racism The uses of racism Just over two years ago, John Howard coasted into office promising to make us all feel "comfortable and relaxed". That was only one of countless broken promises — all of which were intended to

MUA's court victories a setback for Howard

MUA's court victories a setback for Howard By James Vassilopoulos Taking advantage of a seemingly unlimited legal fund — legal expenses are a deduction from taxable income under Australian corporate law — Patrick Stevedores has appealed to

Britain lets Indonesia off the hook

By Jon Land At the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva, the British government — backed by the Australian and other governments — has been manoeuvring to prevent a strong resolution on East Timor from being adopted. On

Police: allies of the working class?

Police: allies of the working class? By Shane Bentley At an early morning visit to the Patrick picket line at Port Botany in Sydney, it was surprising to see so many supporters of the wharfies brave the rain and the cold to join the peaceful

Industrial action debated on South Coast

Industrial action debated on South Coast By Andrew Hall WOLLONGONG — More than 200 union delegates on April 21 and 22 met to consider the waterfront dispute. The meetings voted almost unanimously to support the resolutions of the ACTU

Waterfront 'reform': in whose interests?

Everybody is talking about waterfront reform — the federal government, Patrick Stevedores, P & O Ports, the ALP and the ACTU. "The need for waterfront reform" has been hammered in the media for so long that for several months, opinion polls have shown a majority of Australians supporting it.

Jobs for all sacked wharfies is key demand

By Alex Bainbridge HOBART — Hundreds of Maritime Union of Australia members and supporters marched through the streets of Hobart on April 23, then held a victory celebration as the news of the Federal Court's rejection of Patrick's appeal came

A new direction for trade unionism

A new direction for trade unionism Workers in a Lean WorldBy Kim MoodyVerso, 1997. 342 pp., $37.95. Review by David Bacon Last northern autumn, Italy's Party of the Democratic Left (PDS), which leads the country's new government of ex-Communists,

Truck drivers support wharfies

By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Support for the sacked maritime workers and the MUA has grown stronger here over the last week with unionists and other members of the community mobilising at different events to protest against the government's and

... and ain't i a woman?: Backlash, not harmony

Backlash, not harmony Could it be that, after decades of feminist campaigning for gender equality in work, Australian women no longer want to get out of the home, earn their own wages or test and increase their work skills? Between 1955 and

Action updates

Anti-poisons campaign HOBART — A campaign is underway in Tasmania against the use of the chemicals 1080 and the triazines. These chemicals are used by logging corporations after clear-felling native forest and planting pine or eucalypt trees