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Union solidarity committee holds first meeting

BY SUE BULL MELBOURNE — "Building rank-and-file unionism" was the topic of discussion at the first public meeting of the Trade Union Solidarity Committee, which was held on November 19 at Trades Hall. The committee was set up by the Socialist

Candidates speak out against war

MELBOURNE — Speak-outs against a possible war on Iraq were held in three Melbourne suburbs on November 23. The Footscray protest heard from Socialist Alliance candidate for Footscray Justine Kamprad, Shirley Winton from the Western Suburbs

National refugee summit 2003

BY PAUL BENEDEK SYDNEY — "We are a mass movement, we need to look like one" is the idea behind a broadly supported initiative to hold a National People's Refugee Summit in early 2003. The proposed summit, tentatively scheduled for February 1-2

ITALY: Firenze Assediata (Florence under siege)

BY STEPHEN BENNETTS FLORENCE — “Non ho mai visto Firenze cosi bella. Che bello vederla cosi piena di gente; di solito ci sono solo le bancarelle d'oro e le cartoline. E che palle!” (“I've never seen Florence looking so beautiful. How

HONG KONG: Pro-democracy protesters defy rally ban

BY DOUG LORIMER HONG KONG — Seventy pro-democracy protesters staged a rally outside in the Chater Garden Square next to the local Legislative Council building on November 17, defying a police warning that the gathering was illegal

Refugee working party shut down

BY SARAH STEPHEN The ALP shut down its working party on refugee policy on November 12, after only two meetings. This is a substantial blow to Labor for Refugees, which agreed to its membersÂ’ involvement in the working party in return for a

Members First challenges ALP in CPSU elections.

BY PAUL OBOOHOV CANBERRA — The Members First rank and file group in the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) is challenging the ALP-aligned Progressive Caucus in elections for department-based section and local region positions in the ACT,

Ku-ring-gai residents protest inappropriate development

Around 1500 Ku-ring-gai residents were drawn together on November 17 to stand against inappropriate over-development of their municipality, particularly the increasing density of housing. The rally, promoted by Friends of Lindfield, kicked off with folk songs before a variety of speakers took the podium.

Speakers highlighted the inadequate representation that they felt local council members are providing, and voiced their concerns about corruption in the council.