SP Newsletter No.195
The Socialist Party’s End Low Pay campaign in Perth is gathering momentum. This week Scott Ludlam, the Greens Senate Candidate for WA agreed to join CFMEU Assistant Secretary, Joe McDonald on the platform at the launch of the campaign. This has led to a great deal attention from both the media and the public.

The issues of low pay and casualisation are very much at the front of many people’s minds. This year Australia’s mineral resources have boomed by 17 percent to a total of $106 billion. Most of these resources come from Western Australia, yet whilst a few bosses are reaping the rewards most people are in low paid casual jobs with absolutely no job security.

There are now more billionaires in Australia than ever before. Gina Rinehart for example is Australia’s forth richest person and her income has increased 26.7% in the last year alone. Australia now has 30 billionaires, nine more than last year.

The mining boom has been very good for some but while the rich are getting richer the rest of us are asked to make sacrifices. The Socialist Party refuses to accept that workers should be treated like slaves when they are the ones that are producing all of the wealth.

Casualisation is causing massive amounts of stress in people’s lives and is undermining the hard won gains that workers have made over many years. It is also largely young people and women who are affected the most by low paid casual jobs.

This is why as a contribution to the fight back against low pay and casualisation, SP is launching our End Low Pay campaign in Perth next week. The main demands of the campaign are –

-For the immediate introduction of a $16 per hour minimum wage as a step towards a $20 per hour minimum wage.
-For a joint campaign with unions and community groups to recruit to trade unions.
-For all casuals to have the option of transferring to permanent full time or part time jobs after a period of six months.
-For the scrapping of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs)

We invite all workers to attend the public meeting to launch the campaign. It kicks off at 7.30pm on Monday the 19th of November and will be held at the Hellenic Association Club (next to Unions WA) 75 Stirling St Perth.

For more information about the campaign or to join the Socialist Party in Perth contact John Gowland on 08 9402 0728.

Visit the End Low Pay campaign web site www.endlowpay.org

SP now on Facebook!

Join the new Socialist Party group on Facebook! Facebook is a social utility that connects you with people from all over the world. We use it to stay in touch with our comrades around the world and to let people know about events and actions. If you are not on Facebook yet it is really easy to sign up. Just click on the link below. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20461960776

Join the Socialist Party

If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.

We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. For more information about joining in your area contact the SP National Office on 03 9639 9111.

Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!

Become a supporter of SP by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. It only costs $20 per year or $10 concession and you will receive our paper delivered to your door every month. You will also receive our email newsletter every week and will know that you are supporting an organisation that is at the fore of fighting against the system. To subscribe contact the SP National Office on 03 9639 9111

Issue 39 of ‘The Socialist’ is out now! This month we have produced a federal election special edition. We have printed 30,000 copies and on top of distributing them to our subscribers and selling them on street stalls around the country, we will be letterboxing them to a large part of the seat of Melbourne where SP member Kylie McGregor will be standing. This month’s paper features articles on the federal election including IR laws, health, education, the economy, gay marriage, immigration, drugs, Iraq war, nuclear power and global warming.

Regional Activity

Victoria

The SP Melbourne Branch meets every Wednesday 7pm at Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets Carlton South. This week the branch will host a public meeting on the rise of Stalinism in Russia after the revolution. The speaker will be SP Councillor Stephen Jolly. For more info call 96399111. All welcome.

New South Wales

To find out more info or to join SP in Sydney contact Gary - 02 9728 7727

To find out more info or to join SP in Newcastle contact Samantha - 02 4968 1545

Western Australia

To find out more info or to join SP in Perth contact John on – 08 9402 0728

Please note childcare is available at all SP meetings but only by prior arrangement please call ahead first.

News links just a click away –

Our comrades in Pakistan are currently underground due to martial law and severe state repression but they have managed to send us the following reports.

Musharraf announces general election in January
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/11/14pakisb.html

Brutal state force unleashed on peaceful protesters
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/11/14pakisa.html

Get Active - Join the fight back, Get Militant - Join the Socialist Party
The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI).

To contact or join the SP or the CWI anywhere in Australia or the world, call our National Office on +61 3 9639 9111

‘Workers of the world unite – you’ve got nothing to lose but your chains’

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http://www.socialistpartyaustralia.org
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