The crushing rejection of the proposed EU constitution in France and the Netherlands has had the effect of an erupting political volcano. It has already resulted in the fate of the euro being questioned; the ruling classes of Europe are distancing themselves from the ?EU project? with an increasingly nationalistic profile; big clashes have taken place between ruling classes of Britain and France; and the French government faces a seismic revolt of the working class.
CWI International Secretariat (more…)

By Stephen Jolly
Last night 150 children, parents and carers gatecrashed the Yarra Council meeting at Richmond Town Hall to insist Council put the child care crisis in their Top 3 list of priorities. Channel 9 and 7 TV crews were there as well as the Herald Sun and both the local papers. (more…)

Government starts military crackdown as it announces unilateral date for privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunications. Over the weekend the number of telecommunication workers taken into custody by the police has risen to over three hundred.
Khalid Bhatti, National Organiser of the Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan reports from the scene (more…)

The stakes have been raised sharply in the battle between Pakistan’s telecommunications workers and the Musharraf government over the question of the privatisation of the industry. Today, paramilitary police arrested 8 trade unionists and activists in Islamabad including Zafar Zaidi, a leader of the Pakistan Telecommunications Union and Tanveer Shah, a member of the Action Committee.
By Khalid Bhatti, National Organiser Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan (more…)

Bolivian workers have been battling the vicious neo-liberal policies of their government backed by Western imperialism.
Over the last five years the struggle has overthrown one president and successfully defeated water privatisation.
Now the incumbent president, Carlos Mesa, has tendered his resignation.
Dave Carr reports on the current mass protest movement which is demanding nationalisation of the gas industry. (more…)

TENS of thousands of people are making plans to travel to Scotland at the beginning of July to demonstrate against world poverty.

Sarah Sachs-Eldridge, International Socialist Resistance (more…)

On 12 May the Socialist Plantation Workers? Union (SPWU) opened new offices in the town of Nuwara Eliya, high up in the Sri Lankan ?hill country?.

A report from Laurence Coates who recently visited Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka (more…)

Regular colomn from Stephen Jolly, the Socialist Party’s Councillor in the City of Yarra. Taken from the June 2005 issue of ‘The Socialist’. (more…)

Last week the Melbourne City branch of the Socialist Party held a public meeting on the Schapelle Corby affair. Here is a report of the main points raised in the lead-off… (more…)

As of July 1st the Howard Government will hold a majority in both Houses of Parliament, giving the Liberals an unhindered position to implement their neo-liberal agenda to cut social spending on education and welfare, and to attack working people. Due to the very real prospect of a world economic downturn, and in order to increase their profits, Howard is stepping up the interests of multinational corporations, and targeting young people and their future!
By Kylie McGregor, UNITE Co-ordinator Melbourne (more…)