The sixth ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), in Hong Kong, 13-18 December, has fiasco written all over it. Last minute talks in Geneva and London, in early November, to save the Hong Kong meeting broke down amid mutual recriminations. Trade ministers now speak of ?lowering expectations? to soften the impact of yet another WTO collapse as in Seattle 1999 and Cancun in 2003.

By Laurence Coates, CWI Sweden (more…)

Congratulations to all the buskers and supporters (including SP members) who attended the busk-in today in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Melbourne. The lively event was organised by the Socialist Party and local buskers. (more…)

To whom it may concern,
As Socialist Party Councillor for Yarra, the home of the Spanish speaking community of Melbourne, I call on the Venezulean Government to get their Labour Minister to intervene on behalf of workers in the RACE dispute. (more…)

From the time the first results started coming in for the presidential election in Sri Lanka, the candidate of the United Socialist Party (CWI in Sri Lanka), Siritunga Jayasuriya, was in the top three. And he stayed there, getting a total of 35,425 votes! He gained maximum publicity today, 18 November, with a fighting speech carried live on national TV. This came immediately after the acceptance speech of Mahinda Rajapakse, Sri Lanka?s present prime minister.

By Clare Doyle, CWI (more…)

The Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan/Kashmir (TURC) started its relief campaign on 9 October, establishing three relief centres in Lahore to collect food, blankets, warm clothes and donations for the earthquake victims in Kashmir and the Hazara region of North West Frontier Province (Pakistan). The TURC immediately started a campaign in Kotli, Kashmir, to send aid to Rawla, Kot and Bagh. So far, thirty six tons (40,000 kg) of food and other material has been delivered.

Rukhsana Manzoor, TURCP National Co-ordinator of earthquake relief work (more…)

On Friday 18 November trade unionists, including members of the Socialist Party, went to the Head Office of Connex in Melbourne to protest about the sacking of Swedish trade union leader, Per Johansson. The lobby was in response to an international appeal from the Swedish rail union, SEKO, and coincided with a national stoppage of the rail network in Sweden. (more…)

In defiance of the refusal of Yarra Council to issue permits, buskers from around Australia will hold a mass busking defiance rally this Saturday, 19th November, at 1pm opposite the Evelyn Hotel, in Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Please attend this unique event! SP Councillor Stephen Jolly will be speaking on the day. (more…)

A successful struggle to defeat Howard’s anti-union laws, and to kick out the government, poses the question, what is the political alternative to the ruling Liberals? This vital issue was addressed during a public meeting, organised by the ETU in Melbourne (more…)

Over half a million workers marched across Australia on 15 November, protesting against John Howard’s new Industrial Relations laws. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) called the national community day of protest with meetings and rallies in all major cities. (more…)

I had a very important victory on Yarra Council in November. I won a vote, after hard lobbying and a brilliant public meeting, for Council to put in cash and resources to save the vital ‘The Cottage’ center which is situated next to the Atherton Gardens public housing estate in Fitzroy. (more…)