The following article was published in ‘The Age’ newspaper on December 29th and includes quotes from SP Councillor Stephen Jolly.
In the shadows of Melbourne’s grand Royal Exhibition Building there is a column of sandstone that at first glance resonates only as a century-old dummy spit.
By Andrew Tate, The Age. (more…)

James Brown died early on the morning of Monday December 25 at the age of 73. He was admitted to Atlanta’s Emory Crawford Long Hospital for pneumonia and died of a heart failure. Brown will be best remembered for laying down the foundations of soul and funk which provided the roots for modern day hip hop music. (more…)

Michael Garrett looks at The Transitional Programme by Leon Trotsky.
I work in a Civil Service office. Like many civil servants, I’m grossly underpaid for the work I do. Our department faces major job cuts; it’s getting rid of 5% of the work force over the next 12 months. (more…)

The 15 day long tea plantation strike – the longest in recent history – is supposed to have come to an end. It has involved a large part of the 400,000 strong work-force. The action started with go-slows (which spread to the rubber plantation workers as well) and ‘sing-alongs’ – another device to slow down the work! Many of the strikers have been involved in mass demonstrations, where effigies of their so-called leaders have been burned. “The plantation volcano has erupted!” declared one newspaper.
By T. S. Jainndeen, United Socialist Party Sri Lanka (more…)

A community assembly successfully won a workers job back in Melbourne today. Maggi Li who worked for the PhoneTec repair centre in Nunawading for 6 years was originally sacked unfairly last night. Maggi was given no reason for her dismissal but it is thought she was sacked because she resisted a proposed pay cut. Only a few days before Christmas she didn’t even have time to say goodbye to her fellow workers.
By Socialist Party reporters Melbourne (more…)

The unleashing of free-market, capitalist forces has deepened the chasm of inequality between rich and poor, capitalist and worker, both across the globe and within all countries. Recent reports show that inequalities of wealth ownership and income are accelerating everywhere.
By Lynn Walsh, Socialist Party (more…)

On the 10th December, at 14.15 hours, the greatest killer and thief that Chile has ever known, the former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, died. Hundreds of thousands of Chileans came onto the streets to celebrate and rapidly organised celebratory demonstrations throughout the country. In all the workers’ districts people came onto the streets to express their happiness. In working class districts like La Bandera and La Vitoria the people rapidly organised carnivals to celebrate Pinochet’s death.
By Celso Calfullan Campos Socialismo Revolucionario (CWI), Chile (more…)

The new controversy was sparked by the comments of British ex-Foreign Minister and leader of House of Commons, Jack Straw. This issue is not only controversial in the West but also in countries with a majority Muslim population. In recent years, especially after 9/ 11, right wing political leaders in the West have used this issue to muster political support from more reactionary sections of the population.
By Rukhsana Manzoor, Socialist Movement Pakistan, Lahore (more…)

Many young people will take on a casual job to make some extra cash over the summer period. It’s the busiest time of the year for areas such as retail, fast food and hospitality. Most shops put on extra staff to cover their increased workload. It is common for bosses to try and rip young workers off during this period. Some of the problems young workers face include; the underpayment of wages, not being given rest breaks, bullying and harassment or unsafe working conditions.
By Kylie McGregor, Socialist Party Melbourne (more…)

At the November 7 summit on the Southern Murray Darling Basin, Federal and State governments continued to set up for Australian water consumers a privatised water system on a user pays basis , where the cost and quality of water will depend upon a personal ability to pay not upon need.
Editorial from the Dec/Jan Edition of ‘The Socialist’ (more…)