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Pakistan: Over 300 telecommunication workers and trade unionists arrested
Tuesday, June 14 @ 02:01:29 CDT

Government starts military crackdown as it announces unilateral date for privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunications

Khalid Bhatti, National Organiser of the Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan

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SP Newsletter No.90
Sunday, June 12 @ 20:19:49 CDT

Includes regional activity, what’s on, news links and more....

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Pakistani Government starts crackdown against Telecom trade unionists
Sunday, June 12 @ 00:10:05 CDT

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 (which brings together the nine unions in the telecommunications sector) from the headquarters of the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL).
Khalid Bhatti, National Organiser Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan

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Bolivian workers fight privatisation and imperialism
Saturday, June 11 @ 03:28:02 CDT

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.

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G8 Anti Capitalist Protest - Scotland
Saturday, June 11 @ 03:20:56 CDT

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

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Sri Lankan plantation workers getting organised
Friday, June 10 @ 01:23:31 CDT

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

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Yarra Council budget will be a test for the ALP and Greens
Thursday, June 09 @ 01:33:19 CDT

Regular colomn from Stephen Jolly, the Socialist Party's Councillor in the City of Yarra. Taken from the June 2005 issue of 'The Socialist'.

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SP member elected President of Northern Ireland's largest union
Wednesday, June 08 @ 02:13:59 CDT

There was a further shift to the left at the annual conference of the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA), the largest union in the North, held at the start of June. The outgoing General Council (Executive), which had a right wing majority, was defeated on a number of key issues and Socialist Party member Billy Lynn was elected to the position of President.
Report by Carol Barnett, Socialist Party, Belfast

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Report of Schapelle Corby meeting
Monday, June 06 @ 07:10:31 CDT

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...

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Young people say NO to Howards’ right wing agenda!
Saturday, June 04 @ 22:20:26 CDT

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

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Historic Victory for Pakistan Telecommunications workers
Saturday, June 04 @ 22:09:52 CDT

Yesterday evening, in a massive victory for telecommunications workers in Pakistan the government announced the postponement of the privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunications for an indefinite period. This brought to an end the 10 day long strike of telecom workers.
Report By Rukhsana Manzoor and Aazam Janjua, Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan

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SP Website statistics
Saturday, June 04 @ 22:02:26 CDT

The SP Website stats for May 2005 have been our most successful ever.

Unique visitors - 2327
Number of visits - 3420
Pages - 12779
Hits - 87017
Bandwidth - 370.76 MB

Be sure to tell all your friends and colleges about our website - all the best local, national and international news and analysis at socialistpartyaustralia.org

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Dutch give overwhelming ‘No’ to EU Constitution
Friday, June 03 @ 01:55:25 CDT

Yesterday’s vote on the European Constitution was the first time in more than 200 years that Dutch people were given the chance to voice their opinion in a referendum. A high turnout of 62.8 per cent delivered a clear verdict; 61.6% voted against the constitution and only 38.4 % in favour.
Ron Blom, Offensief (CWI Netherlands),

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''Struggle or death''- Pakistan telecoms workers fight privatisation
Thursday, June 02 @ 01:27:18 CDT

"THIS IS the biggest challenge to President Musharraf of Pakistan from the trade unions on the question of privatisation since he came to power in 1998." These words from Azad Qadri, (a member of the Socialist Movement Pakistan -CWI in Pakistan - and National Deputy Secretary General of the Lions Unity Union), drew a roar of approval from the 6,000 Telecom workers occupying the headquarters of the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL). The occupation is part of their national strike against privatisation.
Report By Khalid Bhatti, Socialist Movement Pakistan and Kevin Simpson, CWI

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French workers say ‘NON’ to the European constitution and the establishment.
Tuesday, May 31 @ 01:25:26 CDT

Report By Karl Debbaut, CWI.
"We’re voting no. It is a constitution for the bourgeoisie, for multinationals, for bosses. It is only about the economy, competition, profits, the market and capitalism. We are against all that; we are communists. There isn’t any progress for workers. Most workers want to say "merde", to stick two fingers up at them. We are fed up with saying yes to politicians".
Thomas Meurnier, a 32 year old history teacher and sympathiser of the French Communist Party (quoted in the newspaper ‘the Guardian’, Saturday 28 May 2005)

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The general strike today
Friday, May 27 @ 04:28:31 CDT

Working people in Australia are currently facing the biggest attack on their wages and conditions ever.
What weapons do we have to fight back with? Many in the labour movement are arguing against strikes. John Robertson (Secretary of Unions NSW) goes even further by saying that general strikes only inconvieniance the community. Will this be more or less of an inconvieniance than lower wages and more job insecurity?
As the working class moves back onto the scene in many places around the world we reprint this article by PETER TAAFFE on the general strike today. It was written in July 2003 against a European backdrop but has many points relevant to Australia today.

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Howard's attacks on young people
Friday, May 27 @ 02:22:13 CDT

People are very cynical of politicians making grand statements that are supposed to change our lives for the better. However this doesn’t stop today’s lot sprouting out ‘sound bites’ that are nothing more than Public Relations from the relative seclusion of Canberra.
By Andrew Calleja, Socialist Party Melbourne

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E=mc2 - How Einstein changed our understanding of the universe
Friday, May 27 @ 01:56:24 CDT

"The results of an electrodynamic investigation recently published by me in this journal lead to a very interesting conclusion, which shall be derived here". The opening lines of one of five scientific papers written 100 years ago by Einstein in 1905.

After three pages of mathematical notes, no more than a postscript to his main Relativity article, the conclusion: E = mc2.
A century after these papers were published, Roy Farrar examines’ how the materialist basis for Einstein’s theories was reflected in his socialist ideas and support for the struggle to change society.

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New poll on SP web site
Friday, May 27 @ 00:20:25 CDT

What message should be coming from ACTU re Howard's attacks?
Vote Labor in next election or Get Churches + politicians onside for media campaign or Organise a massive industrial response?
Results of previous poll:
What are the Greens?
The new left alternative to Labor, I support them - 122 Votes (35.57%)
Middle class do-gooders, I support Labor - 116 Votes (33.82%)
Partially fill vacuum left by ALP, but not answer - 105 Votes (30.61%)

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Corby gets 20 years - SP Public meeting in Melbourne
Thursday, May 26 @ 23:15:34 CDT

This Tuesday 31st May 7pm the Socialist Party (Melbourne City branch) has a public meeting on the Schapelle Corby affair from a socialist perspective. Trades Hall (cnr Lygon+Victoria Sts, Carlton South).

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Howard introduces IR 'reforms' - Time to fight back.
Thursday, May 26 @ 19:10:58 CDT

John Howard introduced his changes to the industrial relations system into parliment yesterday.
With the bosses cheering from the sidelines, the union movement needs to carefully analyse the situation and develop a fighting program in response.
The following article by Robyn Hohl is the Socialist Party's contribution to the debate on which way forward.

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Pakistan: Indefinite Telecom strike started
Thursday, May 26 @ 18:34:21 CDT

Complete closedown observed all over the country.
Workers refuse to call off the strike: "We will struggle to the end, we refuse to bow down". Four thousand workers storm and occupy company headquarters
Rukhsana Manzoor Secretary Workers Education in the Muthida Labour Federation and TURC-P, Lahore

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Pakistan: Telecoms strike continues despite management manouevres
Monday, May 23 @ 02:14:58 CDT

Negotiations fail, while the movement picks up momentum.
Azad Qadri and Azam Janjuah, PTURC, Islamabad

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Revolutionaries at 17
Sunday, May 22 @ 19:06:43 CDT

A short piece on the roles that Rosa Luxemburg and Leon Trotsky played in the socialist movement from the humble ages of 17.
By Ruth Coppinger, Councillor for the SP in Dublin West Ireland.
Originally printed in Militant Irish Monthly, December 1988

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Manchester united fans protest at billionaire’s takeover
Sunday, May 22 @ 18:52:10 CDT

Manchester United fans reacted rapidly to US businessman Malcolm Glazer gaining 74% of Manchester United shares after the three biggest shareholders, racing tycoons JP McManus and John Magnier and a mining millionaire sold their shares to the Glazer family.
John Reid, author, Reclaim the Game.

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''McJobs'' a Dead End for Young Workers
Sunday, May 22 @ 18:38:40 CDT

You can find us throughout malls, fast food joints, retail stores, and phone centers across the country. We're the ones who pour the coffee, flip the burgers, and offer savings on long distance phone service. We are America's youth, and we are increasingly trapped in dead-end jobs that offer low wages and no future.
By Canyon Lalama, "Customer Service" Representative, Member of OPEIU Local 12, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US

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HIV/Aids inequality
Sunday, May 22 @ 18:26:16 CDT

HIV, the virus that causes Aids, continues to spread. Over the last 30 years, attention has shifted from the gay scene in the US, where the disease first appeared, to the neo-colonial countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, Aids is causing havoc to whole peoples and already fragile economies. It is beginning to break into the general populations of China, India and Russia. MANNY THAIN reports on this global catastrophe.

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Uzbekistan: Troops massacre hundreds of protesters
Thursday, May 19 @ 01:54:49 CDT

US-backed Karimov dictatorship unleashes bloodbath.
Rob Jones, CWI, Moscow

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The Federal Budget - A socialist analysis
Monday, May 16 @ 02:14:00 CDT

The May 2005 budget is another salvo in the class war that Howard and the Liberals say does not exist. After several years of economic upturn and with a Senate that blocked the Liberals full proposed agenda, this is a budget for a new era. The Liberals are now getting ready for a full scale ripping into the guts of the working class. The budget is designed to get the most out of the working class now and also as a preparation for laying the burden of any economic downturn of the bosses system squarely onto the working class.
SP National Secretariat

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China-EU clash over textiles
Monday, May 16 @ 01:28:37 CDT

Growing inter-imperialist tensions between China and the European Union

Per-Åke Westerlund, cwi Sweden.

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