unions

On Wednesday 9th of November, workers at Baiada Poultry began indefinite protected industrial action in their campaign for secure and permanent jobs. The campaign under the umbrella of the NUW began when every single worker in the largely migrant workforce at the plant has voted to strike The So far the picketline has come under sustained attack but held strong. Firstly the company employed 30-50 security guards. Then a picketor had their arm broken when a security guard tried to drive through the picketline. The company then successfully received an injunction banning all NUW officials from the picketline. The picketline is relying on community support to now succeed. Lastly on Friday night, 80 police officers rushed the picket line in an attempt to break it but retreated after the line held. Contact Workers Solidarity Network mobile: 0431445978 to find out how to help. Please come to Baiada Poultry (17 Pipe Rd, Laverton Nt) when you can: "nothing goes in, nothing goes out!". Occupy Melbourne Solidarity protest 15t November

8 June was a National Day of Action, with rallies across Australia demanding pay equity for workers in the community and health sector. The rally in Melbourne was held in wet and wintry conditions, but as one speaker said, these did not dampen workers’ resolve to pursue the pay increases that Fair Work Australia had just announced they were entitled to. Several thousand gathered outside Trades Hall to hear speakers before marching through the CBD to Parliament House to make their voices heard there.

The Australian mainstream media are full of denunciations of China over the trial of the four Rio Tinto executives in Shanghai. However, from the standpoint of trade unionists and opponents of the oppression of Aboriginal people and the peoples of the ex-colonies, the prosecution of the Rio bosses is a good thing.