Twenty years ago, during the night of 7 April 1998, Patrick Stevedores sacked its entire workforce in the most serious union-busting effort in decades, with the full support of the Howard government. Solidarity spoke to Bob Lee, a union delegate at Patrick at the time, and Glen Woods, then Deputy Branch Secretary of the MUA in Sydney about what happened.
Alex Bhathal has lost a close contest to Labor’s Ged Kearney in Batman. The vote holds important lessons for The Greens.
Mag highlights
Zelda D’Aprano—a fighter for women workers and equal pay
Zelda D’Aprano, who died last month at the age of 90, became a symbol of the struggle for Equal Pay in Australia in October 1969 when she chained herself to the doors of the Commonwealth Building in Melbourne.
Right to strike must be at the centre of union campaign
The push for the right to strike to be at the centre of the ACTU’s “Change the Rules” campaign will have to come from rank-and-file union members and union branches.
Fraser wanted to stop the boats
A new book on the origins of Australia’s refugee policies idealises the approach of the Fraser government. But it has plenty of evidence on why it’s no model argues Ian Rintoul
Unions
Right to strike must be at the centre of union campaign
The push for the right to strike to be at the centre of the ACTU’s “Change the Rules” campaign will have to come from rank-and-file union members and union branches.
Refugees
International
Zuma’s fall a sign of ANC’s failure in South Africa
The demise of President Jacob Zuma has exposed has far the ANC government of South Africa has fallen. His mammoth corruption had been public knowledge for years.
Feature articles
In focus
