Labour Struggles

By Ian Jamieson

Two important conferences were held in March for waterside workers in Australia and their comrades internationally. Although the conferences had different priorities, the MUA National Conference in Sydney and a meeting of international wharfie delegates under the auspices of the International Transportworkers Federation held in Aqaba, Jordan, both had an overriding objective:

By Barry Sheppard, in San Francisco

No one predicted the phenomenon that has become known as Occupy Wall Street (OWS), nor could it have been predicted.

A small group of anarchist-minded people in Canada first proposed an attempt to set up an “occupation” near the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. They were inspired by the tents and encampments set up earlier in the year in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and the spread of similar tactics to Spain and other countries.

By Ben Reid

The Qantas lockout of its workers in Australia is not unique. More than 2000 workers were locked out by Philippine Airlines (PALEA) since October 1. The Philippine Airline Employee’s Association has maintained a growing campaign for their re-instatement that is gaining international support.

By Max Lane

The simmering discontent throughout Indonesia regularly overflowed throughout October and November. There were student protests against the Yudhoyono government, attacking corruption, economic injustice and political manipulation of local government, in cities including Jakarta, Jogjakarta, Cirebon, Samarinda (in Borneo), Makassar, Surabaya and Kediri.

By Setyo Budi

(A slightly shorter version of this article has been published in New Matilda.)

It was 10 o’clock in the evening on September 11. Sudiro, the chief negotiator in West Papua’s ongoing Freeport strikes, was sitting alone on the veranda of his house. He had spent all day with Freeport Indonesia management, bargaining for a wage rise for the members of his union – the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI) Freeport division.

By Doug Lorimer

After 11 hours of talks in Brussels throughout the night of October 27, the 17 leaders of the states that share the euro as their currency announced a package of measures they hoped would be regarded by international financial markets as a “comprehensive” solution to the eurozone debt crisis.

By Mehrdad Valipour

More than 6000 workers at the petrochemical complex in Mahshahr City in Khuzestan province struck for 10 days from September 25, demanding an end to individual contracts and abolition of all subcontracts at the complex.

By Ben Reid

In a major attack on workers’ rights, Philippine Airlines moved to retrench and lock out some 2600 workers and members of the Philippine Airline Employees Association (PALEA) between September 26 and October 1. PALEA has responded with a campaign of actions and the establishment of a protest camp at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

By Doug Lorimer

By Barry Sheppard, in San Francisco