Members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) went on strike last week in Newcastle over a dispute regarding low pay for bus drivers in the region. Workers at the privatised operator Keolis Downer initiated the 24-hour action to push management to accept the demands of workers as wages decline in the face of runaway inflation. 

As another week passes, another revelation highlights the double standards of politicians and law enforcement in Australia. Talks between the Community Union Defence League, city council and police led nowhere as the state maintains its effort to financially punish volunteers for the crime of providing books, food and clothing to homeless people in Sydney.

An Australian Labor Party government led by Anthony Albanese has come in to power, ending more than a decade of Liberal-Nationals rule. In brief, despite some cause for celebration, we must recognise the truth that this is not as big a victory as it may seem.

Teachers from the Independent Education Union walked off the job for 24 hours last Friday for their first strike in 18 years. They took action to join their public sector colleagues in the New South Wales Teachers’ Federation, who have also been striking to demand better pay and working conditions as the education crisis deepens.