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APEC RECIPE FOR REVOLUTION?
Irrespective of how the failed economic
commentators and media gurus guild the
APEC lily the 18 nations leaders Summit
of the Asian-Pacific Economic Co-
operation Forum is not a recipe for free
trade. Free trade can only occur in a
world where economic policies are based
on need not profit. The free trade that
APEC is talking about may add 40 billion
dollars to the Australian economy, but
this extra 40 billion dollars will be bought
at a particularly high price.
The Australian economy will revert to a
traditional farming role, today farming
only employs about 4 per cent of the
Australian population and most farms are
owned by transnational and national
corporations. The extra few dollars that
this so called free trade agreement will
bring to Australia will be offset by
manufacturing losses. The rise in farming
sector income will be matched if not
surpassed by the losses that will be
created with the shut down of the
manufacturing sector in Australia.
Unemployment queues will lengthen and
more and more Australians will become
marginalised.
As Australias manufacturing sector finds
that it cannot compete with the cheap
labour in other parts of APEC, Taiwan,
China and Koreas farmers will be
displaced from their traditional lands.
The social upheaval that could follow
APEC'S free trade agreement could be a
precursor to radical social change in this
region. The Zapatista revolt in Southern
Mexico is a direct result of the free trade
agreement (NAFTA) between North and
South America. Free trade cannot exist
between societies that are based on
capitalist economic principles. Al?EC is a
grouping of Nation States that wants to
encourage and promote capitalist methods
of production. The chances that the
participating APEC Nation States will be
able to trade freely under a capitalist
system is a laughable proposition.
Profit not human ne@ is the sole driving
force in any capitalist economy. As more
individuals, groups and organisations see
the limitations of representative
democracy, there's a possibility they may
turn to other forms of social organisation.
Although revolutionary change seems a
long way off, the APEC induced reality
that Australians may face in the next few
decades leaves them little choice but to
embrace revolt if they are to survive in
APECS brave new world.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
COMMISSION SAVES WORKERS
BACON?
There are fewer pathetic sights in life than
seeing the Silver bodgey argue for
worker@ rights to collecti@ely bargain and
receive equal pay for equal work. As the
I.R.C. handed down its decision that
collective bargaining and equal pay for
equal work are central elements of the
nations industrial relations laws, the
ACTU leadership broke out the
champagne. In a tactical move CRA
accepted the commissions decision to
begin negotiations with the A.C.T.U. so
they could live to fight another day.
Irrespective of what the I.R.C. has said,
the principles of collective bargaining and
equal pay for equal work have not been
accepted by CRA. As it begins the
negotiations to cross the t's and dot the i's
on its new collective bargaining
agreement with the A.C.T.U. it aims to
use the loop hole of equal pay for work of
equal value to not fulfil its end of the
bargain. If I was a Weipa award worker
or any other Com@lco or CRA worker I
wouldn't be breaking open the champagne
just now.
CRA, Comalco understands only one
language direct action. They were forced
to come to the negotiation table through
direct action and they will only honour
the I.R.C. agreement if workers continue
to use direct action. They will use any
advantage to break workers attempts to
collectively bargain in any of their
worksites as they understand that the way
to control labour is to issue workers with
individual contracts. Their policies are
synonymous with the worst excesses of
company town production. Once they
have bought your body and mind they
won't be satisfied until they control your
soul.
The main lessons that can be drawn from
the CRA dispute is that strength lies in
unity and the only way to break down an
employers resolve (especially a publicly
listed company) is through actions that
strike at the very heart of the company -
its long term profits.
NIGERIA - AUSTRALIAN
GREENPEACE WIMPS OUT!!
Well it's official the Shell corporation has
endorsed the Nigerian regimes execution
of dissidents who are concerned about its
devastation of the Nigerian landscape. In
an extraordinarily insensitive display the
Nigerian military dictatorship has decided
to go ahead with a five billion dollar
expansion of its operations in the Ogoni
region of Nigeria. Just 7 days after the
execution of these dissidents, Shell has
decided that it will reward the military
butchers in Nigeria by expanding its
operations.
In a remarkably inept display Australian
Greenpeace has asked Shell Australia to
place petitions in its service stations so
that its customers can sign a petition to
show their displeasure with the military
authorities. Look, you and I know that
Shell is a transnational corporation, it
understands only one thing - profit.
Signing a petition will not affect its
bottom line. If we are serious about
stopping what's happening in Nigeria the
oil and gas cash flow that feeds both Shell
and its friends in the military dictatorship
needs to be cut. The way to cut their cash
pipeline is by not buying their products,
letting them know you're not buying their
products and telling everybody you know
why you refuse to deal with them.
ANARCHIST PROMINENT IN
KORYDALIOS JAIL OCCUPATION
A revolt at the top security Athens prison
Korydalios is a direct consequence of
overcrowding, medieval living
conditions, rudimentary medical
treatment for prisoners especially
prisoners suffering from tuberculosis,
hepatitis and aids. Although drug
addiction is a major problem among
prisoners the prison lacks a methadone
program. Over 1500 prisoners are
crowded into a prison originally built for
400. Prisoners are unofficially
encouraged to take up drug use as the
prison ministry has found that the only
way to control the situation is to support
and aid drug trafficking within the prison
complex.
The revolt began on Wednesday when
prisoners seized six guards as hostages
and took control of the prison complex.
Over the past decade a number of Greek
anarchist have been sentenced to long
prison sentences. Some have been
imprisoned at Korydalios. They have
been prominent in the occupation and
have been appointed by fellow prisoners
to negotiate with the justice ministry.
George Babalofas a Greek anarchist in
Korydalios prison was heard on Greek
television saying (talking by walkie
taL@ie) "We have no intention of causing
any harm to anyone in the facility". True
to their word the prisoners released the
six hostages on Friday.
The current revolt at Korydalio's prison
highlights the stupidity of a system of
punishment that herds peopie together
and throws away the key. The conditions
that these prisoners are forced to endure
will ensure that trouble will continue to
erupt in all Greek prisons. As the Greek
government pursues its policy of jailing
anarchists (some for minor offences) it
has unleashed a Trojan horse in its prison
system. Greek prisoners demand to be
treated as human beings, they demand
minimal accommodation standards, they
demand access to adequate medical care
and they demand that their demands be
met now.
The prison revolt continues although riot
police have fired tear gas and have
stormed the jail. It will be interesting to
see if the prison authorities keep their end
of the bargain. The prisoners released the
six hostages in good faith after 3 hours of
negotiations with the Greek Justice
Minister Michalis Pavieas. For their
efforts a number of prisoners have been
injured by riot police who have attempted
to quell the riot by storming the prison.
What will happen at Korydalios is
anyone's guess. How prisoners will be
treated in the future is a different matter.
Their occupation of Korydalios prison has
rammed home the point that Greek
prisoners will no longer tolerate the
treatment they have been subjected to.
FREEDOM PRESS
http://www.lglobal.com/TAO/Freedom