A Century of Struggle: Laborism and the Radical alternative

Conference: Our radical past — Lessons for today

A century of struggle: Laborism & the radical alternative

9.30am, Saturday, May 30

AMWU offices, 251 Queensberry St, Carlton

A one-day conference dealing with the long struggle to build a radical alternative to the deadening hand of right-wing laborism. The seminar will look at the experiences of the socialist, syndicalist and communist movements in Australia over the last century. Today we face the twin crises of global economic meltdown and planetary warming with right-wing ALP governments in power in Canberra and most states. What lessons can we draw from the past for today's struggle? What is the way forward to build the movement for radical social change?

Speakers: Jamie Doughney (VUT researcher, NTEU Vic. president), Jeremy Smith (president, Ballarat University NTEU), Verity Burgmann (historian, author of Revolutionary Industrial Unionism: The Industrial Workers of the World in Australia), Margarita Windisch (national co-convenor of Socialist Alliance), Dave Holmes (manager of socialist publishing house Resistance Books), Sue Bull (teacher, socialist activist), Dave Kerin (CFMEU organiser, former coordinator of Union Solidarity), Chris Spindler (AMWU Metals organiser).

Full agenda: Visit Radical history conference. Registration $15/$5. From 9.30am. Organised by Socialist Alliance. Sponsored by Green Left Weekly. For more info ph 9639 8622.