The Left in
Melbourne
A directory of socialist, communist, anarchist, union, and campaign organisations active in Naarm/Melbourne and nationally. Biased toward the revolutionary left, but broad enough to be useful. This is not an endorsement of any organisation listed. Do your own research. Talk to people inside and outside each group. Make your own decision.
Trotskyist
Organisations in the broad tradition of Leon Trotsky's Fourth International and its successors. Several distinct tendencies - not all compatible with each other.
Australia's largest far-left organisation. Founded 1995 after a split from the ISO. Self-described "propaganda group." Runs Red Flag, Marxist Left Review, Students for Palestine, Left Action, High School Anticapitalists, and Victorian Socialists. Subject of this website.
Formed in 2008 from the merger of the ISO and other groups after splits from SAlt's tradition. Branches in Melbourne, Sydney and elsewhere. Publishes Solidarity magazine. Active in union and Palestine solidarity work. One of the more credible left critics of SAlt's organising model.
Australian section of the RCI, formerly the International Marxist Tendency (IMT / Alan Woods tradition). Publishes marxist.com. Growing internationally. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally in Naarm.
Australian section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. Publishes the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS). Highly sectarian toward other left tendencies. Active in electoral campaigns.
Marxist-Leninist & Communist
Organisations in the tradition of Lenin and the Third International, including Stalinist, Maoist and anti-revisionist tendencies.
Re-established in 1996 by the Socialist Party of Australia, which traces its lineage to the original CPA (dissolved 1991). Eurocommunist-influenced. Active in the union movement. Publishes Guardian.
A newer Marxist-Leninist party, distinct from the CPA. Active in community and workplace organising. Opposed to parliamentary reformism. Melbourne branch active.
Founded 1964 following the Sino-Soviet split. Anti-revisionist, Maoist-influenced. Uses the "iceberg principle" - most membership is not publicly disclosed. Publishes Vanguard. Active in Melbourne.
A Marxist-Leninist cadre organisation with national presence including Melbourne. Anti-imperialist focus. Working toward a disciplined revolutionary party rooted in internationalism. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally in Naarm. Founded by veterans of the socialist movement including Max Lane.
A communist organisation focused on building a mass Communist Party in Australia. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally in Naarm.
Pre-party formation with the long-term goal of establishing a revolutionary Marxist party. Formed by former RSP members. Anti-imperialist. Publishes analysis and theory. One of the more rigorous left critics of SAlt's approach to Palestine solidarity and social movements.
Broad Left & Democratic Socialist
Organisations that combine socialist politics with broader coalition work, electoral activity, and movement-building.
Founded 2001 as a broad left unity project. Successor to the Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP). Active in union, environmental and Palestine solidarity work. Has one elected councillor in Merri-bek. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally. Was part of Victorian Socialists until 2020, when it withdrew citing SAlt's dominance of the project.
US-founded feminist socialist party with an Australian section. Active in Melbourne. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally. Publishes Freedom Socialist. Trotskyist tradition with a strong feminist and LGBTQ+ organising focus.
The women's and gender liberation arm of the Freedom Socialist Party. Active in Melbourne. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally. Organises around feminist, queer, and working-class issues.
Anarchist & Libertarian Left
Organisations opposed to capitalism and the state from an anarchist or libertarian socialist perspective.
Platformist anarchist communist group based in Melbourne. MACG no longer operates as an independent organisation - it federated with other groups over a year ago to form the Anarchist Communist Federation (ACF), which has branches in Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney and Brisbane. The MACG website is still live but membership is now through ACF. Publishes The Anvil.
Australian section of the International Workers Association (IWA). Focused on workplace organising and direct action unionism in the syndicalist tradition.
Electoral
Parties that contest elections. Note that Victorian Socialists / The Socialists is a SAlt electoral front.
SAlt's electoral vehicle. Launched 2018. Has contested state and federal elections in Victoria. Now expanding nationally as "The Socialists" with branches in multiple states. Authorised from 83 Sydney Rd, Brunswick - same address as SAlt's bookshop and headquarters.
Also listed above under Broad Left. Federally registered, contests elections. One elected councillor in Merri-bek (Sue Bolton).
The Greens are not a socialist party, but contain a socialist caucus. Left Renewal is an eco-socialist faction. Several elected Greens members have explicitly socialist politics. Worth knowing about.
Unions
Major unions active in Melbourne. Not socialist organisations, but the organised working class. If you're employed, join your union. If your workplace isn't unionised, organise one.
Peak body for Australian unions. Not radical but sets national industrial relations direction.
Victoria's peak union body. Organises statewide campaigns, May Day, and cross-union solidarity. Melbourne's actual union infrastructure.
One of Australia's most militant unions historically. Currently under government administration following the 2024 Federal Court intervention - itself a significant attack on union autonomy that most of the left has opposed.
Union for teachers and education support staff. Victorian branch particularly active. SAlt has members in this union.
Union for university staff. Active on Palestine solidarity and casualisation campaigns. SAlt has members in this union.
Independent union covering retail, fast food, and hospitality workers - the industries where conditions are worst and mainstream unions have historically been weakest. One of the genuinely militant newer unions.
Covers road transport, aviation, logistics and warehousing. Active in gig economy and rideshare organising.
One of Victoria's largest and most active unions. Has run major industrial campaigns in recent years.
Solidarity Networks & Campaigns
Campaign groups and solidarity networks active in Melbourne. Not political parties - focused on specific issues or international solidarity.
The Naarm-based anti-imperialist united front that organised the May Day 2026 International Workers' Day Mass Rally. Open coalition. Not a SAlt front.
Union members organising Palestine solidarity within the labour movement. Independent of SAlt. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally.
Solidarity network focused on Latin American struggles. Active in Naarm. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally.
Provides marshalling, safety and movement infrastructure for protests and rallies in Naarm. Endorsed the May Day 2026 mass rally. An important practical resource for the left.
Independent student anti-war group. Not a SAlt front. Led several successful BDS campaigns on campuses in 2025, including Sydney University's cut of ties with Bezalel Academy and UTS's dropping of its Technion partnership.
Left Media & Publications
Independent left publications worth reading. Not all of these are affiliated with specific organisations.
Published by the Solidarity organisation. Strong on union and student politics. One of the more credible left critics of SAlt's organising model.
Theory and analysis from the Red Spark pre-party formation. Strong on anti-imperialism and critique of the Australian left's limitations.
Published by Socialist Alliance. Covers Australian and international left politics, environment, union news. Long-running.
Online journal covering international socialist politics, debate, and theory. Broad left, not tied to one tendency. Has published significant critiques of SAlt's approach to party-building.
Published by the Revolutionary Communist Organisation (RCO). Covers Australian and international communist politics, theory, and strategy.
Published by the CPA(ML). Covers Australian working-class politics from an anti-imperialist, Maoist-influenced perspective.
This directory is maintained by @leavesaltnow. It is not comprehensive and will be updated over time. If an organisation is missing or a detail is wrong, submit a correction. Listing here is not an endorsement of any organisation. Do your own research. Think critically.