File spoon-archives/aut-op-sy.archive/aut-op-sy_1997/aut-op-sy.9712, message 39


Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 08:53:12 +1100
From: bjlin1-AT-student.monash.edu.au (Bruce Lindsay)
Subject: Re: AUT: Union busting by mercenaries on the Australian Docks


Too wierd maybe, and no doubt the development of global unionism has had
some effect on all of this. But there are many local conditions that are
particularly important in the plan to paramilitarize the docks here.

First, it was also revealed in the last few days that the plan is to
provoke a maritime strike in April and bring in the scabs "behind razor
wire and security guards with dogs" I think was the phrase I saw.

Australian capital has some history (especially remembering its origins as
a military state) in militarizing industries in periods of crisis (eg.
troops sent into the coalmines in 1949 and the airforce used to break the
pilots' strike in the 1980s - both under ALP governmments), which is not
only consistent with the relatively elite and small structure of the
military here but also one pole of capital's traditional heavy reliance on
the state for its development (of course the other pole is big handouts and
a ready supply of cheap labor-power, as in the current expropriation of
land under the native title law and the industrial laws).

The head of the MUA (the waterside union) has flown to London to talk to
the International and get a blockade of the Dubai warves, and possibly of
the docks in Mebourne come April. We will keep you posted on this. (Where I
live in Melbourne actually overlooks the docks, so I'll get a front-row
seat!)

The other things to keep in mind are that the dockworkers remain a crucial
link in the "logistical chain" of production that capital is desparate to
break here, and on the other side that the dockworkers have a lot of
respect in the wider movements and the unions because they are renowned for
their solidarity. In the first instance, Australia still overwhelmingly
depends on exporting raw materials for its trade balance and is very
vulnerable to the global market. There was already one attempt this year to
casualize the docks (in Cairns), but the union won. It remains a thoroughly
unionized industry. Also, I am informed by a friend working in industrial
stuff that the Australian government is actually pushing way ahead of the
stevedoring companies (proabably backed by the mining companies) in trying
to crush the union, and that specific union-busting groups exist within the
Industrial Relations department. The companies will only back it if they
have the strongest possible backup, ie. paramilitarizing the warves. And
they apparently have been taking a lot of cues from the English situation.

In the second instance, I believe their is a de facto deal between some of
the big left-wing unions, including the mineworkers, dockworkers,
transprort workers, manufacturing union, in the event of a big fight. This
has already shown itself a bit in conflict in the coalmining sector.

This fight has really been building up seriously since last year, and it
may represent the real cutting edge of the industrial fight here (may be of
the unions as such). The union logic of course has been to manage the
disintegration of pay and conditions (and their own base) themselves, and
there is no reason to expect this to change. It may even be a bizarre ploy
to, in any case, push the unions into conceding more on the docks and
policing this themselves. I don't know enough about the conditions on the
docks to comment on this. But I feel that this government in particular
does want to smash the union. It is consistent with its logic thus far on
everything else - go to the brink and try to call everyone's bluff. Scary
thing is it has worked so far. 1998 might be a big year here.

Bruce.

ps. in regards to the questions at the end of the A-Infos article, probably
all the answers are yes.


>Folks: When I read the story below, I found it too weird to be true, but
>Steve Wright in Australia says the story broke last week. Perhaps the
>taking of such extreme measures reflects an even deeper crisis than we
>have perceived with respect to the Liverpool dockers and the international
>circulation of their struggles.  As a general rule it is often the case
>that the degree of repression measures the degree of resistance and
>struggle.
>
>Harry
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 05:53:29 -0500 (EST)
>From: Andrew Flood <andy-AT-tao.ca>
>Reply-To: a-infos-d-AT-tao.ca
>To: a-infos-AT-tao.ca
>Subject: (en) Union busting in Australia
>
>
>              A
>             AA
>           AAAA        The A-Infos News Service
>         AA   AA
>       AA       AA
>     INFOSINFOSINFOS   http://www.tao.ca/ainfos/
>   AAAA       AAAA
> AAAAA      AAAAA
>
>Joint Media Release
>ACTU and Maritime Union of Australia
>
>Wednesday 3 December 1997
>--
>Sandline-style mercenaries fly to Dubai for waterfront training
>
>The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Maritime Union of
>Australia (MUA) today said they had received information that a group of
>ex-military personnel was being recruited and trained as mercenaries for
>work on the waterfront. Part of the group is to fly out of Melbourne
>tonight bound for training on the Dubai waterfront.
>
>MUA National Secretary John Coombs and ACTU Assistant Secretary Greg
>Combet said that they had been advised that:
>
>* Two former SAS commandos were responsible for recruiting up to 70
>mercenaries who will travel to Dubai for secret training.
>
>* The secret training will be carried out in Dubai by a mysterious
>Australian company known as International Port Services Training Group Pty
>Ltd.
>
>* The initial force is to leave for Dubai on 3 December from Melbourne at
>8:45 pm, flying with Emirates Air, with additional personnel leaving on
>the
>7th (Melbourne) and 10th December (Perth).
>
>* The mercenaries will return on 28 February next year.
>
>* Visa and passport arrangements are being facilitated by the Government.
>
>* Upon returning to Australia the mercenaries would soon commence work on
>the waterfront, replacing existing Australian workers.
>
>* The shadowy company which will employ the mercenaries, Fynwest Pty Ltd.,
>was offering individual employment contracts (Australian Workplace
>Agreements) under Peter Reith's Workplace Relations Act.
>
>* Some Government members were aware of the secret plan.
>
>
>The sources of the information did not want to be publically identified,
>for fear of their safety. The claims are therefore being treated with
>caution by both the ACTU and MUA. Subsequent investigation has however
>verified the existence of the two companies identified above. A Mr. Mike
>Wells and a Mr. Peter Kilfoyle are directors of both companies. Both are
>believed to have an SAS military background as commandos.
>
>Mr. Wells also placed an advertisement in The Army newspaper on November
>13 (see attached) seeking applicants for 'jobs' in land transport
>activities clearly referable to the waterfront.
>
>The MUA and ACTU have also obtained a copy of an individual employment
>contract which is being offered by Fynwest, which clearly reveals that the
>mercenaries are to work in the stevedoring industry. The information also
>indicates that further training will be undertaken in New South Wales in
>March 1998 in conjunction with a further 120 to 180 'trainees'.
>
>Both the ACTU and MUA expressed shock in response to the information. Mr.
>Coombs said that he hoped initially that the information was wrong, but
>that the union now had enough evidence to demand confirmation or denial of
>the plan from the Government.
>
>"Enough information has been provided to cause the union serious concern,
>especially given the well documented hostility of the Government to the
>MUA. If this is true, and the Government is involved, it would be a
>national scandal because both the ACTU and the MUA have recently met with
>Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith in discussions described by him
>as frank and constructive," said Mr. Cooms. "We approached those
>discussions in good faith, and I hope Mr. Reith did as well."
>
>Mr. Coombs said that he would be calling for calm amongst MUA members, and
>the continuation of work as usual. He also called on the stevedoring
>employers, P&O and Patrick Stevedoring, to publically denounce the secret
>plan.
>
>ACTU Assistant Secretary Greg Combet said that the ACTU was treating the
>claims with caution, but that there was enough evidence to cause
>widespread alarm in the union movement and the Australian community.
>
>"I certainly hope that para-military operations like this would never be
>contemplated in Australia, but the documents and information received to
>date all provide a sufficient basis for us to bring this to the attention
>of the community.
>
>"The secret plan has the potential to cause explosive industrial
>disputation, and only the most reckless and irresponsible people could
>possibly be associated with it. It is categorically un-Australian, and
>will be met with horror," said Mr. Combet.
>
>Mr. Coombs and Mr. Combet said that the ACTU and MUA noted the denial by
>Government members in Question Time today of knowledge of the plan. They
>said however that there should be a full investigation of the issue and
>condemnation by the Government of the possible use of industrial
>mercenaries on the waterfront. They also said that the following questions
>needed to be answered in any investigation of the issue:
>
>* Do any members of the Government have knowledge of or any involvement in
>the secret plan?
>
>* If so, for how long? What is the objective?
>
>* Have any public funds been used to finance the operation?
>
>* Has a senior officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade been
>involved?
>
>* Have any serving members of the armed services been involved?
>
>* Have any of the consultants reports to the Government concerning the
>waterfront, particularly the ACIL Report and the reports associated with
>Dr. Webster (a current consultant to Mr. Reith), canvassed such plans?
>
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>       International Anarchism
>http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/inter.html
>
>        Irish Struggles
>http://flag.blackened.net/revolt
>
>
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