Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 07:17:03 +1000
From: pmargin-AT-xchange.anarki.net (Profit Margin)
Subject: AUT: LL: ART: War on the Wharfies 12 May update


>Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 23:24:50 +1000
>To: leftlink-AT-vicnet.net.au
>From: takver-AT-onaustralia.com.au
>Subject: LL: ART: War on the Wharfies 12 May update
>Sender: owner-leftlink-AT-vicnet.net.au
>Precedence: bulk
>Status:
>
>News Summary - Tuesday 12 May
>War on the Wharfies Homepage:
>http://www.users.bigpond.com/Takver/soapbox/index.htm
>
>CONTENTS
>(12/5/98) Government anti-union campaign continues against wharfies
>
>          -----------------------------------
>News Summary - Tuesday 12 May
>Government anti-union campaign continues against wharfies
>The battle for the waterfront continues. It is far from over with
>a potential to involve the whole Australian union movement in
>support action. The battle has entered a "cold war" period, with
>skirmishes here and there. Patrick workers are only back at work
>as a result of a court interim order, pending the conspiracy case
>in the Federal Court.
>
>Peter Reith maintains his daily campaign of lies and distortions
>and vengeance against the MUA. His leadership aspirations maybe
>in tatters now, but he still holds the reigns of power in his
>ministry. Reith's competitor for the Liberal Party leadership
>stakes, Treasurer Peter Costello, has handed down an election
>budget with few surprises which will please the business community
>and enhance his leadership prospects. Costello may appear a
>moderate, but his background is as a corporate lawyer. His legal
>services were often used by the National Farmers Federation in the
>1980s in union busting actions in Federal and High Court cases.
>He was a joint founder and has actively contributed to conferences
>of the right wing H.R. Nicholls Society. As a sample, read "Legal
>Remedies Against Trade Union Conduct in Australia" (
>http://www.exhibit.com.au/cgi-bin/mfs/03/nichvol1/vol16cha.htm)
>
>"Honest" John Howard, our Prime Minister still backs Patrick to the
>hilt, even though Patrick is alleged to have acted outside the law.
>
>The Maritime Union is desperately fighting against the introduction
>of non-union workers on the wharves. The National Farmers Federation
>gained a toe hold in late January with the sub leasing of Webb Dock
>from Patrick, allowing it to start training scab labour for the
>waterfront. Those workers, although poorly trained, have now had one
>month direct experience as scab labour working ships around Australia.
>
>Peter Reith is attempting to bust the MUA's monopoly by imposing
>outsourcing on the union and the administrator of the Patrick Labour
>companies as a prerequisite for releasing money for redundancies.
>The scab labour from the National Farmers Federation company, PCS
>Stevedoring is waiting in the wings to undercut waterfront conditions
>and salaries - in effect to ensure third world labour conditions on
>the Australian waterfront.
>
>Greg Combet, from the ACTU, dismissed these conditions as further
>evidence of an alleged conspiracy between Patrick, the Government
>and others to break the union. "It is further evidence that the deed
>of company arrangement is intended to be the culmination of the
>unlawful conspiracy against the MUA and its members. The union will
>be pursuing massive damages as a consequence of this conspiracy."
>
>The gaining of public funds is critical to making the companies
>viable, as the corporate restructure undertaken by Chris Corrigan
>last September left them with no funds to pay for retrenchments.
>The administrators must secure a deed of arrangement for ongoing
>trading or wind the companies up by May 25, the statutory deadline.
>
>P&O Ports pressuring Union
>P & O Ports is pressuring the Maritime union and is seeking up to
>450 redundancies from its 1300 unionised workforce on the wharves.
>Mr Richard Hein, the Managing Director of P&O Ports, played down
>earlier reports on redundancies and said "It is our intention to
>negotiate an agreement with the union to achieve fundamental change.
>It's not our intention to do anything other than actively and
>reasonably pursue our discussions with the MUA."
>
>Reports say P&O is seeking: redundancies; outsourcing of some work
>such as cleaning jobs; limit overtime by the introduction of an
>average salary; and change the rosters for crane operators.
>
>The MUA national secretary, Mr John Coombs, said the union was not
>prepared to make any concessions. He said while the company had
>discussed the proposed form of new enterprise agreements with the
>union in general terms, there had been no discussion on redundancies
>or work reforms. He reacted angrily to reports that the company would
>use the full force of the Workplace Relations Act against the MUA if
>it could not achieve its objectives via negotiation. "Dealing with
>one (Chris) Corrigan is enough. I don't intend to embrace any others."
>
>P&O Ports is eager to use the $250 million redundancy fund of the
>Government.
>
>Patrick obstructs in Adelaide, Newcastle & Townsville
>MUA South Australian secretary Rick Newlyn claimed victory at the
>docks this morning after overnight negotiations convinced P&O and
>Sims Metal to hand over the stevedoring work of the Handy Althea
>to major rival Sealand, to end the four day impasse which prevented
>the ship's loading. P&O MUA members had refused to load the ship,
>given that the work was originally contracted to Patrick. Up to 200
>people have been maintaining a picket over the weekend to prevent
>the ship being loaded. Sealand will use Patrick employees for working
>the ship. Sealand's general manager Andy Andrews predicts ongoing
>work for many of the 44 sacked Patrick workers in Adelaide.
>
>Meanwhile, in Newcastle the Maritime Union (MUA) says Patrick
>Stevedores is responsible for the delay in unloading the Bay Bonanza,
>berthed in Newcastle since last Thursday. Patrick has sub-contracted
>P&O Ports to handle the ship, but P&O workers have refused to cross
>the picket line. Patrick employees are prepared to unload the ship.
>
>Patrick has blacklisted three workers in Townsville which has
>resulted in MUA members refusing to unload a ship carrying 500
>cars in Townsville.
>
>Scab loaded ships meet union & community protests
>Several ships have been delayed in New Guinea. The CGM Gauguin has
>been diverted from Bombay. When the Indonesian dockers unloaded the
>scab ship Gaugan (after some protest) they found the containers had
>been badly loaded, unsafe etc.
>
>The Columbus Canada continues at anchor off Long Beach, Los Angeles.
>It attempted to berth on Saturday and was met by a 1500 strong
>community picket. The picket at the Matson terminal in Los Angeles
>continues while the vessel is in the vicinity. Community and union
>activists have also been alerted at other ports on the West Coast
>of the U.S.A., to mobilise community protests if the ship attempts
>to dock and unload. The ship is carrying a large quantity of
>deep-frozen meat, mainly beef, which is being kept refrigerated
>onboard.
>----------------------------
>War on the Wharfies is an independent web page which
>contains:
>* News reports on the Maritime Union of Australia fight against
>  the rightwing attack by the National Farmers Federation,
>  waterfront bosses, and federal and state governments.
>* News on other union actions and progressive campaigns, or the
>  general attack on workers rights or conditions
>
>Takver-AT-onaustralia.com.au
>         War on the Wharfies - essential links
> http://www.users.bigpond.com/Takver/soapbox/index.htm
>             http://www.yll.org.au/mua
> http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb63212
>-------------------------------
>




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