Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 07:23:10 +1000
From: pmargin-AT-xchange.anarki.net (Profit Margin)
Subject: AUT: LL:ART:MUA:War on the Wharfies 13 May update


>Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 23:13:02 +1000
>To: leftlink-AT-vicnet.net.au
>From: takver-AT-onaustralia.com.au
>Subject: LL:ART:MUA:War on the Wharfies 13 May update
>Sender: owner-leftlink-AT-vicnet.net.au
>Precedence: bulk
>Status:
>
>News Summary - Wednesday 13 May
>War on the Wharfies Homepage:
>http://www.users.bigpond.com/Takver/soapbox/index.htm
>
>CONTENTS (13/5/98)
>Los Angeles stops Scab ship unloading
>Four More Scab loaded ships due to arrive at American ports
>P&O Ports seeks 'anti-strike' order
>Corrigan admits on tape dismissal was 'partly illegal'
>
>          -----------------------------------
>News Summary - Wednesday 13 May
>Los Angeles stops Scab ship unloading
>
>Report from:
>http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/7392/index.html
>MAY 11: COLUMBUS CANADA CHASED TO SEA ONCE AGAIN
>Los Angeles and Long Beach area activists have succesfully prevented the
>Columbus Canada, which is loaded with scab cargo, from unloading in LA
>once again. Local activists mobilized between 200 and 300 community
>protesters on Monday afternoon May 11 on 2 hours notice.
>The mobilization caused management to leave the ship anchored off the
>coast of San Pedro. The ship has been anchored offshore since 6 AM
>Saturday when community activists mobilized 1500 protestors to close the
>LA docks.
>
>MAY 10: COLUMBUS CANADA WILL ATTEMPT ANOTHER DOCKING IN LA
>After being repelled by a demonstration of 1500 strong Saturday, the
>scab-loaded Columbus Canada retreated to the Long Beach harbor. Word has
>just arrived that the shipping company will attempt again to bring the
>ship into the Port of Los Angeles Matson Company terminal for unloading
>tonight.
>An emergency alert has been sounded and people are being mobilized to
>confront the company at the shift change. Under the ILWU contract, dock
>workers do not have to cross a picketline if they believe that there is
>a threat to their health and safety. The contract allows the employer to
>seek "instant" arbitration (within a couple of hours). Yesterday, the
>arbitrator ruled that there was no health or safety risk. ILWU members,
>however, did not enter the terminal. Matson, in fact, in the face of the
>mass demonstration, locked its gates.
>
>Four More Scab loaded ships due to arrive at American ports
>
>12 May 1998. The London-based International Transport Workers Federation
>last night warned that another four container ships en route from
>Australia to the US could face bans by American waterfront unions by the
>end of this week.
>
>ITF spokesman David Cockroft said the four ships, all loaded by
>Patrick's non-union workforce in Australia, were expected to reach US
>west coast destinations in the next few days.
>
>Mr Cockroft said it was likely the union action against the Columbus
>Canada would continue. "I imagine the bans on the Columbus Canada won't
>end at Longbeach," Mr Cockroft said. "The ship is likely to get a
>similar reception when it goes to San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver."
>
>It is thought there are 23 ships which were loaded by non-union workers
>employed by Patrick between April 7 and May 4 this year. The shipping
>companies involved include Columbus, Mediterranean Shipping, the CGM
>Group, ANL and Coral Sea Shipping.
>
>Mr Cockroft made it plain that caution was needed because of threatened
>legal action by Australia's competition watchdog Allan Fels. "The legal
>situation in Australia at the moment means we don't have a definitive
>list," Mr Cockroft said. "What we do know is that four ships which we
>believe are part of the (non-union) operation are likely to arrive soon
>on the US west coast. But what happens when they arrive we don't know."
>
>P&O Ports seeks 'anti-strike' order
>
>P&O Ports is applying more pressure on the Maritime Union. On Tuesday 12
>May, P&O Ports sought an order against future stoppages and bans by the
>Maritime Union at all its terminals. The six-month order is sought under
>section 127 of the Workplace Relations Act and would prohibit the MUA
>and members employed by P&O or subsidiaries from engaging in any
>industrial action or any "strike ban or limitation on the performance of
>normal work".
>
>At least 24 MUA officials would be barred from "aiding, abetting,
>counselling, procuring or inducing members of the MUA" employed at the
>P&O ports to take industrial action under the order sought from the
>Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
>
>The application is similar to a claim by Rio Tinto's subsidiary Coal &
>Allied last year at its Hunter Valley No 1 mine. Coal & Allied's claim
>was granted by an AIRC full bench, but limited to wildcat stoppages,
>excluding national and district strikes by the coal-mining union and
>safety-related industrial action.
>
>P&O Ports have hired staff from Rio Tinto. Mr Ben Wicks, a P&O
>industrial officer was formerly employee relations manager at the Hunter
>Valley No 1 mine. Mr Grant Gilfillen, general manager of CTAL's Port
>Botany container terminal, is also from Rio Tinto's Hunter Valley No 1
>mine.
>(Source: Financial Review 13/5/98)
>
>Corrigan admits on tape dismissal was 'partly illegal'
>
>In Federal Parliament the Government came under concerted attack by
>members of the Labor Party opposition. Mr Lindsay Tanner, opposition
>spokesperson on transport, quoted the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, who
>said the Government would support Corrigan and Patrick "to the hilt,
>provided they act within the law".
>Mr Tanner then asked Mr Howard: "Are you aware of a meeting on 31
>January 1998 between Corrigan, Wells and Kilfoyle, where the transcript
>shows that Kilfoyle asked whether the action being planned was illegal?
>Corrigan replied, "No, no. Well, partly illegal'.
>
>"Will you continue to back to the hilt an operation which, according to
>Corrigan himself, is partly illegal?"
>
>Typically sidestepping the question Mr Howard did not answer the
>allegation directly, saying that he was not interested in Opposition
>legal opinions, and remained committed to waterfront reform.
>
>In the senate, Senator John Faulkner accused Mr Corrigan of having lied
>to the public, the media and the Government, and perjured himself before
>the Industrial Relations Commission, about his involvement in the Dubai
>venture. Further, that Mr Corrigan had lied in an interview on the ABC's
>AM program on December 4 last year when he denied any knowledge of the
>Dubai training scheme, and also lied in interviews with the Sydney
>Morning Herald the same day when he said he had provided no money for
>Dubai, and lied again, under oath, to the Industrial Relations
>Commission.
>
>Senator Faulkner said that the Minister for Workplace Relations, Mr
>Reith, was either a "lying, conniving co-conspirator with corporate
>cowboys" Mr Corrigan and the chairman of Patricks's parent company, Lang
>Corp, Mr Peter Scanlon, "or a dupe".
>(Source: Sydney Morning Herald 13/5/98)
>
>Quote of the week
>'I defy anybody to go and get passports for 76 current and ex-serving
>soldiers to go to Dubai next week and not have Foreign Affairs and ASIO
>all over them.'
>Andrew Harris, quoted in SMH, 9 May 1998
>http://www.smh.com.au/daily/content/980509/pageone/pageone5.html
>----------------------------
>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
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>-------------------------------
>




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