File spoon-archives/marxism-news.archive/marxism-news_1997/marxism-news.9708, message 42


From: "Vikki John" <VIKKI-AT-lexsun.law.uts.edu.au>
Date:          Wed, 20 Aug 1997 17:05:58 GMT-1000
Subject: M-NEWS: (Fwd) RIO TINTO 'S DICTATOR MATES




WHY RIO TINTO CAN'T BUY HUNTER VALLEY MINERS

It is no coincident that the onslaught on Australian coal mineworkers rights and
conditions is being led by one of the world's most ruthless foreign multinationals 
- the British-based Rio Tinto - at its Hunter Valley No.1 mine and 
coal reparation plant in NSW.

Rio Tinto is demanding that its unionised workforce surrender 
security of employment and anti-victimisation provisions fought for by 
generations of coal mine workers before us.  Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver 
for betraying Jesus - Rio Tinto puts the modern price for treachery at $170 a 
week at Hunter Valley.

But the Hunter Valley mineworkers can't be bought - they won't sell their souls. 
Out of a production and engineering workforce of 420, only 7 sold out to 
Rio Tinto - 98% have stuck with their principles and the Union.

Historically, Rio Tinto is not used to well organised and determined workers, like 
those at Hunter Valley No.1, Vickery and Weipa, standing in their way.  They
don't like it.  It's a blemish on their brutal pedigree.

RIO TINTO'S DICTATOR MATES

Rio Tinto has dealt with some of the most vicious dictatorships in history.  
In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War when the fascist dictators Hitler and 
Mussolini were in an alliance with General Franco to overthrow the 
democratically elected government, Rio Tinto had mining interests in Spain.  
Guess which side Rio Tinto was on?

This is what Rio Tinto chief Sir Auckland Geddes told the company's 
shareholders at its 1937 annual general meeting in London: 
"Since the mining region was occupied by General Franco's forces, there have 
been no further labour problems ... Miners found guilty of troublemaking are 
court-martialled and shot".

Rio Tinto went on to prosper from the misery of apartheid in South Africa and 
moved into Chile in the 1980s after the brutal military dictator General Pinochet 
had overthrown the democratically elected Allende Government.

In more recent times, Rio Tinto's involvement in Bougainville has cast a darker 
shadow over the company.  After the Sandline mercenary affair broke earlier this 
year, when Papua New Guinea government leaders tried to bring in armed 
foreign mercenaries to retake Rio Tinto's mine from Bougainville separatists, 
former Australian Financial Review editor-in-chief Peter Robinson was moved 
to write in his Sun-Herald column (6 April '97) - "And where does CRA-RTZ 
(now Rio Tinto) - still the owner of the Bougainville mine and itself a  massive 
operator in international intelligence - stand on the whole affair?  This is emerging 
as a deep multinational imbroglio of plot, counterplot and doublecross.  
Australia's role needs to be thoroughly exposed to public view".

Today in Australia, Rio Tinto is obsessed with breaking the trade union 
movement.  And while it has the support of the Howard Government in this, 
the company will find Australian unionists a harder nut to crack than many of its 
other unfortunate employees that have been brutally subdued by a shameful 
assortment of dictators.

Authorised by Mick Watson, Northern District President of the 
United Mineworkers Federation (CFMEU Mining and Energy Division) 
67A Aberdare Rd, Aberdare, NSW, Australia.
===========For futher information, please contact:
Bougainville Freedom Movement
PO Box 134,
Erskineville NSW.  2043  Australia
Tel: (+61-2) 9558.2730



   

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