From: wdrb-AT-siva.bris.ac.uk
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 13:55:27 GMT
To: marxism-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
CC: wdrb-AT-siva.bris.ac.uk
Subject: Liverpool intl. dock. conf


Below are two uplifting accounts of the recent Liverpool
international dockworkers conference. Apologies if
these are repeat postings.  Will Brown   Bristol

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International support for Mersey grows

In ports all over the world dockers returning from the historic
international conference have called mass meetings to implement the boycott
of trade with Liverpool. Donations to the strike fund are pouring in.

Recent arrivals have been from Norway (1000 pounds), Denmark (3000 pounds)
Hamburg (2,780 pounds), Greece (2000 pounds), Tenerife (3,100 pounds)
Helsinborg (Sweden) (650 pounds), Genoa (2063 pounds), American Maritime
Officers Union (5000 pounds), Seafarers' Union of North America (5000
pounds), International Longshoremen's Association (5000 pounds),
International Organisation of Masters, Mates and Pilots (Maryland) ($5000).
A further 5000 pounds from the Montreal Dockers' Union is due any day now.

Liverpool lads Kevin Robinson and Terry Southers are heading for Lisbon
where issues Including the dispute have provoked an overtime ban due to
start on 11 March. It is aimed to extend this to other ports such as
Leixoes, and to cover conventional cargo such as Portuguese pine. Kevin and
Terry will also visit Spain. Since the International conference the 5 port
unions in Bilbao have agreed to discuss united action against the "Churruca"
(Andrew Weir line) which has a weekly service to Liverpool.

In Belgium, Kevin Bilsborough and "young Jimmy Davies" will address mass
meetings at the massive Antwerp container terminal. A message from Danish
delegate Ole Moller reports that a delegation is invited to visit Arhus,
where a financial appeal is already circulating, and Copenhagen.

In Montreal, Canada, mass meetings have been organised with a view to
industrial action and in St. John's the union is debating "pressure tactics".

In Australia and New Zealand ABC ships have been impounded for debt, with
the line's financial crisis partly caused by the frequent hold ups of their
Liverpool ships. Terry Ryan reports from New Zealand that the "Cornelius
Verolme" was held up for 3 days in Auckland. The pressure will be maintained
until Liverpool dockers call it off.

The Australian Labour Party's recent loss in national elections led to an
immediate attack on the Maritime Union of Australia and the mineworkers
union, but support for Liverpool continues and actions against ABC will not
relent.

International Longshoremen's Association (US East Coast) President John
Bowers arrives in Liverpool to address a mass meeting of dockers on 13
March. In San Francisco the ILWU (US West Coast) has written to enquire what
action would be appropriate regarding OOCL and Hapag Lloyd.

Bjorn Borg in Stockholm (Sweden) reports that following a National Committee
discussion, Gothenburg dockers are looking at ACL

Colette Mella and Mary Pendleton (Women of the Waterfront) have flown to
Stockholm as guests of the syndicalist union SAC to address meetings of
Swedish women and dockers around International Women's Day, with national
press coverage.

In Greece, following their 24 hour general strike the Plraeus dockers
maintain support for Liverpool, with coverage in their mass circulation
union newspaper.

Irish dockers are seeking to organise an all Ireland conference, with Jimmy
Nolan invited to chair.

Russian dockers have written to pledge solidarity, asking us for
information. They will be Informed of Latvian and Baltic shipping lines.

Finally, from Poland, comes an offer of a free holiday for 100 strikers'
kids and their mums from a firm whose plans to move Into Liverpool Freeport
were cancelled due to the dispute.

LabourNet, UK
c/o chrisbailey-AT-gn.apc.org

Labour movement organisations and publications are welcome to reproduce our
material. All we want is an acknowledgement.

The Mersey dockers' World Wide Web page including the whole of their
newspaper, "Dockers Charter" is on URL:

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On the Waterfront of the World
Report by Greg Dropkin for LabourNet

Driving north along the dock road in brilliant sunshine, the coach passes a
long line of container lorries stalled in front of Seaforth.  Grain storage
terminals and the big blue cranes of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
tower behind the gate where a hundred dockers are waiting.

Twenty minutes ago at North Huskisson dock we looked like a party of
international tourists, clicking cameras. Then someone spotted a car with
James Bradley, the scab whose father began this strike by sacking the 80
"Torside Tigers".  Air hissing out of his tyres, Bradley found himself
blocked in.  Gerry Quigley from Derry told him to "save up and buy yourself
a set of balls" while the Spanish contingent stood in front singing "No, no,
no, nos moveran" (We shall not be moved).

Then we marched on Gladstone dock, where coal imports from the US and
Columbia have helped the Government attack the miners and dust from the
terminal drifts inland over the local community.  Liverpool dockers' faces
lit up at the sight of the international contingent.  Lars, a Swedish
syndicalist, told of collecting for the strike outside the cinema showing
"Land and Freedom".  Liverpool dockers went to fight in Spain during the
Civil War, the favour is being repaid.

And now at Seaforth the dockers are chanting "the workers, united, will
never be defeated" and the Spanish reply "Obreros, unidos, jamas sera
vencidos".  Francisco Mellado vows to chain himself to a ship in Bilbao if
that's what it takes to shut down trade with Liverpool.

Mounted police hem us in as we march behind the Swedish banner along the
Crosby Road.  To our left, the terminals where ACL, CanMar, CAST and the
rest of the container trade is loaded and unloaded by scabs.  To our right,
Daleks on horseback.  We pat the horses and scream at the cops, whistles and
sirens signalling our power.

At the gates to the Freeport, Women of the Waterfront are shouting, "Dockers
In, Scabs Out".  The march halts to form a huge ring, chanting "The Workers
United...".  And the women sing "We've got the whole world, in our
hands...".  Everyone presses forward to the gate.

Ina Heidman from the Maritime Union of Australia is the only woman amongst
the international delegation.  "As you say in Liverpool, absolutely
brilliant.  And I know that you're going to win this victory and when we go
home we're going to make sure that it continues until it is resolved in your
favour.  Thank you, comrades."

"These people don't know what they've started", says her colleague Jim
Donavan.  "Because what they have started, we're going to finish.  The lads
>from Australia will make sure that before the day is over, whether it be
this day, tomorrow, or the next day, is a victory not only for the Liverpool
workers but also all dockers and seafarers the world over."

Jack Heyman from the ILWU in San Francisco has a message for Bernard Cliff.
"For the time being you can load these containers with scabs.  But they're
not going to be unloaded in the other ports around the world.  And only for
the time being because we're going to come back here in bigger and bigger
and bigger numbers until we win this strike."

Michel Murray of the Dockers Union in Montreal sees "in the eyes of the
Liverpool dockers, the young ones and the older ones, in the eyes of their
families, the children, that the victory is gonna be soon."  The megaphone
packs in.  Kevin Robinson explains, "It's a police one, you've got to beat
it up first", and the crowd groans.

Michel carries on, "we already started what we call Operation Liverpool.  We
don't have the right to blockade a ship in our country.  But we do have the
right to fuck it up!!"  We all cheer.

Gerry Quigley of the T&GWU in the Six counties (Northern Ireland) has heard
that "Mr. Cliff wished to address the delegates.  I spoke to my colleagues
>from Derry.  We will meet Mr. Cliff, but I'm afraid he'll have to come into
a square ring, because that's the only thing this company will respond to.
I would like to say to each and every docker, we don't talk about if you win
your strike.  We talk about when you win your strike.  Victory to the
Liverpool dockers.  Victory to the working class."

Ciro Oriljo from the portworkers co-op in Salerno is a cross between
football fan and film star.  Through the interpreter he claims to be "a man
of very few words, which is unusual for an Italian".  Women of the
Waterfront shout back, "all action, eh?"  Ciro carries on "before now it was
maybe only Liverpool football that was known around the world, now it's the
Liverpool dockers that are known around the world".

Terry Ryan tells us the New Zealand waterfront workers have a saying,
"United we Bargain, Divided we Beg.  From what I've seen here you won't be
doing any begging.  It's gonna be a complete victory.  It mightn't be
tomorrow, but it will come because the momentum is gathering all over the
world.  Stick in there and power to your arm."

Nico Georgiou announces to wild applause that "solidarity with the Liverpool
dockers is put into action and tomorrow we close the port of Piraeus.  We
phone all the mass media and it will have a big support from other unions as
well in Greece.  If need be we will spread our support even further.  We
want you to win, and we believe you are going to win.  We are with you."

Winding up the rally, Kevin Robinson declares, "if capitalism and big
business has no boundaries, then trade unionism and struggle and solidarity
world wide can have no boundaries.  United, we will win."
As we drift off, Ciro is telling Women of the Waterfront, "when my brothers
need me here, I'll be here, no problem I'll come".  "Come any time you want,
stay for 10 weeks, 20 weeks, live here."  "I've already got 3 wives at
home."  "And I've got 10 husbands."


LabourNet, UK
c/o chrisbailey-AT-gn.apc.org

Labour movement organisations and publications are welcome to reproduce our
material. All we want is an acknowledgement.

The Mersey dockers' World Wide Web page including the whole of their
newspaper, "Dockers Charter" is on URL:

http://www.gn.apc.org/labournet/docks/



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