AUT: LL: War on the Wharfies 24 Feb update

[Takver <Takver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

24 February - The following summary of news for 23-24 Feb
on the rightwing attack on the Maritime Union of Australia
(New Website: http://mua.tcp.net.au/ )are available with
background info, and links to Australian Media at:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/Takver/soapbox/index.htm

Also don't forget the Solidarity picnic organised
by MUA/Victorian Trades Hall
Sunday, 1 March, 11am to 4pm
Burgoyne Reserve , The Strand
Williamstown
(between Mariner & Stevedore Streets)

News Summary - Tuesday 24 Feb
-------------------------------------------------
*    The Supreme Court handed down an injunction against further
     industrial action by Maritime Union members at Patrick
     Stevedores in Melbourne. The injunction restrains the
     Maritime Union from directing, procuring, persuading,
     advising or authorising its members to take further
     industrial action at Webb or East Swanson Docks.
     (Source: ABC)
     Minister Reith is calling this a victory, but the union
     movement has always known the courts are predominantly
     biased towards the bosses! The Peaceful Assembly at Webb
     Dock continues...

*    Trainees for the non-union company were seen arriving at
     Webb Dock by boat today, and more people are on the site
     than usual. (Source: ABC)

*    The National Farmers Federation on Monday night revealed
     former army personnel involved in the aborted Dubai scheme
     had started work at the rebel P&C Stevedores operation at
     Melbourne's Webb Dock. The federation's industrial director,
     Mr James Ferguson, confirmed that P&C Stevedores had
     employed members of the Dubai operation to work as trainees
     at Webb Dock.(Source: The Age)

     Former army personnel are working as scabs, do we also have
     serving members of the army on Webb Dock? What role has
     Defence Minister MacLachlan played in this conspiracy?

*    Patrick and the MUA will meet in Sydney on Tuesday to
     discuss new enterprise agreements at terminals outside
     Melbourne. If there is no progress, the union could call
     legal strikes from as early as tomorrow for ports other than
     Melbourne. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald)

*    Other industrial news:
     *     The Federal Government is putting more pressure on the
           Senate to pass new industrial relations legislation
           saying the issue could be a trigger for a double
           dissolution election.

           Federal Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith says
           the rules relating to unfair dismissal should be made
           less restrictive. The Senate is to consider the
           legislation next week.(Source: ABC)

     *     In Queensland the Electrical Trades Union says recent
           government staff cuts at power stations is to blame
           for blackouts across the State. Assistant state
           secretary Dick Williams says there has been in excess
           of 20 per cent staff loss in the past 12 months. "The
           union has been predicting some outcome such as this
           for the last 12 months."(Source: ABC)

     *     In New Zealand, most of Auckland has been without
           power since Friday after four major cables failed.
           Public Service Association official in NSW, Mr Steve
           Turner, said the New Zealand and Queensland
           difficulties were results of "putting profits before
           efficient service".

           He alleged that Mercury, Aukland's electricity
           distributor, had ignored warnings five years ago that
           the four cables supplying the CBD needed replacement.
           He blamed the failure on the New Zealand Government's
           push for privatisation, with retrenchment of 50 per
           cent of Mercury's technical staff "and almost all the
           junction fitters who would otherwise have been keeping
           these cables in good order...If you go to
           privatisation, you get these sorts of problems. If
           anyone is still out there thinking privatisation is a
           good idea for NSW, these events should have convinced
           them otherwise." (Source: Sydney Morning Herald)

News Comment - 20 Feb
------------------------------------
REITH - LIAR!!

If there's one Federal Cabinet Minister you can brand a liar, it's
Peter Reith. It looks like the Minister for Industrial Warfare
(Relations) has taken a leaf out of Gobbel's book. "Don't worry
about the truth of a statement, if you repeat it often enough
people will think it's true." You see, our little mate has been
saying to whoever wants to listen that crane drivers on the
country's wharfs make $90,000 for a fourteen hour week - a
blatant lie. He has also stated that the National Farmers
Federation operation on Webb Dock is a bona fide stevedoring
operation, another blatant lie. He knows full well it's just a
training operation.

Houlihan, the man who is running the Webb Dock operation for the
National Farmers Federation has stated it's nothing more than a
training exercise. Patrick's agreement with the National Farmers
Federation prohibits them from handling containers. Peter Reith
has lied about his involvement in this tawdry little affair, he
peddles half truths and lies to push his own personal and
ideological barrows.

DYING WAGE

It's hard to believe how generous Johnny Howard and Peter Reith
are. Take the Living Wage Case before the Industrial Relations
Commission. Johnny Howard and his side kick Peter Reith want low
paid workers to receive a wage increase of eight dollars over the
next two years, that's right eight dollars over two years, the
price of five litres of milk.

In case you break out into mass applause, they have tempered their
generosity by restricting the wage rise to workers who receive
less than $451 dollars per week. I'd like to see Reith and Howard
support their families on $451 dollars per week, I'm sure they
would change their tune in a few hours if they were forced to live
on $451 dollars a week.

Source: Anarchist Media Institute,
( http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3879 ) Melbourne, Australia
Excerpt from Anarchist Age Weekly Review Number 287,
16th - 22nd February, 1998

---------------------------------------
Takver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
War on the Wharfies Homepage:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/Takver/soapbox/index.htm


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