[Marxism] WA Maritime workers pledges boycott of Israeli goods

["jammo" <ajamieson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Without getting into "titting and tatting" and starting unnecessary arguments, 
s.artesian asked for information about the attitude and opinion of Australian 
maritime workers towards the unfolding revolutions in Latin America and 
specifics of the Western Australian branch of the Maritime Union of Australia 
when it adopted the resolution Stuart posted.

Can I answer in two parts? As a member of the MUA, I moved the resolution that 
was adopted by the WA MUA branch last Tuesday in front of around 100 seafarers 
and there was only one who voted against (couldn't figure out whether he hated 
'towelheads or jews' more). But the discussion was very healthy, not only for 
the obvious reason of objecting to the horror of Operation Cast Lead, but there 
was a deeper understanding of the role of the Zionist state expressed a number 
of times. I'm sure that a lot of the vote concerned the disproportionality of 
Israel's genocide (3 civilians cf. at least 1,000) but it was heartening to 
know amongst the seafarers there was an appreciation of the politics.

The secretary of the WA MUA, Chris Cain, a former member of the Australian 
Socialist Alliance, also spoke forcefully for the resolutions, alluding to the 
long history of maritime workers in concretely campaigning for independence 
movements in the post colonial era - Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa and East 
Timor.

The resolutions moved were carefully crafted. There is little obvious "open" 
trade between Fremantle and Israel. So the BDS campaign has also to draw in 
other layers, which is why the substantive issues have been referred to a WA 
MUA state conference where hundreds more will be involved, thus becoming more 
authorative in leading to a BDS campaign within the Australian union movement.

Time, unfortunately, didn't permit me to raise the issue at this meeting about 
the role of Chavez and Morales. 

On the issue of the Bolivarian revolution. I was fortunate enough to be elected 
by the WA rank andf file as a delegate to the MUA quadrennial national 
conference in April 2008. I drafted and presented a unanimous resolution to the 
400 delegates present supporting the governments of Venezuela and Cuba on their 
achievements as workers governments. The resolutions are up on the MUA website.

Straight after the national conference, I visited Venezuela as a "brigadista" 
for the May Day celebrations - at the same time the union movement became 
revitalised around the results of the SIDOR battle. 

Returning to Australia, I addressed several hundred MUA members organised 
through the MUA in WA, Victoria and NSW as well as public meentings, where 
there was genuine interest in what the Chavez government. There are many, many 
union activists who at least understand there is an alternative to the humdrum 
of union affairs and politics as we "know them". 

I should add, as an aside, and not for s.artesian's, or Stuart M's battle on 
this site, that I am one of those who were expelled from the DSP, whose crime 
included 'abstaining from the class struggle'. And now a member of the 
Revolutionary Socialist Party - sorry to spoil the party!

To conclude, the DSP had nothing to do with the resolution either in Frematle 
or nationally, but I certainly welcome their union activists to get behind the 
campaign. 
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