War on Wharfies News to 30 March 98

War on the Wharfies News Summary
March 98

Contents

Breaking News - Tuesday 31 March

Non-union wharf trainee blows the whistle - mass sackings imminent
Mr Jamie Meek, a young trainee at Webb Dock for the last 8 days, told Channel 7 that trainees were informed that Patrick's planned to sack its Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle workers. The MUA's national organiser, Mr Michael O'Leary, said Mr Meek had been told he and other recruits were being trained to work for Patrick "after Easter".

Mr Meek said that when he tried to leave the NFF operation to go to the union, he was taken to a hotel and threatened, and threats were made against his family.

Mr Jamie Meek also claims the Federal Government was to fund termination payouts to Patrick's sacked workers.

The response to this act of whistleblowing was:

A Patrick spokesman said "We don't dignify the comments of a rumour monger by making any comment at all."
An NFF spokeswoman said "It's nonsense. He was engaging in unacceptable behaviour."
A spokeperson for Minister for Industrial Warfare, Peter Reith, denied reports the federal government has agreed to pay millions of dollars in redundancy payments to waterfront workers.

In further developments the Queensland Government has issued a formal invitation to the NFF to establish a rival stevedoring operation in Brisbane. The Premier, Mr Borbidge, said his State "deserves a waterfront that works" and that Queenslanders were tired of "union thuggery". A four-day strike from Friday morning in Brisbane was notified yesterday, which is protected industrial action over a new enterprise agreement.
(Source: Channel 7 - 30 March, ABC News & Sydney Morning Herald - 31 March)

Jamie Meek is a pretty brave person. Whistle blowing is never an easy thing to do, and its even harder under threats of violence to yourself and your family. This is an act of intimidation which highlights the ruthlessness of the NFF and Patricks. Noticably lacking is a condemnation of this intimidation by Peter Reith, the NFF, Patrick management & P&C Stevedores management. Premier Borbidge would do well to distance himself from this sort of non-union thuggery which he so eagerly wants to invite to Queensland. Will the Democrats and Professor Fels (Chairman of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) champion Jamie Meek's right to go to the union?
(Takver March 31)

News Summary - Monday 30 March

Brisbane waterfront targeted next for non-union operation!.
In mid March the Maritime Union foreshadowed that the National Farmers Federation non-union Stevedoring Operation would set up next in Brisbane. The Queensland Operations Manager of Chubb Security, John Blanchfield, was in Melbourne at Webb Dock in mid-March. It appears now that staff for Brisbane are presently being trained at Webb Dock in Melbourne.
The Queensland Opposition claims the State Government is encouraging the National Farmers Federation (NFF) to start a non-union waterfront operation in Brisbane. Labor Opposition Leader, Peter Beattie, said that Patricks and P&C Stevedores are collaborating to set up a further non-union operation. "Why would Patricks last Monday and Monday night be secretly interviewing 60 young Queenslanders, giving them mechanical aptitude tests, saying that they will be on stand-by with as little as 24 hours notice to take up work?...I mean this whole dispute, I see no reason why it should be moved to Queensland."
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) is expected to meet Queensland National Party Premier Rob Borbidge this week to discuss setting up a non-union waterfront operation in Brisbane. Mr Borbidge has welcomed the non-unionised stevedoring operation.
(ABC - March 30)
Brisbane Maritime Union deputy secretary, Col Davies, says there is no spare wharf space in Brisbane, and staff numbers could not meet the demand for a new set up. "If the Port Authority lease a berth we will do the same as they did in Melbourne.... We will isolate that berth and see where we go from there. We've got some very good authority that they're employing people, teaching them to drive a crane and then after four days he becomes the trainer. Now that's absolutely ludicrous if that is indeed true."
"The NFF have been talking this up for quite some time. When it materialises, well we'll take the appropriate action or whatever may be deemed necessary then. It's well documented our stand on the issue, and it's well documented the International Transport Federation and other affiliates' throughout the world stand on it. This is merely, as I said, a union-busting exercise."
(ABC - March 30)
Queensland Cattlemen's Union back non-union waterfront operation.
The Catlemen's Union says it will support any attempts to establish a non-union stevedoring operation in Brisbane. Union Delegates have endorsed P & C Stevedores plans for a new Brisbane container handling terminal.
Cattlemen's Union President Keith Adams supported the National Farmers Federation Union Busting Operation. "Nothing changed at our convention on the weekend that we wouldn't support them, in fact quite the contrary. There was a call for renewed support for those initiatives."
(ABC - March 30)
International Transport Workers Federation buys ship to campaign against "Death Ships"
The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), which has for fifty years challenged the lies and hypocrisy that underpin the Flag of Convenience (FOC) system in shipping, is itself becomes a ship owner.
In a unique move to boost its 50 year old campaign against the registry of ships under FOC's, the ITF has purchased the 12,778 GT general cargo tween-decker LADY REBECCA.
The Lady Rebecca will be upgraded and converted to house an exhibition marking 50 years of ITF campaigning against FOCs. Later this year she will begin a world-wide tour of major ports, raising awareness of the work of the ITF to defend the interests of seafarers many of whom suffer from appallingly low standards for wages, safety, and living and working conditions onboard FOCs. The exhibition will focus on the FOC system as the prime example of the globlaisation of labour, and and include elements on human and trade union rights. It will also raise the profile of the shipping industry and the need for a solution to its continued decline.
Said David Cockroft, General Secretary of the ITF "Globalisation's not a new thing. The ITF has been bargaining minimum wages and conditions on a global basis for fifty years now. That's a unique achievement. For the ITF and its affiliated unions worldwide, the birthday of the campaign signals a new phase of determined campaigning against FOCs and a redoubling of pressure on the shipping industry to tackle the problem of the flag of convenience system.
The London-based ITF, whose members represents over 600,000 seafarers, is a Federation of over 500 transport trade unions worldwide.
For further information please see http://www.itf.org.uk/press/ship2639.html

Other news:

Asian crisis hits Mining Companies - workers suffer.
The Queensland coal miners' union says BHP's announcement that it has introduced voluntary redundancies at two Queensland mines, proves the effects of the Asian economic crisis have not been fully realised.
CFMEU President Andrew Vickers says coal miners should be aware that it is not going to be an easy time. "Of particular concern is that it may very well be just the first of a long range or a large number of redundancies throughout the industry in Queensland. The reason that BHP has advised us of the redundancies is that the fall in coal prices means that it simply can't make money on some of the coal that it was selling. So it's withdrawn from those markets and indeed it's lost contracts."

(Source: ABC March 28)
National Australia Bank Report advocates massive staff cuts
The National Australia Bank (NAB) has released a report recommending the shedding of 5,000 jobs worldwide. Union joint assistant secretary Barry Hirt says the implications would be devastating if the recommendation were adopted.
(Source: ABC March 27)
Hotel employees retain penalty rates
Hotel employers in four states have lost their bid to cut penalty rates on Sundays and public holidays. The Industrial Relations Commission has dismissed the Australian Hotels Association's case, saying it failed to provide enough evidence. The Hospitality Union says the decision, which affects employees in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania, snubs the Federal Government's workplace laws.
(Source: ABC March 27)
Aboriginal-run employment agencies miss out in privatisation
Federal Shadow Minister for Employment and Training Martin Ferguson says the Federal Government's new job search arrangements for remote areas are a backward step for Aboriginal people. Mr Ferguson has made the claim on a visit to central Australia, where two Aboriginal-run employment agencies have missed out on new Federal Government contracts. Mr Ferguson says the Tangentyere and Tanami Case Management groups had helped Aboriginal people get real jobs and training in mining and other ventures. He says in the past Aboriginal involvement in many mines was limited to menial tasks, such as collecting the garbage. He says the Federal Government's apparent preference for urban-based agencies with little experience of Aboriginal culture and needs, has turned the clock back.
(Source: ABC March 27)
Telstra workers attacked by Minister and Telstra for telling the truth on service levels
The Queensland branch of the communications union is distributing 100,000 postcards to its technicians to pass on to any Telstra customers who complain about service delays. The cards, which object to any further sale and highlight a decline in rural services, are addressed to Telstra boss Frank Blount and federal politicians.
Communications Minister, Richard Alston, and Telstra management have attacked the union saying the claims are misleading and defamatory, and the union could face legal action. The Government is worried because many Australians, particularly those living in country and regional areas, are against the further sale of Telstra.
Alston said "They're not about quality of service they're not about ensuring that Australians have better phone service - they're about blaming the company, blaming everyone else and mounting a scare campaign."
The reality is that Alston and his cronies like millionaire Senator Parer in the Liberal Party are only interested in greedily feathering their own interests and the interests of their friends. The vast majority of Australians are not going to buy shares in Telstra, not when 30% of all Australians live in or bordering on poverty.
Workers in Telstra understand why quality of service, especially for country folk, has declined. There has been constant cost cutting and redundancies over the last couple of years. The result - more pressure on the existing staff, and loss of service quality.
Telstra's Industrial Relations is headed by Ian Cartwright, head huntered from the anti-union mining company Conzinc Riotinto Australia (CRA), and described as one of "Reith's Rambos" by the Australian Financial Review. Confrontation, individual contracts, and union busting are on the agenda in Telstra. The current enterprise agreement has been stalled by management for the last eight months, despite record 3 billion dollar profits and landmark productivity gains by staff.
Queensland Union secretary Ian Mclean says the campaign highlights service problems caused by the first Telstra sale. "We started this before the announcement to float the other two-thirds. Floating the other two-thirds will just aggravate the situation because again, Telstra management will have their eye on the share market and not on the service to customers."
If Telstra is fully privatised, rural and regional customers will become second rate customers, despite any legislative guarantees. Also, Telstra's commitment to supporting a private Telecommunications manufacturing industry may very well become history, thus causing loss of local manufacturing jobs and greater import of technology which will impact on the trade deficit.
(Source: ABC March 27, Takver March 30)

News Summary - Saturday 28 March

Are wharfies about to be swindled out of millions?.
The Financial Review reported that in a series of transactions last year -- around the time when Patrick's chairman, Chris Corrigan, was negotiating with backers of the Dubai stevedoring training venture -- a total of $68.1m was shifted upstream to companies in the group not employing wharfies.
Documents lodged with the Australian Securities Commission show that the three companies in the group which employ dock workers carried out a series of share buybacks in September.
John Coombs, the national secretary of the MUA, said "Given this company's approach to industrial relations, its involvement in Dubai and its statement that the company would be worth more without its current workers, I really have serious concerns. I suspect it's going to make it more difficult for us, if they liquidate the companies or close them down, to ensure we get the accrued entitlements for our members. Those entitlements would run into millions."
A spokesman for Patrick said last year's internal restructuring had "absolutely nothing to do with the current industrial strategies. Associated with the reorganisation last year, there were a number of transactions, all undertaken at fair market value, which made the new corporate structure appropriately capitalised."
(Australian Financial Review March 27)
Is Patrick Going Under?
On Wednesday, The chairman of Patrick, Mr Chris Corrigan, warned the stevedoring company was close to collapse because of continued strike action by the Maritime Union of Australia. Mr Corrigan said industrial action by the union, which on Wednesday started a seven-day strike at the company's Port Botany operation in Sydney, would cost Patrick at least $4 million this year. Asked how close Patrick was to collapse, Mr Corrigan said: "Quite close, quite close."
Shares in Lang Corporation, the parent company of Patrick, fell sharply by 10%, until trading was suspended by the Australian Stock Exchange. The Maritime Union allege that Mr Corrigan's comments were part of a strategy to replace the company's unionised workforce. Mr Coombs denied the union wanted to bankrupt Patrick. "Of course, it's not what we want, but it seems it's just part of his strategy... Corrigan's strategy was to get his company in a position where he could sell it, minus the workforce, and it would treble the value of the company. We still believe he is going to sack the workforce."
(The Age, Australian Financial Review March 27)
When is an old agreement not the Status Quo? When the law changes!
On Wednesday, to generate bad publicity for the MUA, Corrigan signed an old enterprise agreement. Mr Chris Corrigan said that the company would honour last year's enterprise agreement, which would maintain the status quo on the wharf.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) refused to sign, saying the move on the opening day of the Port Botany seven day strike was a stunt. Mr John Coombs, for the MUA, said the agreement was no longer relevant because the stevedoring award was being stripped back. The union stood to lose existing conditions covering penalty and overtime rates, annual and long service leave. "It is a stunt and offers us absolutely nothing. The agreement concluded last year was to be run in conjunction with the existing award. But now they're trying to strip us of that award, so it is no longer relevant."
Shortly after 10.30am on Wednesday, more than 200 workers assembled outside the main gates of the Port Botany Container Depot and listened as Mr Coombs said it was imperative the wharfies kept a 24-hour vigil. "I believe they will run workers through this gate to try and establish a non-union workforce while we're on protected action."
Mr Corrigan ruled out bringing in replacement labour, saying he understood it would be illegal, and denied that the company was training alternative labour at a site in western Sydney. Patrick wanted to stay in business "with the existing workforce" and its first priority was to negotiate with the MUA.
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald March 26)
Australian Peak Shippers' Association President attacked
Like in a shark feeding frenzy, Mr Beaufort came under heavy attack for his recommendation to members to avoid using companies (such as Patricks) which are heavily involved in prolonged industrial disputes, and that Patrick, because of its poor relationship with the MUA, should quit the stevedoring industry.
The Minister for Industrial Warfare, Mr Reith, Mr Corrigan of Patrick, and the Australian Chamber of Shipping rounded on the Australian Peak Shippers' Association (APSA) after it suggested its members use Patrick's stevedoring rival, P&0 Ports, during the strike. Mr Reith said Mr Beaufort's comments were damaging for waterfront reform. The Australian Chamber of Shipping said Mr Beaufort's comments were "industrially inept".
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald March 26)
A new waterfont Competitor?
The transport company, Linfox, is considering setting up a stevedoring company on the waterfront, using a new workforce of union members to compete against Patrick and P&O Ports. Mr Fox said Linfox had been negotiating with the Maritime Union of Australia about the proposal, and the company's new employees would be union members. "We're looking at a greenfield approach. It would be a new workforce....From a transport perspective, there is a huge opportunity to get rid of four or five links in the chain and have one or two between the shipping companies and whoever is handling the land-based containers." Linfox is not interested in buying out Patrick at this stage as Lindsay Fox reckons $400 million is a gross overvaluation.
(The Age - March 27)
Lindsay Fox has seen there is an opportunity on the waterfront - not in bashing the unions, but in working with the Maritime Union to effect labour reforms. However, the real efficiency gains will come from better site management, transport coordination and timetables.

Other news:

Telstra silences staff on customer service problems.
Telstra claims the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union is spreading false information, suggesting that staff cuts have led to poorer service and lower standards in rural areas. It has threatened to sue the union and sack staff if they spread misleading allegations to damage Telstra.
Shadow Communications Minister Chris Schacht says he is appalled at Telstra's action, and he has called on the Government to order Telstra to cease its intimidatory and threatening behaviour. Senator Schacht says Labor warned that the privatisation of Telstra would affect the standard of its services.
From a bulletin by Colin Cooper, CEPU President: In what the CEPU believes to be an "over the top" reaction, Telstra has obviously decided it is easier to threaten to gag the union and its members, than it is to solve the problems customers are complaining about. The CEPU has frequently had to remind Telstra that this is 1998 not 1898, and all citizens have the right of freedom of speech. ...If it is Telstra's intention to seek to suppress information which is in the public domain by threats of legal action, the union would utterly condemn such a blatant attack on freedom of speech. ...It is about time Telstra concentrated on fixing the problem, not trying to "fix" the employees who are trying to provide a decent service to their customers.
(Source: ABC March 27, TOA BULLETIN T98-11 March 23)

News Comment - Our Political Leaders

WHEN IS A CODE OF CONDUCT NOT A CODE OF CONDUCT?

When it's drawn up by the same crowd that after winning the Federal election claims that it doesn't need to keep all its promises because they were not "CORE" promises. For a man who promised this countries electors honest government John Howard's record has been abysmal. Almost from the day when the Liberal/National Party took office, they have been backing away from their promises.

Not only have they post-election divided election promises into core and non-core pledges, they now want to tell us that John Howard's code of conduct is an elastic document that does not encompass Senator Parer's business interests. John Howard keeps on telling us that Senator Parer is an honest man, that it's inconceivable that he would do anything wrong, or he had done anything wrong. Really John I hate to tell you, your code of conduct was originally drawn up to prevent a possible conflict of interest. To change the core meaning of your so called code of conduct highlights the moral bankruptcy of the current Federal government. Anybody who still believes John Howard's pledge that his administration would be "honest and open", must be dropping one too many L.S.D. tabs.

JEFFREY (GLIB) KENNETT - HOME GROWN HERO?

Jeffrey (Glib) Kennett home grown hero? Yes that's right, Jeffrey can see the writing on the wall and he's decided to take a leaf out of Jo Bjelke Peterson's book and has embarked on a state's rights campaign. His performance at the Premiers conference in Canberra, when he stormed out of the meeting with John Howard and his cronies was engineered to win him the favour of Victorian voters.

Our very own Jeff Kennett is trying to reposition himself as a home grown hero. His efforts on Victoria's behalf as far as the public health budget is concerned is a prima donna performance. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, many of the statements he has come out with are down and out lies, that's right porkies. Anybody who takes Jeffrey Kennett's metamorphosis as a champion of state rights only has to look at the Kennett regimes record as far as the health sector is concerned, to realise that the man deserves an Academy Award and a Logie for his acting abilities.

Everybody knows that the Kennett regime has ripped the guts out of the public health sector. Over the past six years Commonwealth input has increased while state input has decreased. Although the Victorian budget is in surplus, the Kennett regime continues to gut the public health budget. In 1998 state funding for the public health sector has decreased by a further 1.5% while Commonwealth funding has actually increased.

Anybody who is stupid enough to be taken in by Kennett's song and dance about the public health sector, only needs to look at his governments record of mismanagement to realise that the Victorian public health care sector is in crisis, not because of a lack of Commonwealth funding, but because the Kennett regime has already ripped the guts out of the public health system.

CANCEL THE DEBT

Wonderful isn't it, Bill Clinton is criss crossing Africa. In one of the most hypocritical speeches I have heard in a long time, Bill Clinton waxes lyrically about Africa's economic rehabilitation. In his administration's opinion Africa is open for business and is ready to join global capital.

What a load of utter garbage. The desperate economic plight of most of Africa's 700 million people is due to a combination of corrupt authoritarian governments and a crippling debt burden. No economic revival can occur in Africa until this debt is lifted. Every year more money flows out of Africa to service this massive debt than remains in Africa to satisfy local needs.

If Clinton and the West were interested in the welfare of Africans, the first thing they would do is cancel this debt. If the debt is not cancelled, Africans will continue to live impoverished lives. United States and global capital is not the solution to Africa's problems, it is the problem. If Bill Clifton is interested in the fate of Africans he should be using his considerable power to cancel Africa's worsening debt burden. Anything short of this is unforgivable posturing.

News Comment from: Anarchist Media Institute, Melbourne, Australia
Number 293 23rd - 29th March, 1998

News Summary - Wednesday 25 March

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) says it has obtained CES documents proving P and C Stevedores would disqualify applicants if they refused to cross union picket lines. The ACTU has also confirmed that former Dubai trainees, now employed with P and C are still on the payroll of Fynwest, the recruiting company for the Dubai exercise.
Greg Combet, an ACTU assistant secretary, said "We want to bring it to the attention of the community and we'd like the questions to be answered. And most particularly: what's the relationship between the NFF operation at Webb Dock and the Dubai fiasco and who's paying the money for these things?"
Donald McGauchie, the Chairman of P and C Stevedores, has dismissed the ACTU's claims, calling them "desperate". He said that it is a condition of employment with P and C that recruits must have severed any ties with former employers.
(ABC - March 24)
Week-long strike at Port Botany.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has begun seven days' strike action at Port Botany today (Wednesday) after abandoning plans for a 24-hour stoppage on Tuesday. The MUA said it called off the shorter stoppage after taking legal advice which warned that it could be in breach of the 72-hour notifying period the union must give Patrick.
Chris Corrigan was not impressed saying "This hit-and-run approach to industrial relations demonstrates the MUA is interested in little more than inflicting maximum economic harm on Patrick and the Australian public in a spiteful pay back for the sub-leasing of [Melbourne's] Webb Dock,"
Port Botany workers have been working for no pay for the last eight days because the company had followed the advice of Peter Reith, the Minister for Industrial Warfare, to not pay them while they had overtime bans in place. The union's assistant national secretary, Vic Slater, said This must be a first for Australia. Not since the convict days of slave labour have Australians worked for nothing. At least if you are a slave, you get food and shelter provided, even if you don�t get any pay. Under Mr Reith�s new laws men and women could work for nothing and won�t even be sure of where their next meal is coming from. Australian workers are, now, no better off than slaves.
(Sydney Morning Herald March 24, Australian Financial Review March 25, Maritime Union Media Release March 23)
Patrick deserted by exporters.
The Australian Peak Shippers Aussociation has deserted Patrick Stevedores, advising exporters to direct shipments through alternative companies such as P&O Prts for the duration of the dispute between Patricks and the MUA.
APSA's executive president, Mr Frank Beaufort, said the problems at Patrick were self-inflicted. Their relations with the union are most unlikely ever to be restored. We see the dispute at Patrick going on and on until Patrick get out of the industry and it will be left to someone else to take over. There will be continuous disruptions at the Patrick terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, and possibly Brisbane and Fremantle. We have been advising our members to have nothing to do with shipping lines that call at Patrick's terminals. Our advice is that they should support shipping lines using the P&O Ports terminals.
(Source: Australian Financial Review March 25)
Patrick loses Toyota business.
In Melbourne,Toyota's shipping company, NYK, has taken its car export business to Patricks rival, P&O Ports, rather than risk the hold ups at Webb Dock.
(Source: Australian Financial Review March 25)
An organiser with the MUA, Mr Glen Wood, said Patrick had asked 15 casual workers to work yesterday. "They call them up, allow them to do a full day's work and then turn around and refuse to pay them. It's criminal."
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald March 24)
WA Farmers warn off NFF
WA Pastoralists and Graziers have warned the National Farmers� Federation to drop its plans to set up stevedoring on the Fremantle wharves. In a joint statement signed by the Maritime Union and the Pastoralists' and Graziers' Association, in Fremantle last week, the farmers recognise record container throughput in recent months, 30 per cent reductions in livestock loading costs and world�s best practice at grain terminals.
The farmers also recognised that further competition could jeopardise wharf operations, productivity and cost efficiency due to the low volume of container business at the port.
The statement says:
- WA Producers now wanted to be consulted by the NFF before any intervention was contemplated for Fremantle by P&C operations
- Past experience had clearly shown that the introduction of companies or organisations based on confrontation and not cooperation were not in the overall best interests of either maritime community or the farming community.
(Source: Maritime Union Media Release March 23)
New agreement with MUA benefits farmers & workers.
Kwinana grain terminal in Western Australia has introduced new working arrangements negotiated with the union which allow it to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on an aggregrate wage which does away with overtime and penalty rates.
In a media release put out by Co-Operative Bulk Handling Limited recognises that there are benefits in collectively bargaining with the MUA when all parties work towards achievement productivity, efficiency and customer focused outcomes in the work place.
(Source: Maritime Union Media Release March 23)

Other news:

Union campaign on insurance cover for workplace injuries.
Unions in Victoria yesterday began a state-wide campaign of lobbying employers to take out extra insurance to compensate workers for benefits lost under the State Government's changes to the workers' compensation scheme. The Victorian Trades Hall Council yesterday said it aimed to have 200,000 workers covered by the new scheme, to be known as VicGap, with unions demanding the insurance as part of enterprise bargaining at individual workplaces.
The council's secretary, Mr Leigh Hubbard, said unions had been forced to develop the new insurance by the Government's unfair changes in WorkCover. He said it was aimed at giving workers peace of mind about their future if they were injured.
(Source: The Age March 24)
Woodlawn Miners receive sympathy but no cash Workers and their families can't live on sympathy - it doesn't pay the grocery bills. A meeting between representatives of the sacked Woodlawn mine workers and Federal Regional Development Minister Alex Somlyay has ended with no major concessions to the workers. About 150 mine workers have been sacked from the mine, near Goulburn in southern New South Wales, and are still owed around $6 million in accrued entitlements.
(Source: ABC March 23)
ANZ Bank staff cuts hit hard overseas.
Employees of the ANZ Bank in Fiji today continued a strike, despite the strike having been declared illegal. The strike was called on Friday to protest against the bank's restructure plans and workers voted on Saturday to continue the action today.
The ANZ employs about 700 people in its Fiji branches and about 80 per cent of them have stayed away from work.
Fiji's Industrial Relations Minister Vincent Lobendhan says the strike by bank staff is illegal and is in breach of a collective agreement between the bank and the union. The dispute has been referred to Fiji's Arbitrator.
(Source: ABC March 23)
Telstra Sale - Backbench Revolt
Members of the government's back bench are getting worried about public opposition for the total privatisation of Telstra. Already we are seeing reduced service to rural and remote customers, primarily caused by the strong drive by management to cut staff to maximise the profit for the first share float. Things can only get worse for country subscribers.
(Source: Takver - March 25)
Senator Parer and double standards
"Honest" John Howard has decided to break his own ministerial moral code by refusing to dismiss Senator Parer, Resources and Energy Minister, over declaration of share intersets. Senator Parer, has major shareholdings through his family trust of mining shares. How can he not make decisions which will affect the value of those shares. He did indeed have a conflict of interest and should be dismissed from his cabinet position.
(Source: Takver - March 25)

News Summary - Monday 23 March

The Maritime Union of Australia has given notice of a seven-day stoppage at Port Botany from next Wednesday on top of a 24-hour hour strike on Tuesday. It also intends to hold a 48-hour stoppage from next Wednesday in Brisbane. Peter Reith, the Minister for Industrial Warfare, said "It's the typical industrial thuggery that most Australians are sick and tired of.".
Yet it is the Workplace Relations Act which he reckons prohibits payment for workers taking any industrial action (such as overtime bans). Surely this legislation provokes strike action rather than more moderate forms of action against an employer. His legislation has effectively eliminated the middle ground in industrial action.
Strike action is being taken to defend current conditions. National Secretary, John Coombs said "We're taking that action to force this employer to come back and recognise we're not going to allow our award conditions to be stripped."
(ABC - March 20)
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has issued members with a list of ships using Melbourne as part of its campaign against the farmers' training operation at Webb Dock. The ITF list was issued as the farmers' company, Producers and Consumers Stevedores Pty Ltd (PCS), began meeting shipping companies in a bid to organise stevedoring work. PCS has offered discounts of up to 30 per cent and says it will load its first ship next month.
(Sydney Morning Herald - March 21)

Other news:

NSW Coal Miners Protest! In New South Wales, nearly 6,000 coal miners across the Hunter Valley returned to work last night following a mass meeting in Singleton yesterday to discuss changes proposed under the Federal Government's Workplace Relations Act. The 24-hour stoppage at 40 mines is estimated by the New South Wales Minerals Council to have cost the industry up to $10 million in lost production. Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union President John Maitland says the union has been given a mandate to increase industrial action against "unfriendly companies" involved in the award review process.
(Source: ABC - March 19)

News Summary - Friday 20 March

Patrick Stevedoring says it will not pay workers involved in any industrial action, including overtime bans, because of requirements in the Workplace Relations Act. Patrick Stevedores chairman Chris Corrigan said "The company has every intention of obeying the law and the law says you cannot pay people if they're taking industrial action."
MUA secretary John Coombs has described the threat as a stunt. "I think it's just another sort of desperate act from a desperate man. I don't know on what basis they think they can have people working for them in this country and not pay them."
The assistant national secretary of the MUA, Mr Vic Slater, said "They are trying to provoke us into taking illegal action. They want to force us to take unprotected action, force us out the gates and then slap the writs on. Well we know better than that."
Industrial Warfare Minister, Peter Reith, says he personally told Patrick Stevedores it should look at provisions within the Workplace Act which allow them not to pay staff who carry out industrial action.
But the ACTU President Jennie George says the workers are entitled to be paid. "The workers there are taking what we call protected action, that [is] legal industrial action. So that will be tested in courts no doubt, and we're confident that the workers are entitled to be paid for the work they're doing."
(ABC, Sydney Morning Herald - March 19)
As negotiations on an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement have broken down, and in retaliation against nonpayment of workers doing their normal days work, the Maritime Union intends to hold a one day stoppage at Sydney's Port Botany on Tuesday followed by a 48 hour strike in Brisbane next Wednesday and Thursday. National Organiser, Mick O'Leary says the required amount of notice has been given for lawful industrial action, but there are no plans for similar action in Perth. "My understanding is we have given notice of our intention to take protected action in Brisbane as well next Wednesday and Thursday,"
(ABC March 19)
60 farmers from throughout Western Australia have converged on Fremantle Port to develop a better relationship with the Maritime Union. The Pastoralists and Graziers Association hopes the two groups can create a relationship based on consultation rather than confrontation.
(Source: ABC March 19)

News Summary - Tuesday 17 March

Industrial Warfare Minister Peter Reith, in a display of buck passing, has accused the NSW State Labor Government of impeding waterfront reform. He alleges the State government has done a deal with the Maritime Union to minimise industrial action in Sydney. "I think it's outgrageous that the New South Wales Labor Government should enter into a secret deal with a monopoly suppplier just to protect the rorts of a few bludgers in Sydney."
Maybe the waterfront would be much more efficient if Corrigan and Reith sat down with the MUA and negotiated a deal. I thought that was what collective bargaining was all about. While Reith calls the wharfies bludgers, he ignores the rorting done by waterfront executives with excessive salary packages and inefficient management.(Takver)
(ABC - March 16)
National Farmers Federation President Don McGauchie will not continue in this position. He has decided to concentrate in his role as union smasher as chairman of P and C Stevedoring. That includes plans to begin operations at another eastern seaboard port with non-union labour by May. "We are clearly interested in spreading the operation as wide as we can nationally. To make it an effective operation we need to have a number of strings to our bow, and we're looking at those sort of opportunities." He made no comment on the involvement of Chubb Security.
ABC March 16
This wednesday 18th march at 5.30pm at the Bishop Auditorium Trades Hall - 11 south tce Adelaide is a public meeting from the UTLC on the current issues of the Waterfront. Speakers from Webb Dock, the MUA, AMWU, CFMEU and UTLC Trade Union Choir. Build the workers struggle for the right of workers to organise and the right to strike. Invite your friends to hear the truth about the Waterfront. Stop Reith and the NFF from setting up in SA. Hands off the MUA.For details contact Chris White Secretary UTLC 82123155. At 2pm there is a training and education session on the Workplace Relations Act and its impact on workers.
(Source: Leftlink March 16)

Other news:

Howard heralds an election of Greed! At the Liberal Party National Convention in Brisbane over the weekend our Prime Minister, Johnny Howard, has decided to privatise the 'Commonwealth of Australia' and declared a major redistribution of wealth - from the poor to the rich.
His agenda includes:
- selling the remaining two thirds of Telstra in a 40 billion dollar bargain basement float if his government is re-elected.
- no compromise on the Wik Native Title Land Grab which will give public lands to a small number of very wealthy pastoralists.
- major tax reform which will reduce company taxes and personal income tax while introducing a Goods and Services Tax which will hit hardest the poor, wage earners, and those on fixed incomes such as superannuants and pensioners.
- further industrial relations deformity aimed at stifling the limited power of trade unions and workers, and reducing the effectiveness of the industrial award system and collective bargaining.
Telstra - Johnny Howard's election rabbit.
The full privatisation of Telstra redistributes a 'common wealth' asset into the hands of those who are reasonably wealthy and can afford to buy shares instead of the necessities of life. This is not an option for many folk in Australia - 30 percent of whom are living in poverty. These people are effectively being robbed of a 'common wealth' asset.
The government argues that 92% of employees accepted a special share offer when the first third of Telstra was sold. This is true. Telstra workers know they're being screwed. Telstra management have been stalling for over six months on a new enterprise agreement. The share offer to staff was made as a no interest loan with a no risk guarantee. Loan to be paid off from progressive dividends. So, off course the vast majority of Telstra's workers accepted shares on these terms. Why doesn't Johnny Howard offer the same deal to every Australian? That would make the shareholding even more democratic.
One of the ironies of the sale of Telstra is the part that renegade Labor Senator Mal Colston and Tasmanian Independant Senator Brian Harradine played in passing the initial sale. A deal was done with them that Telstra would create some jobs in the states they represented. This was done - for a while. But Telstra is now motivated by the bottom line - reducing costs and maximising profits for the shareholders. Telstra has recently decided to centralise Network Operations maintenance in Melbourne - thus closing many decentralised Network Operations centers.
More and more we will see the closure of other 'non-profitable' services to rural and remote Australia. The politicians can legislate all they like about guaranteeing telephony services to all Australians, the fact is the profit motive within Telstra will dictate two classes of customer - those in rural and remote areas who will get a second rate basic service, and those in capital cities, especially the Sydney-Melbourne market who will get the competitive choice in carriers and services.
(Source: Takver - March 16)
More on Telstra Sale. Ian McLean, from the Communications Union, says people should think carefully about the sell-off.
"While the stock brokers in the North Shore in Sydney might do well out of the privitisation, there are people who are missing out, the people who don't have shares, and that's about 14 million Australians and who depend on the service, particularly in the country, and that level of service is gradually being reduced in the name of increasing profit," he said.
Mr McLean says people must show their concern at the ballot box.
"We'll be campaigning in those areas worst affected by the commercialisation of essential services and that is the country in Queensland. The provincial areas and the country areas have fared very badly out of all this and the removal of government service in all of this hasn't just affected the service directly but it's affected employment and the economies of those communities."
(Source: ABC March 15)
. Australians are being warned the Telstra communications network is set to suffer shutdowns along the lines of the power cuts in Queensland and Auckland. The CEPU says the Commonwealth wants to sell its remaining stake in Telstra before it starts to collapse through neglect and cutbacks.
Union National Secretary Peter Tighe says a public campaign will tell consumers not to blame workers for delays and poor service. "The Government blames us about inflexibility, organised labor and union labor that creates those problems when in fact it is, in fact, a manifestation of their policies in relation to deregulating - labor shedding with an expectation to privatise and sell-off public assets."
(Source: ABC March 16)
PROCEEDS FROM SALE OF TELSTRA. Some $1,000 million from the sale of Telstra has been given to a new mob called the Heritage Foundation. Parliament has debated the allocation of this "slush" fund. The bulk of the funds went to Liberal/National electorates. The debate is over this and whether it is fair, or just an election year tactic. But "Honest" John Howard found a new way to spend the proceeds. He is simply giving every politician $200,000 to spend before the election, another $30 million from the Telstra sale. For that, John should be able to get every rock in every park painted white!
SALE OF TELSTRA. Yesterday, "Honest" John Howard announced what we all believed he would do - he will sell the rest of Telstra. So far he has sold 4.3 billion shares. So another 8.6 billion shares will be sold. Unless he can sell it to a foreign company, it is likely to dramatically reduce the share price. In November this year everyone will have to pay the second installment of $1.35, reducing the amount of capital available for the sale. It is difficult to see why the shares would go up, but then again the stock market is run on hype, not much reality.
TOA HOME PAGE http://www.magna.com.au/~dwyer
(Source: TOA BULLETIN T98-10 16-03-98)

News Summary - Friday 13 March

The Maritime Union has claimed that Patrick's managers from across the country had been told at the Novotel at Brighton-le-Sands last week that the company would be closed down for one to three months; its MUA workforce would be replaced; and it would re-open after resuming the PCS operations. Mr Chris Corrigan confirmed the meeting of about 20 people had discussed the option of shutting down the company and re-opening the business employing non-union workers. "But it's fair to say a whole range of options were canvassed as to all the possible ramifications that might flow from the continuing action by the MUA"
(Sydney Morning Herald - March 12)
The 48 hour strike and overtime bans at Port Botany is putting the financial pressure on Patrick Stevedoring. Patrick chairman Chris Corrigan says the biggest cost to the company has been its reputation. "At the end of the day, what do our customers think when we can't service their vessels? [What do people think about] the inconvenience that's been caused to them and the inconvenience that all of the people in Australia whose businesses and facilties are being damaged."
Industrial action at other ports around the country is possible if negotiations for an enterprise agreement at Port Botany fail. Maritime Union of Australia national secretary John Coombs said "What it requires for that to be avoided is for Patrick's to come out and commit to the award in one port and we would accept that would be a commitment in respect to award conditions in every one of their operations. On that question, there would be no need to take any further protected action in other ports."
The union claimed that the company had not raised a single work practice issue in negotiations in recent days over the union's claim for new collective agreements. The union had put proposals to improve Patrick's performance by introducing productivity-linked pay and replacing overtime pay with annualised salaries to provide an incentive for stevedoring work to be completed as quickly as possible.
The union has a right and a duty to pursue an agreement which guarantees the employment security and conditions of its members. These conditions have been fought for and are hard won by previous generations of unionists. Waterfront reform must be handled by all concerned parties, which must include the Maritime Union. Corrigan can end the dispute of new enterprise agreements by signing an agreement guaranteeing all the present conditions. The fact that he does not do so, highlights his campaign of "greed and vengeance" against the MUA and his own workers, even if it involves substantial losses and perhaps the long-term viability of Patrick Stevedoring. (Takver)
ABC March 12, Australian Financial Review March 12
The Maritime Union of Australia claimed last night that a second National Farmers' Federation stevedoring operation would soon be launched in Brisbane. The MUA's national secretary, Mr John Coombs, claimed that a Chubb Security official, Mr John Blanchfield, was in Melbourne yesterday to discuss security needs for the Port of Brisbane operation.
Chubb Security confirmed its Queensland operations manager, Mr John Blanchfield, was at the farmers' stevedoring operation at Webb Dock in Melbourne but denied he was preparing for a repeat exercise in Brisbane.
Queensland Premier Rob Borbidge says his door is open if the National Farmers Federation wants to discuss the possibility of setting up a non-unionised stevedoring operation in Brisbane.
(Sydney Morning Herald - March 12,13)
Sydney's port authority hit back at Mr Corrigan's claims that Sydney was the country's least productive port. Sydney Ports chief executive officer, Mr Greg Martin, said net crane rates at Port Botany and Sydney Harbour were the second best in Australia in the December quarter. Corrigan claimed "This is about the worst-performing port anywhere in the world. You're looking at it here today in total inactivity, but even when it's working this is the worst port in the world."
More distortions from the man that engineered the Dubai debacle and other dubious disasters. (Takver)
Australian Financial Review March 12
Mr Trebeck, the managing director of ACIL, a Canberra-based consultancy firm, gave the first details of the $60,000 report commissioned by the Government in 1996 on waterfront reform. The secret and highly controversial consultants' report on the waterfront urged the Federal Government to intervene and become the "dominant player in forcing change" but ruled out calling in the troops. The ACIL report argued that "business must accept its role, not see the Government as its total saviour" in its troubles with the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA). The report evidently canvassed how to keep the ports open in a strike, how to hire new labour and the legal armoury open to the Government and the stevedores.
The statement by Mr Trebeck is as a result of the investigative reporting of the ABC TV Four Corners Program. The Government is still refusing to release the report even though it was commissioned using public (taxpayers) money.
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald March 13)
About 2,000 people, including wharfies and miners, packed the Newcastle Workers' Club to support the Port Botany workers
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald March 13)

Other industrial news:

Banks profiting at the expense of workers. The ACTU's Tim Pallas says the failure of the Federal Government to protect employees of insolvent companies has resulted in more than 800 workers from various employers losing more than $20 million in entitlements over the past three months. "We're talking about a considerable amount of human suffering and misery that flows from a legislative scheme that puts banks first and workers last. Every other developed country in the world has put in place either a wage guarantee system, an insurance system that makes sure that workers do not lose considerable amounts of money."
(Source: ABC - March 12)
Profiting from the Unemployed. The Community and Public Sector Union says morale among staff at the Commonwealth Employment Service is at an all-time low. The union estimates more than half of the Western Australia's 300 employees will opt for redundancy because it says the Federal Government's new Job Network is completely profit-driven. Employment National, and several other private organisations, will replace the CES from May 1.
The union's Greg Retallack says the majority of CES employees will leave because they are appalled by the profit-driven approach. "Basically, coming from a philosophy that we're here to help the community and the less disadvantaged, it's now a case of if we can make a quick quid out of you, you might be interested - otherwise don't bother us....People work in this sort of environment because they want to work in this sort of environment. They're drawn to it because of their personality and because they can reach down and change people."
(Source: ABC March 12)
International Award to Native Title Activist. Lawyer and Aboriginal campaigner Noel Pearson has been awarded an international human rights prize for fighting discrimination and inequality in Australia. Sponsors of the prize in The Netherlands, hope it will focus international attention on the struggle for Aboriginal land rights in Australia. The Beggars Medal is awarded each year in the Dutch town of Vlaardingen, to those who fought for democracy and against racism and discrimination. This year, Amnesty International selected the winners -- five people from five continents. The organisers say Noel Pearson was selected to highlight the struggle for Native Title rights in Australia.
(Source: ABC March 13)
Even the Bluebloods criticize this executive salary The Treasurer, Mr Costello, yesterday described the $8 million carrot for a new BHP chief as "a bit rich". Mr Costello sympathised with workers who had been exercising wage restraint in the past few years, and signalled that shareholders should vote against such a huge package. He told Perth radio "I think people do think it's a bit rich and they wonder to themselves how can anybody be worth that kind of money - I wonder it myself. It's a lot more than I get paid, I can assure you of that."
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald March 13)

News Summary - Wednesday 11 March

Australia in breach of International Labour Organisation Convention over the Workplace Relations Act The Maritime Union of Australia has questioned whether the Federal Government will remain committed to international conventions on labour relations. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says Australia's industrial laws are in breach of international conventions and should be amended. It is particularly critical of the Act promoting individual contracts over collective bargaining. Also that the laws do not promote collective bargaining as required by the international convention to which Australia is a signatory.
(ABC - March 11)
The Maritime Union of Australia has raised $80,000 for the Children's Cancer Research Institute. At a ceremony yesterday at Port Botany, ACTU president Jennie George presented a cheque for $27,000 as a first installment, to Professor Bernard Stewart for the Children's Cancer Institute. If only the National Farmers Federation were as concerned in improving the welfare of people instead of funding warfare on workers.
(Australian Financial Review (hidden on the second last page) - March 11)
Striking waterside workers have met in Sydney to endorse the Maritime Union of Australia's course of action in its dispute with Patrick Stevedores over a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
(ABC - March 11)
P&C Stevedoring - the non-union company - has sent a letter to about 30 shipping companies touting for business at Webb Dock. Advertisements for further employees were placed in papers last weekend.
(Australian Financial Review - March 11)
Other industrial news:
- Reith's workers opt for unionism The Industrial Relations Commission has certified an enterprise agreement for employees of the federal Department of Workplace Relations, which was negotiated by the Community and Public Sector Union. The agreement includes a 7 per cent pay increase over two years. Doug Lilly from the CPSU says the agreement is a slap in the face for Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith. "Clearly, with Peter Reith's attitude towards unions - where he's been arguing that third parties such as unions shouldn't be involved in the industrial relations within workplaces - it's a severe embarrassment that his own employees clearly recognise the benefits of having a union agreement."
  (Source: ABC - March 11)
- Miners from Goulburn stood down facing loss of entitlements More than 150 employees at the Woodlawn mine near Goulburn, in southern New South Wales, have been stood down without pay. Administrators, Price Waterhouse, say 153 employees have been stood down without pay and the mine is unable to fund the $6 million in entitlements still owing. The NSW Labor Premier, Bob Carr, has urged the Howard federal government to act by national legislation to protect workers' entitlements when companies go to the wall. "I'll be talking to the Prime Minister - that's the proposal I developed after the failure of Cobar copper mine and the Grafton abattoir. That is that workers entitlements ought to be protected in these cases and the claims that breadwinners have got to the assets of the company ought to be met before the claims that banks have got to the assets of the company."
  (Source: ABC March 11)

News Summary - Tuesday 10 March

the ABC-TV's Four Corners program claimed that in late January and early February there had been "another secret battle" under way over the future of the Dubai recruits. Despite earlier statements from the National Farmers' Federation that it would not employ the Dubai recruits for its stevedoring operation, all of those who wanted work are now training at the NFF operation at Webb Dock.
Mr John Coombs, the MUA national secretary, claimed that as the Webb Dock dispute began, two of the Dubai recruits approached him and claimed they had transcripts of discussions or negotiations with Government staffers about "how this project would unfold, what was required of them and what the ultimate objective was". Mr Coombs said that the men had told him that "the meetings occurred where they were in one room on a telephone talking to a Government staffer in another room ..." He believed that whoever was prepared to put up $5.6 million could have the full story on Dubai. Four Corners claimed it had received similar information separately about such a meeting in November.
Four Corners also claimed that the NFF company, Producers and Consumers Stevedores Pty Ltd, has paid the Dubai recruits working at Webb Dock a special lump sum payment "in recognition of pre-existing skills".
Peter Reith, the Minister for Industrial Warfare acknowledged on Fours Corners that he had received advice a year ago canvassing the use of military personnel on the waterfront. In reply he stated "We've always said publicly we are opposed to any idea of military personnel on the waterfront that's been our public our private and every other position."
(ABC TV, Sydney Morning Herald - March 9,10)
Other industrial news:
- Privatisation of employment service Community-based employment organisations have begun sacking staff in the wake of the Federal Government's privatisation of job search services. One such organisation, Mamre Skillshare, in the western Sydney suburb of St Marys, failed in its bid to get new Commonwealth funding. Its manager, Bob Thatcher, says he has already had to sack nine training experts because of the decision. "We've built that team very carefully, nurtured it over an average of five years and it's now been disbanded, which is pretty sad."
  (Source: ABC - March 9)
- Native Title The Cape York Land Council says Government members are a greater threat to investment than any Native Title claim, because they continue to toe a divisive party line. The council's David Byrne was responding to Federal Tourism Minister Andrew Thompson's assertion native title claims could threaten tourism investment in Queensland's far north. Mr Byrne says the Howard Government continues a divisive campaign while Aboriginal, business and industry interests work to find an equatable working solution to native title issues. "It's about everybody's long-term benefit...unfortunately, our politicians, both at a Federal and State level at the moment, think that it is some sort of political game to play for some sort of politically populist cause that might help them get elected. It might help to get them re-elected but it isn't going to make the economics of this country any better."
  (Source: ABC March 9)
- Workers lose when business fails The ACTU has demanded that state and federal governments must take immediate action to ease the financial losses forced on to workers when a business goes bankrupt. ACTU Assistant Secretary Tim Pallas says the Government must not put banks ahead of employees and should legislate to see this does not happen again. "Australia is the only country in the developed world that doesn't have a system that compensates workers...We're so far out of step we're an international embarrassment and the fact that this legislation operates in the way it has is a national disgrace. It's about time it's fixed and it's about time these workers got their just desserts, the money that's due them, the State Government can fix that problem."
  (Source: ABC March 9)
- Meatworkers in Blayney sacked. In the NSW Central West town of Blayney nearly 600 meatworkers were given the sack with only a week's notice. Their employer, ANZCO Food Pty Ltd, cited a "stock shortage" clause under the abattoirs award. However, the Meat Industry association refuted the claim that their was a stock shortage. It is thought that ANZCO, an export-oriented New Zealand company, had been left with large stocks of unsold meat as a result of the Asian currency crisis. The Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union (AMIEU) has accused ANZCO of a ploy to avoid termination payments equal to between one and four weeks' pay, and redundancy payments of up to 20 weeks.
  (Source: Sydney Morning Herald - March 10)
- Telstra privatisation - Profits before Service Telstra, which promised in 1995 that it would upgrade its REmote Access CHannel (REACH) network, says it can no longer justify running a service that it says is used to just 3 per cent of its capacity. Live Television coverage from many small towns in the bush will become a thing of the past, while Telstra concentrates on generating greater profit for its shareholders from the capital city markets. So much for providing a service in the public interest. This is only a forerunner of many more cuts to service for people living in more remote parts of Australia.
  The Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU) Communications Division is continuing its campaign to fight the latest wave of redundancies in Telstra and protect its members. The initial steps in the campaign led to meeting of members in regional areas, to consider public exposure of Telstra Corporate Managements attacks on its workforce and customer service and political pressure for Telstra to change course. In the period ahead the union is aiming to: organise public meetings throughout regional Victoria; Mobilise local government/community groups/local political leaders etc.; and Consider a range of membership actions to pressure Telstra Management. The union is also considering widening the campaign to include metropolitan areas who are also suffering from staff shortages and deteriorating customer services.
  (Source: Sydney Morning Herald - March 10, CEPU The Signal 192 - March 6)

News Summary - Friday 6 March

Sydney's waterfront will be hit by industrial action next week.
The Maritime Union has given notice to Patrick Stevedores its members will strike for 48 hours on Wednesday following a break down in negotiations over new enterprise agreements. The MUA says it has been forced to take industrial action to protect existing award conditions during enterprise bargaining negotiations. There will also be a ban on overtime work from next Friday. The action will affect Patrick terminals at Port Botany.
(ABC March 6)
The farmer-backed stevedoring company that has set up on Melbourne's Webb Dock says it has hired some of the worker's involved in the aborted dock-workers training scheme in Dubai.
(ABC March 5)
Other industrial news:
- ANZ Bank Staff Protest Cuts. Several hundred ANZ employees have demonstrated outside the bank's head office in Sydney over job cuts. ANZ is to axe 1,700 staff as part of a restructure of its branches. Lynne Poleson from the Finance Sector Union told the rally people are losing their jobs while the banks profit and executive salaries increase. "The market reponds well to announcements of job losses so that the share prices go up. This means that corporate downsizing becomes an end in itself, making money for share holders, including the directors and the CEO of the very organisation that sacks workers."
  (Source: ABC - March 6)
- Funding cuts to higher education has cost 3,000 jobs in the last two years. The president of the NTEU, Dr Carolyn Allport, said the changes introduced by the Federal Government since coming to office two years ago had been a "disaster for universities and the community they serve...We have already seen more than 3,000 jobs disappear from the sector and a number of courses close, as well as declining levels of demand for higher education"
  (Source: Sydney Morning Herald 4 March)
- Women's rates of pay. The NSW Labor Council is arguing in a landmark Pay Equity Inquiry that Women's rates of pay are falling compared with men's and female-dominated occupations often receive less than three-quarters the pay of an equivalent male occupation. Female earnings across the economy average 78.8 per cent of male earnings, down from 80.2 per cent in 1995, according to 1996 Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. Labor Council executive officer Ms Gail Gregory said "Over time the community has valued hard skills, male-type skills, more than the so-called soft skills that women are associated with...Things like lifting, moving, carting, doing manual work has been rewarded at a higher rate than women's work that tends to be client focused, requiring interpersonal skills." Enterprise bargaining had worked against women, who tended to be in industries without strong union representation, she said.
  (Source: Sydney Morning Herald - March 5)
- Cobar Miners see PM. A delegation of miners met with the Prime Minister for an hour yesterday afternoon and is hopeful he will respond within a week to their pleas for financial assistance. The miners also want the Government to change insolvency laws to prevent other workers being left empty handed if another overseas owned operation folds. The miners are owed $9.5 million in holiday and severance pay by the company which closed the mine, Ashanti.
  (Source: ABC - March 5)
- The workers at the Leggo food processing plant owned by American food giant, Simplot, are continuing their picket. A shop steward with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Mr Ray Campbell, said the union had negotiated more flexible working arrangements with the company under enterprise bargaining, but poor management contributed to losses. If Simplot succeeded in hiring workers though Manpower, other processors would follow and hundreds of workers would be forced to become itinerant, rather than permanent residents in many small towns, destroying the towns' economies.
  (Source: The Age - March 5)

News Summary - Tuesday 3 March

Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) members have refused to move three vehicles from Melbourne's Webb dock to the area leased by the National Farmers Federation-backed P & C Stevedores. The Industrial Relations Commission has ordered MUA members to move the three vehicles by 3pm today.
Talks on an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement continued today with Patricks offering a joint process to examine the MUA's list of proposals.
Other industrial news:
- An estimated 300 Cobar residents - and several busloads of redundant Grafton meatworkers - failed to draw the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, to a rally on the lawn of Parliament House yesterday. They are demanding retrospective changes to the nation's insolvency laws.
  The retrenched Cobar miners are protesting against nonpayment of accrued wages and entitlements. The parent company of the CSA copper mine, which closed suddenly last month, is Ashanti Goldfields, in which the Government of Ghana owns 30 per cent of the shares. Other targets are the Australian Prime Minister and Mr R.W. "Tiny" Rowland, who sits on Ashanti's board. Mr Rowland has a strategic holding in Lonrho plc, the global mining entity which also has a 30 per cent shareholding in Ashanti. CSA was placed in liquidation owing more than $15 million in unpaid staff entitlements and local trade debts.
  A spokesperson for the community, Mr Doumani, said the spectre of retrenched employees standing in line with other unsecured creditors to obtain entitlements has spurred a workers' resolve to bring the system to heel, to force Government and regulators to finally act in the face of an unprecedented spate of significant rural business failures to protect their remunerative rights. Cath Evans, a meat union official, said "The structure of these companies insulates them against having to pay staff accruals... The holding company retains the assets of the land, buildings and equipment, while setting up other companies to trade and act as employer." (Source: ABC)
- Eighty-five workers have been locked out of the Leggo's plant at Echuca since mid February, with union claims that the parent company, Simplot, wants to replace them with contract labour. Simplot is applying to terminate the existing collective enterprise agreement at the plant. The Manufacturing Workers' Union says that would put workers back on reduced award conditions, and cost them around $200 per week. (Source: ABC)

News Summary - Monday 2 March 1998

with Photos page (100KB)

About two thousand unionists and their families gathered on the waterfront at Williamstown yesterday, to support wharfies involved in the Webb Dock dispute. They launched a flotilla of 25 boats and yachts to encircle Webb Dock.
Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Leigh Hubbard said "It's Clean Up Australia Day and of course we'd be asking Peter Reith and John Howard and Chris Corrigan of Patricks to clean up their act...In fact we believe that there've been distortions and lies about what's been going on the wharves. We believe they should be cleaning up their act, and really if they want to do anything about productivity and efficiency, they ought to look at management. They ought to look at the real problems that are there on the waterfront and not just blame union members and the union." (Source: ABC, Erin)
John Coombs predicted the campaign would continue well into next year. He told the rally: "We weren't supposed to last five days, and we are in the fifth week. We will be there in the 50th week." (Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith has told Channel Seven that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Attorney-General's Department and police have launched separate inquiries into the Maritime Union action. (Source: ABC)
Mr Corrigan of Patrick has told Channel Nine the company is losing money and faces possible closure if the dispute is lengthy. "I'm not going to attempt to forecast how many days or weeks we could last in whatever circumstances might arise, but one doesn't need to be overly skilled in financial analysis to see that it ain't long." (Source: ABC)
The Federal Government's scrapping of the Seaman's Engagement System took effect yesterday. The change, negotiated late last year as part of a package of reforms, ends the supply of shipping labor from a union pool. (Source: The Age)

Overseas News - Neptune Jade Saga Continues....Bosses intent on bankrupting American Dockers

(Monday 2 March 1998)

In the fall of 1997, there was a protest in the port of Oakland against a container ship called the Neptune Jade chartered by a Singapore company. The reason for the protest was the ship's British cargo. Back in 1995, the Mersey Docks and Harbor company in Liverpool fired 500 men when they refused to cross a picket line set up by their work mates, some of whom had been fired earlier for having tried to fight employers' attempts to sabotage a labor agreement. Liverpool was at the time the last organized port in the Britain with a collective bargaining agreement. The fight sparked a big response by dockworkers all over the world. There were pickets from Vancouver south to Long Beach and across the Pacific to Japan and Australia. Unable to discharge its cargo in Oakland, the Neptune Jade traveled to Vancouver, then Yokohama, then Kobe. At each stop, the dockers said no.

Now the the PMA has brought lawsuits against the ILWU and the picketers, designed to send a simple message: Acts of worker solidarity will not be tolerated. Again and again, the PMA has gone to court in a program of intimidation in the form of multimillion-dollar damage suits and associated legal maneuvers against individual workers and sympathetic outsiders as well as the unions. (Source: LA Times)

On Thursday, February 27th, 1998, 500 Demonstrators showed up bright and early (8 AM) to the Pacific Maritime Association's (PMA) Oakland Office in the city center of downtown Oakland, across the bay from San Fransisco. Union members and officials from ILWU locals up and down the west coast as well as IWW, HERE, SEIU, IBT, OCAW, and scores of others were on hand as well as the Labor Party, various political organizations, and community supporters were present. We even set up a temporary micro-power radio transmitter to broadcast the demonstration to the surrounding community.

Speakers included everyone from striking Liverpool Dockers, Spanish Dockworkers, and various ILWU members to Jerry Brown, Alexander Cockburn, and Ignacio De La Fuente (Oakland City Councilman). Speakers and demonstrators urged the PMA to drop its lawsuit against the picketers and to respect the rights of free speech, free assembly, and the right of workers to picket. Demonstrators wore stickers proclaiming, "I picketed the Neptune Jade" and signed letters asking Miniace, head of the PMA to sue them as well. Essentially if Miniace and the PMA want a witch-hunt, they're gonna have to hunt a great many witches.

After the demonstration concluded, we marched over to the courthouse where the hearing was scheduled to take place, but the PMA managed to consolidate the scheduled hearing with another that will take place next Tuesday (March 3rd). Instead, we had more speeches, and the radical street-theater / puppet show troupe, Art & Revolution held a skit re-enacting the now world-famous pickets, including a large mock-up of the Neptune Jade.

Then we marched to Laney College to protest the Laney College & Peralta Community College district's crack down on the Laney College Labor Studies Club for "allowing" two members of that group to participate in the picket and hold a "dangerous and threatening banner" that most likely influenced the PMA's lawyer's decision to Sue that group as well. President Ernie Crutchfield, who had once participated in student demonstrations himself, had called on a armada of Oakland Sheriffs to arrest us, but when he was shown that he had signed a permit allowing our demonstration on the campus that day, *himself*, he suddenly retreated to his office, and the police parted like the red sea.

We then soapboxed for awhile on campus, and spread the word to the Laney College student body.

I think big thank yous and huzzahs are in order to all who worked so hard to make this demonstration happen and to all of you who have supported us thus far. We're keeping up the fight, and we hope that those of you who can make it will join us next Tuesday Morning (March 3) at 10 AM at the "post- office" court at 12th and Alice in Oakland. We need to pack the courtroom.

I hope we can prove once and for all that when free speech and freedom of assembly go head to head with international capital, that free speech and freedom of assembly should prevail. This will be a very interesting test case to show whether or not the First Amendment will be squashed by State-Capitalism and multinational corporations. (Source: A-Infos News)

News Comment (27/2/98)

THEIR LAWS THEIR COURTS OUR WORLD

Watching the Minister for Workplace Warfare, the effervescent Peter Reith (froth and bubble man) crow on about the injunction the Victorian Supreme Court has slapped on the Maritime Union of Australia, really highlights what few freedoms most people in this country have. That old adage "scratch a Liberal and find a Fascist" has once again been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

If and when the Maritime Union of Australia decides to bend and break the Supreme Court injunction is a tactical decision. Anybody who thinks that the MUA is going to be frog marched to oblivion because of a legal injunction, needs to think again. Those media outlets who are describing the issuing of the injunction as the end of the maritime dispute, need to look up their history books.

The conditions and wages trade unionists enjoy today didn't appear from nowhere, they were granted to workers after long and bitter workplace disputes. Not one improvement in wages or conditions has occurred because of an employers generosity. They have occurred because workers have pursued their demands by withdrawing their labour. The history of the Australian Labour Movement has been punctuated by mass sackings and imprisonment of workers. Although the Federal Government (with a little help from their friends the Democrats) has been able to prime the judicial system in employers favour, the fact is that the law can only succeed if people decide to comply with it. If people decide not to comply there aren't enough courts, police, or jails in this country to guarantee compliance when workers begin to resist these unjust laws (and they will).

The Federal government will soon realise that although they control the laws and courts, they will have to jail hundreds if not thousands of workers if they want to smash the power of workers organisations. The only thing working people have to fear is fear itself. The States laws and courts are no match for the collective might of the working people of this country.

LEGALISED THEFT

I find it difficult to understand how the media could describe the partial privatisation of Telstra and last weeks record profit as a victory for Australia's "mums and dads".

The partial privatisation of Telstra and the privatisation of many other State and Federal government assets highlights the point that public assets do not belong to the public, but belong to the government of the day. It's strange that in a society where private property rights are sacrosanct, so little regard is given to the property rights of the public.

If public assets belonged to the people the government would not be able to sell them without a referendum. Even if the government has the right to dispose of public assets, it does not have the right to sell them to the highest bidder. If public assets belong to the people and the government of the day decides to privatise them "on our behalf", we should each receive an equal parcel of shares, which we could either keep or sell on the open market.

The problem with the partial privatisation of Telstra, is that those sixteen million Australians who did not have the money or chose not to purchase Telstra shares have now been cheated out of their heritage by the Federal government. Privatisation, a policy pursued with zeal both by the Liberal/National and Labor Parties is a massive public swindle. Reviewing this dismal situation it's interesting to note that the Australian Constitution has not protected the property rights of the public and that this Nation's Courts have consistently failed to protect the publics' property rights. It's disheartening to note that the Federal Treasurer Peter Costello intends to legitimise the Federal governments theft of privatising the rest of Telstra after the next Federal election.

SIMPLOT AUSTRALIA - NO BACKYARD OPERATION

Anyone who believes that the struggle between Simplot Australia and 85 of its workforce in Echuca is just a little sideshow think again. Simplot Australia is an arm of one if the largest transnational food corporations in the world. If they are allowed to get way with their plans to sack 85 of their workers and replace them with labour from a hire firm (Manpower Australia) collective bargaining will become a thing of the past in this country.

Simplot Australia owns the following popular food brands, EDGELL, BIRDS EYE, FOUR'N'TWENTY, LEGGOES, HERBERT ADAMS, BIG SISTER, NANNA'S, HARVEST, PLUMROSE, CHICKO, SEALORD AND I & J.

I won't be buying any of these brands while the workers at Simplot Australia Leggoes factory in Echuca are locked out. Transnational corporations only understand one thing, the bottom line. If they feel their bottom line is in jeopardy they normally pull in their heads quick smart. Think about it, who do you support, Simplot Australia or the workers who are about to lose their livelihood.

THAT'S CAPITALISM!!

The A.N.Z. bank will, over the next few months lay off 1700 counter staff in its branches across Australia. This bank is at the cutting edge of new technological innovations in the banking sector. It wants to maximise its profits by laying off staff and automating its branches.

Don Mercer the former head of the A.N.Z. banking group was replaced by John McFarland, the current general manager because he wasn't that keen to lay off staff. Johnny McFarland has landed a very generous package on top of his two million dollars per year salary. A.N.Z. shareholders have recently voted Johnny a little bonus for a job well done, access to 12.8 million dollars worth of shares, which he can buy at today's prices when he leaves his position. Just to once again prove the point that capitalism is all about maximising shareholders profits, irrespective of the cost to a companies workers and the community, A.N.Z. shares rose 20c when the stockmarket was told that the bank was going to fire 1700 staff. It's good to see that capitalism has removed the human factor from economics.

Source: Anarchist Media Institute, Melbourne, Australia
Excerpt from Anarchist Age Weekly Review Number 288, 23rd February to 1st March, 1998

News Summary - Sunday 1 March

About two thousand unionists and their families gathered on the waterfront at Williamstown, to support wharfies involved in the Webb Dock dispute. They launched a flotilla of boats and yachts to encircle Webb Dock.
Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Leigh Hubbard said "It's Clean Up Australia Day and of course we'd be asking Peter Reith and John Howard and Chris Corrigan of Patricks to clean up their act...In fact we believe that there've been distortions and lies about what's been going on the wharves. We believe they should be cleaning up their act, and really if they want to do anything about productivity and efficiency, they ought to look at management. They ought to look at the real problems that are there on the waterfront and not just blame union members and the union." (Source: ABC, Erin)
Photoreport to follow in a couple of days!
Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith has told Channel Seven that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Attorney-General's Department and police have launched separate inquiries into the Maritime Union action. (Source: ABC)
Mr Corrigan of Patrick has told Channel Nine the company is losing money and faces possible closure if the dispute is lengthy. "I'm not going to attempt to forecast how many days or weeks we could last in whatever circumstances might arise, but one doesn't need to be overly skilled in financial analysis to see that it ain't long." (Source: ABC)
Two men who had started work at the scab operation at Webb Dock, both experienced waterside workers, have condemned tests they were given as fake, that cranes and other equipment were in poor condition, and that workers deliberately provoked MUA members picketing at the gates. In signed statements released by the ACTU yesterday, Mr Lucas Rene and Mr Richard Scougall, both now living in Queensland and not MUA members, said they were told the answers to tests on crane driving and other skills.
Mr Scougall said the tests "were a complete sham and of no real value to any authority". He said he was told on several occasions that the operation was intended to break the MUA. Mr Scougall was told by a P&C Stevedores employee, Mr Michael Cusack, "the NFF have millions of dollars and we want to get the MUA into court and tie them up there for a year and break them". Mr Rene said, "any ship owner would be mad to allow his ship to go in there as they really had no idea of what they were doing".
MUA secretary, John Coombs, commented that the fake training was a criminal act. "This is a disgraceful situation, we have highly questionable testing procedures, questions raised about safety . . . clearly this is a union-busting dispute," (Source: The Age)
Other industrial news:
- The executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the peak national union council in this country, met on 25-26 February to consider, among other matters, the MAI. The ACTU Exec. carried a resolution which:
  - Describes the MAI as a treaty which would severely limit the capacity of Australian governments to regulate foreign investment in the public interest.
  - Supports international regulation of investment issues but rejects the basis of the MAI because it regulates governments, not TNCs, in a period when capital has too much freedom to move and too great an ability to avoid social responsibilities
  - Notes TUAC's efforts to secure binding labour standards clauses and calls upon the Australian Government to reverse its opposition to this proposal
  - Calls upon the Australian Government to initiate public consultation on the MAI and to publicly address the issue of how the MAI would affect Australia's capacity to
  1. control foreign ownership of real estate,
  2. require foreign investors to meet export and research and development targets,and include Oz citizens on Boards of Directors,
  3. restrict foreign ownership of media and privatised assets,
  4. preserve local TV content,
  5. regulate the entry of overseas workers,
  6. assist industry development
  7. subsidise public educational, cultural and social service bodies without incurring the reciprocal obligations to private providers.
  - Proclaims the above to be of serious concern to the ACTU because of the loss of sovereignty to overseas investors
  - States that any treaty should protect from legal action inernational public interest campaigns, e.g. anti-apartheid and environmental campaigns; must not override the capacity to promote local industry and jobs; and must take into account the need to promote core labour standards, social justice, and environmental protection.
  In addition to carrying the resolution, the ACTU decided to convene a meeting of union and community groups to consider a campaign over the MAI. (Source: Leftlink)

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War on the Wharfies News Summary March 98

Breaking News - Tuesday 31 March

News Summary - Monday 30 March

News Summary - Saturday 28 March

News Summary - Wednesday 25 March

News Summary - Monday 23 March

News Summary - Friday 20 March

News Summary - Tuesday 17 March

News Summary - Friday 13 March

News Summary - Wednesday 11 March

News Summary - Tuesday 10 March

News Summary - Friday 6 March

News Summary - Tuesday 3 March

News Summary - Monday 2 March 1998

News Summary - Sunday 1 March

Breaking News - Tuesday 31 March

News Summary - Monday 30 March

Other news:

News Summary - Saturday 28 March

Other news:

News Comment - Our Political Leaders

WHEN IS A CODE OF CONDUCT NOT A CODE OF CONDUCT?

JEFFREY (GLIB) KENNETT - HOME GROWN HERO?

CANCEL THE DEBT

News Summary - Wednesday 25 March

Other news:

News Summary - Monday 23 March

Other news:

News Summary - Friday 20 March

News Summary - Tuesday 17 March

Other news:

News Summary - Friday 13 March

Other industrial news:

News Summary - Wednesday 11 March

News Summary - Tuesday 10 March

News Summary - Friday 6 March

News Summary - Tuesday 3 March

News Summary - Monday 2 March 1998

Overseas News - Neptune Jade Saga Continues....Bosses intent on bankrupting American Dockers

News Comment (27/2/98)

News Summary - Sunday 1 March

Contact Takver with questions or comments about this web page . Last Modified : March 30, 1998

War on the Wharfies News Summary
March 98

Contact Takver with questions or comments about this web page .
Last Modified : March 30, 1998