A-Infos (en) War on the Wharfies 24 Feb update - Australia

["Takver" <Takver@onaustralia.com.au>]

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     A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
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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

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, Auckland'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@onaustralia.com.au
War on the Wharfies Homepage:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/Takver/soapbox/index.htm


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