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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Jul-Aug 2008        |
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Ship to Shore: A history of Melbourne's waterfront and Its Union Struggles
Melbourne Waterfront, 'the most notorious port in the world,' was for a long time infamous for its high rate of crime, its inefficient, unjust management, and its employees' uncivilised, unsanitary and dangerous working conditions. When General MacArthur's US forces arrived in Melbourne in 1942, they were astounded at the disorder they found: waterfront foremen who demanded bribe s for jobs; a pecking order for labour engagement which operated along the lines of a caste system; and shipowners who flagrantly violated health laws by providing grossly inadequate facilities for their employees - one shower per thousand workers and one toilet per 150 men. With massive war cargoes to unload, it wasn't long before the US command, having assessed the situation, threatened to order American soldiers to tak e over stevedoring unless the Melbourne waterfront cleaned up its operations. Why did it take US military intervention to bring about a fairer system of labour rostering and a healthier and safer working environment? Other Bookworms articles:
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