Maritime Diary

By By National Secretary Paddy Crumlin

P&O EBA KICKS OFF

P&O EBA talks are about to kickoff, providing the opportunity to further promote job security and members' entitlements on the job. The union will continue the drive against casualisation of the industry as a priority. We will also be pushing for a fairer and clearer process of career path, job allocation and grievance procedures. The modern workplace should have parity of earnings, hours worked and shift allocation as well as guaranteeing safety and health as an industry priority. The role of the delegate is central to the protection of workers' rights on the job, and that recognition will be central to our position in the negotiations together with the rights of parents and women. The conference of P&O rank and filers will determine the priorities and directions to go forward. Full involvement of the membership in every aspect of union organisation is essential to our future.

ISRAELI STATE TERRORISM

The situation in the Middle East is of deep concern to all thinking and caring people. The institutionalised murder of innocent Palestinians and the systematic dismantling of their fledgling nation is stunning to witness, even in an area where you think things can't get much worse. Israeli leader Sharon is remarkable in that his professional life has been a series of murderous highlights and human rights' abuses. Many Israelis, who narrowly voted him and his government into power, are horrified by the escalating violence and dysfunction following his belligerent attitude and confrontation with Palestinian people. The terrorism is fed by unrelenting physical and psychological violence by Israel, which seizes on every terrorist bombing with further ferocious over reaction.

It is a murderous and tragic cycle that must be broken, or the quality of all our lives suffer. Violence and State brutality of this degree only feeds further global instability and degrades the quality of our life. It effectively amounts to State terrorism. The MUA has a proud history of supporting our views with

political action.

YARRA SAGA

The saga of the River Yarra continues. The role of the Federal Government is disgraceful and amounts to backing foreign interests and crew over Australian public, commercial and economic interests.

The MUA campaign in the last election to expose Howard's dishonesty and hypocrisy remains spot on. As the children overboard debacle shows, the Australian electorate were sold the dummy and we continue to bear part of that cost. The Opposition parties are showing increasing determination to tackle the government over their selling out of the shipping industry. That message is sinking in because our campaign has been so determined and supported by the membership. It's a campaign to retain the right to work in our own country under Australian laws. Like many issues those rights are often attacked in the maritime industry so a national precedent can be set. That's the cost of being in a union that has a decent go.

DISTINGUISED CAREER

National Council has quickly responded to fill leadership positions following the resignation of Deputy National Secretary Mick O'Leary. Mick has moved on for personal and family reasons after a long and distinguished career with the union. It is critical under the current industrial and political conditions to ensure the union continues to be represented by capable, principled and hard working officials. Casual Vacancy Rule 41(a) provides for meeting that need and National Council has determined that Jim Tannock will become the Deputy National Secretary with SA Branch Secretary Rick Newlyn becoming the Assistant National Secretary together with existing Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman.

Deputy SA Branch Secretary Keith Ridgeway becomes the new SA Branch Secretary. I know all these officials will continue to represent all members with the distinction and commitment they have demonstrated in their previous positions.

MILITANT TRADITION

The advanced conditions of employment and worker protection that maritime workers have are a result of militant struggle by generations of unionists. Wharves where workers lined up day-in and day-out for the boss to throw a few crumbs and ships where seafarers were packed into fo'c'sles and treated like slaves have not been transformed into the workplaces of today by magic or the employers' largesse. Every condition has been carved out of the corporate granite of opposition by workers united in their efforts, disciplined in their approach and brilliant in their strategy. That is what has set our union and industry apart.

The current membership need to understand that many of those past generations of workers never received the full benefit of their efforts. We know this, as do many other workers and human rights' organisations and national independence movements around the world. These were and are unionists who know that no true gains can be made unless we have societies free of discrimination, war and oppression. The union is loved and respected around the world for its work towards that goal.

The union is working closely with retired member organisations with the view of bringing them into a more co-ordinated national organisation. This union should support them with the respect and acknowledgement of their achievements on our behalf that they deserve.

PARTY POLITICS

If the ALP wants to secure greater electoral support they need to be accountable on the delivery of their policies when in government. The electorate has had a gutful of political parties that talk left and walk right. Policies should be laid out, and when in government a system of review of implementation should be structured and committed to. Workers want to get what they vote for and the ALP will go straight into office next time if they make that commitment. It's one thing for some of these people to bag unions, let's see if they can put their hand up to do a bit of delivering of their own.