VALE COBBER
ALLEN HETHERINGTON: MAN OF IRON
A working class hero, a man who represented the courage and commitment to working class principles, one of the last wharfies who refused to load pig iron for Japan in the lead up to WWII, died on January 24.
Fifteen months after joining the waterfront Allen Hetherington put his hand up for one of the most significant industrial disputes and political protests in the proud history of the South Coast trade union movement.
Allen was rightly proud of his participation in this dispute and his story would not be complete without highlighting the Dalfram Dispute.
On November 15, 1938 the steamship Dalfram berthed at No. 4 jetty Port Kembla to load pig iron for Kobe, Japan.
Japan was at war with China and reports were making their way back of the brutalities carried out by the Japanese Imperial Army in the taking of Nanking.
Ted Roach, Branch Secretary, addressed the men at the labour pick up for the Dalfram, ironically being run by Percy Sloane who had introduced Allen to the wharves.
Ted told the men of the destination of the pig iron and the obvious use the Japanese would make of it: bombs - first to be used against the Chinese and eventually the bombs would be used against Australia.
The company challenged the claim saying the cargo was going to Singapore. The men turned to and loaded some 204 ton before the destination of the pig iron was confirmed as Japan.
At 11 am the men walked off the ship declaring they refused to load pig iron for Japan to turn into weapons. They said they would load other vessels with other cargo but the company called for the Dalfram to be manned or there would be no other work available.
Allen and his comrades still refused to load the pig iron. This led to a nine week lock-out, with incredible pressure and threats applied by the government of the day, leading the Attorney General and future Prime Minister Robert Menzies from this time on being known as Pig Iron Bob. But the men never buckled or faltered.
As the dispute dragged on some 4000 BHP employees were stood down across Christmas and New Year. Instead of celebrating, families were going hungry. Despite the intense pressure the men would not bend to the might of a right wing government or the greed of a company that would put profit before lives.
The community got behind them and donations of vegetables, fish and rabbits came in to keep their families fed.
Negotiations between the Waterside Workers? Federation (now MUA), Australian Council of Trade Unions and the government resulted in a compromise and on January 22, 1939 the members voted to return to work. So after some nine weeks without wages, the men loaded the Dalfram but this signalled the end of the lucrative pig iron trade to Japan. It was a crushing defeat for the government and BHP. Of a projected 306,000 tons of pig iron, only 23,000 tons left our shores, and history proved Allen and his comrades to be right.
Rupert Lockwood wrote in his book War on the Waterfront: ?180 men in sweaty singlets and hobnailed boots sacrificed pay packets in favour of conscience rather than become unwilling providers of munitions metal for Japan."
This was Allen?s grounding in politics and the trade union movement. Was it any wonder he went on to become a militant delegate and activist with compassion for the oppressed and solidarity with working class struggles at home and internationally.
Allen was born in Lithgow on October 8, 1914. As a youngster he ßlived for a time in Ryalston before his family moved to Murramburra where he finished his schooling, attaining his leaving certificate. Life could not have been easy in those days and as one of six children Allen had to do his bit to help out and got a job on a baker?s cart earning the princely sum of 7 shillings and six pence a week.
The family moved to Wollongong in 1934 where Allen got a job working at BHP in the spun pipe section. His work included core breaking, one of the dirtiest jobs of any in the steelworks. For this he earned about 17 shillings a week.
It was in Wollongong that he met and married Joyce who was with him until his death.
In 1937 Allen?s neighbour, Percy Sloane, was the calling foreman on the Port Kembla wharves. He advised Allen to try his hand on the wharves. Allen did just that and it proved to be the last job Allen ever had. He had found his place. He joined the Waterside Workers Federation on the 9th of August 1937 and retired as a life member on the 8th October 1979, 42 years later.
You don?t stay on the wharves long without picking up a moniker and Allen soon became known as "The Prince".
During the war Allen was conscripted by the government to work on the wharf at Townsville discharging munitions and military equipment. He never shirked his duty to his nation, but whenever the air raid sirens sounded Allen must have thought, with pride, back to the stand he and his comrades took to stop Australian steel coming back to us in the shape of Japanese bombs.
Allen and his comrades provided us, and generations to come, with a legacy to inspire us. To his wife Joyce and all of Allen?s family, we offer our sincere condolences.
Vale Allen Hetherington.
Gary Keane
Deputy Secretary
Southern NSW Branch
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HENRY MORSCHELL: TRUE BELIEVER
It is my unhappy task to report the death of one of our retired members. Henry (Harry) George Morschell of Gorokan on the Central Coast of NSW died in Gosford Hospital on November 3, 2001.
Harry came to our Union as a boy of 14 in 1936. He survived the Great Depression and the WWII and saw the uplifting of the Seaman?s Union, under the late E V Elliot and Pat Geraghty, from a small industrial union to one of the most significant platforms for bettering working class conditions in Australia.
He lived through the period of open fo?c?les and lousy living and working conditions which are so clearly shown in the art work of Roy Dalgarno and which, through the work of many dedicated unionists, has now gone forever.
In 1942 the Japanese when attacked the city of Darwin, Harry witnessed it from the decks of a ship in the harbour. He thereafter totally rejected war as a means of arranging men?s affairs.
Harry Morschell was a Communist, a great and dedicated member of his union, a fine professional seaman, a true believer and a jewel to the working class of Australia. Such men are the backbone of our union and the hope of our Nation!
He spent many years on the Empress of Australia and thereafter went to the Amanda Miller from which he took his retirement in 1987.
It is my honour to have been a friend of Harry?s for much of my life; he was my teacher, shipmate and inspiration, his like will come no more!
I commend his memory to you all.
Marty Douglass
Retired Member
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MICK HUGHES: FIGHTER
It is my sad duty to report the tragic loss of Comrade Michael Hughes.
Mick was born in New Zealand amongst a family of seafarers and fighters and grew up to be a chip off the old block, so to speak.
He came to Australia with his mum and sister in his teens and settled around the Bondi area. He quickly established himself as an outstanding all round sportsman, excelling in league, swimming, surfing and boxing. But the urge to explore inevitably brought Mick to the ranks of the Seamen?s Union in the late 70s as a trainee dirt bird.
Amongst the ranks of seamen of that era who were to have a lasting influence on him were the likes of Taffy Sweetensen, Tommy Cavanagh, Vince Healy and Cheeky Harry. Add these to his family and it was no surprise that Mick was a committed trade unionist who understood the class struggle and which team he played for.
We became close after Mick returned from a stint on the Kiwi coast in the late 80?s, where he had been shipping out of Lyttleton, and attended the retraining course in Launceston.
As anyone who attended would know it was an experience you either loved or hated, no in betweens. To say Mick and I fell into the first category would be an understatement - we had a ball! Thus did the bonds of friendship remain firm till now.
Mick was an example of the best traits that seafarers present to the rest of the community; a man who was loyal, caring, generous, straight forward and humourous.
Someone once made the observation to me that he had never met a seafarer who wasn?t slightly mad. I replied that Iíd met two but had liked neither. So it was with Mick, he loved nothing better than a bit of mischief and thumbing his nose at authority, but his heart was always in the right place.
One of his last jobs was on the Australian Enterprise, where, according to Paddy Crumlin, Mick as MUA delegate played a significant role in ultimately winning the dispute to retain Australian seafarers employed onboard in the face of Federal Court injunctions and massive fines.
Finally my sympathies to his family, especially his sister Marie, Aunt Carol, and his seagoing cousins Drew and Paddy. We?ll miss him but never forget him.
So to you Mick, fair winds and calm seas on your voyage to Fiddler?s Green. Farewell Comrade.
Rex Healy
Union No: 925
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MICK HUGHES: INSPIRATION
I mourn the tragic passing of Mick Hughes. To say that Mick and I were close is an understatement. We were thrown together as toddlers and were more or less side-by-side throughout our lives.
Michael was a gifted athlete, a natural who excelled in whatever sport he competed in. I can testify to that as having been on the end of more than a few of his left hooks and right hands. He set the benchmark both in his life and on the field, to which I aspired but could never quite achieve.
Michael was many things to me - my cousin, protector, friend, shipmate - and I miss him dearly.
Farewell Hammishlog
Drew Kenneally
Union No. 2704
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GARY GULLIVER: PARTY ANIMAL
It was with great sadness in the heart that we all said a final farewell to Gully on January 29. Gully was born in London in 1951 and his family came to Australia in 1956 on the S.S. New Australia.
They settled in Brisbane. Gully did well in high school going to his 12th year, then joined the RAN as a submariner for nine years. In 1979 he joined the Seamen?s Union and he never looked back. He was a staunch unionist, a great shipmate and generous to a fault.
He was always looking after the underdog. The sea was his life. All he ever wanted to do was get back to work. He really loved going to sea.
I?ve had the pleasure to have known Gully and his family for 23 years and I?ve sailed with him on the odd occasion. He was a real party animal and his wake was a big party.
Gully will be sadly missed by his family especially his daughters and all his friends.
Fair Sailing Comrade.
Lesleigh Sivkoff
Union No: 9451
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JACK FINNAN: SPIKE MAN
I am saddened to report the passing of Jack Finnan (1926-2002), a life member of the Union, aged 76. He died peacefully at home in January. I was privileged and honoured to have known him and been his friend.
Jack was a great ship mate, honest and trustworthy, a quiet man respected by all.
Born in Hamilton, Newcastle, but reared in northern New South Wales, he was a real bushie at heart. But he was a fine sailor and a dedicated and committed trade unionist. He was also recognised as being one of the best spike men in the business.
Jack commenced sea service in 1940 aged 14 years and continued until the mid-sixties when he went ashore as a spike-hand and thence to the Maritime Services Board where he became skipper and crane driver of the heavy lift floating crane Titan.
Jack was a young able-seaman on Howard Smith?s Kowarra when she was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine off Sandy Cape on April 25, 1943. There were only 11 survivors and 22 men lost their lives.
The survivors spent a long rough night on a raft before being picked up by the United States Navy sub-chaser 358. Two men died on the raft during the night.
With the passing of men like Jack, we need to remember the sacrifices made by merchant mariners before the collective memory totally fades and it?s also why it?s so vitally important that commemorative services such as the Anchors Day continue.
We must also ensure the recognition of International Maritime Day by the Australian Government on September 3 each year.
Farewell Jack, we will remember you.
Bill Langlois
Life Member
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JOE HART: TRUE COMRADE
It was extremely sad to hear of the passing of one of our true seafarers Joe Hart, on January 20.
Joe served on many vessels as a chef over the past two decades. He loved going to sea and was a very popular member of all crews in which he served. His professionalism and dedication to work and union involvement were second to none. The kind and considerate nature Joe displayed meant that he had many friends throughout the industry. Joe loved a drink and a night out with the boys. The magic shows and crowd pleasing antics have left us all with unforgettable memories.
While on leave, Grant Hopper and I visited Joe?s mum in Newcastle and we were given the honour and the duty of scattering Joe?s ashes at sea. The service was conducted in the Sedco 702 on March 12. All marine personnel and many others attended the service. The sea was truly a place wheret Joe felt at home and it was fitting that his farewell should be on the ocean. Our sincere condolences are extended to all Joe?s family. Rest in peace Joe, you will be sadly missed by all those fortunate enough to have sailed with you.
Peter Morgan
Union No: 6350
On behalf of the Sedco 702 crew
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KEVIN BICKLEY: UNION ACTIVIST
Long serving Fremantle member Kevin Bickley lost his fight against cancer on November 27.
Kevin came from a family of the Fremantle waterfront and will be remembered for his absolute loyalty to the great union he loved, for his support and commitment to officials, staff and members ; in the many battles and struggles the union confronted over the years, Kevin was at the forefront and always there when needed.
Kevin?s battles in support of what he believed to be right were encapsulated in a photograph on the front page of the West Australian, April 29 1998, which showed a policewoman with her hand around his throat, as they attempted to remove members and supporters from the picket line during the Patrick lock-out.
The photo was presented to Kevin and his family by other unions, including the AMWU and the community who supported the struggle.
At Kevin?s funeral a letter from National Secretary Paddy Crumlin was read to the gathering by WA Branch Secretary Terry Buck and included this paragraph which I believe sums up Kevin.
?Kevin?s great strength and mature attitude to industrial and political issues made him one of the leaders of the waterfront.
?His humility was such that he never sought greater office, but was satisfied with his role as a rank and file member and union activist; I have tremendously warm memories of our time on the Tom Edwards Stand during the Patrick dispute where Kevin?s determination, courage and commitment summarised the values and principles that sustained the workforce and the Union through that period of terrible upheaval.?
Kevin is survived by his wife Helen and four children, including members Gary and Shane.
They have every reason to be proud of Kevin?s achievements as a great husband, father, grand-father and fighter for the rights of workers.
The MUA has lost a great member and life member. We will remember him.
Terry Buck
WA Branch Secretary
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MUA
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