Maritime Union of Australia: Workers Journal: Letters Forum

As you enter the Block, close to Redfern Station in Sydney, you're hit with the dour, desperate look of the place. And, as you walk down the narrow street standing in the little park that leads you into the base of the Block, you come across the statue of one of Australia's greatest fighters for human rights, a man of undisputed principle -- Pemulwuy.

Unfortunately, he was killed by the British invaders, in battle, giving his life not only for his race (Aboriginal Australians), but all oppressed peoples of the world. Many times in his short, eventful life, Thomas Hickey (better known as TJ) would have gone past this statue. What took place on Sunday February 15 at the Block where police and indigenous people became involved in violent confrontation was a reminder of the struggles of Pemaweli. The action taken by the indigenous people on that fateful night at the Block was really a call for help. Their youth have reached a dead end, a closed door. The community is plagued by unemployment and drugs. And of course the death of Thomas Hickey. This all added up to instant revenge. A young indigenous Australian had died a most horrific death, impaled on an iron rail.

Drugs, alcohol and squalid living conditions - the young grow up in this atmosphere with a feeling of despair. Whilst understanding the feelings of the people and the furore that developed, what was needed was a steady hand and a peaceful march of concern at the circumstances of his death.

The police swooped on the so-called troublemakers (some of their actions apparently caught on police video). Why can't they do just that with the drug dealers? Dirty syringes lie in the streets where it's an open slather of drug dealings - not only at the Block, but all over the place.

Drugs are increasing, murders, homes being fired upon, people missing and takeover operations - openly defying police.

The young people are caught in the razzle dazzle and the big boys, the power hungry misfits running the scene for profit, power and control are using the kids for their own ends. Drugs have a heavy hold at the Block - that's the real source of the trouble.

Fortunately in the fracas that Sunday night, no one else was killed. There were many injured, but it could have been a disaster. Common sense prevailed.

A peaceful demonstration, with trade union support, demanding the Government pay back the money they robbed off indigenous people (only announced in May); that the Block be opened up for housing, swimming pools, a modern gymnasium, parks and other facilities; the defence of the young against the drug dealers - these issues need full support. Unfortunately, throwing missiles and lighting fires on the presumption that the police were involved in the death of TJ opened up the place for the right wingers to jump in, boots and all.

Thomas Hickey's death was very sad. Let's get rid of the cause of the trouble and by doing that, he will not have died in vain.

I journeyed out to sea in my mind last night and I wondered...
I wondered if humans are worth as much as animals
I wondered if people could feel the emotion of the cage
I wondered, if we had come here as unwanted livestock, if there had been just one sheep on the Siev X, would people see the truth about asylum seekers?
I wondered if they could imagine children as lambs, would they then shed tears?
If only the press had cared as much for them as those sheep...
I wish we had been born sheep instead of scapegoats
I wish it was not better to be a dumb animal than to be human here.
Anonymous

At our meeting of the Nambucca River Branch ALP held in January it was resolved I write to pass on our thanks to the MUA crews of the Iron Yandi and Iron Carpentaria for their generous donations and support over the years.

We live in an area dominated by the boot licking lackeys of the coalition 'the National Party' and to receive the ongoing support that we have from our comrades at sea gives us great heart to continue the fight and spread the socialist ideology no matter how hard that may be.

Only through the unity of labour can we truly set our brothers and sisters free. Fascist regimes and multi-national corporations hold the citizens of sovereign states captive in order to control their natural resources. The solidarity of ordinary workers is our only hope of victory. May the seas be kind and your voyages safe.

Leo McDonald has been in the industry and a member of the union for close to 40 years. The vast majority of this time he was a Painter & Docker and as many people would know, the P&D's never had a superannuation fund the same as wharfies, seafarers and other union members.

Leo's standing in the Victorian Branch is legendary; you could not count the amount of people he has organised fundraisers for and the amount of money that has been collected.

Among the recipients are orphaned children, invalids as well as wharfies seafarers, dockies etc. etc.

At the time of writing, Leo is off work from P&O Bulk & General and it is common knowledge that he will never work again.

Due to the fact he has very little superannuation in the fund, a few of his mates have got together and decided it is his turn to have a testimonial in his honour to show our appreciation of the great contributions he has given to the down and out over many years.

The function will be held at the Victorian Branch union rooms on Sunday August 1. All members who know Leo should get behind the cause and give this comrade the send off he so rightly deserves.

Please pass on my heartfelt thanks to your Union's National Office for their generous donation towards the publicity costs for the cinema season of Molly & Mobarak. It turned out to be a very successful venture. The film ran for 11 weeks at the Valhalla, and screened on SBS in May. All the refugee support groups - both large and small - believe the film has been of real benefit to the just cause of asylum seekers in Australia.

Dear Comrades, on behalf of the Maritime Union of East Timor/UMTTL, I would like to thank the MUA for its support for the family of Pedro Henrique, our member who passed away in an accident at Dili Port on April 19.

We realise how much your genuine support has helped. It shows all East Timorese workers the importance of unity - unity born in solidarity.

As a new union in East Timor, we do not have anything to give you as thanks. So we must try do do much more to show you that despite our limited resources, we are making a strong and independent union.

Thank you for the recent donation of $1,170 from the MUA in support of the family of (deceased) East Timorese port worker Pedro Henrique (See last MWJ). Your receipt for tax purposes is attached.

On behalf of the family and Union Aid Abroad, thank you for your personal contribution to his family at this time of grief.

Let me thank you for the extraordinary hospitality you extended to me and the other members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union delegation that you invited to the recently concluded MUA National Conference. Your warmth and generosity were exceeded only by the historical importance of your proceedings. Not only did I gain a deeper appreciation of the traditions and militancy of the MUA, but I was also moved by the actions and expressions of international working class solidarity that were emphasised and reaffirmed repeatedly through your deliberations. My experiences with you and your members have given me a greater optimism about our ability to prevail in the struggles ahead.

Your conference was a huge success. I observed the votes and debate from the floor. Your officers were right on cue and you have the pulse of the membership. Great job. Thanks for all the hospitality that you gave to me and to all the other ILWU brothers. I look forward to working with you in the future. We know without world solidarity we will never make it and we cannot afford to lose. Time may run out on you and me, but with the time we have we must make a difference.

Just a note to thank you, your officers and the membership of the Maritime Union of Australia for the generosity and hospitality you extended to me during your recently concluded convention. The feeling of solidarity and brotherhood which I experienced will stay with me for years to come.

I firmly believe that the similarities of our struggles have unified us in the past and they will continue to unify us in the future.

I am delighted that you committed to us to speak at our Palm Springs conference in September and look forward to seeing you there.

The Brisbane Veterans would like to thank all national officials, along with the officials and rank & file members of the Southern Queensland Branch for the support extended to our association. The funding for our trips and functions, along with enabling us to attend our National Conference is by no means taken for granted, thank you comrades.

All resolutions from our conference were passed unanimously with particular attention paid to pledging our full and active support to the MUA both nationally and at a local level in any area where we may be of assistance.

Resolution endorsed:
The Brisbane MUA Veterans' congratulate both the National Office and the Central NSW Branch on the successful outcome of the Occupational Health Safety case against Patrick in the port of Sydney, once again proving that commitment and solidarity of the membership will more often than not overcome seemingly impossible odds.

Take a bow, Victorian Branch Secretary Kevin Bracken. Following a call placed to the Victorian Branch at 0830 hr on Wednesday February 11 in relation to a dispute aboard the MV Acheme Calaca, his prompt response and actions were much appreciated by all on board.

One hundred members attended the social of the Fremantle Branch of the Veterans' Association in March. It was once again a huge success assuring that there will be more of these socials.

Thanks to Jim Brady and the Committee for these splendid functions. We now have a membership of 250. So someone's doing something right!

We wish to thank warmly the chairman & secretary of the Merchant Navy Association for the magnificent plaque and greeting card. We warmly welcome our fraternal connection with the association and will work for an ongoing development. A very fine group of 12 from the United States ILWU Pacific Pensioners' Association attended our National Conference, held in Sydney in March 2000. Much of their organisational endeavours centred on the same issues as ours, namely protection of pensioner's health, for example Medicare, dental and optical care, political and social matters. By far the main goal was the broadening of our organisation throughout the Pacific region and in fact worldwide, like the ITF.

On Monday March 6, 16 Blair Athol miners walked through the gate after waiting five years and eight months. The mine manager said in 1998 that while his arsehole pointed to the ground, these 16 would never come back on site. That makes the victory even sweeter!!! Thanks for your support.

There is more to do - we must call on the company to put the saga behind them and employ the rest.

Congratulations on the article about our day at the port (Wharfies' Gallipoli, MWJ, January/February, 2004). I was quite impressed with the quotes from the script from Strike at the Port. I had thought also about the similarities between our marking our defeat at Anzac and our recognition of the importance of the struggle on Australian wharves in 1928 and the future.

But there were a couple of errors. Firstly, it was unique the way my name was spelt in the caption, although I note that in the story the spelling was correct.

The second thing was that Stephen Sewell did not write Strike at the Port. The original flyer says that John Lonie was the researcher and that the company collectively devised the play.

My first association and friendship with Jaqy Phillips began in 1978 when I took the cast down to the port to meet some of the veterans who took part in the strike, and showed them the Hall and some of the berths where the action took place. Nick Enright accompanied us.

We first got word our Aussie crew would be replacing the Philippine crew on the MT Juniper on April 22 -- just two days before it was due to berth at Kwinana, WA.

The Juniper is the replacement tanker for the Japonica. We hurriedly put together an inspection team for the ship -- Assistant Branch Secretary Ian Bray, Chief IR Brett Baker, Chief Steward Peter Teune, Chief Cook Kevin Fish, delegates Mick Curran and myself.

Rarely do we see such new tankers (18 months old) as this coming onto the Australian Coast. The last was the Australian Spirit. The MT Juniper is a 47000dwt chemical/product tanker on long term charter to BP of double skin construction built in Coratia in 2002, owned by Jubilee Shipping and managed by ASPSM.

We arrived on board and made contact with the skipper, Mike Ashby and ship manager of ASPSM Ron Scott. We then split up to inspect the vessel. Brett Baker took the deck while Ian Bray and myself checked out the accommodation, bridge and engine room.

Chief cook Kevin Fish and Chief Steward Peter Teune inspected the galley fridges and dry store. But already it seemed practically all meat and fish in the chillers were to be thrown to the fishes. Kevin was doing a marvellous job of feeding us on what was here.

The accommodation was clean and tidy, if not a little sparse. A couple of the cabins were duly examined. They were found to be wanting of creature comforts, had no carpet, little furniture and small bunks.

It is going to take some time to bring them up to our standard for this coast. The workshop is tiny with one small workbench, hardly any tools to speak of (three screw drivers, a hammer, an impact wrench we had to fix before we could use it).

We did the crew changeover on Monday April 26. They say you only really find out what a ship is really like after you join it. Following fire drills, boat drills introduction to single launching life boat (Scary concept!) we had to race ashore to Kmart and buy some bedding to see us through, prior to a 1640 hrs departure to New Zealand. Some aspects of safety will need addressing but we will settle the job down and a lot of stuff will come over from the Japonica, but it's a replacement for a ship going off the coast. We want to stop the bluewater from shrinking any more. Comrades, we sail on to a new sunrise!

After 28 years of service and travelling 1,171,328 nautical miles, carrying 23,507,181 tonnes of cargo the M/V Iron Carpentaria was finally put to rest at Xin Hui South China on December 31. All the monies from the ship were combined together and sent to the union rooms in Port Kembla, ready to go to the new tonnage. Although the crew was enthusiastic about getting to China, the same could not be said about the old girl as she was compounding the task with various hiccups. But once again the dedication and professionalism of her final Australian crew coaxed her along to a more than dignified end to her illustrious service with the union. The crew of the Iron Carpentaria would like to thank all union officials in Newcastle and Port Kembla for their support and help with all disputes the Iron Carpentaria has had during her time in service.

We, the MUA members on board M.T. Scottish Wizard, would like to sincerely thank our national officials Paddy Crumlin and Rick Newlyn for their most valued support arising with the loss of this vessel. Due to the hard work and effort of those involved, communication was available around the clock, concluding with a successful redeployment or redundancy package for everyone. Also, thanks to Chris Cain and Ian Bray of the Fremantle branch for their offer to assist, if required.

The anchor was dropped for the last time on December 7 in Singapore harbour and the ship was handed over. She now has Indian officers and Filipino crew. The manning for this ship increased by eight. The Wizard came out 18 months ago. She had 122 defects which included both life boats and got the name Scottish Hazard over that time, with hard work, bad conditions. Things improved, as the last time a surveyor came on board, only three defects remained. It's a credit to all who sailed on her. But we were betrayed once more by the ship owner for the mighty dollar.

Our rolling fund was handed over to national office for the fighting fund. We will remain on course. Thanks again comrades.

I'd like to thank the union for giving me the opportunity to attend the ALP National Conference this year. As a member of the party it was good to see first hand how the political system works. There were some good policies put forward, especially those we put up on Australian shipping.

It was really impressive seeing our people doing their bit on Australian shipping. As a result Labor leader Mark Latham has publicly committed to the union's shipping policy. It must have been one of the greatest achievements coming out of the conference. I thought our guys spoke well and put forward a good argument.

Thanks again to the union for its policy of getting rank and filers along. I'd recommend it to any member.

We wish to record our thanks to (National Legal Officer) Joanne White, for the way she led our recent enterprise negotiations.

Every committee man here is thankful for her input into negotiations which took place in a very difficult industrial environment. Our committee recognises Joanne's astute judgment when dealing with the issues and her ability to handle very experienced company personnel. The low level of shipping restricted the outcome for us. However, we managed to maintain a ratio of 20 permanents to eight casuals which included the upgrade of all the young supplementaries to permanent. The level of labour and wages remain intact and pay will be enhanced by 12 per cent. We conceded certain operational flexibilities to the company but this probably compares well with most ports. All retirees are happy with their package and, most importantly, union membership (and support) remains at 100 per cent.

Thank you, Jo, for the time and effort you gave. We hope to maintain contact with you in the future and wish you all the best in future negotiations.

This is just a short note to thank (MUA Media Officer Zoe Reynolds) for speaking at the ACTU Union Media and Communications Conference.

This is the first conference of this type that the ACTU has organised. As you will be aware, the conference was very well attended and our feedback has indicated that the quality of the speakers was an important factor in this. So thank you.

As part of the conference wrap-up, conference delegates were asked to indicate how useful they had found each session. You may be interested to know that almost without exception the session in which you participated was rated as excellent or very good by conference delegates.

When we hear lightning and thunder,
Reminds us of the crocodile - the man from Down Under,
Word has it you haven't been well, Concerns were raised by Matt Purcell.

From the Boys
In the ITF
Matt Purcell
Ross Storer
Graham Bragg