Mailbag

An Industrial Relations Revolution?

Plans for amendments to the Workplace Relations Act (1996) merely reflect conservative ambitions within the context of traditional IR in this country. Regrettably, neither the Liberal Party nor the ALP have come up with any far reaching IR reforms for an entire generation.

The ACTU/TDC Report "Australia Reconstructed" (1987) showed the way but Bob Hawke rejected its blueprint for industrial democracy. The ALP in particular is firmly stuck in the groove, as is part of the Australian union movement. Enterprise Bargaining was perhaps a very minor step in the direction of workplace democracy, which could be vastly expanded. Similarly, the still modest recommendations in the Nelson Report (2000), to encourage Employee Share Ownership, have not been taken up yet. Most Australian unions don't want to know about Employee Share Ownership but the fact is that in the UK workplaces with employee share ownership have much higher union membership that those without it! The new Employee Ownership Act in Belgium (2002) was negotiated with the union movement and has their full approval.

This country is 30 years behind Europe and the US on both counts, a huge gap that needs to be and can be bridged. Turning the clock back again would be a costly non-reform, no doubt productive of endless litigation.

The opportunity for an innovative culture shift exists right now and even more after July 1. Centralising IR? Great. But the entire adversarial system needs to be replaced at the same time. Australian trade unionism can take a pro-active position in this reform process and drive a hard bargain which could benefit all parties. That can only happen if the leadership can start thinking outside the square.

Klaas Woldring,
Secretary, Australian Employee Ownership Association,
Co-founder Progressive Labour Party,
Pearl Beach.

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Methyl Bromide Danger

I read with keen interest your story 'NZ Wharfies Raise Alarm Over Methyl Bromide (22/11/04) on the MUA web page.

I had a bad experience with methyl bromide several years ago along with at least five others in my work group.

We were loading a grain ship at 27 berth in Adelaide in about1990 and had finished work for the night when we all seemed to have had a similar experience, namely hallucinating and nausea.

From memory one bloke could not make the drive home without pulling over and waiting to feel better. I experienced hallucinations and nausea.

An investigation the day after the event revealed the silo had not aerated the grain enough after being treated with the fumigant methyl bromide.

I rang a local hospital to ask for information but was told that if I was feeling okay now there was nothing to worry about.

This was a foolish way of shrugging of such an incident. All was just about forgotten but for a major impact on my life in 2001.

I was slowly paralysed from approximately the waist down (T10 down in neuro terms) and hospitalised for tests (MRI, blood, scans etc) over approximately a two-weeks.

The MRI revealed swelling in my spinal cord at t10-t12. All other tests were clear. The neurologist said the cause was unknown. I mentioned the methyl bromide incident to him and he said it 'may' be the cause. Neurologists are not very good with yes or no.

Anyway, cutting a long story short, I was given four bags of steroids over a four day period which slowly got me mobile again. It probably took three months to get 90 per cent mobility back and it's now at about 95 per cent. I am praying it does not return. The only residual I have is slight numbing in my legs.

My Neuro at the time was Ray Casse and I was treated at Memorial Hospital. I still have relevant scans and blood results If any one needs more information please contact me. My thoughts are with you.

In the USA I believe this product is banned or about to be.

Dave Roberts
CSX Adelaide
tel: 0417884879

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"Beware Sharks"

Comrades, having been a member of this Union for approaching 20 years I have experienced what can happen to our members when they have significant amounts of money to invest.

The introduction of superannuation choice legislation in July 2005 will see the advent of more "sharks" than ever existed in the deep blue briny that surrounds this country and they will bite deep.

One only has to recall the wounds suffered by some of our members who exited via WIRA redundancies, without going into the specifics; some comrades, inflicted with the "sharks" bite, had little recourse irrespective of how much plastic (financial) surgery they undertook.

Comrades, when this piece of legislation is enacted please take the time to ascertain which unions established the first industry funds ( WWF then shortly afterwards the SUA).

Our funds started some 25 years prior to the Superannuation Guarantee levy introduced by the Labor Government by way of the persistence of the ACTU.

Our industry funds have the benefit of elected officials installed as directors.

The latest distribution of surplus and the transfer of SERF to Accumulation + is evidence of the fundamental need to have MUA directors securely at the helm of our respective funds.

Remember comrades, any spillage of blood will only attract more "sharks". I urge all members to objectively analyse their situation before they contemplate "Mac the Knife".

"Foresight is a gift, hindsight is a consequence".

Yours fraternally
Trevor Munday

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Letter from El Salvador

Well, El Salvador definitely is a basket case for unionism. It appears that any struggle here is met with significant resistance from the government and the companies, sometimes resulting in death.

All people in El Salvador who are progressive or active in any way in the union or civil rights movement are constantly watching their backs.

As some of you already know this solidarity mission has coincided with an ITF conference concentrating on civil aviation that seeks to expand into ports and transport.

The Teamsters, represented by Ron Carver, Assistant Director of Teamsters Port Division, are driving this fact-finding mission against Maersk/Sealand.

We aim to identify the anti union activity perpetrated by Maersk and then to deliver a report in Denmark that will hopefully put pressure on the company through public opinion.

We interviewed a number of truck drivers who were sacked in 2001 for being associated with the union which has effectively been deregistered. These sacked members are seeking to reform the union, however a number of obstacles are in their way. The wharfies are a completely different story. After 9/11 the military and police took over the docks and disbanded the union. They have completely destroyed working conditions. Unlike the ansport/trucking sector, the ports are owned by the state and not by multinationals, which limits the opportunity of exerting international pressure on a particular company.

The port workers are attempting to have the union re-registered with the government and then set about organising the port.

They have met continual resistance. Any port worker who joins the union ultimately faces the sack.

Of the 41 union members, 35 have been sacked, however they are still agitating, albeit with extreme difficulty.

These workers suggested that there may be benefits if each of the international unions corresponded with the El Salvador Government protesting at the treatment of workers who wish to belong to a union.

I obviously gave a commitment to this.

Further discussion on international solidarity with Salvadoran dock workers presented an idea of an international "day of action" targeting El Salvador missions around the world on the same day, presenting resolutions to the ambassadors supporting trade union rights in El Salvador.

Salvadorans are particularly grateful for the international solidarity.

We must not underestimate the danger involved for some of these people to organise. The constant fear of reprisal is daunting for a lot of workers.

In January there were a recorded nine murders per day; there are no figures for those who have been murdered for organising activity.

In Solidarity
Jamie Newlyn
SA Branch Secretary

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Bali Visit

Before leaving Brisbane for a holiday in Bali my father, retired seafarer Jack Gardiner, mentioned there was a seafarers' club in Sanur and we should pay them a visit. So with my MUA flag and a few empty suitcases [for my wife Inge and a retired seafarer's shopping trips] we set off.

We did a daytrip from Kuta to Sanur to shop of course. Then it was off to the seafarers' club for a well earnt Bintang beer [not bad actually].

On arrival we were greeted by a fella named Putu. He introduced us to another fella named Budi who was Chairman of the Bali Seamen's Branch.

We presented him with the flag then chatted for a few hours. He told us if any seafarers wish to go to Bali to get in touch with him and he will arrange accommodation [discounted] and trips around the island by his staff (seafarers on leave) in their own vehicles.

My mother and father took them up on their offer and couldn't praise them enough. So when next in Bali please give them a visit. The more visitors, the longer the club will be there.

Email them at baliseamansclub@yahoo.com. Their address is Bali Seamen's Club at Jalan Tamblingan, No.27, Sanur.

Andy Gardiner
Kowulka,
Union no. 2444

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Thanks Comrades

This is to all my comrades on the vessels Bennett Tide, William E Bright, Oil Valour, RJ Hope and any others I have forgotten to mention. My family and I would like to express our thanks and appreciation to all those comrades who have supported us both financially and emotionally over the period of my illness.

Without all your thoughts and generosity during this time, we would have had a very hard time making ends meet. It's comforting to know that when anyone needs support the comrades band together and help in any way they can without hesitation. Once again our heartfelt thanks.

We would especially like to thank Mark Jacques and Suzie, Robert Ross (Stutters), and Chuck and Viv Inglesen for their total support and the unselfishness they showed.

George Collins
Tidewater,
Union no: 5554

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Stadacona Visit

We boarded the vessel via a creaky old gangway. It was rusted and swaying and the steps weren't flush, so you could see the ground beneath you- talk about vertigo.

We kept the delegation to just the four of us. At first Port Security wouldn't let us through the gate.

We spoke to a few guys on the wharf and Nathan took some shots of the rust and damage to the hull with his mobile phone.

No one had oiled the ropes in years. At the top of the steps was a huge sign saying 'No id no Entry'.

The third and second mates stopped us at the first door and signed us in. The log would show our names and shipping line.

The Captain met with us for 20 minutes until Customs arrived to interview him. We listened in and found out that it had been in Semafore (some port in South Australia). It is now leaving Devonport for Kembla and then Gladstone then back to SA.

Bill asked heaps of questions. The vessel is on a continuous voyage permit so it leaves Australia for three months every year. Mainly it travels to Japan.

It carries gypsum which you use to make glass products. The crew are Ukrainian. Only the captain speaks English but the 2nd and 3rd mate are learning more English.

Simmo gave the captain an MUA Diary and a few copies of the CSL sheet written by Dean.

The best bit was the guys yelling out "g'day" and "how ya doing" to the shy crew on board. Guys started appearing out of nowhere to shake hands and smile back.

I think the worst part of being on that vessel would be the loneliness and isolation. They aren't allowed to talk to visitors or come up the road to meet the locals.

The vessel didn't have air con on, the paint was flaking away, the alleyways are dingy and dark. They don't have anything to do but work.

Cindy O'Connor

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The Passing Parade of Generations

At the stage of life when time is the most precious possession of, there comes a simple understanding that you are swiftly climbing a roster that all wish to remain bottom of; the one that recycles your earthly remains. Acknowledgement of our march of time and its ending, produces attitudes varying from philosophical calm and "I couldn't care less-ism", to fear, fatalism and a great sardonic humour that occupies old minds, but does not limit the great sense of loss and social vacuum when old shipmates die. (At Dave Chaney's cremation, Jock Buchanan looked up at the smoking chimney and aid, "There's Dave putting in his last pitch"!)

Nearly all our wartime veterans are gone and now the peacetime 40's and 50's generations are slipping away. There is an old saying that goes: "For every act of progress, there is one equal retrogression" - for everything you gain you lose something. Our great act of progress in social and financial terms was the Seamans Retirement Fund. Its equivalent retrogressive step was the loss of generations who in most cases had been the 'field generals', the delegates who, in a lifetime at sea, had taken the responsibility, bent the back, borne the burdens and led in industrial, social and political matters. Another old expression is: "You can do a crash course in every subject known; everything except experience."

To that can be added another one: "It's not having the experience that counts, it's learning from it!" The generations that the SRF settled into a retirement hardly dreamed of in the past, had truly worked and learnt not only how the sea industry worked, but generally how the world worked in its basic political functions. Not only in theory but in action, be it with a pencil tick or demo or stickup or bus to Canberra to protest the anti-working class budget etc.

The loss of those generations, of so many leaders and guides with such a vast stretch of experience in industrial and political matters and conflicts, had a debilitating affect on the present generation in denying the usual transfer of accumulated knowledge from generation to generation.

Pub talk has it that many of today's generation have no concept of the struggles that went into obtaining the living and working conditions, pay scales and holidays on today's ships. They seem to think it's a gift of the gods or the gushing generosity of shipowners'. No political understanding - no real understanding. Is this vacuum built into the modern generation or has our union slipped badly in pursuing political education. The industrial must always have priority but when reinforced with political knowledge, it far increases its strength of purpose.

EV Elliott a truly great leader, had some small simple sayings: "Everything must be judged by the time, place and circumstances."

And, "A trade union is a protection, benefit and education society." EV put very great stress on education; to him it was not only very important, but MOST important.

"Politics is the organisation of life." How do you divorce yourself from life? It's politics from conception to cremation. The great libraries of ships of my period plus the generations that stretched back through wars and depressions and terrible hardships, in some cases to 1880-90's sailing ships, and their desire and capacity to pass knowledge on, ensured that politics then was a free flowing subject.

The generation I am writing about were the pupils of generations that had quite a unique assembly of characters, personalities and nationalities. I did two semesters as Deck Boy on a floating college - a book palace - named SS River Fitzroy. It was a great place to be educated for on board were two 19th century square rigger men, a German escapee from the Gestapo, a wonderful son named Peter Marshall and a top crew who were happy to pass on their skills and general knowledge.

It was great to be a young seaman in the days of seemingly innumerable ships with big crews and strange names, and we just liked going to sea and changing ships regularly. But a great failure of those times was for the SUA not to have recorded the stories of remarkable men and ordinary men telling of the ways of the times. Imagine the benefit to historians.

But rumour has it that Paddy Crumlin has his mind set on doing a modern version of that with our last true character Alwyn Allport (the most selfless man who ever held a union book), Billy Langlois, Danny Cowie and all the old-timers we can find to unfold the past and help it live on.

When thinking of Old Timers and Death, its most probable redeeming feature is that it is not optional; it embraces both beggar and billionaire. You just can't buy or bully your way out of dying.

In my memories of seamen stretching back nearly sixty years, I found them to be the least religious group of my experience, yet believing in two things: Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Religion. It can be practiced but not imposed! Seamen's funerals overall are the most genuine of all, for the life is simply celebrated by relatives and lifelong friends amid a total lack of cant and church commercials.

I wish here to celebrate the life - with reverence and humour - of a wonderful little human and a great shipmate. I bitterly regret that he did not live long enough to have made a wonderful contribution to our planned oral history. He had a very special story telling technique.

Paddy Mallon, who was so beautifully written about by Billy Langlois last Journal, was a small man with a big presence. A man slow in everything except wit; he seldom got caught without a swift reply. Pad was suspected of working to a theory that went: "One is allotted so many heartbeats for a lifetime, so do nothing to accelerate their usage, with the sole exception of golf." He loved golf, was good at it and thoroughly enjoyed it throughout his retirement. In all other things a dogma prevailed: "Make haste slowly." One of his nicknames was "The Glacier", because "it moves about a yard a week." I was shipmates three times with Paddy and way back in '55 our ship had a ball going on in the Fremantle Town Hall when Bosun George Martindale urgently signaled to me: "Quick, look, look, I don't believe it. It's Paddy and he's Jitterbugging!"

Slowness of body and speed of mind united faultlessly to make a formidable delegate, always calm, never losing his temper, and always with a tactical program to adhere to, making many Skippers and Mates happy to see him delegate, knowing discussion would always be logical and calm. But it was in the Rec Room or Mess Room where he was the master storyteller and where his acting meshed beautifully with the dialogue. Many from way back believe that Jackie Gleason copied every one of Paddy's mannerisms and styles to create his success. The way Paddy would twist his face with such total intensity before he would deliver certain lines was pure Abbey Theatre.

One of the few times Paddy moved fast was when he decided Billie was to be his mate for life. It enriched their lives, lockstep in love and devotion, and brought security for both. She was his carer from day one to his last day of life and her loyalty and devotion were pure solid gold. For Paddy Mallon was a solid gold man of immense integrity. All who experienced his company saw him as a great mate, a wonderful, happy character who elevated the spirit of whatever company he was in. Loyalty was in surplus; loyalty to family, loyalty to union and shipmates, loyalty to progressive politics, loyalty to the general principles of life that make society possible and feasible.

If your mind goes to Paddy, then visualise him in full flight, story telling with outrageous gestures galore, the laughter flowing around him. And receive the gift of joy. Farewell Pad.

And, if oral history is your intent, Paddy Crumlin, then best speed it up, for some outstanding members of a very special generation are running out of time

Paddy Berry,
retired member

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German Shipping Growth

This is a translation of a story in a recent issue of Die Woche, an Australian German language paper.

German shipping is, according to Federal Business Minister Wolfgang Clement, steering towards a considerable growth course.

He last estimated growth in trade for the years 2004 and 2005 in the region of 14.1 and 16.4 billion euro. The german ship building industry therefore will profit strongly from booming orders.

With orders of 6.9 billion euro the dockyards have secured work for 20000 employees until the end of 2006 and beyond.

As well the number of merchant vessels in the german fleet looks like rising to 2800 units with a total of 50 million tons compared with 1500 ships at 18 million tons in 1998/99.

The Maritime growth is expected to be followed by growth in the non- maritime industries.

The above article clearly shows the total neglect by the Australian Government of an industry vital to an island nation.

Fred Frese
Retired Member
Victoria

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Big Brother

Hi all, I know reality TV is very childish, BUT a great friend of mine happens to be the 'token lefite' on Big Brother.

Tim Brunero was a student activist, a committed union journalist and always in for the good fight.

He launched himself in the House admitting that he 'really didn't like that John Howard.' Consequently it would be great for us to do our bit to keep him on -- I say, if we can't win a Federal Election, lets at least give the other 'Big Brother' a go.

One of the other contestants Kate, compared herself to Margaret Thatcher, with Conservative number two Army reservist Nelson from Queensland, who came right out and said what a great guy John Howard was. So vote early and vote often and keep Tim in the House.

Also - to keep updated we are setting up a website:http:// www.timbrunero.com/ Join the email list on the website!

Amanda Tattersall
Unions NSW

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