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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Jul-Aug 2008        |
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Wharves fall silent as wharfies honour fallen comradesUnion call for govt. action23 March 2007By MUA -
The giant cranes and straddles that feed international trade on our waterfront stand idle this afternoon, as waterside workers around the nation's ports stop work to honour fallen comrades.
Memorial services are being held in all major ports to coincide with today's Melbourne funeral of Westernport waterside worker, Bob Cumberlidge, 52, who was killed in a work accident on Friday, March 16 at Toll wharf facility. Mr Cumberlidge was the third death in the past 12 months and the second this year, which the union says is completely unacceptable. "We've been calling for a national stevedoring safety code for the past six months," said Acting National Secretary Mick Doleman. "And absolutely nothing has happened. "Some of our guys didn't come back to work after the last death at Appleton Dock in Melbourne in January. Their wives said it wasn't worth it. They've got young kids. The job's just not safe." Mr Doleman said the union is calling on federal workplace relations and transport ministers Joe Hockey and Mark Vaile for urgent action. Today the members decided enough was enough. In the first national stoppage in more than a decade, they are walking off the job out of respect of their fallen comrades and to protest government inaction. Waterside workers from Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle terminals will be bussed in to attend memorial services and the laying of wreaths. Public and media are welcome. Similar services are being held in Adelaide, Newcastle, Westernport, Esperance, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Port Hedland, Broome, Karratha, Geelong, Portland and Port Kembla. IN MELBOURNE: a private service for the late Bob Cumberlidge is being held for family and workmates. All work will stop in Melbourne and Westernport for waterside workers for meetings in the carparks at East and West Swanson docks before attending the service. The fallen comrades commemorated today are: Peter Ross, 56, killed on board the Cape Conway at Appleton Docks, (DP World Ports), Melbourne January, 2007, Dean Robinson, 58, Cape Donnington, (Toll/Patrick) Adelaide, June 13, 2006; Jeff Gray, 45, MV Kiribati Chief, P&O Ports, Appleton Dock, Melbourne, June 23, 2003. Meanwhile MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin has taken the union's safety concerns to the global forum as chair of the dockers' section of the International Transport Workers' Federation which is currently meeting in Sorento Italy. CONTACTS: MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin (in Italy) 0418 379 660 Assistant National Secretary Mick Doleman (in Sydney) 0418 391 528
For further information
Public News: You can view MUA's publicly available news in a variety of ways. Please select one of our public news indexes. |
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© 2001 Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) |
