Maritime Diary
By National Secretary Paddy Crumlin
More than 300 rank-and-file delegates and national
and international guests have met and delivered one of the most progressive
policy agendas ever set by our union. It comes in the form of a four-year framework
designed to revitalise and renew our union and it comes at a critical time for
maritime workers.
The conference decisions were all adopted unanimously after
thorough discussion and debate by all delegates. This in itself is a special
and remarkable achievement. Every participant listened, discussed and finally
resolved the way forward with the full knowledge of their responsibilities to
the membership. The thoroughness of agreement on every issue reflected a clear
understanding that our union has been subject to one of the most sustained and
concerted attacks on any union in the modern age. The theme and focus of the
week was the mounting of a sustained effort around the struggle to remain progressively
and positively focused, democratic and independently motivated. The attack against
the MUA, from Patrick, to the casualisation of our workforce and the wholesale
abandonment of our seafarers has inevitably created subsequent pressures and
internal problems in the union. This offensive is designed to do exactly that
-- divide and weaken a union that has the capacity to genuinely challenge powerful
economic commercial and political elitism.
Strong and united
The conference outcomes reflect that far from knocking us off,
the union is stronger and more effective than at any time in our history. The
policies developed acknowledge the size of the tasks and problems confronting
us while defining our determination to systematically deal with each and every
one of them. The guts to take on great challenges can only flow from a strong
and united union. While identifying the villainy and many injustices visited
upon us, the conference did not want to wallow in frustration, anger and accusation
that would feed the internal division. The discussions identified the sources
of our anger and determined that we translate frustration into actions to confront
those sources effectively. Issues such as casualisation, outsourcing, legal
and political harassment and conspiracy will not be overcome by finger pointing
or scapegoating, the cancer that erodes unionism, but by work and campaigns
inspired by self-knowledge and razor-sharp strategies. The strategies focussed
on the need to grow and strengthen our union externally so that workers in all
maritime industries can be covered by a genuine union that offers real support
and protection. Industries often characterised by great abuse, exploitation
and often physical and life-threatening danger such as diving, tourism, aqua
culture, pearl diving, and maritime tourism and charters.
Building alliances
Conference determined that if we don't grow as a union there
is real potential that we will lack the resources to be strongly active in an
increasingly threatening national and global maritime environment. So-called
free trade in goods and services is a wolf dressed up in sheep's clothing for
workers. It is a thinly disguised attempt to have national protection for labour
standards replaced by the lowest standards available to transnational companies,
nationally and internationally. The conference welcomed the active input of
our national and international guests to form stronger and more effective alliances
in transport and with other industries, particularly in building and mining.
Growth means ensuring all members are fully financial. The conference determined
that administrative and organisational resources are bent to ensuring that all
members are financial. There was great intolerance expressed about the small
number of individuals who are prepared to sun themselves in hard-won working
conditions but are not prepared to pay their way. Mechanisms have been put into
place to identify those who are not doing the right thing in the workplace.
Casualisation and outsourcing of jobs is one of the priority targets in our
four-year plan. It is one of the bastard children of the Howard Government's
policies, and places workers and their families under unacceptable levels of
insecurity and stress. The casualisation of workers is far greater in most Australian
industries, propped up and watched over by that mongrelised legislation, the
Workplace Relations Act. Our campaign will take time and determination, and
it must provide alternatives in an industry with widely shifting labour requirements.
Defining the battlelines
Clear goals and objectives backed by an organisational structure
that uses our greatest asset -- the members -- have been set to deal with casuals,
along with the grinding struggle of seafarers to work in our own country. Combating
the abuses and institutionalised corruption of the flag-of-convenience shipping
and employers is an essential part of that battle. Campaigns and a plan for
safer workplaces, free of harassment and discrimination, also received plenty
of attention. Conference followed our Women's Committee Conference and fully
endorsed those policies that address the great gender imbalance in our union
and industry. Enterprise agreements must be worded clearly and be fully supportive
of these and many other rights on the job. These needs can only be realised
through further development of our plan to empower and encourage all workers
to be actively involved every day. At the heart of this collective effort are
the delegate and workplace or ship committees. That is where the heat from anti-worker
policies is directed most constantly. That means working harder on clearer support
and accountabilities between members, delegates, branches and the national office.
Veterans fight on
Conference also determined to actively support our Veterans'
Association in fighting for the rights of retired members, and welcomed the
Association's ongoing input into the union. The veterans also held a conference
that week and determined to form an international organisation of veterans with
our ILWU brothers and sisters, who were part of a large delegation from that
union that attended. They proved you may retire from the job but never the struggle.
Training and education in the issues facing our union and what we can do to
deal with them more comprehensively is the key lever in developing better and
more democratic structures. The training program must identify the importance
of political activity, a point also stressed by many of our veterans and guests.
Our ambitious industrial program cannot be achieved without understanding and
applying ourselves to oust the grubs who work fulltime on giving workers the
sharp end. The conference determined that we must do everything we can to give
them the flick this year after the systematic abuse they've heaped on us and
our community in their long, grim political leadership. They have measured their
successes by the destruction of workers' rights to organise and act effectively
and collectively, while brazenly redirecting wealth, public property and community
services to the elitist commercial lobbies that plunder them for profit and
personal gain. The lowest-paid workers cannot get support for an extra few bucks
a week while the chief executives, directors and accountants of big-time capital
rort, snort and abort their companies into empty wrecks. Workers are left without
their super, annual leave or even last week's pay.
Supporting Labor
Our schools, hospitals and Medicare, energy resources and communication
networks have been run down to the point where they are now unable to benefit
all Australians. Thanks to these fat-arsed impostors who have gutted public
monies on political nepotism and populist pork barrelling and bailed themselves
out by selling off the joint. Importantly, in delivering a plan that can go
the distance and beyond, conference unanimously decided that the only way to
get rid of the fleas was to support Labor in the next election and, in particular,
support those Labor candidates who commit to taking our issues up both in Opposition
and on the Government side of the Parliament when we get them there. All of
that should keep us busy for a while. It was a great conference, now the hard
work begins. We wouldn't have it any other way.
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