Waterfront Terror

The MUA dismissed comments by Minister for Transport Warren Truss claiming that most maritime workers have a criminal record as misinformed and cheap political shots. The union expects no disruption on the nation's wharves as the new security ID system is introduced and has worked hard to have our views heard in the development process.

National Secretary Paddy Crumlin described claims by Transport Minister Warren Truss in The Australian that the wharves were rife with criminals as a cheap political shot and badly misinformed.

Truss claimed Australian ports face major disruption as thousands of workers are sacked under an anti-terrorism security crackdown. He also claimed there was a higher proportion of criminality among workers around the wharves.

The National Secretary stressed the new regulations would have a minimal effect on dockworkers.

"It's about national security and we're just as concerned about this as any other area of the community and we're prepared to work co-operatively," said Paddy Crumlin. "But we're not prepared to have our reputation belittled for political reasons. This is about security, not criminal records. The Australian waterfront is no different than any other Australian industry and it's easier to find an honest wharfie or seafarer than an honest politician!!"

Paddy Crumlin later appeared on Channel 7 TV News where he again defended the reputation of members saying the only terrorists he'd ever come across on the wharves were the government sponsored goons and dogs sent in under cover of dark back in 1998 to steal our jobs.

He also advised that the government would be better checking containers and foreign ships coming into our ports than attacking the reputation of Australian working men and women.

Meanwhile the Shadow Minister for Homeland Security and Transport Arch Bevis said Truss is either so new to the job he doesn't know what his department is doing or he is trying to use security laws as a smokescreen to continue the government's war on the waterfront."

"The Howard Government has mismanaged maritime security with its failure to screen all containers and its failure to enforce its own laws requiring ships to report their cargoes before they arrive in port," he said.