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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Jul-Aug 2008        |
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Wharves stop for a minutes silence to mark Patrick lockout07 April 2008By MUA news - National stoppage marks tenth anniversary of waterfront dispute. Waterfront workers in every dock in Australia will stop work for one minute today to mark the tenth anniversary of the iconic Patrick waterfront dispute.
Maritime Union of Australia National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said the one minute stoppage was a symbolic way of remembering the attack on wharfies and their families when they were marched from their workplaces and replaced with mercenary labour. "Today we remember a turbulent time on the waterfront - a dispute that not only threatened the job security of more than 2,000 workers - but took a sometimes dreadful toll on their families as well. "Today we remember the way the Howard Government orchestrated the attack on these workers, the tactics of using dogs and hoons in balaclavas to clear the docks and the secret training of mercenaries in Dubai to replace them. Waterfront workers across the country will stop work for one minute at 10am. The Maritime Union of Australia will also mark the anniversary with one minute's silence at 10am, at their National Conference at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. The anniversary comes as the Maritime Union of Australia renews its call for documents withheld by the Howard Government to be released and the full story of the war on the waterfront be told. "While the defeat of the Howard Government last year marked the end of the national attack on Australian workers, questions remain about the role elected representatives played in breaching federal laws. "Australian taxpayers funded reports to the tune of $1.5 million which would conclusively reveal the extent of the Howard Government's involvement in the Patrick dispute," Mr Crumlin said. Background: At 11:00pm on April 7, 1998 security guards in balaclavas with dogs stormed every Patrick run dock in Australia, sacking 2000 unionised workers and forcibly removing those on the job. This marked the beginning of a battle for the MUA that lasted more than a month and went as far as the High Court and the Prime Minister's office. Ten years on most of the internal documents regarding the dispute remain hidden. DOORSTOP: 9:30am Monday 7 April Harbour side of the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour Paddy Crumlin, national secretary MUA Workers affected by the dispute can be made available NATIONALLY for media on request. Media contacts: Paddy Crumlin 0418 379 660 or Lucy Muirhead (EMC) 0402 730 710.
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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