Published: 30 Mar 2015
This coming September marks the 20th Anniversary of one of the longest and most united industrial disputes ever seen in the history of the labour and trade union movement.
It was a dispute that originally involved 500 Liverpool Dockworkers who were sacked from the Port of Liverpool for honouring the number one principle of the trade union movement in refusing to cross a picket line. When the dispute ended in January 1998 more than 80,000 national and international trade unionists and supporters had either pledged or taken part in solidarity action on behalf of the Liverpool Dockworkers and their families.
September 29 of this year will record the 20th anniversary of the start of the Liverpool Dock Strike and to mark the occasion the sacked Liverpool Dockworkers are intending to hold a weekend event commemorating the many good and progressive legacies that were born out of the 28 month dispute.
The two-day event will mix social functions with a special solidarity rally and will take place over the weekend of September 25 to September 27, starting at the Casa - the home of the sacked Liverpool Dockworkers.
Can I ask you to extend an open invite to our many friends both working and retired within the Maritime Union of Australia.
The participation of the MUA at the commemoration weekend and especially at the solidarity rally will be greatly appreciated by all in attendance and will help contribute to a powerful display of representation from the national and international labour and trade union movement.
Further details about the anniversary event and the agenda for the weekend will be sent out nearer to the date, but I hope you will be able to both support and attend the above event and I look forward to a positive reply.
Yours in Solidarity,
Terry Teague
Former Dockworker Secretary and now Regional Officer for Unite
