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Issue No. 136 | 17 May 2002 |
Modern Labour
Interview: Licking the Wounds Industrial: The Accidental Tourist Unions: Stars And Stripes International: The Un-Promised Land History: Mate Against Mate Politics: Reith's Gong Poetry: You've Got a Friend Review: War on Terror: Now Showing Satire: Burmese Regime Makes Genuine Commitment To Pretence Of Change
Solidarity In The Post To East Timor Workers Call Abbott On Democracy Bluff Wran Tells MPs: Talk to Unions Family First on Conference Agenda Cole Commission Declares Paper War Budget Attacks Retirement Incomes PSA Challenges Carr�s Secrecy Shield Welfare Staff Strike Out At Harrassment Fake Notes Expose Government as Tax Cheat Labor Faces Acid Test on Asylum Seekers New Project Encourages Cultural Exchanges Bush�s Western Saharan War And Oil Deal
The Soapbox The Locker Room Bosswatch Postcard Week in Review
More May Day Hate Mail What Women Want Chucking a Wobbly Is Caustic Costello the Despot of Despair? East Timor: Independent Or Mendicant?
Labor Council of NSW |
News Yarra Workers Thank Australia
Maritime Union of Australia officials negotiated a confidential settlement with CSL that will see the Australian crew remain on board until the Yarra leaves Australian waters, with an Australian-flagged ship to take over the coastal route. While the Australian crew will be retrenched and replaced with Ukrainian labour, the MUA is confident that all the seamen will find work on other runs. As part of the settlement all CSL legal action against the MUA and the crew has been lifted. The stand-off became a major national issue after CSL, servicing the Australian coast for Adelaide Brighton Cement, decided to reflag the ship in the Bahamas and sack the Australian crew to cut costs. Solidarity Decisive The MUA's Bob Coombs paid tribute to the role the Australian Workers Union, whose members are employed by Adelaide Brighton Cement, and the Transport Workers Union, whose members unload cement on the docks, played in the dispute. "I have no doubt that the support of the AWU, TWU, the ACTU and the broader union movement was pivotal in sending CSL the message that it would not be 'business as usual' if they sacked their crew." Coombs told the NSW Labor Council it was a 'threshold dispute' that had wider significance to the Australian shipping industry, claiming up to 55 ships would have disappeared from the Australian coast if CSL had succeeded. The MUA also garnered broader community support on the issue of Australian jobs and border security, with advocacy from Sydney talkback kings Alan Jones and John Laws. Crean's Commitment The MUA has vowed to continue pressing the Howard Government on its willingness to certificate Flag of Convenience ships, claiming it compromises the border protection strategy. "The minister for transport and the federal government now need to reconcile their $2 billion commitment to border control with policies undermining our coastal security through the Australian merchant marine," MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin says. Earlier in the week, wives of the Yarra seamen met with Oppostion leader Simon Crean who promised to introduce a private members bill which would stop shipping companies replacing Australian jobs on the coastal trade with guest workers. Crean says the Bill will set out to 'plug a loophole' in legislation that has allowed CSL Australia to transfer ownership of the Yarra, sack its Australian crew and move to replace it with cheaper foreign labour. Meanwhile, in Port Pirie today politicians, church leaders, union officials and the Yarra crew attended a Lions Club barbecue to thank the local community for their support during the seaferers dispute.
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