
Issue No 53		12 May 2000

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Review

Waterfront - Through the Reporters' Eyes

Fairfax journalists Helen Trinca and Anne Davies have skillfully transformed the waterfront war into the sort of thriller that any self-respecting Hollywood mogul would reject for being too wild to be true.

As the details of the federal government's infamous attempt to break the MUA is laid out in clinical detail, those of us who were caught in the daily hurly burly of the battle can appreciate how surreal the whole episode actually was. There was the Dubai training episode, anonymous leaks, the Webb dock takeover, the political intrigue, the balaclavas and dogs and the tense courtroom showdowns

The skill that Trinca and Davies employ is their ability to take these seemingly scattered sub-plots and to fit them into a bigger picture, something that does justice to the sheer scale of the struggle.

While the book takes a little while to get going, laying out the detailed context of waterfront reform in sometimes excruciating detail, once the Corrigan-Reith plan takes off the tale starts rocking. As the story builds to its climax in the complicated legal manouvres that ultimately deliver short-term victory to the MUA, the myriad subplots come together with breath-taking speed.

There are new revelations that have come up in the research. They probably won't bring Reith down, but they finger the Howard Government as being in far deeper than has ever been admitted to publicly. The full extent of the finance sector is also exposed as they helped structure the Patrick asset-stripping operation.

Of course, this is not a union version of the waterfront dispute, more an 'objective' eye - complete with all the shortcomings implicit in this position. The reporters take a middle line on most of the key issues: leaving open, for instance, that Reith may not have misled Parliament where his duplicity seems obvious.

Their conclusions on Corrigan's ultimate victory in improving productivity also seem to miss the basic point that the dispute became a battle over the role of trade unions rather than crane rates and, on this count, the union's victory can not be questioned.

If there is a criticism of the book, it is that this is very much a Fairfax take on the dispute. Fairfax reporters take center stage at key points in the drama, when they are really only spectators. But the same media focus is not placed on the role of the News Ltd stable of papers in advocating the Patrick case and monstering the union. This was a far more significant factor than any battles of conscience within the Sydney Morning Herald. The worker's paper was out there, unashamedly bashing the workers.

Where, for instance, is mention of the disgraceful manipulation of news that saw a front page Telegraph splash on a police officer bowling a ball in an impromptu game of cricket on the docks - without disclosing that the batsman was actually Tele reporter! Trivial? Sure. But when you are the most widely read paper in the city and the dispute is also a PR war, this sort of chicanery is enlightening.

And while the narrative brings in the views of the elites, I would like to have had a bit more of the heart, soul and drama surrounding the mobilizing of ordinary working people to support the MUA in Sydney and Melbourne, the use of telephone trees to build the pickets to the size that the police would not break, in line with OH&S requirements. Also, the still hidden role of the Carr Government in preventing the pickets being broken is not explored at all.

These issues aside, 'Waterfront' is a terrific read and an enduring record of a significant chapter of Australia's industrial history. It may not have been a fight the union movement would have chosen in the late 1990's; but it was one that reasserted the relevance and power of the solidarity of workers. For this reason alone, it should be on the bookshelves of all unionists.

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 53 contents

Interview: The Fruitful Shaw
After ten years in Parliament, NSW Industrial Relations Minister Jeff Shaw looks at some mountains still to be climbed.

Politics: Budget in Reply
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley replies to the Federal budget and paints Labor's alternative vision for the future.

Economics: Petition to Move a Mountain
A child born in Zambia or Tanzania or Bolivia owes more to international creditors than she or he will ever earn in a lifetime.

International: Solidarity in a Cold Climate
After an overnight bargaining marathon, Norway's unions have secured most of their main demands and have now ended their nationwide strike.

Health: Workers Health Centre Comes of Age
In 2001, the Workers Health Centre will celebrate its 25th anniversary, making it the longest running independent trade union based health and safety service in the country.

History: A Tribute to the Fallen
A Canadian tractor operator is seeking help to produce a book on monuments to people killed in the workplace.

Satire: Ralph Web Ring Busted
Following the dismissal of 27 Telstra employees last week for downloading hardcore pornography on their work computers, Ralph magazine sacked five employees yesterday for downloading positive images of women.

Review: Waterfront - Through the Reporters' Eyes
Fairfax journalists Helen Trinca and Anne Davies have skillfully transformed the waterfront war into the sort of thriller that any self-respecting Hollywood mogul would reject for being too wild to be true.

» Costello Backs National GST Pay Claim

» Conference Call: Support the NSW Way

» Games Rail Service in Limbo

» Shaw Moves on Email Protection

» Salami Reform: Reith Chops Up the Nasties

» Advocate in Trouble Over Rural Sackings

» Unionists take to Streets for May Day 2000

» Shareholders Rattle Rinto Tinto Cage

» Joy Dispute Widens With Midnight Run

» Employers Fail to Defy History

» Indonesian Labor Educator Reports to Local Unions

» Big Drum-Up This Wednesday