SYDNEY — A significant victory has been won for workers at a paper factory at Emu Plains in Sydney's industrial west. After 42 weeks on a 24-hour picket line, 33 Vista Paper Products workers learned on December 16 that the Industrial Relations Commission had ordered their reinstatement.
The workers had been sacked in March 1991 for refusing to sign contracts to reduce their pay, change conditions and give up the right to collective negotiations through their union, the Printing and Kindred Industries Union. Penrith resident and activist GAIL LORD, a supporter of the picketers, recounts some of the highlights of the struggle.
I started visiting the picket line after reading an article in the local press three weeks into the strike. After that, Green Left was delivered free, as were the mainstream media by another local supporter.
As the weeks dragged on, the picket line became the Vista workers' main source of strength and was essential in getting out the facts of the dispute.
Vista boss John McNamee had the Australian Chamber of Manufacturers as backers and made false claims to the media that management had negotiated exhaustively.
Enormous support, both moral and financial, came from the BWIU, Seamen's Union, the AMEU and many other unions and individuals. The PKIU officials came out to Emu Plains constantly and purchased a minibus to help the picketers cope with the cold and heat.
The bus became a target for rocks and gun shot. Workers decorated it with their own cartoon of what they thought of the boss and his scabs. Then a picket tent was burnt down.
Security goons took note of registration numbers and photos of all visitors. I enjoyed taking photos of them.
Towards the end of the dispute a dismissed worker's car was fire-bombed. Even a local detective thought it lousy.
A June 1991 interview with the Vista workers for Green Left gave an insight as to why they remained determined to win.
Ron spoke of casuals starting on one rate, then being made permanent and getting a lower rate of pay. He said that John McNamee was mixing his own printing chemical formulas so as not to have to pay royalties.
Another picketer, John, spoke of scabs, some of whom belong to a religious group that claims they had to obey their master. The church group brought in more scabs. And the picketers saw their jobs advertised in the local CES. He also gave the facts about the "negotiations".
"We came up with suggestions of different shifts we could do when McNamee told us he wanted more hours to keep running his new machinery. He didn't take any interest in looking at them. "We asked if we worked the extra hours, would he give our conditions back when things began to pick up again. He said no. So we said, if we still agree to it, will you promise not to drop our pay rates. McNamee said he couldn't promise that, either."
Jim said of John McNamee, "He's not real impressed with the picket line. We're an embarrassment to him, sitting out here, advertising what's going on."
Barbecue days were held near the picket site. Musician Peter Hicks and poet Denis Kevans provided entertainment at fundraisers and on the picket line.
On September 17, as other cities in New South Wales demonstrated against Greiner's industrial legislation, the Vista picket rallied with 1500 workers in Penrith and then led the march to Emu Plains.
All of this only served to make the workers, their wives and girlfriends even more determined. At the victory barbecue, one of the wives, who had never had any contact with a picket line before, told me that at first she wasn't sure about the picket. Then she had talked about the issues and knew the picket was right.
The PKIU stuck by its members. All the families received Christmas hampers and presents for their children and grandchildren. I was touched to receive flowers from the picket line.
Some of the workers had never been on a picket line before even though they were over 50 years old.
For me union rights and solidarity were summed up when John said, "I know that it's his company. But you've got to stand up for your rights. You can't let someone take you right down. If we just let the employers do what they want to us, we'll end up not being able to survive."
Vista Paper Products has lodged an appeal.