By Jennifer Thompson
SYDNEY — The Maritime Union of Australia's (MUA) Action Conference on May 17 attracted around 1500 participants, mainly maritime union delegates and workers, from around Australia. The striking Vickery workers sent a delegation, as did firefighters. The morning conference was followed by a spirited march and rally to the prime minister's Sydney office.
The conference and demonstration provided an opportunity for the trade union movement and its supporters to express their solidarity with the MUA and their determination to fight Liberal attacks.
The march was swelled by people along the route, including building workers; a separate march of CFMEU building workers and officials joined the rally outside Howard's office. Feeling the pressure from thousands of people chanting and shaking their fists, umbrellas and placards at him, Howard invited a delegation of ACTU and MUA leaders in for a meeting.
MUA joint national secretary Tony Papaconstuntinos set the tone in his opening speech, declaring that while the MUA did not want war with the government, "If war is what they want, the MUA is more than capable".
He was followed by leaders from the CFMEU, Public Transport Union, Community and Public Sector Union, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the ACTU's Bill Kelty and Jennie George, two Labor parliamentarians and WA Greens Senator Dee Margetts.
Most of the speakers endorsed the relationship between the ACTU, the former Labor government and business to increase industry's competitiveness through productivity improvements. One speaker from the floor opposed this view.
n a separate show of solidarity, Sarah Harris reports, the Maritime Defence Committee (MDC) was launched on May 10 at the Graphic Arts Club.
Seventy unionists, members of different left parties and maritime supporters heard speeches from MUA members Danny Brady, Jim Donovan and Sean Schaffer; Amanda Perkins, organiser for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; and James Vassilopolous from the CPSU Rank and File Action Group.
Brady called on supporters to make sure that the MUA will survive as a militant socialist organisation and protect the rights of maritime workers. Donovan, MUA central Sydney secretary, said that the MUA is prepared to defend any unions under attack today. If the MUA, the miners' union and the metalworkers went down, other unions would follow.
Schaffer, MUA assistant branch secretary of central Sydney, warned that the Coalition's new industrial legislation would try to stop workers organising collectively. Vassilopolous described the increasing participation of CPSU members in the fight against job cuts and defence of their conditions and called for more joint union solidarity such as national days of action.
Perkins said that the MDC would strive to raise community awareness about why the union should be defended and that it would work with the MUA to defend the Australian National Line against privatisation, in particular against anti-worker employers such as P&O Shipping.
For more information about MDC ring Amanda on (02) 519 4094 or Anthony on 818 2765.
[Editorial: Defend the maritime union!]