19.12.1996

Dockers show potential for all

Last weekend saw a spirited and enthusiastic demonstration in London in support of the Liverpool dockers. Some 2,000 people took to the streets of central London, shouting, “Scabs out, dockers in!” and, “The workers, united, will never be defeated!” There was a sizeable contingent from Reclaim the Future, whose famous ‘robo-cop’-hating dragon headed the march.

Tony Benn made an unexpected, but welcome appearance, as the marchers were assembling. He declared passionately: “Liverpool is the finest city in Britain .. which has a magnificent history of struggle.” He also drew a parallel with the Dublin summit, which will see “European bankers” attempting to lord it over the “little people”. Benn finished by saying that the struggle of the dockers was on a par with the anti-apartheid struggle and should be supported by everyone.

The rally in Conway Hall was an uplifting occasion. The first speaker was the radical investigative journalist, John Pilger, who has worked tirelessly to publicise the struggle and plight of the dockers - particularly in the pages of The Guardian. He spoke of the “public’s right to know” and angrily attacked the virtual media silence on this very important strike. When the media does see fit to mention the dockers’ dispute, it was, in Pilger’s opinion, the “usual rubbish”. He denounced the BBC especially for its “typical suppression” of the dispute.

He ended by drawing comparisons with the French lorry drivers’ action, which was also the target of media disinformation. He added that the people congregated - dockers, leftwingers, Marxists/communists, anarchists, etc, - in Conway Hall “represented the best in this country”. It was quite a sight to see and hear Liverpool dockers chanting, “Pilger! Pilger!”.

Jeremy Corbyn also made an appearance. He made a very militant speech, which denounced “international capitalism” and issued a call for “international solidarity and internationalism”. He said it was disgraceful that Bill Morris and co were not at the rally: “It ought to be the entire labour movement here.” Like Benn, he concluded his remarks by attacking “unelected EU bankers” and the Maastricht machinations in Dublin.

Jimmy Nolan, SLP member and chair of the Merseyside dockers shop stewards committee, delivered a very positive and fighting speech. He denounced the “conspiracy” against the dockers, which wanted to reduce the dockers to “modern-day serfs”. To much audience approval, he attacked Bill Morris and the trade union ‘tops’ in general: “Trade union leaders are betraying the working class.”

Interestingly, comrade Nolan issued an appeal for left unity. He stated strongly that it should be “possible for all political organisations to come together”, seeing how we all “oppose state power”. He put forward his belief that all the left and revolutionary groups “must forget their silly differences - Trotskyist, Stalinist, etc”. The key questions for him were how we organise and “the need for programme”. For comrade Nolan the logical development was that everyone in Conway Hall should “join the SLP”.

There were various other speakers. David Keen from the Glacier dispute exposed the brutal nature of the bosses. There was also Peter Hutchinson from the Magnet dispute, Malkit Bilku from the Hillingdon Hospital strikers, Eileen Campbell from Women on the Waterfront and Harpal Brar from the Indian Workers Association. The treasurer of the London Support Group for the dockers, Bob Tarrant, presented Malkit Bilku with a cheque for £500. In his speech, Jimmy Nolan announced that the dockers have received £18,000 from trade unions in France.

A new ‘offer' from the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company looked certain to be rejected by a mass meeting of Liverpool dockers at the end of the week.

329 sacked workers are still expected to compete for 40 jobs or accept a slightly increased severance payment of £28,000. But, as Jim Davies, a member of the shop stewards' committee, told me, "We're not in the ball game of recommending an offer like that. The men will reject it if they've got any sense, and I'm confident they will."

The dockers march and rally showed that the spirit of solidarity and internationalism is not a relic of the past - as the BBC would have us believe, no doubt. Even though the forces ranged at Conway Hall are still small, the potential is great.

Paul Greenaway