30.01.1997

International day of action update

New Zealand

The Unions were successful in stopping the three main container ports of Auckland, Wellington and Lyttelton for one hour at the beginning of the shift on Monday, January 20.

New Zealand seafarers put pickets on all of the container terminals and the waterfront workers and harbour workers refused to cross the picket line, which had the desired result in support of the Day of Solidarity.

In the port of Wellington the truck drivers also joined in the action and did not cross the picket lining up along the road leading to the terminal. The police reacted, claiming it constituted a traffic hazard.

Vessels were detained in Auckland as the action coincided with the departure time of those ships.

In Lyttelton the local seafarers stopped the P&O vessel Mairangi Bay for an hour, posted a notice on her gangway, and had discussions with the crew, who also responded to the activity.

Norway

The Sandnes Kai dockers’ union is to “follow the requests from the ITF and the Norwegian Transport Workers Union for direct action” and material support to Liverpool.

Los Angeles

Over 100 gantry cranes stood idle in the world’s third largest port on Monday January 20 as longshoremen in Los Angeles struck in solidarity with sacked Liverpool dockers. With 32 ships in port and another 16 due in during the international Day of Action, major shipping lines including Maersk, American President Line, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, NYK and OOCL were affected. Over 3,000 LA dockers were meeting to discuss ‘Liverpool and the threats to all dockers worldwide’. Also on the West Coast USA, members of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union shut down Portland and all other Oregon ports for 24 hours, while the San Francisco Bay Area, Long Beach, Seattle and Tacoma saw similar action lasting 5-12 hours.

The port of Dutch Harbour, Alaska also shut down for eight hours.

Rotterdam

Dockers of the FNV union in Rotterdam, the world’s largest port, refused work on a Morline/Baltic Line vessel calling in Liverpool. The Mor Europe arrived at the European Container Terminal in Rotterdam on January 20. After a work-to-rule on the night shift, two gangs refused to service the vessel the following morning. An oil tanker, the ‘Dutch Navigator’, also appeared to suffer delays at the Van Ommeren Tank Terminal. Meanwhile, the 950 Rotterdam dockers are preparing their own battle against employers’ demands for 200 redundancies, with 300 other men to go on a three-day week for three years while 450 form a core workforce. The port seeks an agreement to use agency labour.

St Petersburg

The Russian Trade Union of Dockers of the Sea in St Petersburg is watching the port for vessels and cargoes of companies calling in Liverpool.

Brazil

The three national Brazilian dockers’ organisations representing over 70,000 members are currently writing to Brazilian and foreign shipping companies requesting that they persuade Mersey Docks to reinstate the 500 sacked men. They are also informing all 145 affiliated unions to brief every union member on the Liverpool dispute and are calling a national meeting to discuss an “effective boycott action against any cargo from or to Liverpool in Brazilian ports”.

Zurich

The doors of the British consulate general were glued shut and painted with slogans in a political protest supporting the dockers and Women of the Waterfront.