By Cameron Parker
"Following the long fight for the reinstatement of our men and the conclusion that has been reached, many of the women have been left feeling as though there is a huge emptiness in their lives. This outrageous and calculated attack on the MUA has re-lit a flame inside us, which gave us so much energy and fight during our dispute." — Collette Melia, an organiser of the Liverpool Dockers' Women of the Waterfront in a letter to the Maritime Union of Australia.
This solidarity from the Liverpool women gave impetus for the formation of Women of the Waterfront (WOW) Australia. Vlasta Haub, secretary of Sydney WOW, told Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly: "We adopted the name because of the magnificent role the Liverpool women played in support of the dockers' 27-month dispute.
"There has been an avalanche of support from family counsellors, women lawyers, religious groups, entertainers, union women's committees and Labor Party branches. Even a sail-maker offered to make a banner for us."
WOW's priorities include seeking a meeting with John Howard and Peter Reith to explain the women's view on the issues involved. "Should we receive a negative response, we will have no other alternative than to organise other forms of meetings with them", Haub said.
The presence of women on Sydney picket lines has been growing. Following an incident on April 14, when police forcibly broke a picket at Port Botany, disregarding the safety of children present, the mass media launched barrage of slander against wharfies and their companions. The media claimed wharfies were "using" the children.
When a wharfies' wife rang talkback radio host John Laws to give her side, she was told that she had wind flapping in her ears. Another talkback radio announcer said that all wharfies' children are inbred, Haub told Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly.
In response to the media campaign, the MUA set up creches away from the front line of the picket. Does WOW see its role as being just to staff these creches?
"That will be one of the jobs we will have to do for the moment. But we don't want to just be the women in the kitchen, standing behind the men", replied Haub. "We want to do more than that."
Women of the Waterfront is urging women to staff the picket lines and to get involved in other solidarity activities. WOW is organising a contingent for the Sydney May Day march, on Sunday, May 3 (gather at noon in Bathurst Street).
WOW committees have been formed in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Brisbane. All have the backing of their local MUA branch.
Women interested in joining WOW or setting up a committee can phone the MUA on (02) 9264 5024.