MELBOURNE — Mass pickets over the last week and a half at East Swanson and Webb Docks have generated amazing solidarity among workers.
On the morning of April 8, as the news filtered through that 2000 wharfies had been sacked, thousands of building workers downed tools and walked to the Webb and East Swanson docks. Three thousands building workers, wharfies and supporters amassed at Webb Dock while almost 1000 covered the three entrances to Swanson Dock.
Two days later, on Easter Friday, several hundred wharfies and their supporters gathered at Appleton Dock to stop a train loaded with 90 containers. Several wharfies placed their cars across the tracks. After negotiations, the manager on the train agreed to turn it around.
The next day, about 1000 wharfies and supporters from a variety of unions and community groups mobilised at East Swanson Dock in preparation for the expected arrival of trucks — which never turned up. Two days later, after a tense stand-off, the picketers succeeded in turning away two trucks at the gates.
The mobilisations of union solidarity have been inspiring, but no more than the growing support from the broader community. Family after family has dropped in to the picket with food, messages of support and easter eggs.
Retired unionists recount stories of the benefits the wharfies won for all workers, while the current wharfies discuss the incompetence of the scab wharfies.
Pat, a sacked wharfie at East Swanson, watched a scab trying for an hour and a half to put a hatch on a ship — a job that would take an experienced wharfie five minutes. One ship, whose owners became frustrated with the slowness of loading, up and left the dock half full.
A significant victory was won at East Swanson on the night of April 17. On the previous day, the Kennett government had promised to break the picket line within four days. The next morning, more than 1000 people mobilised in response to the threatened police action. The police were called in after the Melbourne Port Authority claimed that picketers were trespassing.
By lunchtime it was clear the immediate threat had subsided and a roster of around 300 picketers was maintained throughout the afternoon. News then came through that the police were to move that evening. The phone trees, particularly through the Trades Hall Council, were activated.
By 10pm there were more than 1500 picketers. By early morning, this had grown to 4000. Picketers listened to speakers, held defensive picket drills and took in some entertainment.
Not until 4.30am were 150 police and four horses sighted. Another 650 police were waiting out of sight. The disciplined lines of picketers shouted now familiar chants, such as "MUA, here to stay" and were pressed en masse against the dock gates as the police lines advanced and then pulled back.
The stand-off lasted until 7am when it was announced that building workers were coming to the picket line. As the 2000 building workers marched through to the Swanson gates, they surrounded the police. The stand-off was over and within 10 minutes the police were marching away, in formation and beaten.
During the stand-off at the main gate, two smaller entrances to East Swanson dock were seized by police. The move provoked the CONAUST workers at P&O to stop work and claim back one of the entrances. A delegation from the main picket retook the other gate.
Six thousand workers and activists had claimed East Swanson dock as their own.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ goes to print, police are once again gathering in an attempt to force vehicles through to move freight from the dock. Toyota has announced that it intends to lay off workers on April 22 because it cannot get parts being held on the wharf. While the government, Patrick and Toyota management are using this to condemn the wharfies and their struggle for the loss of more jobs, the promised presence of Toyota car plant workers at the picket line on April 20 and 21 clearly indicates where the workers loyalties lie in the dispute.