In Reply to: Re: LIVERPOOL DOCKERS posted by Jennifer Wolfe on December 12, 1996 at 23:34:53:
> > On the 28th September 1995, 500 dockers in Liverpool were
> > sacked for refusing to cross a picket line.> I heard something about this somewhere but don't remember the details,
> could somebody remind me?August 1995
- Torside announced decision to sack 20 dockers replacing them with casual labour.8th September
- Official union ballot in favour of action
Torside withdraw threat of liquidation, continue employment of all dockworkers.26th September
- All 80 Torside dockworkers sacked.28th September
- 500 dockworkers sacked, for refusing to cross a picket line.9th October
- Dockworkers accepted union advice and try to return to work.
Refused admittance by Mersey Dock and Harbour Company.23rd October
- Mersey Dock and Harbour Company contact work to strike breakers
Drake International and PDP (Services) on a casual basis.Since then the Mersey Dock and Harbour Company have made numerous
attempts to buy the men off. Three offers have been rejected by
mass meetings and through a secret ballot.Dockers want their jobs back - they are not for sale - they are
there for our youth and Merseyside Communities and our future
prosperity not for casual contracts.They have refused to recognise the reinstatement of the young
Torside workers - for them there are no jobs on offer.
They have also refused to remove the 'strike breaking outfits'
and scab workers from our port. They insist that the only jobs
that they are prepared to offer will be short term, in general
cargo areas.This latest offer would only apply to a selective number of
sacked dockers. Over 120 sacked dockers were ignored as part
of any final settlement.Mersey Docks insistence on a postal ballot was unacceptable
as their offer did not apply to all sacked dockworkers;
ignored the right of all dockworkers to ballot on the offer;
and most importantly Mersey Docks declared their intention
to ignore a secret ballot result (January 1996) that
rejected their offer (by 84% of all dockers).Under such anti-democratic demands Mersey Docks offer of 60 jobs
and compusory redundancies for over 400 dockers was rejected.It was made clear to our Negotiating Committee that the vast
majority of our dockworkers would be made compulsory redundant,
if this document was accepted. The Merseyside port shop stewards
see this as a further act of victimisation against men whose
only crime was to honour a picket line. As you would expect,
when these proposals were put to to a mass meeting of our
membership, the decision to reject the employers latest
offer was unanimous.A solution is simple, it is:
For the Dock Company to remove all scab labour from the port -
to get rid of Drake International and PDP who contract this labour out.For all sacked dockers to be reinstated. Those wishing to leave the industry can then so do honourably
with full retirement benefits money offered by the employer.It is as simple as that.
None.