The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) congress in Sofia, Bulgaria, today remembered the 1889 Great London Dock Strike as a great early example of international solidarity.
Meanwhile in the UK Unite the Union today sent a boat down the River Thames and into the Port of Tilbury as the first of a series of events to mark the 125th anniversary of the strike and kick off ‘Year of the Docker’ festivities.
Unite the Union national officer for docks and inland waterways, Bobby Morton, said that in 1889, thousands of dock labourers had walked off the job demanding the famous “dockers’ tanner”, and changes in the way workers were hired.
At the time, casual labourers had to compete against each other to be employed for a few hours or a day at a time, and were at the mercy of the contractors and foremen, who hired and fired at will.
“It was led by pioneers such as John Burns, Tom Mann and Ben Tillett, which led to the first organising of the docks and gradually became the Transport and General Workers Union,” Mr Morton said.
“As we moved through the 125 years, obviously the dockers have a great affiliation with seafarers which led to the creation of the ITF, which became a great, worldwide movement.”
ITF president Paddy Crumlin said today was a day to celebrate the past, enjoy the present and get ready for the future.
“It was led by pioneers such as John Burns, Tom Mann and Ben Tillett, which led to the first organising of the docks and gradually became the Transport and General Workers Union,” Mr Morton said.
“As we moved through the 125 years, obviously the dockers have a great affiliation with seafarers which led to the creation of the ITF, which became a great, worldwide movement.”
ITF president Paddy Crumlin said today was a day to celebrate the past, enjoy the present and get ready for the future.
“We’re still up against the same organised elitism and the same crushing of workers’ rights 125 years later,” Crumlin said.
“But we’ve got great hope – if you can do it in 1889, against all the odds, and you bring in all of the international forces, including my union, the Maritime Union of Australia, then you can do it again today.”
After the strike began, the cost of providing meals and clothing for thousands of workers and their families looked as though it might lead to the collapse of the strike.
But Australia’s Brisbane Wharf Labourers’ Union sent the first installment of 150 Pounds and in total the Australian Labour movement donated 30,000 of the 48,000 Pounds raised.
“They were reaching out in solidarity and sent a message that we’re all in it together. We’ve never lost that spirit and we should never lose that spirit in a world more globalised than ever before,” Crumlin said.
“Here at the ITF Congress, let’s remember and reflect; we are a mighty movement; we have been for more than a hundred years and will be for hundreds of years to come.”
The dock strike was immediately preceded by the successful strike by women workers at a match factory in the East End of London and most of these women were related to or married to dockers.
The match workers won their strike for better health and safety conditions in their factory and this win is thought by many to have motivated the dockers to take up their fight.
The 43rd ITF congress in Sofia brings together almost 2,000 participants from 379 unions in 116 countries.
Resounding vote for strike action at Felixstowe 1999
by David OslerFELIXSTOWE dock workers have voted massively in favour of strike action that could cripple Britain's biggest container port, the Transport and General Workers' Union confirmed yesterday.
Any stoppage could have a devastating effect on the North Sea trade, as the port is a key transhipment link for the UK.
It may also spark solidarity action at other facilities where Felixstowe's Hong Kong-based parent Hutchison Whampoa has an interest, including Rotterdam's massive Europe Combined Terminals.
Meanwhile, other ports on the east and south coasts will be seeking to take commercial advantage of their rival's present difficulties.
Felixstowe management is seeking to implement a labour restructuring package that could see basic pay for some dockers slashed by 40%.
Such a reduction would leave many employees with pay packets significantly lower than those of their counterparts at other major UK ports. The company argues that the shortfall will be made up by supplementary payments.
Unrest has been simmering since the plans were announced late last year, despite the port's reputation for enjoying some of the most stable industrial relations in the sector.
Dockers were asked by the TGWU if they were prepared to take strike action on the issue. The result of the ballot was 1,467 in favour and 220 against, a yes vote of 87%.
A second question, asking if members were prepared to take action short of a strike, was carried by an even higher margin. Some 1,600 backed the call, with only 58 against, a yes vote of 95%.
A total of 1,816 ballot papers were issued and 1,691 returned. The 93% turnout was unusually high for a vote of this kind.
Under UK law, the union, which has formally declared the dispute official, now has 28 days in which to commence action. At this stage, however, it is likely that it will seek to use the strike mandate as a bargaining tool. Both sides were yesterday talking to government conciliation service ACAS.
Management seemingly took the vote in its stride, describing the result as "disappointing but not altogether unexpected".
