After a break of almost 50 years (since the 1947 Detroit conference) dockers from 15 countries, 53 delegates, met together on 17-23 February 1996 in the Port of Liverpool to discuss:
On 28 September 1995 the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company locked out and dismissed the workforce for refusing to cross a picket line mounted by dockers employed by Torside Limited who were in dispute with their employer over sackings and proposed casualisation.
Since the defeat of the British dockers' 1989 strike, trade union organisation survived only in the port of Liverpool. The Mersey Port Shop Stewards' Committee knowing that their action was unofficial and illegal and that they could not get physical support from dockers in any of the other British ports, turned to their brothers in countries around the world.
The response was magnificent. Financial donations poured in and solidarity action was taken around he world. Delegations from Liverpool travelled far and wide. They learned that dockers everywhere face the same problems. Clearly it was necessary to call dockers together to discuss these problems and come to common decisions to ensure that international shipping companies and port employers are met with dockworkers' international united organisation and response.
The conference decided to enact international solidarity through appropriate actions against shipping companies using the port of Liverpool, and formed a committee to call a further conference for an international organisation of dockworkers.
This issue of Dockers' Charter can give only a glimpse of this historic conference.
Dockers Charter #5
International Conferences
