OUR accumulated knowledge over the last 18 months bears witness to the fact that the British working class is confronted with the most obnoxious political machine, using Parliament to legislate against the people.
All our assets, paid for by our fathers and mothers, indeed by ourselves - through surplus value, taxation and insurance - have been privatised or are in the process of privatisation.
Freedom and democracy are non-existent at the workplace. The economic base is controlled by a minority who use political legislation, trade union laws and employment contracts to create economic fear. If they do not achieve employment contracts by democratic negotiation, they impose them with 90-days' dismissal notice.
This is what the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company did at Seaforth base in 1993. Intensified day-hours of work superseded the 10-hour day. Our grandparents fought for the legal 8-hour day, yet we are now faced with 12-hour shifts and longer.
Dehumanisation is the strategy. Disciplinary action was the order of the day, when port workers dared to oppose the draconian obnoxious employment contract.
Their strategy from 1989, when the National Dock Labour Scheme was abolished by the Tory government, was to impose six separate employment contracts in the port of Liverpool to prevent unity and solidarity and weaken the union. They derecognised elected shop stewards whose only aim was to advance the quality of life for all portworkers.
With this abuse of industrial power by the MDHC, the dismissal of portworkers was inevitable. In September 1995 a company called Torside, in conjunction with the MDHC, sacked young portworkers whose only crime was maintaining an agreed overtime payment.
When these young dockers were dismissed, the other portworkers had no choice but to implement trade union principles and refuse to cross their picket line. The MDHC then imposed 'breach of contract' as an excuse to dismiss all portworkers.
They thought unofficial action left the portworkers vulnerable. Knowing we had no official support from the union and no national support action from other dockworkers, the MDHC informed shipowners that within two weeks the port would operate without the sacked dockers.
The Mersey Port Shop Stewards' Committee, confronted with this reality, turned to international dockworkers for support, and this has been achieved.
A total boycott of the port of Liverpool is gradually being put in place. This boycott will diminish the financial position of the company and will inevitably lead to our reinstatement.
We have no illusions in parliamentary inquiries or other arbitration services. We have faith in our own unity, the correctness of our stand, the righteousness of our principles and faith in the support of the world's dockers.
We are not like the early Christians waiting for Nero to put his thumb up or down. The lion will not snap our head off. We will be victorious. We will be reinstated.
In talks with ACAS, MDHC insultingly offered to take on extra dockers to replace ancillary workers who will be offered severance payments to make way for 40-60 sacked dockers! The scabs to remain in place!
Mass meetings on 31 May and 7 June unanimously rejected this 'offer'.
The bizarre behaviour of the dock company is explained by their aim to get rid of all their workforce and replace it with a small core workforce backed up by casual labour. Despite working throughout the dispute, the ancillary workforce is to be cast to one side. As a sign of the real intention of MDHC, at Norse Irish Ferries the scab workforce has been sacked for refusing to work on half wages!
The arrogance of the dock company will soon be exploded. Dockers in Gothenburg, Sweden, are taking action with 12-hour stoppages against all Atlantic Container Limited (ACL) ships. Action will also hit ACL in America.
