Dockers address ITF centenary meeting

Liverpool dockers Jimmy Nolan and Bobby Morton addressed 300 international delegates at the centenary of the International Transport Workers' Federation, ITF, held in London during the first week in July. A call from the floor for an international day of action when all trade with Liverpool would be blockaded met with an enthusiastic response. On 5 July, the ITF Fair Practices Committee formally decided that:

  1. We wholeheartedly commend the Liverpool dockers for their courageous struggle of resistance with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company;
  2. recommends the ITF to make a substantial donation to the dockers' hardship fund;
  3. calls on dockers and seafarers all over the world to assist the Liverpool dockers by taking the appropriate action where possible.

As a trade union organisation based in London, the ITF is constrained by UK legislation. Its formal position reflects the legal straight jacket, but still represents a significant step forward.

The ITF and Liverpool