A vicious handwritten note threatening violence against sacked dockers has been received by Port Shop Steward and International Coordinator Terry Teague.
On 17 September, Teague and 3 other sacked dockers were in court for a preliminary hearing on a charge of "obstruction" of the highway during picketting. The case was adjourned to December, but coverage in the "Liverpool Echo" by reporter Peter Harvey gave names and addresses of the dockers concerned.
And now the letter appears:
"Dear Teague,
Listen scumbag and listen good. You may get away with damage to our cars at Canada Dock and threats to burn our houses down for the moment, but thanks to certain sources we now have the addresses of all the Torside shitheads and dockers and will, rest assured, pay you and your families back if it continues.
This is not an idle threat. What you dish out we will return it equally and that goes for Macinally, Givens, to name a few.
Your lockers also carried phone numbers and addresses - if you don't believe we have them. So tell your friends bighead and look after the blue transit van of yours. It may get a visit one day."
In view of the written threats, dockers intend to pursue the matter with Merseyside Police and the National Union of Journalists.
