The Balance Sheet

The dock company has benefited from a deafening silence in the British press. But the "Los Angeles Times" (21.1), a leading US daily, reports:

"Pacific Rim trade sputtered to a halt and dozens of mammoth cargo ships sat idle in their ports Monday as union dockworkers from Los Angeles to Seattle stayed off the job in a one-day show of support for striking longshoremen in Liverpool, England... At the Los Angeles-Long Beach harbor complex, the nation's busiest, 33 ships were either stranded in berths with no one to handle their cargo or were anchored in the San Pedro Bay with nowhere to go..."

Or, "Tribune Business News" (21.1):

" 'The industry is again a mess,' said captain Karsten Lemke, chairman of the Steamship Association of Southern California and a vice president with Zim-American Israeli Shipping Co. Inc. in Los Angeles. 'This is going to cost us millions of dollars in delays.'... 'Half a billion dollars in commerce is shot... down the drain,' said Wilmington trucking executive Mike Johnson, president of the Port Intermodal Operators Association."

CNN San Francisco also thought there was a story, featuring videotape of last February's international mass picket of Seaforth in an item on the current solidarity strike.

Sooner rather than later, some of the major shipping companies will make their views known to Mersey Docks. The stewards hope that this will finally bring management to their senses, enabling real negotiations to find a settlement.

Information reaching us reveals the extent of industrial and political protest. Apologies for any errors and to anyone omitted - not all actions have yet been reported to the stewards!

Liverpool:

8 dockers and 7 environmental activists occupied 3 cranes at the grain terminal for 27 hours, preventing unloading of the "Lake Erie" which was delayed a total of 35 hours, while a continuous mass picket of Seaforth Container Terminal was in progress. On their descent, most were arrested and charged with aggravated trespass. Their trials are set for mid-February.

Australia:

The "Zim Australia" was diverted from Sydney Harbour, and this week the "Zim Sydney" faces disruption in Sydney and Melbourne. The Israeli-owned Zim Line trades with Liverpool. Zim Line in Australia have written to Zim offices worldwide regarding the boycott.

New Zealand:

Seafarers picketed the 3 major container terminals in Auckland, Wellington and Lyttelton for an hour at the beginning of shift on 20.1. Members of the Waterfront Workers and Harbour Workers honoured the picket lines, along with truck drivers in Wellington. Vessels were detained in Auckland and Lyttelton, where seafarers met the crew of the P&O "Mairangi Bay" during its hold-up. P&O operates in the Port of Liverpool.

Japan:

The 40,000 strong National Council of Dockworkers Unions (Zenkoku Kowan) held workplace rallies cutting into working hours by 30 minutes in 50 ports on 20.1 under the slogan "Stand Against Deregulation, Strengthen International Solidarity". Shipping lines such as OOCL, Evergreen, NYK, and P&O were affected, we understand. A dockers rally was held in Tokyo Bay and the Japanese union wrote to MDHC threatening further action including strikes in February.

West Coast US:

All Oregon ports including Portland shut for 24 hours on 20.1. Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle, and Dutch Harbour (Alaska) stopped for 8 hours. In Los Angeles alone, over 100 cranes were stopped with 32 ships in harbour and another 16 due that day. Shipping lines affected included Maersk, American President Line, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, NYK, and OOCL. In Oakland, the Korean-owned "Hanjin Washington" was among the vessels stopped. The ILWU action was also taken in solidarity with Korean trade unionists. A demo at the British Consulate in San Francisco was held 17.1 with ILWU, San Francisco Labor Council, Union Pacific Railway workers. Consul General Malcolm Dougal initially claimed the UK Government had "no ownership" of Mersey Docks.

Mexico:

Associated Press reports that 125 unemployed transport workers from the transport union Ruta 100 and the Proletarian Movement (MPI) marched to the British Embassy in Mexico City on 20.1 in support of Liverpool dockers. "We are here because they supported us. This is happening because of neoliberalism," said one.

Brazil:

The 3 national Brazilian docker organisations representing over 70,000 members are:

• writing to Brazilian and foreign shipping companies requesting them to persuade Mersey Docks to reinstate the 500;
• informing all 145 affiliated unions to brief every union member on the Liverpool dispute;
• calling a national meeting to discuss effective boycott action against Liverpool cargo.

East Coast US:

Lloyd's List (20.1) quoted International Longshoremen's Association members in New Jersey, Baltimore, and Hampton Roads (the ports served by ACL vessels calling in Liverpool) who "intend to honour the request for a boycott" of Liverpool ships. ILA President John Bowers confirms that this action did take place.

In Boston the IWW leafleted at the ILA hiring hall, where the Liverpool dispute did not appear to be known. In New York, the Workers Solidarity Alliance/Blackout Books picketed the British Consulate over the dispute.

Canada:

The influential ILA-organised port of Saint John, New Brunswick, shut from 8am to 7pm on 20.1 in solidarity, despite the legal restraints on the union.

Quebec:

Following the first ever joint meeting of 500 longshoremen, checkers, and railway workers in the port of Montreal, the CAST and CanMar offices were occupied on 20.1. The Managing Director of CanMar fled his office. At the 3 container terminals, health and safety rules were strictly applied by the Syndicat des Debardeurs so that many pieces of equipment required maintenance. The "Cast Elk" and "CanMar Spirit" were delayed. The longshoremen established their own French-English internet site (linked to the Liverpool Lockout site) to report the action.

Sweden:

All ACL and CAST containers were immobilised on 21.1 in a national 24 hour stoppage by the Hamnarbetarforbundet and rank and file members of the Swedish Transportworkers Union, affecting Gothenburg, Malmo, Helsingborg, and Stockholm. The "Atlantic Compass" discharged on 20.1 in Gothenburg but its cargo lay undelivered on 21.1. Swedish dockers have taken industrial solidarity action every week since July.

Norway:

The Sandnes dockers union is to follow requests from the ITF and Norwegian Transportworkers Union for direct action and material support.

Russia:

The Russian Trade Union of Dockers of the Sea in St. Petersburg is watching the port for vessels and cargoes of companies calling in Liverpool. Solidarnost in Kaliningrad sent a solidarity message.

Denmark:

The ports of Arhus and Copenhagen held 24 hour solidarity stoppages following mass meetings 20.1. Awaiting news on other Danish ports.

Holland:

In the giant European Container Terminal at Rotterdam, the Morline/Baltic Line "Mor Europe" was delayed by a work-to-rule on the night shift of 20.1 followed by two gangs refusing to service the vessel in the morning of 21.1.

Belgium:

The "Atlantic Compass" was delayed 7 hours on the night shift of 15.1. Dockers delivered a petition to the British Embassy in Brussels on 20.1, demanding the UK Government intervene to restart negotiations given their shareholding in Mersey Docks and the scale of the dispute. Stewards await confirmation of action threatened in Zeebrugge and Ghent.

Germany:

On 25.1 the ACL "Atlantic Conveyor" was held up for 2 hours in Bremerhaven as the OTV called 60 dockers to the canteen to discuss Liverpool. OTV had previously issued a port bulletin on Liverpool. Many solidarity messages and letters to MDHC were sent by OTV branches and SPD (Social Democratic Party) structures. The rank and file "Blue Monday" group leafleted dockers 20.1 and hung a banner "Support the Liverpool Dockers, Stop the ships going to Liverpool".

France:

A OOCL vessel was delayed in Le Havre on the evening of 19.1. Le Havre dockers attended a rally in Paris of 1500 supporters of Liverpool dockers and Women of the Waterfront. In Marseille, a delegation attended the British Consulate. A massive financial appeal is being launched throughout France.

Switzerland:

The offices of the Rhine Shipping Company in Basel were occupied by the "Swiss Revolutionary Reconstruction", in solidarity with Liverpool dockers and Women of the Waterfront. Unidentified activists glued the locks at the British consulate in Zurich.

Greece:

Three day seamen's strike (20-22.1) and general strike (23.1) of transport workers including dockers affected Gracechurch line, trading with Liverpool.

In Spain, Portugal, Austria, Algeria, Mauritania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, unions informed their membership, wrote to Mersey Docks or the British Government, or sent money and solidarity messages to the dockers.

Summary:

In 27 countries, 105 ports and cities, dockers, seafarers, and other workers took part in workplace meetings, public meetings, demonstrations at British Embassies and Consulates, work-to-rules, and full-scale stoppages ranging from 30 mins, 2 hours, 8 hours, through to 24 hours. The actions took place on Wednesday 15th January, Monday 20th January, Tuesday 21st January, and Saturday 25th January. Merseyside Port Shop Stewards have received 220 faxes of support. The actions were widely reported in the media outside Britain.