Report by Bobby Morton, Merseyside Port Shop Stewards
The British section of the Euro March began organising several months ago and marchers reached Liverpool in May of this year. Representatives of the sacked Liverpool dockworkers were requested to provide shelter, food and drink for the marchers during their time in the city. A request was also made to the rank and file dockworkers to take part in a march and rally through the city of Liverpool, culminating at St. Georges' plateau.
The march and rally on 24 May became a success, mainly due to the attendance of the dockworkers and Women of the Waterfront.
An invitation was then extended to the Merseyside Port Shop Stewards to send a delegation to Amsterdam for the final stages of the March.
The manifestation on 14 June in Amsterdam was attended by myself and 4 rank and file dockworkers, and two representatives of Women of the Waterfront.
After a march of some 60,000 people around the city of Amsterdam, which lasted approximately 3 hours, I was invited to make a presentation on behalf of the sacked Liverpool dockworkers, from the platform in Damm Square.
This was rapturously received and I left the stage with the chant "Dockers In, Scabs Out" resounding around the Square.
The key issues that the Euro Marchers had identified their opposition to were
1) unemployment
2) poverty
3) social exclusion
and these three elements have touched the lives of the 500 sacked dockers and their families since their brutal dismissal by Mersey Docks and Harbour Company in September 1995. But although we have been expelled from our workplace, we have been embraced by the international community of all those who are prepared to fight back.
Prior to the march and rally, discussions were held with dockers representatives from ports around Europe, with a view to promoting the proposed international dockworkers industrial action in support of the sacked Liverpool men.
My main impression of the Euro March is that it was an enormous and emotional display of internationalism, which would be totally wasted if it were to be consigned to memory. The exercise should be repeated whenever and wherever possible around Europe if we are to drive our message home.
My message to the people of Europe is that it is pointless sitting at home crying about being the victims of unemployment, poverty, and social exclusion. We must take to the streets and demonstrate in the loudest and strongest possible way so our voice may be heard by governments, multinational and national employers.
We the working classes cannot be overlooked in the search for a viable and strong European economy. To meet our needs, it must be based on full employment and the restoration of social conditions.
