To: International portworkers
14 July 1997
Dear Colleagues,
We would like to alert you to comments made by the ITF last week in the
context of the current dispute involving T&GWU members employed at British
Airways, which we believe have important implications for our own dispute.
On their internet website
(http://www.ITF.ORG.UK/british-airways-strike.htm),
the ITF point out on 11th July:
"BA is now threatening to take legal action both against the Transport
and General Workers' Union (TGWU) and against the International Transport
Workers' Federation (ITF). The threat against the ITF, by Human Resources
Director Mervyn Walker asserts that the ITF has breached UK labour law by
calling upon foreign trade unions to support their colleagues in BA. ITF
General Secretary David Cockroft has replied rejecting this assertion and
stressing that the ITF will not be intimidated by such legal threats. In
an article in the Financial Times on July 10th, Cockroft points out that
the ITF would be put in an impossible situation if the British courts found
that it was acting illegally by asking affiliates to take action which was
legal in their own countries. As most ITF affiliates know very well, the
ITF is a federation of autonomous trade unions and any solidarity action
undertaken by those affiliates are decided by the organisations themselves...
and the ITF stand ready to defend themselves vigorously in court should
any action be launched."
Merseyside Port Shop Stewards welcome the determination of the ITF to resist the legal challenge to their right to appeal for international solidarity over British Airways. We believe that in exactly the same manner, the ITF could appeal for international solidarity in support of our own dispute. We would urge affiliated unions to raise this matter with the ITF at the earliest possible opportunity.
The question of our sacking is no longer a question for Liverpool dockers
and their families alone, nor even for our union alone. It is a question
for all dockers everywhere.
We ask all of our supporters to indicate to the ITF their support for the
impending international action and boycott of ships and shipping lines continuing
to call in the scab Port of Liverpool, and to call on the ITF itself to
lend its vigorous support to this action.
Yours in Solidarity,
Jim Nolan
Chair Mersey Port Stewards
