We have not heard a lot about your strike here in Australia, as we seem to
suffer from media blackout of subjects relating to unions. Great democracy
we have!!!!!!!

Keep up the good fight as we know what you are going through. I am a
Hunter Valley, N.S.W. coal miner and our Union is currently fighting Rio
Tinto's attack on members' conditions and wages and anything else these
Multinationals can get their hands on.

Workers need to fight for their rights so whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP.
ALL UNIONISTS EVERYWHERE SUPPORT YOU.

Vic & Christine Thom

I work for a large company which makes record profits every year, but in a
few months time intends to shed workers due to the introdction of new
technology. The end result will be more casual and many non skilled and
non union employees.

For what it's worth I wish you all the best and a swift and successful
outcome in your struggle.
Ross Sheeran
Brisbane, Australia

I have just watched "Strike", by Ken Loach and got the full story on
your hard fight against the greedy arseholes. It's unfortunately the way
of the world at the present time. Over here we have a baby Thatcherite
in the making, although none of them have the balls she had, it's still
all about the "business dickhead", getting his own way.

You shall win my friends, a struggle that will go down in history, along
with other great people fights. Even without the help of other trade
unions including your own you shall WIN. You are right and to be right
is a threat to losers, that includes bosses and union officials. They
all fear the the down trodden who are right.

I am not a trade unionist I was once but I left that job and now I'm at
the mercy of my boss, who by the way isn't too bad as far as bosses go
but the moral of this is, I am now paid a hell of a lot less than I was
getting whilst under the union movement and that by the way had nothing
to do with the union officials because everytmie we wanted to go all the
way whilst striking they would back off. No, no, my friends it was the
people on the floor who won what rights we had. I lost great faith in
the organized unions after that, too worried about their precious
finances to be worried about the people on the floor. Not once did they
give us a cent.

Anyway dear comrades keep up the good fight. And remember you are on
the right side of natural justice and peace be with you.

A Thomson.

Hi guys,
just found out about you through a docu screened on SBS TV in Australia
on the Liverpool dockers. Please let me know if there is any thing I can
do here in Australia.

I have a case which I would like to get some publicity or help on. Ther
media here is generally so tightly controlled it is difficult to get
things to the public.

I work for Telstra the nationally owned telecommunications company here .
It is under the process of partial privatisation at the moment. I an an
elected union delegate (shop steward). My members asked me to produce a
newsletter for them when the management renegged on an agreement andd cut
back on our union meeting capabilities.

For more than two years I have produced it. It is hard hitting but
accurate. Instead of answering the matters we have raised they ahve tried
to shut me down. I have been suspended and charged with such things as
having produced a document without the authority of the management, When
I notified my members of plans to reduce our staff by more than 30,000 I
was charged with having incited fear and unrest. For gooodness sake I was
trying to save their jobs. An internal inquiry was held which violated
just about every tene of Natural Justice. Another official inquiry has
been held and I am now awaiting the outcome. I am proud of the fact that
in almost 5 hours of examination on the witness stand they could noot
find one inaccuracy or misleading statemnet in my Newsletters.
I am at the moment awaiting the outcome of this inquiry. Telstra has
spent what I estimate to be in the vicinity of $50,000 to silence me.

In Australia we do not have a Bill of Rights. Our access to the Common
Law is being legislated away. We must fight to get a proper Bill of
Rights established in every country so our rights will not be at the whim
of the local politicians on the state of the digestion of some judge
sitting on a bench.

My case raises the quesiton of the fundamental rights of a citizen to
free speech and to the freedom to write and distribute information.

Well guys that I guess is enough for now. The company has sought to
isolate me as much as possible and so it is a somewhat lonely fight
especially as the the union executive concerned has only been minimally
supportive, though my comrades have been wonderful in thier support.

Please let me know what I can do to help the Liverpool guys in their
battle

Mervyn K. Vogt

I watched the Ken Loach documentary on SBS TV (in Australia) just one hour
ago. I've been out of the UK since 1992, living in Melbourne Victoria.
I honestly didn't know ANYTHING about the Liverpool Dockers Lockout.
NOTHING at all. I can't believe in these days of satellite technology &
media coverage, that something as inhuman & undemocratic an issue as yours,
can go on for TWO YEARS without any coverage on TV or Radio. I'm an avid
listener of the World Service, and PBS TV & Radio - but as I've already
said, I knew nothing about this.

Please can you give me information on how I can send a contribution to your
cause. I'll try contacting the waterfront workers in Melbourne (who as you
probably know, are going through their own industrial dispute at the
moment), but any more information that you can give me will expedite any
help that I can give both myself, and through others that I know will be
more than happy to help too.

I'm a casual worker myself. I have been since leaving Ferranti's in
Wythenshawe in 1981. Fortunately, in the industry that I work in, there's
plenty of work at the moment. That doesn't stop the bastards changing the
goal posts at the commencement of EVERY new contract though.

If only there were more Ken Loache's on the planet, we might then get the
media more impartial & honest.

Rgds Dave Stewart

Dear Comrades, We have just seen "Strike" and, although we were in UK in
1995, we cannot understand why we have not heard about your struggle
until now. The Guardian Weekly hasn't mentioned it either.
We are members of Canberra Program for Peace and Australians For a Free
East Timor. We are not rich but we are employed and would like to help
by sending you a donation.

We shall write to Blair (fat lot of good that'll do but at least the
more noise the better!) and the Merseyside cops about the acts of
violence against you.

Best wishes and every success in the struggle...ours and yours, it's all
the same!

Gareth Smith & Maxine Caron

Saw Loach's movie. Don't know which disgusts me more - the action of
that vicious bitch Thatcher, or the failure of Labour and the TUC to put
it right.

I left Liverpool nearly fifty years ago, when I was 19. Used to drink
at a pub called the Roscoe Head. Used to ride the old Dock Railway, and
as a kid, watched the toffs being wheeled off the boat train and onto
the Cunarders at the Landing Stage. Used to take the tram up to Penny
Lane.

Don't suppose you want to hear this crap, but it makes me wonder what
all this 'progress' stuff is about, and just for who is life all that
better.

I love you, lads. Solidarity forever! (I know you cant eat love and
solidarity, but I've stuck a few Ozzie dollars in the mail)

Simon and Helen

Dear Mr Davies

Last night I saw a film "Strike" by Ken Loach on SBS
television in Melbourne. This follows two articles I have
recently read, one in a green-left newspaper and the other
in a trade union publication. What I saw and read moved
(and frightened) me greatly. I am a lifelong trade
unionist, as were my father and grandfathers and many other
relatives (my grandfather was a seaman in the General
Strike). I originally come from Glasgow, but now am working
in the public service in Australia. I am also the Secretary
of my local Branch of the Australian Labor Party.

I have arranged with my credit union to send me a cheque for
fifty pounds sterling, which I will post to you when I
receive it.

I also intend to write to the British Labour Government
telling them of my support and asking that they intervene
directly, and also that they change the anti-union laws in
Britain. I also intend to write to the Maritime Union here
in Melbourne and pledging my support in the (almost)
inevitable fight with the Australian Liberal (Tory)
Government.

Yours in unity,

Sarah McQuarrie

PS My husband is a plasterer and also a lifelong union
member.

Dear Comrades

I saw the television special on your strike on Australian television
yesterday (7 September) - don't let the bustards win! To few today have
the spirit and the principle as seem to be displayed by you. The
Australian union movement suffers from the same sickness as your movement
seems to. For fifteen years straight we have made "tactical retreats"
everytime the bosses have attacked us. Until recently we had a labor
government any many of us could not wait for the government to be voted
out. While we had the labor government the union movement was dismantled
by consent- now at least the attacks are coming head on. The labor
government grew a special kind of union bureaucrat and ensured that the
union movement became hooked on government funding. Now with a new
government the movement has suddenly discovered that it needs to organise
its members. I which you all the best! Is there anywhere in Australia
where donations can be made to? If so, please let me know and I will see
if it is possible to raise some funds here.

Regards

Jorgen Gullestrup

My Dad detested scabs. These poeple should be ashamed of themselves.
I now live in Adelaide Australia, driven here with my husband and children
by Maggie Thatcher and her henchmen, and I will never forgive her that
because my heart will always be in my beloved Liverpool.

I have sent an email to Tony Blair begging him to pull his finger out and
get somthing done.Wether he gets to see it or not is another matter.
When I get a few bob extra I will send it to the dockers fund.
In the mean time stay strong and never give in.

Ann Carroll

Greetings,
just last night I watched Ken Loach's Strike and was moved to tears at
your plight over in Liverpool. I am an Industrial Officer with a union
over here I wish some of my members had the guts and vision for all
worker's futures to do what you lot are doing over there! My husband is
Scottish and tells me that Liverpool always has got a shit deal in the
UK. I would like to send you a message of support for all that you do.
Not enough of us realise the attacks that all workers are facing and
need to wake up else there is no decent future. Over here workers are
under attack. Each day that goes by I feel more despondant at what this
Government are doing to ordinary working women and men (they voted for
them). At present I look after 1300 members in the DHSS public service
and they are soon to vote on striking. As I said I only wish some of my
members had your guts, I get excuses of ' I can't afford to strike', as
you know only too well, who bloody can afford it. Better to lose a bit
than lose everything forever. Soon the Governement here plan to take on
the Waterfront workers, (my dad was a wharfie when he came out from
Italy in the 1930's) I will be on their picket line with you people in
mind. I only wish I were with you in person.

Support to the Women of the Waterfront, bless them one and all.

Michelle