Liverpool 2nd Anniversary Rally, 27 September 1997
Dear comrades,
When the dock dispute first broke out, our family was distraught. My dad had lost his job and things were looking very bleak. At the time I was only twelve and didn't fully understand.
But what made things so much better for me, my brother, and sister, was meeting with other children whose dads or grandads had been sacked. We all seemed to have the same sort of problems.
At first, going to the picket line was an adventure, but as I've grown older, I have realised what the picket line and the dispute is all about. It's not just about the men fighting for their jobs in this generation but for the younger people of the next.
I've been very proud to have stood on the picket line with the older men who have fought a battle against casualisation in the past. I've also been proud to stand with the young dockers and it's been a great honour to have developed a friendhsip with some of the international guests, although a certain Australian guest, whose name I won't mention, happens to support Man United, but we can't hold that against him as the work he, and all the other international supporters have done fur us is phenomenal.
Having Robbie Fowler, Stever McMananman and people like Noel Gallagher supporting our struggle has created an interest amongst young people which can only be a good thing. I have continuously been asked in school how things are going, by teachers and pupils alike.
One thing I have learnt from this dispute is to always stand up for myself and what I believe in, like all the men, women and children here today.
Oh and one last thing before I go, is to tell you that Noel Gallagher is donating a track to the Liverpool Dockers CD and when they play "Don't look back in anger" at Earls Court tonight, they are going to record it and put it on the CD.
VICTORY TO THE LIVERPOOL DOCKERS
Liverpool 2nd Anniversary Rally, 27 September 1997
Good afternoon. My name is Joanne Bennett and I'm here to talk about the docks dispute. When my Dad got sacked, I found it very hard to understand the situation, as it was difficult time for my Dad.
But as time went on my Mum joined up with a group of other wives and they became involved with the Women of the Waterfront. I too got involved with other people and me and my sisters began to make friends with other dockers children.
After a couple of weeks there was no sign of him getting his job back and I began to feel a bit upset as I knew it would affect my family emotionally and financially. But we learnt to get along with the situation we were in and we began going to pickets and marches.
But now two years have gone by and I fully understand the dispute which makes me more determined to believe that my Dad will get his job back and all the other dockers. And in the end they will all be able to march through the dock gates proudly and begin work where they belong.
