Fw's & All,
Neptune Jade sailed today from outside anchorage, with all her cargo. Not a stick of work was done on this ship since she showed her face in here over three days ago. Estimated costs run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. All this could have been avoided, of course, had the shipowners not chosen to ignore requests to boycott privatized English ports.
Her likely destination is Vancouver or Seattle, we should alert all Fellow Workers in these ports that this ship may be on the way there, so that a proper welcome can be arranged. Another likely destination is Yokohama. If this is the case, the "hot" cargo may be transshipped onto eastbound vessels, and the thread may be lost.
Nonetheless, this action should be seen as a victory for the working classes, and the international solidarity movement begun, and continued, by the rank-and-file union members worldwide. Doubtless, Trade Unions and political factions will rush to claim responsibility for the effectiveness of this action. But let there be no mistake, this was accomplished with, and through the efforts of grass-roots, rank-and-file activists ready and willing to put themselves on the line, regardless of the political signifigance or potential legal ramifications. To those out there in the dead of night, right on, fellow workers!!
Fraternally,
Colin Dewey
SUP17997
IWW340152
Information just received from the ILWU in Oakland, California indicates that the "Neptune Jade" has sailed out for the second time. It is suspected that the vessel is now headed for Canada.
Liverpool dockers are appealing for supporters anywhere along the West Coast US, Canada, or Mexico to mobilise to picket this vessel wherever it should land.
The "Neptune Jade" is carrying 160 containers which intended
for discharge in Oakland, 7 of which were loaded in Thamesport where Mersey
Docks is the Port Authority through its 100% subsidiary Medway Ports.
