by Merseyside Port Shop Stewards
In response to the recent successful picketing of the "Neptune Jade" in Oakland, California, Thamesport have issued press information claiming that both "Neptune Jade" and Thamesport were the wrong targets for any action in support of the dismissed Liverpool dockers. Here are the facts:
The "Neptune Jade" is listed in the current authoritative Electronic Shipping Guide on the Web as a Hapag Lloyd service linking Thamesport to Oakland. Hapag Lloyd is in a container trade alliance with Neptune Orient Lines, who own the "Neptune Jade". Hapag Lloyd also has a slot share arrangement with Atlantic Container Line (ACL) on the transatlantic route linking the North American East Coast with Liverpool.
Lloyds "Ports of the World" and the "Guide to Port Entry" show that Medway Ports Limited is the Port Authority for Thamesport. Pilotage is administered by Medway Ports Limited. Medway Ports is 100% owned by Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.
The 1996 Medway Ports Handbook makes extensive reference to Thamesport. In its Overview (p.11) the Medway Ports general manager emphasises that the significant increase in commercial traffic has brought "more responsibility for the company's role as port authority" and "the rise in vessel calls at Medway Ports and Thamesport had put extra workload on the Medway Pilots". The Statistics graphic (p.18) shows traffic through Medway Ports, Sheerness, and Thamesport. The Containers section (p.82-92) is entirely concerned with Thamesport, and contains a section (p.87-89) on the Hapag-Lloyd service.
The "Neptune Jade" is a legitimate target for the worldwide solidarity being taken for our reinstatement. Thamesport is right to "anticipate that labour organisations will continue various actions in support of the dismissed Liverpool dockers".
