ITF PRESS RELEASE
International Transport Workers Federation
49-60 Borough Rd
London
SE1 1DS
0171 403 2733
Fax 0171 357 7871
(London, 14 December 1997)
In a striking demonstration of the effectiveness of global trade union co-ordination, action by the London based International Transport Workers Federation has succeeded in stopping a secret plan, backed by the right-wing Australian government, to train Australian soldiers as strike breakers in the Gulf state of Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Following threats made by the ITF last week to target shipping services to Dubai for industrial action in ports around the world and an urgent meeting on Friday afternoon between officials of the ITF and the Maritime Union of Australia at the Kensington Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, visas for the 70 strong mercenary force which arrived in Dubai earlier in the week were cancelled along with their contract with the Dubai port authority.
Clearly believing that the U.A.E., a country in which trade unionism is illegal, was beyond the reach of the ITF which had already proved effective in defusing a government organised confrontation with the dockers union in the port of Cairns in September this year, the Australian government was clearly behind the scheme to give cargo handling training to its soldiers during their long service leave prior to their being used to break the power of the MUA on Australia s waterfront.
MUA General Secretary John Coombs arrived in London on Wednesday for urgent consultations with ITF General Secretary David Cockroft and Dockers Section Secretary Kees Marges at the ITF s South London headquarters.
A seafarers and dockers meeting which was taking place in the ITF offices pledged its full support and messages were sent to maritime unions worldwide warning them of the plans and calling on them to to be ready if necessary to take industrial action against shipping using Dubai ports. At the same time letters were sent to the U.A.E. Prime Minister informing him of the real nature of the contract signed with Mike Wells, the former military man behind the company involved Container Terminal Management Services.
An urgent meeting with Embassy staff in London, backing up earlier contacts with the UAE Ambassador in Australia were sufficient to alert the U.A.E. government to the fact that it was the unknowing host to 70 serving Australian soldiers being trained to replace union members in Australian ports. Their reaction was swift. By 4 p.m. local tikme on Saturday 13th December, the visas for the group were cancelled and the contract suspended pending further investigation .
Forgetting in his anger to deny the real nature of the contract, Mr Wells was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald today (14 December) as saying "it just amazes me that the union are calling the shorts not just for this country but for the United Arab Emirates as well."
Welcoming the decision of the U.A.E. to cancel the visas, ITF General Secretary David Cockroft called on the Australian government to drop its efforts to smash union organisation on the Australian waterfront and emphasised that the ITF would use its worldwide solidarity network to track down the mercenary group if it tried to re-establish itself elsewhere. "Putting Australian soldiers onto foreign territory without mentioning it to the government involved was not a very clever move, and it is hard to imagine which countries would welcome them now. Wherever they go, however, they will find that the ITF today has a very long reach indeed.
MUA General Secretary Coombs is due to fly to Brussels tomorrow to address meetings of the Internatioanl Confederation of Free Trade Unions. Expecting to request further solidarity, he instead has a bit of good news to deliver.
For further information please contact ITF General Secretary David Cockroft (0181 340 0016 home: 0171 940 9238 office). Email cockroft_david@itf.org.uk
Further information can be obtained from the Sydney Morning Herald Web site : www.smh.com.au.
