from: Merseyside Port Shop Stewards

to: all supporters

10 December

Dear Colleagues,

General Secretary Bill Morris has apparently informed activists in Canada that “806 dockworkers are working full time in the port and that they are union members”.

This figure, which is completely incorrect, is probably based on correspondence in June, when Bill Morris asked the Regional Secretary to supply figures on the “number of T&G members currently at work in the Port”. Dave McCall replied on 11 June, in a letter headed MD&HC Sections, giving the impression that his figures referred to Mersey Docks employees, which they do not. Our General Secretary now apparently says they refer to dockworkers, which they do not. The figures themselves are also incorrect, according to our information.

Regional Secretary’s figures	Our comments and figures
Polsa (ACTS) 134	Mersey Docks office staff: 100 (max)
Pilots (Mersey) 50	all self employed
Tugs 139	employed by Cory/Alexandra
Dock Gatemen 42	Mersey Docks 42
Boatmen 78	Mersey Docks 78
Pandoro 28	P&O, not Mersey Docks
Floating Plant Ratings 82	Mersey Docks: 50
Stevedores (Container Terminal) 36	Mersey Docks: dockworkers 20
Stevedores (Grain Terminal) 40	Mersey Docks: dockworkers 23
Securicor (Ex-Neptune) 60	not Mersey Docks employees
Stevedores (Birkenhead) 16	not Mersey Docks employees
Maintenance and Warehousing 51	Mersey Docks 51
Floating Plant Officers, Dockmasters 53	Mersey Docks 53
Totals: 809	417

We are very familiar with the 43 T&G stevedores now employed by Mersey Docks. These are the only T&G dockworkers (cargo handling) in the Port of Liverpool. They are our former colleagues who were locked out with us, then decided to cross the line and train up the scabs recruited through Drake International and other agencies. They bear an enormous responsibility for everything that has happened since.

Yours in Solidarity,

Jim Davies