INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT WORKERS' FEDERATION
17 April 1998
PRESS RELEASE
Today, 17 April, the English High Court discharged the temporary
injunction
designed to prevent the London-based International Transport Workers'
Federation from taking action that could damage the interests
of Australian
union-busters Patrick Stevedores
"This is a great victory," said ITF General Secretary
David Cockroft, "we are
back in business, which of course means supporting the 2000 sacked
MUA members
and their families. ITF affiliates have pledged their solidarity
with the MUA
because this kind of union-busting is an attack on the fundamentals
of freedom
and democracy"
Mr. Justice Thomas said that the injunction would "severely
impair the ability
of the ITF to lend support to the MUA in what he described as
a "bitter
political and industrial dispute." In dismissing the interim
injunction, he
took the view that Patrick would not succeed in securing an injunction
at a full
hearing.
He added that it was quite evident in the light of the Cairns,
Dubai and Webb
Dock disputes that ITF support is vital for the MUA and to deny
it would be
detrimental to the ITF and the MUA."
Referring to a famous legal ruling by Lord Diplock who pointed
out that
industrial action needed to be immediate to be effective, (strike
while the iron
is hot), Thomas took the view that the whole sacking exercise
had been carefully
planned in advance by Patrick which should have given the ITF
proper notice of
the injunction and it would be "palpably unjust" to
continue to give Patrick the
benefit of what was clearly intended as a pre-emptive strike.
A full inter-parte hearing of Patrick's lawsuit against the
ITF is due to be
held within 2-3 weeks but not earlier than 5 May. The judge's
full written
opinion will be delivered at the High Court on Monday 20 April.
Patrick Stevedores sacked over 2000 workers on 7 April using
dogs and security
guards to remove union members from the wharves, following which
the ITF
affiliates threatened to target companies using non-union facilities.
On Good
Friday, 10 April, Patrick Stevedores served the ITF with an injunction
designed
to prevent it from taking any action that could damage Patrick's
economic
interests. Meanwhile, in Australia legal action, taken by the
MUA to enforce
compliance of a Federal Court injunction outlawing the sackings,
continues.
For further information please contact press officer Sarah
Finke at the number
below, Direct Line +44 171 9409258
The London-based ITF, whose members represents over 600,000
seafarers and
370,000 dockers is a Federation of over 500 transport trade unions
worldwide.
International Transport Workers' Federation, 49-60 Borough Road,
London SE1 1DS.
Tel: (+44 171) 403 2733, fax: (+44 171) 357 7871, e-mail: mail@itf.org.uk,
website: http://www.itf.org.uk
