The locked out waterside workers returned to work at Patrick terminals in Melbourne and Sydney last night, exactly 100 days after the Webb Dock lockout, and one month after the general Patrick lockout.
This was despite the refusal of Patrick to replace the security guards involved in the lock-out with those from a company not so involved. Patrick has also insisted on new security arrangements, including a requirement that workers hold a photo ID card. In addition, Patrick has blacklisted 25 union employees for allegedly making threats against Patrick managers.
The union will make Federal Court applications in respect of the blacklist.
Assuming the return to work continues smoothly, the next phase of the drama will be played out in 2 weeks time, when the Administrators of the Patrick companies are required to report on the financial viability of the companies.
The company behind the Dubai training fiasco, Fynwest, has given 158 pages of documents to The Age newspaper which, according to the paper, link the government and Prime Minister Howard to the operation. The documents will be available at noon AEST today from http://www.theage.com.au/
An affidavit from Mike Wells, manager of the Dubai operation, is now available from that site. According to the affidavit, Wells was introduced to Chris Corrigan on 6 August 1997 by the government's adviser on waterfront industrial relations, naval historian Stephen Webster, who claimed that he was `doing a special job for (Prime Minister) John Howard'. Corrigan told Wells he wanted to replace the entire Patrick workforce by 30 March 1998, and wished to train ex-military personnel as replacements. Wells states Corrigan told him that he was in regular communication with members of the federal government, including the then Transport Minister John Sharp, and Peter Reith. In a supplementary affidavit, Wells gives details of alleged government involvement in the expediting of passports for the Dubai trainees.
Cheers
Stuart Svensen
National Key Centre in Industrial Relations, Monash University
Level 8, 30 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic 3000 Australia
Ph: 61-3-99038708 Fax: 61-3-99038710
