The non-union workers embroiled in this year's bitter maritime dispute are launching a class action in the Federal Court in Brisbane this afternoon.
The action targets 36 respondants, including the Federal Government, Patrick Stevedores and the National Farmers Federation (NFF).
Two Queenslanders Anthony Grahame and Robert Batten are spearheading the action on behalf of their 350 colleagues, claiming they were deceived, misled and treated negligently during the waterfront dispute.
Members of the Australasian Stevedores Guild, set up to represent the non-union workers, who were brought in and then sacked when maritime union members were reinstated, say they were used as pawns in a blatant exercise of political expediency.
The Guild says it is targetting the 'big boys' in the action - including the Workplace Relations Minister, Peter Reith, former Transport Minister, John Sharp, the National Farmers' Federation and its chairman Don McGaughie, Patrick chairman Chris Corrigan and the Commonwealth of Australia.
The Guild also says it has documentary evidence proving the Government's involvement in the Dubai training scheme.
