War on the Australian Waterfront

Banking Consortium Implicated in anti-Union Conspiracy
News Summary - Friday 22 May

Bankers told 10 days in advance of plan to dismiss workers

The Federal Court heard on Thursday that Chris Corrigan told his bankers in a meeting on March 27 that Patrick's labour hire companies could be starved of funds in a bid to oust the unionised workforce, and replace it with scab labour supplied primarily by the NFF backed company P&C Stevedores.

The meeting was held ten days before Patrick sent an army of security guards and attack dogs onto the wharves to evict its workers, and placed the companies into administration which terminated the contracts with the labour hire companies.

A diary note subpoenaed by the MUA from the ANZ Bank's head of business banking in NSW, Mr Peter Meers, details the meeting between Patrick and its bankers and discussed actions Patrick wanted to take to "extinguish" its labour contracts. Julian Burnside QC for the MUA said "it is a striking illustration of the problem... that the administrators are simply playing the hand given to them in the only way it can be played."

A further affidavit was produced by Julian Burnside which showed that Patrick Stevedores Holdings repaid $3.65 million of a $14 million debt to the labour companies on condition the administrator would not pursue the rest of the debt until the creditors' meeting voted on a deed of arrangement.

A letter was also tabled by the MUA from the secretary of the Department of Workplace Relations, Dr Peter Shergold, saying that the Federal Government redundancy funds would not be available if the creditors' meeting was postponed. This letter was written after the MUA had applied for the creditors' meeting to be deferred.

The conspiracy against the Maritime Union continues to unfold. Justice Tony North of the Federal Court is being asked by the MUA to postpone the creditors' meeting until the conspiracy case against Patrick goes to trial. Justice North expressed concern over:

Why the $14 million debt owed by Patrick's parent companies to the labour companies had not been repaid, and that no reason had been given for this.

the "most Surprising" lack of information in the administrators' report to creditors about possible outcomes of the conspiracy action against the Patrick Group.

This must call into question the impartiality of the present administrators, and it reveals the pressure on them by Patrick and the Federal Government to take the solutions which have been planned by Patricks.

(Financial Review 22/5/98)

Reith Attacked on False Claims

Peter Reith, Minister for Workplace Relations (and Industrial Warfare) was accused by Lindsay Tanner, Labor's Transport Spokesperson, of "falsely claiming" wharfies were being investigated by the Federal Police over ship hold cleaning practices. Peter Reith claimed in March that the Federal Police were investigating allegations of criminal activity, and prosecuting in one matter.

Lindsay Tanner applied under Freedom of Information laws for relevant documents held by the Australian Federal Police. The search did not find any documents relating to "any waterfront investigation carried out by the AFP".

One more example of the anti-union vilification campaign Peter Reith has carried out against maritime workers and their union.

(Financial Review 22/5/98)

P&O threatens workers in Newcastle and Adelaide

Mr Andrew Burgess, director of Australian and New Zealand Ports for P&O has said that MUA members who fail to turn up for their rostered shifts may have abandoned their employment.

Workers from P&O are refusing to cross community picket lines to work the ships. The union claims that ships like the Bay Bonanza in Newcastle which were previously contracted to Patrick, should be worked by Patrick MUA members.

The Bay Bonanza has been stranded in Newcastle for a fortnight. Patrick has stated it has closed its operations in Adelaide and Newcastle. The union claims this is a tactic designed to get rid of its unionized workforce, and that the company intends to reopen using non-union contract workers.

The NSW Supreme court has scheduled a hearing of P&O Ports action against the MUA over bans and pickets in Newcastle and Adelaide for Monday 25 May.

(Financial Review 22/5/98)