A Letter from the Women on the Waterfront

For the past three weeks my family has been constantly exhausted, mentally and physically.

We have attended the Fremantle Community Picket almost every day since the dispute began, mostly to support our husbands and partners and fellow workers, but also to give and receive the support that we need at this time.

We have found the dispute very disruptive to our lives, especially over Easter. Our day-to-day routines have been thrown out, just as our husbands were thrown out of their workplace.

Our future is hanging in the air and all we can do is sit and wait for the court's decision. We are not only fighting for our future but our children's futures, and every person's here on after.

To stay at home and not attend the picket is very stressful as you miss your partner, and the children also don't get to see their father, if he is there at the picket and we are not. We also get to sit and think of all the problems and bills we have, and now have no income to pay them. Despite what is said about us, we don't earn $80,000.00 a year and are not well off, as the public is led to believe.

If we attend the picket line we can keep up to date with the latest news on what is happening. The public come in to offer their support and bring in an abundance of donations. This, in itself, is very supportive and makes us feel like we're not alone in fighting this battle.

We can only hope and pray we get a favourable decision soon.

Raelene Campbell