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ACTU news release
Wednesday October 2, 2002
US docks lockout hits sea trade
Australian sea trade with the United States is threatened by a massive
anti-union lockout by shipping managers, which has closed 29 ports on
the US west coast.
ACTU President Sharan Burrow said millions of dollars worth of exports
could be jeopardised unless the shipping and port authority employers
quickly ended the lockout of more than 10,000 workers.
"Australian unions have experienced the kind of extremist and
irresponsible actions of shipping and stevedoring employers that are now
paralysing trade on the US west coast.
"Unions around the world are alarmed by the behaviour of the
employers in the US and are working to support the efforts of the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union to get the ports working
again, particularly to transport perishable goods.
"The US unions have offered to work for free on urgent cargoes, but
the shipping and stevedoring employers are refusing to let them in the
gates," Ms Burrow said.
Australian unions are sending a delegation to the US this week to
support the ILWU.
Officials from the ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) of
employers are continuing talks on the lockout, which is costing more
than $1.5 billion a day.
The PMA has refused to negotiate on the terms of a new employment
agreement with the ILWU since May this year.
The extremist tactics of employers in the dispute have been likened to
those used by Patricks stevedores in its confrontation with maritime
unions in Australia in 1997.
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