registered)by)australia)post)print)post)306:181:0004:issn:0155:8722 … · 2012-05-02 ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Registered by Australia Post PRINT POST 306-‐181-‐0004-‐ISSN-‐0155-‐8722
Recorder: December 2009 – Issue No. 264. p. 1
December 2009 – Issue No. 264
In this ediIon: No7ce of AGM, p. 1 Alan Whitaker Walking Tour by Peter Love, pp. 1-‐2The 1928 Waterfront Strike: Thesis by Liam Brooks, p. 2
Review: Voices from the Ships, by Kevin Healy, pp. 3-‐4No7ceboard and Events, pp. 5-‐6Melbourne branch ASSLH contacts & mee7ng place, p.6Membership Renewal, p. 6
The Society’s AGM will be held:
Thursday 10 December at 5.30 pmMelbourne Trades Hall
Mee7ng room 1
AgendaReports: President, Secretary,
Treasurer.
Elec7on of Office Bearers andGeneral Business.
Port Melbourne 1 November 2009
By Peter Love
Paddy Garrity, the MUA, the Port Melbourne Historical Society and friends organised the tour to
commemorate the shoo7ng of wharfie A l a n W h i t a k e r during the 1928 Waterfront Dispute in Port Melbourne. As most Recorder readers will know, the dispute began following the Beeby
Award of September 1928 that cut pay and condi7ons for wharf labourers. Waterside Workers’ Federa7on members refused to work under the Award and the employers locked them out and brought in scab labour. The Bruce-‐Page government backed the bosses with the Transport Workers ‘Dog
RecorderOfficial organ of the Melbourne Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History
** Membership fees for 2010 are now due (a renewal form can be found on page 6) **
MELBOURNE BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETING
ALAN WHITAKER COMMEMORATIVE WALKING TOUR
Registered by Australia Post PRINT POST 306-‐181-‐0004-‐ISSN-‐0155-‐8722
Recorder: December 2009 – Issue No. 264. p. 2
Collar’ Act, and the Victoria Police, led by Tom Blamey, broke up picket lines. On 2 November 1928 scuffles broke out as scabs were escorted from the train to the wharf. In the course of the struggle police opened fire and four WWF members were shot. One of them was Alan Whitaker, a 1st AIF veteran who had been wounded at Gallipoli but found that Australia in the late 1920s was far from a land fit for heroes. He died of his wounds on 26 January 1929.
That bicerly tragic story was the focus of the historic walking tour. At 11.00 am on Sunday 1 November well over a hundred people assembled at Prince’s Pier, the site of the shoo7ng. They were welcomed by Kevin Bracken from the MUA who invited historian Chris McConville to provide a narra7ve of events during the dispute. He was followed by Frank Vincent, re7red Supreme Court Judge, whose own family had worked on the Port
Melbourne wharves. The assembled comrades then moved on to a series of historic sites associated with the industrial and union heritage of the area. Among the speakers were Janet Bolitho, a local councillor and history enthusiast, Gaye Yuelle, a unionist with family connec7ons to Port, Percy White, long-‐serving Labor Councillor, Mick Doleman from the MUA, Michael Danby, MHR for Melbourne Ports, Mar7n Foley, MLA for Albert Park and Frank O’Connor, Mayor of the City of Port Phillip. This impressive list of dis7nguished speakers, and the number of people who came out on a Sunday morning to join them on the walk, is eloquent tes7mony of the power that Alan Whitaker’s story s7ll carries. Many walkers were alert to the broad parallels with the 1998 Mari7me Dispute and the
unrelen7ng hos7lity of truculent employers and aggressive governments towards working people who come together in common cause to defend themselves, their families and communi7es.
Recorder readers can express their solidarity with the organisers of the walk by sending any informa7on they may have about this incident on 2 November 1928 to Paddy Garrity c/o the MUA offices in West Melbourne.
Recorder readers will be interested in Liam Brooks’ thesis The 1928 Waterfront Strike and the Fall of the Victorian Government: ‘The central theme concerns the role of the Premier, E.J. Hogan, in trying to deal simultaneously with Spring Street and Bay Street with parliamentary impera7ves and developments on the wharves.' Liam, who completed his thesis at Victoria University in 2008, has made his thesis available for free download thorough the Port Melbourne Historical Society's website. hcp://home.vicnet.net.au/~pmhps/pubfeature.html
The 1928 Waterfront Strike and the Fall of the Victorian
Government
Frank Vincent (© Peter Love)
Gwen Goedecke & Paddy Garrity (© Peter Love)
Registered by Australia Post PRINT POST 306-‐181-‐0004-‐ISSN-‐0155-‐8722
Recorder: December 2009 – Issue No. 264. p. 3
By Kevin Healy
Voices from the Ships are voices that at important 7mes have spoken for all of us, and it is that in7macy with seminal events in working class and poli7cal history that makes Diane Kirkby’s history such a pleasure to read.
It’s not onen we can say we ‘enjoyed’ a union history. We can enjoy segments, par7cularly the details of ac7ons, historical developments, and the courage of the par7cipants during industrial struggle. But lists of officials and who replaced whom on some execu7ve or commicee , o r de ta i l ed de s c r i p7ons o f administra7ve mee7ngs (much of which are important as an historical record), don’t exactly raise excitement levels for the outside reader.
But Diane Kirkby, professor of history at La Trobe, jeosons the boring to tell a story of struggle and humanity. Her history takes up where Brian Fitzpatrick and Rowan Cahill’s earlier The History of the Seamen’s Union of Australia 1872-‐1972 ended, and covers the period un7l its amalgama7on into the Mari7me Union of Australia in 1993. She also jeosons an ‘and then’ chronological style, instead compartmentalising campaigns and struggles into self-‐contained chapters – a style suited to the many fights the union took up on behalf of the oppressed.
It was in so many of those fights that those ‘voices from the ships’ spoke for so many of us, exploi7ng for the common good their strategic posi7on in the economic framework: its key role in the an7-‐Vietnam war campaign; its struggles for peace and an end to the nuclear madness; its campaigns against apartheid, against the juntas in Greece and Chile; and its support for indigenous Australians.
Perhaps I should qualify my earlier reference to ‘in7macy with seminal events’. To people of my genera7on involved in those struggles, Voices from the Ships s7rs the memory (or what’s len of it). Professor Kirkby’s thoroughly researched and highly readable style, and her loca7on of these struggles in their historical context, will interest all readers who have an interest in industrial and poli7cal issues.
The SUA opposi7on to the Vietnam war began right at the outset. Along with the emerging an7-‐war movement, it accused Prime Minister Menzies of lying when he stated that Australia had been invited by the South Vietnamese government. The release of Cabinet records thirty years later revealed the SUA was correct. The names ‘Booneroo’ and ‘Jeparit’ immediately come to mind when we think of the SUA contribu7on to the an7-‐war effort. The union banned crewing these merchant ships when they were used to transport equipment to support the invasion. The government claimed the cargo was only support material and not armaments. Reluctantly, the union finally agreed to crew the Booneroo aner arbitra7on which saw the ACTU fail to back the seamen. Seamen hung an7-‐war banners from the side.
But subsequently the government ordered the ships to carry ammuni7on. ‘Merchant seamen accept the fact that in 7mes of war when we go to work we go to war. As war has not been declared in Vietnam merchant seamen claim they have the right to state their opposi7on,’ the union declared. ‘The issue is whether or not ammuni7on ships should… be manned by civilian seamen.’ The members voted not to sail either ship, and the navy was forced to take over their jobs.
The union took its ac7on against a predictable background of pro-‐war hysteria whipped up by the commercial media, labelling them ‘traitors’ and ‘unpatrio7c’. As the war bogged down, as Australian and American casual7es increased, as the an7-‐war movement grew rapidly, the same media reversed its stand. SUA members gave more than rhetorical support, volunteering a percentage of their pay to provide essen7al supplies for the Vietnamese defenders.
Dr Kirkby quotes an old saying among seafarers: ‘the sea divides the world, to the seafarer it unites
Review: Voices from the Ships: Australia's Seafarers and their
Union
Registered by Australia Post PRINT POST 306-‐181-‐0004-‐ISSN-‐0155-‐8722
Recorder: December 2009 – Issue No. 264. p. 4
it’. The SUA had been part of a pre-‐World War 2 union movement which adopted a racist white Australia policy. This changed aner E. V. Ellioc became federal secretary in 1941. Ellioc assisted Indonesian, Indian and Chinese seafarers caught here during the war to form their own unions. In 1949 the union adopted a policy condemning racial oppression.
What followed was a long campaign against apartheid that was so appreciated that the SUA accepted an invita7on in 1991 to acend the first legal African Na7onal Congress mee7ng on South African soil for 30 years. It also received apprecia7on from democrats opposed to the military juntas in Chile and Greece. It had placed a ban on all trade with Chile from the day in 1973, 11 September, the military, with United States support, overthrew the elected government. It sent a lecer to Prime Minister Whitlam a month later expressing its ‘deep shock’ when the government recognised the Pinochet junta. According to Kirbky, ‘When members of other trade unions accepted an invita7on from the Chilean airline LAN-‐Chile of free passage to visit Chile the SUA officials declined’. It stated that ‘Any acceptance by Australian workers’ representa7ves of the hospitality of the fascist military junta…is an indictment of our class consciousness’. Domes7cally the SUA also took up the issue of indigenous rights over many years. Indeed the Communist Party led the campaign by non-‐indigenous Australians. That Communist Party connec7on is cri7cal to the union history. During the period covered by Voices from the Ships, the leadership was dominated by the CPA and/or the breakaway Socialist Party of Australia, with only two federal secretaries: E V Ellioc and Pat Geraghty.
Given their integral role in the period covered, and the high regard by most union members for Ellioc and Geraghty’s industrial nous (notwithstanding poli7cal differences with an7-‐Stalinist elements), Kirkby avoids the trap of wri7ng a hagiography. She describes Ellioc as more aloof; indeed, veteran seaman and union official Roger Wilson described him as ‘some7mes a bit socially conserva7ve’ but ‘I liked him more intellectually’, while Geraghty was regarded as gregarious and more down to earth. But the common thread was their industrial ability
and, from their poli7cal roots, their dedica7on to fight for their membership. Former Victorian secretary Bert Nolan says wages and condi7ons were at their lowest point when Ellioc became secretary.
Diane Kirkby compartmentalises industrial and lifestyle campaigns, from the collec7vism the job engendered, the Utah dispute, campaigns for improving work and family balance, health and safety, shipboard condi7ons, superannua7on, and important support for bringing women into the workforce. This necessitated educa7ng many of their own members who at first believed the job was a ‘man’s world’.
The book goes to one of the important elements of unionism at that 7me – the poli7cal educa7on of members, which saw the stocking of onboard libraries with poli7cal literature. One then young seafarer stated the union’s stand on the Vietnam war ‘was a poli7cal educa7on that lasted a life7me. It made me more determined about my poli7cal educa7on’.
Although this history ends less than 20 years ago it also reflects light years of changes in many areas. One is the decline in the role unions played in poli7cal educa7on, and in raising members’ awareness of class struggle in the workplace and in society. Many union leaders today would faint at the very phrase. Another is that almost all the industrial ac7on taken by the SUA, either directly affec7ng their wages and condi7ons, or over na7onal and interna7onal social and poli7cal injus7ces, would now be illegal and subject to severe individual and collec7ve penal7es. The unions had one hand 7ed behind their backs by Reith’s 1996 legisla7on (thanks to the Democrats) – Work Choices 7ed their other hand behind their backs. Fair Work Australia maintains these controls. So much for ‘we will tear up Work Choices’.
Voices from the Ships reminds us of what unions and unionism can achieve. It is a comprehensive history and, most important, is enjoyable reading. Diane Kirkby has done an excellent job.
Diane Kirkby, Voices from the Ships: Australia's Seafarers and their Union, UNSW Press, January 2009, 480pp, HB, $49.95.
Registered by Australia Post PRINT POST 306-‐181-‐0004-‐ISSN-‐0155-‐8722
Recorder: December 2009 – Issue No. 264. p. 5
The Federal Society, ASSLH, held its AGM on Friday 27 November. Aner a long involvement with the Society Lucy Taksa stood down as President. The Melbourne Branch acknowledges the hard work and dedica7on that Professor Taksa has put into the Society; and to the celebra7on, commemora7on and conserva7on of labour history generally.
The new President of the Federal Society is Dr Nikola Balnave, Secretary, Dr Nick Dyrenfurth, and Treasurer, Mr Anthony McLaughlin. All financial members of the Melbourne Branch are en7tled to vote and stand for office in the Federal Society.
Red, Green & In-‐Between: Reviewing Labour & the Environment in Historical Context. Call for Papers, Brisbane Branch Conference, 6 February 2010, Griffith University Intending contributors should submit an abstract by 4 December 2009.
Labour History in the New Century: The Proceedings of the 2009 Na7onal Labour History Conference, edited by Bobbie Oliver, is available from Black Swan Press, Cur7n University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth WA 6845.
AAHANZBS Conference: History in Australian and New Zealand Business Schools. 14-‐15 December 2009. This symposium is organised on behalf of AAHANZBS by the Business and Labour History Group, The University of Sydney.
Further details on any of these can be obtained via the ASSLH Website: hcp://www.asslh.org.au
State Library of Victoria: The changing face of VictoriaRevisit Victoria's early years, see Ned Kelly's armour and discover Melbourne stories in this fascina7ng exhibi7on. Time: 10am–5pm daily. Venue: Dome Galleries, Level 5. Free.
ReViewing History: Australian HIstorical AssociaIon Biennial Conference. 5 -‐ 9 July 2010.The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia. RegistraIon and call for papers are now open ReViewing History invites historians to assess the state of History. What are the debates? What are the challenges? How are academic historians responding to challenges? Details can be found on the AHA website: hcp://www.ahareviewinghistory.com/papers.html
ASSLH member Bruce Scates has wricen an evoca7ve history of the Shrine of Remembrance: A Place to Remember. Not an ordinary ins7tu7onal history, it details, amongst other things, the some7mes fraught
rela7onships Melburnians have had with this monument. Published by Cambridge University Press, $59.95.
ASSLH Noticeboard Events and Notices
Planned Closure of the NaIonal Archives offices in Darwin, Hobart and Adelaide.
The ASSLH, the AHA and several other organisa7ons have become aware of the planned closure of the offices of the Na7onal Archives in Darwin, Hobart
and Adelaide. This move would severely disadvantage researchers – especially those outside of universi7es – in these areas. If you would like to
join us in trying to have the NAA change this decision, please write to the Director of the
Na7onal Archives, Ross Gibbs:[email protected]
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF LABOUR HISTORY, MELBOURNE BRANCH[Incorporated in the ACT]
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL 2010
I, ....................................................................................................................................................................of[Name -‐ in block lecers please]
..........................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
[Address for pos7ng of the newslecer Recorder]
Postcode ..................................... State .....................................
Telephone numbers (op7onal) Home ............................................... Work .....................................................
E-‐mail ...............................................................................................................................................................
would like to renew my membership of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History [Incorporated], Melbourne Branch. I enclose $10 in payment of the annual membership fee, by cheque, payable to ASSLH, and sent to: Phillip Deery, 85 Licle Page Street, Albert Park, VIC 3206.
MELBOURNE BRANCH CONTACTS
President Peter Love
51 Blanche Street St Kilda 3182 Tel: 9534 2445
Secretary Brian Smiddy 7 The Crest
Watsonia 3087 Tel: 9435 5145
Treasurer Phillip Deery
85 Little Page Street Albert Park 3206 Tel: 9690 2184
Website: http://www.asslh.org.au/melbourne
Please send all submissions and research questions/notes for inclusion in Recorder (or the Society webpage) to the editor, Julie Kimber ([email protected])
Meetings of the society are held either in Meeting Room 1 in the Trades Hall or in the New International Bookshop. The NIB is now situated downstairs as you enter Trades Hall from the Victoria Street entrance.
Membership of the Melbourne Branch for 2010 is now due. Membership fees are s7ll $10 per year. It is easiest if cheques are made payable to ASSLH.
Please fill out the form below and send, along with your cheque, to the ASSLH Melbourne Branch Treasurer, Phillip Deery, 85 Licle Page Street, Albert Park, VIC, 3206.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
December 2009 – Issue No. 264
.............................................................................................................................................................................