A recent picket of the Seaforth terminal drew 800 people ; LIVERPOOL dockers are in their seventh month on strike. 500 were sacked by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company Liverpool is the last unionised * port in Britain. The strike was manufactured by managers to attack unions and casualise the workforce.
The TGWU leadership has only given minimum support it refuses Strikers themselves are more determined. They organise at local national and international levels.
Strikers organise regular pickets of the port. A recent picket of the Seaforth terminal drew 800 people.
Over 7,000 joined a May Day ; march. Speakers at the rally included i Jimmy Nolan, actress Margi Clarke and a miner from Tuzla in Bosnia.
Dockers were joined by city council workers in UNISON who took a day off work They are threatened with 800 job losses and are balloting for action.
Sefton UNISON also supported the May Day protest. Unfortunately Merseyside firefighters did not strike on May Day. They are currently considering management'slatest offer.
Many workers have shown financial solidarity. Ford workers in Liverpool recently donated €5,000.
Strikers have also been facing intimidation. Scabs brought in to break the strike have wielded hammers and crowbars. Gun shots have been reported Internationally the strike has been very successiul. o-slows are now a regular fixture in Italy and Greece. Dockers around the world have Phase: Peser Linderen refused to handle goods bound for Liverpool.
Dockers from Turkey and Portugal are the latest to join these blockades. Strikers have spoken to the Swedish transport union.
A big breakthrough was made when the dockers spoke at the Scottish TUC. They received STUC backing even though it is an unofficial dispute. This makes it easier for dockers to speak at other When concences The next big event is the National Conference of support groups being held on May 25 For speakers phone VIS 20/ 3388 Send messages of support and contributions to: | Davies, Secretary/Treasurer, 19 Scorton Street, Liverpool, L6 4AS. Make cheques and POs out to "Merseyside Dockers Shop Stewards Committee.