chairs Women of the Waterfront (WOW). She was interviewed by GLENN VORIS, the Secretary of St. Helens Trades Council on Merseyside. GY: How was the Woren of the Waterfront forned! DM: Ai the first demonstration/ally at the beginning ol Ociolai. I was ested to speak. I'd never spoken at i meeting before. let d'one a rally. our djest told the truth.
Aricrivards. many wires aid partnors spoke to shop stewards shout the Cicito set up a women s group. Two weeks later we held our first meeting -around 50 women tumed up. Most were dockers' wives but some were SWP, Militant Labour, Lancashire Women Against Pit Closures (formed during 1984-85) miners' strike and other left organisations. They showed us how to start a women's group. We decided to meet weekly and called it Women of the Waterfront (WOW). GV: Has WOW consolidated and grown since its inception? DM: Yes, most definitely. We have a hard core of around 60 wives and parners who regularly attend our weekly meetings.
However, most of the others are not able to commit themselves as much hecause of family commitments, or because they have to work more hours to make ends meet. But most do turn up to demos or rallies. GV: What initiatives and activities have WOW been involved in? DM: As we've gained confidence, we started speaking regularly with workers across the country at Trade Union meetings and at dozens of dockers" support groups that have been set up.
WOW now speak at meetings on their own and organise our own Tours for fund raising. We've linked up with women's groups. which has been an inspiration, secing other women organise independently. So far. we have spoken to over 500 meetings. We also attend the picket lines chery day at the OF THE NA IN STRUGGLE WITH THE 500 LIVERPOOL DOCKERS 1995 "We'll win by building up the international boycott that we've developed with dockers all over the world' ducks with the men and are not intimidated by the police. If anything, the police feel intimidated because they don't know how to handle us. GV: Have you been contacted by women's groups internationally? DM: Yes, all over the world, to Europe, Australia, New Zealand. USA. Canada.
The first WOW delegation to go international was to Sweden in March. We were invited by the Swedish Syndicalist Union (SAC) and took our banner on a march through Stockholm: a rally where we addressedover 500 pc:ple. We attended several press conte:. ences. There is more about the Liverpool dispute in the Swedish press than here. We've also been invited to San Francisco. The United Secretariat of the Fourth International plans to organise an extensive tour across Eurone of une docker and one member of WOW. which we're really excited about GV: Has your involvement changed your life? DM: Most detinitely. When our men were sacked. we. the wives and partners, were right there with them. and we celebrated their 5-1 vote to refuse the £25,000 offered in March and up 1o £30,000 for our pensions to seli our jobs.
Their fight is for the future. We've realised that we women have a place in the fight. We've become seasoned pickets. We didn't know each other before and none of us had done anything like this before. hut now we're here wilmet going away. The dispure has changed our lives and would never go back to the old days. The womer now have a voice and there': no tuming back. We now understand the national and global problems of bow workers are exploited this must change. GV: How do you think you'll win the dispute? DM: We'll win by building up the international bovcott that we've developed with dockers all over the The Liverpool port only has half the ships going into it now. so it's only a