UNIONS, The ITF - Did they do any Good

[happy daze john in oz]

There were indeed many strange things that occured concerning unions. One that I could never understand was here in Oz. We were allowed to load all manner of ships store except sausages made in Oz. We were told it was to do with a ban instituted by the union! Never found out exactly why though.

[Ivan Cloherty]

. We were allowed to load all manner of ships store except sausages made in Oz. We were told it was to do with a ban instituted by the union! Never found out exactly why though.

Heres one for the very good detectives we have on site here.

My own theory is that the ITF bullies were under instructions from their wives not to export the sausages as they were a substitute for the ITF men who could not get it up! and we all know that the "men" who are second in command to their wives at home (or on ship) take it out on others when they are able.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, Hi Captain Bill Davies, Up date on trade unions and safety in some parts of the world today 2011? if you belong to one in China any type, you will be put into a nice re-education camp untill you see the error of your ways The Chinese safety record is if you make it to the end of your day or shift ,you done well? But dont worry if you are injured or killed there are plenty of others who will do you job.How many Indians are killed taking apart old merchant ships? How much money did B.P. save deep drilling in the gulf? remember Bhopal how many were killed there? all because of cost cutting cheap mostly unskilled labour with no safety or worker rights. The N.U.S. in my time at sea may have had a few bad apples, but how many lifes did they save at sea???

[Capt Bill Davies]

Good morning Louis,

An interesting question. One I would like an answer to also.

Brgds

Bill

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

Hi.John, When I was on th Oz.run in the 50's the most militant crowd were the wharfies. I thought our dockers were bad enough but they were pussy cats by comparison. They would turn to for work dressed as if they were going out for the day, clean shirt, immaculate strides and all toting their little Gladstone bag. You got the feeling that butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. But give them the slightest excuse and they would all walk out or demand extra money for unloading or loading particular cargoes. I heard one time that they demanded "embarassment money" for unloading toilet pans.

Cheers

Pete

[robpage]

Happened in London Docks in 1967 , Ship next to us on Ceramics from Italy , they got Embarrasment Money . We had a cargo of Fishmeal , did the company get screwed to get that off loaded !!!

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi.John, When I was on th Oz.run in the 50's the most militant crowd were the wharfies. ......

Right there mate, Australian wharfies back in the 50's and 60's had to be the worst of all. So bad some shipping companies would not go into Australian ports for fear of being stuck there for weeks. One strike in Sydney was caused because the ship owners would not give the wharfies the day off to go to an international rugby match. Little wonder containers came in.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates Hi Captain Bill Davies., My mate laurie 86yrs was at sea wartime , his job ashore for 40 yrs was a docker a very strong union man to the day they closed the dock and payed them all off with very large amounts of money thanks to the unions, The jobs on the dock are now done by partime workers as and when required with no unions the wages are now a joke compare to the real dockers . Do you think we missed out when they{ the shipping companys} just change the ships to F.O.C. how many of us had a golden handshake??? I never did !!!! but I bet a few had plenty for that deal.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Good evening Louis,

Good to hear your old friend was well rewarded for his time on the docks. And rightly so, 40 years is a long time.
As for what is happening with stevedores nowadays? No doubt that varies from port to port but, from what I hear the pay the stevedores receive in ports like Bristol and Liverpool, et al, they do very well. I understand the men in gantries loading the containers do very nicely.

I have to say Louis, that I have no knowledge of how those in British flag who, were seconded (for lack of a better expression) to FOC faired at all. I suspect they did not benefit in the way you might think, that is, the handshake/’parachute’ but they did no doubt do well from other concessions which one attached to working FOC and discussed in an earlier post.

I left British Flag in 68 of my own volition and well in advance of others making this move many, many years later. I joined my first FOC ship in 69 impoverished after 18 months shore study. If anyone needed a golden handshake it was I. No such luck.

Brgds

Bill

[Peter Harrison]

The NUM never did me any good at all.After losing my thumb in the steel hatches my local union rep after boozing with the skipper to discuss my case informed me it was my own fault.After I contacted a solicitor myself the company payed out and also offered me a job for as long as I wished.I took the money and ran but not far I got married with it.Come to think of it that union man had a look of Prescott but he was from Banff