The demise of Merchant Seamen.

[Captain Kong]

In the 60s, my brother was working on the coast out of Sydney, in the Union, the Man said `there is no jobs at the moment but the Wongala wants an AB so just take that until the job situation improves.` The Wongala was a non Union ship. He paid off after a few weeks and went back to the Union in Sydney. "Your finished` , he was told,` you have sailed on a Non Union Ship so your membership has close, No more jobs for you."
He managed to get a one way job on the Northern Star back home.
Not a happy man.
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

Brian, I have always said I am against any union official being part of a government. They are there solely to represent the workers to the employer as far as I am concerned. I do not consider any I have met as competent or able enough to keep their hands clean enough when temptation of real big advantages are put in their way. We now have a Trade Union Secretary of the opposition now as leader, I also stated that it is my believe that every member of parliament apart from all the tommyrot about privacy should have his past both private and business open for public scrutiny. I doubt very much you will see this in this case. Although they are very quick to write books on their way out of politics, very rare to see one write beforehand. As we had to give CVs for our employers I don't see them as any different. I wonder how 2 jags CV would have gone down with the British Public. Cheers John Sabourn

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, Merchant seaman like us in our time may have passed into history? but what did those before us on the windjammers, think when the steam ships happen? Merchant seaman have been around for many thousand of years, in big and small ships Ship may get bigger, and more automatic but the crews are still merchant seaman .The sea is eternal a force !!! As Captain kong said no one can take the sea away from him or us.

[happy daze john in oz]

If I hadn't gone to sea I would have died after a miserable boring life amongst shore people in a mill or factory .
That is why I go cruising around the planet every year until the money runs out then it will be time to go.
When the money runs out I will rob a bank. If I don't get caught I will carry on cruising, if I do get caught it doesn't matter, I will get free dental treatment, free opticians, instant medical treatment, three meals a day, free laundry, No Council tax to pay, No electric bills to pay , No Gas Bill to pay. No water bill to pay, play Pool all day, a gym to work out in, and my kids can still visit me. and maybe with a bit of luck a nice young lady Social Worker will visit me. And they cannot take my memories off me. and with a computer in there I can still keep in touch on this site,
Brian

FRom what you have told us Brian that sounds a bit like what your neighbour gets without robbing a bank.

[happy daze john in oz]

The best days of my life were from 1947 to 1953. Port line and Shaw Saville from January '47 to March 48 and then as my repatriation got me back to Sydney I was on Oz ships to October 1949. A completely different ball game. All jobs were allocated by the union. Unless you were at least financial three months in advance you didn't work! Then you made sure that a present was given to the secretary so he could decide what sort of ship and job you should get. Eighteen months was enough for this lad, In disgust I was back on Port Line and tore up my repatriation paper.

I know what good has been done to curb the excesses of the employers over the century plus, but that eighteen months will not be erased. We have today been informed that Bill Shorten, who was head of the Australian union movement before lining up at the government trough, has been elected by his newly ousted Party as leader. Oh yes, Mum in law is our Governor General!

Richard

And if the GG had any balls she would have been his father in law, but more importantly instead of offereing her resignation she should have just gone there and then. Another union heavyweight and one of the faceless men, so much for the old style genuine labour men who really did care for the working man?? Now all they care about is how far their nose will fit in the trough.

[happy daze john in oz]

Roger when I first set foot on Oz soil back in 64 union membership was at about 95%, latest figures show it is now 17% and falling. Interesting to note that the recent ballot of ALP members, only some 30,000 odd voted out of a to9tal of about 40,000 odd. Maybe membership is more to do with being a union official than a genuine member there for the good of the party. Having ex union heavyweights in control of a gov, even in opposition, is not good for democracy. Now on so many occasions it is only the minority that get to say what should happen, not a good recipe for the continuation of democracy.

[leratty]

All of us were in the main lucky to sail in the twilight of the British MN, I have nothing but absolute admiration for members such as Brian & Charles-Louis in NZ along with others. I am at times humbled by what I read on this site from some members realising I had it easy & it was my choice. Yes I wanted desperately to go to sea from a very young age, I think it is often in your blood. However I was lucky to realise quickly that it was not for me a career hence heading off the bridge to the deck as I could see the end game writ large. I fortunately had entry to London Uni which I grasped with both hands, feet & teeth. It was, time at sea almost 5 years of hard, dirty & monotonous work at times but by Jesus it was a great period of my life meeting some top people (& a few shits too) seeing some great places & living life to its fullest even if at times as a irresponsible rapscallion. I also had a great life after Uni in the mining & oil gas industry around the world thereafter where the people were on the same wave length. So much loyalty, comradeship & laughter though sadly not the case to day.
I worry about the two generations behind us as they have little to look back on with fondness many will find it difficult to survive to our ultimate end based on certainly present prices in UK other than their parents leaving them something which so many seem to be hanging out for relying on. What will happen with what I see as a lost generation the 20-30+ who unfortunately did not take to education, worse there are no trades for them to go into ergo no skills to sell. Here in France many of the young are very very dispirited so many wish to leave seeing no future, this is a calamity & not just in France UK too. Aus, Canada, US, Brazil is not a panacea for them how do you tell them that? Will there be 1960's style rioting over immigration, lack of jobs, a future. I do not know, all I do know I am beyond grateful for my luck of being a baby boomer, going to sea & in the main having a pleasant life though not so happy with what we leave behind. Possibly I am a doom-sayer?