Seamans union

[happy daze john in oz]

I have been reading a book, 'Voices From the Ships'

Predominately about the Australian Semans Union, which claims to be the oldest seaman's Union in the world.
Would have though the UK one was as old, but maybe not.

But it was not all about ships, shipping or strikes as were very common here in Australia back in the 1960's.
This instead shows the other side of the Union and what it stood for.

They were opposed to the Vietnam war and at one time refused to carry arms and other goods to Vietnam even though they were for the troops there.
But at one time were on a march through Sydney offering free passage to an soldier who wanted out of the conflict.

They were opposed to Apartheid, with one senior member meeting with Nelson Mandela.

They stood for Solidarity, Unity and Action in the march for Democracy in Greece and Chile.
They had the belief in Unity and equality for all men, freedom for the Aboriginal community and helped to gain the right to vote for them in the national referendum on the subject.

This all for me throws a new light on the Seamans Union I was aware of back in the 60's when strike action was the sport of the day.

They would not be the first union to act in such a manner but shows how wrong we can be at times about some.

[Ivan Cloherty]

I think their biggest achievement was how to get a full days pay for doing absolutely nothing is my experience of them in 50's 60's and 70's

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI Ivan.
A bit like the bosses all their lives? The seamen couldn't do without them, but the same applies to the shipowners.
Des

[Ivan Cloherty]

Further to#2, their favourite ploy was 'rain money' wouldn't work in the rain unless you provided them with wet weather gear, regular traders never did issue any. New to trading OZ vessels fell for it, issued the wet gear, dockers then said you have agreed it is raining and we don't work in the rain and they could then go home on full pay. If you didn't issue the gear, they still didn't work, but had to hang around to the end of their shift, still got a days pay but couldn't bugger off.

The list of tricks they could pull would equate to reading 'War and Peace'

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Ivan
I had no complaints working on the Kiwi ships, I got a full set of wet weather gear, we used to cross the Tasman looking like we had taken a shipload of Aussie wharfies with us LoL.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Here in Oz they were classics at it.
Working cold holds had to be issued with fresh cold weather clothing each day.
Problem with the laundry, maybe they were on strike so no clean clothes.
That equates to no work, sit on the dock side just waiting on full pay.
That was just one of many, such as asking for embarrassment money when unloading a consignment of toilets.
Melbourne was considered the most strike prone port with Sydney number two.
It was so bad some shipping companies would not ship to Oz.