Greens, Democratic Socialists back MUA

By James Vassilopoulos

The Australian Greens have thrown their support behind the Maritime Union of Australia while condemning the Democrats' de facto role in helping out the National Farmers Federation takeover of Webb Dock. Greens Tasmanian Senator Bob Brown said last week that “the Democrats are eyeball to eyeball with Mr Howard and Mr Reith on this”.

He accused former leader Cheryl Kernot and industrial spokesperson Andrew Murray of being “determined to load the dice against the unions in the confrontation anticipated and facilitated by the Reith-Kernot workplace relations legislation”.

The Democrats' silence “is deafening. Senator Murray should say how his party feels about the NFF's role against the unions at Webb Dock”, Brown commented.

Democratic Socialist Party industrial spokesperson Dick Nichols expressed his party's agreement with Brown, adding that the struggle in support of the MUA demanded the building of the broadest, most active coalition possible.

“This is a critical battle for union and democratic rights”, Nichols said, “and it will be won only in the way all previous such struggles were won: through tenacious mass action”.

Nichols said the DSP had committed itself “110%” to solidarity with the MUA and would help build any broad, democratic movement in the union's defence.

“We are convinced that, once people really confront the issues in the NFF-government conspiracy against the MUA, the tide of opinion will turn”, Nichols said. “Central to that goal is building a pro-MUA movement.”

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