Ian Jamieson, Fremantle

On May 1, 100 trade unionists attended the May Day toast hosted by the WA branch of the Maritime Union of Australia. The toast was addressed by Indigenous rights activist Jan Cowan, MUA assistant state secretary Ian Bray and UnionsWA secretary Dave Robinson.

Cowan spoke about the Pilbara strike by Aboriginal station workers, which began on May 1, 1946. Around 300 strikers were jailed in the course of the strike, which lasted until 1949 and was one of Australia’s longest. Cowan explained that, despite the strikers’ eventual victory, the plight of Indigenous Australians has improved little since.

Bray spoke about employers’ attempts to attack wages and working conditions through the federal government’s reactionary industrial relations legislation. Solidarity between workers and countering capitalists on a global scale is needed to beat back attacks on working people, Bray explained.

Robinson pointed to the need for union solidarity despite differences emerging in the battle against Howard.

The event concluded with an auction of the official May Day poster designed by Indigenous artist Kelly Knox, which features images of Jan Cowan and WA MUA secretary Chris Cain. The poster will be proudly displayed in the MUA office as a reminder of the solidarity seafarers extended towards the Pilbara strikers 60 years ago.

From Green Left Weekly, May 10, 2006.
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