Rank-and-file challenge to MUA incumbents
By Dick Nichols
Nominations have closed for elections for all positions in the Maritime Union of Australia, to be held between April 14 and June 14. The election includes the biggest rank-and-file challenge to the present MUA leadership since the 1993 amalgamation of the Seamen's Union of Australia and the Waterside Workers Federation.
Officials are being challenged in south Queensland (mainly Brisbane), central New South Wales (Sydney and Port Botany), Victoria and Western Australia. Rank-and-file candidates are also standing for two out of the three assistant national secretary positions.
In Western Australia, branch secretary Terry Buck is being challenged by Geoff Teague, occupational health and safety representative at Patrick, Fremantle.
In his preselection acceptance speech at the March 18 WA MUA Rank and File meeting, Teague said: "Out of evil, some good must prevail. Last year's Patrick lockout probably awoke us all to take a good hard look at ourselves as a union. It revealed our weaknesses and our strengths. We have probably all been guilty of complacency, something in today's world that we cannot afford.
"Because of this, we have failed as a union to nurture new leaders and cull out the weak ones. Union policies and service have gone stale. We have been slandered and abused if we questioned any federal or state decisions, yet they forget that debate always helped us as a union arrive at the wisest decision in the past."
WA deputy secretary Wally Pritchard is being challenged by seafarer Chris Cain. Cain, who is the MUA convener for Mermaid Sound (North West Shelf), says that the key issue in the election is union democracy and that without returning the union to its members, it will be impossible to withstand the inevitable attacks that the shipowners and stevedoring companies have in store.
"The presence of so many rank-and-file candidates in this election", Cain added, "is because since the amalgamation members across the union — wharfies and seafarers — have felt increasingly alienated by the decisions reached, and the way they have been reached. It's not just a last-minute thing."
Assistant state secretary Dean Summers is to be challenged by seafarer Steve Best. Best told Green Left Weekly that he felt very passionate about restoring the union's credibility and preparedness to fight back. He wants the voice of the rank and file to be heard more by the leadership.
In Victoria, Dave Cushion, delegate at Patrick and well-known for his work with the solidarity organisation Australia-Asia Worker Links, will be standing for branch secretary. "There's a feeling of disenfranchisement among the members, a feeling that their voice isn't being heard", Cushion said. "We understand that times are difficult, so we're not asking for the world. But the views of the ranks are not being taken seriously."
Commenting on the standard of new enterprise agreements on the waterfront, established by the Patrick settlement, Cushion said: "The Patrick deal was very difficult, and concluded under the exceptional circumstances of the lockout. Members felt that there probably wasn't an alternative to its acceptance. But since then, there has been no real follow-up on the terms of its implementation. People feel let down about that."
The deputy secretary's position will be contested by seafarer Frankie Duffin. Duffin's views on the present MUA leadership were made clear in a letter he wrote to the National MUA Rank-and-File Bulletin: "How many times at stop work meetings were the answers from our officials: 'No, we will never agree to company employment'; 'No, we will never surrender the engagement system'; 'No, we will never let Australian National Line fall into foreign hands'.
"The package deals that the National Council forced on the membership were already being worked out when the above answers were given. To be continually fed misinformation from officials is the biggest crime of all."
Wharfie Keiran Coyle will be standing for branch assistant secretary.
In the South Queensland branch, rank-and-file wharfies will challenge for the three full-time positions: Noel Timmins will oppose incumbent secretary Mick Carr; Trevor Munday will stand for deputy branch secretary; and Les Rayward will contest the assistant secretary's position.
Rayward told Green Left Weekly that he was standing because he felt there was a strong need to carry on the tradition of militant unionism of former south Queensland MUA organisers Jeff Langdon and Bob Carnegie.
"I'm there for the working class", he said, "for the worker who is always getting shafted. Unless we maintain that militant spirit, we'll just keep going backwards because the shipowners and stevedores are determined to take every inch they can. My attitude is this: if somebody's getting a bad shafting from the boss, I want to be there to defend them. They don't call me 'pig dog' for nothing!."
At the national level, wharfie Grant Holden is standing for assistant national secretary. He is presently delegate at P&O Ports Melbourne (West Swanson). Holden sees the election as a critical opportunity to "bring industrial democracy back to the grassroots".
Holden believes there should be monthly meetings between all job delegates and elected officials. He also stresses the need for a fierce defence of workers' rights.
Earlier this year, Holden led the fight against the P&O Ports framework agreement in Melbourne, a fight which resulted in a close and disputed vote at the MUA mass meeting called to endorse it.
Also standing for assistant national secretary is Ian Bray. Bray, a delegate for the Kwinana tugs, told Green Left Weekly that to restore the strength of the MUA it is vital for "all decisions to be made by the members after thorough and real debate".
"The higher the participation, the better the chance of winning on policy", Bray added. "The key to participation is honesty and sincerity from elected officials. Workers would rather hear an unpleasant truth told honestly than bullshit about 'victories' like the final Patrick deal."
[Dick Nichols is a Democratic Socialist candidate for the Legislative Council in the NSW election.]