Many list readers will have read about the dock workers dispute in
Australia, which has incredible resonance with what happened in Liverpool
in 1996/7.
The following petition has been devised, and it is easy to forward it back
to Keri Spooner ([log in to unmask] ) with a name at the bottom.
thanks for your help with this
Jane
>
>------- Forwarded Message Follows -------Date: Tue,
>21 Apr 1998 11:11:20 +1000 To:
>[log in to unmask] From: Keri Spooner
><[log in to unmask]> Subject: Human Rights in Employment
>
> PETITION IN DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN EMPLOYMENT
>
>
>Dear Colleague,
>
>
>Please consider signing the following petition. If you know of other people
>
>or email lists (after contacting the list owner beforehand, of course) who
>
>might be interested in also signing, please forward it on to them.
>
>
>You may wish to forward your message directly to the relevant parties:
>
>Patrick Stevedores : [log in to unmask]
>
>Peter Reith : [log in to unmask]
>
>and support to the MUA : [log in to unmask]
>
>or the ACTU : [log in to unmask]
>
>
>So that we can make the maximum impact, you could return your signed email
>
>to me at the following address: [log in to unmask] as soon as
>possible so that we can send the entire petition off to the relevant
>parties.
>
>
>
>
>STATEMENT:
>
>
>We the below signed academics, industrial relation practitioners and
>
>members of the community are deeply concerned and dismayed about the
>
>conduct of the federal government and Patrick's Stevedores, and believe
>
>this action to be an attack on human rights in employment. Although it is
>
>likely that the courts in Australia will ultimately resolve that the
>
>federal government and Patricks are acting unlawfully with respect to the
>
>current redundancy of all Patrick Stevedores' 1400-strong workforce, we
>
>the undersigned stand firm on the absolute right of all human beings to
>
>have their basic human rights in employment respected and recognised. In
>
>accord with an international consensus, underwritten by the United Nations,
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>the International Labour Organisation and other notable international
>
>organisations, human rights in employment
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>includes Freedom of Association and The Right to Organise and Bargain
>
>Collectively. Human rights stand above political parties, partisan groups
>
>or governments.
>
>
>"We express our opposition and dismay at the Behavior of both the
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>Australian Government and Patricks Stevedoring in dismissing the unionised
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>Australian Waterfront workforce and replacing them with non-union labour.
>
>Issues of workplace reform, work practices and the like whilst important
>
>issues are neither the subject of our comment here nor, in our view, are
>
>they the reason for the current industrial situation. We believe that this
>
>current dispute is directed toward creating a non-unionised waterfront in
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>Australia.
>
>
>"We are totally opposed to the current attack on human rights in employment
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>and express our grave concern for the implications of these activities for
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>freedom, human rights and democracy in Australia".
>
>
>Name Institution
>
>
>
>
Ms Keri
Spooner
>
Lecturer Society For The Promotion of Human rights in Employment
>
School of Management
>
>University of Technology, Sydney
>
>
>PO Box 123
>
>BROADWAY NSW 2007
>
>AUSTRALIA
>
>
>Phone: +61 2 9514 3643
>
>Fax: +61 2 9514 3602
>
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
Jane Wills
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr J M Wills Department of Geography
Lecturer in Geography University of Southampton
Tel:01703 594619/592215
Fax:01703 593295
Email: [log in to unmask]
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