docks
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in transport and distribution around the world.
1937: The Clydeside apprentices’ strike
The strong Scottish strike of apprentices which help turn them from isolated individuals with no employment rights into organised, unionised workers.
Apprentices for some time had felt that they were drastically under paid and no more than a form of cheap labour. Apprentices’ wages ranged from 8/- to 19/- a week. In his first year he would be paid from 8/- to 12/- per week, a last year boy would receive 16/- to 19/-. Apprentices of 23 years of age would be paid 20/- per week.
1919: The Seattle general strike
A general strike of 100,000 workers, which saw the city shut down and all essential services provided under workers' control.
The First World War was hardly over, it was February 1919, and the leadership of the revolutionary rank-and-file union the Industrial Workers of the World was in jail. However, the IWW idea of the general strike became reality for five days in Seattle, Washington, when a walkout of 100,000 working people brought the city to a halt.
1890: The Australian maritime strike
A short history of the 1890 strike of seamen in Australia against mass wage cuts amongst other things, which ended in defeat for the workers.
Although the origins of the 1890 maritime strike are disputed, the events that accompanied and followed this strike were a turning point in Australian history. The strike began in Adelaide and rapidly spilled over into all the other colonies. The battle was particularly bitter in Victoria and New South Wales. Both employers and unions were itching for a fight.
1889: The Great London Dock Strike
A huge and powerful strike of British dockers against low pay, unsafe conditions and casual, precarious employment contracts which, with international solidarity, won nearly all its demands and marked a turning point in UK working class history.
Introduction
The dangerous nature of port work, combined with low pay, poor working conditions and widespread social deprivation ensured that the workforce looked to their trade unions for protection. As a result, industrial relations were strained throughout the history of the port.
Casual labour
1878-1879: The Australian maritime strike
A short history of the 1878 strike of sailors and maritime workers in Australia which prevented the seaman being sacked and replaced by cheaper workers.
The seamen's strike in 1878 was the first intercolonial dispute in Australia. The Australasian Steam Navigation Company decided to replace all their Australian seamen with Chinese seamen in late 1878. The reason: they were paying Australian seamen eight pounds per month, but could get away with paying Chinese seamen three pounds per month.
2001: The JeffBoat workers wildcat strike
Workers at JeffBoat, the United States' largest inland shipyard located in on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana, went on wildcat strike on April 30th, 2001. JeffBoat workers were presented with a contract proposal that set them back on every point and gave their union, Teamsters Local 89, the power to make deals with the company without the members' consent.
The Labour Government vs. The Dockers 1945-1951
Solidarity's account and analysis of the "socialist" Labour government's war against dockworkers.
LABOUR GOVERNMENT VS THE DOCKERS 1945-1951
SOLIDARITY PAMPHLET 19 / 5p
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INTRODUCTION TO FIRST REPRINTING ( SPRING 1965 )
Sabotage and striking on the job - Louis Adamic, 1931
Louis Adamic immigrated to the United States from Yugoslavia at age 14 and was naturalized in 1918. This essay describes his experiences as a casual labourer in a variety of jobs during the 1920s, including his meetings with fellow workers who were members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the 'Wobblies'.
(This text is Chapter 32 of the Rebel Press reprint of Louis Adamic's classic book 'Dynamite! A Century of Class Violence In America 1830-1930'.)
Billy Connolly - shipyard striker
Scottish comedian Billy Connolly was involved in the strikes of apprentices in the Clyde shipyards in the 1960s.
He walked out with thousands of others, including future Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson, also an apprentice in Glasgow.
According to one poster on BBC Scotland, he was also involved in supporting the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders' yard occupation of 1971.
CPE scrapped
A more detailed look at the withdrawal of the new French employment law CPE with latest updates.
Latest
Our Montpellier correspondent reacts to the withdrawal and summarises events there this past week.
