More than 200 unionists marched on the Brisbane offices of Rio Tinto on 12 February. Called by the Maritime Union of Australia, the demonstration was organised after the crews of two bulk carriers were sacked and replaced by workers paid around $2 per day.
Pacific Aluminium, which operates the Tomago aluminium smelter in the Hunter Region of NSW, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto. At the end of January, it notified the crew of the CSL Melbourne – which had been carrying alumina from Gladstone to the Tomago smelter for five years – that their jobs were gone. In the weeks prior to the announcement, the company obtained a licence from the federal government enabling it to transport the alumina aboard an overseas-flagged ship crewed by workers with no legal entitlement to Australian wage rates.
The replacement of the crew of the CSL Melbourne followed a similar move, in November, against the crew of the MV Portland. Before it was scrapped, the Portland had carried alumina from Western Australia to Alcoa’s Victorian smelter for 28 years. 
“The demonstration today is about workers on the MV Portland and CSL Melbourne being removed from their place of work, and it’s about job security for the future for our children”, the MUA delegate on the Portland, Dale Eaton, told Red Flag.
“We’re under attack at the moment. They’ve already attacked manufacturing, now they’re attacking shipping, and we don’t know where they’re going to next”, he said.
Mike Barber, MUA member, said that the sackings formed part of a broad anti-union agenda. He described as “Thatcherite” the decision to send dozens of NSW police on board the CSL Melbourne to remove the crew, who had been occupying the ship in protest.
The Brisbane protest was one of a number held around the country around the issue, similar actions taking place in Newcastle and Darwin.
However, while initially responding to the sackings by setting up community assemblies where the two ships had been docked, the union’s campaign appears at the moment to be focused on a “jobs embassy” set up outside Parliament House in Canberra. 
Dale said that the support the sacked seafarers have received from the union movement has been fantastic. “They can see the bigger picture as well”, he said.

Reuben Murray

Unions protest seafarer sackings

In a first, Brisbane ferry workers have taken industrial action. For four hours on the morning of 10 November, workers turned off ticket machines and refused to collect fares from commuters who use Brisbane’s network of ferries.
One of those involved told Red Flag that their action would have cost ferry operator Transdev $50,000 in lost fares. “Fourteen thousand people use the ferries every day”, they said, “and 60 percent of the workforce took the action”.
In enterprise agreement negotiations, Transdev has been attacking penalty rates and overtime. It is pushing for an agreement that could cut real wages by 20 percent.
“They’ve [Transdev] put more effort into hindering the workers than helping them reach a fair EBA”, Maritime Union of Australia organiser Paul Petersen told Red Flag.
Peterson said he received reports that Transdev sent security officers equipped with handcuffs and batons onto some of the ferries while workers were taking action. “I also saw managers get onto the ferries and try to intimidate workers not to take the legal, protected action”, he said. “We countered this by having at least 17 activists, one on each ferry, flying MUA flags in a sign of solidarity.”
A rally was held the same day to take the dispute to Brisbane City Council, which contracts the ferry service to Transdev. Later that week, the union also held a rally at the Bulimba Festival, and is threatening further industrial action.
“If the company comes back with the same rhetoric, there will be more protected action”, Petersen said.
He’s confident that the workers will win. “We’ll take the fight as far as we have to take it”, he said.

Ferry workers stand up to intimidation

A morning picket of a Wilson car park in Brisbane’s CBD on 6 November was broken up by police.
Wilson is contracted to provide guards at the Australian government’s Nauru and Manus Island refugee detention centres. It has been under the spotlight since the Moss Review, released in April, revealed nearly 70 reported cases of sexual abuse in the Nauru camp.
Addressing the crowd, Duncan Hart compared Wilson’s treatment of refugees to torture. He said that the company’s mission was to replicate the conditions refugees are fleeing from, in order to deter them from seeking asylum in Australia.
 “There are significant concerns about Wilson’s concern for human rights”, said Andy Paine, an anarchist and refugee activist.
Reeshan Zakiyya, a member of Socialist Alternative, said the blockade was part of “a string of actions across the country” targeting Wilson for its treatment of refugees in detention.
“Groups such as doctors and students have been escalating their actions”, she said.
She thought that protests like the car park picket could have an impact on the companies that are profiting from Australia’s detention policy. “There is every possibility we can pressure Wilson to withdraw from its contracts”, she said.
After a number of cars were turned away from the car park, police pushed the protesters away from its entrance.

Wilson picketted over crimes on Manus and Nauru

Members of the Maritime Union of Australia will give free trips to Brisbane ferry users as part of industrial action against operator Transdev.
Ferry workers have been negotiating with Transdev about a new enterprise agreement for 18 months. The company is refusing to drop a series of proposed changes that would cut pay and allowances and increase casualisation.
“In real terms, it will take 20 percent off my income”, said one Transdev employee about possible changes to penalty rates and overtime allowances. This, along with heavy handed tactics from the company, has irritated the workforce.
“Transdev have come in, trying to axe everybody’s conditions, everybody’s wages, everybody’s rosters, hammering everybody with standover and intimidation tactics. Now everybody, just about everybody, is in the union”, MUA organiser Paul Petersen told Red Flag.
MUA members are planning industrial action including turning off fare machines and having uniform-free days, along with bans on overtime, dual duties and staff training.
“They [Transdev] are very fearful of protected action. They understand we have the majority of workers. The workers are angry and the majority want action”, Petersen said.
“I absolutely support it [industrial action]”, another worker told Red Flag. “It might be the only way to bring the public on side. Our action will not affect the public. It will only affect the company and their bottom line.”
The action currently planned will be the first step, he said, because it would take solidarity action from the skippers to beat Transdev.
The union has called on the public to show solidarity with ferry workers. “Please come down for your free ride, please come down and shake the members’ hands and tell them you support them”, Petersen said.

Free rides as ferry workers take industrial action

More than 4,000 people turned out for the largest rally for LGBTI rights in Brisbane’s history. According to Equal Love Brisbane activist, Larry Auld, the 8 August protest dwarfed a 2012 rally which he said formerly held the title.
“It’s a really great turnout and the energy is just amazing here”, said Hannah, one of the protesters. “It’s good that we can see the Brisbane public getting out there standing up for what they want”, said another, Gedarm.
Darryl said he was protesting because politicians are lagging behind public sentiment on the issue.
“It’s obvious that the community is overwhelmingly in support of marriage equality, they just don’t seem to be listening”, he said.
Roz Dickson, from the Australian Transgender Support Association of Queensland was one of the speakers to address the crowd. Speaking to Red Flag afterwards she said that rallies are important for the campaign: “Politicians don’t seem to want to go out on a limb for what they think is right”.
Roz also said that marriage equality is important for transgender rights. “In Ireland recently, when they passed the referendum in favour of marriage equality, a couple of things happened afterwards, including the fact that transgender people in Ireland now can sign a stat dec, and change their birth certificate”, she said.
“They can stay in a marriage, without having to get divorced to get their birth certificates recognised, and they don’t have to pay for sexual reassignment to get their birth certificate recognised.”
Thousands more also attended rallies held in Sydney, Perth and Hobart over the weekend. Melbourne and Adelaide will hold protests on Saturday 15 August. Ali Hogg, Equal Love Melbourne convenor said that it is a critical time for the campaign.
“We’ve seen thousands already hit the streets to demand equality”, she said. “People want to show they’re tired of waiting for politicians to catch up with the community on the issue of equal rights.”
Upcoming rally details
Melbourne: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/653094418158692/">https://www.facebook.com/events/653094418158692/</a>
Adelaide: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1646691338908476/">https://www.facebook.com/events/1646691338908476/</a>

Unions protest seafarer sackings

Ferry workers stand up to intimidation

Wilson picketted over crimes on Manus and Nauru

Free rides as ferry workers take industrial action

Thousands rally for marriage equality

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