Paddy Crumlin, Doug Cameron, Lee Rhiannon and friends of the Hutchison workers address a massive crowd at the Botany picket.
What a turn out in brisbane today!
The support, the community and the media have all be fantastic!We will continue to man the picket as long as it takes!
We will endure this until negotiations take place!
What do we do..STAND UP FIGHT BACK!
As Fair Work Commission Hearing Continues, Senator Abetz Endorses Use of Balaclava Wearing Goons
With a Fair Work Hearing likely to go into the wee hours, picket lines in both Brisbane and Sydney are gathering momentum. This didn't stop Senator Abetz from defending his callous comments defending Hutchison's use of a text message to sack its almost 100 workers.
Below is the video from today's Senate in which Senator Doug Cameron who showed his support in Botany in person yesterday, asked whether Abetz really endorsed "text messages as a means of terminating employment in this country?"
As shown in the above clip Abetz also defended the use of balaclavas and dogs by security guards during the '98 Patrick dispute, when yesterday during the family fun day in Botany a security guard was spotted wearing just that.
Abetz also went on to accuse waterside workers of being war criminals, quoting an error-riddled and fact-light tome by Hal Colebatch. Showing the height of hypocrisy and irony given Abetz's Uncle Otto was a Nazi Ambassador to Vichy France during WW2.
- See more at: http://www.mua.org.au/as_fair_work_commission_hearing_continues_senator_abetz_endorses_use_of_balaclava_wearing_goons#sthash.7lbhancc.dpuf
Ports blockade: Workers refuse to unload boats in Brisbane and Sydney
Updated
Protesting workers have refused to unload the first cargo ship to arrive at Hutchison Port operations since the company sacked 97 workers in Brisbane and Sydney via email and text message last week.
The ship Capitaine Tasman arrived at Port Botany in Sydney about 9:30am on Monday, but went back out to sea about an hour later still fully laden.
Staff at the Port of Brisbane are blocking the road to Berth 11, where a ship was due to dock Monday morning but failed to arrive.
Picket lines were drawn at ports in both cities after Hutchison Ports Australia axed staff in messages about 11:30pm last Thursday, citing substantial financial losses.
Chanting demonstrators in Brisbane said the late night dismissals were disgraceful and un-Australian, and have vowed to continue the protest until the decision is reversed.
At both sites, trucks turned around and left as soon as they saw the rallies, while protestors in Brisbane prevented cars from entering the area.
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt was not impressed by the midnight sackings.
He visited the workers at the picket line on Monday afternoon.
"Losing your job is hard enough, but to get sacked via text message in the middle of the night is a really bitter pill to swallow," he said.
"The Palaszczuk Government will provide any assistance it can to the affected workers and their families."
The Fair Work Commission ordered striking workers back to work last Friday.
Federal Employment Minister Eric Abetz told the Senate that workers should abide by that decision to prevent further disruption.
"If you have an independent umpire, you have to accept their decisions, right, wrong or indifferent," he said.
The Maritime Union of Australia is fighting the sackings through Fair Work Australia and the courts.
Bob Carnegie from the Maritime Union Australia (MUA) said his members were ready for a fight over the "horrific treatment of a group of average Australian workers".
"We will win this dispute because our resolve is stronger, our belief is total, we are the wronged party," he said.
"Hutchison have all the wealth in the world, Lee Karshing the major shareholder of HPH, is worth $46 billion, he's the richest man in Asia.
"Well all of his billions of dollars can't defeat us."
The workers are defying a Fair Work Commission order, issued on Friday evening, to return to work.
But Mr Carnegie said they were acting on workplace safety concerns.
"The members who are rostered on have gone to work ... as a collective they have made the decision that when they walk into the terminal, that they would only work if they were offered a safe working environment, which it isn't," he said.
"The company has hired [foreign] security guards on 457 visas that they brought in late at night over the water, not through the terminal ... and they have no maritime industry security clearance cards.
"It's extraordinary ... these people are allowed by Hutchison and the Federal Government to just break all those rules and regulations for the idea that they can somehow break the back of the trade union organisation on the Australian docks.
"And to see that in this country the so-called security laws are being completely flouted by a major trans-national company is worrying in the extreme."
Mr Carnegie said workers would only perform cargo care so that farmers and companies did not lose perishable stock.
The MUA and Hutchison are expected to return to the Fair Work Commission later today.
The ABC has contacted Hutchison for comment.
Flinders Adelaide container terminal! This is what it means to touch one touch all! It's not just the workers you have sacked hutchison! Start explaining to the whole world! In solidarity Boys and girls
Join their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
This is what it looks like when real people get sacked by email!
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