Waterfront: The Battle that Changed Australia

AUSTRALIANA

A real-life political thriller that tells the story behind the headlines of a battle that is far from over. The stand-off between the Patrick stevedoring company and the MUA became a battle for the hearts and minds of the average Australian.

Explosive and controversial, Waterfront exposes, for the first time, the real story behind the bitter 1998 war on the wharves which divided Australians and changed the nature of the workplace forever. This shocking exposè reveals who was behind it and what it means for all Australians. It all began with a ‘deep throat’ phone call to John Coombs, the head of Australia’s most militant union, the Maritime Union of Australia. The mystery caller warned him of a clandestine plot to destroy the union’s hold on the waterfront. The controversial stand-off between the Patrick Stevedoring company and the Maritime Union became a battle for the hearts and minds of the average Australian. Veteran Sydney Morning Herald journalists Trinca and Davies covered the waterfront dispute from the very beginning and take us behind the headlines to tell the real story of this real-life political thriller. Illustrated with black and white photographs.

The background story of the 1998 industrial dispute between Patrick’s stevedoring company and the Maritime Union of Australia. The dispute was triggered by Patrick’s restructure of their company and subsequent lock out and dismissal of unionised workers. Non-union labour was deployed in an attempt to break the MUA.

Relevance to the Waterfront dispute of 1998, the history of trade unions and, particularly, the MUA.

• 317 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., ports. ; 21 cm.
• Includes bibliographical references (p. [286]-304) and index.
• Maritime Union of Australia
• Patrick Stevedores (Firm)
• Stevedores — Government policy — Australia
• Strikes and lockouts — Stevedores — Australia
• Industrial relations — Australia
• Australia — Politics and government — 1996-
• SCARCE #060224 (Age tanning)
• • btlc,
  • ballarat trades hall,
  • ballarat trades and labour council,
  • waterfront dispute 1998,
  • maritime union australia,
  • mua,
  • unions,
  • industrial action,
  • strikes,
  • lock outs,
  • unfair dismissal,
  • patrick’s stevedoring,
  • non-union labour