Front Page
April 30, 2004

Storm Coming!

There seems to be a conflict brewing among workers on the Port. And the choice of a Union appears to be at the heart of the issue.
One worker at the Port, is spearheading a move to have members of the National Workers Movement (NWM), withdraw their membership. {{more}}
According to the worker, 25 colleagues on the operations staff have severed links with the NWM. The worker cited dissatisfaction with representation by the NWM as the main reason for the decision to leave the Union. The withdrawal was expected to take effect from April 26.
The disgruntled workers also outlined “conflict of interest” in that management recently became NWM members. The renegade members also cited poor response to members’ grievances by NWM general secretary Noel Jackson.
Jackson dismissed suggestions of the threat.
He described it as “dangerous” and “tantamount to fraud.”
The NWM general secretary mentioned that some workers were disclaiming their decision to leave the NWM. Jackson described the situation as “orchestrated by one individual.”
Jackson praised the NWM efforts on the Port. For him, management’s decision to join NWM was a vote of confidence. He boasted of the Collective Agreement, which he described as one of the better ones here.
Jackson was not worried about the impending move and expressed the view that “it will pan out.”
Jackson accused the individual as ‘playing on the ignorance of workers.”