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This is a communication from the head of the Maritime Union in
Australia that I got from a comrade. He prefaced it with this
observation: "The union leadership is asking its members to
petition the Australian connection in the Dutch royal family, our
very own version of Lady Diana, to get her to speak for us. So
this is indicative of the state of the a section of the Australian
union movement - emails and twits instead of militant action not
as an adjunct."
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Mobilise against Maersk
In the last few days hundreds of Australians have sent e-mails
backing Aussie oil-rig workers wanting iconic Danish multinational
to recognise union rights.
The Offshore Alliance of the Maritime Union of Australia and the
Australian Workers' Union is running a campaign to get the Danish
multinational container shipping firm, and oil rig operator to
return to the negotiating table and come to an agreement with the
unions representing workers on the the drill rig Nan Hai 6. The
unions have been trying to seal a deal with Danish shipping giant
Maersk for nearly 2 yrs. But the company has been a keen user of
the Howard-era WorkChoice laws and anti-union individual contracts.
Now we are calling on all MUA members and supporters to add their
protest.
Send Maersk executives Claus Hemmingsen and Martin Flojgaard a
protest email.
Show them Australians don't like extremely wealthy foreign firms
who discriminate against union members.
The e-mail protests are coming from trade union-backers angered
that Maersk seems to consistently discriminate against union members.
Our members have reached out to the wider community to tell Maersk
you can’t mistreat Australian union workers in this way. Nearly
500 e-mails have been sent from across Australia and the globe in
a little over 48 hours.
These workers have a right to have a union represent them, the
company should sit down and talk – and not offer side deals to the
non-union workers which so obviously discriminate against our members.
Maersk employees on the Nan Hai 6 oil rig - employed on non-union
AWA individual contracts - enjoy extra leave, are provided with
health insurance coverage and receive salary increases denied to
union members.
The leaders of the MUA-AWU Offshore Alliance, Paul Howes and I
have today announced to the media that we are aware that the
company and its 90 year old owner prides itself on how it deals
with its workforce – but in the case of Australia they have not
matched their own standards.
We say the two-year stand-off in negotiating a collective
agreement with the union should end.
Send Maersk executives a protest email now.
The MUA-AWU Offshore Alliance appreciates that Maersk normally has
a good reputation. That’s why they should sit down together with
our people, end the stand-off, and make a deal good for the
company, good for workforce, the union leaders said.
Mr Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller is the wealthiest man in Denmark. He
and his company are highly respected and close to the Danish Royal
family – which in turn has a special Australian connection,
through the Tasmanian-born Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark.
The Crown Princess and her husband Crown Prince Frederik are
regular guests of Maersk helping to promote the interests of this
important Danish company right across the globe.
Next time Princess Mary comes back to Australia we hope she will
take the opportunity to meet with some of our oil rig members
employed by this extraordinarily successful Danish firm.
We hope she can help us to end the log-jam ,and get talks
happening quickly, resulting in a decent agreement good for the
company and good for union members.
A campaign involving the web, social networking sites Facebook and
Twitter, the global trade union website LabourStart, as well as an
e-mail campaign, has ensured thousands have learnt about the
MUA-AWU Offshore Alliance call for Maersk to treat its workforce
equally.
Join the campaign
Send Maersk executives Claus Hemmingsen and Martin Flojgaard a
protest email.
Show them Australians don't like extremely wealthy foreign firms
who discriminate against union members.
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