Sculpture remembers wharfie dispute

Date: 04 April 2008

Melbourne wharfies mark ten years since iconic waterfront dispute

Veterans of the 1998 waterfront dispute and current Patrick Stevedores workers will gather at Docklands today for the dedication of a commemorative sculpture - tens years on from the night hundreds of workers were thrown off the docks in Melbourne.

Dan Wollmering's sculpture, Waterfront, which references the history and struggle of waterside workers and the Patrick dispute, has won the $10,000 first prize in the 2008 Contempora Sculpture Awards.

Patrick workers from then and now and their friends and family will meet at the sculpture at 3pm to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the dispute which saw the Patrick Stevedoring Company sack all of its unionised workers simultaneously across the country.

The artist and Kevin Bracken, MUA Victoria Branch secretary, will address those gathered at the dedication.

Kevin Bracken says the sculpture is a timely reminder of the struggle that defined the lives of so many dock-workers.

"Patricks sent in the security guards and dogs on the 7th of April 1998 to force our workers out of their jobs.

"It's a day we'll never forget, but for Melbourne the fight started even earlier at Webb Dock.

"This is where it all began, when they hired out Dock 5 to be train the men who would try to take our jobs.

"So many people supported waterfront workers during the Patrick dispute.

"This is a time to remember what became known as an iconic dispute around the world, and one of the great times when a union foiled an attempt by big business and the government to do them in."

For further information

Contact:	Kevin Bracken
Union:	MUA Victoria
Contact Mobile:	0400 077 563
WWW:	http://mua.org.au/

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