Lines On The Australian Dock Dispute (98) Poem by Francis Duggan

My sympathy is not with the sacked Australian wharfies
Compared to most others they are overpaid
The old tired fight the bosses versus the workers
On the Australian docks is once again replayed.

And my sympathy is not with Chris Corrigan of Patrick Stevedores
He sacked one thousand four hundred of his men
Because they all were members of a Trade Union
Is union membership nowadays a sin? .

But least of all my sympathies are not with the Australian Government
They only seek to conquer and divide
They are the greatest culprits in this conflict
But soon their fate the people will decide.

I can feel sympathy for farmers and exporters and importers
They are between a rock and a hard place
This power struggle is going to cost them millions
This dock dispute an Australian disgrace.

But for the farm leaders I don't have any sympathy
For siding with the Government against the M.U.A.
They should have known that those who take sides in disputes
Win or lose will have some price to pay.

Perhaps the wharfies should have accepted their substantial redundancies
Although 'twould seem that they've not been treated fair
But my sympahies are with the lower paid workers
And the forgotten people on welfare.

And as for the Government elected by the people
For taking sides in disputes they were not empowered
And history will not look on them too kindly
Especially those two Reith and Johnny Howard.

On the WIK issue the Government had shown their true colours
They only seek to conquer and divide
But they were not elected for to be divisive
And the Australian people on their fate will soon decide.

And since the wharfies by the Federal Court are re-instated
Their jubilation with them I can't share
I see them as the privileged class of workers
And my sympathies will always be elsewhere.

Millions of dollars have been squandered on court battles
Between Patrick Stevedores and the M.U.A.
And poor Australia is the biggest loser
And barristers and judges getting wealthier by the day.

The likes of St Vincent De Paul and the Salvation Army
With the squandered millions could do quite a lot
They could help out the less privileged and needy
The people by this government forgot.