>the Patricks train still running in the short-term future?
A note on "sightings" mentioned the Patricks' train coming in with
double CLs and G and 40 wagons.... I drove down to Appleton Dock this
morning (Thursday) and the train was gone (did it get unloaded /
loaded).
It's going to be hard for any other union to give much direct support
to the wharfies because of the secondary boycotts legislation.
Without going into the politics of the situation (well not too
deeply), the three things that stick in my mind (and will be
remembered at the next election) were:
1. The joyful handshaking and backslapping in Parliament as 1400
families lost their breadwinner; this behaviour, which I can only
describe as obscene, distressed me greatly;
2. When asked about the Townsville wharfies (quadrupled productivity
and no strikes since 1991), our Prime Minister replied "It's all their
own fault";
3. The lack of integrity and honesty of the CEO of Patricks: somehow
it's ok to lie and deceive when you're a CEO (on the grounds of
commercial necessity), but woe betide you if you're anyone else in the
community caught out in a lie.
However, just as the pilots' strike/sackings in 1989, I'm sure once
this is all over we can look forward to cheaper goods as a result of
all the waterfront reform (just like our airlines are now *so* much
more efficient and the airfares are now *so* cheap, you can fly just
about anytime you like) <insert sarcastic grin here>.