World transport unions back Indonesia protests
World transport unions back Indonesia protests
MELBOURNE (Reuters): International transport workers called on
Thursday for protests against air and sea traffic to and from
Indonesia to pressure the Indonesian government into ending the
atrocities in East Timor.
The move came as Australian dockers refused to handle cargoes
bound to or from Indonesia in sympathy with the East Timorese,
who voted overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia on Aug.
30 but have since seen the territory wracked by violence.
Shipping unions in the South Pacific agreed at a meeting in
Fiji to join in the action by Australian dockers, and the
International Transport Workers Federation called for wider
protests around the globe, the Maritime Union of Australia said
on Thursday, citing a letter from the federation's chief.
In Australia, workers at the east coast port of Newcastle
refused to load a cargo of Smorgon Steel Group Ltd grinding balls
onto the Arktis Fantasy bound for the U.S.-based Freeport McMoRan
mining group in the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, the
Maritime Union of Australia said.
At Brisbane, workers pulled containers that were due to go to
Indonesia off two ships, including two containers which an
exporter, yet to be identified, chose not to send to Indonesia.
In Queensland's Townsville port, bans were placed on seven
containers going onto the Chekiang, including drilling equipment.
Workers had yet to decide whether to take action against a
ship due into Townsville on Thursday night carrying nickel ore
from Indonesia and another due on the weekend to export 500 tons
of Mt Isa copper cathode produced by MIM Ltd.
In South Australia, the maritime union said all containers
headed to or from Indonesia were being placed in a holding area
so that no other shipping would be affected.
Melbourne airport, where union demonstrations prevented
passengers from boarding a flight to Bali on Wednesday, was quiet
on Thursday as there were no scheduled Garuda Indonesia flights.