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.