The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the
Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, October 22nd,
2003. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010
Australia.
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Australian unions back striking East Timorese workers
Unions West Australia have called on affiliates for financial support to
assist striking employees of Timor Aviation Services (TAS) in East
Timor. The strike began on Friday October 3 in support of two workers
who were dismissed by the company at Dili International Airport.
The two workers, who are elected delegates of the Maritime and Transport
Union of Timor Lorosae (UMTTL), were negotiating a collective agreement
to improve wages and conditions of TAS employees when they were fired.
The union and TAS management had been in protracted negotiations for a
collective agreement for almost six months.
The company is co-owned by Tony Penna of Darwin and the Directors of
Harvey World Travel in Darwin. TAS has contracts to provide customs
clearance and handling services to the UN, Harvey World Travel, the
Australian Defence Force and charter companies serving numerous
Australian oil, gas and mining companies. It is not registered in either
East Timor or Australia.
In the midst of bargaining, in August 2003, it won a new contract from
the UN for ground handling. Penna then demanded that employees being
work at 5.30am without compensation.
The workers tried to negotiate some extra payment for these hours but
the company refused. As a result, they did not unload an unscheduled
plane and Penna, as the Managing Director, fired the two workers.
During negotiations between the directors of TAS and Harvey World Travel
from Darwin, the Union and the Government, the Department of Labour and
Solidarity instructed Penna to comply with East Timor's Constitution and
immediately reinstate the two sacked workers after the company failed to
provide any evidence to support their case for summary dismissal.
The Union, with the support of the Trade Union Confederation of East
Timor (TLTUC), has vowed to continue its strike until the company abides
by the laws of East Timor and the conventions of the ILO.
According to Sabino Adornia, one of the sacked employees, "East Timorese
workers can not believe that Australian companies think they can come to
East Timor and ignore principles of fairness and justice. Timor Aviation
Services is even disregarding a legal directive from our own government."
The company refusal to reinstate the workers left them with no other
choice but to exercise their right to strike.
On the third day of the peaceful strike, a UN Police officer using
excessive force arrested and handcuffed the International Transport
Workers Federation (ITF) co-ordinator for East Timor, Mick Killick, who
was observing the peaceful strike.
He was released after 56 hours in detention following orders when
prosecutors at a preliminary hearing failed to provide sufficient
evidence to justify his detention.
The United Nations has so far declined to drop all charges against Mr
Killick the hearing is set down for Tuesday October 21 in Dili.
Information used in this article was provided by the Trade Union
Confederation of East Timor.
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