Dover Port Privatization Resistance Begins

The recently reformed Dover and District Trades Union Council held its first major public meeting this week against the threat of privatisation of the port of Dover.

The meeting was attended by around 40 people, bringing together rail, maritime and port workers as well as members of the Prison Officers Association, immigration and Jobcentre workers and members of the Socialist Party- many of whom were invited down from Medway on behalf of the Medway Trades Council.

Gwyn Prosser (the Labour MP for Dover) spoke from the platform. Despite being a passionate opponent of port privatisation, it is Prossers government that has whole heartedly embraced the neo-liberal philosophy of cuts, closures and sell-offs.

Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT trade union also addressed the meeting. The willingness of the RMT union to take action when necessary has undoubtedly protected the conditions of railway and underground workers. As the economic crisis has unfolded, employers have sought to use it as an opportunity to attack jobs and public services.

Both British Airways and Network Rail have used the courts recently to try and scupper working people’s attempts to defend their jobs and our services.

Brian Caton, General Secretary of the Prison Officers Association spoke about how Her Majesty’s Prison Service had enthusiastically adopted the pro-privatisation agenda. When criminal justice is treated like a business, the only beneficiaries are the profiteers. This is to the detriment of offenders, their families, prison staff and society generally.

The final speaker was Mike Sargent, the Secretary of Dover and District Trades Council. As the only speaker on the platform representing trade unionists locally he spoke passionately about the capacity of ordinary working people in the town of Dover to see off the privateers once and for all. He also made the point that working people need a political alternative to the current pro-employer parties.

This was a point echoed by contributions from the floor. By taking industrial action, port workers can fight back and win- but without a genuine workers alternative to challenge the cuts and sell offs consensus of the establishment parties- the spectre of privatisation will always haunt communities like Dover.

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