THE MARITIME WORKER Wellington Branch Wellington Branch Newsletter Vol: 13 October (2021)
JOHN WHITING - FIFTY YEARS UNION Outgoing Assistant Branch Secretary John Whiting was born and raised in New Plymouth, and despite shifting to Wellington in 1970 he still describes himself as a proud Taranakian. Former Branch Secretary of the Wellington Amalgamated Waterside Workers’ Union, after giving decades of his life to his fellow workers he has earned a bit of time off. John got a job on the Wellington waterfront in May 1971, as a control operator for Maritime Container Terminals. When John arrived in the big smoke, the Wellington Amalgamated Waterside Workers’ Union had a thousand members. He didn’t have much experience of unions before this, but as a young man he was impressed by the unity and cohesion he saw at monthly stop work meetings. Strong leaders emerged from active members, rank and file workers from the four corners of the world and all regions of New Zealand. It was a working-class university. John remembers soaking up knowledge and guidance offered by fellow members, and as the union helped him grow he stepped up and in turn offered his help to the union. Shipping containers needed fewer hands to move them, and the workforce shrank as men accepted voluntary redundancies. But even if the Wellington Branch became smaller, it didn’t get quieter. The 1970s were a time of political and industrial upheaval in New Zealand, and Wellington’s wharfies were right there in the thick of it. Their banners could be seen on many protest marches in those years, as the whole labour movement resisted attacks from the governments of the day. John and his mates fought hard to protect and improve wages and conditions, but they also stepped up on issues of principle. When the American nuclear powered warship USS Truxton entered our harbour in 1976, wharfies and seafarers alike downed tools until the vessel departed. The combined action by workers on both sides of the gangway focused
public opinion on the nuclear issue. The unions made it clear there would be a cost to future visits, and they were true to their word. John is proud of the role he and his fellow workers played in making New Zealand nuclear free by the mid 1980s. The history books focus on the decisions of politicians, but it was maritime unionists who made it happen. They didn’t stop there. Wellington watersiders stood up for democracy in Chile, and took action when cargo arrived from the South American country after fascist generals seized power. Whenever other workers needed solidarity, here or abroad, you could count on the watersiders to be there for them. John feels this proud internationalist tradition reached it’s peak with the union’s strong opposition to racist apartheid policies in South Africa and their strong stand against the 1981 Springbok tour. All the while, strong wages and conditions were defended and improved upon. John deeply believes in the democratic process of electing union leadership from the union’s own ranks. In his view, elected rank-and-file leadership is crucial to a union’s success. Today, MUNZ is perhaps unique in its commitment to this principle.
The Wellington Maritime Worker Published Regularly