The S-Files

Getting One In for the Working Class

Contra Celsum feels compelled to nominate the NZ Maritime Union for an S-Award

The Maritime Union recently threatened strike action. The reason was to protest the actions of the New Zealand Police in receiving information from a paid informer. Amongst the information was intelligence upon various unions—including the Maritime Union. The Union said that unless it received a full explanation and apology from the Police, it would call its members out on strike in protest.

Citation:

The strike threat system at best represents legally sanctioned extortion or stand-over tactics. At worst it is anarchistic and destructive to social order and peace. Either way, it always involves theft—taking or damaging the property of others against their will. It always involves breach of contract. The strike threat system is intrinsically evil. Regardless of what malodorous practice an employer engages in, the strike only compounds the evil because two wrongs do not make a right. You cannot do evil that good may come.

Every now and then the strike threat plumbs new depths of inanity. The NZ Maritime Union has made itself eligible for an S-Award because its mangled reasoning on the recent NZ Police spying scandal represents scraping the bottom of the barrel of foolishness.

There are many legitimate questions to be asked and answered over the NZ Police using an informant to infiltrate left-wing protest groups and inform on the activities of their members. Since some of the individuals involved in these groups have committed crimes in the past (the destruction of the property of others as part of their “protest” action is well documented), and since the protest groups potentially represented a conspiracy to commit crimes in the future, there is an arguable case for infiltration and intelligence gathering. Undercover work has long been a recognised and legitimate policing action.

But if, as it now seems, the intelligence gathering has extended to groups not (at least prima facie) involved in either criminal acts or conspiracies to commit crimes, serious issues emerge—which must be faced. Thus far, we understand the ire of the Maritime Union.

What is both inexplicable and stupid is to contemplate and threaten to strike if the police do not provide satisfactory answers. Why, one asks, should union members forego income over an issue unrelated to them or their families? Why should their employers suffer damage and loss of income because of the actions of the New Zealand Police—actions which are completely unrelated to shipping companies and transport company shareholders? Why damage the property of others?

The attitudes of the Maritime Union only serve to provoke additional doubts and questions. If they are so prepared to use the strike weapon to inflict damage on others, even their own members, for retaliation or “getting their own back” or making a point, or engaging in a political act; if they can so easily countenance theft or extortionant behaviour, then maybe there is some credence to the idea that they are involved in conspiracies to commit crimes and do damage to others. Maybe the Union is being run by radical anarchistic elements. Either that, or it is being run by people devoid of common sense, or of a modicum of decency, or by people who are amoral and lawless.

The Maritime Union: S-Award, Class II, for actions that have been Stupid, Short Sighted and Stupefied