THE LIGHTER SIDE

The heat is on, but entertainers lighten the mood

Warm reception ... fire-eater Dom Ferry entertained the Port Botany picket yesterday.

Photograph by ANDREW TAYLOR

By MATTHEW RUSSELL

Fire-eaters, jazz singers, politicians, local councillors, rugby league stars and lawyers joined sacked wharfies on the picket at Port Botany yesterday.

Entertainers including Bill Hunter, Jack Thompson, Michael Caton, Little Patti, Vince Sorrenti, Genevieve Picot, Mic Conway and the cast from The Boy from Ozsent messages of support to the picket via their union, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.

Unionists were told before an impromptu afternoon concert by a fire-eater, Dom Ferry, and a folk band, the Self-Righteous Brothers, that the Melbourne cast of Neighbours had pledged financial assistance to a sacked wharfie's family.

Support arrived from unexpected sources.

The most popular visitors were rugby league luminaries - the chairman of South Sydney Rugby League Club, George Piggins, and players Chris Caruana, Willie Peters and Craig Coleman.

A former wharf labourer, Mr Piggins spoke on behalf of the players and said their sympathy and support went to the protesters and their families.

Former Australian league captain Bob McCarthy had a more personal reason for addressing the crowd. He was there to support his son, Darren, one of the sacked wharfies. He told protesters the sackings had been an "un-Australian and cowardly act".

Upper House Labor MPs Meredith Burgmann and Ian Macdonald, and the Waverley mayor, Councillor Paul Pearce, showed up early in the morning.

Mr Macdonald said Patrick was using the tactics of the 1980s to attack working-class rights and predicted many more MPs would join the picket over the next few days. "This is very much a watershed issue; it's about the right to be in a union," he said.

Lawyer Chris Murphy was also present.

The national head of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, Mr John Maitland, said: "As you can see it's more of a carnival atmosphere here ... and there's actually a bit of fun taking place."