Having been involved in the 1998 waterfront dispute, I'd have to say that the ABC's drama Bastard Boys was quite accurate, in most of it's depictions.
For anyone claiming that Patrick Corporations were misrepresented mustn't have seen Chris's War (episode 4, shown on Monday night), where we are given an acute window into the events that took place in the Corrigan camp. For anyone claiming that the unions were presented as the good guys, I suggest you take a long hard look at the facts of the case.
The facts ring as such: Patrick Corporations, with the backing of the Howard Government, tried to improve efficiency on the waterfront by sacking all union members of it's workforce, and claiming insolvency, using newly passed legislation to do so legally. The MUA, with backing from the ACTU, tried to prevent this, and save the jobs of those workers, while also working towards greater efficiency on the docks. Both sides, but mainly those on the Patrick side, resorted to dirty dealings. In the end, major concessions had to be made on both sides, with neither side claiming victory.
For anyone claiming that Patrick Corporations were misrepresented mustn't have seen Chris's War (episode 4, shown on Monday night), where we are given an acute window into the events that took place in the Corrigan camp. For anyone claiming that the unions were presented as the good guys, I suggest you take a long hard look at the facts of the case.
The facts ring as such: Patrick Corporations, with the backing of the Howard Government, tried to improve efficiency on the waterfront by sacking all union members of it's workforce, and claiming insolvency, using newly passed legislation to do so legally. The MUA, with backing from the ACTU, tried to prevent this, and save the jobs of those workers, while also working towards greater efficiency on the docks. Both sides, but mainly those on the Patrick side, resorted to dirty dealings. In the end, major concessions had to be made on both sides, with neither side claiming victory.