So, what do the CWU and the stevedores think of the arguments set out in the injunction application by PBL and their attorney?
PBL says that the government did not get the authority of the National Assembly, and neither did they disclose the details of this agreement with the House of Representatives.
The CWU President said that the stevedores interpret the application as an act of pure "bad mind" and malice:
Evan "Mose" Hyde - President, CWU
"I won't speak to the legal matters. I will only speak about how it has been experienced by our members. And it has been experienced as pure malice."
Reporter
"Bad mind."
Evan "Mose" Hyde
"Absolutely, And listen We want to live in a society. I argue for that where the people, and the agencies of the people who hold their government to account, and to step up and make sure that government acts properly. But truth be told PBL is an entity that has a reputation for being a guardian of parliamentary properness? PBL? I know you have organizations like the Peace Movement. I know you have other organizations in civil society that have made it a signature of their purpose to hold government [accountable] and to be engaged as such. But PBL and its receiver have now become that guardian? It's just impossible for us to believe that they have all of a sudden become concerned about the parliamentary protocol being adhered to. They have no history of doing that. So then, there must be other motivations."
Here's how "Mose" Hyde went unto express the reasons for the disbelief and skepticism from the Stevedores about their employer's motives:
Evan "Mose" Hyde - President, CWU
"No, you are the employer. Your employees have engaged in negotiations with the government. Whatever your thoughts or feelings about what precipitated that process, your employees have negotiated and agreed with that government to an ex gratia payment. And, you, the employer, sat down and said to yourself, Man, I can't allow my employees to get that?' I can't read minds. We can't judge a person's heart, but we have a level of common sense. It appears that there is a deep, embedded animosity. That is what all members experienced it as, that you have to really have one deep problem with us that you should have made it your business to try You put your resources. You put your actual money because lawyers don't work for free. You put your money. You have the port that is in desperate need of improvement. You have equipment not working and being dependable. We have a pier that is in a state of disrepair. But your high priority for resources is to do your best to try to prevent that from happening. Now, you might have somebody out there that believes them, but what they present is that they are simply concerned about parliamentary protocol and procedures. Our members, unfortunately..."
Reporter
"Don't believe that."
Evan "Mose" Hyde
"Oh...we don't believe that for a minute."
