People Australia

Arthur Shertock, c.1944

Arthur Abraham (Arbie) Shertock (1925-2008) roustabout, wharf labourer, trade unionist and Communist.

Birth: 19 October 1925 at Adelaide, South Australia, son of Solomon (Sol) Shertock [Chertock] (1891-1964), a master tailor, born at Kiev, Ukraine, and Phoebe, née Hyman (1894-1982) born in Melbourne, machinist. Marriage: 23 April 1949 at Adelaide to native-born Kathleen Doris Wark (1926-2008). They had three children. Death: 30 December 2008 at Adelaide, SA. Religion: family was Jewish. 

• Educated at Rose Park School and Adelaide High School. Maternal grandfather John Hyman was President of Victorian Trades and Labour Council and President of Eight Hour Committee.
• Member of the Australian Workers’ Union and was in his first industrial action at age of 16 at a farm over issue of worker accommodation. Unofficial leader of roustabouts at Koomooolo.
• In the Royal Australian Air Force from 1944 to 1946, stationed in Borneo in the marine section.
• In 1948 worked at the Islington foundry boiler shop and was a shop steward for the Ironworkers Union in the 1940s and 1950s — responsible for 100 non-skilled trade’s assistants. There were many immigrant workers who did not speak English, many living in tents while their families were living at Mildura – he became their unofficial support team and, with the Communist Party of Australia and the union, organised buses to visit their families and later for their families to be moved to Woodside.
• Joined CPA in 1942 and Eureka Youth League. In 1951 Menzies government introduced the CPA Dissolution Bill and he became the CPA country organiser and worked full time on the Vote NO campaign.
• Started working at the Port Adelaide wharf in 1954 and joined the Waterside Workers Federation. Worked on the wharves for thirty years, fifteen years in the hold. For most of the 30 years he was an active delegate and led very militant gangs. There were almost daily disputes on health and safety issues — asbestos fell like snow from ripped bags, there were no fork lift trucks and many deaths resulted from faulty gear.
• He was president of the Delegates Association. Called stop work action over noxious chemicals being unloaded. Participated in the big strikes at Port Adelaide in 1954 and 1956. 1954 strike was over scab labour being allowed on the wharf under an Act of Parliament introduced by Menzies — they received support from the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the legislation was never enacted.
• In 1956 the strike pay and conditions such as sick pay, long service leave and paid holidays, went for several weeks; he was chair of the publicity committee, Rex Munn the chair of Entertainment Committee; they distributed thousands of leaflets to unions and factories. Theirs was the first union to get wage increases away from the pegged Arbitration Commission system; this flowed on to other unions.
• International solidarity campaigns, especially for apartheid where they stopped South African ships from coming to Australia in 1987. He was involved in numerous committees with the CPA.
• In 1957-1958 he went to China for 6 months and the Soviet Union for 6 weeks with the CPA to study history and Marxism. In 1959 he became the honorary secretary of the Australia Soviet Friendship Society and continued in this role for 9 years – he met visiting Soviet ships, organised numerous cultural visits, hosted visiting academics.
• Represented the union in Poland, Chile, Mexico, Cuba and USA. Was in Chile during Pinochet regime. In 1983 he went to the Franklin River blockade and Honeymoon mine blockade. Very active in Campaigns against Vietnam War and member of CPV. Active in Ban the Bomb campaign.
• Executive member of Workers Education Association from 1970 to 1983, chairperson in 1979 and life membership in 1985.
• In 2003 he helped to research and organise the 75th re-enactment of the Port Adelaide wharf strike.