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Born in Liverpool, England, on June 1, 1949, John joined the Merchant Navy in 1966. Arriving in Fremantle in 1969, he jumped ship and began a new life in Australia. The following year, he joined the New South Wales branch of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union. His father, too, had been a Liverpool docker and John grew up in an atmosphere of working-class militancy and socialism. He became the convener of shop stewards at the Garden Island Dockyards and was president of the NSW branch during the 11-week Garden Island strike when the union successfully defended its control of the roster system from the employers.

New south walesPort kemblaWestern australiaGarden islandSouth australiaStephen rixChris lloydMeg smithJohn rainfordIan hampsonMiguel cifuentesMetal worker unionAccord plutoDockers unionInternational journal of socialist renewalPlumbing union