ITF Dockers News.

DPW unions gear up for global day of action

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/9616

4 October 2013

Port unions in terminals which are operated by global network terminal operator (GNT) DP World are getting ready to stage activities as part of a DPW global day of action.

ITF dockers’ union representatives resolved during a meeting in Chicago in July 2013 to organise the action day as part of a wider campaign to highlight the need for DPW to engage with unions worldwide over trade union rights and representation.

In some locations this is already the case, but there are several ongoing disputes involving DPW and ITF unions, including at London Gateway, UK; the Port of Brisbane, Australia; Chennai container terminal, India; and the Port of Callao in Peru.

ITF president and chair of the dockers’ section Paddy Crumlin said: “DPW unions have resolved to use this action day to promote positive and transparent dialogue with the company in various locations. We’re committed to finding solutions where there are disputes and this kind of solidarity among a group of workers who ultimately have the same employer is what the ITF  is all about.”

Expected union activities include lawful action at DPW terminals and company offices, and visits by unions to United Arab Emirates embassies.

Get involved, find out more on DPW disputes and see who’s organising what for the global day of action: www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/campaigns-3821.cfm

Head to the ITF facebook page on Monday 7 October for pictures and reports of DPW union action: www.facebook.com/ITFglobal

Monday 7 October is the World day for decent work. Find out more at http://2013.wddw.org

Road and rail action week begins Monday

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/9627

6 October 2013

The ITF road and rail action week 2013 begins on Monday. Combining the annual road action weeks and rail action days in one event running from 7 to 13 October, it is designed to give workers and their unions the chance to take local issues to national governments and an international audience. Its campaign theme is Transport workers fighting back – Organising globally!

Mac Urata, ITF inland transport sections secretary, explained: “This action week builds on the successes of the road action week, which has been held since 1997, and the Safety first! rail action days which began in 2005. It unites rail and road workers and their unions in one huge event and as an extra feature it deliberately coincides with three important daylong events: the ITUC’s (International Trade Union Confederation) World day for decent work, and the ETF’s (European Transport Workers’ Federation) action day against the European Commission’s fourth railway package; and the Dubai Ports World (DPW) day of action.”

The action week will be celebrated in an A to Z of countries ranging from Angola to Zanzibar, along the way taking in: Barbados, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, India, Ivory Coast, Germany, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liberia, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Nepal, Russia, Senegal, Sweden, Thailand, Togo and the USA. Activities will range from driver training to awareness raising, and holding demonstrations to lobbying for health and safety measures for armoured car drivers.

To find out more about the action week and its history and to see daily updates on how it is progressing or download materials about it, visit www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/actionweek2013.cfm .

For more about the ETF action day see www.itfglobal.org/etf/etf-3777.cfm .

Details of the World day for decent work can be found at http://2013.wddw.org .

And to learn about the DPW action day see

www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/campaigns-3821.cfm .