ETF an d IDC support Norway rally for striking dockers
17 Jan uary 2014
The campaign to
support Norwegian dockers on strike
over the need for a national dock register is escalating.
Two hundred supporters from all over Scan dinavia attended the national rally, which took
place at the Cafe Theatre in Oslo last week, with backing from the European Tran sport
Workers' Federation (ETF) an d
affiliated unions, an d members of
the International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC).
The Norwegian Tran sport Workers' Federation (NTF) organ ised the event following the failure of port
employers to sign up to a register which would guaran tee
unloading an d loading work is ring
fenced for dockers. Three strikes are currently ongoing as part of the dispute,
in Tromso, Mosjoen an d Risavika.
Under International
Labour Organ ization (ILO) convention
137, an d the ITF dockers' clause, no
worker other than a trained,
professional docker can carry out
loading an d unloading work. In
contravention of this, some employers in Norway have declared intentions to
make use of seafarers to carry out cargo han dling
duties. An international delegation, including ETF president Lars Lindgren
visited the terminal late last year to express solidarity with the workers.
Speaking at the latest rally, NTF head an d chair of the ETF dockers’ section Terje
Samuelsen linked the dispute to the wider attacks on dockers' unions at a
European an d
international level. He explained: "Port employers across Europe are
challenging the rights of dockers to carry out the work that they have been
doing for hundreds of years. All of this in the name of profit.
Dockers have fought for years for their right to decent work
an d we will continue to fight
against this race to the bottom by greedy employers. Norway is not a member of
the European Union an d we see these attacks as a way of trying to start
a ports package 3 by going around the social dialogue an d
implementing it in Norway. We can 't
allow this to happen an d therefore
we will do whatever is possible within the law to stop these attacks."
To show your support
for dockers in Norway visit the solidarity page >>
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