News 11.6.2014 8:02
| updated 11.6.2014 13:45
Stevedores
across Finland are on strike on Wednesday, 11.06.2014, in a solidarity action
in support of their colleagues in Tornio.
Finnish dockers are on strike on Wednesday.
A strike called by the Transport Workers Union AKT has shut down ports across Finland on
Wednesday morning.
The day-long strike
enacted by some 2,000 dock workers
is an expression of support for a union representative in Tornio, Northern
Finland.
Juha Anttila,
the union's secretary for dock agreements, claimed that their shop steward had
been threatened by a representative of a Russian ship in the port, where
dockers are currently on strike in a separate dispute.
Anttila did not comment on the specific nature of the
threat, but indicated that the AKT is taking the issue extremely seriously.
"We cannot accept threatening behaviour under any
circumstances," Anttila said.
"It's unfortunate that we had to react by striking, but our hand was
forced. Finnish working life has certain rules."
Dock workers throughout Finland are supporting the
expression of solidarity, with some 600 stevedores on strike at the port of
HaminaKotka.
All strikers are
expected to return to work on Thursday, 12.06.2014 at 6 am.
Update 11.00 am: Added comments from Juha Anttila and
link to HaminaKotka.
Tornio ship uses
slave labour, shop steward claims
News 11.6.2014
12:23 | updated 11.6.2014 13:53
Some 2,000
stevedores began the strike at 6 am on Wednesday, 11.06.2014, morning in response
to a threat issued to a union representative.
The strike is in response to an alleged letter
containing personal threats to the shop steward at Röyttä harbour, who claims
that a Russian shipping company is using slave labour.
The shop steward for the Röyttä harbour, Jarmo Pekkarinen says he has received a
personally addressed threat letter from a Russian shipping company through a
legal firm.
The Transport
Workers Union AKT made the decision to go on
strike after the letter was allegedly received.
Pekkarinen has refused to reveal the letter’s precise
contents, but describes the message as crystal clear. He says the threat is
directed at his person specifically.
“We’ve been in the midst of a smaller strike on a ship
in the Röyttä harbour,” Pekkarinen explains. “It has now stood in the docks for
12 days straight, and then I got this threatening letter.”
"Slave labour"
Pekkarinen claims that the ship was subject to a strike
because the Russian crew’s contractual details were not in order. The
stevedores in Tornio went on strike to encourage the commencement of
negotiations for proper contracts.
“We think, as many do, that this ship is using crew
members as slave labour, and we’re keen to support all actions towards
establishing aboveboard agreements,” Pekkarinen said.
He was not yet able to comment on how the situation is
to unfold following the day-long work stoppage. “We shall see,” he said. “We’ll
sit today out and look at the facts again tomorrow.”
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