LASHING IS DOCKERS’ WORK! UNION
STRUGGLE ACHIEVES MAJOR VICTORY FOR EUROPEAN DOCKERS
Yesterday, 22 February 2018, an agreement was reached
between the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Joint
Negotiating Group (JNG) which represents international maritime employers.
The
agreement is particularly significant for dockers and their struggle to ensure
that lashing work is dockers’ work. A revision of the so-called Dockers’ Clause
clarifies that dockers have the right to carry out cargo-handling operations.
And that includes lashing! The agreement also gives more legal certainty if
companies do not comply with this rule.
‘As the Chair of ETF Dockers I am very proud of the
collective work that our unions have done to reach this agreement’, says Terje Samuelsen. ‘We have fought hard
in the workplace and in politics to achieve this step. The struggle is not over, but this agreement definitely offers a chance
to solve ongoing conflicts in Europe and other regions.’
This change
in the Dockers’ Clause was one of the ITF’s main demands, and it was
particularly important for the European affiliate unions. In Europe, and
especially in the North Sea and Baltic Sea areas, dockers have already been
determinedly fighting for several years to get back lashing jobs.
ETF Dockers’ Vice-Chair Torben
Seebold adds ‘We started the ETF/ITF lashing campaign back in 2015, because
this issue was so important for our rank-and-file members. The double blow of
automation and declining cargo volumes is eroding jobs in European docks. So we
are fighting to ensure that every single dockers’ job is done by dockers.
Solidarity between dockers and seafarers is at the heart of our 70-year-old
Flags of Convenience (FOC) Campaign.
With this agreement we proved once again that this solidarity is as strong as
ever.’
‘We are now ready to work on the implementation of the
agreement, said Niek Stam from
ETF/ITF Dutch affiliate FNV Havens. ‘We’ll make sure that dockers are trained
and available to lash in each port of call. And we will open a dialogue with
the European employers. We also plan to invite all major feeder companies to
work together to ensure smooth enforcement: the sooner we reach a mutual
understanding, the sooner our dockers will be ready to provide their excellent
services.
At the same time, we
will not stop putting pressure on the competent authorities to make sure that
regulations are amended if necessary. We must be very clear that all over
Europe only one rule applies: dockers do the lashing!’
This new IBF
Framework Agreement will be valid from 2019 to 2022.
It was also approved by the Fair Practice Committee Steering
Group (FPCSG), which is made of representatives of ITF Seafarers and Dockers
affiliates. See full details of the agreement in the JNG/ITF press release.
The Lashing Campaing is the ETF Dockers' Section priority
campaign within the ETF Fair Transport Campaing 2.0.
For more information:
Bryn Watkins, communications officer, the European Transport
Workers' Federation
Mob: +32 470 93 05 90
