Noticias
- Affiliations to the International Dockworkers Council (IDC) have grown by almost 50% in the last few years.
- The short and medium-term objectives of the IDC are to expand its presence in the ports of Asia and Africa.
- A wide range of actions have been carried out across all IDC zones.
- Governments, agencies and authorities are increasingly relying on dialogue with the IDC to resolve issues affecting dockworkers. The IDC is set to meet with ILO officials later in the year.
- IDC General Coordinator Jordi Aragunde wants to “thank each and every one of the people who, regardless of personal, social and economic affinities, believe in the IDC project”.
- Aragunde says that, “now is the time - our time - for the dockers of the world to demonstrate that we are able to hold our head high and defend our rights and working conditions”.
IDC, 26/07/2017. Barcelona. The International Dockworkers Council (IDC) has made a very positive assessment of the first half of 2017 on a number of levels. This includes the number of new affiliates which have joined the IDC; the actions it has carried out; the international representation it has provided before governments and public and private organizations; the solidarity it has provided to dockworkers; as well as moves forward in training.
According to information provided by the IDC’s union affiliates, by the end of June the IDC consists of over 100,000 affiliated workers, with over 90 different trade unions all being a part of this one big family. Since the beginning of January, the IDC has added 27,509 new members. In the last six months, dockers from Brazil, Croatia, Ghana, Mexico and Hong Kong have all joined the IDC.
The latest data available to the IDC shows that since 2014 it has grown from 69,192 members to over 100,000 members - a growth rate of 47.3%.
In this regard, both the leaders of each of the IDC’s Zones along with IDC General Coordinator Jordi Aragunde have met regularly with workers’ representatives with a view to increasing IDC membership, in particular with those from Asian and African ports.
Jordi Aragunde's assessment of the IDC Zones
According to IDC leader Jordi Aragunde, the situations in Spain and Sweden have taken up much of the IDC’s work in the first half of 2017. As Aragunde explained: “In the first case, there are the beginnings of a resolution, but we still remain anxious” while in the Swedish case “we have put in place a truce until September in an effort to find a settlement. In the meantime, we continue to put forward solutions in an attempt to give the port [of Gothenburg] a better future”.
Along with all this, there was also the European Zone Assembly meeting that took place in Koper, Slovenia under the coordination of Anthony Têtard. At that meeting, the IDC decided to “a change of course in relation to the European Commission and to take a lead in the process of social dialogue in Brussels”. To this end “we have held an informal meeting with other participants of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Round Table, and presented to them the need for this change in direction in order to achieve social peace, stability in our ports and improvements in job security.”
Aragunde then moved on to analyze the work of other IDC Zones. Looking at the East Coast and West Coast Zones in North America, he pointed to “the great work of the two unions, the ILWU and ILA, and the great participation and solidarity that they have shown in the conflicts affecting the other Zones of the IDC”.
With regard to the African Zone, the solidarity mission to Togo and Benin carried out with IDC African Zone Coordinator Pierre Aklegbou from the Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is a real stand out. “In Benin we obtained the freedom of our imprisoned comrade not long after our visit” and “are continuing our discussions for the rehiring of eighteen dismissed comrades in Cotonou”.
Aragunde also highlighted the great work carried out in the Latin American Zone. Through IDC Coordinator Ricardo Suárez of Uruguay, “we have reactivated several training and workplace accident prevention projects” and “have consolidated the affiliations within the Zone and joined all the dockworkers’ unions of Brazil to the IDC”.
Finally, there is the “relatively new Oceania and Asia Zone of the IDC, where Coordinator Bob Carnegie from Australia is laying the groundwork for future growth”. This is without a doubt “one of the great challenges we face in the short to medium term”.
The challenge of workers' training and representation
Training, facilitation of work instruments and tools, and the maintenance of workers’ rights continues to be one the IDC’s major challenges. Aragunde says that “at the end of this year, and in collaboration with Latin American government authorities, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and Spain’s Foundation of Port Studies (FUNESPOR), we will hold union and vocational training courses that will give workers the tools for understanding their history, their rights, accident prevention, health and occupational safety”.
Regarding its representation on government and international bodies, the IDC “has made great progress in its relations and commitments to both the European Commission and governments in the countries where we are represented”. The IDC leader said that now “it is generally the norm that, wherever we have a meeting, it is the authorities who are quick to call a meeting with representatives of our international federation; whether that be in Togo, Malta, Benin, or other countries”.
This fact is of great importance to the work of the IDC and the impact of the actions that it carries out globally. The federation’s presence at national and international negotiations is becoming increasingly notable, which in itself gives a strong impetus to the tasks being carried out by the IDC.
In this context, the IDC plans to meet with International Labor Organization (ILO) officials during the second half of the year.
Workers united against neoliberalism
On a final note, IDC General Coordinator Jordi Aragunde wants to “thank each and every one of the people who, regardless of personal, social and economic affinities, believe in the IDC project”. For the IDC leader, “states, corporations, shipping companies ... all create their alliances with a clear objective: to weaken the ability to act, the strength, and the unity of all dockworkers. Only together and in a united fashion will we be able to stop the attack of this most savage neoliberal capitalism”. Paraphrasing the investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett, contrary to capitalism’s current way of functioning: “Class warfare exists, but it is only my side that is winning”.
“Now is the time - our time - for the dockers of the world to demonstrate that we are able to hold our head high and defend our rights and working conditions that were struggled and fought for over centuries of conflict in ports across all continents”.
Cotonou, May 10, 2017. The International Dockworkers Council (IDC) is seriously concerned about events taking place at the Port of Cotonou (PAC) and calls on the Beninese authorities to pay particular attention to the conflict between dockworkers and their employer, the Beninese Port Handling Corporation (SOBEMAP).
According to information received from our affiliates, SYNFOMAP-BENIN, a movement of dissatisfaction paralyzed all activities at the Autonomous Port of Cotonou on Friday 05 May 2017 from 3 pm to midnight.
The conflict resulted from the observations alluding to the workers´ refusal to comply with the recommendations put forth by SOBEMAP to improve the living and working conditions of dockworkers, and in the Synthesis Report of the Working Committee (SOBEMAP-UNIONS Dockers), decided by the Minister who had visited Ports in Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal in December 2016 to draw inspiration from the working conditions and management of the Dockers of these countries.
In sum, the port workers in Benin are faced with the lack of regulation of their trade, precarious jobs with a derisory income level of Euro 3.50 per work week, and a high mortality rate : 70 fatalities were reported in the first quarter of 2017.
Requests for conciliation to resolve the dispute, submitted to the port authorities by an IDC delegation on mission to the country (May 10 to 12), were not facilitated by the Director-General's refusal to SOBEMAP, the dismissal of 20 dockworkers on 09 May and the arrest on 10 May 2017 at 8:00a of a unionized member of SYNFOMAP / BENIN.
The International Dockworkers Council declares the workers' demands legitimate, gives them unwavering support, and asks the Beninese authorities to take appropriate measures so that:
- Imprisoned workers are released unconditionally
- SOBEMAP reinstates dockers licensed in their rights
We call for the opening of a constructive dialogue between the port authorities, the employer SOBEMAP and SYNFOMAP.
At the international level, IDC remains attentive to the developments of this case. The solution to the conflict necessarily involves social dialogue.
MONTREUIL, France April 28, 2017. Today, on International Day for Health and Safety at Work, members of the IDC working group met at the National Federation of CGT Ports and Docks in Montreuil, France.
The group was composed of IDC members from Belgium, the United Kingdom, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Greece and France.
First, they reviewed the accidents in the different countries and ports represented and the difficulties encountered in setting up new equipment and discussed safety procedures.
The main point that emerged from this meeting was that of risks at work as a result of ship design.
The consequences on hearing of repeated excessive exposure to noise and exposure to diesel engine exhaust gases, and also gave rise to many exchanges as to the means of individual or collective protection used and their effectiveness.
A presentation on the creation of a "cause tree" after each accident was made and has demonstrated the value of such a procedure in determining precisely the causes of an accident but also the preventative actions that would be most effective in removing the risk or reducing it.
The introduction of ship safety datasheets along with inspection by the "Health and Safety" teams and the handling companies was once again discussed at length.
The aim of this procedure is to establish a European safety database, and which would ideally become worldwide.
This database could then be accessed by the Dockers' teams before the ship arrives, and to know the level of risk, the danger points and the safety equipment recommended for work to achieve the best safety conditions (Controls already exist in some countries and ports but nothing is harmonized or satisfactory).
These datasheets could even lead to joint work with the shipowners to make the necessary modifications to improve the working conditions of dockworkers on board ships. (The work of the dockworkers is not the same as the work of the sailor).
IDC Europe members therefore reaffirm their determination to intervene at all levels (International, European, National and Port) so that dockworkers and all port workers can exercise their professions in the best conditions.
No more of them will lose their lives by trying to win it.
Our priorities are:
- High-level training for all port workers and the eradication of precarious work.
-Safety in ships
- Improved information on the hazards of goods handled (Fumigating gases, chemicals, toxic, etc)
-The use of appropriate protective and safety equipment
On this special day, a minutes silence was held to remember the workers who paid the ultimate price for poor health and safety and lost their lives at work.
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Last Thursday, Spanish dockers achieved a big step forward after the Spanish government’s unilateral Decree was rejected in the national parliament by political parties.
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International Dockworkers Council (IDC) General Coordinator, Jordi Aragunde, thanks the IDC affiliates around the world for “their constant show of support for the workers of Spain and the actions they carried out which brought great pressure to bear.”
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Dockworkers hope that a process of frank negotiation which starts from scratch will resolve this situation, one that takes into account international legality and- above all else- the maintenance of existing working conditions.
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In line with the position previously put forward at the last meeting with members of the European Commission, IDC will return to the European Union (EU) Sectoral Social Dialogue process once the conflict in Spain has been resolved.
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The international association of unions will strengthen its support for the resolution of problems in other countries where IDC is established, such as those in Latin America, Africa, Sweden, Portugal, and the United States.
- The Maltese Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Malta being the country currently holding the EU presidency, has invited the IDC General Coordinator to attend the next EU meeting on 28 and 29 March, where the European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc will also be in attendance.
IDC, 03/20/2017. Barcelona. The International Dockworkers Council (IDC) has called off mobilizations in support of Spanish dockworkers planned for March 23 that were previously scheduled to be held in ports around the world. The IDC took this decision after the Spanish parliament voted last Thursday to reject the national government’s Royal Decree that was promoted by the Ministry of Public Works, which was designed to obliterate jobs on the Spanish docks. This result is a big step forward for the dockworkers of Spain.
In the words of IDC General Coordinator, Jordi Aragunde, “this is a step forward, but also a great opportunity given to us by the opposition parliamentary groups. Dockworkers, together with the government and employers, can come to an agreement on the best conditions for the remodeling of the Spanish Port Model and for complying with the ruling of the European Court of Justice.”
Aragunde also thanked IDC affiliates around the world and “their constant show of support for the workers of Spain and the actions they carried out which brought great pressure to bear internationally, and in Spain. This pressure helped to convince public opinion that the unilateral Royal Decree was reckless, dishonest, and harmful to the interests of the working class- interests which we proudly represent.”
In this regard, IDC looks to the coming meetings with hope. Spanish workers expect a frank negotiation which starts from scratch and allows for the resolution of this situation, one which takes into account international legality and, above all else, the maintenance of existing working conditions.
The International Dockworkers Council also hopes to return to the EU’s Sectoral Social Dialogue process as soon as the issues faced by Spanish workers are resolved and the new regulation is in operation. "We informed European Commission representatives of this at the meeting held on Monday, March 13," says the General Coordinator. "But to reach this point, it is necessary to ensure that all the points that were not prohibited by either the European Commission or the ruling of the European Court of Justice are transferred to the new Spanish law," Aragunde said.
In this sense, union representatives will go to the meeting with these parties to demand the carrying over of their current contracts and the inclusion of a professional registry of dockworkers, in accordance with the international regulations included in International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 137. Spain has ratified this convention and, as pointed out by the heads of the European Commission in various meetings with workers’ representatives, Brussels does not oppose it.
In any case, "the rejection of the Spanish government’s proposal is only a small demonstration of the real power of dockers around the world." Aragunde concluded that, "once this conflict in Spain is solved, problems remain in other countries where IDC members are established, such as those in Latin America, Africa, Sweden, Portugal, and the United States - which we will offer our support to in coming weeks."
The IDC General Coordinator has been invited to the High Level Ministerial Stakeholders Road Safety and Maritime Conference to be held on 28 and 29 March in Malta, the country currently holding the EU’s rotating presidency position. Malta’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Joe Mizzi, has invited Jordi Aragunde to the meeting which will include the representatives of the Transport Ministers from all of the EU’s 27 member nations as well as with European Commission representatives led by the European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc. Aragunde will be given the opportunity to intervene in this forum of discussion and dialogue.
This meeting represents a great opportunity for workers to demonstrate their occupational professionalism as well as increase the pressure on the Spanish government executive as it negotiates the new decree conditions that sought to modify the port sector. In Malta, the Declaration of Valletta that deals with maritime safety, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability, is also set to be discussed and adopted.
The presence of all EU Transport Ministers at this meeting will enable the European Commission to clarify its position and the real role it intends to adopt in relation to the ports and maritime sector in coming years.
Thursday, March 9, 2017. The ETF, ITF and IDC have joined forces to support Spanish dockworkers whose jobs are at risk because of attempts to reform the port labour system.
The three organizations have been working together since the opening of an EU infringement procedure on freedom of establishment in ports against Spain back in 2013. Two weeks ago, the Spanish Government unilaterally presented a Royal Decree on the reform, disregarding the result of previous negotiations between social partners. Consequently the three organizations have engaged in a series of actions to support the struggle of the Spanish dockers. Among these, an action day was planned for the 10 March 2017, to coincide with the strike called by the Spanish unions on the same day.
“Following discussions with our respective members, our three organizations have decided to temporarily suspend the announced day of action. The Spanish unions are making another attempt to see if they can succeed with negotiations and political influence, and we fully respect this decision. Our actions are meant to support them and we are obviously ready to rework our solidarity plans to meet the needs of their revised strategy.” said ETF Dockers’ Section Chair Terje Samuelsen.
The three organizations and their members in Europe and around the world are maintaining all their political actions to support our Spanish Comrades.
Jordi Aragunde, IDC General Coordinator added “We are certainly not dropping our guard: we are all very busy supporting members in Spain. Our aim is to support them gaining the right to a fair reform of port labour. They are not opposing the reform, but some of the terms set by the government are not acceptable: we are convinced port labour can be reformed without the need for huge job losses and replacing stable employment with precarious jobs.”
Paddy Crumlin, ITF President and Dockers’ Section Chair concluded “The global dockers’ and transport workers’ family will continue to demonstrate tremendous support to the Spanish dockers. This is an emblematic struggle against dogmatic liberalization of labour, and it affects the labour movement as a whole. We are following the developments in Spain very closely and are ready to support the struggle through any lawful means.”
More on the Organizations
The International Dockworkers Council
The International Dockworkers Council (IDC) is a global trade union confederation formally founded in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 2000. It currently brings together more than 85,000 dockworkers on five continents, and works to defend workers and their jobs through training and continuous improvement of their working conditions. Headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, the IDC is organized into six areas (Europe, Africa, Western North America and Pacific Coast, East Coast of North America, Oceania and Latin America), each with a coordinator appointed by assembly.
The International Transport Workers' Federation
The International Transport Workers 'Federation (ITF) is an international federation of transport workers' unions. Any independent trade union with members in the transport industry can be a member of the ITF. About 700 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers in 150 countries are members of the ITF. It is one of several federations that make up the International Trade Union Confederation (CSI). ITF headquarters is in London and has offices in Amman, Brussels, Nairobi, New Delhi, Ouagadougou, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo.
The European Transport Workers' Federation
The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) is a Pan-European trade union organization which embraces transport trade unions of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the countries of Eastern Europe. The ETF represents more than 3.5 million transport workers from over 230 trade unions and 41 European countries in the following sectors: railway, road transport and logistics, shipping, inland waterways, civil aviation, ports and docks, tourism and fishing.
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