ITF media release: CSL Australia found to be exploiting crew

CSL Australia found to be exploiting crew

 

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has inspected the Bahamas-registered Flag-of-Convenience (FOC) vessel Diana in Melbourne and found the company is underpaying Filipino seafarers who are effectively operating full time on the Australian coast.

 

Under coastal trading rules introduced in 2012, foreign crew must be paid award rates as the vessel is working more than two domestic voyages in Australian waters, but today's inspection shows that seafarers are only receiving low FOC wages.

       

The Diana is owned by an Australian company, Canadian Shipping Lines (CSL) Australia.

 

CSL has recently increased the use of foreign seafarers in coastal trades replacing Australian crew, effectively undermining employment conditions and jobs on Australia's coastal shipping routes.

 

ITF Australia Coordinator Dean Summers said: "Under Australian legislation all foreign workers must be paid award rates while operating in the local trade.

 

"ITF Australia, acting on a tip off, has today exposed abuse of Filipino seafarers working in Australia for CSL. The ITF has contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) to investigate further but we are yet to receive a response.

 

"These are vulnerable foreign workers used by an Australian company to replace Australian national seafarers working exclusively in the Australian trade."

 

CSL Australia has so far refused to sign an industrial agreement guaranteeing international minimum standards on its fleet of deregulated FOC vessels, Acacia, Adelie and Diana.

 

"The ITF demands the government investigates these clear breaches of our trading laws immediately and prosecute the perpetrators," Mr Summers said.

 

ENDS

 

For more information

Dean Summers +61 0419 934 648

 

This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.

FUTURE RESONANCE | the PhotoPhore exhibitions

 

ENLIGHTEN YOUR WAY SELECTED NEWS Artem Tarkhanov, beweistheorie I, 2016. Still image. Courtesy of the artist  Graphic design by The PhotoPhore   FUTURE RESONANCE ZUECCA PROJECTS AND THE PHOTOPHORE SHOW Friday 15 December sees the opening of the exhibition FUTURE RESONANCE, at Spazio Ridotto in Venice, a collaboration between the Venetian organization Zuecca Projects and the contemporary art platform the PhotoPhore. This multi-channel exhibition is focused on the exploration of possible upcoming futures, the development of new technologies, the relationship between the augmented reality and our life, the consequences of climatic changes and hybridization between technologies and nature. "Art transgresses the boundaries within which the time would like to confine it, and so forecasts the content of the future". Vasilij Kandinskij What will the reality of the future be like?  The artistic research opens the doors of experimentation and suggestion. Artists: Sandrine Deumier | France | affordable dream Adriene Hughes | USA | The Resonance of Loss Daria Jelonek | Germany | Technological Nature Artem Tarkhanov | Russia | beweistheorie I Discover on thephotophore.com   Adriene Hughes, The Resonance of Loss, 2016. Still image. Courtesy of the artist Graphic design by The PhotoPhore   FUTURE RESONANCE Dec 15, 2017 - Jan 14, 2018 Spazio Ridotto Calle del Ridotto, 1388 San Marco Venice, Italy Opening: Dec 15, 2015 | 06 PM SEE YOU THERE AND ENJOY THE SHOW!   The PhotoPhore is a web based platform about contemporary art, photography and architecture. It curates high quality contents, dedicating its attention to projects characterized by great visual impact and distinctive concepts. From renowned artists and architects to emerging talents, the PhotoPhore offers a daily dose of inspiring information about artists and exhibitions, architecture projects, galleries and competitions. THEPHOTOPHORE.COM | UNSUBSCRIBE | CONTACT US 01 | Decemner 2017 © the PhotoPhore 2017

 

 

 

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ITF media release: Global turmoil spreads to ICTSI’s flagship terminal in Australia

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Global turmoil spreads to ICTSI's flagship terminal in Australia

A report released today by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) shows that the industrial turmoil plaguing the operations of embattled global port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has spread to its flagship terminal in Melbourne, Australia.
 
Paddy Crumlin, president of the ITF said: "ICTSI has imported its anti-worker business model, which has led to protracted disputes and protests around the world, to the Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) terminal at Webb Dock.
 
"ICTSI's insistence on bringing its anti-worker business model to Australia is being met with the resistance you would expect from workers' unions, politicians and the local community with an industrial dispute on the cusp of entering its third week with no end in sight.
 
"No matter where you look across ICTSI's global network there is industrial trouble because the company insists on running an anti-worker, union busting agenda and no-one wants that at the expense of decent pay, conditions and job security.
 
"We've seen ongoing dramas in Madagascar, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and the cancer has now spread to Australia. Everyone is awake to ICTSI's destructive ways and won't cop it anymore."
 
The VICT dispute escalated in late November 2017 when a casual dockworker's employment was terminated after management claimed that he was ineligible for a national security clearance.
 
"VICT publicly alleged that it was 'illegal' for them to employ this worker and that his application for a MSIC card was rejected twice. VICT's claims are categorically false and this worker was granted a MSIC card on the 8th of December," Mr Crumlin said.
 
"ICTSI is deliberately running smokescreens and we need to focus on the facts. Management deceptively created the cause of this dispute. This dockworker was targeted for being a union delegate, and sacked after trying to raise legitimate concerns with management regarding the bullying and intimidation of workers."
 
The ITF report, ICTSI: global turmoil spreads to flagship VICT terminal, released today details a culture of sloppy management, intimidation of workers and of productivity overriding safety concerns.
 
"It is the broken promises related to permanency and rates of pay, management's disregard for worker safety by attempting to override safety officers and experienced dockworkers, and the targeting of MUA members that led to this dispute," Mr Crumlin said.
 
"ICTSI has a problem. Their rapid expansion has not been accompanied by sufficient managerial oversight to ensure productive industrial relations and compliance with local laws. We've seen this in port after port, country after country. ICTSI – and its local management – need to sit down with the ITF and work out how we can resolve these issues throughout their network.
 
"The ITF is committed to working with port operators who provide good jobs and industrial relations practices at their ports and who prioritise the growth of their business through the development of long-term functional relationships with unions as their social partners."

ENDS

Background
Download the report, ICTSI: global turmoil spreads to flagship VICT terminal, from here: https://goo.gl/TA9kW8

International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is a Philippines-based container terminal operator, which operates 30 container terminals globally. In recent years, ICTSI has engaged in an ambitious international expansion program.
 
In October 2017, the ITF published a report that identified severe labour violations throughout ICTSI's global network, including: a failure to respect the right to freedom of association; poor safety standards; and illegal outsourcing of labour. Many of these violations are in breach of domestic law in the countries where ICTSI operates and contravene international labour conventions. Download the report, ICTSI's global expansion: a risky proposition?, here: https://goo.gl/MzbhZY

For more information
Luke Menzies, ITF Asia Pacific
mediasydney@itf.org.uk | +61 433 889 844
 

This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.

ITF media release: Hutchison’s atrocious safety record worsens as another worker is killed in Jakarta

Hutchison's atrocious safety record worsens as another worker is killed in Jakarta

 

The international maritime community is again in mourning following the death of an Indonesian worker on the job at the Hutchison terminal in Jakarta.

 

International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) President Paddy Crumlin said: "This will be a heart-wrenching time for this man's family, friends and workmates. The ITF extend our thoughts to them all."

 

Serikat Pekerja Jakarta International Container Terminal (SPJICT) chair, Nova Hakim, said: "We are shocked and alarmed by the continuing carnage at the Hutchison's terminal in Jakarta. Two workers have died within two months, and four within the past 15 months. This is an atrocious record that speaks for itself."

 

The ITF and SPJICT are calling on the company to conduct an official inquiry into the death and the circumstance surrounding how this worker fell overboard. The incident again raises serious questions about Hutchison's safety procedures.

 

Paddy Crumlin added: ""Hutchison needs to answer serious questions. Was this man provided with adequate fall protection? Was the outboard fencing on this vessel complete and compliant with international and class standards?

 

"Falls from height – and falls overboard – are 100% preventable. On a modern vessel, there is no reason why a worker should die from a fall from height with proper inspections, proper management of the work environment, proper equipment and engineering controls.

 

"When a person falls overboard, management are often quick to blame the worker. We need to dig deeper to find the root causes of this horrible tragedy.

 

"Did management inspect the vessel on arrival? This is essential practice. Every ship must be inspected, even if it has been worked with many times before. A report or checklist must be done, setting out any deficiencies that were identified. A plan must be made to manage risk of the deficiencies. That's 100% the responsibility of management in the terminal.

 

"The ITF is uncompromising in our commitment to safety. Every employer needs to know the ITF will fight to make sure every worker goes home safe, every day."

 

ENDS

 

For more information, please contact

Luke Menzies, ITF Asia Pacific

mediasydney@itf.org.uk | +61 433 889 844

 

This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.

ITF media release: ICTSI “not welcome in Africa”

ICTSI "not welcome in Africa"

 

Global port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is facing continued resistance to their Africa expansion plans, with the Philippines-owned company again the target of demonstrations, this time in Durban, South Africa.

 

A maritime industry conference featuring a speaker from the embattled ports company will be hit by protest action from worker and community organisations in South Africa who are concerned about labour abuses in ICTSI's global network.

 

The port operator has attracted international condemnation in recent months over emerging patterns of labour violations, poor safety standards, and sloppy management practices.

 

Tim Vancampen, CEO from ICTSI's DRC operation, will be given a fierce reception when he presents to the conference at 11:45 AM local time today.

The demonstration is being led by the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

 

Edgar Mbina, Regional Secretary of SATAWU, said: "We are here to send a message to ICTSI that their business model of poor safety and undercutting conditions is not welcome in Africa. We stand with workers in Madagascar, workers in Papua New Guinea, and workers around the world who are fighting for jobs and decent conditions. Wherever ICTSI chooses to expand, we'll be there, standing with those workers, fighting for justice and decent treatment."

 

In October 2017, a report on ICTSI's expansion, 'ICTSI's global expansion: a risky proposition?' (https://goo.gl/UfZgyv), detailed the emerging pattern of labour violations across ICTSI's terminals, including paying poverty wages, poor safety standards endangering workers lives, and illegally out-sourcing jobs to labour-hire companies. The report, authored by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), demonstrates that ICTSI has a problem with governance.

 

ITF President Paddy Crumlin said: "ICTSI has a problem. Their rapid expansion has not been accompanied by sufficient managerial oversight to ensure productive industrial relations and compliance with local laws. We've seen this in port after port, country after country."

 

In October, ICTSI was hit by lawful demonstrations and actions worldwide in a renewed international push against injustice in the company's global terminal network. ITF affiliate unions held protest actions across 14 locations spanning Africa, Europe and Asia, directly targeting existing ICTSI ports, ports where ICTSI is seeking to expand, and ports that share critical shipping connections with ICTSI ports.

 

"These latest demonstrations send a message to governments and investors thinking of partnering with this company," Paddy Crumlin said.

 

"ICTSI needs to sit down with the ITF and work out how we can resolve these issues throughout their network.

 

"The ITF, and our unions, are committed to supporting port operators who provide good jobs and good industrial relations practices in their ports."

 

ENDS

 

Background
International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is a Philippines-based container terminal operator, which operates 30 container terminals globally. In recent years ICTSI has engaged in an ambitious international expansion program.

The TOC-Africa conference is a meeting of container terminal operators and their suppliers, and is being held at the International Convention Centre in Durban, South Africa.

 

For more information, please contact:
Luke Menzies, ITF Asia Pacific Campaign Centre, Sydney, Australia.
T: +61 433 889 844 | E: mediasydney@itf.org.uk

 

This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.

Media Release: ITF Seafarers' Trust, Rotterdam Launch of Portable Communication Pods 29 November 2017

MEDIA RELEASE

 

 

Launch of the ITF Seafarers' Trust "Portable Communication Pods"

 

 

• See a Portable Communication Pod in Europe's largest port
• Official Launch at Willemsplein 1, 3016 DR, Rotterdam the Netherlands
  29 November 2017 at 12.00 PM
• One day only

 

Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 29 November 2017

The Portable Communication Pods, part of the ITFST's digital welfare project, aim to keep seafarers connected to families and friends and to give seafarers needed information and resources by providing easily accessible Wi-Fi access on the quayside in ports around the world.

The Portable Communication Pods were the winner of the "Best New Communication Product" at the Safety At Sea Awards for the innovative way of addressing seafarers' unique welfare needs.

"Seafarers' wellbeing is integral to improving safety at sea, but is also obviously important to improve the quality of life.  The ITF Seafarers' Trust is proud of the possibilities, that include communication but also training, port information and information on where seafarers can access chaplains, ITF Inspectors and other assistance.  Because the Pods are portable and their use flexible, we look forward to the wider maritime community using the pods in a variety of ways to help empower the world's seafarers and other maritime workers" said Tomas Abrahamson, Acting Head of ITF Seafarers' Trust.

ENDS

 

The ITF Seafarers' Trust was established by the ITF in 1981 as a body with charitable status under UK law. It is dedicated to the welfare of seafarers, irrespective of nationality, race or creed. Its funding comes from the investment income of the ITF welfare fund, which is used to provide trade union services to seafarers.

"Our vision is to be the leader in promoting and improving the wellbeing of maritime workers worldwide. We support the provision of services to maritime workers; we invest in long-term programs that improve seafarers and their families' health and wellbeing; and we act as a catalyst for positive change in the maritime community"

 

For more information contact the ITF Seafarers' Trust Administrator, Mary Bollan.

Direct line: +44 (0)20 7940 9223                Email: mary@seafarerstrust.org

 

ITF Seafarers' Trust, ITF House, 49-60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR, UK, info@seafarerstrust.org,

+44 (0)20 7403 2733,  seafarerstrust.org,  facebook.com/ITFtrust,  twitter.com @Seafarers_Trust

 

 

 

 

Mary Bollan

Trust Office Administrator

 

The ITF Seafarers' Trust

ITF House, 49-60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR, United Kingdom

Direct line: +44 (0)20 7940 9223

 

 

Registered Charity in England & Wales Number 281936

www.seafarerstrust.org

 

This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.

ITF media release: Seaman Guard Ohio ruling

27 November 2017

 

Seaman Guard Ohio ruling: ITF comment

 

The court in Madurai, India, has delivered its judgment in the appeal case by the crew and guards of the Seaman Guard Ohio. It decided to lift the sentence of five years' imprisonment against the 35 men that were handed down in January 2016.

 

The ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) has provided support for the crew since their arrest in 2013, and has funded this appeal on their behalf.

 

ITF seafarers' section chair, David Heindel, commented: "At last there is some form of justice, even if it cannot restore to the men the time lost since their arrest in 2013.

 

"Unfortunately, one glaring injustice remains: the scandal of AdvanFort getting off scot free, having washed its hands of its employees. They took the money, they sauntered off, pockets bulging. It is nothing short of shameful that our justice system allows them to get away with this. But as we have witnessed over and over, this is the flag of convenience system that has been created!"

 

ENDS

This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.

ITF media release: International trade unions renew call for action over ongoing attacks on Libyan trade unionist

International trade unions renew call for action over ongoing attacks on Libyan trade unionist

 

A fresh appeal to protect the freedom and safety of a Libyan trade unionist has been launched by the ITF this week via online platform LabourStart.

 

Nermin Al-Sharif, general secretary of the ITF-affiliated Dockers' and Seafarers' Union of Libya, is an active and renowned advocate for human, workers' and women's rights on both the national and international stage. She has been subject to ongoing attacks, including several attempts on her life.

 

In the latest incident, Nermin was detained for several days and had her passport confiscated, barring her from travelling to an international ITF event in Morocco where she was due to address women activists from across the world. Nermin sent a video message to the conference and was offered overwhelming support by the 250 participants on behalf of their unions. The conference outlined the commitment of the ITF to offer support and solidarity to women transport workers victimised as a result of their activism.  The conference report reads:

 

"The conference expressed serious concerns at the impact of the current industrial and political situation faced by women transport workers and demanded that the future of work for women transport workers be embedded in all activities of the ITF.

 

The ITF will continue to ensure support for women who are targeted by governments and employers because of their trade union activities."

 

In London last week representatives from ITF Dockers' and seafarers' unions called for action over the campaign of intimidation and violence against Nermin. In a collective statement they said:

 

"ITF Dockers and Seafarers strongly condemn the recent action taken against prominent leader of the Libyan Dockers' and Seafarers' Union, Nermin Al-Sharif. We demand that her passport is given back to her immediately so she can travel freely. We further demand that she is allowed to continue the important work she does for working men and women in Libya and elsewhere without restriction nor retaliation from any entity and that she is given the necessary protection from her government. Finally, we demand that any undue investigation against her must cease. 

Nermin Al-Sharif's relentless work for the promotion of human rights in general, workers' and women's rights in particular and a healthy democratic debate is admirable and must be allowed to continue without restrictions, detention threats nor threats to her life and health." 

 

ITF president Paddy Crumlin followed up saying: "The international trade union community won't stand by and let this kind of outrageous treatment continue. Nermin is an activist, a trade unionist and an esteemed comrade.

 

"We urge every trade unionist, every ordinary working woman and man, everyone who cares about human rights and the right to freedom and justice to support this campaign. These are fundamental principles and we cannot afford to let them be eroded in this way."

 

The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) has offered support to the appeal. General Secretary Sharan Burrow said: "Nermin is a well-known figure in the international trade union movement. She is an activist with countless years of experience and activity for the protection of workers. 

 

"The extreme and explicit violation of her human rights through violent attacks and most recently infringement of her basic right to freedom of movement, is symptomatic of a country where the rule of law is not respected. We are firmly behind this appeal and are offering every support to Nermin and to the ITF."

 

ENDS

 

Access the LabourStart campaign: http://www.labourstart.org/go/libya

 

Follow updates on social media via #ITFdockers and #ITFwomen

This email is confidential and may be privileged. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose its contents to any other person. Any views or opinions expressed within the email are solely those of the sender and do not necessarily represent those of the ITF or the Seafarers' Trust.

Best of the week 13 - 19 | 11 | 2017

 

ENLIGHTEN YOUR WAY BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK Yayoi Kusama, THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS, 2015. Collection of the Artist, ©YAYOI KUSAMA. Installation view at National Gallery Singapore, 2017   YAYOI KUSAMA AT GOMA A career-spanning survey of work by leading contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (b.1929) opens at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) until 11 February 2018. YAYOI KUSAMA - LIFE IS THE HEART OF A RAINBOW Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) - Brisbane 04.11.2017 - 11.02.2018   Discover on thephotophore.com Deb Achak | Jurors Merit Mention 2017, © of the Author. Graphic design by the PhotoPhore   ALL ABOUT PHOTO AWARDS 2018:  THE MIND'S EYE | APPLY NOW! The PhotoPhore is very glad to introduce its partnership with the platform All About Photo for the realization of the 3rd edition of the All About Photo Awards: The Mind's Eye. PRIZES - $ 10,000 in cash awards - extensive press coverage - global recognition The competition has not nationality and themes restrictions. The deadline for the submission is: January 31, 2018.   Discover on thephotophore.com Images courtesy of Ray Caesar | Gallery House   RAY CAESAR: 5 NEVER-BEEN-SEEN WORKS AT PULP – WORKS ON PAPER In the occasion of PULP – Works on Paper, the ongoing exhibition at Gallery House, Toronto, Ray Caesar presents with his own words the 5 never-been-seen works that can be admired for the first time during the exhibition: "Communion", "Helios", "Swee Pea", "Returns of the Day" and "Vampyr". PULP – Works on Paper Ray Caesar | Selena Wong | Lori Field November 4 – December 14, 2017 Gallery House, Toronto Canada Discover on thephotophore.com   Discover: thephotophore.com     The PhotoPhore is a web based platform about contemporary art, photography and architecture. It curates high quality contents, dedicating its attention to projects characterized by great visual impact and distinctive concepts. From renowned artists and architects to emerging talents, the PhotoPhore offers a daily dose of inspiring information about artists and exhibitions, architecture projects, galleries and competitions. THEPHOTOPHORE.COM | UNSUBSCRIBE | CONTACT US 03 | November 2017 © the PhotoPhore 2017

 

 

 

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