Press release: Malaviya Seven update

Please find this release attached and below.

Yours,

Sam Dawson

ITF

 

 

30 March 2017

Malaviya Seven update

The ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) yesterday arrested the ship Malaviya Seven on behalf of its crew. The move is the latest by the ITF in support of the crew of the vessel, which has been effectively abandoned in Aberdeen, Scotland by its owners, and detained by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at the federation's request (see https://goo.gl/ddzOFU).  

 

ITF inspector Liam Wilson has been assisting the crew members, who are of Indian nationality, since June last year, when a routine inspection revealed that 15 of them had gone unpaid for four months. He explained: "We've been helping these men since the beginning, particularly with their basic needs such as food and water, while working to recover the money that is due to them. I'd like to thank the local community and seafarers' welfare organisations for their support too.

 

"We have reached a point where the only way that these men are going to get home with the money they are due is to help them arrest the ship, and we have now taken that move. We anticipate that within the next, say, 12 to 16 weeks, the ship will be sold and what is owed to them recovered from the sale price. This would replicate the experience of the Seven's sister ship, the Malaviya Twenty, which was detained in Great Yarmouth, and where we were pleased to be able to help the crew home, with their pay, last month." (See https://goo.gl/EGYS3f.)  

 

ITF UK and Ireland coordinator Ken Fleming commented: "To say that workers are owed USD666,938.03 is in itself a scandal. The owners and the Indian flag state should hang their head in shame. Equally all those that could have brought the situation to an end months ago should reflect on their inactivity,

"My organisation the ITF will now deal aggressively with the situation. Should the company or the bank not come in on record by early next week we will apply to the courts to dispose of the vessel by way of a sale to recover the crew wages. The situation will not be allowed to drag unnecessarily. "

ENDS

For more information please contact:

ITF inspector Liam Wilson. Email: wilson_liam@itf.org.uk. Tel: +44 1224 582 688. Mobile: +44 7539 171323

ITF UK and Ireland coordinator Ken Fleming. Email: fleming_ken@itf.org.uk. Tel: +353 1 85 86 317. Mobile: +353 87 64 78636

ITF press and editorial manager Sam Dawson. Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7940. Mobile: (0) 7850736146

 

ITF communications: getting the message out - when and where it matters

www.itfglobal.org 

www.facebook.com/ITFglobal 

Twitter: @itfglobalunion

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.

Press release: ITF delivers satisfactory progress report to Maersk AGM/ITF leverer tilfredsstillende statusrapport til Maersks generalforsamling

Please find this release attached and below.

Yours,

Sam Dawson

ITF

Se pressemeddelelse nedenunder og vedhæftet

Sam Dawson

ITF

 

 

28 March 2017

ITF delivers satisfactory progress report to Maersk AGM

A four-strong team of representatives from ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) unions today committed to continued dialogue with AP Møller-Mærsk at the company's AGM in Copenhagen.

 

The union members were at the event to deliver a progress report on the continuing dialogue between the company and unions established by the ITF's Maersk Network, which was set up to best represent the thousands of transport workers employed across the company (see https://goo.gl/C1eN1r).

 

The team of four attending the AGM was made up of: Karsten Kristensen from the 3F union in Denmark, and chair of the Maersk Network Steering Group; Donald Josberger from the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots in the USA; Joost Van Der Lecq of the FNV union of The Netherlands; and Steve Yandell, ITF senior section assistant, seafarers, fisheries and inland navigation.

 

The delegation informed the AGM of research that has been carried out amongst ITF affiliates worldwide on AP Moller Maersk corporate social responsibility policies. The research covered transport workers employed on ships, tugs and in ports.

 

The research found that in many Maersk workplaces positive dialogue and industrial relations exist. However there are still serious challenges in certain areas, in particular with regards to union recognition, and work is therefore needed to share best practice around all the regions of the world. The ITF wants to ensure that, as a major multinational company, Maersk continues to employ workers from all regions of the world, including northern Europe.

 

Speaking from London, ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith commented: "We are pleased that our delegation – with the help of our 3F colleagues, who kindly made their shares available – has been able to personally deliver to Maersk shareholders the message today that we aim to strengthen our constructive dialogue with the company and are looking to ensure that its corporate social responsibility policies are working."

 

ITF seafarers' section chair David Heindel concluded: "We look forward to continuing to engage with Maersk to achieve an environment throughout its operations that is good for workers and good for its business. A growing world economy with demand for trade worldwide is important for the health of the company's shipping and ports business, and a profitable company is good for its workers."

 

ENDS

 

Attachment

Photo of (l to r) Joost Van Der Lecq, Donald Josberger, Steve Yandell and Karsten Kristensen at the AGM venue

 

 

28. marts 2017

ITF leverer tilfredsstillende statusrapport til Maersks generalforsamling

En stærkt team på fire repræsentanter fra fagforeningen ITF (Det Internationale Transportarbejderforbund) lovede i dag videre dialog med AP Møller-Mærsk på selskabets generalforsamling i København.

 

Fagforeningen deltog i arrangementet for at levere en statusrapport om den løbende dialog mellem virksomheden og fagforeningen, der er fastlagt ved ITF's Maersk Network, som blev dannet for på bedste vis at repræsentere de tusindvis af transportarbejdere, der er ansat i hele virksomheden (se https://goo.gl/C1eN1r).

 

De fire medlemmer i teamet, der deltog i generalforsamlingen, var: Karsten Kristensen fra fagforeningen 3F i Danmark og formand for styregruppen for Maersk Network, Donald Josberger fra International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (den internationale organisation for kaptajner, styrmænd og lodser) i USA, Joost Van Der Lecq fra fagforeningen FNV i Holland og Steve Yandell, der er seniorafdelingsassistent i ITF for søfarende, fiskeri og sejlads på indre vandveje.

 

Delegationen informerede generalforsamlingen om undersøgelser, der er gennemført blandt ITF's tilknyttede selskaber i forbindelse med AP Møller-Mærsks CSR-politikker. Undersøgelserne omfatter transportarbejdere, der er ansat på skibe, bugserfartøjer og i havne.

 

Undersøgelserne viser, at der findes positiv dialog og industrielle forhold på mange Maersk-arbejdspladser. Der er dog stadig store udfordringer på visse områder, især når det gælder anerkendelse af fagforeninger, og det er derfor nødvendigt at arbejde på at dele bedste praksis rundt i hele verden. ITF ønsker at sikre, at som en stor multinational virksomhed fortsætter Maersk med at ansætte arbejdere fra alle egne af verden, herunder det nordlige Europa.

 

ITF's maritime koordinator Jacqueline Smith udtaler fra London: "Vi er glade for, at vores delegation – takket være hjælp fra vores 3F-kolleger, som venligst gav os deres pladser – personligt har kunnet levere budskabet til Maersk-aktionærer i dag om, at vi vil styrke vores konstruktive dialog med virksomheden, og at vi forsøger at sikre, at selskabets CSR-politikker fungerer."

 

David Heindel fra ITF's afdeling for søfarende konkluderer: "Vi ser frem til fortsat samarbejde med Maersk for at opnå et miljø, der i hele virksomhedens drift er godt for arbejdstagerne og godt for virksomheden. En voksende verdensøkonomi med en efterspørgsel på handel over hele verden er vigtig for virksomhedens shipping- og havnedrift, og en rentabel virksomhed er godt for arbejdstagerne."

 

SLUT

 

Bilag

Foto af (fra venstre mod højre) Joost Van Der Lecq, Donald Josberger, Steve Yandell og Karsten Kristensen

 

 

ITF communications: getting the message out - when and where it matters

www.itfglobal.org 

www.facebook.com/ITFglobal 

Twitter: @itfglobalunion

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.

Press release: ITF calls on Thai government to act on ruling against it

Please find this release attached and below.

Yours,

Sam Dawson

ITF

 

 

24 March 2017

ITF calls on Thai government to act on ruling against it

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has upheld allegations of the illegal victimisation of trade union leaders by Thai Airways. The complaint was taken to the United Nations body by the ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) and its Thai unions, and the ITF is now calling on the government to obey the ILO's recommendation that it informs its Supreme Labour Court of the injustice and "intimidating effect" of the persecution it has allowed at the behest of the airline.

 

The ruling by the ILO Committee on the Freedom of Association upholds an ITF/union complaint made last year (see https://goo.gl/vRo0O0) which charged the government with failure to uphold its obligations under international law. This followed a spontaneous two-day protest by off duty Thai Airways staff in 2013 for a decent pay rise and bonus. Officials from the TG Union negotiated between the staff and management, helping to end the protest. The airline signed an agreement granting the pay and benefits demanded by the staff – then later took four union officials to court demanding the incredible fine of USD 9 million (see https://goo.gl/qYtR3k).

 

The committee  also instructed the government to remove the provision in national law banning strikes in public services that was misused to persecute the four men – and bring the country into line with international standards.

 

ITF president Paddy Crumlin commented: "The TG Union couldn't have acted more responsibly in this matter, by securing an agreement between the company and the protestors that led to a speedy resolution. Unbelievably the company then showed its gratitude by using its influence to initiate a court case that could have no other purpose than to crush the union via a massive and unsustainable damages claim."

 

ITF general secretary Steve Cotton added: "We are grateful to the ILO for once again upholding international law and conventions. We urge the Thai government to respond in a responsible and appropriate manner and inform the court that its behavior is both unlawful and deliberately punitive."

The ILO Committee for the Freedom of Association recommended that:

'Considering that, upon the claim for damages lodged by the company over losses allegedly attributable to the protest action, the damages ordered against the four union officials are based on violations of strike prohibitions which are themselves contrary to the principles of freedom of association, and that their excessive amount is likely to have an intimidating effect on the TG union and its leaders and inhibit their legitimate trade union activities, the Committee trusts that the Supreme Labour Court will be informed by the Government of the Committee's conclusions concerning the principles of freedom of association.' The full ruling can be seen here (pages 549 onwards): www.ilo.org/gb/GBSessions/GB329/ins/WCMS_548465/lang--en/index.htm

ENDS

ITF communications: getting the message out - when and where it matters

www.itfglobal.org 

www.facebook.com/ITFglobal 

Twitter: @itfglobalunion

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.