ITF members to vote on FOC policy

News Release International Transport Federation (ITF) August 6, 2010

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Day="6" Year="2010">6 August 2010</st1:date><?xml:namespace prefix =
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ITF
members to vote on FOC policy<o:p></o:p>
The nearly
one and a half thousand delegates attending the ITF congress in Mexico will vote
on Sunday (8 August) on whether or not to accept an overhaul of the ITF’s FOC
policy that is designed to take it forward for the next four
years.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The review
of the flag of convenience campaign has been in the making since being mandated
at the organisation’s last congress in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Durban</st1:City>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">South
Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place>, in 2006. It will be the first major
update to the campaign since 1998.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Durban</st1:City></st1:place> event
called for a review that would be carried out by the ITF’s affiliates. It is now
ready to report, and has examined three main areas: policy, processes and
structure, with particular reference to:<o:p></o:p>
·        
The role
in the campaign of affiliates, inspectors and ITF offices<o:p></o:p>
·        
The IBF
(International Bargaining Forum)<o:p></o:p>
·        
Transparency and accountability<o:p></o:p>
·        
The impact of EU developments<o:p></o:p>
·        
Implementation<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
What has emerged from the process, and which will be put to the vote,
is a number of updates and refinements to the ITF FOC campaign. These include: a
sharpening of the understanding of the role of beneficial ownership*; acceptance
of the positive role the IBF can play; improvements to working practices and
structures to ensure decisions are democratic, consensual and timely; a new
policy setting down new minimum standards for non-domiciled crew employed on
national flag ships; and an upgrade to the ITF’s ‘seafarers’ charter’, which
aims to ensure that seafarers covered by ITF agreements have democratic rights
within their unions, within the ITF and on their ships.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
ITF
Maritime Coordinator Steve Cotton commented: “What has come out of this almost
four year, member union-driven exercise is a raft of recommendations on how the
FOC campaign can be run effectively, accountably and efficiently in the fast
changing world of modern shipping. We await with eagerness the response of the
whole membership to it.”<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
What, if
accepted, will be known as ‘the ITF Mexico policy’ will be put first to the
Seafarers’ Section Conference and the Dockers’ Section Conference on,
respectively, 6 and 7 August, and then to the Joint Seafarers’ and Dockers’
Conference on Sunday 8 August. Congress will then vote on whether or not to
endorse the policy, which:<o:p></o:p>
·        
Makes crew
interests more prominent<o:p></o:p>
·        
Recognises
the role of international bargaining<o:p></o:p>
·        
Supports
the ports of convenience campaign<o:p></o:p>
·        
Defines
beneficial ownership<o:p></o:p>
·        
Clarifies
negotiating rights<o:p></o:p>
·        
Promotes
bilateral agreements, where practicable, between labour supply country unions
and beneficial ownership country unions.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Some 1376
participants from 368 trade unions in 112 countries are meeting at the ITF
congress in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place>, which will set ITF policy for
the next four years and elects its president, vice-presidents, general secretary
and executive board. The progress of congress can be followed online, using the
dedicated web press area at <A
href="http://www.itfcongress2010.org/press.cfm">www.itfcongress2010.org/press.cfm</A>
where you can find free downloadable photos, press releases, the history of ITF
congresses, speaker biographies and more. A constantly updated general guide to
the congress and how it works can be found at <A
href="http://www.itfcongress2010.org/">www.itfcongress2010.org</A>.
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