Maritime Roundtable begins tomorrow in Morocco

News Release International Transport Federation (ITF) September 24, 2012

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The ITF is holding a
major new style of event in Casablanca, Morocco tomorrow that will bring
together – and give a voice to – a new generation of seafarer and docker
grassroots activists. Called the Maritime Roundtable (MRT), it runs from 25 to
27 September. 
 
The MRT is a
groundbreaking new three day activists’ forum that will build links between
dockers’ and seafarers’ unions and help shape the future of the ITF’s
campaigning on flags of convenience. Alongside the over 200 activists and future
union leaders from 50 countries attending there will be a host of virtual
participants who can join the debates via the internet and live online reporting
of the event at <A
href="redir.aspx?C=69e99c6a712349cd8aded8ebb446779a&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.dockers-seafarers.org%2fevent%2fmaritime-roundtable"
target=_blank>www.dockers-seafarers.org/event/maritime-roundtable</A>.  A
new website – <A
href="redir.aspx?C=69e99c6a712349cd8aded8ebb446779a&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.dockers-seafarers.org"
target=_blank>www.dockers-seafarers.org</A> – has been created to
support the event and build on its achievements. 
 
Press are invited to
attend the opening of the MRT from 09:00 at the Sheraton Casablanca Hotel &
Towers. A press conference will be also be held at 10:30 tomorrow, Tuesday
25 September, in Room Fes 1, The Sheraton Casablanca Hotel &
Towers, 100 Avenue des F.A.R, 20000 Casablanca (<A
href="redir.aspx?C=69e99c6a712349cd8aded8ebb446779a&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.sheratoncasablanca.com"
target=_blank>www.sheratoncasablanca.com</A>). The press conference
will cover the aims of the MRT and also the ITF’s plans for further support for
imprisoned trade union leader Said Elhairech. The ITF will be meeting with his
family and also demanding a meeting with the Moroccan government’s Justice
Ministry. The press conference will also explain the further dramatic escalation
of support action the worldwide organisation has ready to secure Said’s deserved
release and to focus attention on everything to do with Morocco if justice is
not served.
 
ITF maritime coordinator
Steve Cotton commented: “The MRT is a new initiative that has sprung from the
ongoing review of our flag of convenience campaign. As part of that review we
decided, in consultation with all of the seafarers and dockers in the ITF, that
it was crucial to have a look at our policy and how we implement
it.
 
“The MRT is a vehicle for
bringing together the people who don’t usually get an opportunity to come to ITF
policy meetings, so that they can come up with creative ideas and explore
methods of campaigning that will ensure that the FOC campaign is as valid today
as it was 60 years ago.”
 
He continued: “We’re very
optimistic that there will be really good outcomes from this meeting, which has
been heavily oversubscribed. We’ll be running a workshop environment where we’ll
be giving everyone the opportunity to express themselves. There’ll be no attempt
to stick to formal processes. The idea is to create new ideas and new methods.
What we’ll do with those ideas is bring them back to the policy bodies for
seafarers, dockers and the flag of convenience campaign, and develop and
implement them. The MRT is a serious initiative to try and improve the coverage
of the flag of convenience and the port of convenience campaigns, and to protect
and give leverage and power to workers operating in the maritime
industry.”
 
He concluded: “Holding
such a high profile event in Morocco, hot on the heels of the ITF worldwide
inspectors’ seminar, is also allowing us to take the case of the unjustly
imprisoned union leader Said Elhairech to the heart of the Moroccan government
and judiciary. We will be using our presence to assert his innocence and prove
the need for his swift release.”</DIV></BODY></HTML>