First South Asia maritime week of action commences Monday

News Release International Transport Federation (ITF) October 5, 2012

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<A name=OLE_LINK2></A><A name=OLE_LINK1>5 October
2012</A>
First South Asia maritime week of action commences Monday
The ITF and trade unions
in India and Sri Lanka will begin the first of two maritime weeks of action
planned for 2012 on Monday. Running from 8 to 12 October, it will be spearheaded
by joint seafarer/docker/ITF inspector teams in Mumbai,JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust), Goa, New Mangalore,
Visakhapatnam and Tuticorin – all of them with support from other ports in
South Asia. Inspectors from others ports will be helping the unions of New
Mangalore, JNPT and Goa to send a strong message to shipping companies that
even non-inspectorate ports in India are active and always fighting for
seafarers’ rights. For the first time unions at private port terminals
(Tuticorin and JNPT) will take part in the action week.
 
As well as defending
seafarers’ rights unions will again also highlight issues affecting
dockers, such as deregulation, privatisation, casualisation, health and safety
and precarious work. They will also be explaining the objectives of
the ITF’s ports of convenience campaign.
 
Mahendra Sharma, ITF Asia
Pacific regional secretary, commented: “South Asian maritime unions are fed up
having to deal week-in week-out with the exploitation of seafarers on FOC and
substandard tonnage, the abandonment by owners of ships and seafarers and the
failure of some owners to take responsibility to ensure safe internationally
compliant operations. This week of action will focus on eliminating substandard
ships from South Asian ports and high seas to ensure ITF acceptable wages and
decent working and living conditions on board.”
 
Over recent years ITF
affiliated dockers’ and seafarers’ unions in India have tracked down
many flag of convenience ships visiting their ports, signed agreements,
secured back wages for hundreds of seafarers and helped win court claims for
crews cheated and/or abandoned by ship owners.
 
A further South Asian
week of action will take place in December.
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