ETF and IDC exhort the EU commission to limit the "superpower" of the shipowners



ETF (European Transport Workers' Federation), the European branch of world-wide the trade-union association of the workers of transports International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), and the IDC-E, the European section of the IDC (International Dockworkers Council), the international association of the harbour workers, have manifested satisfaction because the EU commission, in the picture of its process of review of the current European legislation for the ports, has announced the intention not to take part on the activities of cargo handling and the harbour job, but have specified to continue to being worried are for the demanded iterated ones by the shipowners so that it is liberalized harbour job that - they have specified - for "the disproportionate infuence that this category has on the point of view of the Commission".

Such declarations are released to conclusion of an encounter that the representatives of ETF and IDC-E have had to Brussels in order to discuss the last developments about politics of the European Union for the ports and the situations about particular criticality in Spain, Greece and Portugal. With particular reference to this last aspect - they have explained the president of the section harbour of ETF, Terje Samuelsen, and the coordinator for the European area of IDC, Anthony Tetard - the two organizations "lively are worried for the attempts on a national level to weaken the harbour workers unionizeds in Spain, Portugal and Greece". "The EU commission - they have found Samuelsen and Tetard - promotes the social dialogue to European level and would have to encourage also the national governments to face the critical situations that happen in some Member States, in particular in Portugal and Greece, through dialogue social. For the good of all the field, the EU commission must guarantee that the transparency is guaranteed, than the social aspects is taken in consideration and that the rights of the workers are respected in case of concessions to private operators and investor".

In the specific one, ETF and IDC have aimed the finger against the shipowning group Chinese COSCO that, through branch COSCO Pacific and its society integrally controlled Piraeus Container Terminal (PCT), manages the container terminal to Pier II of the port of the Pireo. The two organizations - Samuelsen and Tetard have declared - "speed up the European and Greek authorities interested to place end to the way in which COSCO it is leading the activities to the Pireo, without some respect - the representatives of ETF and IDC have denounced - of the fundamental rights of the workers and the freedom of association. These practical would not have to be tolerated and it must be guaranteed that the European standards are assured in all the European ports any are the investor".

"The two organizations - they have continued Samuelsen and Tetard - are determined to defend the European ports, that they are most productive to the world, to advantage of their associates, the communities and the future generations. They remain joined and policemen, and they are ready to engage themselves is with others you leave interested and, if necessary, to take provisions. Now they do not see the hour to begin the phase of social dialogue, regarding which both the organizations are engaged, in order to work together for the good of the European harbour workers. The two organizations and their associates are convinced that through a true dialogue with the social parts they could be avoided future actions filed by labor union. Therefore they have convene to meet newly this spring in order to verify if in Portugal, Greece and Spain is completed progresses in topic of social dialogue. In lack of tangible progresses they will decide if there is the necessity to undertake actions filed by labor union in order to offer international solidarity to the involved harbour workers in these conflicts".

The two organizations - they have concluded Samuelsen and Tetard - "invite also the EU commission to start an investigation about the potential anti-competitive conduct of the navigation companies that continue to increase their power to the detriment of the other harbour subjects".