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.
ENDS
those of the ITF.