ITF global action week hits ports
Industrial action is aiming to disrupt Nigeria’s ports, including Apapa, pictured
The new year’s first week of industrial action backed by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has kicked off with a focus on port activities.
Nigeria’s general strike taking place this week has full support from the ITF’s sister trade union International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), which represent oil worker unions in Nigeria.
ITF African regional secretary Joe Katende said that action had been taken in order to defend the nation’s fuel subsidy. He said: “The president's reckless removal of it doubled the cost of fuel and transport for ordinary Nigerians literally overnight.”
Nigeria Ports Authority has said that the nation’s seaports remain open for business as usual, but contrary reports in the media today say that the Tin-Can and Apapa ports in Lagas have been devoid of commercial activity over the last few days.
Meanwhile, in South East Asia, teams of seafarer and docker trade unionists have been accompanying ITF inspectors on board ships docking in ports in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. This is to enforce decent pay and working conditions - the union says.
The project is being coordinated by ITF’s Asia Pacific office in New Delhi, India, which has warned that Chinese and UAE based shipping companies will have strict action taken against them if they are found to be ignoring internationally accepted standards of work and wages on board their ships.
And there was almost trouble down under too. There was a proposed 24 hour stoppage last weekend by ITF dockworkers at DP World’s Melbourne container terminal. But the strike was averted after DPW served a lock out notice to its Melbourne employees. Consequently, the strike was dropped and both parties agreed to hold talks.
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