APMT accused of anti-union practices

The ITF has written to the managing director, Etienne Rocher, urging him to take back four members of the local UMT union that were recently made redundant.

The UMT is licensed to operate in the container terminal, but the union representative and three other activists were dismissed on November 26, 2010.

APM Terminals explained that the four had been dismissed for illegal conduct that had taken place in the terminal.

However, the ITF maintains that it had been alarmed by the dismissals since no detailed accusations were ever made and that the four were laid off immediately after the union began operating in the terminal.

“Based on our experience, this can be seen as an indication of aggressive anti-union practices, not something you would expect from employers such as APM Terminals,” said Frank Leys, ITF’s secretary, urging the terminal operator to return to negotiations with the local ITF representative.