Union Federations

Promoting social dialogue in Estonian ports has been the focus this week of a seminar at the Port of Muuga.

Some 160 representatives from 11 maritime unions in 10 countries met in Sydney, Australia in a conference designed to set the union agenda on global port automation.

ITF affiliate Turkish Civil Aviation Unions (Hava-İş) began an indefinite strike on 15 May against Turkish Airlines (THY) over the company’s alleged failure to accept any of its proposals regarding collective bargaining and its refusal to reinstate 305 sacked workers.

The ITF and its affiliate the Seafarers' Union of Turkey (TDS) organised a one-day MLC seminar in Istanbul on 7 May to raise awareness of the implications for Turkey of the imminent entry into force of the MLC, 2006.

The annual conference of IFATCA (the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations) in Indonesia at the end of April brought the ITF and IFATCA together to build on their 2007 memorandum and strengthen future working.

The ITF's Asia Pacific Women's Conference concluded Sunday 12th May in Hong Kong, with a call to support the ITF Women's Committee campaign to end violence against women in the workplace and at home.

ITF affiliate Turkish Civil Aviation Unions (Hava-İş) has announced it will take strike action on 15 May at every company owned by Turkish Airlines (THY).

ITF affiliate the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburban Bus Company (Vahed Syndicate) marked May Day in Tehran by calling on all Iranian workers and their unions to protest against workers’ rights violations in Iran.

Three high-level representatives of the global union family visited Tumtis workers sacked by DHL Turkey on their picket line at Kirac, near Istanbul, on 2 May.

Dockers in the Pacific Northwest of America have been locked out of their port as a dispute over contract negotiations escalates.

A strike at the Port of Hong Kong which has lasted 40 days is now over.

In the latest news from Hong Kong the Union of Hong Kong Dockers (UHKD) reports that employees of Comcheung Limited joined the dockers’ strike yesterday.

In an act of global solidarity with workers locked out of Philippine Airlines since September 2011, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) and ITF’s Sydney office leafleted the company’s passengers at Sydney Airport on 16 April.

At a meeting in Kiev with Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure, Volodymyr Kozak, ITF acting general secretary Stephen Cotton welcomed Kozak’s commitment to work with the ITF and its affiliate the Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union (MTWTU) to create a road map to determine the next steps and stages of implementation in Ukraine of international best practices and standards.

Following resounding protests from the ITF, NATCA (National Air Traffic Controllers Association), PASS (Professional Aviation Safety Specialists) and other organisations, the furloughing of all US FAA employees has been halted.

There has been a union call for action following a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau showing a sharp increase in deaths and serious incidents in the maritime and offshore facility sectors in Australian waters in recent years.

Some flag states are failing to submit the required reports on maritime casualties, said shipowners and maritime unions in a joint submission to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

ITF affiliate Turkish Civil Aviation Unions (Hava-İş) has announced strike action in May at every company owned by Turkish Airlines (THY), following the alleged refusal by the company to enter dialogue about the reinstatement of 305 workers sacked when they protested against a proposed strike ban.

Trade unions in some 100 countries are planning rallies, protests, educational activities and other events to commemorate Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April.

The ITF and several other organisations are sponsoring a new charity event on 12-15 July to benefit seafarers in the United States.