Union Federations

The ITF has written to the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) to express solidarity for its members who fuel Porter Airlines aircraft at Toronto Island Airport, who have been on strike since 10 January over alleged poor treatment by the company.

Police raids were carried out on trade union offices in the port of Mersin, Turkey in early April, following reports by the National Port and Land Stevedores Union of Turkey (Liman-Is) of harassment and persecution by port employer Mersin International Port Management Inc (MIP).

The prosecutor at a trial hearing in Ankara on 10 April released pending trial 22 Turkish trade unionists on the grounds that there was no reason for their continued detention.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) secured a significant victory on 9 April when 88 per cent of its members who voted and all its local unions backed the ratification of a six-year master contract for longshoremen (dock workers).

The ITF has deplored the Irish government’s failure to take steps to prevent deaths in the fishing industry.

An injunction which prevents members of an ITF affiliate union in Hong Kong from staging strike action has been extended.

Aviation unions in countries where the LATAM airline group operates protested in support of 70 cabin crew sacked by the company’s Chilean subsidiary, LAN.

Access to Valparaiso Port in Chile was virtually closed on 4 April when maritime and seafarers’ union members and supporters marched to oppose government proposals to open the country’s cabotage to foreign competition and to push through legislation quickly.

Delegates at the ITF Africa civil aviation conference on 14-15 March 2013 in Lagos, Nigeria discussed the increasing instability and fragmentation of the industry and unanimously backed the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) working paper on the negative impact on the industry of continued liberalisation.

A number of key dockers’ meetings for the ITF Latin America and Caribbean region have been taking place in Lima, Peru.

ITF-affiliated unions in Central America have carried out solidarity actions at Honduran embassies in defence of the human and union rights of workers at Puerto Cortes.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (Teamsters) brought its protest against National Express Group plc to the UK on 27 March to demand that the multinational honours the human rights of its North American workers.

The Maritime Union of Australia and thousands of its members around Australia rallied outside the offices of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and its affiliates on 26 March to call on the business community to cease its campaign against waterfront safety reforms.

Massive support for the global DHL Families’ Day on 26 March demonstrated the strength of international outrage over sackings and aggression by logistics giant DHL in Turkey.

The ITF has written to the Romanian transport minister to express its concern over the failure of negotiations to conclude a new collective agreement between the Metrorex management and its affiliate the Free Trade Union of Metro and Aviation Workers (USLMA).

The  ITF and its Turkish affiliate Hava-Is have lodged a complaint with the ILO against both the Turkish government and Turkish Airlines, the national flag carrier.

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Activists from across ITF docker and seafarer unions are being encouraged to share their stories and experiences via the dedicated dockers and seafarers website as part of the drive to grow and solidify links between maritime union members on the ground.

As union members and supporters worldwide prepare for a day of support on 26 March for the families affected by DHL Turkey’s dismissals, ITF affiliate ver.

The ITF is to deliver a warning about the growth of ‘flags of convenience’ in aviation to the sixth ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Air Transport Conference in Montreal, which begins on 17 March.