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Rail union and international organisations launch Thai government complaint
 

2 May 2013
Rail union and international organisations launch Thai government complaint
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), its affiliated union the State Railway Workers’ Union of Thailand (SRUT), the ThaiState Enterprises Workers’ Relations Confederation (SERC), and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) have joined together to make a complaint against the Thai government to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
 
The complaint to the ILO’s Committee on Freedom of Association alleges that the Kingdom of Thailand is in gross violation of the international norms on trade union rights set out in ILO conventions 87 and 98 and that this has been highlighted by its having allowed the State Railways of Thailand (SRT) to victimise trade union members for exposing serious safety breaches on the country’s rail network.
 
The case centers on the dismissal of 13 union leaders and branch officials who took part in an occupational health and safety initiative in October 2009 to publicise the serious rail safety failings which led to two derailments and one fatal accident in four days that month. The accident killed seven and injured many others. The driver had had one rest day in the previous 30 days. The driver’s ‘deadman’s handle’ system was not working, and, unbelievably, only 20 per cent of locomotives were even equipped with such a fundamental piece of equipment, according to the union. The initiative involved 1200 SRUT members who refused to drive trains with faulty or missing deadman’s handles.
 
As well as dismissing the union leaders for their part in raising the hazards faced on the crumbling rail system, the SRT took the SRUT to court to try to impose punitive damages. Despite international protests and against all legal opinion the dismissals have been allowed to stand by the Thai courts. Their decision has led to the complainants taking this latest action.
 
ITF inland transport section secretary Mac Urata commented: “The injustice is manifest – these trade unionists sacked, their union targeted for massive damages totalling millions of dollars, and all for exposing serious safety dangers. The SRT has been able to get away with its behaviour because of its closeness to government and the government’s continuing to allow legislation that stifles the rights of workers in public enterprises. These injustices are what we are asking the ILO to rule on.”
 
For more on the background to the case please see www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/thai-railway-workers.cfm
 

On May Day 2013 ILWU N. CA Retirees Of Local 10,34 & 91 Close Mitsui Facility
by Jack Heyman, Retired ILWU Local 10 member
jackheyman@comcast.net
Celebrating May Day 2013 about 40 Bay Area retirees of the ILWU Longshore Division Locals 10, 34 and 91- picketed Berth 30 in the Port of Oakland. We were following the lead of Tacoma retirees who the previous day protested the PMA employers' stealing medical insurance from ILWU pensioners, surviving spouses and children. Medical claims are being denied and delayed in violation of the contract. Two ships at the Mitsui facility, MOL Excellence and the APL Qatar, were not worked for the entire day shift. Longshoremen, TRAPAC mechanics and clerks who showed up for work were surprised by the picket line of some 40 retirees. They saw the signs and read the leaflets of the picketers and decided not to cross the picket line protesting PMA's robbery of their union brothers' vested health insurance earned after years of blood and sweat on the waterfront. As the Pacific Coast Pensioners Association leaflet stated, "........we will not let this stand without a fight!"

As an added bonus retirees sent a message to Mitsui, the PMA company, has locked out Local 4 longshoremen in Vancouver, WA and brought in scabs to do ILWU work for the last two months, undermining our jurisdiction and all of our benefits. Union busting will not be tolerated in the West Coast ports where Mitsui's MOL ships call nearly every day. Retirees have risen to the challenge. Now it's up to the active longshoremen to carry the ball. Remember the two slogans: "An Injury to One is an Injury to All!" and "Never Cross a Picket Line!"

A song dedicated to the striking Hong Kong dock workers
http://hkstrikes.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/song/
May 1, 2013 by jomo206 | Leave a comment
Thanks to the person who posted this song on the Hong Kong Dock Worker’s Strike facebook
Thanks too to Mamos for helping with the poetic translation. The rough English translation is below!

Striking thunder – dedicated to the striking dock workers
Whose lives are consumed to drive the flow of capital?
These deep waters and wide berths , they regurgitate unspoken grievances
Fairytales of wealth suspend in mid air
Even when we close our eyes, we can hear the thunder coming
And when the thunder arrives,
Let me become the rain
And when the thunder arrives,
Let  this rain replace tears
The excesses of these containers soak the sweat and blood of nameless people
These endless machines deny souls their rest
Damaged bodies, trapped rage with no outlet
We sound one voice with no regression
Creating a thunder clap
Let’s become the rain
Together we flash the lightening and sound the thunder
Let this rain replace our tears
Our raindrops will fall from the skies and pierce these life-sucking metallic junks.

Active and retired longshore families in the ports where members have a choice can change medical and/or dental plans during the Open Enrollment period

May 1 to May 31, 2013. The change will be effective July 1, 2013. In addition to the May Open Enrollment period, members may change their medical plan and/ or dental plan once at any time during the Plan Year (July 1-June 30).

The July 1, 2008 Memorandum of Understanding between the IL WU and PMA provides that new registrants in the ports where members have a choice of medical plans shall be assigned Kaiser HMO Plan or Group Health Cooperative HMO Plan for the first 24 months of registration. After 24 months, those registrants who have qualified for continued eligibility under the Mid-Year/Annual Review hour’s requirement will have a choice of medical plans. New registrants in San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton, Los Angeles, Portland/Vancouver and Washington will have a choice of dental plans on the first of the month following registration, and may change dental plans during the Open Enrollment period and one additional time during the Plan Year.

MEDICAL CHOICE: The medical plan choices are Kaiser Foundation Health Plan or the IL WU-PMA Coastwise Indemnity Plan for Southern California Locals 13, 26,

29, 46, 63 and 94; Northern California Locals 10, 18, 34 (San Francisco), 34 (Stockton), 54, 75 and 91; and Oregon-Columbia River Locals 4, 8, 40, and 92. In the Washington State area, the medical plan choices for Locals 19, 23, 32, 47, 52 and 98 are Group Health Cooperative or the IL WU-PMA Coastwise Indemnity Plan.

DENTAL CHOICE: For Los Angeles Locals 13, 26, 63 and 94 the dental plan choices are Delta Dental of California, Harbor Dental Associates or Dental Health Services.

For Southern California Locals 29 and 46 the dental plan choices are Delta Dental of California or Dental Health Services. For San Francisco Locals 10, 34, 75 and 91 the dental plan choices are Delta Dental of California, Dental Health Services, or Gentle Dental San Francisco. For Sacramento and Stockton Locals 18, 34 and 54 the dental plan choices are Delta Dental of California or Dental Health Services. For Portland/Vancouver Locals 4, 8, 40 and 92 the dental plan choices are LifeMap-Willamette Dental, Oregon Kaiser Dental Plan or Oregon/Washington Dental Service. For Washington Locals 7, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 32, 47, 51, 52 and 98 the dental plan choices are Washington Dental Service or Dental Health Services.

Information on the medical and dental plans, and forms to change plans, can be obtained at the Locals and the IL WU-PMA Benefit Plans office.

All Medical and Dental Program Choice Forms and enrollment forms, as applicable, must be completed and received by the Benefit Plans office by May 31

for the enrollment change to be effective July 1.