Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

Indefinite Transport Workers' Strike in South Africa
http://libcom.org/news/indefinite-transport-workers-strike-south-africa-15052010
Indefinite Transport Workers' Strike in South Africa

Submitted by Django on May 15 2010 08:34
tags: distribution docks rail South Africa transport

Transport workers in South Africa have been on strike since the 10th of May. Major South African exports, including fruit, metals and wine have sat idle in warehouses following the walkouts of railway and port workers.

The strike has involved some 50,000 workers, including members of the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), the South African Railways and Harbour Workers' Union and the United Transport and Allied Trade Union. The workers are in dispute with Transnet Ltd., South Africa's largest rail and port operator and freight logistics company.

The walkout was announced following the failure of pay negotiations with management, with an official demand of a 15% pay rise in opposition to management's offer of 11%. Duncan Speilman, a Satawu shop steward, commented “Management is offering a conditional 11 per cent. That is unacceptable for our members. The way forward is that we will keep on engaging. We won’t stop engaging. But the strike will go on until our demand of 15 per cent is met. You can’t compromise on 15 per cent at this time. Over the years there has been a growing gap between the salaries of management and junior employees and we can’t compromise this time around.”

Greek Riot Police Attack Ship Repair Workers

http://www.wrp.org.uk/news/4673

REEK RIOT POLICE ATTACK SHIP REPAIR WORKERS

Greek riot police opening fire on the workers’ demonstration with tear gas
GREEK armed riot police viciously attacked with clubs, smoke and lightning bombs and toxic tear gas grenades about 800 protesting ship repair workers last Thursday morning outside the building of the Ministry for Labour in Athens.

Workers had organised a car and motorcycle convoy from the Perama ship repair works to the Ministry.

The Labour Minister Andreas Loverdos met a delegation of trade unionists representing ship repair workers who demanded state assistance for their unemployed colleagues burdened with debts.

The Minister could only promise another meeting next week; this angered workers who started shouting anti-government slogans and refused to disperse.

The subsequent police attack transformed the area around the Labour Ministry building into a battlefield with the tear gas fumes affecting a large part of the city centre.

Workers regrouped and attempted a march to the Vouli (Greek parliament); but riot police blockaded the streets with police buses and once again attacked workers; two workers were taken to hospital.

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015073497391
Maritime: A Historical Sketch-A Workers' Program
by Frederick J. Lang

1943

MARITIME: A HISTORY AND PROGRAM
Nature of the Maritime Industry
Maritime is a peculiar industry, occupying a unique place in the
industrial life of a nation. All industrial nations maintain their own
merchant marine. The merchant fleets of the leading world powers,
added together, are far more than what is necessary to transport the
commerce of the world under peace-time conditions. The ships of
any single one of the great powers would be almost sufficient to
handle the entire burden of world overseas trade if this were scien-
tifically organized. But that is not possible under the anarchy of
capitalist competition.
' The entire structure of capitalist economy, particularly in its
imperialist stage of development, depends upon foreign trade and
foreign markets. Competition among the highly industrialized coun-
tries—United States, Germany, England, Japan, France, and Italy—
for control of the world markets, has forced each of these countries
to give special consideration to its own maritime industry. They
cannot permit any one country to establish a monopoly in this im-

International Transport Workers Call For Action Against Honduran Ships To Protest Honduras Coup
http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/3512

Honduras ship action declared (También en version española)

17 July 2009

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) today called for all its union members to oppose the coup in Honduras by focusing protests on the Honduran merchant fleet.

The global union organisation, which represents 656 unions worldwide with four and a half million members, has made the call as its latest move to defend democracy in the coup-stricken Central American nation, and in support of the Organization of American States’ (OAS) condemnation of the military takeover. The action call is likely to affect the loading and unloading of the 650 ships flying the Honduran flag, which the ITF considers a flag of convenience – a low cost cosmetic ship registration by companies with no link to the country and no intention of employing its citizens onboard.

ITF General Secretary David Cockroft stated: “We have to put real pressure on the Honduran military to allow the country to revert to democracy. We are therefore calling on our member unions to consider taking lawful action to defend the rights of the citizens of Honduras. That is likely to include protests that centre on Honduran ships. All such actions will be peaceful, will respect the rights of the seafarers on the ships, but will send a clear message to those in authority – for now – in Honduras, that the outside world does not accept their seizure of power.”

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090502/A_BIZ/905020318/-1/A_NEWS05

Pickets at port to push for pay

By Reed Fujii
Record Staff Writer
May 02, 2009 6:00 AM
STOCKTON - Labor organizers plan a mass rally Monday at the Port of Stockton calling on officials to make good on promises to provide hundreds of "family-wage jobs" for working men and women.

Construction projects and new businesses attracted to the port, rather than providing good-paying jobs, are instead offering work at $10 to $12 an hour with little or no benefits, organizers claim in a news release. The port's growth is concentrated on the former Navy base the port took over in 2000, tripling its size.

"Since they acquired Rough and Ready Island for $1, they have decided to put more emphasis on being a landlord than being a genuine port," said Gene Davenport, secretary-treasurer of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 54 in Stockton.

Private companies leasing former Navy warehouses from the port pay far less than what union dock workers, truck drivers or employees of the port itself receive, Davenport said Friday in calling for the rally on Monday.

And in many cases, companies leasing open land hire out-of-state contractors who bring in low-wage labor to build new facilities, he said.

http://www.mua.org.au/news/general/mourn.html

Maritime workers join CFMEU rally for safe workplace

28 April 2009
By MUA news -

Melbourne rally calls for an end to the ABCC and to work deaths

Today is International Workers Day of Mourning.

In Melbourne maritime workers will join other workers in support of the construction workers' battle to rid the industry of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

It is also a day to commemorate workers who have died on the job.

On construction sites around Australia, workers will stop for a minute's silence to remember their work mates.

The CFMEU is asking the Rights on Site supporters to join in one minute's silence by watching this video.

You can watch the video on you tube at this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnfJBX2piXY&feature=channel_page

One construction worker is killed a week in Australia. Hundreds more are injured.

But each year millions of dollars is spent on the Australian Building and Construction Commission, an organisation which undermines workers' rights and safety. That's why the MUA is joining the campaign to get rid of the ABCC and the laws that keep in place.

In 2004-5, prior to the introduction of the ABCC and special laws which discriminate against building workers, 19 workers died on construction sites nationally, but in 2005-6, the figure jumped to 29 and rose again in 2007 to 33 deaths.

‘Salty Dog Blues’: Groundbreaking Documentary Screening in NYC
http://www.alsantana.com/news.html

Salty Dog Blues Update
April 14th, 2009
Greetings:

We have an exciting line up of activities this weekend at the Left Forum held at Pace University. We invite you all to come and support our efforts

On Saturday, April 18th. at Pace Univerity from 10am-12pm in room w626, we are presenting a panel titled “Salty Dog Blues:Documenting The Demise of the National Maritime Union”. The panel includes labor activists Brenda Stokely and Chris Silvera; filmmakers JT Takagi and Rico Speight; retired merchant marine, Bob Bloom, and is co-chaired by Denise Belén Santiago and Al Santana.

We are also showing a 16 minute excerpt of our film “Salty Dog Blues”, which is a work-in-progress. The film tells a story of merchant marines of color; their journey from provincial to global citizens, and how they were caught in a union merger that left many of them without health benefits. It represents a piece of maritime history not previously told. Please see The Defenders Online for an in-depth review. Look forward to seeing you there.

Al

Retired mariner Julio Santiago, at Puerto Nuevo Shipyard, Puerto Rico, 2004. Photo by Mel Wright.

Workers Today
amjad@workerstoday.com
January 4, 2009 5:52:38 PM PST

An open letter to all labor federations and unions in the world

Support the International Labor Conference in Erbil - Iraq

Brothers and sisters

Greetings from the port workers in Basra

We have determined to confront the challenges that stand before us. We have been struggling for our most basic needs in one hand, standing fearlessly against all forms of sectarianism and religious agenda that attempted to break the workers unity as well as confronting the occupation economic and political agenda on the other hand.

Today we appeal to all organizations, labor federations and unions in the world to bridge the gap between us as workers and declare that our struggle is one and we share a common destiny. Let us build a solid front against the war and crises that would create more devastation to the working class.

Holding the International Labor Conference in Erbil is a step forward to strengthen labor solidarity and to find a common vision for our present and future of generations to come. We invite you to participate in this conference and to provide all forms of support.

Holding such conference in Iraq and in such circumstances is extremely significant to the workers in Iraq and the world.

Subject: [COSATU Press] SATAWU PRESS STATEMENT ON COURT JUDGEMENT APPEAL CASE AGAINST CPT CHAWLA AND CO CHETAN

Satawu Press Statement

Appeal Case against Captain Chawla and Chief Officer Chetan: MT Hebei Spirit - Korea – 9/12/2008

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union an affiliate of the International Transport Worker’s Federation, based in London wishes to express our grave and strongest concerns about the continuous detention of our comrades and brothers, Captain Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer Syam Chetan, ex-crew of the MT Hebei Spirit. These two men have remained in Korea awaiting an appeal case and are now waiting for the decision of the Court.

These two comrades who are members of Indian affiliate of ITF were tried and found innocent of any negligence following the catastrophic oil spill from the Hebei Spirit on the 7th December 2007. The comrades were charged and the finding in January 2008 was that they were found innocent of any negligence, a finding the ITF and its affiliates supports. These two comrades however still remained in Korea awaiting an appeal case and now are waiting for the decision of the Court due for the 10th December 2008.

www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/shipping-holed-beneath-the-waterline-995066.html

The Independent 6 November 2008

Shipping: Holed beneath the waterline

The staggering and sudden decline in the cost of chartering a cargo ship reflects both the global economic slowdown and the ongoing credit crunch. Sarah Arnott reports

Hold on to your hat: the Baltic Dry Index was down at 826 points yesterday, a shattering [93%] drop from its high of 11,793 in May.

The index, which tracks the price of shipping bulk cargo, might not sound like a reason to choke on your cornflakes. But it is an unparalleled, if subtle, barometer of the global trade in economic building blocks like iron ore, coal and grain - and it is telling a worrying tale.

Put simply, the cost of shipping has dropped through the floor. Sending a tonne of iron ore from Brazil to China in early June would have set you back more than $100 (£62) per tonne, or around $15m per voyage. But freight rates have now dropped to only slightly over $10 per tonne, or just $1.5m for the 70-90 day journey.

As if that wasn't dramatic enough, the drop in daily charter rates is even sharper. At the peak of the market, a 170,000-tonne Capesize bulk carrier was hired out at the eye-watering daily rate of $234,000. At the beginning of this week, it was $5,611 - a fall of nearly 98 per cent.