“Fair Trade” is not just about what kind of coffee you buy – it’s also about the rights, safety and dignity of the workers who transport cargo and passengers
More and more, seafarers working on passenger ferries similar to the one you are travelling on today are being asked – sometimes forced – to lash and secure cargo, vehicles and containers without any proper training or safety mechanisms in place. This can cause serious accidents, even fatalities.
Sometimes cargo handling is done outside the port, while the vessel is still under power, with cargo ramps or holds closed for visitors to see. This practice is unsafe and in some countries illegal.
Lashing and securing cargo is an extremely dangerous job and workers who are not properly trained can face life threatening injuries. Lashing and securing is an activity that should be done by trained and experienced dockworkers.
What’s more, many European seafarers have lost their jobs to low cost workers who are sometimes paid as little as 2 euros per hour. These seafarers are often employed on the basis that they will not complain about safety, are usually not represented by a trade union and may not have legal rights in the country that they have been brought to work in.
The company that operates the ferry you are now travelling on has been known to refuse to grant the seafarers the right to union representation and collective bargaining. Unions fear that this discriminates against some seafarers because of their nationality and because they cannot defend or represent themselves.
Unions in the countries where your vessel is trading have recently invited the company to talk about securing cargo and potential exploitation. Unfortunately they have either refused to talk or gone back on agreements they reached with unions.
European dockers’ and seafarers’ unions, who are members of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), agreed that they would campaign against cargo handling and lashing and securing by seafarers. They also said they would fight for equal and fair wages and employment conditions for all seafarers working on ferries trading on the European seas, regardless of the seafarer’s nationality.
If the company continues to disregard the rights of seafarers and dockers and to use unacceptable arrangements for lashing and securing cargo, unions may need to take industrial action - we apologise now for any inconvenience this could cause you. We hope you understand our grave concerns about safety and fairness for all on Europe’s Ferries.
To find out more about how you can support the campaign, contact campaign coordinator Norrie McVicar, Tel: +44 (0) 1224 582688, email: mcvicar_norrie@itf.org.uk
