A fair ferries week of action has closed after highlighting the need for a new direction in European ferry policy and regulation.
Dockers’ and seafarers’ trade unions joined in the Fair and Safe Ferries for All event, a week-long push for European Union intervention in the ferry sector which exposed unequal working and pay conditions in the sector and the use of seafarers to carry out work that should be done by trained dockers.
Trade union members from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland targeted passenger and cargo ferry companies’ vessels with a view to establishing what campaign coordinator Norrie McVicar described as “a threshold of decency” in terms of minimum wages for all seafarers; health and safety; and to protect dockers’ work. Throughout the week the dockworker participants were able to speak to crews, passengers and vessel owners about the dangers involved in seafarers attempting cargo stowage and fastening.
On Monday the week began with a rally and demonstration outside Stena Ferries’ offices in the Hook of Holland. Delegates from the UK and Ireland held meetings with crew and passengers on board the Stena Britannica to explain the campaign objectives with regard to stamping out ‘social dumping’ in Stena Ferries. Meanwhile members of the Unite union’s dockers’ section lobbied freight drivers at the Stena Ferries Killingholm terminal.
The Spanish-flagged L'Audace – a vessel known to Belgian unions ACV Transcom and BTB for crew lashing activities in European ports and at sea - arrived in Zeebrugge on Monday. On docking it was found that the crew had unlashed the cargo prior to arrival. Unions then met with the port authorities and took action, backed up three days later by Unite members in the port of Southampton, UK, when the vessel docked there. The company has now agreed to talks with unions to prevent the same situation recurring.
The week also saw the RMT union mount a vigorous defence against Stena’s attitude to the employment of British and European seafarers, which were illustrated by comments by Stena manager Pim de Lang that British ratings are all ‘fat and tattooed’.
Norrie McVicar, ferry campaign coordinator, commented: “Thanks to this joint campaign and week of action, a number of mainstream ferry companies are entering into serious dialogue with ITF member unions to discuss a way forward. We welcome these developments and invite all the ferry industry’s leaders to work with the ITF collectively and responsibly to resolve the issues and prevent a race to the bottom on pay and conditions in this sector.”
He added: “It doesn’t stop here. Further campaign initiatives will continue to target Stena Ferries, and ITF affiliates are also waiting to hear from Northlink Ferries, Seatruck Ferries and Fastnet Line Ferries in connection with the same policy objectives. The ITF and ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) once again call on the European Commission to reopen discussions on the Passenger Ferry Manning Directive which was withdrawn in 2004.”
Michel Claes, General Secretary for the maritime sector of ACV Transcom, added: "Seafarers, often from outside the European Union, are being asked to take over the jobs of dockers. This is social dumping. Unions are prepared and ready to stop this, and more rigorous inspections of vessels will take place in the future.”
A further ITF week of action in the Baltic finishes today.
ENDS
