ITUC calls on Maersk to leave Burma

Change low graphic options | Change language | Skip content to navigation

Page context: Unions in Maersk > Latest News > ITUC calls on Maersk to leave Burma

The global union movement puts pressure on Maersk to pull out of Burma. But Maersk Line stays.

9 November 2007

Pressure is increasing on multinational companies doing business with the military regime in Myanmar – also known as Burma. Maersk Line is one of those companies.

As a result A.P. Moller-Maersk is one of 427 companies who received a letter from the international body of trade unions, ITUC, urging them to pull out of Burma.

“We … call upon you to join those businesses which have in recent times taken the correct and principled decision to end all business activities in or with Burma,” Guy Ryder, General Secretary of ITUC writes to Maersk.

It supports the demand of a boycott from Burma's exiled trade union congress.

Maersk alone after EU sanctions
European Union foreign ministers have now approved new sanctions against the junta regime, including an embargo on the export of wood, gems and metals. This means that A.P. Moller-Maersk is soon left as the only major Danish company in Burma.

"We don’t decide what is inside the containers, the customers do. To the extent there is cargo to and from Burma, we shall transport it", Jette Clausen senior Vice President in Maersk says.

Burma Committee: Embarrassing
The Danish Burma Committee is not satisfied with the company’s anwer:

"I find it embarrassing that Maersk is holding on to their activities. We will keep putting pressure on the company as will committees in other countries and the global trade union movement", Anette Berentzen, General Secretary in the Danish Burma Committee says.

Several Danish corporations have stopped working with Burma in recent years. Clothes importers Bestseller and IC Companys and the brewery Carlsberg are some of them.

Read the ITUC letter to Maersk below.


Related documents:
ITUC letter to Maersk regarding business links with Burma (164kb PDF)

*
top

Section home:
Unions in Maersk

Other pages for Unions in Maersk:
About | Network Bulletin | Reports and Background | Network meetings | A.P. Moller-Maersk | Web links | Contact Information

Other pages for Latest News:
Unions buy Maersk shares | Maerks focus on workers' safety and green profile | Maersk pays settlement to drivers | Video: press conference | Unionists aiming to hold Maersk on the path | Maersk: The good, the bad and the ugly? | First union in Maersk terminal in Jordan establish | RMT union and Maersk agree on Norfolkline | Unions gain ground at Maersk | Miss Florida sues Maersk | Maersk: We won't discriminate | Maersk in Burma | Maersk in Mumbai | Unions accuse Maersk Oil for blacklist | Maersk urges Sri Lanka to liberalise | Maersk Line cuts | Maersk fires security company after brutality alle | Widow sues Maersk Line | Tug hijacked off Somalia | Maersk Oil platform closed | Maersk lays off Danish seafarers | Unions threaten Maersk Line with labour court | Staff reduction programme concluded | Redundancy plans challenged in labour court | Maersk suspends crew notices | Maersk withdraws sackings of Danish seafarers | Maersk profit rises | Union dispute in Maersk terminal in Tacoma | Pirates release tug crew | Bahrain port workers’ union calls on Maersk | Maersk pays financial penalty for poor safety | Securitas fires union activist | Maersk plans Iraq come back | Maersk fires officers | Maersk to recruit in China | Maersk to join UN Global Compact | Maersk make political donation to McCain | News Test Page

Main Sections:
Home | About us | Solidarity | Flags of Convenience campaign | Seafarers | Dockers | Civil Aviation | Railways | Road transport | Urban Transport | Fisheries | Tourism | Inland Navigation | Women | Education | Young workers

Transport International Magazine

Full graphics version

accessibility | site help | site map

ITF House, 49-60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR | +44 20 7403 2733 | mail@itf.org.uk