14 October 2009

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Page context: International Road Transport Action Week 2009 > 14 October 2009

Germany
Ver.di has organised a programme of different activities throughout Germany during the ITF Action Week, including leafleting, information stands, collecting signatures and talking to truck drivers about their issues. The main issues that were highlighted included difficult working conditions, insufficient number of parking and rest facilities that are often badly equipped, and unfavourable working-time regulations. The collection of signatures for a petition demanding improvements to parking and rest faciliites has been very successful. In the run-up to the Action Week, ver.di asked the relevant authorities at Federal state level for written comments on what was already in place and what was being planned to improve the situation. In some towns and cities, postcards outlining union demands were sent to the relevant authorities. The union used information stands about the ITF Action Week at a number of logistics companies to help organise new members - truck drivers and non-mobile workers. The union produced flyers and posters, which were used alongside the ITF campaign poster. The leaflets were available in Turkish, English, French, Polish and Russian for drivers in cross-border transport. As part of the Action Week, ver.di as well as member of the motorway police distributed 30,000 copies of the union's annual drivers' handbook to drivers. At service areas, central warehouses, information stands in city centres and customs posts, ver.di informed politicians, drivers, employers and the public about the campaign and its aims. Key topics included recent developments regarding the EU Working Time Directive for professional drivers, parking and rest facilities, and general road safety in Germany. The dangers resulting from excessive working hours and fatigue (for lack of parking facilities) as well as time pressures for self-employed drivers were also highlighted. Following the Action Week, members of ver.di and the Polish union Solidarnosc are planning an "action tour" through Germany and Poland. In many places in Germany, lobbying drivers during the ITF Action was once again quite successful. (Email report by Malene Volkers)

Spain
ELA-Hainbat has organised a mass distribution of its information leaflet about the campaign with the theme "Fatigue Kills" during the Action Week. Available in Euskara, Spanish, French and English, the leaflets have been distributed to workers at different transport companies. At the same time, vehicle parades have been organised at different industrial estates where activities are concentrated around freight transport. Prior to the Action Week, the union held 11 education courses in different regions to discuss important issues relating to workplace health and safety and to explain the relevant standards. 270 transport workers - drivers as well as logistics staff - attended the education courses. As part of the Action Week, the union has also organised activity around false owner-operators, who are the first to be affected in times of economic recession and are sacked without any rights. This morning, a group of union activists gathered at Biriatou on the Spanish-French border. For 1.5 hours activists distributed leaflets in favour of a limitation of the working week to 48 hours and denouncing the deregulation and liberalisation that is taking place in the sector. The response from transport workers to these activities has been very good. (Email report by Esteban Pereda)

View photos of activities organised by ELA-Hainbat >>

Luxembourg
OGBL organised a protest meeting on 11 October between 9h00 and 13h00, attended by 200 delegates working in the road transport sector. The President of the OGBL Confederation and the union secretary for road transport spoke at the meeting to demand that the current economic crisis not be used to decrease social conditions for drivers or to cut social security benefits. The Luxembourgish Labour Minister also addressed the union activists and explained his shock at the bad working conditions in the transport industry and the decision by the European Parliament to re-insert the 12-day regulation for bus drivers. The meeting adopted a resolution on the different issues. (Email report by Hubert Hollerich)

Canada
The CAW distributed its union leaflet at locations throughout Canada and met and spoke to many drivers on 7-9 October. They discussed the ITF's campaign and what the common problems are that union and non-union drivers are experiencing. Four members from the Organising Committee of CAW Local 4457 visited different company workplaces at locations throughout Ontario during the three days including Muskoka Delivery Service; Jackson Transport; Firth Regional Waste; Barrie Welding; BFI Waste Canada; and Exel Canada. Some workers showed an interest in the union leaflets and about having a union. CAW believes that all drivers share the same problems and through organising the union can offer non-union drivers a better chance to address their concerns through collective bargaining and legislative changes. (Email report by Bill Gaucher)

USA
Over 300 FirstGroup workers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Minnesota have voted for Teamster union representation during the ITF Action Week. Workers voted for a union voice on the key issues of respect from management, safety for themselves and the children they transport, and fair compensation. They join over 20,000 FirstGroup workers who have chosen Teamster representation in the last three years. 74% of them are already enjoying the benefits of a union contract. (Email report by Tim Beaty)

India-Nepal
As part of the ITF – ITWAN Cross-Border HIV-AIDS Intervention Project, a Drop In Centre (DIC) has been started on the India-Nepal Border at Suanuli on the Indian side and Bhairawa on the Nepal side with technical assistance provided by the Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN). The Centre has been set-up to cater to the large number of truck drivers and their helpers who transit on this cross-border route ferrying oil and diesel tankers and building material from Nepal to India and vice versa. Almost 2,000 trucks transit through this border daily. The Centre will function from 10h00 to 17h00 every day and will provide IEC (Information, Education and Communication) material, counseling services and other information relating to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV-AIDS to transport workers and other people who visit the Centre. Since the FPAN clinic is located nearby, referrals can be made to this clinic for people requiring blood tests or other pathological and medical services. The FPAN and ITWAN have also started a hotline phone service for any assistance or information required on STIs, HIV-AIDS and family planning issues. In order to encourage the local people living in the vicinity to visit the Centre and make use of the facilities available, the ITWAN-FPAN group is planning a door-to-door campaign. A women’s health programme will also be initiated during the coming months. The opening of the Centre was hailed by local authorities as a positive step towards ensuring that the right information will be available to people and to counter the stigma and discrimination concerning STIs and HIV-AIDS. (Email report by Nishi Kapahi)

View photos of these activities >>

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