9 October 2006
West Africa
ITF affiliates from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinée Conakry today participated in the West African Action Week celebration in Bamako, hosted by La Coordination Nationale des Syndicats et Associations des Chauffeurs et Conducteurs du Mali.
The event started with a rally at the largest taxi / bus park in Bamako. More than 300 drivers and their assistants heard about the problems of cross-border travel, corruption and HIV/AIDS and the challenges needed to overcome these issues.
The event then moved to a truck park where a meeting of more than 150 rank and file long-distance truck driver members was held. Drivers expressed their anger over problems of border corruption, bribery and police harassment and blew their ITF campaign whistles in unison. Affiliates used the meeting to relaunch the ITF International Drivers' Card in order to provide assistance to long-distance truck drivers. The ITF was represented at the West African celebration by Eddie Dickson and Nazi Kabore. (Email report by Eddie Dickson)
See more photos from the Action Week celebration in West Africa >>
Ghana
Affiliates in Ghana held their national programme on 4 October. The General Transport, Petroleum & Chemical Workers' Union of TUC, the Private Road Transport Union and the Maritime and Dockworkers' Union of TUC organised leafleting in busy areas of Accra. A meeting with representatives from government, employers' group and road safety commission was also held. Media coverage and public interest were very good. For the first time, union members from several different regions joined the events in the capital. "The Action Week is a useful tool for developing new union recruitment initiatives, in particular for workers in the informal economy" commented Emmanuel Mensah (GTPCWU). A delegation from the unions is currently taking part in the West African cross-border activity at Bamako, Mali. (Phone report by Emmanuel Mensah)
Norway
The Norwegian Transport Workers' Union began its recruitment campaign week today. All 20 branches of the union throughout the country will participate. More than 300 ITF posters have been distributed nationwide. It will become the biggest action week in Norway. Unionists will visit various companies and some will be on the road during the week in their efforts to organise the unorganised. The union programme culminates on 12 October with actions at ports and borders. (Phone report by Berit Aaker)
India
In Jabalpur, the Indian National Road Transport Workers' Federation today submitted a memorandum to the State Chief Minister opposing the closure of the Madhya Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. Hundreds of union workers holding placards and shouting slogans marched through the city to the District Collector's office. The memorandum demands, among other things, the strict enforcement of the Motor Transport Workers Act, which regulates the working hours of drivers and other crew and ensures provision of other privileges such as rest days, canteens, rest rooms and holiday. Other activities planned during the Action Week include a seminar on "Organising the Unorganised Road Transport Workers", demonstrations at bus stands to highlight local demands of road transport workers and the blowing of whistles and bus horns in solidarity with the ITF and global transport workers' family. (Email report by Sangam Tripathy)
Spain
The International Road Transport Action Week started today with joint cross-border actions by CC.OO and UGT at La Jonquera (border with France) and Fuentes de Oñoro (border with Portugal). The events were preceded by press conferences in Madrid as well as at the border points. Thousands of leaflets will be distributed today and tomorrow. More activities will follow during the week in Spain. (Phone report by Juan Luis Garcia Revuelta and Email report by Manuel Guerrero Cortes)
Background information from the Spanish unions >>
See more photos of cross-border activities >>
See more photos of activities organised by UGT, Spain >>
Luxembourg
OGB-L in Luxembourg released a press statement on 6 October 2006. It was published in newspapers over the weekend. As part of a new initiative, on 9 October and 16 October the union is holding special training courses in Esch-sur-Alzette for members on driving time legislation. The seminars will also discuss the Action Week and issues related to the campaign. More than 40 drivers are expected to attend each seminar. The union is also sending a delegation to the European demonstration due to be held tomorrow in Brussels. (Phone report by Hubert Hollerich)
View the union press release in French >>
View the union press release in German >>
Philippines
In Manila, members of the National Transport Union began to visit transport workers at worksites, inviting them to a major vehicle caravan that the union plans to organise in several locations including the capital on 12 October. The NTU is contacting other unions to join their event, too. (Phone report by Bren Sayasa)
