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Page context: International Road Transport Action Week 2005 > Worldwide Update
Information on planned activities by unions for the International Road Transport Action Week 2005
On 10 October, the Spanish union CC.OO is planning blockade actions at different border points. A joint press conference with UGT and other activities are also planned during the Action Week focusing on the issues related to the campaign including fatigue, professional drivers, and accidents. View the CC.OO webpage for more details >>
Representatives from FNV (Netherlands), BTB (Belgium), ACV Transcom (Belgium) and ver.di (Germany) are due to participate in joint activities in Venlo, Netherlands on 10 October. Ver.di will also organise a joint border action with their Polish counterparts on 13 October. A central meeting on “Social Dialogue in Europe” is due to take place on 12 October in Frankfurt/Oder and various other activities throughout Germany are planned by ver.di during the Action Week.
Branches of the British union, the RMT have been asked to send protest letters to the Secretary of State for Transport demanding that the UK Government ratify ILO Convention 153. On 10 October, when the UK Parliament reconvenes, the RMT Parliamentary Group plans to table an Early Day Motion. The Group will also be tabling a number of written questions to the Secretary of State to press for the implementation of the ILO Convention 153.
The Estonian Transport & Road Workers Trade Union (ETTA) plans to organise roadside stands on 11 October at entrance points to major cities in Estonia (including Tallinn, Narva, Tartu, Rakvere, Pärnu). In cooperation with the police and customs, the union will also inspect trucks (e.g. taking petrol samples and making sure that drivers’ working hours are in accordance with the European Directives). During these inspections, the union will also use the opportunity to speak to drivers about the union and its activities and the dangers of working overtime with no rest. The union will also be asking drivers to complete the ITF Survey on International Drivers during the Action Week. On 10 October, the union is planning a press conference. On 12 October, the union is organising a training day for its union representatives and long-distance drivers.
The Lithuanian Transport Workers' Federation plans to organise pickets at the municipalities of Vilnius and the second largest city, Kaunas on 12 October between 11h30-13h30. The main demand will be to increase transport workers’ wages. On 13 October, the union plans to visit transport companies where the union has no members in order to try and organise them.
On 14 October, the British union, the T&G is planning a day of activity at the Port of Dover. Activists from unions from Belgium and France are also expected to attend the event, which will include leafleting in the morning and a rally in the afternoon. Download T&G information for this event as a pdf at the bottom of the page.
The Union of Transport Workers' Syndicates in Bulgaria aims to use the campaign in order to improve labour conditions and decrease the number of road accidents that take place. The main participants in planned activities by the union will be bus drivers – organised and unorganised. The union plans to organise meetings in companies and will encourage driving with flashlights.
Highlighting safety on the roads, the Czech union, the Transport Workers’ Union (OSD) will organise workshops, seminars and union meetings as part of their programme of activities for the Action Week. The union is also hoping to gain full pay for all time on duty (with no more unpaid waiting time). Other activities planned by the union for the Action Week include interviewing road transport workers, leafleting the public and road users, organising press conferences and media interviews, lobbying and negotiations.
ELA-Hainbat plans to use the Action Week to make transport workers aware of the issues related to the campaign. A series of activities is planned by the union including holding training courses for members in the transport sector, organising slow convoys, mass distribution of the ITF Survey on International Drivers in companies, blowing of horns and announcements on loudspeakers, sending letters to companies, distribution of information to the media (press, TV, radio) as well as distribution of information leaflets and other campaign materials to workers within transport companies and at various border points.
In West Africa, a sub-regional demonstration and rally is being planned at Malanville (Benin-Niger border) on 13 October. On the previous day, a workshop on developing a regional strategy to face police harassment on West African roads is planned.
National Union of Transport and Allied Workers (NUTAW) in Zambia is organising a series of activities during the Action Week. On 9-11 October, activists from the union will leaflet and talk to the drivers at the Mwami Border with Malawi and at Livingstone / Kazungula. On 11-12 October, activists from the union will leaflet and talk to drivers at the Chirundu Border with Zimbabwe. Leafleting will also take place in the Indeni Area. On 14 October, leafleting, talking to drivers as well as a demonstration is planned in the capital, Lusaka.
The Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union in Uganda is planning to distribute leaflets at various border points in the country. On 10 October, leafleting will take place at the Malaba Border Post and at the Busia Border Post on 11 October. On 12 October, activists from the union will take part in a public rally at Mulolongo in Nairobi with their colleagues from Kenya.
The Communication and Transport Workers' Union of Zanzibar in Tanzania has identified the following objectives for its activities as part of the Action Week: recruitment and education of workers; review of road accidents and casualties; demand for decent work; health and safety issues. Between 10-14 October, the union will focus on mobilizing, organising and recruiting members. Activities will include leafleting drivers and the general public, displaying stickers on trucks, buses and taxis; distribution of slogans on the streets as well as at bus stop areas. On 15 October, the union is planning a workshop for workers, government representatives and employers.
Affiliates in Congo DR are planning to organise a demonstration on 13 October, which will visit the stations and large parking areas. In the afternoon, following the demonstration, a meeting between officials, management and unions is planned.
The Transport Corporation Employees' Union in Mauritius is planning to organise a seminar on 13 October as part of the Action Week.
Targeting the unorganised active workforce and educating existing union members on the issues related to the Campaign such as fatigue and HIV/AIDS are the main objectives for the General Transport, Petroleum & Chemical Workers' Union of TUC in Ghana. The union plans to target drivers, assistant drivers, pedestrians, road users and the general public through their activities. The union is planning to organise a float that will travel through the principal streets of the capital distributing leaflets and road safety materials. The union also hopes to organise a symposium and lectures for its members and potential members to discuss issues relating to road safety.
In Burkina Faso, the Union des Chauffeurs routiers du Burkina plans to use the Action Week to reinforce the activities of the union by increasing the capacity of the union to mobilize. The union also hopes to highlight awareness on HIV/AIDS and to reduce the working time.
The main objective for SYNACTUICAM in Cameroon by participating in the Campaign will be to organise an awareness campaign in order to encourage a larger number of non-unionised professional drivers to join the union movement. The union also hopes to use the opportunity to address a Memorandum to the public administrations on the problems within the transport sector. The union plans to call the Action Week the “Week of the Professional Driver” and aims to organise a number of activities including awareness on HIV/AIDS, sport activities, parades of taxi vehicles in the main cities such as Douala and Yaounde and a press conference.
In Togo, SYPROTO will use the Action Week to highlight the issue of fatigue and the need for rest breaks and observance of the highway code. The union will target all road transport workers including long-distance lorry drivers and taxi drivers. The union hopes to organise meetings at various areas in Lomé where loading and unloading takes place including CIM-Togo, the refinery and the terminal at Sahel.
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority State Enterprise Workers' Union plans to submit a demand to the management and employer to limit working hours. It also plans to submit a demand to the Transport Ministry to ensure that all workers in the transport sector have the same standard of working conditions. The union also aims to create awareness of the current hard working conditions for transport workers and the impact on the safety of passengers by organising an exhibition. The union hopes to work together with other unions in the road transport sector in Thailand.
Transport Unions’ Council – Koun Rokyo will coordinate the ITF’s popular event in Japan for the first time. Whilst its unions including JRU, JSU and Zenkoku Kowan will organise their programmes during the week, Koun Rokyo plans to mobilise 100 unionists in central Tokyo on Friday to organise a mass leafleting.
In India, the Tamil Nadu Road Transport Workers' HMS Federation plans to conduct a rally in Coimbatore together with the railway workers. Wage settlement in the transport sector has been ignored on the last two occasions in 2001 and 2004 and so this will be highlighted as part of the campaign activities.
The Indian National Transport Workers' Federation is planning various activities for the Action Week including lobbying together with other interested groups, gate meetings and public meetings, sounding of horns, leafleting the public and road users, press conference and seminars, pickets and dharnas. The union has already convened a meeting of its active members to start preparations for the Action Week.
The Private Motor Transport Workers’ Union will target auto rickshaw drivers and truck drivers during the Action Week. The union is planning to mobilize drivers to assemble at the District Magistrate Office with flags and banners.
The Transport & Dock Workers’ Union aims to use the Action Day to target various authorities including the Mumbai Port Trust, the Road Transport Authority as well as the local and national Government bodies. The union plans to distribute leaflets and display banners at arterial roads. It is also planning to organise a dharna and workers’ rally. The union is also hoping to hold a press conference and distribute a special edition of its union newsletter.
The main objective for the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya in Sri Lanka will be to organise unorganised workers among them three wheel drivers and workers in privately owned buses as well as to carry out an awareness campaign for the entire road transport sector. During the Action Week, activists from the union will display campaign materials in all bus depots, on buses and on three wheelers. The Education Section of the union also plans to organise a meeting for members in the bus and three wheeler sectors.
Through their various planned activities, ATM in Mexico plans to make road transport workers aware of the campaign “Organising Globally”. The union will contact metro workers, taxi groups, bus drivers, lorry drivers as well as tramway workers, trolleybus operators and light train operators. On 10 October, activists from the union will distribute campaign material at the “Supply Centre” (CEDA) where cargo trucks coming from different states in the Republic gather. On 11 October, an information meeting will take place with the metro drivers. On 12 October, representatives from the union will meet with the drivers of the Passenger Transport Network. On 13 October, a meeting will be held with taxi workers. On 14 October, an assembly will be held with the microbus drivers. On 15 and 16 October, the union will visit four passenger bus terminals. In September, the union celebrated assemblies with electric transport, light transport and trolleybuses workers.
Maritime union, FITTAMPS in Panama will focus its campaign activities in the ports as a culture of working long hours for professional drivers is not unusual in the road haulage sector. FITTAMPS plans to visit several road transport unions to support their demands and to convince them to join the ITF.
In Paraguay, the USTT will use the Action Week to protest against the lack of safety in public transport. Many transport workers are victims of assaults, attacks and murder. 13 October has been declared National Day against lack of safety at the request of the union, but until not very little has been done and so the union will mobilize to demand this right.
SINAMEQUIPH in Honduras plans to organise activities with a taxi union during the Action Week.
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