18 October 2005
(14:00 GMT) Togo
SYPROTO in Togo plans to organise its campaign activities at the end of October. On 25 October, the union hopes to organise an awareness campaign, which will target professional drivers and other transport workers, by holding meetings at various places in Lomé including the port, the refinery and the terminal of Sahel. This will be followed by a press conference and union meeting on 29 October. (Phone report by Oroumonvi Essiba)
(08:30 GMT) Uganda / Kenya
On 12 October, the Kenya Long Truck Drivers' Association was joined by colleagues from the Ugandan union, ATGWU to celebrate the Action Week at a major truck stop in Nairobi. The occasion was well attended by civic leaders, the Ministry of Transport, the Member of Parliament for that area, international organisations, truckers, school children and the general public. The main issue highlighted was the need to register the Association as a trade union so that drivers' working conditions could be better addressed. The Association was praised for their active work in highlighting HIV/AIDS issues and offering services not just to the drivers but to the community in the area. (Email report by Wairimu Mwangi)
See more photos of the activities organised in Nairobi >>
(07:00 GMT) Brazil
Union leaders and activists have visited two cross-border facilities and an international bus stop near Foz do Iguaçu on 17 October. The actions were organised as part of an ITF/SASK seminar to focus on organising the unorganised workers in Mercosur. Despite the early morning rain, 30 unionists from Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay as well as ITF representatives met with many truck drivers who complained about a long waiting time to cross the border; no shower and toilet facilities and serious police harassment on the road. A professional driver with a 38-year career said, "from here to Asunción is only 300km but there are 15 police checkpoints where they abuse you and take fines". As Brazilian drivers are harassed when travelling their neighbouring countries, so are the drivers from those neigbouring countries when travelling in Brazil
In the late afternoon, the participants held an evaluation meeting back at the hotel. Many said that they have heard about the conditions at borders but "did not know that it was this appalling". During the meeting, the Brazilian CNTTT appointed a coordinator to deal with these issues and will fund his activities. Lack of trade union presence for these drivers for assistance was cited by several unionists. The ITF and its affiliates will take up these matters at the next seminar on Mercosur. The ITF also informed the meeting that there will be a special ILO tripartite meeting next autumn on this subject. Mac Urata, ITF Section Secretary said, "Mercosur and ILO are important forums where we can address the issues that we saw today. However, we must not wait until such meetings take place but to react now, from this meeting and take actions when we get back home in whatever ways we can, to organise globally and fight for these workers' rights". (Email report by Mac Urata)
See more photos of the activities organised in Foz do Iguaçu >>
See the Fetropar website for a report on activities (in Portuguese) >>
(06:50 GMT) Mauritius
The Road Transport Action Week was celebrated in Mauritius under the umbrella of the ITF National Coordinating Committee. A workshop with professional drivers and equipment operators of the port of Port-Louis was organised to discuss health and safety conditions at work. The workshop was held at the Port-Louis Seafarer Centre and was conducted by representatives from the Traffic Branch and the Health & Safety Unit of the Ministry of Labour & Industrial Relations. (Email report by Maritime Transport & Port Employees Union)
See more photos of the workshop organised in Mauritius >>
