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11 Oct 2004 -
International Road Transport Workers Action Day 2004
Road Transport 2004 Latest News 12/10/04
TitleBreaking Campaign News 12 October 2004
Jump to Breaking News [8] [9] [10] [11]Breaking News No.7 11:00 GMT MongoliaThe Mongolian Transport, Communication and Petroleum Workers' Union has once again organised a comprehensive programme for the ITF's Action Day. The union distributed 10,000 leaflets to professional drivers in different parts of the country. Meetings with drivers were also organised at 22 locations, where the activists interviewed more than 400 workers. During the campaign, the union has set-up a hotline to gather information from the drivers directly. Some were invited to a 60 minute radio show to talk about their issues. The campaign was supported by the transport authories and the police. Some occupational health and safety inspections are taking place at worksites. A conference on this issue will be held on 15 October. The union's press conference which took place on 11 October received high media coverage.
Japanreports by K Rajadurai, TWU>Members of the JRU and ITF-JC gathered at the Tokyo rail station in the morning rush hours of 12 October to distribute more than 1,000 leaflets to the public and passenger transport workers. The union stressed that the vicious circle of deregulation and cost-cutting competition must be stopped. A bus worker commented that "too many new bus companies have entered the deregulated market and really brought down our working conditions". The union also organised leafleting in Hokkaido and Tohoku areas with cooperation from other local transport unions see photos here >>
The Association of Transport of Auto Tanques of Guayaquil in Ecuador has met with 60 representatives of heavy truck drivers to discuss health and safety issues on 9 October. They are planning to organise a vehicle demonstration on 13 October
Breaking News No.8 14:00 GMTJordanThe tanker drivers of the oil and petrochemical workers' union in Jordan has successfully reached an agreement with the Jordan Refinery Company on the existing health insurance system and on implementation of the 2002 collective agreement on overtime payment, annual increment and rest time. The management withdrew their proposal to invite a private company to manage the insurance scheme. More than 200 workers demonstrated in front of the Labour Ministry office in Amman. A workshop to discuss ITF activities and in particular the importance of the Action Day was also organised on 12 October. Bilal Malkawi, ITF General Secretary's personal representative for Arab speaking countries addressed the meeting
The Lithuanian Transport Workers' Federation organised a protest picket in front of the office of the employers' association LINAVA in Vilnius on 12 October. The union demanded to start negotiations on branch agreements. As a result of this action, LINAVA will receive the trade union and local employers' delegations tomorrow for discussion. Railway and seafarers' unions have expressed their solidarity by participating in the picket. Media coverage was very good
Despite some bureaucratic obstacles at the border points, unionists from South Africa and Swaziland, as well as Zimbabwe are organising border actions at Oshoek and Beitbridge respectively. All long-distance drivers entering Swaziland at Oshoek have received the union leaflet explaining the health and safety issues related to long working hours. From the Zimbabwe side of Beitbridge, the activists led by Wilson Dube, TGWU, are also busy distributing pamphlets to the drivers
Breaking News No.9 16:00 GMT EstoniaThe Estonian Transport and Road Workers' Union organised inspections at the five major border points and checked conditions of 250 vehicles and interviewed the drivers. The Latvian union, LAKRS joined the action at the Estonia's southern border for the first time. At the Port of Tallinn, the union received excellent cooperation from the Independent Union of Estonian Seamen which also represents the port workers. There was a huge media coverage during the day and many trade union members appeared on national and local radio and television programmes
The Transport and Dock Workers' Union in Mumbai, India organised a HIV/AIDS workshop in cooperation with the Mumbai Port Trust on 11 October. The Action Day on 12 October started at the two ports in Mumbai with gate meetings by the union activists where they leafleted the union information and explained to the audience the significance of the ITF's worldwide day. The union organised a demonstration in front of the port adminstration office, demanding improvement in rest facilities for truck drivers and the right of entrance to the canteens by private road haulage workers. A memorandum was also submitted to the port authorities
Actions in Nepal continued on 12 October with NETWON unionists distributing leaflets all over the country. In the capital, Kathmandu, leafleting took place at different locations throughout the day. The union has also received positive developments in their regions where all the district committees successfully distributed leaflets and held awareness-raising meetings on health and safety at bus depots. In some cases, local journalists, police and members of public also joined such meetings
see photos here >>
Breaking News No.10 17:00 GMT Great Britain Representatives from the French CGT Transports joined the picket organised by the Transport and General Workers' Union, Great Britain at the Port of Dover. Altogether some 100 unionists gathered to approach the truck drivers entering the port. Beatrice Hertogs represented the ETF in this event which was then followed by a trade union meeting <¬13hone by="by" report="report" ETF="ETF" Hertogs,="Hertogs," Beatrice="Beatrice" />see photos here >>
In Malaysia, the Transport Workers' Union organised leafleting in Melaka throughout the morning on 12 October. The union activists sent out the message to drivers on the advantages of joining a union. Response from the workers was highly positive. Altogether 1,500 flyers were handed out to lorry and bus drivers. Furthermore, the union and a major logistics company, Kontena Nasional (KN), have signed a memorandum of understanding on occupational health and safety in the capital. General Secretary Zainal Rampak represented the union. Based on the agreement which formally recognises the importance of the ITF's Action Day campaign for health and safety, the two parties will jointly formulate plans and projects on training and education at the workplace. The company has also agreed to conduct exhibitions, health and safety discussions and blood donations at all its branches during the week. KN employs nearly 1,000 employees and email
Members of Shitetsu Soren unions in Kanagawa Prefecture distributed some 4,000 leaflets at major rail terminals including the Yokohama station during the evening rush hour. The union has participated in the ITF Action Day for the first time. "This is our first attempt. We can only but improve our programme next year" says Masayuki Aoki, an official in the Shitetsu union
Breaking News No.11 22:30 GMTWestern Africa 200 unionists from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Benin and Mali coordinated their annual West African Action Day at Paga on the border between Burkina Faso and Ghana. Officials from both governments recognised their need to redouble their efforts to improve regulations and remove corruption. A truck convoy of 76 vehicles left the border heading to Ouagadougou with assurance from the authorities that the road barriers set illegally by the police on a daily-basis will not operate on the ITF's Action Day. Drivers' representatives told the government officials of their problems. Other drivers asked many questions about what unions could do to help them and local union delegates encourage the workers to join an ITF transport union in their respective country
In order to express their support to the ITF Action Day, as well as to raise awareness of the workers’ international solidarity to its members, passenger transport workers’ union, UTA, in Argentina stopped the operation of long distance bus services from its terminal in Buenos Aires between 15h00 and 16h00 on 12 October
The Tamil Nadu Road Transport Workers' Union in India organised two-days of events on 10 and 11 October. A press conference was held on 10 October. The union demands included ratification of ILO Convention 153 by the government. On the following day, the union held a special conference in Coimbatore and in the evening conducted a mass rally and a demonstration in the city. Unions in the taxi, tempo and maxicabs also joined the event. 2,000 flags, 5,000 wall posters and 20,000 leaflets in the local language were prepared for the Action Day
LuxembourgA delegation from the FNCTTFEL met with the Transport Minister in the afternoon of 11 October in Luxembourg. The union explained the aims of the ITF Action Day and draw attention to the problems of safety in the road transport sector. A leaflet in German was distributed amongst union members and articles on the Action Day have also been published in the union's magazine. Email report by Guy Greivelding, FNCTTFEL
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