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European Dockers are back on the streets!!!
18 November 2005
On 21 November European Dockers are back on the streets in support of the European Parliament proposals for rejection of the second version of a Directive on Port Services to be voted on 22 November
Some 700 Dockers’ trade unionists from EU Member States will participate in a demonstration on 21 November from 11 am to 2 pm, around the European Institutions in Brussels. European Dockers will support Members of the European Parliament who decided to oppose this unnecessary, provocative and unbalanced proposal which was presented less than one year after the historical vote of the European Parliament rejecting the first proposal.
The European Parliament will vote on 22 November the report from MEP G. Jarzembowski on the Commission’s proposal on market access to port services. On this occasion, ETF, the European Transport Workers’ Federation representing 2.5 million transport workers in 39 European countries called for a symbolic demonstration where European Dockers will remind MEPs that their Institution already rejected the first proposal for a Directive on port services in November 2003 and that the new text represents a provocative attitude from the European Commission towards them in particular and towards European port workers in general. It reflects the unbearable democratic deficit of the Commission itself that has chosen confrontation instead of dialogue and compromise.
European Dockers from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Germany, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, UK and Spain have already confirmed their presence in Brussels and will stress on the fact that there is absolutely NO need for such a Directive.
One of the main arguments of the European Commission is that competition within and between European ports must increase in order to benefit customers… but the large majority of European ports are already amongst the most productive and efficient in the world!
The involved parts, Workers, Operators, Investors and Ports Authorities agree that the practical consequences of a similar directive would be an economic crisis of Ports, the creation of a disinvestment climate (the transitional periods are much too short), the worsening of working conditions for Port Workers and the creation of a confuse and bureaucratic legal system.
Impact assessment studies received by the UK, Dutch and German governments clearly show that the proposed measures would have precisely the opposite effect of that aimed by the Commission.
It should be recalled that both the Commission on Internal Market and the Commission on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament have clearly voted for the rejection of the whole proposal, respectively on 14 and 15 September 2005.
The ETF has invited MEPs, members of the European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism, coming from various countries and political groups to take the floor to support its position on 21 November from 12:30 to 13:30 at the Schuman roundabout in Brussels. Furthermore, the ETF called its affiliates to set up action within the framework of a European Information Day at national level (calls for work stoppages in Danish ports, events to inform workers on PP2 in German ports and similar actions in Sweden, UK and Spain have been announced).
Moreover, an ETF delegation will meet with Commissioner Jacques Barrot on 22 November at 11.30 in the Commission offices, with a view to voicing their strong opposition to the proposed Directive and to delivering some 15.000 STOP PP2 postcards sent by European Dockers to the Commission and more than 20.000 signatures from an online petition against the directive available at www.pp2stop.org.
The ETF together with all European Dockers will increase the mobilization against this proposal and in particular towards the European Parliament vote during its January Plenary session in Strasbourg, in order to succeed in having it rejected. Independently of the outcome of the vote, European Port Workers are determined to fight all attempts to cut on their rights and to undermine their working and living conditions.
Members of the media are invited to meet the ETF members on 21 November at Schuman roundabout and on 22 November at the Commission building for an exchange of information.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Philippe ALFONSO
ETF Dockers’ Section Secretary
European Transport Workers’ Federation
Phone: (+) 32 2 285 45.84
GSM: (+) 32 496 65 79 15
Fax: (+) 32 2 280 08 17
E-mail: p.alfonso@etf-europe.org
Web: www.etf-europe.org
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