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ITF warns of “grave social consequences” of docker dismissals in Morocco
9 November 2006
The ITF has condemned plans by the Moroccan government to sack some 2000 dockers as part of a port reform package.
The workers, members of the ITF-affiliated Union des Syndicats UMT des Transport, are facing dismissal as a result of restructuring in Morocco’s ports. This despite the union’s protests and persistent attempts to reach an acceptable settlement over the issue.
In letters dated 1 November to Morocco’s Transport and Employment Ministers, ITF Dockers’ Section Secretary, Frank Leys, said: “The loss of livelihoods on this scale and the impact that it would have not only on the workers, but also on their families, calls into question the government’s management of the reform process and its attitude towards the welfare of workers. This is particularly the case since the dockers’ concerns have not been addressed despite the union’s ongoing efforts to negotiate an acceptable resolution over a number of months.”
Stating that ITF unions around the world were committed to offering solidarity in support of trade union rights, he added: “The ITF shares the concern of its affiliate over the very grave social consequences of your decision and strongly urges you to enter into meaningful negotiations with the Union des Syndicats UMT des Transports as a matter of urgency in order to find a reasonable resolution.”
This view was echoed by the European Transport Workers’ Federation, which has also written to the Ministers in support of the Moroccan dockers.
Meanwhile, representatives from 12 unions from Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia, who are participating in an ITF education workshop this week in Tunisia have endorsed a statement condemning the dismissals. Participants from the four countries will deliver the statement to the Moroccan embassy in Tunis today. The statement will also be used to encourage affiliates in the region to back the dockers.
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