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ITF urges long-term aid for unions damaged by Tsunami
4 January 2005
Following last month’s horrifying Tsunami disaster, reports from Sri Lanka and India about casualties suffered by officials and members as well as damage to transport union buildings, have been coming in to the ITF - which has called for immediate donations for humanitarian purposes to be made in conjunction with national trade union appeals.*
Many unions worldwide have already donated to aid efforts since the disaster of December 26th, and this kind of vital assistance must continue, said the ITF.
However, ITF General Secretary David Cockroft has stressed that the Global Unions will be discussing longer-term assistance for work to rebuild unions when they meet next week.
“Aid will be needed to re-establish communities and unions after the basic humanitarian effort is ended - we should not forget this”, said Cockroft.
In Sri Lanka, the ports of Trincomalee and Galle were very badly damaged. Union offices in both ports were completely wiped out. All coastal bus depots have been destroyed, said the ITF-affiliated transport union Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya. Loss of life and damage to property is reported.
In India, three major ports, Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin on the southern coast escaped major losses, suffering damage only to wharves, equipment and cranes. ITF-affiliated Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (part of the All-India Railway Federation) has been in the forefront of organising relief work. Railway employees across India have given a day’s salary towards aid efforts, as have members of the affiliated Tamil Nadu Road Transport Workers’ Federation.
Information about the impact on ITF affiliates in other affected countries, particularly Indonesia, is still being gathered.
*For information about how to donate to the humanitarian effort, please contact your national centre, or where these exist, union-linked aid organisation. You can also email the ITF mail@itf.org.uk for advice on suitable organisations. The ICFTU website www.icftu.org provides a list of national centres.
For information about what unions have already done, go to the Labourstart website www.labourstart.org/tsunami.
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