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Italian unions stage national strike over spate of deaths on the docks
23 January 2009
Dockers’ unions are holding a national one-day strike across Italy today in protest over poor workplace safety, which has led to a series of deaths in the country’s ports.
The strike, which has been called by Italy’s major port unions, Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl and Uiltrasporti – all affiliated to the ITF – has been prompted by a number of fatal accidents. These include the death of docker Giuliano Fenelli, who was yesterday crushed by a mobile crane in La Spezia and two other fatalities in the port sector since the beginning of January alone.
In a joint statement released yesterday, the unions said: “It is now clear that we face a genuine emergency in terms of workplace safety in the ports.”
They added: “There are precise causes for such accidents, related to workplace safety measures that have long been promised but never delivered.”
The unions are calling for a meeting with government representatives to discuss measures to improve safety, including the introduction of proper training programmes.
ITF Dockers’ Section Secretary Frank Leys commented: “There is a need for a zero tolerance approach to unsafe working practices and conditions on the wharfs and terminals. National legislation and international conventions have a key role to play - countries must ratify and implement International Labour Organization (ILO) convention 152 and the code of practice on safety and health in ports. The ITF and its European arm, the ETF, will continue to work with international bodies such as the ILO and the International Maritime Organization, and the global port operators to make ports safer.”
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