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Maersk urged to intervene to settle Indian port drivers’ agreement
11 March 2010
Multinational shipping giant, Maersk, is being urged to step in to ensure that a satisfactory outcome is reached in collective bargaining negotiations between Indian port drivers and a contractor.
The ITF and its affiliate the Transport and Dock Workers’ Union (TDWU), which represents Mumbai port drivers, are calling on Maersk to help settle negotiations between the union and Allcargo, a contractor of the port operator, Gateway Terminals of India (GTI). GTI is majority-owned by Maersk. Over a year ago, Maersk agreed that all four of its contractors in Mumbai port should have agreements with the TDWU following the findings of a joint workers' rights panel.
Last December the union negotiated an interim agreement with Allcargo; since then negotiations have been taking place towards a full collective agreement.
The ITF last month launched a campaign asking unions around the world to support port drivers' struggle to exercise their trade union rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining; last October, three TDWU members employed by one of the GTI contractors, SC Thakur, were allegedly assaulted by company supervisors. This was one in a number of violent attacks meted out against unionists over the past two years.
Since the call for solidarity, more than 100 letters of support have been sent from unions in countries ranging from Australia, Barbados and Ethiopia to Indonesia, Jordan and Mexico. Unions are poised for action should further acts of violence take place and the union’s demands for a collective agreement with all four contractors not be met.
Stuart Howard, ITF assistant general secretary, said: “This process of getting drivers a decent collective bargaining agreement has gone on for a long time. But we are very close now.”
To show your solidarity with the dockers visit: http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/mumbai.cfm
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