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Belgium dock workers to strike to protect professional status
27 January 2012
Workers at ports across Belgium will down tools on Monday 30 January as part of the country’s general strike protesting against government cuts and “modernisation” plans.
The ITF is backing ITF and dockers’ unions affiliated to the ITF’s European arm, the European Transport Workers’ Federation that also belong to the Joint Trade Union Front Ports of Belgium. They plan to walk out for 24 hours in a bid to protect the professional status of their members. Under Belgian law only workers who are registered can carry out dockers’ work but plans have now been announced to “modernise” the organisation of labour in ports. When pressed the government has failed to define exactly what is meant by this and unions are concerned that the status of dockers and the legal protection of their jobs could be undermined.
In addition there is widespread feeling amongst union representatives that meetings with employers over the terms of collective bargaining agreements for workers in Belgium’s docks have not resulted in satisfactory outcomes.
The strike is set to cause widespread disruption in Belgium and beyond, with many dockers at ports in the region having agreed not to handle diverted cargo.
ITF president and chair of the ITF dockers’ section, Paddy Crumlin, said: “Transport workers are playing a vital part in this strike. Belgium’s docker unions will also be in the frontline, protesting against plans that could strip them of legal protections under the guise of ‘austerity’ and ‘modernisation’.”
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