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ITF pledges humanitarian assistance and calls for blockades to be lifted
1 September 2006
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The ITF has promised a donation to assist unions in Lebanon and called for an end to Israeli blockades of the country after their effect on transport workers was witnessed first hand by the ITF. The ITF was the first global trade union organisation to send a representative to Lebanon since a ceasefire was called on 14 August, ending five weeks of fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
Bilal Malkawi of the ITF's Arab World Office arrived in Beirut on 25 August and met with affiliated trade unions representing seafarers, dockers and civil aviation workers. They discussed the impact of the war, including how border, airport and port blockades were paralysing transport workers' activities. Some 3,000 civil aviation workers, 3,200 dockers and seafarers, and thousands of road transport workers have been affected. The ITF today wrote to the Israeli Minister of Defence, Amir Peretz, urging that the blockades be lifted.
Meanwhile, a US$10,000 donation from the ITF will support members of the maritime unions who have been the most severely hit by the crisis. Affiliated unions may also be asked to contribute.
Earlier this month, delegates at the ITF's Congress in Durban, South Africa, passed an emergency resolution paying tribute to transport workers supporting the humanitarian effort in Lebanon and Israel, and calling on the international community to ensure aid reached the Lebanese people. They also noted the targeting of transport infrastructure in the conflict and called for ITF assistance to transport workers' unions in Lebanon.
Bilal Malkawi commented: "Transport unions in Lebanon have said that their membership of the ITF has made them stronger during these difficult days - they feel they are not alone in this crisis. They promise all transport unions around the world that they will continue to work as hard as possbile for their members and do everything they can to help bring about a just peace."
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