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Call for inquiry into conditions following Vision II fire
8 August 2008
The ITF today appealed for a wider examination into conditions in the Scottish fishing industry, following the deaths of three people on board the fishing boat Vision II last week in Fraserburgh.
Writing to Alex Salmond and Stewart Stevenson – respectively the MP and MSP for the area – ITF General Secretary David Cockroft, said:
“I am writing to you as both members of Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, and as the representatives for Fraserburgh, the scene, as you know, of the loss of three seafarers’ lives last week, despite heroic efforts to save them by firefighters, lifeboat and coastguard personnel.
Setting aside the sadness all of us will feel at this time we hope that we can ensure that any lessons that need to be learned from this awful incident will be. Despite our confidence in the professionalism of the MCA and police inquiries we believe that the social dimension must also be addressed. As our ITF co-ordinator Norrie McVicar has reported, the deaths came just a week after other, unrelated Filipino seafarers had spoken to him in confidence about poor work and living standards on fishing vessels in the ports of Fraserburgh and Peterhead. They alleged that they were working long hours, for low pay, often in cramped accommodation, and with little job security.
We hope that if only one good thing comes out of this sad loss of life it will be that it shines a spotlight on what appears to be a serious situation within your constituencies, and trust that you will be able to address these issues – not least of which is that anyone working in the Scottish fishing industry should have the right to life, safety, and to decent work and pay.
Yours faithfully
David Cockroft
ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) General Secretary
London”
ENDS
For more information contact ITF press officer, Sam Dawson.
Direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260.
Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk
International Transport Workers' Federation - ITF:
HEAD OFFICE
ITF House, 49 - 60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DS
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7403 2733
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7375 7871
Email: mail@itf.org.uk
Web: www.itfglobal.org
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