South East Asia is latest action week area

10 November 2008

The ITF and its union affiliates are launching their latest maritime action week today in seven countries across South East Asia.

Hard on the heels of the East Asia and Baltic Sea action weeks, the latest event runs from 10 to 14 November and takes in Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. It involves teams of ITF inspectors and representatives of seafarers’ and dockers’ trade unions. It will have a particular focus in pursuing those suspected of the abuse of Burmese workers who don’t have the protection of a union, following on from the ITF’s shocking evidence of murder and slavelike conditions among exiled Burmese seafarers, especially in the fishing industry (see www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/2659 and film at www.itfglobal.org/fisheries/film.cfm).

The week will allow ITF-affiliated unions to demonstrate their support for Burmese seafarers and fishers and work to prevent abuses against them. They will be particularly targeting Burmese-owned and Burmese-crewed vessels.

ITF Maritime Coordinator Steve Cotton commented: “Joint teams are on their way today in ports across South East Asia. As well as the normal search for vessels whose crews are not receiving the protection and pay they are entitled to, we will be doing everything we can to fight the filthy and scandalous abuses of Burmese workers who have had no option but to flee starvation or political repression at home and seek work elsewhere.”

For reasons connected with its refusal to negotiate on putting ITF agreements in place on its ships particular attention will also be paid to vessels belonging to Malaysian International Shipping Corp (MISC).

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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