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Union leaders from Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Netherlands, Panama, Russia, Switzerland, UK and Uruguay today passed an emergency resolution backing Sindicato de Obreros Maritimos Unidos, SOMU.

The International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC), International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) are calling on dockers’ unions around the world to organise an hour of activities on International dockers’ action day next Thursday, 7 July.

An ITF union leader in Colombia has hailed the country’s peace deal as a “beacon, a major step in the right direction”, while remembering the “hundreds of thousands who have laid down their lives to reach this point”.

Commenting on last night’s attacks on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, ITF general secretary Steve Cotton said: “Once again terrorists have sought to weaken society by a cowardly attack on unarmed citizens gathered at a transport centre.

The ITF is backing a fight to save Mexico City’s trolleybuses and make the network fit to run for another 100 years.

Commenting on the signing of a ceasefire in Cuba between the Colombian government and the FARC rebel group, ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) Americas regional secretary Antonio Fritz said: “Colombia is, sadly, known worldwide for the assassination of trade union leaders.

Government ministers from OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries worldwide agreed a powerful declaration on jobs and skills in the digital economy, at a meeting in Cancun, Mexico last week, following consultations with trade union organisations including the ITF, and other industry stakeholders.

Representatives of European maritime workers and shipowners have made a solidarity visit to Apostolos Mangouras, captain of the sunk Prestige oil tanker, who aged 81 has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Spanish supreme court.

Visitors to a Bollywood film festival in Madrid over the weekend were met by a truck featuring a masked and gagged cabin crew member. The truck was driving around the perimeter of the Qatar Airways (QR) sponsored International Indian Film Academy Awards as part of a protest against the company.

ITF and ETF leaders have vowed that the work of trade unions as guarantors and defenders of tolerance and workers’ rights will continue anew after today’s United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union.