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Inland Navigation

Improving working lives on the waterways.

The ITF represents crew on inland waterways vessels throughout the world, in both trade and passenger tourism. We campaign for better working conditions on canals, rivers and lakes, and in ports and harbours. From timber to tourists, coffee to commuters, our crews carry cargo and passengers in a growing and increasingly challenging industry.

ISSUES

Workers on the world’s waterways are seeing a decline in their working conditions and a reduction in their pay and training. This is due to globalisation, market consolidation and increasing deregulation in the sector. The role of the ITF and its affiliated inland navigation unions has never been more crucial in fighting for sustainable jobs and workers’ rights in the sector and in the wider global supply chains.

OUR PRIORITIES

  • RAISING INDUSTRY STANDARDS

  • SUPPLY CHAIN ACCOUNTABILITY

  • REGULATION & ENFORCEMENT

  • ORGANISING

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WHAT WE DO

The ITF inland navigation section consists of 114 affiliated unions from 64 countries worldwide, representing around 115,000 members.

We fight for a safe workplace and fair treatment of all inland navigation workers, including their right to join a union to protect them at work.

The main issues ITF’s Inland Navigation Section works on are:

  • The fight for international core principles
  • Organising workers to defend their rights 
  • Stopping the race to the bottom for tug workers

 

To ensure that governments and authorities maintain and enforce high working standards, the ITF launched our ‘Stopping the race to the bottom’ campaign for tug and towage workers to raise awareness of their vital role in the global supply chain.

WHERE WE FOCUS

Our objectives across all our work include:

  • Establishing and improving minimum standards across the industry - nationally, regionally and internationally.
  • Developing and promoting regulations and codes of conduct governing the industry.
  • Safeguarding the jobs of members in the face of ownership changes, and the use of non-domiciled workers.
  • Promoting inland navigation as a mode of public transport and an sustainable way to transport goods.
  • Promoting decent working conditions and health and safety on board tug vessels.
  • Building union density and increasing diversity among our affiliated unions’ membership.

 

Our democratic committee decides on the issues we focus on.

 

ON THE GROUND
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OUR PEOPLE

The ITF Inland Navigation Section Committee brings together trade unions representing workers who move passengers and cargo on the world’s canals, rivers and lakes, and ports and harbours. The Section is run on a democratic basis, with representation from all world regions as well as women and youth leaders.

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SECTION COORDINATOR

Fabrizio Barcellona

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ASSISTANT COORDINATOR

Steve Yandell

 
SECTION COMMITTEE

Ashiqul Alam Chowdhury

BNSF
,
Bangladesh
Member

Joris Kerkhofs

ACV Transcom
,
Belgium
Chair

Julio Gonzalez Insfran

CPOFPCM
,
Argentina
Chair

Ivan De la Guardia

UCOC
,
Panama
Vice Chair (Latin America/Caribbean)

Terri Mast

ILWU
,
United States of America
Chair

Valerie Latron

CFDT
,
France
Inland Navigation

Cinthia Diaz

CPOFPCM
,
Argentina
Young Transport Workers’ Representative
AFRICA/ARAB WORLD

Vacant

Chair
ASIA/PACIFIC

Ashiqul Alam Chowdhury

BNSF
,
Bangladesh
Member

Manoj Yadav

FSUI
,
India
Ordinary Member
ETF Inland Waterways Section

Joris Kerkhofs

ACV Transcom
,
Belgium
Chair

Valerie Latron

CFDT
,
France
Inland Navigation

Kenny Courtois

BTB
,
Belgium
Vice Chair & Youth Representative

Jacques Kerkhof

BTB
,
Belgium
Vice Chair & Social Dialogue Chair
Latin America/ Caribbean

Julio Gonzalez Insfran

CPOFPCM
,
Argentina
Chair

Alfredo Santamaria

FBTTT
,
Venezuela
Vice Chair

Bruno Herrera

SITPETRANSO
,
Peru
Vice Chair

Ivan de la Guardia

UCOC
,
Panama
Vice Chair

Jorge Alejandro Vargas

SOMU
,
Argentina
Vice Chair (Youth)
North America

Terri Mast

ILWU
,
United States of America
Chair

Vacant

OUR AFFILIATES

The ITF Inland Navigation Section has 114 affiliated unions from 64 countries representing 115,000 workers worldwide.