That was the overwhelming message to union representatives who were at the regional conference in Tokyo this week.
A few highlights are:
Mr Hoffa will address 171 representatives and leaders from 84 trade unions representing road and rail workers in 42 countries worldwide, who are meeting in the Belgian capital at a conference organised by the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation).
Trade union representatives from Turkey reported an alarming level of incidents compromising their rights and democracy in general, during the 8th International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Human and Trade Union Rights Committee meeting held in Vienna at the end of November.
This issue of Seafarers’ bulletin marks the 75th anniversary of the ITF’s campaign against flags of convenience. Thanks to our efforts, this discredited system is firmly on the international agenda. We show what FOCs really mean for seafarers, and we celebrate the wins achieved for seafarers by our inspectors, working with our affiliated unions.
Seafarers face many issues, ranging from breaches of basic human and labour rights, through to the under-representation of women and appalling practices like abandonment.
In his New Year's message the ITF's President Paddy Crumlin recognises ITF successes in 2016 and vows to fight inequality, fear and intolerance in 2017.
Workers and concerned citizens will be rallying in Montreal, Toronto, Prince Rupert, Victoria and Vancouver in defence of maritime cabotage, which helps safeguard jobs in national trade.
ITF inspector Mohamed Arrachedi has raised the alarm over the case of the Panama-flagged, Turkish-owned Seahonest (IMO 9142100) whose crew has been stranded unpaid and unprovisioned in the Port of Algiers for seven months.
ITF president Paddy Crumlin said: “From tomorrow the mechanisms will be in place for a huge change that will finally treat the running sore of crew abandonment. At last the fundamental idea that those who send seafarers to sea have a responsibility for them is enshrined in regulation.”
