More than 400 seafarers and 100 cadets from the Myanmar Maritime University – most of them not union members – participated in the first of what will become an annual event.
The Malaviya 20 is one of two Indian-owned and -flagged vessels that were effectively abandoned by their owners after they were detained in Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth.
“These workers were sacked for fighting for better wages and against dangerous conditions. After joining their union, they faced intimidation and retaliation from management – who gave them two options: leave the union or lose their jobs.
The seminar was part of the ITF’s global initiative to introduce modules on HIV/AIDS and wellbeing issues for maritime students. This was the first such seminar at the Myanmar maritime university, which has 1,600 students across seven faculties.
She continued: “Today also provides the opportunity to carry forward and report on two ITF initiatives: the launch of our Equality Testing in Transport Research, and the campaign for an ILO convention on violence and harassment in the workplace.”
Unions are being asked to participate in the ITF’s equality testing in transport research, and to help fight for the proposed International Labour Organization (ILO) convention on violence and harassment in the workplace.
Unions can take part in the research by:
The last group of five Indian seafarers left the ship last week en route to Mumbai. Another eight seafarers were paid and repatriated on 26 February, following the payment and return home of the two Turkish crew members also last month.
We are a resource created by ITF affiliates to promote the inclusion and promotion of women in the maritime industry.
ITF president & chair of the dockers’ section Paddy Crumlin said: “This just shows the power of the dockers in Spain and I congratulate them for making the government back down.
Member states at the UNCSW61 (13-24 March) are currently negotiating the agreed conclusions on the priority theme, ‘Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work’.
