That’s the verdict on the ITF Arab World regional conference in Tunisia that came to a close on Friday.
255 participants represented 33 unions from 12 countries.
They used the event to plan how they could become more powerful through increased membership and the promotion of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
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.
Currently, women make up around just 2% of the world’s seafarers and we want to see this change.
