ITF docker unions pledge support for Peruvian colleagues
ITF dockers’ section representatives meeting in Perth, Australia, have backed the ITF-affiilated Peruvian SUTRAMPORPC union as it prepares to begin an indefinite strike at APM Terminals’ North Pier terminal in Callao, Peru tomorrow.
ITF president and chair of the ITF dockers’ section, Paddy Crumlin, explained: “Our friends and colleagues in Peru have our unanimous support, as they get ready to take indefinite strike action. They have not taken this decision lightly, they have taken it in pursuit of fair and equitable working conditions in the port. We urge APMT to address those inequalities and step back from confrontation.”
The dockers’ section, which represents dockworkers’ unions worldwide, resolved as follows:
To call on APM Terminals to:
– Respect national and international legislation;
– Engage in proper negotiations;
– End the discrimination against Dockers; and
– Agree wage increases in line with company profit.
To call on DP World to:
– Respect national legislation;
– Recognise SUTRAMPORPC; and
– Honour the decision of the Peruvian Constitutional Court to agree a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with SUTRAMPORPC.
To support SUTRAMPORPC Members, who are due to strike on 13 May 2015, in their struggle for fair and safe working conditions.
The dockers section also urged all ITF affiliates to provide active solidarity support to SUTRAMPORPC and its members by any and all available lawful means.
ENDS
Background
SUTRAMPORPC press release
APM TERMINALS FACES A STRIKE IN CALLAO, PERU, STARTING ON MAY 13.
The Callao Dockers´ Union SUTRAMPORPC, which organises 95% of all Dockers, has voted in favour of an indefinite strike in APM´s terminal in Callao.
against the intransigence of the company to improve their collective working conditions. The strike will affect operations of the North Pier of the port of Callao in charge of the Norwegian-Dutch company – APM Terminals[1] .
Callao is the largest port of Peru. In 2104 2,200 container ships called Peruvian ports, of them 1,645 (78%) were arrived to the port of Callao [2] .
APM North Pier Terminal in Callao is the major port operator, they operated 70.8% of all vessels calling to Callao. APM Callao terminal accounted for 35% of all Peruvian cargo operations, that is 518,729 containers and a total of 14.9 million tons, [3]
The current CBA negotiations with SUTRAMPORPC does not seem to reflect this positive figures as the labour relations have worsened in the past weeks, “The company has launched a campaign against the unionised dockworkers, they are suspending many of them for ridiculous issues reasons that until recently were not sanctionable – workers feel that this persecution implemented by APM Terminals, occurs because we are claiming our rights”, stated the Secretary of SUTRAMPORPC, Geraldo Honores.
On April 14, SUTRAMPORPC was forced to organised a 48-hour industrial action, APM reaction was severely criticised by the Union: “Instead of properly negotiate, administrative staff seems to have been forced to carry out cargo operations, some Dockers have reported secretaries discharged cars, a situation that is both illegal but also attempts against the security of the terminal, which APM says is important. No accidents nor casualties were reported but is important to think on who would be responsible in case an accident may have happened, using non trained and non certified workers to do Dockers job is not only a violation of the national labour legislation as well as freedom of association principles, but also shows total lack of responsibility. Also we don´t believe insurance companies were notified of this” said the union official.