An inquiry into a fishing boat fire which left three crewmen dead will begin at Peterhead Sheriff Court today.

It is being held to determine what caused the devastating blaze on board the Banff-registered Vision II in August 2008.

Fire broke out while the 90ft trawler was berthed at Fraserburgh harbour for a refit.

Filipinos Ramilito Calipayan and Benjamin Potot, both 33, died in the blaze, while fellow fisherman Rimants Venckus, 50, was overcome as he tried to fight his way out of the burning boat.

The incident was investigated by the Department for Transport’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) but officials were not able to pinpoint the exact cause of the fire. In the branch’s report, it was ruled the blaze broke out inside the Vision II’s galley and may have been caused by a lit cigarette or faulty heater.

Today’s fatal accident inquiry, which is expected to run throughout the week, will look at what changes and improvements have been made since the fire. The procurator fiscal service has said the inquiry may not be able to identify the exact cause of the fire, but it will look at what lessons can be learned.

The inquiry was due to take place last summer, but procurator fiscal David Thorburn called for proceedings to be postponed after fresh information came to light. He also said there had been difficulties contacting the dead men’s relatives.

The hearing was then rescheduled for December, but bad weather meant some witnesses would not be able to attend. The inquiry was then adjourned until today.

It is understood skipper Zander Jack and representatives of the boat owners, Westward Fishing Co, could be asked to give evidence.

Mr Jack, of Castlehill Drive, Gardenstown, has never spoken publicly about the fire.

The initial investigation, which began on the day of the fire, was led by the UK Government’s MAIB, with Grampian Police and the fire service. It raised concerns about the pay and working conditions of migrant fishermen. Officials from the International Transport Workers Federation said they were investigating complaints from Filipino fishermen at Fraserburgh when the fire broke out.

Aberdeen Journals Limited

FROM EUROPOLITICS (BELGIUM):

The Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on Sea Fisheries is perplexed over not having received the slightest information on the socio-economic impact of the future Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), despite repeated requests to the European Commission at its latest meetings. In a message sent to Commissioner Maria Damanaki (fisheries and maritime affairs), the chairs of this committee (Maria José Gonzalez of Europêche and Flemming Smidt of the European Transport Workers' Federation - ETF), which represents the social partners from the fisheries sector, stress their right to be heard and the need for a real social dimension in the new CFP.

The CFP reform proposals, announced for 13 July, must be accompanied by impact studies, in accordance with existing rules. The social partners from the sector have repeatedly asked to be consulted during their drafting, which has rarely been the case, notes the committee. Yet, in their respective positions on the Commission's green paper on CFP reform, Europêche, Cogeca and the ETF expressed surprise that the green paper makes no explicit reference to the role of social partners in Community decision making. They called for the Social Dialogue Committee on Sea Fisheries to be systematically consulted on the socio-economic consequences of the legislative proposals and for its opinions to be taken into due account.

"The Commission is clearly not taking any account of the legitimate demands of social partners from the sector," conclude the two chairs, who call on the Commission to send the finalised impact assessments on CFP reform to the committee, so that it can form an opinion.

FROM SCOOP (NEW ZEALAND), ALLVOICES.COM, INTERCEDER ETC:

Action demanded from Yemeni govt following attack
The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) is urging the Yemeni government to take immediate action following a serious attack on the leader of one of its member trade unions in the country.

The global union federation today received news from the Yemeni Aviation Engineers’ Syndicate that in the last few days the union’s president appeared on television talking about corruption within Yemen Airways. Within days his house and car were destroyed in an arson attack.

ITF general secretary David Cockroft said: “This is a nasty and cowardly attack that looks very much like it might be tied to the television appearance. We strongly urge the Yemeni authorities to investigate it and to provide the necessary protection for our colleague and his family, who are believed to be in continuing danger.”

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) is a global union federation with 751 member trade unions, representing 4,669,720 members in 154 countries. Two hundred and seventy five of those unions represent workers in the aviation sector, including cabin crew, pilots, ground staff, baggage handlers and air traffic controllers.

FROM REBANADAS DE REALIDAD (ARGENTINA):

***BA cabin crew latest - ITF comment

Informaciones de la ITF editadas en Rebanadas:

Rebanadas de Realidad - ITF, Londres, 12/05/11.- Commenting on today's agreement between Unite and British Airways, ITF general secretary David Cockroft said: "This groundbreaking agreement brings an end to the dispute within sight, subject to the approval of the cabin crew."

"It promises to solve the last, outstanding issues that are so important to those crew members, and is a victory for negotiation. We applaud the determination that has been shown by those workers, as well as the huge efforts to solve the problems and get the airline back on track made by Unite - not to mention the willingness to listen and move forward displayed by BA's CEO Keith Williams."

He concluded: "This is good news not just for BA, its personnel and passengers, but also for the thousands of aviation workers around the world who have been backing those workers throughout this dispute, and standing ready to provide further assistance."

The ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) is a global union federation with 751 member trade unions, representing 4,669,720 members in 154 countries. Two hundred and sixty four of those unions represent workers in the aviation sector, including cabin crew, pilots, ground staff, baggage handlers and air traffic controllers. The ITF coordinated international support for the BA cabin crew and Unite union.

Please find below a news release from Unite with further information on today's agreement:

UNITE NEWS RELEASE For immediate issue, 12:00 hours, Thursday, May 12, 2011 Unite and British Airways reach agreement on cabin crew

Unite the union and British Airways have reached an agreement to resolve the long-running cabin crew dispute at the airline, the union announced today (Thursday).

The agreement is to be put to a ballot of Unite cabin crew members over the next month, with a union recommendation for acceptance. In the meantime, the union has decided not to call any industrial action at the airline based on its present ballot mandate.

Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey, who led negotiations for the union, said today: "We always said that this dispute could only be settled by negotiation, not by confrontation or litigation. And so it has proved.

"We are delighted to have reached an agreement which I believe recognises the rights and dignity of cabin crew as well as the commercial requirements of the company. This agreement will allow us to go forward in partnership together to strengthen this great British company - good news for BA, its employees and its customers alike.

"I am particularly pleased that staff travel concessions will be restored in full with the signing of the agreement and the implementation of the new structure for working together that we have negotiated. A customer-oriented business can only succeed with all its employees valued and respected.

"And above all I would like to pay tribute to Unite's BA cabin crew members. Their resilience, discipline and determination to be treated properly has been an inspiration to all who have worked alongside them in this dispute and has been a model of twenty-first century trade unionism. They deserve this agreement and the prosperous future at British Airways I hope it secures."