New Zealand maritime workers will be going up the gangway this week to check out ships flying "flags of convenience" and ensure that crew conditions, wages, and health and safety standards are up to scratch.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is holding its New Zealand Flag of Convenience Week of Action this week, ending Friday 3 June 2011.
Members of the ITF-affiliated Maritime Union of New Zealand will board vessels in New Zealand's main ports, and go over documentation such as wage books, talk to crews, and inspect the seaworthiness and safety of ships.
Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says this is part of an ongoing international campaign to improve standards in the shipping industry.
He says that there have been a number of serious incidents on overseas vessels, including FOC vessels, in New Zealand ports and in and around New Zealand waters in recent years.
"We have had ongoing incidents ranging from underpayment of wages, failure for crews to be returned home at the end of their contracts, mistreatment and abuse, all the way up to serious injuries and deaths, and the sinking of vessels."
Flag of Convenience (FOC) vessels are registered in countries with very lax or non-existent regulation of the maritime industry.
FOCs provide a means of avoiding labour regulation in the country of ownership, and become a vehicle for paying low wages and forcing long hours of work and unsafe working conditions.
ITF New Zealand inspector Grahame MacLaren says the week of action is intended to convey a clear message to Flag of Convenience operators who trade in New Zealand waters that they need to abide to basic ITF standards.
"The main focus will be to target FOC vessels without ITF agreements for the crew, but any other foreign flagged vessels will come under scrutiny."
The ITF is made up of 681 unions representing 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries. It is one of several Global Union Federations allied with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
FROM SUPPLY CHAIN REVIEW (AUSTRALIA):
May 31, 2011
DHL shareholders and unions joined at the company's recent AGM to demand the leading transport and logistics provider deal with labour rights issues.
During the meeting held in Frankfurt, Germany DHL CEO Frank Appel admitted lie detectors had been used to quiz DHL employees in some countries where it operates.
However he refused to make concessions, promising only to comply with international labour standards and not rule out contact with trade unions.
Appel claims an international framework agreement to guarantee minimum standards for working conditions for all 400,000 DHL workers will not be necessary.
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Global Coordinator Ingo Marowsky expressed disappointment at the decision.
"DHL's problems won't go away, and nor will we until we have an agreement that guarantees its workers their basic rights," he says.
Marowsky told shareholders the ITF had been talking about the problems for three years. “Now it is time to deliver,” he says.
“Last year the ITF reported on a number of violations of national and international labour law at DHL subsidiaries on all continents."
According to Marowsky, Appel last year promised the global union federation for trade and service occupations (UNI) and the ITF that he would prohibit the use of lie detectors.
“However, at the meeting this year, he attempted to justify their use, claiming it would be ‘in strictly defined exceptional cases’” Marowski says.
“Perhaps Mr Appel should be the one on the lie detector, especially when answering UNI global union's questions at AGMs?
“Can we believe what he tells us as shareholders?"
Meanwhile, outside the AGM venue, workers from a variety of countries rallied to demand their right to union membership, which they allege is being suppressed at some company subsidiaries.
UNI and ITF are investigating other cases involving DHL in New Zealand, Malawi, India, Panama and South Africa.
FROM SCOOP (NZ):
***Transport workers mobilize as overseas rolling stock arrives |
Transport workers mobilize as overseas rolling stock arrives in New Zealand
The New Zealand affiliates of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) met today to discuss their concerns with the arrival of KiwiRail's new locomotives in the country.
The Chinese made locomotives will arrive on two different ships into the Ports of Auckland over the next 24 hours and be unloaded this week.
New Zealand ITF Convenor and President of the Maritime Union Garry Parsloe says New Zealand workers are concerned and angry that local jobs and industry have been undermined by sending the work overseas.
"We keep on hearing how the country is broke, and we all know how high unemployment is, but KiwiRail and the National Government are allowing work that should be done here in New Zealand to go overseas, destroying jobs and taking money out of our communities."
Mr Parsloe says the unions condemned the outsourcing of work overseas when KiwiRail had the ability to manufacture in its own workshops.
New Zealand rail workers are represented by the ITF affiliated Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU).
RMTU General Secretary Wayne Butson says that 35 of the new flat top multi functional wagons for KiwiRail have already been made at the Hillside workshops in Dunedin, but most had been contracted to China.
"We have demonstrated our ability and competency to build rolling stock here. The only factor at play here is that cheap exploited labour is used in China. Yet the money that could be spent in New Zealand communities, boosting jobs, skills and the future of industry, is being funneled out of the country."
"In the context of the recent budget, it is clear that this Government is taking a tunnel vision approach to lowering New Zealand's national debt burden. They are happy to see our current account deficit balloon out by the cost of these rail projects, at the same time as giving our skilled railway tradespersons a belief that there is no future for them in New Zealand and they need to join the exodus to Australia where they will be quickly snatched up."
The ITF unions will be meeting again this week to discuss the way forward.
ITF affiliates in New Zealand include the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, Maritime Union of New Zealand, Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, National Distribution Union, Merchant Service Guild, and Aviation and Marine Engineers Association, representing tens of thousands of New Zealand transport workers.
The ITF is made up of 681 unions representing 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries. It is one of several Global Union Federations allied with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
FROM THE MANILA BULLETIN (PHILIPPINES):
***ITF honors AMOSUP founder Oca
MANILA, Philippines — The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has accorded an honor of international category to the late Capt. S. Oca (MM, Ph.D.), founder of the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), in recognition for his strong commitment and sterling achievements in championing the rights of ocean-going Filipino seafarers, and his vital contributions in the global maritime industry and healthy growth of employment of the country’s seafarers by foreign shipowners.
ITF Maritime Coordinator Steve Cotton, personally presented and pinned the “ITF Badge of Honor” on Mrs. Mercedes Fernandez-Oca, wife of Capt. Oca, in behalf of the late master mariner, in ceremonies held at the Mabuhay Palace of the historic landmark Manila Hotel on May 24, 2011, in the presence of other officials of AMOSUP and Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP).
Capt. Oca, a byword in the seafarers’ world, founded AMOSUP more than 50 years ago. The union has grown to become the world’s largest with close 90,000 members now.
A man of vision, Capt. Oca had a long dream for Filipino marine officers and crew members to be "at par" or more "competitive" with the seafarers from other countries, including those from Europe, Western hemisphere and other parts of Asia.
He conceptualized and put to action the establishment of a maritime institution which he long visualized to help uplift the lot of Filipino seafarers to enhance professionalism and to be “globally competitive.” In collaboration and cooperation with his colleagues here and abroad, MAAP was established in 1998 in Kamaya Point, Baragnay Alas-sin, Mariveles, Bataan. He named Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma. R. Santos, who has, just then, retired as flag-officer-command (FOIC) of the Philippine Navy. Admiral Santos, one of the best and outstanding chiefs, the Navy has produced also served the government as vice chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Capt. Oca was also the chairman of the board of governors of MAAP, now a leading maritime institution in the whole of Asia-Pacific, and equally competitive in the world. It has "state-of-the-art" facilities in its campuses located in huge hectare of land fronting the sea breeze-rich shore and coastline of Bataan.
ITF President Paddy Crumlin earlier visited MAAP conferred with AMOSUP and MAAP officials, where they discussed plans and projects aimed at improving working conditions, improvement and professionalization of Filipino seafarers deployed aboard foreign ships.
FROM THE DAILY STAR (BANGLADESH):
***Ship owners promise to bring back 13 seamen
Upon pressure from the Malaysian authorities, Bangladeshi company HRC Shipping yesterday promised to bring back home 13 seamen who have been in a detained ship at Port Klang for over a year due to legal tangles.
Malaysian branch manager of HRC Shipping Kazi Nurul Alam sought a week's time in this regard, said Musleh Uddin Ahmed, chief officer of the ship MV Banga Biraj, over the phone.
The 1,690-tonne ship was detained on May 4 last year following a case filed by the port authorities on charges of damaging a crane. The 13 seamen were not working in the ship when the accident happened in 2008.
General Manager of the owning company Capt Shahjahan Siraj said they are not getting anyone to replace the seamen.
The crew said they have been living in a dreadful condition as the temperature is very high at the port and air coolers in the cabins became dysfunctional.
Following a news item published in Malaysia's newspaper The Star on May 24, the Port Klang authorities and representatives of International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) held a meeting yesterday and asked HRC Shipping to send the seamen home immediately and pay off all arrears to them.
If the shipping company fails to comply with the order, arrangements would be made to sell the ship and pay off the seamen, said Musleh Uddin Ahmed quoting ITF representative Ramu Rafiq .
James Nayagam, commissioner of Malaysia's human rights commission, in an email to The Daily Star said they tried to reach an amicable solution. They will appoint lawyers for the seamen, if necessary, to pursue a case so the company is forced to release them.
Banga Biraj's Captain AKM Alamgir's wife Kamruzzahan said the company has assured them of the seamen's return many times, but nothing happened.
The seamen said amid all the complexities, neither the Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia nor the shipping department in Dhaka took any steps to help bring them home.
FROM IFW (UK):
***DHL staff in global protest over workers' rights
Operator used lie detectors and sacked employees in Africa and South America for belonging to a union
The protest, on 25 May, prompted shareholders of the German company to urge the board of directors to address the problems.
Protesters were demanding an end to what they claimed was the company’s “disregard for workers’ fundamental rights” in some countries where DHL operates, as well as its controversial use of lie detector tests.
Since unions confronted DHL management over the use of lie detectors on employees in Panama and Costa Rica, new cases in Colombia and South Africa have emerged.
Ivonne Jackelen, Lead Organiser for the UNI Global Union in Central America, said: “The result of this practice is fear, unemployment and social exclusion, as employees struggle under unwarranted suspicion.”
Worker Edwin Velasquez Ayala, from Colombia, was subjected to a lie detector test carried out by former military officers.
“The test carried out by DHL destroyed my self-esteem,” he said.
It was claimed he was subsequently sacked without reason.
When challenged at the AGM by union representatives about lie detector tests, DHL representatives said the firm would continue to use them, despite a promise to the contrary by CEO Frank Appel at last year’s AGM.
“Perhaps Frank Appel should be the one on the lie detector, especially when answering UNI Global Union’s questions at AGMs,” said Neil Anderson, head of UNI Global Union post and logistics.
DHL also suppress union activities in many countries, it has been claimed.
“In Guatemala, for example, it has been reported that DHL employees are dismissed immediately it becomes known that they have met with trade unionists,” the ITF said.
Ingo Marowsky, ITF Organising Globally Co-ordinator, said: “DHL’s problems won’t go away; nor will we, until we have an agreement that guarantees its workers their basic rights.”
No one from DHL was available for comment as IFW went to press.
The New Zealand affiliates of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) met today to discuss their concerns with the arrival of KiwiRail's new locomotives in the country.
The Chinese made locomotives will arrive on two different ships into the Ports of Auckland over the next 24 hours and be unloaded this week.
New Zealand ITF Convenor and President of the Maritime Union Garry Parsloe says New Zealand workers are concerned and angry that local jobs and industry have been undermined by sending the work overseas. "We keep on hearing how the country is broke, and we all know how high unemployment is, but KiwiRail and the National Government are allowing work that should be done here in New Zealand to go overseas, destroying jobs and taking money out of our communities."
Mr Parsloe says the unions condemned the outsourcing of work overseas when KiwiRail had the ability to manufacture in its own workshops.
New Zealand rail workers are represented by the ITF affiliated Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU).
RMTU General Secretary Wayne Butson says that 35 of the new flat top multi functional wagons for KiwiRail have already been made at the Hillside workshops in Dunedin, but most had been contracted to China. "We have demonstrated our ability and competency to build rolling stock here. The only factor at play here is that cheap exploited labour is used in China. Yet the money that could be spent in New Zealand communities, boosting jobs, skills and the future of industry, is being funneled out of the country." "In the context of the recent budget, it is clear that this Government is taking a tunnel vision approach to lowering New Zealand's national debt burden. They are happy to see our current account deficit balloon out by the cost of these rail projects, at the same time as giving our skilled railway tradespersons a belief that there is no future for them in New Zealand and they need to join the exodus to Australia where they will be quickly snatched up."
The ITF unions will be meeting again this week to discuss the way forward.
ITF affiliates in New Zealand include the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, Maritime Union of New Zealand, Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, National Distribution Union, Merchant Service Guild, and Aviation and Marine Engineers Association, representing tens of thousands of New Zealand transport workers.
The ITF is made up of 681 unions representing 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries. It is one of several Global Union Federations allied with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
FROM LLOYD'S LIST:
German owners ready to abandon flag in subsidy row
Owners push for greater financial compensation for flying the German flag
Patrick Hagen - Tuesday 31 May 2011
GERMAN shipowners are prepared to abandon the German flag should the government not provide financial compensation for subsidies it has reduced from this year.
“The German flag is not competitive under these circumstances,” said Lutz Weber, chief financial officer of
Owners' discontent stems from the decision by the government to cut the subsidies it has been paying to balance part of the cost difference between the German and other flags. According to owners, they have additional costs of €400,000-€500,000 ($570,000-$715,000) per vessel per year.
As part of the maritime alliance, which includes the government, shipowners and trade union Verdi, owners had committed to bringing 500 ships under the German flag, with 100 more to follow should market conditions allow it.
The government on the other hand, had introduced the subsidies to make reflagging easier. However, due to the global economic crisis, the number of ships under the German flag has gone down significantly. At the moment, 445 ships are flying black, red and gold.
Some owners forecast the demise of the maritime alliance should the government decide to cut financial support for the flag. The minister of the economy Philipp Rösler made clear on Friday that the cuts will prevail.
Transport minister Peter Ramsauer and chancellor Angela Merkel have promised to initiate talks with the owners in the near future to find a solution.
Part of a compensation package for the lost subsidies could include streamlining administrative hurdles, said Mr Ramsauer.
Michael Behrendt, chief executive of container carrier Hapag-Lloyd and president of the German shipowners’ association VDR, said that such a compensation plan would have to bring significant financial relief to owners.
It remains doubtful whether the negotiations will result in a solution to the problem as the government said that it would not adopt any measures which would strain the budget.
Owners would love to have Germany’s crewing rules changed as these stipulate that five crew members have to come from Germany or other European Union member states.
However, trade union Verdi has already vetoed such a decision.
However, Mr Behrendt reacted positively to the government’s proposal. “This is a glimmer of hope,” he said.
“The government has realised that there is a problem.” He said that talks have to come very soon. “Otherwise the maritime alliance is seriously endangered.”
FROM TRADEWINDS TODAY:
Pirate gets life in Korea
Pirates targeting Korean vessels in the seas off Somalia may want to think again.
A man guilty of shooting the captain of a hijacked vessel has been sentenced to spend his life in a South Korean jail.
But it could have much worse for the Somali rogue as the prosecution had demanded the death penalty.
In the first pirate trial to be held in South Korea, Mohamed Araye, 21, was found guilty of attempting to murder Captain Seok Hae-Kyun.
He was also convicted of hostage taking and maritime robbery.
Two other men were each handed 13-years in jail while another man was given a 15-year sentence. A fifth man is being tried separately.
The five Somalis were part of a gang that swooped for the 19,900-dwt chemical tanker Samho Jewelry (built 2001) in the Arabian Sea on 15 January.
Korean commandos stormed the vessel a week later, killing eight pirates and capturing five.
Araye shot the captain in the stomach when the commandos launched their attack.
He survived but is still recovering from his wounds in hospital.
Ofer faces new controversy
The Ofer shipping empire is at the centre of a political storm close to home with at least one prominent member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, demanding an official investigation and possible action over trading links with Iran.
Aryeh Eldad of the National Union, nationalist alliance has asked Israel’s attorney general to investigate if the sale of the 41,000-dwt tanker Raffles Park (built 1992) or ship visits to Iran contravene the country’s laws or regulations.
"It looks ridiculous when Israel demands that the world impose sanctions on Iran when its own economic giants make deals with a country that is making a determined, fanatical effort to destroy it. Though they are rich, the Ofer brothers are not above the law," Aryeh Eldad told the Tel Aviv based Haaretz newspaper.
International law professor Yuval Shany of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says US laws are tougher than those of Israel on trade with Iran. “As far as I can comprehend it is not clear whether the Ofer Brothers group has violated Israeli law,” he told the national media.
Another Knesset member, Shelly Yachimovich, of the Israeli Labor Party voiced fears that US sanctions against Ofer Brothers and Tanker Pacific could expand and damage the thousands of ordinary people who work for Ofer controlled companies in Israel.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has meanwhile denied claims that Ofer controlled ships had been given special authorisation to anchor in Iranian ports.
Israeli newspapers say the Ofer group have contracted the country’s foreign and defence ministries for help in getting US sanctions lifted but the former appears to have indicated it has no intention of intervening and the latter says the issue is not within its remit.
Tanker Pacific claims there were no indications at the time of the sale of the Raffles Park that the vessel would end up owned by an Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) linked company.
Tanker Pacific said trade with Iran had only been a small part of its business activities and the company stopped transporting petroleum products into Iran in April 2010 several months before a US ban came into effect and in November 2010 stopped lifting crude although this continues to be a legitimate trade.
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