Global daily news 14.10.2014 |
FROM THE Sunday TIMES: GARDAI in the republic are preparing to launch an operation aimed at stopping the exploitation of migrant workers on board Irish fishing vessels. The move is part of a wider European offensive against criminality in the marine sector, including people trafficking and illegal immigration. The operation will target trawler captains and fishing companies who hire illegal migrants, or who are accused of abusing workers. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), which represents seafarers, believes at least 800 illegal immigrants are working on board Irish boats. Ken Fleming, an ITF spokesman, said illegal workers can be treated like slaves on trawlers, with some captains forcing them to work long hours in substandard conditions for little pay. "The Irish fishing industry is now synonymous with exploitation. If you walk around any fishing port, you will see Africans, Filipinos and Egyptians working on board trawlers," he said. "They are being exploited." Fleming said he had encountered cases of illegal immigrants being beaten and abandoned when they demanded better pay. The Irish Department of Justice said it has not issued any visas or immigration residence permissions to workers from outside the EU to work as fishermen or on merchant vessels registered in Ireland. "Some exceptions are made in respect of crew required for certain types of technical vessels, but these are limited in number and duration," said a spokesman. The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said it had not issued any employment permits allowing seafarers to work in Ireland in the past five years. "Employment permits for personnel from outside the European Economic Area to work on seafaring vessels would normally not qualify under our current criteria for employment permits," it said. "According to the records in the employmentpermits section, no applications in respect of seafarers were received or issued in the past five years." There is concern about violent attacks happening on board large trawlers registered with the Irish fleet, or operating in Ireland's waters. Gardai in Donegal are currently investigating a serious assault on a 27-year-old Ukrainian national who was stabbed in the chest on board a vessel 240 miles off the Mayo coast last month. Gardai arrested a member of the vessel's crew when it landed at Killybegs, Co Donegal. The suspect returned to Ukraine; his victim remains in a serious condition. The use of cheap labour on fishing vessels was highlighted in 2012 after the sinking of the Tit Bonhomme, a trawler that sank off the Cork coast with the loss of five lives. Gardai had been actively searching for Saied Aly Eldin, a 24-year-old crew member who died when the trawler crashed into rocks in Glandore harbour in Cork. Aly Eldin had sought political asylum in Britain before travelling to Ireland. Gardai were trying to locate him to start deportation proceedings. An official report found the vessel's five-man crew had taken only four to five hours' sleep in the 40 hours prior to the accident. Such hours breach EU directives.
FROM BULLETIN QUOTIDIEN EUROPE:
***Unions bare teeth over Single Sky 2+ 179 words 10 October 2014 Bulletin Quotidien Europe AGEU English Copyright 2014. Agence Europe All Rights Reserved
Brussels, 09/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - In an open letter to the transport ministers, the unions have not held back on what they think of the Single European Sky 2+ package (SES2+), which is currently being discussed at the Council and which aims to improve the management of air traffic in Europe. At their meeting on Wednesday 8 October, the European ministers found on their desks the grievances of the European Transport Workers' Federation, whose letter contains an “extremely negative” analysis of the SES2+ package. This is firstly because they feel that the proposal comes too early, before the first one has even been fully applied, and secondly because they feel that the liberalisation of the support services is counter-productive (in terms of safety, delays, costs and social tension). The unions also have concerns for jobs, as the Commission wishes to reduce the number of air traffic controllers. They believe that the comparison with the United States drawn by the European Executive is misplaced. (MD)
*** Italian Presidency following single European Sky 2+ closely 314 words 9 October 2014 Bulletin Quotidien Europe AGEU English Copyright 2014. Agence Europe All Rights Reserved
SECTORAL POLICIES
Luxembourg, 10/08/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Italian presidency is doing all it can to push forward discussions at the Council on the Single Sky 2+ Package. A progress report was submitted to transport ministers during their meeting in Luxembourg on Wednesday 8 October. The Italian presidency is also calling on ministers to debate the issue again on the 5-6 November next in Rome. Progress report. The Italian Minister for Infrastructure, Maurizio Lupi, presented a progress report on the work undertaken by the Italian presidency (article on each area of work since July) on the Single Sky 2+ proposed by the Commission in 2013, in an effort to simplify implementation of the rules for improving air traffic (four regulations merged into one) and revising the rules applicable to the European Aviation Security Agency. The progress report notes that transport ministers are totally convinced by the objectives pursued in the European Single Sky initiative but as a whole, judge the Commission proposal premature, because the first package has barely been put into place. The presidency has, in particular, focused its work on the Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs), although infringement proceedings have begun against at least 18 member states. Italy has attempted to establish “more positive” dialogue between the Commission and member states on the subject and suggested that they present an operational plan that highlights the action already undertaken to set up these FABs. Other discussion points at the Council include: separating support services from basic navigation and revising the performance-based system, to which member states are opposed, as well as network management skills. Unions opposed. Transport ministers also received an alarming letter from the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF), which described the European Commission proposal as being “very negative” (EUROPE will be returning to this subject). (MD)
FROM EL PROA (CHILE):
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Стихи |
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Записки не совсем еще старого капитана |