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):

 

 

 

 

Jueves 9 de Octubre de 2014
***Seremi del Trabajo y Previsión Social V Región: “Lo importante de la ley corta es que establece mejores condiciones para el trabajador”

La seremi del Trabajo y Previsión Social V Región Karen Medina, declaró en la Mesa de Diálogo Marítimo Portuaria realizada en la mañana de hoy en el edificio Luis Cousiño de Valparaíso que lo más importante en relación a la Ley Corta Portuaria es “que establece mejores condiciones para el trabajador, lo que nos compromete a seguir debatiendo en materia de negociación portuaria, que pone en valor al trabajador eventual, que se compromete con sus condiciones de seguridad, y por qué no decirlo, que establezca el día del trabajador portuario”.
Además remarcó el compromiso con la seguridad laboral portuaria agregando que “la mesa de seguridad de San Antonio, no va a ser sólo una tarea en San Antonio, la queremos instalar también en Valparaíso, y en ella queremos invitarlos a participar activamente a los trabajadores del puerto con todos los temas  que esto signifique también, ypoder conversar en materia de trabajo y en materia de seguridad.”
En la actividad organizada por la consultora CICAL y por La Confederación General de la Gente de Mar (COGEMAR), que se prolongará por todo el miércoles 08 de octubre, habló también Sergio Vargas, presidente de la multigremial antes citada y señaló que: “como  ha sucedido en otras ocasiones el movimiento sindical ha obtenido una serie de victorias que nos permiten dar otro paso en la defensa de los derechos de los trabajadores”. Además remarcó que estas victorias se ven amenazadas por el accionar de los gerentes y que algunos dirigentes sindicales que“pelean por cosas sin importancia y olvidan lo esencial, que son nuestros viejos”.
Por su parte, Juan Villalón delegado en Chile de la Federación Internacional de Trabajadores del Transporte ITF, por su sigla en inglés, recordó que para ellos es fundamental que el trabajador portuario tenga las condiciones apropiadas para desempeñarse en sus funciones y el sector portuario no escapa a esa preocupación.

 

 




GOOGLE TRANSLATION:

Thursday October 9, 2014
Seremi Labour and Social Welfare Region V: "The important thing is that the short law establishes better conditions for workers"

SEREMI Labour and Social Welfare Region V Karen Medina said in the Roundtable held at the Maritime Port morning Luis Cousino building in Valparaiso that the most important in relation to the Short Port Act is "establishing better conditions for the worker, which commits us to further discussion on port negotiation, which adds value to any worker who is committed to their security, and why not say, to set the day of the dockworker ".
She also said the commitment with the port job security adding that "the security desk of San Antonio, it will not be just a job in San Antonio, we want to also install in Valparaiso, and in it we invite you to actively engage workers port with all the issues that means also ypoder talk on labor and safety. "
In the event organized by the consulting CICAL and The General Confederation of Seafarers (COGEMAR), which runs throughout the Wednesday 08 October, also spoke Sergio Vargas, president of the above Multigremial and noted that "as it has happened before the labor movement has won a series of victories that allow us to take another step in defending the rights of workers. "She also said that these victories are threatened by the actions of managers and some union leaders who "fight over little things and forget the essentials, which are our old".
For his part, Juan Villalon representative in Chile of the International Federation of Transport Workers ITF, for its acronym in English, recalled that it is essential for them to port worker is appropriate to perform their functions and ports sector conditions not escape that concern.