***Global warming-climate change
SHEIKH MUHAMMAD IQBAL (VIA E-MAIL)
27 September 2011
The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); International Committee on Climate Change; the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).
The EU Summit Conferences; NASA; UN World Wild Life; UNESD; The KYOTO Protocol; The Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change; the Mexican Conference on Climate Change; the Nato Strategic Summit held on November 17, 2010 included Agriculture and Food Security; Economic and Trade Investment; Aid and Development; Foreign and Transatlantic Relations; Climate Change Issues; the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and a number of other reputable and world-wide organisations have unanimously discussed the issue of "Global Warming- Climate Change" and are of the considered opinion and have resolved that Global warming can trigger a catastrophe that can further aggravate the financial crunch world-wide and hasten the melting economies of the world.
Climate change is a matter of great concern for the whole world including global trade union movement, job protection; decent working conditions and the recent financial crisis particularly its impact on transport workers; thus climate change and these issues are closely linked.
Global Warming-climate Change can trigger a sudden catastrophe such as earthquakes; Tsunamis ; stormy seas and oceans; the glaciers are melting at an astounding rate of 9% per year; the sea levels are rising; the seas are becoming warmer and sea currents are being built very strongly and ferociously causing heavy sea storms and seas flooding; floods; Vector Borne Diseases(VBD) - mostly by mosquitoes, ticks, sand flies; black flies; treat mine bugs and other pests. It causes diarrheal diseases; asthma; respiratory diseases; lung-kidney and liver cancer. It reduces soil fertility; pollutes Air, Seas and Oceans; water and food shortage; droughts; causes heat waves taking toll of a large number of human population; decrease of land available for dwelling and agriculture; extinction of species and organisms for the well being of human lives; water and food shortage; epidemics and widespread diseases in mankind, plant kingdom and animal kingdom; mass migration and issues of Urban and Rural population- civil society; financial collapse and melting away of economies.
Above all in case a sudden catastrophe is struck; no single nation is capable to take care of such a catastrophe. Consequently the ecosystem is disturbed and life including planet "Earth' comes closer to the verge of extinction.
FROM THE HINDU (INDIA):
***Drive against unfair shipping practices
Staff Reporter
24 September 2011
KOCHI,KERALA The seafarers and dockers unions of the Kochi Port, which includes Cochin Port Staff Association, National Union of Seafarers of India, Forward Seamen Union of India and Maritime Union of India, will come together to fight against the Flag of Convenience (FOC) and other ‘substandard' shipping practices.
The unions will observe FOC Week of Action from September 26 to 30.
Members of the unions will inspect the ships berthed at the port as well as at the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadom during this period.
A FOC ship will be flying the flag of a country other than the country of its ownership and FOC registrations are done to save registration fees and taxes. Unions are alleging that this system enables ship owners to employ non-unionised workforce on poor salary and service conditionsand hence they follow the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) logic that there should be a genuine link between the owner of a vessel and the flag it flies. The vessels that are found wanting in stipulated facilities during the inspection will be asked to sign ITF acceptable agreements and honour minimum labour standards, said Thomas Sebastian, senior vice-president of Cochin Port Staff Association.
Seafarers on board vessels and dockers at the terminals will be made aware about dangers in FOC. An awareness drive on the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 will be taken up.
FROM THE HANDY SHIPPING GUIDE (UK):
***Union Action Against Freight and Passenger Vessels and Ports
26 September 2011
ASIA – This week sees a further extension to the campaign by transport, maritime and dock unions protesting against the neglect of safety standards often found on freight and passenger vessels sailing under flags of convenience and ports which handle cargo in a dangerous or unregulated fashion. From today (26th September) until the end of the week there will be action by the unions at major ports in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Russia. Staggered weeks of action are being held in India and Sri Lanka in September, November and December, with inspections taking place this week in Cochin, Chennai, Colombo and Tuticorin.
Leading the campaign is the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the current action, the third so far this year, will focus on the condition and provision of lifesaving and cargo- related equipment, as well as on crew terms and conditions. The current campaign follows on from ITF successes in India and Sri Lanka last year.
In Japan, checks will now be made at the port of Mishima-Kawanoe following reports of injuries, particularly among casual workers working long shifts there. Trade unionists will rally outside the premises of shipowner Kotoku Kaiun, which has refused to sign ITF agreements, as well as in front of the head office of Dowa Line in Tokyo.
In Korea, activities will take place at the ports of Pusan, Incheon and Ulsan, followed by rallies at Pohang, Pusan and Incheon in support of the ILWU union’s struggle to represent workers at the Port of Longview, which is part owned by Korean company STX. In the Russian Far East, Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Vostochniy will be the ports which are targeted.
The ITF campaign was stimulated in May when a US coastguard report criticised the lack of attention to standards concerned in the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. The deepwater rig, whilst operating in US waters, was registered under a flag of convenience, the Marshall Islands and the ITF also made the link at the time with the huge increase in piracy which makes less well regulated vessels an easy target for the raiders as they see safety and general operating standards across the board as slacker than is acceptable.
FROM THE MANILA BULLETIN (PHILIPPINES):
***Filipino seafarers deployed overseas to surpass 400,000 this year – POEA
MANILA, Philippines — The number of Filipino seafarers deployed aboard ocean-going vessels was expected to reach or surpass the 400,000-mark on or before the end of the year, as demands from foreign ship owners to hire Filipino marine officers and crew continue to increase.
In a speech before officers and members of Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP)-PTGWO-ITF during kick off rites last Sunday for the 2011 National Maritime Week (NMW) at the Seaman’s Memorial, in Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Carlos H. Cao, Jr. said: “We are targeting to reach a 400,000-mark deployment of our seafarers overseas this year, and it is indeed, very encouraging, indications have surfaced that we may even surpass this target.”
Cao explained that, “In 2010, our deployment data for sea-based sector was 347,000 which was a 5.06 percent growth over the 2009 data, with an increase for land-based of 3.2 percent, showing a combined total of 1,470,826 deployment for that same year (2010), as compared to 1,422,586 in 2009, and 1,236,013 in 2008.”
According to the Labor official, the figures for the first semester of the current year, are very encouraging with a 14.1 percent increase for the seafarers, and 4.3 percent for land-based workers, “despite crises in some parts of the world,” adding that, “the total POEA processing for the first semester of 2011 has already posted a 19.5 percent increase.”
In terms of remittances, Cao, a lawyer, said that for January to July 2011, the figure is already US$11.4 billion or a 6.3 percent increase over the same January to July 2010 figure of US$10.679 billion.
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) the 2010 US$4 billion remittances from Filipino sea-based workers are projected to be top $4 billion this year, he said.
For his part, AMOSUP president Dr. Condrado F. Oca said, one undeniable thing and unique among Filipino seafarers is their strong, common commitment for their families’ welfare-the reason why they work aboard foreign ships, and are doing their best to be globally competitive by working and striving hard. Many of them even have self-special studies off-duty while on board their ships and during vacation time or leave, in order to update and advance know-how on navigation and marine engineering, and other seafarers’ education requirements.
Aside from Administrator Cao, also gracing the NMW kick-off rites were Manila City Administrator Jay Marzan, representing Manila City Mayor Alfredo S. Lim, and leaders from the country’s maritime industry and stakeholders, foreign and domestic.
Top maritime educator Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma. R. Santos (AFP, ret.), president of Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific, from his end, stressed, “We cannot discount that one big factor why Filipino seafarers-officers and crew members- are on demand, in overseas deployment is their good command of the English language.
Besides, ‘they could easily adjust to the ways of foreign nationals they work with on board ships’, Santos, a former chief of the Philippine Navy (PN) pointed out, adding most are music lovers and have musical talents- factors that help in winning the hearts of co-workers.
FROM POST AND PARCEL (UK):
***DHL accused of double standards on international human rights
Monday, September 26th, 2011
International trade unionists have denounced Deutsche Post DHL for using lie detectors on its staff outside Germany.
After the German media reported last week on a case in which it was suggested a lie detector was used on an employee accused of stealing 22 USB flash drives in Colombia, Deutsche Post DHL issued a statement denying use of polygraph equipment in the incident in question.
However, in Deutsche Post’s statement it did admit that company policy was to allow the use of lie detectors where doing so was not illegal.
The company insisted use of polygraph systems was only used in “special circumstances” such as in suspected cases of organised crime, and only where the employee agrees to the test.
Use of lie detectors in Germany is “strictly regulated and limited”, said Deutsche Post, so it does not use the equipment in its home country.
“There are very few cases each year in which tests in individual companies are applied with lie detectors,” said the Deutsche Post corporate statement.
“An internal and external legal review has shown that the use of lie detectors in an excessive way is a violation of applicable international rules and against the commitments the company represents,” it stated.
Deutsche Post added that it would continue a constructive dialogue with trade union groups regarding the issue.
“Double standard”
International trade union umbrella group UNI Global said it was a “double standard” to use lie detectors to “intimidate” workers outside Germany where it is seen as a breach of human rights, stating that Deutsche Post should hold itself to the German human rights standard wherever it operates in the world.
UNI Global confirmed it is working with the International Transport Workers’ Federation to sign a global agreement with DHL that will require the same level of human rights as its workers in Germany.
“We want DHL to set a global standard for worker rights that gives the high level of respect afforded to German workers to every DHL worker around the world,” said Neil Anderson, Head of UNI Post & Logistics.
“The lie detector tests are being used in various countries to intimidate trade union activists and to stop union activity and we want the company to sign a global agreement that ensures it will set a high standard for union and human rights at all its worksites.”
Lie detectors – also known as polygraph tests – monitor and record physiological responses to questions asked, including blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity. The technology is dismissed as “pseudoscience” by many in the scientific community.
FROM IBN LIVE (INDIA):
***Week of action against substandard shipping
KOCHI: The Cochin Port Staff Association (CPSA), National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), Forward Seamen Union of India (FSUI) and Maritime Union of India (MUI) will jointly observe a week of action against the increasing trend of Flag Of Convenience (FOC) and substandard shipping.� A Flag of Convenience (FOC) ship flies the flag of a country other than the country of its ownership.
Ship owners use FOC registers for many reasons, including cheap registration fees and low or no taxes at all. These registries also enable ship owners to employ a non-unionised workforce on poor salary and service conditions.
During the Week of Action, the selected activists of the unions will inspect all FOC vessels berthed at Cochin Port and the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) Vallarpadam.�
“The respective companies of the vessels will be asked to sign ITF acceptable agreements and honour minimum labour standards. The seafarers on board vessels and the dockers at the terminals will be informed about the dangers of FOC System,” the organisers said.
FROM MARITIME PROFESSIONAL:
***Move to unite seafarers’ unions
Inter union rivalry plays spoilsport
With inter union rivalry beginning to tell heavily on the welfare of Indian seafarers, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) has made peace overtures to the other major Union, the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) to work together for ‘the well being of our brothers’.
With at least 16 seafarers’ unions having entered the ship manning arena, the 33 Indian ship owners and over 250 odd manning agents representing foreign ship owners have been facing the heat from trade union activists thus being compelled to take on an over cautious stance in dealing with them, careful not to tread on anyone’s toes for fear of reprisals. Some manning companies restrict their activities to employing Indian marine officers and avoid engaging Indian marine ratings for fear of getting heckled and coerced by politically affiliated seamen’s unions that indulge in arm-twisting tactics besides making heavy monetary demands. They prefer to engage Filipinos ratings or those from Sri Lanka, etc.
For almost half a century there were only two seafarers’ unions in existence. These were the two major players: NUSI and FSUI. The former represented mostly marine ratings and has a strong presence in Western India. FSUI, who control a large section of marine officers and ratings in Kolkata and other parts of Eastern India have gradually spread its wings into Mumbai and Western port cities. Only these two unions are affiliated to the world trade organization, the International Transport Federation (ITF).
In the past few years the two major unions have taken each other to court on several issues but failed to make much headway. Many seafarers serving on Indian ships state that all seamen ratings including petty officers were suffering due to prolonged and inordinate delays in signing the present ‘Wage Agreements 2010-2012’, which in all probability should have been signed before 31st March 2010.
FSUI has now made an appeal to all seafarers, NUSI and ship owners who constitute members of the Indian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA) to join together and form a united front to fight for the cause of the seafarers. It stated, “The time has come for both unions to work together for the well being of our brothers in a united fashion for the sake of our seafarers and we should not fall prey into the hands of ship-owners who are trying in a combined way to create a so called moratorium.”
The communiqué states that some of the ratings even suffered reduction of payment when an interim relief was adjusted. Again ‘Wage Agreement 2006-2008’ and ‘2008-2010’ was signed in a block of four years. This time too seafarers lost in absolute terms and to add insult to injury, four seafarers were reduced from each vessel from pre-decided notional manning without ex gratia payment of any kind. The result of this was a compounding of seafarers’ sufferings and they became more frustrated as they had to share the additional burden of the four displaced fellow’s work without receiving any additional monetary gain. All ship-owners too have failed to pay as per their obligations.
To mention one such obligation is that the seamen have not yet received the Dangerous Cargo Special Allowance from many ship-owners. It is being pointed out that now again the ‘Wage Agreement 2010-2012’ is being put in cold storage due to this ‘tacit’ support as ship-owners want to make this also a four years block agreement.”
FROM THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE (USA):
***Third East Asia Week of Action Begins
Monday, September 26, 2011
ITF inspectors and members of seafarer and docker unions begin a week of action (26 to 30 September) at major ports in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Russia. Staggered weeks of action are being held in Indian and Sri Lanka in September, November and December, with inspections taking place this week in Cochin, Chennai, Colombo and Tuticorin.
The action – the third this year – is linked to the ITF’s flags of convenience and ports of convenience campaigns, and will focus on the condition and provision of lifesaving and cargo- related equipment, as well as on crew terms and conditions.
In Japan, checks will be made at the port of Mishima-Kawanoe following reports of injuries, particularly among casual workers working long shifts there. Trade unionists will rally outside the premises of shipowner Kotoku Kaiun, which has refused to sign ITF agreements, as well as in front of the head office of Dowa Line in Tokyo.
In Korea, activities will take place at the ports of Pusan, Incheon and Ulsan, followed by rallies at Pohang, Pusan and Incheon in support of the ILWU union’s struggle to represent workers at the Port of Longview, which is part owned by Korean company STX.
In the Russian Far East the following ports will be targeted: Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Vostochniy.
FROM SCOOP (NZ), ALSO MARITIME GLOBAL NET, WORLDNEWS.COM, SOUTHKOREA EXPRESS.COM, BAIRD MARITIME NEWS, NIKKEI NEWS.COM, NEWSNOW.CO.UK, SAFETY 4 SEA:
***Third East Asia week of action begins today
ITF inspectors and members of seafarer and docker unions begin a week of action (26 to 30 September) today at major ports in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Russia. Staggered weeks of action are being held in Indian and Sri Lanka in September, November and December, with inspections taking place this week in Cochin, Chennai, Colombo and Tuticorin.
The action – the third this year – is linked to the ITF’s flags of convenience and ports of convenience campaigns, and will focus on the condition and provision of lifesaving and cargo- related equipment, as well as on crew terms and conditions.
In Japan, checks will be made at the port of Mishima-Kawanoe following reports of injuries, particularly among casual workers working long shifts there. Trade unionists will rally outside the premises of shipowner Kotoku Kaiun, which has refused to sign ITF agreements, as well as in front of the head office of Dowa Line in Tokyo.
In Korea, activities will take place at the ports of Pusan, Incheon and Ulsan, followed by rallies at Pohang, Pusan and Incheon in support of the ILWU union’s struggle to represent workers at the Port of Longview, which is part owned by Korean company STX.
In the Russian Far East the following ports will be targeted: Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Vostochniy.
FROM SAFETY 4 SEA:
27 Sep 11 - 11:25
***ITF Unions initiate campaign for seafarers' and dockers' rights
To ensure that no ships visiting ports are manned by exploited seafarers
 Seafarers' and dockers' unions in India and Sri Lanka will once again set out to ensure that no ships visiting their ports are manned by exploited seafarers.
Staggered weeks of action are being organised this year in September, November and December, with inspections taking place this week (26-30 September) in Cochin, Chennai, Colombo and Tuticorin ports. ITF inspectors/contacts and activists of seafarers' and dockers' unions will inspect ships flying flags of convenience (FOCs) to ensure safe working and crew conditions on board.
Inspection will also be carried out at all the private terminals at these four ports. Inspectors and port union leaders will also aim to highlight and mobilise on the plight of contract workers at private port terminals and denial of trade union rights and negotiated working conditions for them.
This is in line with the historical solidarity that exists between the port and dock workers and seafarers globally and which manifests itself in the current ITF FOC-POC (ports of convenience) campaign.
Source: ITF
FROM LLOYD'S LIST:
***ITF to stage vessel safety checks in staggered weeks of action worldwide
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Busan is one of first ports targeted by IRF for vessel inspections.
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Russia first in line for union inspections and protests
INTERNATIONAL Transport Workers’ Federation affiliates have today launched a week of action at major ports in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Russia, which will see an increased number of vessel inspections designed to check seafarer conditions.
According to a statement from the London-based organisation, staggered weeks of action are being held in India and Sri Lanka in September, November and December, with inspections taking place this week in Cochin, Chennai, Colombo and Tuticorin.
The exercise is linked to the ITF’s flags of convenience and ports of convenience campaigns, and will focus on lifesaving and cargo-related equipment, as well as on crew terms and conditions.
In Japan, checks will be made at the port of Mishima-Kawanoe following reports of injuries, particularly among casual workers working long shifts there. Trade unionists are due to rally outside the premises of shipowner Kotoku Kaiun, which has refused to sign ITF agreements, as well as in front of the head office of Dowa Line in Tokyo.
In South Korea, activities will take place at the ports of Busan, Incheon and Ulsan, followed by rallies at Pohang, Busan and Incheon in support of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s demand to represent workers at the US port of Longview, which is part-owned by South Korean company STX.
In the Russian Far East, Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Vostochniy will be among the ports targeted.
FROM TRADEWINDS NEWSPAPER:
***ITF talks boycott of piracy regions
Adam Corbett London
A union says any action would only take place with the co-operation of shipowners.
International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) head David Cockroft is ready to call on his members and the shipping industry to boycott the piracy danger zones off Somalia if the end of the monsoon season brings renewed attacks with an unacceptable level of risk to lives. The monsoon, added to heightened security measures by shipowners, has seen the number of successful attacks off Somalia and the Indian Ocean slump.
But the industry is braced for renewed attacks from the end of this month that may surpass previous levels because the number of ships held by pirates has been seriously depleted. The release of the 22,800-dwt bulker Hoang Son Sun (built 1984) on payment of a reported $4.5m ransom this week means there are now 15 ships and 321 seafarers held in Somalia, according to figures from European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU Navfor). Pre-monsoon, more than 30 ships and 700 seafarers were held hostage. Cockroft, addressing shipowners and managers in London at a seminar arranged by the International Shipping Federation (ISF), says a boycott is a possibility.
"We may conclude that it is reckless to send ships into high-risk areas and there may be a need to boycott the region," he said.
Surprisingly, however, the ITF secretary-general says a boycott would only be enacted with the support of owners.
"It would not be unilateral action but would need the co-operation of the industry," he added.
The difficulty for Cockroft may come not only from opposition from shipowners but also the ITF's affiliated unions. While the likes of the Philippines have previously hinted at a possible boycott, others - such as some East European maritime unions - are said to be against it as long as seafarers are at least given the option to leave a ship before entering the zone.
Captain Keith Blount, chief of staff at EU Navfor, told the same ISF meeting that he expected piracy attacks to increase dramatically after the monsoon..
"Any temptation to be complacent should be immediately dismissed," he said. "We in the military are bracing ourselves for what we expect to be a busy quarter.
"Even in the relative peace and quiet of the northeast monsoon that blows through in the early part of the year, we have had little reassurance. When we looked at the figures for January and February 2011 things were very busy. That is what we expect to see again in 2012," Blount added.
Cockroft did stir up potential conflict with owners when he called on crew to report owners that failed to adopt the security measures outlined in the industry guideline Best Management Practice (BMP) 4..
"I would like to see crew whistle-blow for failure to adhere to BMP," he said.
BMP has been a proven method of avoiding piracy and involves measures such as reporting a ship's position to naval forces and hardening vessels against attack. However, EU Navfor has reported that significant numbers of vessels are still failing to adopt the minimum standards and suggested that all hijacked vessels had failed to carry out the measures to some extent.
Ships spotted failing to comply with BMP in the region are already routinely reported to industry associations by EU Navfor.
FROM HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS (GREECE):
|
Tuesday, 27 September 2011 11:00 |
|
ITF inspectors and members of seafarer and docker unions begin a week of action (26 to 30 September) today at major ports in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Russia.
Staggered weeks of action are being held in Indian and Sri Lanka in September, November and December, with inspections taking place this week in Cochin, Chennai, Colombo and Tuticorin.
The action – the third this year – is linked to the ITF’s flags of convenience and ports of convenience campaigns, and will focus on the condition and provision of lifesaving and cargo- related equipment, as well as on crew terms and conditions.
In Japan, checks will be made at the port of Mishima-Kawanoe following reports of injuries, particularly among casual workers working long shifts there. Trade unionists will rally outside the premises of shipowner Kotoku Kaiun, which has refused to sign ITF agreements, as well as in front of the head office of Dowa Line in Tokyo.
In Korea, activities will take place at the ports of Pusan, Incheon and Ulsan, followed by rallies at Pohang, Pusan and Incheon in support of the ILWU union’s struggle to represent workers at the Port of Longview, which is part owned by Korean company STX.
In the Russian Far East the following ports will be targeted: Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Vostochniy.
|
FROM THE BBC:
A powerful typhoon has struck the Philippines, triggering floods and cutting power in the capital Manila and throughout the main island, Luzon.
Typhoon Nesat also forced the closure of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the US embassy, and the ground floor of Manila's main hospital was flooded.
At least seven people have been killed, including several children.
As Nesat approached, the authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 in central Albay province.
The typhoon is expected to continue slowly across the country, before blowing across the South China Sea towards southern China on Thursday.
Crushed
Nesat made landfall just before dawn on Tuesday in the eastern Isabela and Aurora provinces on the Pacific coast.
The storm - with a diameter of 650km (400 miles) and wind gusts of up to 170km/h (105mph) - is now making its way across Luzon, the BBC's Kate McGeown in the central Luzon province of Zambales reports.
Many roads have been flooded and flights cancelled, and local media are urging people against non-essential travel, our correspondent says.
An adult and three children were crushed to death as a building collapsed in a northern Manila suburb on Tuesday, AFP news agency quoted the Office of Civil Defence as saying.
Two men were said to have died north of the capital in a landslide and weather-induced accident.
There is waist-deep flooding in parts of the capital.
Reporters described huge waves crashing into Manila Bay's seawall, with water overflowing into Roxas Boulevard and flooding streets and parks around the US embassy, which was evacuated.
The ground floor of Manila hospital was flooded, and staff were forced to move patients to the first floor.
"We've heard of Manila Hospital being flooded, but we're struggling to reach the area even though we've co-ordinated with them already to help in an evacuation plan," Philippine National Red Cross secretary general Gwen Pang told AFP.
A five-star hotel was also evacuated, reports said.
Meanwhile, thousands of residents living inland along the Marikana river were evacuated as it threatened to overflow.
Government offices, schools and universities were closed.
In Isabela province, four coastal towns under threat from storm surges have been evacuated.
Four fishermen are missing, and more than 50 more have been rescued after their boats capsized in rough seas.
There are fears that the death toll may rise further.
Late on Monday, the first reported casualty of the typhoon was a baby who fell into a swollen river in the eastern province of Catanduanes.
Earlier, about 110,000 people in several towns of the Albay province were ordered to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere.
"We can't manage typhoons, but we can manage their effects," provincial Governor Joey Salceda was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
The Philippines suffers frequent typhoons, about 20 a year, but Nesat is thought to be the largest this year.
It comes almost exactly two years after Typhoon Ketsana killed more than 400 people.
FROM THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE (USA):
Court Strikes Down Port of LA Driver Mandate
Bill Mongelluzzo | Sep 26, 2011 8:18PM GMT
The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story
Deals blow to Teamsters' effort to use clean-truck program to unionize drivers
A federal court of appeals on Monday struck down a controversial employee-driver mandate in the Port of Los Angeles clean-truck program, dealing a severe blow to Teamsters’ effort to use the environmental program to unionize harbor truck drivers.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit left in place other concession requirements in the Los Angeles clean-truck program that pertain to safety and truck maintenance. That makes it difficult for the port to determine whether it should pursue a costly appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Striking down the Los Angeles employee-driver mandate was the major target of the American Trucking Associations when it filed its suit against the city and the port more than two years ago.
“It is a clear win on the employee mandate. We’re certainly very pleased by the decision,” said Curtis Whalen, executive director of ATA’s intermodal conference.
As part of its clean-truck program, which is intended to reduce harmful diesel emissions by more than 80 percent, Los Angeles included a requirement that harbor trucking companies hire drivers as direct employees. The port’s reasoning is that in order to sustain a clean-truck program over the years, the burden of purchasing and maintaining expensive new trucks cannot be placed on the shoulders of relatively low-paid drivers.
The majority of drivers at U.S. container ports are owner-operators, also known as independent contractors. By law, independent contractors cannot be unionized. Labor unions can, however, organize direct employees, so the employee mandate in the Los Angeles program was an attempt to pave the way for unionization of the drivers.
In its ruling, the 9th Circuit wrote even though the port is attempting to promote stability in the harbor trucking services, it can not seek to achieve that goal “by unilaterally inserting itself into the contractual relationship between motor carriers and drivers.”
Los Angeles must decide now whether to appeal the ruling, and a port spokesman said legal staff is analyzing the options. “We are pleased that almost all aspects of our concession program have again been upheld,” said Geraldine Knatz, the port’s executive director.
The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports, which represents 150 labor, environmental and community organizations, including the Teamsters, said the employee-driver mandate is a key component of the Los Angeles clean-truck program. Eliminating the employee mandate, “if upheld, will have devastating consequences for working families and port communities plagued by dirty air and dead-end jobs,” the coalition stated.
The neighboring Port of Long Beach had already reached an out-of-court settlement with ATA in which its clean-truck program requires truck registrations and similar concessions, but does not have an employee-driver mandate. Long Beach noted after Monday’s ruling some 10,000 clean, compliant trucks have been entered into service since 2008 without an employee-driver mandate.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, which participated in the case on the side of the Port of Los Angeles, expressed a similar concern that without the employee mandate, the sustainability of the clean-truck program over time will be jeopardized. “Absent the employee mandate, motor carriers will force drivers to shoulder the costs, and the environmental benefits will be at risk,” said Melissa Lin Perrella, NRDC staff attorney in Los Angeles.
ILWU's McEllrath Surrenders to Police
Leader of EGT terminal protest cited for misdemeanors, released
International Longshore and Warehouse Union President Bob McEllrath surrendered to law enforcement officials on Monday to face misdemeanour charges relating to blocking a train from entering a grain export terminal in Longview, Wash.
McEllrath, who was released after being cited, said he was” standing with Longview’s longshore workers and their supporters who have been harshly punished for standing up to multinational bully EGT.”
The union president and others have waged a massive labor protest against EGT for trying to become the first grain terminal on the West Coast to operate without the use of ILWU labor.
As McEllrath entered the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice, ILWU workers at all West Coast ports shut down their cargo-handling machinery for 15 minutes. In a show of bi-coastal solidarity, International Longshoremen’s Association Vice President Ken Riley walked through the front door of the Hall of Justice with McEllrath.
McEllrath was cited on misdemeanor charges of trespassing in the second degree and obstructing a train during a protest on Sept. 7.
About 135 longshore workers and their supporters have been arrested this summer in demonstrations associated with the pending opening of the terminal run by EGT, an international join venture led by Bunge, a large grain shipper. The ILWU on Sept. 22 filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging harsh tactics by law enforcement officers in arresting workers, sometimes days after an incident.
The ILWU since 1934 has been the only longshore union to represent dock workers at West Coast ports. The ILWU represents dock workers at the half-dozen other grain terminals in the Pacific Northwest.
In addition to being accompanied by ILA Vice President Riley and a second East Coast longshoreman, McEllrath entered the Hall of Justice with the presidents of the ILWU locals in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and Vancouver, Wash.
Deutsche Post Wins Belgian State Aid Battle
Blocks Belgium from giving its national mail company $406 million
Germany’s Deutsche Post DHL won a long-running legal battle to block Belgium from giving $406 million in aid to its national mail company, Bpost.
The European Court of Justice, the European Union’s highest court, rejected an appeal by Bpost against a 2009 ruling outlawing the Belgian government’s financial support for the state-owned company.
Deutsche Post sued the European Commission in 2003 after the EU’s executive agency approved the $406 million capital injection.
Bpost said the court ruling was based on procedural flaws and does not take a final position on repayment of the aid to the Belgian government.
UNION/LABOUR RELATED MEDIA
FROM PEOPLE'S WORLD (USA):
***Longshore union leader: "We're putting our bodies on the line."
Coffman, who himself has been arrested on the docks along with his members, spent Friday afternoon with four labor journalists including this reporter. "It's the same now as it was then," he said as he stood on what has become almost sacred ground for longshore workers. He was standing near the train tracks, under a bridge in Seattle's Smith Cove. In 1934 workers blocked trains that come into that cove for 83 days. Police, doing the bidding of the companies, shot at them from turrets they erected along the bridge.
Author Rod Palmquist was present at the interview, has written on the historic strike. He explained that before 1934 coming to work on the docks was almost like selling yourself into chattel slavery. "The bosses stood you up on a block. If you were 22, and weighed 200 lbs., their attitude was that they could get five years out of you before the life was squeezed from your body."
Coffman said that, "until then, if workers organized in Seattle, the companies set up shop in Tacoma. If they organized in Tacoma, the companies went to Seattle. The rise of the union meant solidarity along the entire coast, decent life for the workers and bigger and better communities, in general."
Palmquist and Coffman spoke about how, in 1934, pickets greased the train tracks and how the mayor, known as "Machine Gun Smith," sent in police who set up machine gun nests along what is now the Magnolia Bridge. Cops on horseback led a cavalry charge against the workers. "It was union organizing coupled with support from the Roosevelt administration that began to turn all of this around," he said.
The grain terminal that is the center of what Coffman sees as a similar fight today is owned and operated by EGT - a consortium of companies that includes U.S.-based Bunge North America, South Korea-based STX Pan Ocean and Japan-based Itochu Corporation. Bunge reported profits of $2.5 billion dollars last year. "It's the company we have been negotiating with for years," Coffman said.
Coffman insisted that in all the recent demonstrations where police have charged into demonstrators, the workers were peaceful and simply exercising their rights. "What in God's name is morally wrong with sitting on train tracks," he asked. "For exercising their rights and protesting a company that violates contracts and international laws they were hit with pepper spray, struck with batons, wrestled to the ground. They grabbed our union president, physically assaulting him and detaining him. Seeing the pictures of that really got people up and down the coast to mobilize in support of our local."
Workers in Tacoma, Seattle, Anacortes and Everett, other ports in Washington, engaged in one day rank-and-file strikes to show their support.
"The corporate media is lying and it is lying over and over again, to try to get people to believe that the workers are the ones who are violent," Coffman said. "It was the Longview police chief, who lied to the press when he said that on Sept. 8 six guards were held hostage for a couple of hours in Longview. That was a lie and even local elected officials have said the police chief owes the people of Longview an apology."
Coffman said EGT received substantial tax breaks and other benefits - including the land that was secured for the company by the Port of Longview. "They signed a sweetheart deal with the port and then turned their backs on the people of the Longview by importing out of state and out of country workers to build the terminal. This helped drive down wages all over our area, hurting everyone, not just dock workers."
Now, he said, EGT refuses to honor the contract the union has with the port to hire ILWU workers. Instead, it has brought in scabs from another union.
The company is facing a tough battle in Longview and Coffman says he is thrilled about that. Support for the ILWU is so rock solid that over 200 businesses, he said, are displaying signs in their windows that express support for Local 21 members.
Coffman said that company and government attempts to stop the union from protesting grain shipments cannot be allowed to succeed. "Laws were always stacked against workers but got really worse with Taft Hartley in 1947," he said. "One of the purposes of that law is to restrict effective picket lines and do the bidding of companies by requiring the NLRB to seek quick and far-reaching injunctions against protest activity."
"The company wants this to end up in federal district court," Coffman said, "because the judge involved at the Tacoma district, Judge Ronald Leighton, is a Bush-appointed Republican judge."
The other thing that pleases Coffman a lot is support he says is "coming in from all over." This includes the International Longshore Association on the East and Gulf coasts, the International Dockers Council and the International Transport Workers Federation.
"I wouldn't be surprised if, eventually, we see united action that could end up closing ports all over this country," he said. "I'm not predicting that, but I wouldn't be surprised."
FROM FRIFAGBEVEGELSE, ALSO NORSK TRANSPORTARBEIDERFORBUND:
***YTF støtter Monica Okpe
Yrkestrafikkforbundet (YTF) støtter Monica Okpe, og uttaler at dyktige tillitsvalgte gjør arbeidsdagen tryggere for mange.
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VH |
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Publisert 26.09.2011 kl 14:53 Oppdatert 26.09.2011 kl 14:53 |
- Jeg oppfordrer mine kolleger i YTF til ikke å stille seg på sidelinjen i denne konflikten. YTF er ikke en del av LO-familien, men det bør ikke være noen hindring. Trakassering av tillitsvalgte kan ramme oss også, sier forbundsleder Svein Furøy i YTF:
YTF støtter tillitsvalgt i NTF
Av Bente Bolstad ( I går, 10:42 )
Monica Okpe fikk sparken på dagen fra jobben sin i DHL i Oslo. Hun var lokal tillitsvalgt for Tran-sportarbeiderforbundet og hadde lenge vært en sterk og aktiv fagforeningsleder. Forbundsleder i YTF Svein Furøy er kritisk: - Jeg oppfordrer mine kolleger i YTF til å støtte Opke. Bransjen trenger sterke tilllitsvalgte, en annen gang kan det være YTF som rammes, sier han. Foto: Vegard Holm
Mandag 10. oktober gjennomfører Den internasjonale transportføderasjonen ITF en aksjonsdag for Monica Okpe, med fokus på kamp mot trakassering av tillitsvalgte og undergraving av faglige rettigheter.
- Jeg oppfordrer mine kolleger i YTF til ikke å stille seg på sidelinjen i denne konflikten. YTF er ikke en del av LO-familien, men det bør ikke være noen hindring. Trakassering av tillitsvalgte kan ramme oss også, sier Svein Furøy.
Monica Opke har hele tiden holdt seg innenfor avtalte spilleregler for uoverensstemmelser i arbeidslivet. Hun gjorde ingen feil som tillitsvalgt.
- Uansett hvor vi jobber, om vi jobber på "gulvet", på kontor eller på veien, så trenger vi trygghet. Dyktige tillitsvalgte gjør arbeidsdagen tryggere for mange. Derfor er denne saken viktig, sier Furøy.
Monica Okpe gjorde seg "skyldig" i tre bagatellmessige uregelmessigheter over en toårs periode. To ganger leste hun feil på turnusplanen og kom for seint på jobb. Og en gang kom hun noen minutter for seint på jobb på grunn av forsinkelse i trafikken. Dette brukte ledelsen som påskudd for å gi henne øyeblikkelig avskjed.
- Jeg hører at ansatte i DHL nå er engstelige for å delta i fagforeningsaktiviteter, og at ledelsen sørger for denne engstelsen. Med oppsigelsen av Monica Okpe har selskapet kvittet seg med en sterk fagforeningsleder. Dette er trakassering av en tillitsvalgt. Hvis avskjedigelsen ikke blir omgjort, vil dette kunne spre seg til andre arbeidsplasser. Det kan vi ikke akseptere, sier Furøy.
TRANSLATION:
YTF supports Monica Okpe
Occupation Traffic Association (YTF) supports Monica Okpe, and states that skilled officers making the working day safer for many.
VH
Posted 26.09.2011 at 2:53 p.m. Updated 26/09/2011 at 2:53 p.m.
- I encourage my colleagues in the YTF not to sit on the sidelines in this conflict. YTF is not part of the trade union family, but there should be no obstacle. Harassment of union representatives to strike, says union leader Svein Furøy the YTF.
Read the full story on the website of YTF:
YTF support representative in NTF
By Bente Bolstad (Yesterday, 10:42)
Monica Okpe was fired that day from his job at DHL in Oslo. She was the local representative for Tran-sport related work, and had long been a strong and active trade union leader. Federal Leader of the YTF Svein Furøy is critical - I encourage my colleagues in the YTF to support Opke. The industry needs strong tilllitsvalgte, another time it may be YTF affected, he said. Photo: Vegard Holm
Monday 10 October conducts the International Transport Federation ITF a aksjonsdag for Monica Okpe, focusing on the battle against harassment by officers and an undermining of trade union rights.
- I encourage my colleagues in the YTF not to sit on the sidelines in this conflict. YTF is not part of the trade union family, but there should be no obstacle. Harassment of union representatives to frame us, says Svein Furøy.
Monica Opke has always remained within the agreed ground rules for disagreements in the workplace. She made no mistake as representative.
- No matter where we work, we are working on the "floor", the office or on the road, so we need security. Skilled officers make the day safer for many. Therefore, this case is important, says Furøy.
Monica Okpe made himself "guilty" three minor anomalies over a two year period. Twice she read errors on the rotation schedule and arrived late for work. And once she came a few minutes late for work because of delays in traffic. This used lead as an excuse to give her immediate dismissal.
- I hear that the employees of DHL is now anxious to participate in union activities, and management to ensure these worries. With the resignation of Monica Okpe, the company divested itself of a strong trade union leader. This is harassment by a union representative. If dismissal is not reversed, this could spread to other workplaces. We can not accept, says Furøy.
FROM THE SIU:
For Immediate Release
Contact: Father Sinclair Oubre, (409) 749-0171
MARAD’s Chief Council will give keynote at World Maritime Day Observances
Bringing the reality of piracy to the forefront
People from throughout the Gulf Coast are gearing up for the Sept. 29 World Maritime Day observance at the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center. The daylong conference on international piracy will kick off at 9:00 a.m.
The keynote address will be given by Denise Krepp, Chief Council of the United States Maritime Administration. Ms. Krepp, who formerly served as the Chief Council to the House Homeland Security Committee, will share MARAD’s perspective on international piracy, while at the same time, giving the participants insights into policies that MARAD offers to US-flagged ships sailing through pirate-infested waters.
In addition to Ms. Krepp, other maritime experts will be sharing their perspectives with participants.
Representing the shipowners’ perspective will be Joe Cox of the Chamber of Shipping of America. Cox has worked in the maritime industry for more than 40 years and is the U.S. shipowner representative to the International Labor Organization in Geneva.
Representing the Coast Guard will be Robert Gauvin, executive director of piracy policy and technical advisor for the office of vessel activities. Gauvin is presently responsible for long range projects of national and international concerns involving U.S. and foreign vessel commercial operations.
According to the web site Oceans Beyond Piracy, the human cost of piracy has continued to grow. In 2010, some 4,185 seafarers were attacked by pirates; 1,090 seafarers were held hostage; and 515 seafarers were used as human shields.
Registration is now underway for this fact-filled conference. For more information and to register visit www.seafarerissues.net
FROM THE SUR:
***Неделя действий: третий раунд
В портах стран Азиатско-Тихоокеанского региона стартовала третья в этом году Неделя действий против удобных флагов.
Профсоюзы моряков и докеров, а также инспекции МФТ посетят с проверками суда, ошвартовавшиеся у берегов Японии, Кореи, Тайваня и России. Помимо стран АТР подобная акция проходит в Индии и Шри-Ланке, где местные профактивисты встретятся с экипажами теплоходов, стоящих в Кочине, Ченнае, Коломбо и Тутикорин.
Так получилось, что в 2011 году это уже третья по счету Неделя действий против удобных флагов. Прежде всего, это связанно с участившимися сигналами о нарушениях прав моряков на судах, где развиваются удобные флаги. Кроме того, как показывает практика, именно в дни проведения кампании судовладельцы стараются устранить задолженности перед членами экипажей, улучшить условия труда и решить имеющиеся проблемы.
В Японии проверки пройдут в порту Мисима-Каваное, откуда профсоюзы часто получают сообщения о травмах, особенно среди временных работников. А перед офисом компании «Kotoku Kaiun» планируется проведение акций протеста, поскольку судовладелец отказывается подписать коллективный договор МФТ.
В Корее профактивисты посетят теплоходы, стоящие в портах Пусан, Инчхон и Ульсан, а на Дальнем Востоке России представители РПСМ проверят суда, ошвартовавшиеся у берегов Владивостока, Находки и Восточного.
Как рассказал нам председатель Дальневосточной региональной организации РПСМ Николай Суханов, в первый день кампании профсоюз побывал на двух углевозах – «Silvana», где трудятся китайские моряки и «SDL Maya», где встретил бирманский экипаж. Оба судна работают под панамским флагом и принадлежат тайванским компаниям.
«Колдоговора на обоих судах не оказалось,– отметил профлидер. – Зарплата китайских моряков составляет $600 в месяц, бирманским морякам платят всего по $350. И это, несмотря на то, что коллективный договор МФТ обязывает судовладельцев платить членам экипажей не менее $1950 ежемесячно. По нашей просьбе капитаны углевозов должны связаться с компаниями и передать требование МФТ о подписании справедливого для каждого моряка соглашения. Если работодатели проигнорируют эту процедуру, в следующих портах захода оба теплохода попадут по акции протеста со стороны членских профсоюзов Федерации, включая докеров».
TRANSLATION:
Action Week: Third Round
In the ports of the Asia-Pacific region launched the third in this year's Action Week against flags of convenience.
The trade unions of seafarers and dockers and ITF inspection visit of inspection vessels moored off the coast of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Russia. In addition to the Asia-Pacific countries such action is in India and Sri Lanka, where local profaktivisty meet with the crews of ships standing in Cochin, Chennai, Tuticorin and Colombo.
It so happened that in 2011 this is the third week of action against flags of convenience. First of all, this is due to the increase in signal on human rights of seafarers on ships, where developing flags of convenience. Furthermore, as practice shows, it was in the days of the campaign trying to eliminate debt owners to crew members, improve working conditions and to solve existing problems.
In Japan, the inspection will be held at the port of Mishima-Kawana, where unions often receive reports of injuries, especially among temporary workers. A front office of the company «Kotoku Kaiun» planned protests as owner refuses to sign the collective agreement the ITF.
In Korea profaktivisty visit ships, lying at the port of Pusan, Inchon and Ulsan, and the Russian Far East representatives RPSM check ships moored off the coast of Vladivostok, Nakhodka and the East.
Told us the chairman of the Far Eastern Regional Organization RPSM Nikolai Sukhanov, the first day of the campaign the union went on two uglevozah - «Silvana», employing Chinese sailors and «SDL Maya», where he met a Burmese crew. Both vessels operate under the Panamanian flag and owned by Taiwanese companies.
"Collective agreement for both courts was not, - said the union leaders. - Salary Chinese sailors is $ 600 per month, Burmese sailors pay only $ 350. And this despite the fact that the collective bargaining agreement requires ship owners to pay the ITF crew members not less than $ 1,950 a month. At our request, the captains uglevozov should contact companies and request to transfer the ITF to sign a fair agreement for every sailor. If employers ignore this procedure, the following ports of call on both the ship will get a protest from the membership of trade unions Federation, including the dock. "
***Единым фронтом
Переговоры инспектората МФТ с судоходной компанией «Kangalassy Shipping Ltd», длившиеся три дня, увенчались успехом: это означает, что на борту «Kangalassy» (флаг Сент-Винсент) в порту Санкт-Петербург закончена акция протеста, девять моряков получили задержанную заработную плату, а семеро из них были благополучно списаны с проблемного судна.
Началась эта история 20 сентября, когда трое эстонцев и шестеро россиян обратились за помощью в МФТ. По словам моряков, судовладелец не платил им за работу, а капитан даже не получил расчет за предыдущий рейс. Все это стало поводом для принятия решения о массовом списании с «Kangalassy». Однако и здесь работодатель не хотел выполнять свои прямые обязанности.
По прибытию на борт инспекция МФТ выяснила, что задолженность составляет более 30 тысяч евро, после чего приступила к переговорам с судоходной компанией. Пока профактивисты делали все возможное, чтобы вернуть морякам деньги и договориться о репатриации, команда теплохода не сидела «сложа руки». Заручившись поддержкой МФТ, моряки объявили на «Kangalassy» бессрочную акцию протеста под эгидой РПСМ: на судне выполнялся минимум работ, связанных с обеспечением жизнедеятельности теплохода и безопасности мореплавания. О ситуации были проинформированы пограничные органы, фрахтователь и судовладелец.
В результате трехдневных переговоров справедливость восторжествовала, и все моряки получили заработанные деньги. Добавим, что судовладелец перечислял зарплаты в несколько этапов, что иногда может быть на руку компании. Как правило, получив первые деньги, моряки отказываются от своих требований, прекращают акцию протеста и готовы идти в следующий порт. Обман становится понятен только тогда, когда в назначенный день оставшаяся часть денег так и не перечисляется. Но в этот раз все было по-другому: сплоченность экипажа и желание победить взяло верх. Моряки продолжали стоять на своем, пока последняя копейка не упала на счет.
TRANSLATION:
United front
Negotiations with the ITF inspectorate shipping company «Kangalassy Shipping Ltd», which lasted three days, were unsuccessful, which means that on board «Kangalassy» (flag of Saint Vincent) in the port of St. Petersburg finished protest, nine sailors were delayed wages and seven of them were successfully copied from the troubled ship.
This story began on September 20, when three Estonians and Russians, six enlisted the help of the ITF. According to the sailors, ship owner did not pay them for work, and the captain did not even receive payments for the previous flight. All of this was the reason for the decision to cancel the mass with «Kangalassy». But here, the employer did not want to carry out their direct duties.
On arrival on board the ITF inspectorate found that the debt is more than 30 thousand euros, and then started negotiations with the shipping company. While profaktivisty did everything possible to return the money to seamen and arrange for the repatriation, the command ship did not sit "idly by". With the support of the ITF, the sailors declared on «Kangalassy» perpetual protest under the auspices RPSM: the ship carried a minimum of work associated with providing vital ship and navigation safety. On the situation had been informed border authorities, the charterer and shipowner.
As a result, the three-day talks justice prevailed, and all the sailors have earned money. We add that the owner listed the salaries of several steps that can sometimes be on hand the company. As a rule, received the first money, the sailors refused their demands, stop the protest and ready to go to the next port. Deception becomes clear only when the appointed day the rest of the money was never transferred. But this time it was different: the cohesion of the crew and the desire to win took over. The sailors continued to stand his ground until the last penny fell into the account.
© 2011 RPSM
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