ITF speech to ILO tomorrow: ‘market forces can’t deliver us from crises’
10 June 2008.
In a speech to the ILO (International Labour Organization) in Geneva tomorrow, 11 June 2008, ITF General Secretary David Cockroft will underline the importance of trade unions, cooperation and a search for social justice in a world threatened by climate change, food price rises and economic uncertainty.
Cockroft will be speaking to the plenary session of the International Labour Conference at the UN agency at around 17:00 tomorrow, prior to addressing the IMO (International Maritime Organization) Council next week.i
He will tell the ILO that: “Today’s credit crisis, the massive rise in oil and food prices and the growing threat to our planet of climate change shows that market forces alone cannot deliver decent jobs, decent living conditions or sustainable growth. ”i
“This year sees the 60th anniversary of the adoption of Convention 87 and the adoption of a Declaration on social justice for a fair globalisation – which will bring the language of the Declaration of Philadelphia to match the challenges of today’s global world. More than ever we need a strong ILO today.”i
He will also back the ILO and its tripartite (government, employers, unions) approach to problem solving, and commend cooperation between it and the IMO, stating: “Two years ago, the ITF, representing seafarers and the ISF representing shipowners, together with the government group, led by China, made a major step forward in raising the profile of the ILO with the adoption of the Consolidated Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).
“Shipping, the world’s first global industry, now has the world’s first enforceable international labour standard. The MLC will take its place alongside the three fundamental maritime conventions of the IMO as the fourth pillar of global maritime regulation. Any ship which does not carry and comply with a maritime labour certificate laying down Convention standards will be excluded from global trade by port states.”i
He will also speak in favour of gender equality and safe, clean transport, and applaud the securing of a new Consolidated Fisheries Convention - along with the part played in it by the International Organisation of Employers. Similar joint work between the ITF, the IRU (International Road Transport Union) and ILO has resulted in the production of a workers’ and employers’ ‘toolkit’ on HIV/Aids prevention.i
The speech will also remind delegates of two recent examples of growing international union cooperation: “Many of you will be aware that a Chinese flagged ship, the An Yue Jiang, was recently discovered to be planning to unload 3 million rounds of AK 47 ammunition, and rocket propelled grenades in the port of Durban. These weapons were destined for the soldiers of Robert Mugabe’s regime in at a moment when political tensions are at their highest. The ITF dockers’ union refused to unload the ship and as the ITF received reports that it would try to escape the action by unloading in Mozambique, Angola or Namibia, ITF unions in those countries made it clear that the ship’s cargo wasn’t welcome anywhere in Africa. African Union governments also added their support. Contacts also took place between the ITF and the Chinese Seamens’ Union and the ACFTU (All-China Federation of Trade Unions), and with the Chinese government. I am happy to be able to tell you that those weapons are nearly back in China.”i
“A second example is a remarkable development in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank. For over two years, Israeli and Palestinian ITF unions have been working to improve conditions for professional Palestinian drivers. Last year we established, at a meeting in Cyprus, an ITF/Histadrut /PGFTU Liaison Committee. Earlier this year we held negotiations with senior representatives of the Israeli armed forces to establish a system under which genuine transport workers – taxi and truck drivers – can move through checkpoints more easily without compromising Israel’s security. We have now begun to recruit workers in a call centre in Ramallah and a new Helpline for Palestinian transport workers will soon be up and running. Decent work in that region has a very special meaning.”i
But there is still a need for change and urgent action around the world, David Cockroft will say, stating that: “In too many countries, organising workers into genuine trade unions still carries with it a very high risk. The killers of the General Secretary of the ITF’s Guatemalan port workers union STEPQ - Pedro Zamora - still have not been brought to justice, although the new President, Alvaro Colom, has promised to step up the pressure.i
“And there is still a serious lack of Freedom of Association in the Islamic Republic of Iran. When I addressed this conference last year, Mansour Osanloo, chair of the Tehran Bus Workers’ Union, had just stepped off a plane in London to participate in an ITF road transport meeting. A week later he travelled to Brussels where he addressed the ITUC General Council and met many of the world’s top trade union leaders. They were all deeply impressed by his passion to create a genuine independent workers' movement in Iran. In my address I asked the Iranian authorities to make sure that he did not face any reprisals when he returned home.i
“With great regret, I have to tell you that a month after his return to Tehran, security agents kidnapped him from a bus driven by one of his own members. For three days he disappeared from view and we feared for his life. Eventually we discovered that he had been returned to the notorious Evin prison where he remains today sentenced to five years in jail simply for trying to achieve for Tehran bus workers the fundamental rights guaranteed in ILO Convention 87, which most people in this hall take for granted at home.i
“The existence of an independent organisation of workers is still seen by some elements in the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat to that republic’s very existence. It is noti.
“ In fact the government still refuses to let genuine worker organisations operate. Instead it claims that the Workers' House and Islamic Labour Council - two bodies which it created - are the only legitimate voice of Iranian workers.i
“In 2005 members of the Islamic Labour Council attacked and badly injured Mansour Osanloo. In more recent attacks by security agents his eyes were badly damaged and urgent intervention by the Director General was probably the main reason he was eventually given treatment which, we hope, saved his eyesight.i
“ITF and ITUC unions throughout the world are continuing to campaign to secure the freedom of Osanloo, of Mahmoud Salehi of the Saqez Bakers’ Union and of the many other independent labour leaders in Iran who still face intense harassment simply for trying to secure freedom of association and collective bargaining rights for their members.”i
“I very much hope that I will not have to make a further statement on this question next year or that I will be able to report good news of Mansour’s release and that independent workers’ organisations can take their rightful place.”i
ENDS
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