Nearby ports support French dockworkers
The dockworkers of Sète, members of the IDC, have given their employers a list of demands in order to improve the casual workers’ situation and prevent the mass dismissal of 23 colleagues. The workers have received numerous displays of solidarity from other ports, such as Barcelona and Palamós in Spain, and Fos and Marseilles in France, which have refused to unload ships diverted from Sète.
The proposal concerning casual workers includes many aspects that should have been resolved a long time ago. For example, basic improvements are requested, such as the hiring room having bathrooms complying with hygiene regulations. Another demand is for the hiring supervisor to be a worker and that fixed schedules should be established for hiring: 17. 00 for the morning shift and before 8. 00 in the morning for the afternoon shift. Finally, another demand is for casual workers to have a guaranteed minimum of 13 days work a month.
As regards work on the ships, the dockworkers are demanding an in-depth review of work permits, the establishment of teams, workplace safety measures, hygiene conditions, holiday and Sunday pay, extraordinary Christmas payments, etc. In reality, the workers are asking for their working conditions to be in line with current European regulations and that the constant threats of dismissal cease. These threats are also senseless at a time in which Sète is experiencing an increase in all its traffic and is becoming one of the main ports in the Gulf of Lyons. The IDC therefore supports the demands of its colleagues in Sète and urges the companies in this port to undertake dialogue in order to find a swift solution.
