Chris Bailey (hi Chris) has asked the ITF to comment on the Mersey situation. I am enclosing an ITF Press Release sent out today.
For your benefit I would like to add some personal comments, in addition to this statement
The ITF did not attempt to sabotage the international conference. I have ITF General Secretary David Cockroft's complete assurance that not a single fax was sent to anyone discouraging or commenting in any way upon this meeting. The same goes for Dockers Sec Kees Marges.
ITF affiliates are autonomous organisations who are perfectly free to establish any bilateral contacts they wish. The affiliates themselves as organisations in the ITF regions and sections have historically opposed the creation of rival or alternative organisations.
In this case we have been assured that no international organisation is being established, but that an informal alliance of organisations is all that is on the cards.
I should make it clear that the ITF has not, nor will ever attempt to detract affiliates from supporting this dispute. From time to time it has been said that we ask affiliates to keep us informed of any solidarity action they perform. This does not represent an effort to prevent action, it is simply a desire to gather accurate information which is after all a large part of our job.
I can only add that it is always worth remembering that the ITF itself is nothing more than the democratic expression of its affiliated membership. We only exist because our membership consider us useful.
Richard Flint
Communications' Department Secretary
International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)
Internet: flint_richard@itf.org.uk
More information about the ITF can be found on our Web page at: http://www.itf.org.uk
The ITF and its affiliated member unions throughout the world have continuously expressed their support and solidarity with the sacked Liverpool dockworkers who have been on strike for a year.
The ITF and its member union have the greatest sympathy for the aims of the Liverpool strikers - namely reinstatement of dismissed workers and no casualisation of permanent employment.
ITF affiliated seafarers and dockworkers' unions have already contributed greatly to support for the strikers. The support has included practical solidarity action in some countries and considerable financial contributions to the Liverpool Hardship Fund. British trade union legislation (which the ITF opposes) limits the possibilities for solidarity action in the UK and also prevents the ITF-affiliated Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) from making the dispute official and formally asking the ITF to organise support action.
The ITF European Regional Dockers' Meeting met yesterday in London and spent considerable time listening to a report on the Liverpool situation and meeting with the local shop stewards. A resolution which noted the decision of the GEC of the TGWU to call for negotiations with Merseyside Dock and Harbour Company (MD & HC) to be re-opened without preconditions was adopted expressing its "full support for the attempts of the TGWU to reach a final negotiated settlement to the dispute". This meeting was attended by 26 representatives of ITF affiliated European dockworkers' unions in Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the UK.
The dockers' unions present reaffirmed their support for the Liverpool dockworkers and made it clear, should MD & HC refuse meaningful negotiations with the union, that this would intensify international solidarity action against shipping in the port of Liverpool.
Further info? Contact ITF Communications Secretary Richard Flint.
