Dockers' Day of Action International Update
Tuesday 21 Jan4 p.m. LiverpoolLos Angeles:
Over 100 gantry cranes stood idle in the world's 3rd largest port on Monday 20.1 as longshoremen in Los Angeles struck in solidarity with sacked Liverpool dockers. With 32 ships in port and another 16 due in during the international Day of Action, major shipping lines including Maersk, American President Line, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, NYK and OOCL were affected.Over 3,000 LA dockers were meeting to discuss "Liverpool and the threats to all dockers worldwide".Also on the West Coast USA, members of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union shut down Portland and all other Oregon ports for 24 hours while the San Francisco Bay Area, Long Beach, Seattle and Tacoma saw similar action lasting 5-12 hours.Also the port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska shutdown for 8 hours.
Rotterdam:
Dockers of the FNV union in Rotterdam, the world's largest port, today (21.1) refused work on a Morline/Baltic Line vessel calling in Liverpool. The "Mor Europe" arrived last night at the European Container Terminal in Rotterdam. After a work-to-rule on the night shift, 2 gangs refused to service the vessel this morning. The boat was now only expected to sail for Hamburg at 4:30 pm. An oil tanker, the "Dutch Navigator", also appeared to suffer delays at the Van Ommeren Tank Terminal.Meanwhile, the 950 Rotterdam dockers are preparing their own battle against employers' demands for 200 redundancies, with 300 other men to go on a 3 day week for 3 years while 450 form a core workforce. The Port seeks an agreement to use agency labour.Brazil:
The 3 national Brazilian docker organisations representing over 70,000 members are currently:- writing to Brazilian and foreign shipping companies requesting them to persuade Mersey Docks to reinstate the 500 sacked men.
- informing all 145 affiliated unions to brief every union member on the Liverpool dispute.
- calling a national meeting to discuss an "effective boycott action against any cargo from or (to) Liverpool in Brazilian ports".
Norway:
The Sandnes Kal dockers union is to "follow the requests from the ITF and the Norwegian Transportworkers Union (for) direct action" and material support to Liverpool.St. Petersburg:
The Russian Trade Union of Dockers of the Sea in St. Petersburg is watching the port for vessels and cargoes of companies calling in Liverpool.Zurich:
The doors of the British consulate general were glued shut and painted with slogans in a political protest supporting the dockers and Women of the Waterfront.
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