The struggle in the port of Amsterdam, against deregulation and in defence of jobs, has encountered a major setback. Dock-companies, in co-operation with most of the Union-officials, have forced the dockers to accept an offer, that should have been refused. Thanks to the organised struggle by the rank-and-file, the agreement is better on the individual level, than could be expected according to the law, but still it kills some 175 jobs out of 650 in the port of Amsterdam, in the coming 2 years. The refusal of the union to give guidance to the fight for an (at least) nation-wide solution, had demoralising effects on the dockers. Even though, the top of the union had to change the(ir) rules, in order to break the resistance of the workers against the proposal. The position of the union in the execution of the agreement is unique, because the union (Vervoersbond FNV) together with the job-centre employs the dockers for the coming period. Despite this lost battle, the war against deregulation is not over. Companies could not find any opening in this field. However, the bosses will try to use this contract as a crowbar. Dockers of course should use any event to resist.
Companies in the port of Amsterdam, employ some 650 dockers. They employ 350 of them directly and 300 via an agency, the so-called Havenpool. The Havenpool is an agency set up by the dock-companies to regulate the supply of flexible work force in the harbour. Due to the militancy of the dockers (both in Amsterdam and Rotterdam) and of the companies, the government has always paid for the loses of the Havenpool. This agreement was laid down in a special law. In Amsterdam, the losses count for some 2 million guilder (one guilder = ½ dollar = 1/3 pound). This looks a lot, but on the other hand the Port of Amsterdam Company, owned by the city, makes a profit of nearly 25 million, each year. In 1995 the government decided the pool had to become an independent private company. The pool was privatised and the government donated some 25 million for a fresh start. Surprisingly, begin 1997 the Pool went broke. It turned out that the company was not that independent at all. The dock-companies used their influence to get dockers for less then the agreed tariffs. The staff was taken by surprise. The management of the agency always refused to talk this matter with the chosen works council.
The Havenpool is not just a business tool to regulate the flexible work force. It also provides the flexible work force a decent living. Dockers, employed by the Havenpool, have a permanent contract of employ. They fall under the same collective agreement as the permanent staff of the hiring dock-companies. They get paid 100% by the pool, whether there are ships or not. As in other ports, the Amsterdam companies avoid proper planning. They want to have workers on demand.
The companies have planned (sometimes they plan things) the bankruptcy. There was no legal or commercial, reason for the Agency to lower the tariffs. The port of Amsterdam is strongly unionised, and there is binding (until 2000) collective agreement for all the big companies and most of the small ones. This agreement states that the flexible work force can only be hired via the Pool. So there were no competitors. Staff of the pool and of the hiring companies are very keen on stopping irregular workers. When noticed, they are always removed. This co-operation between the pool workers and the fixed workers is still working. Fixed workers are sharp on this because they are afraid for their labour conditions when they have to compete and work together with underpaid and untrained workers. Except for their money they are afraid for their health and safety. You have got in Amsterdam the same (true) horror stories as in other ports in the world. For example: A father and his son are working together, via an irregular agency. The son gets an accident and the father doesn't dare to stop in order to help his son. So after losing valuable time, workers of the Havenpool, had to call for an ambulance, after they found out.
In their propaganda, the Amsterdam companies always claim that there is a lack of work. That is not true. Three things are happening.
Decrease of the Waterfront. Work done by dockers is moved to workers outside the Waterfront under worse contracts. In Holland for example, you see the growth of (the number of) distribution centres, outside cities.
The movement of work towards some small ports in the neighbourhood. If you take this into account, even the amount of the traditional general-cargo is still growing.
Change of work. Cacao what has always been the backbone of the port of Amsterdam, is now transported in bulk instead of sacks. His requires different skills. The companies claim this to be a big problem. Even if this would be true, a fact is the refusal of the companies to school the dock workers. Dockers of the companies told me it would have been no problem to teach the pool workers. It would cost some money to send someone extra in a shift.
The reason for the bankruptcy is that the companies want to get rid of the Havenpool, and not the other way around. The workers in the Havenpool have always been an important part of the resistance in the harbour. They have never been as the flexible work force as is known in other sectors. A work force, that is used to keep it mouth shut. Also the workers of the other companies feel, that their contracts depend on the conditions under which the flexible work force has to work. They are still working under the same collective agreement. Although some companies have their own special collective agreements, important subjects as the increase of the wages and pensions, are in the general collective agreement. Furthermore if the conditions of the flexible work force get worse, the contracts of the core-workers will come under heavy pressure.
The companies want to get rid of the Havenpool, but they are not yet ready for it. The companies offered the work of the Havenpool to the largest commercial employment agency in the Netherlands. This Agency, Randstad, refused and said they could only do it if they could double the tariffs. The companies couldn't afford this. (The Havenpool asks 7% extra (14% would be needed) to cover idleness of the dockers. The pool in Hamburg asks for example 100%.)
The owners of the companies want to be barons of the port again. They want to have dockers working with equipment of the 21st century, working under conditions of the 19th century. This fight is not the first one and will not be the last one, before things in the port and the society around, are radically changed.
It is in this context, that the agreement was signed and approved. For months an action committee of dockers, from the Havenpool and from the big companies, organised the struggle. Problem was the attitude of the union, or better the lack of attitude. The committee was not able or felt to organise an all out fight with the companies. They organised demonstrations, blockades of roads, etc.
Also the woman's group played an important role in the struggle. Starting with only three women, now 15 are active. They were for example very present in the blockade of the IJmuiden locks. Also they keep in contact with the Rotterdam Women's group and the Women of the Waterfront. Their importance is also laid in the fact, that they are less busy with daily work of the campaign and have more time and attention for allies.
Most of the union officials played a devastating role. Only when the companies on a certain moment refused to talk to the union, the union took its responsibility. It resulted in a 24 hour strike of all the dockers in the port. But as long as the employers respected the union as a partner in solving problems, as defined by the employers, the Union-top didn't want to fight. Actually they only did want to fight the membership and dissenting officials. During the whole conflict, union-officials leaked facts and slander against the members to press.
One of the top-bureaucrats explained to the cadre, that striking would result in loss of credibility towards the other Dutch Unions. The Dutch Unions are now in a process of merger, resulting in the biggest union in the Netherlands. It's a merger between the biggest unions in industry, transport, food and services.
The union leadership and the employers always refused a nation-wide solution. On a meeting of Amsterdam and Rotterdam dockers the chairman of the Vervoersbond, the infamous Waleson, explained it this way: "Negotiations are not meant to put forward ultimatums. They are meant to explore, how far your opponent wants to go."
This atmosphere resulted in a contract in which it is accepted that the problem is to many dockers and low qualification. The 300 dockers of the pool are going to work two days a week and tree days to school. After one and a half year there will be a pool with 100-150 dockers and the other people are schooled to work in construction, transport or airport. The dock workers are now employed by a foundation, in which the governmental employment office and the union form the board.
The employers didn't dear or are not ready to get totally rid of the Havenpool. They promise to take 17.500 services (= one shift of 8 hours) the first half year and 20.000 each year the next two years, at the normal tariffs. The amount of services is enough if the demand of labour would be sufficiently spread. That is not likely. The employers, to win the war, have delayed the import of cacao till the signing of the contract. A lot of work is waiting for February and March. This means that the Havenpool probably cannot deliver and other agencies can step in. On the whole the employers don't take a risk, when work demands it, people will have to work more than two days.
The advantage for the dockers compared with the statutory regulations is that they get paid 100% for the first year as compared to 70% according to the law. They get educational facilities already from day 1, instead after one year. The employers don't pay for this. All the extra money comes from government funding.
As already said, the government doesn't really pay. Much more should also have been done to squeeze the municipality, which makes high profits in the port.
The judgement on the contract cannot be positive. Compared what could be reached. If the union would take their responsibilities, it is not good. Still we should not forget that there still is a pool. That if there had been no resistance the Havenpool would have gone 15 years ago. (Actually it's rather sad. In Holland, these days everybody talks about better protection for the flexible work force. Of course in general, not in the concrete. )
Last but not least there is the coalition with the dockers from the hiring companies.
No rule is holy for the bureaucrats, even not their own!
In Holland the union is promoting itself as a solicitor for the working people. "Madonna has got one, why shouldn't I?" With this solicitor, the workers in the harbour did not need an enemy. The above mentioned meeting of the dockers of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, was only organised, after the threat of a wildcat strike by the Rotterdam dockers. From the beginning Amsterdam and Rotterdam dockers demanded joint meetings and joint actions. The union refused to organise them. All the joint efforts had to be organised by the committees. While the workers were busy organising a campaign, union officials were busy to negotiate the terms for the agreement. It's this refusal of the Unions that most of all demoralised the workers and sets the way free for the sad agreement. Even then, the meeting of the Sector council for the ports, voted 14-11 against the agreement. The Sector council is the highest body of the Vervoersbond for the ports. It has the statutory rights to decide whether any collective agreement falls within union policy, and if not to stop it. The council stated that the agreement was too meagre. It also stated that it was that weak, that it should not be put forward for a referendum, to decide on it. Again the press was used to slander the militants. In a press announcement it was said, that only a handful of militants presented the meeting. It was indeed a handful but this elected body is not bigger according to the rules. The same evening the executive committee sent the referendum forms, towards the membership and letters saying that the counting of the votes would be at Tuesday, the next week and members had to react before that. At Tuesday there was a majority against the agreement and the union refused to close the voting. The next day, the union declared there had received some 100 more votes, closed the ballot, and declared a majority vote of 10 in favour of the agreement. "Very strange", as people more suspicious than we are, would say.
The struggle of the Amsterdam dockers is part of the global-wide fight of dockers against deregulation. Therefore, Amsterdam dockers want to maintain a strong relationship with dock-workers around the globe. This turns out not to be easy. E.g. contacts with the Rotterdam Dockers are essential. It is just a little distance on the map, but thanks to the union it's a giant step for a docker. On the international level some steps have been taken. Three dockers from Amsterdam visited the Montreal conference. Money was donated by the Amsterdam dockers two years ago for the Liverpool conference. It was a pity no dockers were present from Amsterdam. Also there have been delegations of Liverpool dockers and the Women of the Waterfront to the Netherlands. The WOW visited Amsterdam at the alternative Summit during the governmental top on the Euro, the 14th of June. Also a Liverpool docker spoke during the big European rally in Amsterdam.
Not only dockers are threatened by deregulation, also the environment. So dockers build links with the environmental movement in Amsterdam. The city is planning a whole new harbour in the west of Amsterdam. They claim it delivers jobs for 7.000 people. This is very unlikely. But anyway they want to make it a sort of Maquila, with no regulated labour. The port is planned in a nature area, and the plans talk about a depth of 40 metres, whereas 14 metres is the maximum for ships to reach Amsterdam. Other plans talk about dumping waste in the new harbour. Of course the city denies it, but one and one is two. The city already earns millions by dumping waste in existing harbours.
Yours in solidarity,
Michel van den Bosch, Harry Kappelhof, Ron Wiechels and Ab de Wildt (action committee)
Ailko van der Veen (Solidariteit, paper for a militant union)
E-mail: Ailko@XS4ALL.NL
