Lisbon: Portuguese ITF-affiliated maritime unions yesterday began industrial action against vessels operated by German shipping company OPDR. Dock workers in Leixoes, Portugal boycotted the Antiguan registered OPDR Tejo (Call Sign V2Ao1) for the signature of an ITF collective bargaining agreement. A second vessel, the GIS registered OPDR Douro has today been issued with a warning by the local ITF affiliates.
The OPDR Teijo was inspected by the local ITF inspector in Lisbon on 20 September and confirmed that the vessel was operating with substandard working conditions including wages below ITF stipulated rates. The AB is receiving a salary of around US$900 per month compared to the current ITF benchmark standard of US$1200. The ITF inspector proposed to the owner that he negotiate an agreement with the OTV (the German ITF affiliate). However, this offer was turned down, leading to the dockers decision to boycott the vessel in Leixoes.
OPDR as a company have a long history of trade union avoidance and this is not the first time that ITF affiliates have taken action against this ship. The OPDR Teijo was subject to a boycott in Rotterdam in June 1996 during the ITF's North West European week of action. Following this OPDR agreed to negotiate a fleet agreement with the ITF's German affiliate OTV. However, they later reneged on the deal and as a consequence ITF affiliates are now targeting OPDR ships.
This latest action comes shortly after the OTV's activities in Hamburg in the last week of August, when slogans condemning the company's cheap flag of operation and avoidance of trade union agreements were projected onto the side of the vessel. The vessel, which is a 7,000 dwt containership, is on a regular run between Portugal, the Netherlands, France, Spain and the UK.
The action in Leixoes launches the Portuguese unions' week of action against flag of convenience. This coincides with the stay in Lisbon of the ITF's campaign and exhibition ship MV Global Mariner, which is taking part in Expo 98.
The OPDR Teijo is owned by Bartels in Germany and is on time charter to OPDR. The vessel has a crew of ten German, Russian and Filipino seafarers. The OPDR Douro is owned in Germany by Ems-Fracht Schiffahrtgesellschaft, also on charter to OPDR.
For more details contact Sue Cooper on 01759 368 286, or Sarah Finke at ITF press office on +44 (0) 171 4032733 or +44 (0) 171 9409258
International Transport Workers Federation, 49-60 Borough
Road, London SE1 1DS. Tel: (+44 171) 403 2733, fax: (+44 171)
357 7871, e-mail: mail@itf.org.uk,
website: www.itf.org.uk
