Unite The Union Protesting at the Portuguese Embassy

Dockworkers urged to support 13 January action week for Port of Lisbon

Unite Dockers stood in Solidarity today for all Portuguese Dockworkers, particularly our comrades in Lisbon. We urged the Portuguese Government to promote a meaningful dialogue between the unions and port employers and showed that we stand united with our Portuguese Brothers & Sisters, as do all other European Dockworkers.

On 8 January 2014 IDC-E (International Dockworkers Council’s European zone) and ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) representatives met in Lisbon to discuss the alarming situation affecting Portuguese ports. The meeting was held following the decision to set up an international campaign and actions to protest against the port reform implemented in Portugal since 2012. As a consequence of this reform, the labour conditions at the Portuguese ports, and in particular at the port of Lisbon have progressively deteriorated. Both organisations agreed to start a joint solidarity campaign starting from January 2014.

The Portuguese conflict is a direct consequence of the devastating austerity measures imposed by the Troika (the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund) as a condition for the Portuguese government to obtain financial assistance. The European dock workers’ unions have repeatedly condemned these measures which are part of a larger labour deregulation process affecting European ports.

Amongst the major concerns of the unions there is the unwillingness of the employers’ organisations to enter into a meaningful dialogue with the unions. On the contrary, they continue to create an alternative labour pool of dock workers with the purpose of replacing union workers by an untrained non-union workforce. Since the entry into force of the new law, 47 dock workers employed at the port of Lisbon have been dismissed without cause.

The unions further condemn the fact that the new Portuguese port law is in breach of ILO Convention 137, which Portugal has ratified.

The solidarity campaign involves both political and lawful solidarity measures urging the Portuguese government to promote a meaningful dialogue between unions and employers. ETF and IDCE affiliated unions will send statements to the Portuguese embassies in their respective countries during the coming weeks. The unions’ concerns about the situation in Portugal will be also presented during a hearing on the proposed EU Port Services Regulation to be held at the European Parliament on 29 January 2014.

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC) have pledged their support in a meeting on 17 December, for dockworkers in Lisbon who have been under prolonged attack from their government and employers.

Working conditions for Portuguese dockworkers, particularly those at the port of Lisbon, have been deteriorating since the government adopted the new Port Law on 1 February this year. The ETF and IDC heard reports that the bargaining process has been frozen, and that employers have attempted to establish a new labour pool of non-union workers to replace existing professional dockworkers. On top of this, 47 dockworkers at Lisbon port have reportedly been dismissed with no rightful reason.

The ETF and IDC promised to support the union in tackling these deteriorating conditions, particularly to press for social dialogue, an end to union-busting, and the reinstatement of the 47 dismissed dockworkers as key aims for the campaign. Both organisations and the ITF see the Portuguese situation as part of a bigger challenge faced by dockworkers all over Europe. European legislation and infringement mechanisms have been used to try to undermine national laws and dockers’ conditions elsewhere including in Spain and Greece. More recently, the Belgian government has also come under pressure.

The campaign will pick up during the week of 13 January, when dockworkers across Europe are due to take action at their local Portuguese embassy. Affiliates are urged to show their support for the workers in Lisbon and their determination to defend the rights of dockworkers across Europe by seeking to meet with the head of the embassy and staff responsible for labour relations to highlight the concerns above. Legal rallies and protests are also encouraged. Please send photographs of your action and messages of support for the Lisbon dockers to dockers@itf.org.uk

Thank you to Andy Green and Gateway Docker for the pics via Facebook