Posting this on behalf of Svein Lundeng
Dock workers believe Oslo does not show willingness to end social dumping at the port. The city council Geir Lippestad (Labour Party) says that there will be change now.
Throughout the summer, dock workers have documented that seafarers on vessels with convenience flags have regularly been unloading and loading goods at the port of the capital.
If it did not improve, Oslo Dockworkers Asociation( Oslo Bryggearbeiders Forening) announced that they wanted to lift the pirate flag at Oslo Port on September 1.
- Sign of desperation
A meeting between both seafarers and port workers' organizations, Oslo Harbour, LO(The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions) leader Hans Christian Gabrielsen, city council leader Raymond Johansen and city council Geir Lippestad, both from the Labor Party yesterday, did not change those plans.
Head of the OBF, Roar Langaard, told Transportarbeideren that he no longer dares to believe that there will be some improvement, despite the meeting held yesterday.
"Two years ago, we struggled to get rid of the blue-blue board in the capital because we thought it would be better for a new board in Oslo, but nothing has happened. The Labor Party did not realize that this was a thing they could win on. They have said they want to fight social dumping in Oslo, but at the same time they have let this happen at the port. We would not have had to raise the flag if they had taken it seriously and it is not credible when they suddenly meet the day before the announced flag lift. It's just about desperation. This is a sorrow's day, Roar Langaard stated.
May be extraordinary meeting
He believes there is nothing else to do than to get the ITF Co-ordination Committee to declare Oslo as a port of convenience as soon as possible.
- This is just about the will. It can not be that hard to work to comply with ILO Convention 137, says Langaard.
It was in June The International Transport Workers' Federation's coordination committee in Norway was authorized to declare Oslo port as a convenience port if the violations of the Harbor Work Convention, ILO 137, continued.
The next meeting of the Co-ordination Committee is not until the end of October, in charge of the Transport Workers Association. Lars Morten Johnsen does not rule out that a decision can be made before that.
"Then we have to summon to an extraordinary meeting," says Johnsen.
He attended the meeting yesterday and is careful optimist.
"At least it is clear that LO is far tougher in its pressure on the city council now than they have been before," says Johnsen.
Will report social dumping
Following a meeting yesterday, Oslo city council issued a press release, stating that ILO 137, which provides registered harbor workers with preferential rights to unloading and cargo work, must be followed.
- Social dumping in Oslo port should not occur, and we will now invite all employers in Oslo Harbor to clarify the city council's position. We have high expectations that collective agreements will be followed, it is stated in the press release.
It also appears that seamen shall not be used for unloading and loading, unless agreed upon by the Seamen's Association.
- Does it happen, there will be social dumping, and Oslo port will then report these to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, writes Oslo city council.
Expects ILO 137 to be followed
City council Geir Lippestad says to Transportarbeideren that he expects operators to follow up.
"We are very pleased that the parties have agreed on a new collective agreement for both private and public ports. This is a good starting point, and we simply expect ILO 137 to be followed, says Lippestad.
The content of the new collective agreement is not yet published. It will not happen until it has been approved by the LO's secretariat, but Transportarbeideren experiences, it will replace all three existing colective agreements at Norwegian ports.
Lippested points out that the disagreement between the parties and both the Holship judgment and other court decisions has contributed to almost two years before the City Council and Oslo Harbor set foot down properly for the harbor workers to have experienced as social dumping at the port.
"In the workplace, it is the case that the parties are to agree on collective agreements, and it is not a tradition for interfering in such negotiations. Moreover, court decisions have given guidance on what to do and can not do at the port. Therefore, I am pleased that the parties have agreed and that we have established that ILO 137 is to be followed. We are very clear on that point, "concludes Geir Lippestad.
Original article: http://frifagbevegelse.no/transportarbeideren/heiste-sjoroverflagget-pa-oslo-havn-6.158.484705.900d5142a3
Photos by @Roy Ervin Solstad and @Vegard Holm
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