Norway dockers dispute


I have been asked to post this for Svein Lundeng.


Jón Pálmi Rögnvaldsson:
Update from Mosjøen Transportforegning 
December 2014
Hello fellow union workers and other supporters. It has been pretty quiet in the last few weeks here in Mosjøen Norway or ever since we had our support rally on the 18th of October.
Our members have as before kept watch as the Scabs do our work, we have also been tireless in our efforts to support our brethren in other parts of the country where workers are being unjustly treated by not only employers but the police and city council as well.
Now we even have our people attend a support rally for the Dockers of Rotterdam, they will be there side by side with our comrades from IDC, ETF, ITF and NTF at the crest of union labor struggle for workers rights.
We have had some meetings with our counterparts in the past two months but with very little result. There was a meeting in early November with chairman of MIT Rune Birkeland but that yielded absolutely nothing in form of forward progress, at this meeting Mr. Birkeland used his time and ours to throw more slander and lies on the table and made claims that ranged from unreasonable to downright ridiculous. This tactic has been used by MIT (Grieg Logistics) for years to cover up blunders and incompetence by MIT´s own executives. It is a shame that Alcoa and the Port Authority go along with such outrageous actions as to lockout 17 workers. A word of advice to Alcoa would be to look at the decades of service the dockworkers have provided since the smelter opened in 1958.
There have also been a few meetings with IndustriEnergi, the union who stepped in at a moment’s notice and took over our jobs, but yet again with no positive result. IndustriEnergi claim that since they have been doing our work for so long (7 months already) then it would be illogical of them to suddenly stop. This is despite the fact that IndustriEnergi have no tradition or a CBA that covers this type of work, furthermore; loading and unloading of ships is protected by International Law (ILO 137) for registered dockworkers. It should be an eye-opener for anyone affiliated with IndustriEnergi and its chairman Leif Sande that this is allowed to happen in 2014.
As we and our families prepare for Christmas, we do so under a 7 month long illegal lockout. We got cast out for wanting to get paid for work already done; we got threatened with the police if we showed us again in what used to be our place of work, men with over 30 years on the job got literally thrown away by Alcoa and Grieg Logistics without even a proper explanation. 
But we hold our heads high as we know we are right in our claims and our cause is just, we go about our lives with our dignity intact. However we have been robbed of our work and income by the Scab workforce of IndustriEnergi. They have chosen to sell out to Alcoa and Grieg Logistics, bow down to their masters and to make Scabs of themselves.
It is a worthwhile thought to ponder why IndustriEnergi and Leif Sande stoop so low and how IndustriEnergi can justify charging union dues for Scabs. 
The Mosjøen port authority has turned a blind eye to how Alcoa abuses ISPS to treat workers as terror threats; the politicians of Mosjøen city council have for the most part stood silent and watched this happen, afraid to rub the employers the wrong way.
To those who have supported us in our ordeal, we have only to say: thank you so much for all you have done, for all you have contributed to our cause and for knowing what Solidarity really means.
We in MTAF wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and hope that truth, justice and solidarity will prevail in the year to come.
Sincerely: The members and families of MTAF, Mosjøen Norway.
If you would like to know more about us then drop us a line 
pmaa70@yahoo.com or mtaf1938@gmail.com


From tuesday november 4th through friday november 7th, 2014, the case against our arrested picket line will be held in Nord-Troms District Court in Tromsø, Norway. The participants of the picket line and blockade was arrested and fined on june 12th 2014. We would like to invite all supporters and dockworkers to Tromsø during the case. There will be held demonstrations and other activities in support of our union friends. We hope to see as many of you as possible. We encourage all unions and supporters to bring their flags, union standards and their voices to our city and show what it means when we say: «Proud to be a docker!» We're fighting against violation of rights, violation of collective agreements and strikebreaking. Come join us! Financial support to the fined picket line to help cover their fines and attorney fees can be deposited to the following account: «Bøtefondet» account no. : 1207 16 33827 To confirm your participation, please post to this page. Unions, clubs and other organizations are urged to write a post with the following details: -arrival -departure -duration of stay -number of participants -wether or not you are bringing your flags and/or union standards. SOLIDARITY WITH THE DOCKERS!



Andy Green Speech in Mosjøen 18.10.14




Support the brothers in Norway in their fight against the Lockout !! Solidarity — at Mosjøen Sentrum.




Dear all,
Find attached and below the Statement from the Mosjoen Rally in Norway on the 18th of October, where many IDC members attended to show their support.
I am also attaching some photos and here below you can see the link from the speeches:
Also, find below information on the Rally at Tromso on the 4th November and the call from the Norwegian dockers to offer financial support for those dockers affected by the fines imposed on those at the picket line.
STATEMENT FROM NORWAY
Mosjøen 18 October 2014

Dockworkers from across Europe met in Mosjoen today and were updated on the attacks upon dockworkers at Risavika terminal.
In response to these attacks, European Dockers pledged their support to their Brothers and Sisters in Risavika and delivered the following statement:
The refusal by Risavika Terminal AS to enter into a collective agreement with Norwegian Transport Workers' Union (NTF), is an attack on all European dockers.
We are sending a clear message to all users of Risavika Terminal AS: be adviced that from October 18th you are on notice that you will be at the risk of action against you throughout Europe.
We encourage Risavika Terminal AS to enter into genuine and real negotiations with the Norwegian Transport Workers' Union to conclude a collective agreement for cargo handling operations.

TROMSO RALLY – 4 NOVEMBER
For those who have not received the news of the event through Facebook, there is a rally organised on 4 November in support of the Tromso dockers
You can check the event here:https://www.facebook.com/events/1549789738565820/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
The information is as follows:
From tuesday november 4th through friday november 7th, 2014, the case against our arrested picket line will be held in Nord-Troms District Court in Tromsø, Norway.
The participants of the picket line and blockade was arrested and fined on june 12th 2014.
We would like to invite all supporters and dockworkers to Tromsø during the case. There will be held demonstrations and other activities in support of our union friends. We hope to see as many of you as possible. We encourage all unions and supporters to bring their flags, union standards and their voices to our city and show what it means when we say: «Proud to be a docker!»
We're fighting against violation of rights, violation of collective agreements and strikebreaking.
Come join us!
A detailed schedule and program will be updated and posted as soon as it's ready.
Financial support to the fined picket line to help cover their fines and attorney fees can be deposited to the following account: «Bøtefondet» account no. : 1207 16 33827
To confirm your participation, please post to this page.
Unions, clubs and other organizations are urged to write a post with the following details:
-arrival
-departure
-duration of stay
-number of participants
-whether or not you are bringing your flags and/or union standards.
SOLIDARITY WITH THE DOCKERS!

SUPPORT COURT CASES

Svein Lundeng
22 October
Hello comrades and union allied
From the date of 4th November until the 7th of November there is a court case and a rally for the people involved in a picket line to stop non-organized workers to carry out dockers work.
The police after a while decided to arrest the people in the picket line and bring them to the police station to fine them all, All of them 41 persons.
There is many years since this has been used to arrest people in a picket line for a legal action against company and workers carrying out work that is not their work traditionally. Here we are very sad to see that the company can use the police as this and remove people that is in a legal boycott of the cargo handling.
All the persons involved in the picket line did not accept the fines and now the court case is coming up in November. The expenses per person is NOK 4500 multiplied with 41 we have a amount of 184 500,- (29 000 USD )
This is the reason we now reach out a hand for help from our union allied and union members all over the world to try to help cover the expenses of this court case and the fines.
They have already been collected money in Norway also for this reason and we have got almost 100 000 NOK for the fund. We still miss some of 84 500,- NOK (29 000 USD)
We hope that we can get any solidarity from you as statements , money or people travel to the rally in Tromsø.
If there is any details for the rally or the statements pls contackt the local union leader in Tromsø Geir Ingebriktsen phone +47 94474890 or Vegard Holm from Dockers support team in Norway by phone +47 91632804
I also include the bank details for transfer for :
Account owner in Norway :
Marcus Hansen
IBAN account number NO87 12071633827
The bank BIC adress is DNBANOKKXXX

Best regards and thank you in advance
Pål M Aanes

Comments

  1. It cannot be emphasized strong enough that IndustriEnergi (IE) with its leader Leif Sande is a Labour union which have been working against their own peers ever since they stole the Dockers work in Risavika (Stavanger) in November last year. They are a disgrace for the working class and should not be left in silence.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was said with such passion, good luck brothers & sisters !!!! Strength in numbers.

      Delete

Post a Comment