Port package in sheep's clothing?


Europe is preparing regulations to open up the labor market for all kinds of services in European ports, such as towage, pilotage and rowers. Port workers in Europe took a sigh of relief when "port work" (cargo handling) was excluded in the concepts of these proposals. Port Package 3 (PP3) seemed thus the job.
The dockers section meeting {ETF} of March 4, 2014 has been extensively discussed the state of affairs. It was found that the new regulations do still represents a threat to port workers.
Risk I:
The legislation is in draft formulated so that there is freedom to provide all kinds of services in the port, with the exception of services in the field of cargo handling. Anyway this entails the risk that this exception will be deleted at any old time in the future. The vehicle to PP3 subsequent introduction is created, the sample can be awakened to life any time. By port workers and distribute their colleagues in port services, the brains behind this legislation later hope to prevail.


Risk 2:
The legislation is in draft formulated so that (perhaps) not all port work is excluded. One speaks in the definition of port work or of · 'processing of cargo, but "lashing", for example, not explicitly mentioned. If this continues, there may later people up who believe that Jan-and-everyone should go lashing in European ports recognized or not recognized. lashing work is indeed no exception when it comes to releasing.
What applies to lash anyway applies to working in warehouses. In particular, the Belgians are also concerned about; their Law Major would come to stand at odds with European rules when working in warehouses no longer hot and port work should be done by unauthorized forces.
Another problem is that, in the draft regulations, the word "vessels" is used to work port
to define. The question is whether inland thus go beyond the port work. Here, too,
the formulation not entirely clear and may have implications for the future.
What are ETFs?


The unions affiliated to ETF (but also that of the other dome of European port unions, IOC), find that it would be best if the draft regulations as a whole table would go. Thus, all risks for dockworkers in one go, but also the risks that arise in the port services (security, working conditions of those who work there). Why should Europe want to regulate something without necessity?
But if something does new legislation is enacted, then that port work well except Member States and the opportunity to give their own definitions of port work (continue to) handle.
Procedure
ETF so - with as many others - huge lobbying to prevent the regulations in mood comes in hell European Parliament. This can be achieved, if the parliamentary committee TRAN (Transport) rejects the draft texts. That committee meets on March 18 a.s. together.
Should the lobby NOT have led to the rejection of the regulations, the regulations may already in April, before the election, the vote will be submitted to the European Parliament. Whether it comes in the autumn in the European Parliament. then in a new composition, on the order.
In short, it is dil time virtually impossible to estimate how that will turn out and what outcome to expect.
April 4, 2014: dockers afterparty The unions affiliated to ETF, the following have decided.
If it appears that the Commission TON let go the legislation to parliament, we have to let you know how port workers and their unions think about the new regulations. Subject to a (first) signal
give the general demonstration of 4 April shaft will (for a social Europe) be seized. Further information will follow, but it could just be that the port workers will be asked to somewhere on that day
to collect aside to ask specific attention to those useless and worthless new rules. By Then
we have a dockers afterparty. speak. This is especially important for all foreign colleagues.


It is therefore particularly important to come to Brussels on April 4 axis with as many port workers. That will in any case happen in the neighboring countries (bet that the Belgians will be in large numbers!); all ETF unions have agreed to this plan.
Login to travel in one of the buses (when enough slack from Barendrecht,
Zealand, Amsterdam) can at D.Schlee-terBorg@bg.fnv.nl There are already dozens of applications inside. but how
more, the better!


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