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          Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  May-Jun 2008 
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Dock workers shut down European ports3000 rally outside European Parliament
ITF mobilises dockers throughout Europe in campaign to stop shipowners bypassing stevedoring labour and employing crew or casuals to stevedore vessels Police clashed with three thousand port workers from Belgium, France, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands outside the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg on March 10 and 11 ITF News Online reports. As Members of the European Parliament prepared to vote on the latest version of a directive giving ship owners the right to use crew to stevedore vessels or bring in their own unregistered labourforce, dock workers shut down ports and bussed to Strasbourg to protest. . "Port users would be free to use any kind of workforce, including the ships' crews. It is a scandal and we won't accept it" a Marseilles/Fos spokesman for the traditionally strong CGT union told Fairplay yesterday. Police barricaded the main entrance of the European Parliament and used water canons and smoke bombs against the port workers. Three dockers were arrested. Leaders of the demonstration, including Kees Marges, secretary of the ITF's Dock Workers Section, were still able to meet with the Vice Chair of the European Parliament as well as a group of MEPs dealing directly with the passage of the directive. Speaking from Strasbourg, Marges said: "Once again we renew our appeal to the members of the European Parliament to reject this divisive and destructive proposal while there is still time." Dock worker unions across Europe have been staging strikes and protests for the past week . In Germany union president Bernt told the MUA around 5000 dockworkers had shut down all major terminals nationwide with around 2000 workers holding peaceful protests in Hamburg. Meanwhile Fairplay reports police used tear gas on and hoses on 2,500 dock workers from Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ghent and Ostend, outside the European Parliament last week DOW JONES INTERNATIONAL NEWSWIRES reported dock workers hurled firecrackers and stones at police guarding E.U. buildings, while police shot water cannon and tear gas to disperse the 3,000 protesters, most from the northern seaport of Antwerp. The Antwerp workers' daylong strike shut down Europe's second-largest port. Full report next MWJ
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