International Dockers' Health & Safety Resolution

Resolution drafted by MUA delegates at the ITF dockers conference held in Italy in April

This meeting of the dockers' section of the International Transport Workers' Federation notes the continuing high incidence of death and serious injury in their industry both for developed and developing nations.

We note the reluctance of some employers and/or state jurisdictions to legislate decent national occupational health & safety standards for dockworkers and their continued pursuit of policies of casualisation and contracting out stevedoring labour.

We further note the unique nature of the industry where shore based workers are expected to work aboard ships that are unknown to them and to which they have not been fully familiarised.

We determine to mount a worldwide campaign to ensure decent occupational health & safety standards for dockworkers are implemented through the adoption of common codes of practice, safety legislation and training seeking to fully promote their protection from death and serious injury in this industry, critical to industry and economic development to all trading nations.

This campaign should be promoted through the POC and GNT campaigns, the FOC Campaign and IBF and TCC Agreements.

We appeal for the active support of all seafarers and their unions to respect and comply with the right of dockworkers to do all stevedoring work aboard vessels they have traditionally done and to fully adhere in particular to the specific dockworkers clauses in the standard TCC and IBF Agreements.

Agreed by Dockers' Section Meeting, 19 March 2007, Sorrento

Agreed by Fair Practices Committee, 22-23 March 2007, Sorrento