Amsterdam dockers to set up web site

Labournet Report, 18 April 1997

Talks took place yesterday between union representatives of Amsterdam dockers and a delegation from the port employers over threatened sackings and casualisation. The employers agreed there would be no sackings for two weeks while they devised a savings plan that would be put to the dockworkers.

In the meantime, the dockers are planning to step up their action. They sent a delegation of 40 to the opening ceremony of a new cocoa bulkshed yesterday and demanded the right to speak under the threat of disrupting the proceedings. Eventually they were given the right to address the opening ceremony in opposition to casualisation.

Meanwhile Rotterdam is also under threat of sackings and part time working from 23 April. The two ports have set up a hotline to co-ordinate their fight.

Amsterdam dockers are working on a web site that will link with the web sites of Liverpool, Montreal and Santos dockers and LabourNet to take forward the fight against casualisation of ports via the internet. It will be ready shortly.

They are also organising a delegation to attend the international dockworkers' conference in Montreal, May 25th-30th, where the next stage in the worldwide fight against port casualisation will be planned.