The dockers had been calling for an end to 10 years of self-handling by ship crew on the south bank, where Ecocem is situated.
On 24 January, some 30 dockers from the port’s north side joined 10 dock workers who stood in protest in front of trucks lined up to discharge 8,200 tonnes of slag from the Arklow Beacon that had landed in the port that morning. Truck drivers demonstrated great solidarity by refusing to line up the trucks under the hopper.
The dockers’ protests against self-handling resulted in a high court injunction last year, so there was a risk that this protest could result in a legal challenge.
Dave Quinn, a SIPTU senior shop steward at the port, said: “Enough is enough. I have not had a full week’s wages since Christmas. We will not stand by and see other workers come in to this port – our port – and take away our livelihood. If we have to go to jail, so be it.”
SIPTU and ITF representatives were on hand to monitor events and consequently headed up the negotiations with Ecocem and Dublin Cargo Handlers that brought about a solution.
The agreed set of proposals guarantee that the dockers will be used at all times when ships berth on the south bank. Ecocem has also agreed to put in place a trade union agreement to cover self-handling ships that have called to Dublin for almost 10 years. And it has stated that instead of renewing the existing agreement with the self-handling ships to provide crew to offload cargo, which expires in three months’ time, it will work with SIPTU and the ITF to use trade union labour.
ITF UK and Ireland co-ordinator Ken Fleming commented that the outcome was a great win for the workers, and it demonstrated the importance of the ITF acting in tandem with its local affiliate.
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