Skip to main content

African unions demand Madagascar act on Malagasy 43 as ITF tells ICTSI to back up statements with actions

ニュース 記者発表資料

Ahead of tomorrow’s protest, Edga Mbina Mbina, SATAWU Provincial Secretary said: “South African unions stand shoulder to shoulder with these Madagascan dock workers. The Madagascan Government must ensure that they are reinstated, and that their right to join a union to fight for decent work is recognised and respected. Democratic countries respect workers’ rights – this is not what we are seeing in Madagascar."

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) President, Paddy Crumlin, said that the Madagascan Government’s refusal to enforce a court order recognising these workers’ right to organise – and failure to observe the basic human rights for their own citizens – is damaging Madagascar’s image not only across the region but around the world.

“The ITF stands in solidarity with COSATU and SATAWU with a clear message for the Madagascan government – the Malagasy 43 must go back to work.

"The Madagascan Government can solve this problem right now by showing real leadership and stopping this exploitation. The government should enforce its own labour laws and abide by international labour conventions. They must reinstate the Malagassy 43 immediately and allow SYGMMA to organise for all workers at the Port of Toamasina.”

The Malagasy 43 were employed by labour-hire company SMMC when fired in 2012 following legitimate union activity. None of the workers have been reinstated, and the workers’ union SYGMMA has not been recognised by SMMC.

The protest in Durban forms part of global week of lawful actions by ITF affiliates within ICTSI’s global terminals and shipping routes, in a renewed international push against the emerging pattern of labour violations across ICTSI’s global network.

ICTSI’s Senior Vice President, Christian Gonzalez claimed this week that ‘ICTSI remains committed to the safety and welfare of our equipment operators’ and it’s time the company back up statements with actions.

“In outsourcing work to labour-hire companies, ICTSI believes it can avoid proper scrutiny and criticism for the wages and conditions of casual workers at its terminals. But everyone knows that ICTSI carries the ultimate responsibility for the working conditions of all workers at its terminals.

“These workers in Madagascar deserve the right to be recognised as the bona fide workforce by ICTSI. All workers employed in stevedoring activities need to be treated as direct employees. It’s time ICTSI stopped taking shortcuts on these workers’ lives, on their families’ lives,” said Crumlin.

The ITF is attending the Ports Evolution conference to present its latest report – ICTSI’s global expansion: a risky proposition? – on the emerging pattern of labour violations across ICTSI terminals.

 

Background

Madagascar is currently a member of the South African Development Community (SADC). In 2009, Madagascar was suspended from the SADC. This suspension was lifted in 2014, recognising the steps taken by the Government of Madagascar to return the country to democracy. The failure to reinstate the Malagasy 43, despite court orders recognising the union’s right to organise at the port, indicates that there is still more work to do to ensure respect for the rule of law and for the rights of workers and all citizens.

 

For more information, please contact:

Luke Menzies, ITF Asia Pacific Campaign Centre | T: +61 433 889 844 | E: mediasydney@itf.org.uk

Post new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

現場の声

ニュース

2024年ITF世界大会、平和、労働者の権利、国際連帯への大胆なコミットメントで閉会

マラケシュで開催された2024年ITF世界大会の歴史的最終セッションでは、全世界の交通運輸労組の揺るぎない決意を再確認し、今後5年間のITF戦略を策定する重要な動議を採択し、役員の選出も行った。 労働者の力を高め、搾取と分断を進める勢力に対抗することに明確な焦点を当てた今大会は、激動の増す世界において、正義、平等、連帯のテーマを定め、譲ることのできない一線を明確にした。その中心にあるのは
ニュース

ミレイ政権(アルゼンチン)の反労組の法律に抗議し、交通運輸労組がスト

 ITF は本日ストを決行するアルゼンチンの交通運輸労働者に連帯を送る。  アルゼンチンの交通運輸労組は、ハビエル・ミレイ大統領の労働者に対する攻撃(緊縮財政、スト権に対する攻撃、反労組の政策等)に抗議している。  ミレイ政権は、投資家に減税を施し、大企業に迎合する一方、国営のアルゼンチン航空を民営化して、補助金を撤廃しようとしている。  これまで
ニュース

我々の運動を発展・活性化させる青年労働者

ITFの青年登録人員は2018年の前回大会時の115万人から178万人へ 55%増加した。 これは、ITF加盟組織が青年を優先させ、より幅広く利益代表できる力強いグローバル組織の構築を目指した結果である。 本日、マラケシュで開催されたITF青年総会に、 71カ国、 142組合から 190人を超える青年労働者が参加した。参加者は組織拡大を祝うとともに、「安定した仕事と安全な職場は、もはや希望ではなく