The second day of our Fair Transport action week was a Sunday, but that did not matter! More workers across Europe stood up to show their support for our campaign to end social dumping and exploitation in European transport.
Our Eastern group gains some new members, attends a conference in Gdynia, learns about the challenges for dockers and appears on Polish TV. Meanwhile a second group gathers support from Fair Transport from young workers in London, before setting off for the overnight ferry to Rotterdam.
After the departure from Oslo, the YTF lorry took the Stena Line to Fredrikshavn and arrived on Saturday morning in Jutland and Herning. Out of the cab jumped Jan Arne Laberget, head of YTF Logistics, and federal leader Jim Klungnes. They were here to meet colleagues in Denmark’s 3F, which was solidly represented with its own stand at Scandinavia’s largest transport fair “Transport 2019”.
The Danes welcomed YTF warmly. They talked about recruitment in road transport, and YTF met “Emil”: the prize-winning head of the Godschaufførernes Landsklub.
The Trades Union Congress is the highest body in the UK trade union movement. Today their Young Workers Conference sent a resounding message of solidarity to the Fair Transport Europe campaign, as delegates unanimously approved a motion in support of the campaign from Nautilus. ETF affiliates TSSA and RMT also stood to back the motion, in a display of unity from UK transport unions. Only by working together within and across national borders can workers and their unions turn the tide on social dumping!
Seafarers and dockers often stand together in their struggles for better working conditions. After all, their two sectors are closely entwined, and neither could exist without the other.
This was once more the case today in Gdynia, Poland. ETF Affiliate unions Polish Seafarers’ Union, Solidarność and the Federation of Seafarers organised an event for dockers and seafarers to meet politicians and discuss Fair Transport. Member of Parliament Dorota Arciszewska-Mielewczyk and Paweł Krężel from the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Waterways joined for a panel discussion.