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Delegates gathered in London this month for the first seminar on ITF Mexico City policy implementation.
Twenty-six union leaders and staff from ITF seafarers’ unions in Ukraine, Germany, Russia, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Norway, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Israel, Turkey, Portugal and the Philippines, headed to ITF house for the seminar.
The aim was to give attendees more information about the policy that governs the ITF flags of convenience(FOC) campaign. During the education event for ITF agreement signatory affiliates, the first since adoption of the policy during Mexico City congress in 2010, there was a drive to improve understanding about; union responsibilities in accordance with the ITF seafarers’ charter, managing union welfare-related funds, supporting dockers, and enhancing partnerships between unions in the ITF family.
President of the Norwegian Seafarers’ Union Jacqueline Smith was a participant at the seminar. She said: “It was an interesting experience to have a wide group of participants with different roles discussing policy requirements and implementation challenges together.”
Smith gave an introduction to the Norwegian practice of bilateral agreements and practical examples of co-operation, which was received with great interest. She compared bilateral agreement between unions with a marriage: not always perfect, rich in disagreements, negotiations and compromises, but also success in winning strategic long term goals for seafarers, growth of understanding and work satisfaction.
Further feedback from participants showed there was appreciation for the opportunity to gain moreknowledge about the policy, share experiences, discuss common challenges and understand the role of ITF secretariat in monitoring the compliance with the policy.
The next seminar for the second group of agreement signatory affiliates is planned for February 2014.