Swedish Gothenburg dockers prepare strike solidarity with UK Tilbury Dockers

Swedish Gothenburg dockers prepare strike solidarity with UK Tilbury Dockers
Report by IDC, Unite
Published: 30/05/12

http://www.labournet.net/docks2/1205/tilbury2.html

source
The Tilbury Dockworkers have given notice of strike actions again for next Monday and Tuesday since no development has taken place in their negotiations with the EDC-Stora Enso Terminal employers.
The Gothenburg Local from the IDC-affiliated union, the Swedish Dockworkers Union, have also given notice of 24-hour strike in support of the Tilbury colleagues.
The Tilbury Dockworkers have given notice of strike actions again for next Monday and Tuesday since only short meetings have been held with the employers at the EDC Terminal-Stora Enso, only to confirm there is no will to negotiate with the union over the one-sided decision to change the contract. The union plans to continue with the industrial action unless the exmployers show their wilingness to engage back in serious negotiations.
The Local ini Gothenburg, from the IDC-affiliated unions, the Swedish Dockworkers Union (SDU), have also given due notice of official industrial actions - a 24-hour strike, against the DFDS vessels in support of their Tilbury colleagues.
This question will be tabled for discussion at the next IDCE Working Group meeting next Monday in Barcelona. It is expected the IDCE will decide on further measures to pressure the employers to get back to the negotiating table.

Solidarity with Tilbury dockers
UNITE
source
25 May 2012
Dockers at Tilbury staged a second strike in their dispute with Enterprise Distribution Centre (EDC) over the arbitrary introduction of new contracts. The 45 employees of EDC - members of Unite, the country’s largest union – staged the 48-hour strike from 6. 00am on Monday 21 May. This follows the initial 24-hour strike on 7-8 May - the first strike by dockers at Tilbury in Essex since 1989.
Unite regional officer Jane Jeffery said: “The EDC’s intransigent management has not moved in this dispute, since the first strike earlier this month. Our members are again taking action in a bid to get the company to enter into meaningful talks – if they don’t, the strikes will continue into the summer.
“Our members are not prepared to lose, on average, £2, 500-a-year because the company has decided to arbitrarily introduce new contracts which are very detrimental to their living standards.”
The workers were picketing outside the main gate of Tilbury docks in the dispute which centres on the company’s decision to introduce a ’follow the ship’ contract. This means that staff work when the ships are ready for unloading, and not to set shift patterns. EDC deals with the unloading and distribution of paper reels.
The workers were backed by dockers in Gothenburg who sent a strong message of support from Sweden.

BBC: Port of Tilbury dock workers continue 48-hour strike