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20 September, 1999Trade unions and environmentalists have joined forces in a challenge to dirty shipbreaking in Asia.
GENEVA: The International Metalworkers' Federation and the International Transport Workers' Federation joined forces today, September 21, with Greenpeace, Basel Action Network and Indian trade unions, to highlight the occupational health and environmental hazards caused by ships contaminated with toxins exported to Asia for breaking.
In press statement issued from the ITF's campaign ship, the "Global Mariner", presently visiting Mumbai, India, to highlight flags of convenience, substandard shipping and the negative aspects of globalisation, the trade union and environmental activists declared:
"Exports of ships-for-scrap to Asian shipbreaking yards is a form of toxic waste dumping. Ships-for-scrap contaminated with hazardous or toxic substances are hazardous waste under the Basel Convention. However, owing to the global nature of ships and the shipping industry, shipowners and ship-exporters exploit loopholes such as flags of convenience to continue this dirty practice. We demand that new regulations be developed within the International Maritime Organisation to ensure that shipowners and ship-exporters bear the full liability of shipbreaking and that the costs are not externalised to the environment and workers as they are now. We urge ship-for-scrap exporting nations to follow the example set by Denmark where the police have initiated criminal proceedings against Danish ferry company Scandlines for exporting a ship contaminated with hazardous asbestos for breaking in Mumbai."
The trade union and environmental activists have called on the Indian government to demand decontamination of the ships prior to export and to ensure that effective occupational safety and health standards are enforced at the breaking yards and that workers and the environment at the shipbreaking yards are not sacrificed for the sake of cheap steel.
"Trade union organisation is the key to improved working conditions in the shipbreaking industry," said Marcello Malentacchi, IMF General Secretary. "All those employed in the shipbuilding sector should be organised under the auspices of the metalworking unions in India. The IMF will be sending a delegation to visit the shipbreaking sites later this year, and we will be examining all possible ways to organise the workers there."
On September 19, in Mumbai, the 500,000th visitor was welcomed on board the Global Mariner since the start of the campaign. To follow the course of the ship across the globe, access the ITF's website (link at top left).
The IMF can provide the complete text of the joint press statement by e-mail at [email protected] or by fax at: (41/22) 3085055.
In press statement issued from the ITF's campaign ship, the "Global Mariner", presently visiting Mumbai, India, to highlight flags of convenience, substandard shipping and the negative aspects of globalisation, the trade union and environmental activists declared:
"Exports of ships-for-scrap to Asian shipbreaking yards is a form of toxic waste dumping. Ships-for-scrap contaminated with hazardous or toxic substances are hazardous waste under the Basel Convention. However, owing to the global nature of ships and the shipping industry, shipowners and ship-exporters exploit loopholes such as flags of convenience to continue this dirty practice. We demand that new regulations be developed within the International Maritime Organisation to ensure that shipowners and ship-exporters bear the full liability of shipbreaking and that the costs are not externalised to the environment and workers as they are now. We urge ship-for-scrap exporting nations to follow the example set by Denmark where the police have initiated criminal proceedings against Danish ferry company Scandlines for exporting a ship contaminated with hazardous asbestos for breaking in Mumbai."
The trade union and environmental activists have called on the Indian government to demand decontamination of the ships prior to export and to ensure that effective occupational safety and health standards are enforced at the breaking yards and that workers and the environment at the shipbreaking yards are not sacrificed for the sake of cheap steel.
"Trade union organisation is the key to improved working conditions in the shipbreaking industry," said Marcello Malentacchi, IMF General Secretary. "All those employed in the shipbuilding sector should be organised under the auspices of the metalworking unions in India. The IMF will be sending a delegation to visit the shipbreaking sites later this year, and we will be examining all possible ways to organise the workers there."
On September 19, in Mumbai, the 500,000th visitor was welcomed on board the Global Mariner since the start of the campaign. To follow the course of the ship across the globe, access the ITF's website (link at top left).
The IMF can provide the complete text of the joint press statement by e-mail at [email protected] or by fax at: (41/22) 3085055.