Italy has a national port strike, traders need to pay attention!
- Author:Cynthia
- Source:5688.cn
- Release Date:2018-05-15
ItalyThe workers of the ports launched a 24-hour strike on May 11th, expressing their dissatisfaction with the lack of enforced enforcement and security of Italian ports.
The strikes were led by union chairman FILT CGIL, Fit Cisl and Uiltrasporti Nazionale, the branch of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), and the terminal division of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF).
According to the political secretary of ETF Dockers Livia Spera, all Italian ports are closed on that day. According to the information obtained so far, the streets of Genoa were blocked by thousands of people. The workers also organized meetings in other smaller ports. Spera said that the seafarers also joined the strike because they were also interested in the strike of the dock workers.
Due to ongoing work interruptions and how many vessels are affected by delays, the exact data is not yet clear.
According to the framework agreement of the latest International Negotiating Forum agreed between the ITF and the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) in February, only dock workers have the right to bind ships and other cargo handling services at ports under a convenient flag.
As explained by Spera, Italian legislation allows state-owned companies to self-manage, which basically means that under certain circumstances, the crew of a vessel flying the Italian flag can be tied up. However, in this case, the shipping company must obtain permission from the relevant Port Authority.
In the past six months, shipping companies began to abuse this right and even violated the law, requiring their seafarers to carry out loading and unloading activities without the permission of the Port Authority. Some port authorities also failed to implement this rule and played their part.
Spera said that this is not sustainable because it will endanger the work of many dock workers. The union called for dialogue with the authorities and concrete actions to deal with the current issues. "Overall, relevant agencies and governments lack adequate responses. This is a problem for some time."
The one-day strike took place after a two-hour strike across the country. This was a warning to the safety of the workplace in April 2018. The union is urging the security upgrade of the port after a series of workplace deaths this year. At present, there are no specific timetables for strikes or trade union actions that may occur in the future, but it is worth paying attention to the shipping companies and freight forwarding companies in Italian ports.
In the face of strikes, how should foreign freight forwarders respond?
1. The exporting company keeps in touch with customers and shipping companies in a timely manner, confirms the situation of the local customs and ports, and works together with customers and shipping companies to respond.
2. Keep up to date with the latest developments in relevant countries, including strike activities; previous strikes; and some politically unstable countries and regions.
3. On the basis of All Risks, Strikes Risk is issued for export goods. Strike insurance can compensate for the direct loss of the insured goods caused by the strike action and malicious actions of any person.
4. For the detention of goods caused by strikes in the port, look at the local customs and legal regulations, do a good job of coping mechanisms, avoid importers speculatively took the opportunity to lower prices, or refuse to pay the goods to abandon the goods to cause the goods to be auctioned, and try to avoid additional losses. .
5, For the importer to abandon the phenomenon of goods, try to avoid the auction of goods, you can contact the local warehouse warehousing, looking for new buyers, for secondary sales.
6. For the strike in the destination port, or the expected strike, the payment method is carefully selected. L/C and pre-T/T are preferred. For the latter T/T, after receiving the copy of the bill of lading, promptly remind the customer of the payment, and insist on the principle of “not paying the bill”.
The strikes were led by union chairman FILT CGIL, Fit Cisl and Uiltrasporti Nazionale, the branch of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), and the terminal division of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF).
According to the political secretary of ETF Dockers Livia Spera, all Italian ports are closed on that day. According to the information obtained so far, the streets of Genoa were blocked by thousands of people. The workers also organized meetings in other smaller ports. Spera said that the seafarers also joined the strike because they were also interested in the strike of the dock workers.
Due to ongoing work interruptions and how many vessels are affected by delays, the exact data is not yet clear.
According to the framework agreement of the latest International Negotiating Forum agreed between the ITF and the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) in February, only dock workers have the right to bind ships and other cargo handling services at ports under a convenient flag.
As explained by Spera, Italian legislation allows state-owned companies to self-manage, which basically means that under certain circumstances, the crew of a vessel flying the Italian flag can be tied up. However, in this case, the shipping company must obtain permission from the relevant Port Authority.
In the past six months, shipping companies began to abuse this right and even violated the law, requiring their seafarers to carry out loading and unloading activities without the permission of the Port Authority. Some port authorities also failed to implement this rule and played their part.
Spera said that this is not sustainable because it will endanger the work of many dock workers. The union called for dialogue with the authorities and concrete actions to deal with the current issues. "Overall, relevant agencies and governments lack adequate responses. This is a problem for some time."
The one-day strike took place after a two-hour strike across the country. This was a warning to the safety of the workplace in April 2018. The union is urging the security upgrade of the port after a series of workplace deaths this year. At present, there are no specific timetables for strikes or trade union actions that may occur in the future, but it is worth paying attention to the shipping companies and freight forwarding companies in Italian ports.
In the face of strikes, how should foreign freight forwarders respond?
1. The exporting company keeps in touch with customers and shipping companies in a timely manner, confirms the situation of the local customs and ports, and works together with customers and shipping companies to respond.
2. Keep up to date with the latest developments in relevant countries, including strike activities; previous strikes; and some politically unstable countries and regions.
3. On the basis of All Risks, Strikes Risk is issued for export goods. Strike insurance can compensate for the direct loss of the insured goods caused by the strike action and malicious actions of any person.
4. For the detention of goods caused by strikes in the port, look at the local customs and legal regulations, do a good job of coping mechanisms, avoid importers speculatively took the opportunity to lower prices, or refuse to pay the goods to abandon the goods to cause the goods to be auctioned, and try to avoid additional losses. .
5, For the importer to abandon the phenomenon of goods, try to avoid the auction of goods, you can contact the local warehouse warehousing, looking for new buyers, for secondary sales.
6. For the strike in the destination port, or the expected strike, the payment method is carefully selected. L/C and pre-T/T are preferred. For the latter T/T, after receiving the copy of the bill of lading, promptly remind the customer of the payment, and insist on the principle of “not paying the bill”.