Trade unionists took their protests over threats to seafarers’ jobs to the Dutch headquarters of maritime and energy giant Boskalis on 14 September, ITF said in its press release.
The demonstration in Papendrecht, the Netherlands, was part of the fight by Nautilus NL/FNV Waterbouw to stop Boskalis cutting and downgrading seafarers’ jobs. The protestors received many messages of support from the crews of Boskalis ships around the world.
Boskalis made EUR440 million profit in 2015 and EUR148 million in the first half of 2016, yet it is planning to scrap 24 ships and cut 650 jobs worldwide, including 150 in the Netherlands. Its Dutch subsidiary, Fairmount Marine, is attempting to replace 34 permanent seafaring officers with lower paid temporary workers by outsourcing its entire ship management and crewing to Anglo Eastern. Read more here.
Boskalis pulled out of talks with ITF unions Nautilus International and the FNV when it learned the demonstration would take place at the same time. The company has refused to provide the unions with the information they need to assess redeployment opportunities throughout the whole multinational company, its subsidiaries and joint ventures. The unions need to know which jobs worldwide are being carried out by seafarers and dredgers, so they can negotiate the redeployment arrangements.
Sascha Meijer, senior national secretary, Nautilus International, said: “Boskalis needs to get back around the table soon.
“We are ready talk about a social plan. The main issue for our members is keeping their jobs and incomes. So we want redeployment, and that workers have the right to take voluntary redundancy first. Most seafarers at Fairmount should simply keep their current jobs.
“The company needs to know that we will keep this up until they talk to us again, and they need to know that we are not alone, we have the ITF behind us.”
ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith described Boskalis’ plans as a clear case of crude social dumping, which was bad for workers and bad for good business.