Port workers' action delays three ships

Maltese port workers stopped working for eight hours yesterday and will do so again for another four hours early this morning to protest against the proposed Ports Services Directive on which the European Parliament will vote on Wednesday.

The secretary of the General Workers' Union's ports and transport workers' section, Manuel Zammit said the ports in Malta were closed between noon and 4 p.m. and from 8 p.m. till midnight yesterday and will be closed again from 4 to 8 this morning.

Asked if the action made sense considering that all Maltese MEPs would be showing a united front against the directive, Mr Zammit said it did because the union had been preparing for action with other unions. Action was being taken in all ports across Europe and apart from the message to Malta's five MEPs, the GWU wanted to pass a message to the whole European Parliament.

Asked how many ships would be affected by the GWU's action, Mr Zammit said he would only know after the action was taken.

However, a spokesman for the Communications Ministry said three vessels experienced a slight delay yesterday; others had been informed about the action and adjusted their timetable accordingly.

The section, together with a number of port workers, making up a delegation of 22, will be taking part in a demonstration by port workers from all over Europe in Strasbourg on Monday.

Mr Zammit said the European Commission had never declared why it was after the directive. It was clear the Commission did not give ports the necessary importance, he said, adding that port transport was not the same as train or air transport.

The GWU, he said, was the only union in Malta speaking on the directive although it was also affecting members of other unions. The union had attended discussions on both this and the previous proposed ports directive which was similar to this one but which had been rejected. Yet, the directive had again been put up for discussion in less than a year with former Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio arguing that it created competition and opportunities.

Mr Zammit said European ports were the cheapest and most efficient in the world. This, he said, could be confirmed by agents and ship owners.

The directive, he went on, strangled debate between the governments, unions and operators and it was an attack on workers.

The most offensive part of the directive was that of self-handling, which, if approved, would stifle opportunities for Maltese workers. Through self-handling, shipping companies would be able to replace port workers with their own sea faring or land-based crew.

The competition the Commission wanted was unjust because it would place European workers in competition with those who worked under inferior conditions.

The GWU, Mr Zammit said, was satisfied that Malta's MEPs were all voting against the directive.

Historical note

On February 13, 2001 the European Commission adopted a communication to the European Parliament and to the Council titled Reinforcing Quality Service In Sea Ports: A Key For European Transport.

The cornerstone of this communication was a proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on market access to port services.

The proposal has led to an extensive debate, both within the inter-institutional legislative process and with and between stakeholders.

But on November 20, 2003, after almost three years of inter-institutional legislative process, at the end of the conciliation procedure, the European Parliament in plenary session rejected a compromise text by 229 votes against, 209 in favour and 16 abstentions.

The "new" proposed directive is based both on the original 2001 proposal and the amended proposal, as well as numerous amendments brought forward by the European Parliament's two readings - the Council's common position and conciliation texts.