The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) along with the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) of maritime employers call companies to be fully-compliant with the future changes of ‘Dockers Clause’, on the terms and conditions which will affect ships’ cargo handling operations in ports.
Both parties talk about the Collective Bargaining Agreement that was decided during the last International Bargaining Forum (IBF) negotiations in February 2018, effective 1 January 2019 and which applies to all IBF vessels operating worldwide with the exception of the ‘Dockers Clause’ which will take effect from 1 January 2020.
The amended Dockers Clause focuses on loading and unloading procedures during port operations that should keep safe the ship’s crew and the dockers’ right to do the work.
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After agreeing to the Dockers Clause, IBF believes that changes should be made to existing arrangements with stevedoring companies, charterers and other third parties.
Consequently, the parties decided on a deferment period, prior to January 1, 2020, to implement provisions of the respective CBA article for container vessels operating in the following areas; Baltic Sea, Canada, North Europe and West Europe excluding Mediterranean Sea (European sub-regions as defined by the European Union).
Concluding, ITF’s statement highlights
Both parties have continuously reminded the respective companies of the upcoming change to the IBF requirements in the “Dockers Clause” and strongly encourage those companies affected to take concrete action to ensure that they are compliant come 1 January 2020.
