The government of Ireland has refused a request by a longshore union to deny entry to a tanker carrying Russian petroleum.
During March, the tanker “STI Clapham” took on a cargo at Lukoil’s Vykotsk terminal in the Baltic, heading to England. On March 9, the ship moored at a terminal on the Thames, leaving the following day and going south through the Strait of Dover.
On March 11, as the Clapham rounded the southern coast of England, Ireland’s Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) called on the Irish government to prevent the ship from calling at Dublin Port.
Given the unfolding horror in Ukraine as the invasion by Russia aggressively proceeds, our members and other workers who are expected to unload this vessel are angry and upset at being put in this position. While a range of different sanctions are being rolled out across the EU against Russia, the government needs to speak up on humanitarian grounds and turn this vessel around
said SIPTU Divisional Organizer Karan O’Loughlin in a statement.
However, the Irish government said that it would not do so, and would comply with current EU sanctions, that still permit the import of Russian oil and gas, and it allows port calls from Russian-linked vessels.
We fully understand the concerns of the Siptu members with regard to the cargo of oil due to arrive to Dublin Port over the weekend. However, the strongest pressure we can put on the Russian government now is to continue to ensure that we maintain a resolute, united European response on already agreed sanctions
said Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.
In a similar situation, British labor union Unison had urged the government to immediately intervene to stop two Russian tankers, containing enough liquid gas to supply the UK for up to 12 days.
The Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke were bound for Grain LNG with plans to unload at the Isle of Grain importation terminal owned by National Grid.
This is despite a law passed banning ships with any Russian connection from all UK ports, says the union. UNISON says a loophole has left open the possibility that the Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke could still dock and unload their cargo.
UNISON is calling on transport secretary Grant Shapps to confirm that the ban applies to these two vessels, and that both will be prohibited from berthing at the Thames Estuary site, which is 30km from London.
