"The ML parties of Europe encourage all workers, trade unions and all democratic forces to express their solidarity and to boycott Yilport."
The dockworkers are renowned worldwide for their internationalism and their active solidarity with workers and seamen struggling for their rights. Now, it is the dockers themselves who are in urgent need of international support and solidarity.
The dock workers in Norway have been in conflict since November 2013, a period of almost 20 months. They have been harassed and arrested by the police. Their only demand is that the employers sign a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and abide by the ILO Convention 137 (Art. 3), which gives registered dockworkers the prerogative to load or unload merchant vessels. But this right is being denied them, now also in the port of Oslo.
In the port of Oslo the struggle has an extra international aspect because the Turkish company Yilport has been given the "exclusive right" to operate the port for the next 20 years. However, Yilport refuses to negotiate a CBA or even speak with the Dockers’ Union.
Instead they hire unskilled labour from temporary employment agencies, thereby expelling the dockers from their jobs. This attempt to crush the Dockers’ union and undermine CBAs is totally unacceptable. It is in reality an attack on workers in all countries and in all sectors.
The Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations of Europe encourage all workers, trade unions and all democratic forces to express their solidarity and to boycott Yilport until they re-employ the organized dockers in the port of Oslo and sign the CBA with them.
Workers of all countries, unite!
Resolution adopted at the regional meeting of Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations in France, June 2015.