Port unions in 10 nations, including the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, demonstrated Dec. 17 against multinational furniture giant Ikea’s lockout of 350 Teamsters workers from its Richmond, British Columbia, store since May 13.
The protests, arranged by the London-based International Transport Workers Federation, occurred in Tokyo, Rotterdam, Holland, Vancouver, B.C., Gothenburg, Sweden, Helsinki, Finland, Kristiansand, Norway, Aarhus, Denmark, Felixstowe, Britain, Zeebrugge, Belgium, and Sydney, Australia.
They follow a detailed report on the Swedish-founded, Dutch-owned firm’s mistreatment of the workers, issued last month by the ITF and UNI, another global union confederation. Ikea locked out the workers after they rejected company demand for a 2-tier wage system and an end to family health care benefits.
“The report calls on Ikea to end its lockout and end its use of anti-union lawyers at the bargaining table,” the union said.