UCOC members stand up for vessel safety and workers’ rights in the Panama Canal.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation says it has been made aware of a communication sent by the Panama Canal Authority to the Union de Capitanes y Oficiales de Cubierta (UCOC) which states that from 1 July the position of the additional captain, as part of the forward tug’s crew, will be removed.
This latest decision is said to follow the removal of a deckhand in April 2018, a move that, according to the UCOC, can jeopardize the safety of the tug and its crew because of the nature and risks associated in assisting with maneuvers inside the new locks.
The ITF says that ‘The ITF strongly recommends that the ACP re-evaluates the way it conducts its industrial relations. Instead of imposing unilateral decisions, the ACP should accept the UCOC’s reasonable request for dialogue. Proper consultation and dialogue between employers and employees that respectfully takes into account each other’s roles and responsibilities should be the norm in modern, developed societies like Panama.