INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

RMTnews :: march 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 24 IRANIAN BUS DRIVERS PROTEST IN TEHRAN Hundreds of bus drivers of the Tehran bus company protested outside the offices of the Labour Ministry in the Iranian capital last month, demanding to return to their jobs. Hundreds of bus workers have been laid off following a strike action on 28 January in which up to 1,300 workers were arrested. Most of those detained have now been released, following worldwide protests by trade unions and human rights organisations, culminating in a historic world day of trade union action Wednesday 15 February. Trade unions around the world representing millions of workers took part, rallying outside Iranian embassies. However, at least six union activists, including union leader Mansoor Ossanlou, remain in prison. The judge handling the cases of the detained workers only recently allowed their families to visit them in Evin Prison. The bus workers and their families have vowed to continue with their protest until the release of their jailed colleagues, reinstatement of all laid-off workers, recognition of their union and the meeting of their other demands. The 17,000 employees of the state-owned bus company have been battling the management and authorities since last year for union recognition and collective bargaining. A union meeting was viciously attacked last year by members of the state-set up "Workers’ House" and "Islamic Council of Labour", resulting in many injuries. The government is refusing to recognise the union and meet their demands. Union leader Mansoor Ossanlou has been in prison since 22 December, without access to lawyers or family. SLOVAKIA RAIL CARGO SELL-OFF IN DOUBT The privatisation of Slovakia's state-owned cargo railway company may not go ahead after Hungarian rail company MÁV was ditched from the sell- off. It has been reported that the sale could fall through following threats of the largest opposition party, which declared that it would have the government ousted if they carried on with the privatisation. There is growing opposition within Slovakia against the privatisation of national industries. If the government decides to give in to the opposition, Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda may just keep his minority position until early elections on June 17. A privatisation committee has recommended a consortium of Rail Cargo Austria AG and private-equity firm J&T Finance Group as the winner of the tendering for ZSSK Cargo. Transport Minister Pavol Prokopovic said his main concern was that bidders in the tendering, ZSSK Cargo's competitors, had had a chance to study its business plans and strategic intentions. BRITTANY FERRIES TRANSFERS CATAMARAN TO FULL FRENCH FLAG The Normandy Express, Brittany Ferries’ new catamaran, is in the process of registration under the full French flag, transferring from the Bahamas register, thus honouring the western Channel ferry operator’s policy to favour the national flag. Built in Tasmania by Incat in 2000, the vessel can transport 900 passengers and 280 cars at 40 knots. It begins its second season for Brittany Ferries this month until November with crossings between Cherbourg and Portsmouth on weekdays and between Caen-Ouistreham and Portsmouth at weekends. ARRIVA ARRIVES IN SWEDEN British transport private operator Arriva is extending its empire with its first operating contract in Sweden. Apart from Great Britain, the company is already present on rail networks in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. It has signed an initial nine- year contract to operate from June 2007 regional trains on a 47-station network based in Malmö, southern Sweden. It won the deal against SJ, the present operator, Connex, a private Swedish/Norwegian consortium, and DSB, the state- run Danish rail operator. Arriva operates in eight EU countries, Denmark, Italy , Holland, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK, and in the last five years European profits have risen 250 per cent to £514.8 million. FRANCE TÉLÉCOM MARINE SEAFARERS FIND JOBS Two years after France Télécom Marine de-flagged its three cable layers from the full French to the Kerguelen second register with the loss of 159 French seafarers, all but two have been found jobs. But only 40 of these are sea- going with other maritime companies. FT Marine, which dismissed the crews, replacing them with 90 Madagascar nationals, now employs only 145 French seagoing personnel, all of them various grades of officers or technicians. NEW FRENCH SHIP REGISTER DECLARED FOC The RIF, the new French ship register, came into force last month following a final government decree. ADF, the French Shipowners’ Association, welcomed “the new register with great satisfaction” but criticised the International Transport Workers’ Federation for classifying the register as a Flag of Convenience. Unions say the RIF is worse than Kerguelen, the second French register that the new flag replaces. SEAFRANCE FACES SPEED FERRIES COMPETITION Unions at SeaFrance are concerned that management is seeking to chop 88 jobs following anticipated poor results for 2005. The French Calais-Dover operator is negotiating with the unions a cost saving “re- organisation plan” with a view to balancing the books in 2007. According to the CGT maritime union, the company wants to reduce the workforce by 60 ratings and 28 land-based staff. There would be no straight redundancies and no change to an existing agreement that guarantees 46 daily crossings using the operator’s six vessels. SeaFrance employs 1,500 people including 1,300 seafarers. MAERSK RISKS HIGHEST-EVER FRENCH POLLUTION FINE The prosecutor at Brest, France’s main court that deals with accusations of maritime pollution, has demanded that a record fine of £400,000 be imposed on the owner and master of the Bahamas-flagged Maersk Barcelona. The owner, V-Ships, and its Ukrainian master are accused of an act of voluntary pollution last September after the vessel had been spotted trailing a 38- mile oil slick. The court rejected a defence request that the case be INTERNATIONAL FO SOLIDARITY: RMT members join London protest