First strike at COSCO

The mobilization that involved around 200 employees began when night shift personnel refused to vacate the container terminal and locked down gates leading to the area.

However, employees did not block access to management facilities.

The employees want:

• a collective labor agreement
• recognition of their jobs as hazardous and unhealthy
• increase in wages
• increase of crew numbers on each loading crane from 3 to 5
• registration of industrial accidents
• special bonuses for staff working at heights
• abolition of 16 hour shifts
• establishment of work regulations
• payment of wages due

Staff maintain that so far accidents at the facilities go unregistered and accident victims are taken to hospitals in private cars and not ambulances.

The Cosco investment has been touted as a locomotive for growth, and is a pet project of the government as shown by the many visits there by the prime minister and other government officials. The industrial action comes to cast a shadow over the Cosco facility.