Pinoy seamen's group wins labor case in Sweden

After litigation that lasted five years, a court in Sweden has ruled in favor of the Philippine-based United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) union in a collective bargaining case against a Swedish labor group. Eng. Nelson Ramirez, president of UFS, said Monday that the court ruling is a landmark achievement by a Filipino seafarers union in Sweden. The UFS brought to court a Swedish labor group for reportedly forcing the owner of a Bahamas-registered ship to sign a collective bargaining agreement with the International Transport-workers Federation (ITF), undermining a CBA the ship owner signed with the Philippine-based UFS. In a ruling issued on January 25, 2007, the Swedish labor court cited that the law of a ship’s flag-state as well as the CBA that the ship owner signed with a foreign labor union overrides the Swedish national law concerning bargaining agreements for seafarers. Ramirez said that the legal victory is another milestone in UFS 13-year history, knowing that Sweden is one of several European countries where ITF-backed labor unions exercise significant influence. The Bahamian-flag vessel Rickmers Tianjin, time-charted to Cyprus-registered Double C Shipping Co. by Technomar Shipping Greece, arrived in Lulea, Sweden, on December 2, 2001. Its owner and crew were requested by the Swedish Transport Workers' Union to sign new employment contracts under an ITF special agreement. Polish officers and Filipino seafarers manning the Bahamian vessel, together with the ship owner, refused to sign new employment contracts and new CBA with ITF because they have already signed up with the UFS. In reaction, the Swedish labor union held the ship on December 4, 2001. As the ship was on time charter, the ship owner had conceded to sign a special agreement with ITF to avoid costly delays. The ship owner, through the UFS, filed a case against the Swedish labor union, alleging that the agreement was null and void because the ITF had no authority over CBA and employment agreements of the crew members. This victory in a Swedish court is reportedly the third in a series of victories the UFS has earned in Europe. In September 2000, the UFS successfully thwarted an attempt of ITF to interdict the Panamanian-registered vessel Athena Y both in Bremen, Germany and then again in Italy. The Filipino seafarers of Athena Y were covered by a CBA from the UFS. Established 13 years ago, the UFS is now a 35,000-strong Filipino maritime union that seeks to promote labor rights, better working conditions and better salaries for Filipino seafarers as well as better benefits for ship owners. –GMANews.TV