Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Dock Work Convention, 1973 (No. 137) - Finland (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee takes note of the Government’s report and the supplementary information provided in light of the decision adopted by the Governing Body at its 338th Session (June 2020).

The Committee notes the observations of the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK), and the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (AKAVA), communicated with the Government’s report.

Articles 3 and 4 of the Convention. Priority of engagement. Minimisation of detrimental effects. Application in practice. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous comments. The Government reiterates that the provisions of the Convention have been implemented through consecutive collective agreements concluded between the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) and the Finnish Port Operators Association. The current agreement is due to end on 31 January 2021. The Committee notes the statistics provided on the number of stevedores between 2012 and 2018, which show a decrease in the number of workers. In their observations, SAK, STTK and AKAVA recall that the purpose of the Convention is to safeguard continued employment and income to workers who earn their livelihood from dock work. According to the trade union Confederations, over the past ten years, one third of the jobs were lost and this decrease cannot be explained merely by a recession or the technological advancement in ports. The pre-processing and post-processing of cargo were moved to areas created between the fence of the port area and the actual administrative port area. In their views, political decisions have sought to move dock work to workers other than registered stevedores, under a collective agreement other than that for the stevedoring industry. Therefore, SAK, STTK and AKAVA underline that ensuring compliance with the Convention is increasingly important as dock work should continue to be carried out by registered stevedores. In light of the observations made by the trade union Confederations, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the manner in which, in the context described, registered stevedores are assured priority of engagement for dock work, pursuant to Article 3 of the Convention. It also encourages the Government to foster discussions or negotiations between the social partners on the probable effects of the changes in the dock industry, or the potential reduction of the strength of the registers, with a view to avoiding or minimizing any risk of adverse consequences on the employment security of dockworkers or their conditions of work. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any developments in this regard, and to continue to provide information on the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice, including extracts from reports and particulars on the numbers of dockworkers, disaggregated by gender, employment status (permanent or temporary) and occupation, and on variations in their numbers.