Twenty delegates from unions representing workers at APM Terminals in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Oman met in Aqaba, Jordan this week to agree on a joint approach to achieving a set of minimum standards for workers at the region’s terminals, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
The two-day meeting (September 7 to 8) focused on topics such as the latest developments at the terminals, occupational health and safety, trade union rights, stability at work, and building a positive working relationship with the company.
Yeppi Yanson, the CEO for the ACT terminal in Aqaba, attended the opening, where he welcomed the dialogue between unions and APMT across the region, and stressed the importance of more coordination.
By the close of the meeting all unions had agreed on a road map on how to work closely to improve conditions and set uniform standards on issues such of health and safety.
“All unions representing APMT workers in the region have decent collective bargaining agreements, and reasonably good relations with management in the five countries where APMT exists,” ITF Arab World regional secretary Bilal Malkawi said.
”I am sure that with such a positive approach we will see more stable relations in the region, and these will lead to better productivity. We are looking for decent jobs, where workers can build positive industrial relations in their own workplaces. Unions representing APMT workers in this region are a great example of how unions can work in solidarity together.”