Tomorrow will see a rally of dockworkers and seafarers outside the offices of Dowa Line who operate a non union policy, unlike the majority of the country’s maritime employers. According to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), who represent 650 unions in 148 countries, Dowa run a fleet of 24 bulk freight and cargo vessels entirely crewed by Filipino staff and they have resisted all efforts at negotiation and now initiated litigation against the national union.

Last September the All-Japan Seaman’s Union (JSU) held a rally outside the companies Tokyo HQ calling for the company to adopt improved working conditions. Tomorrow will see protests at the companies policies staged simultaneously in the Caribbean, a traditional call for the company’s vessels, whilst the ITF had their US representatives petition the Japanese Consulate in Oregon stressing that 85% of Japanese lines adopted a fair employment policy and that US unions traditionally held a hostile view of companies who use labour unprotected by reasonable employment legislation.

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