Today, October 9, is the day of the ITF Action week dedicated to the container safety. This particular attention is due to the seriousness of this problem which affects workers in ports, maritime, road and rail transport and poses threats to them, the public and the environment. Containers are the most common method for freight and much of road accidents are due to improper packaging, weighing and transport, including the transport of dangerous goods.
Therefore several international organizations – the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) – have joined their efforts to create clearer rules for container safety and establish a world standard. ITF calls for their adoption by the member-states.
The FTTUB started their own series of initiatives within the ITF Action Week with a meeting with the Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications on October 6. A special letter was presented to the Minister, in which FTTUB called to take the necessary steps for the implementation of these rules in the Bulgarian legislation. She made a political commitment to collaborate to improve the container safety. Concrete next steps were taken – the issue is going to be discussed at a sub-sectoral Tripartite Council in Executive Agency “Maritime Administration” by the end of November. A meeting has been scheduled for later this month at the Executive Agency “Automobile Administration”, where the problem will also be addressed. In rail, the ITF position was presented at the social partners’ meeting on October 8. They shared the opinion that the issue will become increasingly important with the development of intermodal terminals.
In support of FTTUB’s actions at national level, affiliated organizations of the four transport sections concerned distribute today, October 9, ITF campaign leaflets translated into Bulgarian. They will be distributed at the workplace in order to raise awareness on the importance of the problem, to specify the goals ITF have set and to show how exactly each one of us can contribute. And we really can!