At their February monthly meeting, members of ILWU longshore Local 10 voted to send $5,000 to the Belgian dockers imprisoned after the successful Jan. 16 protest against European port privatization in Strasbourg, France.

The ILWU and the MUA sent delegations to march on the European Parliament in Strasbourg along side dockers from ports all over Europe. They demanded the European Parliament vote down a proposed law that would have allowed ships’ crews and non-union casual workers do the job of registered and trained union dockers loading and unloading ships. Union dockers see this as a backdoor legal maneuver to destroy their jobs, wages, conditions, benefits and the unions that guarantee those. They united and mobilized in a massive demonstration and work stoppages at many European ports.

The European Parliament voted down the privatization plan by a huge margin, but not until after police fired upon and tear-gassed the marchers. In the process 13 demonstrators were arrested and jailed. Eight Belgian dockers remain behind bars, separated from their families and unable to work to support them. The three Belgian docker unions are raising money for the families.

The Local 10 motion, besides sending the $5,000 to help, also calls for other ILWU locals to contribute to the fund.

"The membership felt it necessary to give money in support of our brothers for the survival of the labor movement," Local 10 President Dave Gonzales said. "And they want others to join in the struggle."

Contributions can be sent to:
132-5049503-15
IBAN: BE.83 13250495031
BIC: BNA GB EBB

Note that the name of the bank is
DELTA LLOYD BANK

The address:
ARENBERGSTRAAT 15 ANWERP BELGIUM and the beneficiary of the account is SOLIDARITEITSFONDS