The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire
In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire
UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović
US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire
Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović
Anti-Empire >>
A bird's eye view of the vineyard
Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb
The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog. We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).
What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are
Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of
The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by
The Saker >>
News Round-Up Tue Jul 23, 2024 01:16 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Will Trump Ever Admit Lockdown Was a Mistake? Mon Jul 22, 2024 19:35 | Jeffrey A. Tucker
Will Trump ever admit he was wrong to back lockdown in March 2020 ? a decision that doomed America to years of crisis and sank his re-election hopes that year? Jeffrey Tucker is hopeful that truth will finally prevail.
The post Will Trump Ever Admit Lockdown Was a Mistake? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Joe Biden Out in Apparent Palace Coup Mon Jul 22, 2024 17:30 | Eugyppius
Biden's team was still obliviously tweeting his resolve to fight on hours after he had decided to step down. So was the matter taken out of his hands? It has all the signs of an opportunistic palace coup, says Eugyppius.
The post Joe Biden Out in Apparent Palace Coup appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Who Will Guard Us Against the Guardian?s ?Fact Checks?? Mon Jul 22, 2024 15:34 | David Craig
The Guardian has published a 'fact check' of Donald Trump's claims about inflation and immigration. Just one problem, says David Craig: the 'fact check' gets its facts wrong. Who will guard us against the Guardian?
The post Who Will Guard Us Against the Guardian’s ‘Fact Checks’? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Biden Delayed Stepping Down as He ?Doubts Kamala? as Senior Democrats Fail to Back Her Mon Jul 22, 2024 13:19 | Will Jones
President Biden delayed stepping down in part because he doubted Kamala Harris was up to the challenge of an election battle with Donald Trump, sources have said.
The post Biden Delayed Stepping Down as He “Doubts Kamala” as Senior Democrats Fail to Back Her appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en
Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en
Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en
Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en
Voltaire Network >>
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 3 2 1In relation to the point about ensuring that the seafarers actually get to keep the money that has been recovered for them, it is not uncommon for rogue shipowners to try to claw the money back, once the vessel is out of port.
For that reason the ITF always try to get the seafarer(s) to hand over the money to the ITF inspctor, who gives them an offical receipt and then lodges the money in a special interest bearing seafares wages bank account . The seafarer(s) can then, when they feel it is safe to do so- contact the ITF - which is a worldwide organisation - and draw their money plus any interest earned.
Sadly, many seafarers do not use this facility and we have stories - always hard to prove ,of seafarers being beaten-up and the money taken.
There are occasions when we got the seafarer repatriated and they insisted on taking fairly large sums of money in cash which we recoverd for them. Next we heard that elements of the security services in their home country, searched them, found and then took a lot of the cash, as the price for letting them through without "trouble" It would be best if I did not name the countries, but they were not in Western Europe.
Tony Ayton
It's really heartwarming to read of an action like this and the success of the non-violent action of simply laying down tools. It's another world on board ship and rogue owners might think they can treat human beings like pawns and get way with it "because no-one will be bothered about it".
That's all the more reason why it's so important to have people like the ITFand SIPTU (No 5 Branch) to show that other people do care and will not let these injustices happen.
Well done to the Harbour Board workers and pilots, to Kevin Doyle for the interview and story, to Peter Andrers, Stephen McCarty , Timmy Ricken for the interview, to Ken Fleming and Tony Ayton and anyone else involved. I was particularly delighted with the response of the interviewee who said: "We weren’t too worried where they [the sailors] were from". Not being worried where they were from shows real worker solidarity.
There's just one little point still niggling at my brain. The interviewee said "We were notified that they had all been paid". I was wondering, in view of the initial non-payment , who gave this notification and was it trustworthy. That is, could it be that the ship owners got their work done and put to sea with a promise that might later be broken or re-bargained with the sailors who would then be in a more compromised position. It would be good, in my opinion, if ITF would follow up this initial success by contacting the sailors at some other port and finding out exactly what happened after their action. Or maybe this has already been done?
Keep up thr good work
My name is Tony Ayton. I was the first full-time inspector appointed for Ireland by the International Transport Workers Federation. (ITF) I have now retired. Ken Fleming is now the Inspector .Before my appointment, the welfare of unpaid or generally abused seafarers was left to individual officials of SIPTU to deal with, if they could, on top of their other duties. I was one of those officials.
During my time and now in Ken Flemings time, the most effective weapon to use against rogue shipowners is worker solidarity. If dockers, won't load/unload the vessel and/or the pilots would take her in/out, or the tugs won't assist then we have the shipowner by the short and curlys
Give Ken Fleming all the help and support you can. I know I am biased because he is a friend of mine - but he is a great and dedicated trade Unionist, deeply committed to the welfare of seafarers