Dockworkers from around the world will gather in Lisbon in protest designed to resist job losses caused by what they call unchecked automation in the marine sector.
Organised by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and coordinated by the International Dockworkers Council (IDC), the ’People Over Profit: Anti-Automation Conference’ will be be held from 5 to 6 November in Lisbon.
”Recent reports have warned that up to 50% of all entry level jobs could vanish within the next two years due to automation. This is not a blue-collar problem. It is a working class crisis, threatening both white and blue collar livelihoods. Whether you work in a crane cab or at a terminal console, the risks are the same,” said Dennis A. Daggett, international president, ILA.
“Technology should serve humanity, not replace it. We are not against innovation. We are against exploitation. We embrace tools that make our jobs safer and more efficient, but we will never accept systems that eliminate the human element entirely.”
Pushing back
Mr Daggett said that the conference is a global call to action.
The unions want dockworkers, seafarers, tug crews, mooring teams, transport workers, port authority staff and logistics personnel to come together in solidarity to confront the rise of technology that “excludes human labour under the guise of modernisation.”
Lisbon was chosen for its historic role in labour struggle and resistance, making it a symbolic location for the conference.
The conference itself will focus on creating a unified roadmap for defending decent work, labour safety and collective rights. Key sessions will include strategic planning, international coordination and open forums for debate.
The event is open to all invited maritime trade unions. More information from the IDC Secretariat at xavierb@idcdockworkers.org
