On 23 and 24 September 2015 the ETF/ITF Tug Conference has learnt with great concern of the planned unilateral introduction of unproven working practices and the general poor maintenance condition of the tugs in the expanded Panama Canal and its locks.
Changes in a potentially dangerous working environment under new conditions, i.e. significantly larger vessels operating in new locks should only be realised in close co-operation with the workers concerned and their representatives.
The representatives present at the Conference call on the Panama Canal Authority to postpone the introduction of new working practices until the ITF simulator study can present its conclusions and then only subject to an agreement with the crew and their unions.