The ITF’s Dockers’ Section supports affiliated dock workers’ unions in defending the interests of their members. Those interests include:

• Stable and fulfilling employment
  
• Decent incomes
  
• Decent working conditions
  
• Social security and pension provision
  
• Education and vocational training
  
• Health, safety and the environment
  
• Workplace democracy
  
• Strong and effective trade unions
  
• Equality between men and women
  
• Freedom from discrimination
  
• Freedom from corruption

This support may include:

Assisting affiliates in gathering and disseminating information on all workers’ interests

Assisting affiliates in gathering and disseminating information on the effects of port reforms and privatisation, increasing competition, sub-contracting and casualisation, globalisation of ownership and management of terminals and ports, the impact of new technology and automation, modernisation of labour and other industrial relations and any other issue related to the workers’ interests.

Supporting affiliates in labour disputes or any other conflict emerging from defending dock workers’ interests.

Organising and coordinating international solidarity action in support of affiliates confronted with union-busting or any other anti-trade union policy by authorities and/or employers.

Helping affiliates to develop their own policies to support their members' interests.

Organising international campaigns centred on specific joint interests, such as the ratification and implementation of ILO Conventions.

Organising meetings, conferences and seminars to enable affiliates to exchange information and develop and coordinate international trade union policies.

The Dockers’ Section works closely with other ITF Sections, regional offices, affiliated unions, other Global Union Federations and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

The ITF Dockers’ Section represents trade unions organising not only those who are directly involved in cargo handling (dock workers, longshore workers, waterfront workers, stevedores, warehouse workers or whatever name they have been given in a particular port) but also workers indirectly involved in cargo handling such as office workers and those employed by agencies, port authorities, forwarders, etc. Workers performing tasks related to the arrival or departure of ships, such as tugging, mooring and piloting may also be represented.

In assisting and supporting its affiliates neither the ITF nor the Dockers’ Section differentiate between workers employed by the state, city or other authority or a private company.