Due to an illegal boycott in November 2015, Ver.di, the national representative of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), is obliged to pay a German ship owner damages amounting to a high five-figure sum. By way of background, cargo handling at a German port often requires the owner to issue a confirmation that the vessel, being loaded or discharged, is covered by a recognised ITF agreement. If not, the ITF may threaten the ship manager with a boycott until an ITF standard collective agreement (CBA) has been signed by the manager on behalf of the owner. In most cases the managers or owners agree to enter negotiations with the ITF with the usual outcome that, in addition to the particular vessel, the whole fleet will be covered by a somewhat "cheaper" collective agreement provided by ITF or its domestic representative respectively.
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