In an exclusive interview to SAFETY4SEA, ITF’s Inspectorate Coordinator, Steve Trowsdale, emphasizes that forced labor, human trafficking, and modern slavery remain under-addressed topics within the maritime sector. He suggests that these issues warrant more attention.
With a rising number of crew abandonment cases, Trowsdale calls upon maritime stakeholders to take decisive action. He underscores the growing importance of corporate social responsibility and human rights due diligence in ensuring that the supply chain remains free from exploitation and abandonment. Moreover, he stresses the crucial necessity of providing internet access to all crew members onboard and implementing sanctions against shipowners and operators who persistently disregard international labor and safety laws or violate seafarers’ employment agreements.
SAFETY4SEA: New ITF data from revealed a concerning uptick in the number of abandoned seafarers in 2023. What are the key findings? Are there any trends or patterns observed in the data?
Steve Trowsdale: We are seeing a continued growth in the number of cases reported and the number of seafarers involved. Each year we see a wider range of flags and locations involved in abandonments which shows that this is an industry wide problem.
S4S: Are you satisfied with industry stakeholders’ response on the crew abandonment cases? Which should be industry’s key priorities towards that issue?
St. Tr.: No. Many flag states do nothing more than ask companies and or financial security providers to resolve the matter but take no action to ensure that it is done in a timely manner and are completely toothless if no action is taken. The MLC requires expedited assistance, which is very rarely the case. In addition, while some P&I clubs are getting better at responding to cases, we are still seeing a concerning number of cases where financial security providers take too long to accept claims from seafarers or try to pressure companies into paying. This means the cases take longer to resolve and add additional pressure and suffering to abandoned seafarers. There is little to no consequence to shipowners and P&I clubs in the vent they do not resolve an abandonment case adequately.
S4S: Can you provide more details about the process of reporting and handling cases of abandoned seafarers?
St. Tr.: ITF collects information about abandonments through complaints from seafarers. The complaints may come to ITF directly, through seafarers’ families, through seafarers’ welfare organisations or through our affiliates. The cases will be overseen by an ITF Inspector, or a member of our Seafarers’ Support team. We report cases to the ILO/IMO database as soon as we are able.
S4S: What measures does the ITF take to assist abandoned seafarers in reclaiming owed wages and ensuring their well-being?
St. Tr.: ITF will engage with any stakeholder who can assist in recovering owed wages. This includes companies (ship owners, manning agents, charterers, mortgagees and others), flag states, port states and financial security providers. We endeavour to exert pressure on these parties to ensure that wages are paid. In some cases, we may assist the crew to arrest the vessel to recover wages. ITF also ensures that welfare is looked after by ensuring that food water and fuel are supplied to the vessel. In some extreme cases, we will cover the costs of such ourselves. Our inspectors maintain contact with the crew to provide support. We also work with a number of welfare organisations.
S4S: Could you elaborate on the challenges faced by seafarers and their families due to the actions of non-compliant ship owners?
St. Tr.: When wages go unpaid, the family of seafarers also suffer. In some cases, a seafarers extended family and wider community can be dependent on the wages they send home. We have had reports of children being taken out of school, hospital visits skipped, medicines becoming unaffordable and even families going hungry. We have also had reports of families taking loans to help them get through while waiting for the owed wages. Often, when the money finally arrives, it is not enough to pay off the amounts borrowed due to the high interest rates charged.
S4S: Where should the industry focus on improving crew welfare today from your perspective?
St. Tr.: There are many ways this could be done. Ensuring that crew have access to internet seems like a good place to start. We also need to see sanctions applied to shipowners and operators who consistently fail to adhere to the requirements of international labour and safety laws, or to seafarer’s employment agreements. This requires flag states to step up.
S4S: How can we ensure that crew welfare issues are on top of all ship operators’ agenda? Is there a need for a regulatory update? What are your suggestions?
St. Tr.: All the tools are there in the regulatory instruments available. We need flag and port states to implement those measures more effectively. Flag states need to be more aware of the precarious position seafarer’s may find themselves in if their employer decides not to honour their employment agreement or respect their rights. Abandonment is the non-payment of wages to workers who are in a vulnerable position and can’t just up and leave. They are held on the vessel until their employer allows them to leave. Forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery are not terms often used in the maritime industry, but perhaps they should be.
S4S: What strategies does the ITF employ to raise awareness about the issue of seafarer abandonment and garner support for its efforts?
St. Tr.: As well as our work with ILO and IMO, ITF is involved in promoting the issue through engagement in the sector and with various parties. We are also growing our presence in the CSR and HRDD field, with a focus on seafarers issues including abandonment.
S4S: What is your message to industry stakeholders to address the issue of crew abandonment?
St. Tr.: The issue of abandonment is gaining more and more attention. As the trends of corporate social responsibility and human rights due diligence grow, companies that ship goods will be looking to ensure that their supply chains are free from human rights abuses. Whatever your role in the industry, make sure your supply chain is free from abandonment and other forms of exploitation. Check out ITF’s HRDD toolkit.
The views presented are only those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
