The crew change crisis remains unresolved, with more and more seafarers remaining at sea, and major shipping stakeholders calling the industry for a rapid solution.
Bloomberg presented several cases, explaining the problems seafarers face onboard. It is reported that about half didn’t have current contracts and some said they hadn’t been paid in more than two months, meeting International Labour Organization’s definition of forced labor.
With 300,000 workers stranded on merchant ships, Bloomberg presents dozens of labor violations that threaten seafarers’ safety, as well as the global supply chain.
In addition, a crucial incident reported saw a captain that had died of a heart attack, and the crew stored his corpse in the freezer for nearly two weeks before it found a port that would repatriate the body.
Moreover, the majority of the seafarers haven’t left their ships in months after coronavirus outbreaks tied to cruise liners and merchant ships put an end to shore leave.
Seafarers with abscessed teeth haven’t been able to get dental care, and others say they’ve received stitches from crewmates in lieu of off-shore medical attention.
In light of this crisis, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) have jointly offered $500.000 to support countries that adopt best practices for crew change.
Concluding, for more information about where crew change takes place see herebelow
- Crew change update: Where it is allowed (most recent update)
- Crew change: Where it is allowed and where it is not
- Crew changes: An overview
