In light of the COVID-19 outbreak and the crew changes issue that has arise, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) argued that the infection cannot be used as an excuse to low seafarers’ wages and working conditions.
In fact, ITF stated that crewmembers play a major role for the global supply chain, as they keep working during the pandemic and are responsible for the 90% of the world’s goods, including necessary medical supplies, equipment, products and passengers.
The pandemic cannot be used as an excuse for shipowners, managers or crewing agencies to dismiss their obligation to protect local jobs, local conditions or health, safety and economic standards in an industry for any work – especially for key workers including seafarers. Regardless of the nationality of a seafarer, they deserve the national terms and conditions applicable in national trade.
…ITF marked.
According to ITF, several shipping companies force seafarers to choose among taking unpaid leave or being furloughed, this results to a major economic strain on the seafarers and their families
At the same time, national governments must place conditions on employers who receive public funds that they must protect the wages of furloughed seafarers, including the preservation of existing and pre-existing terms and conditions of employment, while companies who received government funds have an obligation to ensure jobs for national seafarers since those funds are taxpayers’ money, ITF said.
National Governments must play a necessary role in ensuring market downturns due to Covid-19 do not turn into unfair redundancies for seafarers or undercut current wages. Now more than ever, critical trade routes that deliver essential supplies should be crewed with national seafarers. To use this pandemic as an opportunity to further erode conditions on ferry routes is opportunism at its worst.
….James Given, president of Seafarers International Union of Canada and chair of the ITF Cabotage Taskforce concluded.
