Following the crew change issue due to COVID-19, 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.
In fact, both sides contributed to the Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience (SG-STAR) Fund, adding to the S$1 million fund established by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), and Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS).
For the recrods, the total fund now amounts to US$1.2 million.
Apart from ITF and IMEC, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) will also lend support to the initiative, while offer its technical expertise in shipping.
In light of the above, MPA of Singapore noted:
With the contribution and support by ITF, IMEC and ICS, the SG-STAR Fund is the first global tripartite initiative bringing together like-minded international partners from the industry, unions and government to facilitate safe crew changes. The fund, based in Singapore, will be disbursed for use upstream in countries where seafarers come from. We continue to welcome like-minded partners to join us in this global alliance.
What is more, the fund supports practical solutions in order to reduce the severity of the crew change crisis for the world’s 1.4 million seafarers.
For the world’s seafarers, they need practical solutions now, not tomorrow, to end this humanitarian crisis and get seafarers to and from ships in a safe manner. This joint initiative, working with tripartite partners to promote practical solutions to the crew change crisis, will be key to breaking the current deadlock.
…said the ITF General Secretary Mr Stephen Cotton.
The SG-STAR Fund initiated by the tripartite partners in Singapore further goals to enhance ship crew supplying nations, boost facilities and capabilities to establish safe and scalable “bubbles” or “corridors” to enable crew change – from the time to/from home country or country of origin, to the country where the crew joins the ship, as well as safe holding facilities at the home/origin country and the country where the crew change occurs.
We are pleased to join the SG-STAR Fund and hope bring our expertise to help find solutions to this crisis. I am confident this determined partnership will lead the way to practical approaches to a crisis that is expected to stay with us for months to come.
…IMEC Chairman, Capt. Belal Ahmed concluded.