The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has urged governments and industry to do more to safeguard seafarers from becoming collateral damage in conflicts not of their making, as well as from piracy and criminalisation.
The ITF on its statement called on the Houthis to end all attacks on commercial vessels and to provide clear assurances that seafarers transiting the Red Sea will be safe.
Furthermore, the ITF stresses that while the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader is an extremely positive development, governments must do more to prevent the capture and detention of innocent crews.
In addition to geopolitical conflicts, many seafarers still face threats such as piracy and criminalisation—underscoring the urgent need for stronger protections and decisive action and collaboration with unions from governments, industry and international institutions.
Governments, industry, and the international community must urgently take stronger, more decisive action to ensure that seafarers—who move our world everyday—are protected and able to do their jobs without having to endure the impacts of war, piracy attacks or criminalisation.
…said Stephen Cotton, General Secretary, ITF.
Yemen’s Houthis announced the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader, after negotiations brokered by Oman after seizing the vessel off Yemen’s coast for over a year. The Galaxy Leader’s international crew, from the Philippines (17), Ukraine (3), Mexico (2), Bulgaria (2) and Romania (1), had been detained since November 2023.
Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, connecting our economies and societies, yet too often they become collateral damage in conflicts not of their making. The harrowing experiences of the Galaxy Leader’s crew demonstrate the repercussions of war and underscore the need for peace and diplomacy to prevail.
…said Cotton.
