The Kenyan government is looking to create a wage standard as well as regulations to protect Kenyan seafarers from exploitation by the international companies. Namely, Kenya will establish regulations for minimum wages to improve employment conditions.
According to the Kenyan news agency, a Mombasa based Maritime Consultant Andrew Mwangura said that Kenyan seafarers are experiencing problems because the government has delayed in implementing the Maritime Labour Convention (2006) rules and regulations.
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For this reason, he added that Kenya should realise soon that it must find and bring on board key stakeholders with proper qualifications and maritime experience.
In fact, Shipping and Maritime Affairs Principal Secretary Nancy Karigithu informed that the state department is collaborating with the Ministry of Labour to set out regulations for minimum wages to improve employment conditions of seafarers in the country. However, the council will not stop on wages alone, but it will try to improve the general employment conditions of seafarers.
In addition, Kenya will look into how it can safeguard the welfare of seafarers while they are outside the jurisdiction of Kenya maritime administration, regarding adequate wages, payment on regular basis, hours of work and other social welfare minimums.
Currently, multinational shipping companies are dominating the Kenyan shipping industry, while many of them have been accused of discriminating citizens in terms of employment opportunities, wages and working conditions.
What is more, Kenya is working on a directive regarding the recruitment of seafarers, according to which all recruitment is subject to government control.
Seeing the difficult situation in the Kenyan maritime industry, the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) called the government to fully implement the Maritime Labour Convention (2006) and protect Kenyan seafarers.
