Tag: ETF

The European Parliament voted on April 4 regarding the revision of Directive 2008/106/EC on the minimum level of training for seafarers. The revision gives emphasis on the level of transparency that should prevail in processing demands for the recognition of seafarers’ certificates of new third countries. Such a recognition will now stop to be automatic, as the decision to launch this process will have to be taken by the Commission by means of an implementing decision and on grounds of several criteria.

The ETF which represents fishers will collaborate with the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions on a joint project. EFFAT represents workers in the aquaculture and fish processing sectors. The key goal of this project is to establish a joint vision of how to boost and defend workers’ occupational interests all along the fishery supply chain.

On 13-15 February, European dockers and seafarers met in Hamburg to discuss EU port and maritime policies. The matter discussed, was among others, the revision of the EU’s Consortium Block Exemption Regulation (CBER), which governs fair competition in the shipping sector.

Despite months of negotiations, many EU member states insist that seafarers and fishers should be excluded from the guarantees in the new Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive, ETF noted ahead the release of the revised Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive.

Taking into consideration the need for a more holistic approach towards gender diversity, shipping is constantly showing an increased interest in augmenting the role and presence of women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. According to WISTA, Norway was ranked first in gender equality in maritime, where women account for 42% on company boards.

The project "Towards A Sustainable Crewing System" is coming to its end. The TASCS project is EU-funded and developed by the European social partners of the inland waterways sector: European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the European Skippers’ Organisation (ESO) and the European Barge Union (EBU). 

The European Transport Workers Federation released a statement regarding sea rescue operations. ETF highlights that casualties in the Mediterranean have been extremely high since 2014 and presents its demands to improve this situation. ETF also noted that it resists any attempt to criminalise masters and crew of ships involved in rescue operations.

As part of their combined efforts to increase the participation of women in careers in the European shipping industry, the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) announced what their shared priorities and joint actions will be to address the issue.

The European Social Partners for the maritime sector, including the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) stressed potential Brexit implications, related to the possible preclusion of seafarers who hold Certificates of Competency (CoCs) issued in the UK under STCW.

European Commission publicly announced its plan of co-financing the project "SkillSea, Futureproof Skills for the Maritime transport sector" in a ceremony. The project aspires to develop a pattern on identifying and meeting the future skills needs of maritime sector and to also lure Europeans to work in maritime industries.