Seafarers want to work under collective agreement

Only  ITF Collective Agreement in force can provide  the high wages, good working and living conditions on a shipboard under flag of convenience (FoC). A decent employment can be guaranteed, if a ship has  such agreement. The inspectors from the SUR Far Eastern Regional Organization (SUR FERO) have witnessed it  once again.

The SUR FERO representatives inspected Pacific Comrade (flag of Panama, IMO 9622734) and Nozomi (flag of  Marshall Islands, IMO 9323871) in Port of Vostochny. The results reveal  that the crews aren't  covered by the ITF Collective Agreements.  Although the shipowners are  different, the working conditions on both vessels are the same and far from ideal. Yawatahama Shosen-operated Pacific Comrade is manned  by 19 Filipinos.  They have   individual contracts. Here the basic wage for an able seaman is USD500 and a master's salary is USD4500. There are  insurance certificates which are guarantee a financial responsibility of shipowner to seafarers. However, there are no any word about insurance payments in the certificates or contracts and the seafarers even don't know the  sum of their insurance cover in the event  of death or company insolvency.

“We explained to the Filipinos that the ITF Collective Agreement is only way to obtain guarantees in case of  serious labour disputes”, said Nikolai Sukhanov, the chairman at SUR FETO. “Using  the Panama FoC, the Japanese  shipowner has an opportunity  to lay down  own  rules on a ship. For instance, for crew catering the  owner provides  USD6 per seafarer. But this  sum clearly isn't  enough. Also, the wage rates fall short of the minimum salary for a seaman (USD614) recommended by the International Labour Organization”.

In accordance with the circumstances and the  strong request from the crew, The Seafarers' Union of Russia (SUR) and the  International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) in Japan addressed to the  shipowner a notice requiring to conclude a collective agreement. The SUR expects  that Yawatahama Shosen would sign an agreement after  a ship calling in the port of Oita, Japan.

Another vessel Nozomi  is operated by the Greek shipowner OceanBulk International SA. The crew  also consists of Filipinos. It comes clear that the master received from the owner a direct order  according to which he didn't have  a right  to disclose to the union reps an information about the wage rates and  labour conditions   on the ship. The SUR FERO clearly understands the reason why the Greek company avoids the meetings and  contacts  with the union. “We were able to obtain from the captain the such documents as a Declaration  of Maritime Labour Compliance  Part  II and the insurance certificates by which a ship should be equipped according to MLC, 2006”, Sukhanov added.

Similar to the Japanese shipowner,  the Greek company OceanBulk International SA will receive from the SUR a notice requiring  to enter into a  collective agreement and  guarantee a decent working conditions  for crew.