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Nermin, general secretary of the ITF-affiliated Dockers’ and Seafarers’ Union of Libya, is an active and renowned advocate for human, workers’ and women’s rights on both the national and international stage.

The 35 crew and guards were released from prison on 28 November after the court in Madurai, India decided to lift the sentences of five years’ imprisonment that were handed down in January 2016.

A maritime industry conference featuring a speaker from the embattled ports company will be hit by protest action from worker and community organisations in South Africa who are concerned about labour abuses in ICTSI’s global network.

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) President Paddy Crumlin said: “This will be a heart-wrenching time for this man’s family, friends and workmates. The ITF extend our thoughts to them all.”

“The ITF and our affiliates have a long and proud history of supporting transport workers and trade unionism in the Middle East. And over the years we’ve backed our words with actions.

Large numbers of public and private sector employees - including port and airport workers - supported the four-hour strike; Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport was shut down. Government offices, utilities, finance, technology, education and the health sector were impacted.

Under coastal trading rules introduced in 2012, foreign crew must be paid award rates as the vessel is working more than two domestic voyages in Australian waters, but today’s inspection shows that seafarers are only receiving low FOC wages.               

2017 brought us challenges, but I am in no doubt that we are stronger now than we were a year ago. While globally we continue to be faced with economic and political ideologies that are anti-union and anti-worker, ITF affiliates continue to carry the fight back.

David Heindel, chair of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), seafarers' section, said: “We are strongly behind the mandate issued by the Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime, for the financial protection of seafarers operating in the waters of the United Arab Emirates