The European maritime union Nautilus has been successful in winning unpaid wages totalling almost USD1 million owed to the crew of a “superyacht” that was arrested in Malta.
The Indian Empress was abandoned by its Indian owner over a year ago, and then arrested by the authorities in Malta in September 2017. The owner, Vijay Vittal Mallya, is a tycoon who owns the Kingfisher beer label and Formula 1 Force India.
The Australian Senate has agreed to hold an inquiry into the shipping industry. The move, initiated by the Senate’s Labor group, follows a campaign by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) raising concerns over the flagging out of domestic vessels and the consequences for Australian seafarers.
Armed robbery and piracy continue to be hazards that seafarers face in many parts of the world. The latest incidents reported to the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) include the following.
A new four-year project launched by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), backed by the STC Group and co-financed by the European Commission, aims to attract and train more Europeans to work in maritime industries.
A campaign by the Norwegian Seafarers Union (NSU) has secured the jobs, wages and conditions of 700 Norwegian seafarers working on Color Line vessels. The company had proposed reflagging its vessels under the Norwegian register to allow it to replace Norwegian seafarers with cheaper foreign labour – a move that the Norwegian government refused to allow.
Johnny Hansen, NSU president, said that the victory was possible “because of the solidarity from the labour movement and the ITF family”, and pressure from the international trade union movement.
Seafarers around the world should see an uplift in their wages following a new international minimum wage deal agreed by the ITF and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) at a meeting to review the minimum wages for seafarers as per the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).
The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and InterManager have issued new guidance for shipping companies and agents on how to handle situations involving seafarers who have gone missing while on board.
The Good Practice Guide for Shipping Companies & Manning Agents covers managing relationships on board, actions to be taken, and managing relationships with the families of seafarers who have gone missing.
A Filipino seafarer has died in Dublin, Ireland while carrying out work that should have been done by dockworkers. Dennis Gomez Regana was doing lashing work on board the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Francop in Southbank Quay when a container struck him during lifting operations.
Extending their deepest condolences to Mr Regana’s family, the ITF and European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) said: “The case proves how vital it is that this kind of work is done by dockworkers, not seafarers.”
Asia’s leading seafaring nations, meeting in Manila, the Philippines, have agreed their first regional statement on the fair treatment of seafarers.
ISWAN (International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network) has launched a confidential helpline for crew in partnership with the marine insurers North P&I Club, as part of its “Mind Matters” campaign.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of seafarers’ mental health and wellbeing at sea. The new confidential helpline, Mind Call, is available to crew on board vessels covered by North P&I Club and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. ISWAN says, “the Mind Call team speaks a number of languages, making the experience as comfortable as possible for seafarers”.
