Fifty-eight fatigued Egyptian seafarers are finally home with union support, after the company they were working for failed to repatriate them in the face of Tunisian government crew change restrictions.
On day one of Kenya’s new Covid-19 safe crew change guideline implementation, Betty Makena Mutugi, International Transport Workers’ Federation inspector (ITF) in Kenya, set her alarm for 4am to make sure she was at Mombasa’s port by 6am.
On 12 August, the International Transport Workers’ Federation-affiliated Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union (MTWTU) of Ukraine helped 6 Ukrainian seafarers return home after they were duped by a notorious fake manning agent.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which represents 1.4 million seafarers, has today expressed growing concern at the Wakashio grounding situation and for the welfare of its crew.
After recent success in helping the crew of the MV Contamines get off their vessel and be repatriated via Panama, the ITF has helped more seafarers get home to their families via the central American country.
Eight weeks in limbo, without pay and facing starvation, far from home in the Bay of São Sebastião, Brazil, 14 seafarers from Ukraine and Montenegro are finally back with their families thanks to the ITF. And they’re home with US$261,009 backpay in hand.
As the global cruise industry and seafarers’ unions near completion of the repatriation of almost 250,000 seafarers, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) warns that there are challenging times ahead for the industry and its workforce.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Maritime Union of Australia say government failures to support crew change will now cost a smelter operation millions of dollars and even more to the local economy, as the unions help the exhausted Burmese crew of the Unison Jasper to stop working and get off the ship.
Liverpool is home to a number of ships adopting the United Kingdom flag in a sign that the island nation could once again claim its place as a maritime leader. But shipping companies will need to do more to uphold the UK’s reputation amidst the crew change crisis, says the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s Inspector Tommy Molloy.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) says Australia is facing economic carnage from clogged ports as a result of rapidly worsening crew change crisis around its coasts, as the crews of two further ships in Western Australia and Victoria refused to keep sailing today in bids for repatriation.
