covid

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) estimates that there are now approximately 300,000 seafarers trapped working aboard ships due to the crew change crisis caused by government Covid-19 border and travel restrictions, and an equal number of unemployed seafarers waiting to join them who are ashore. That makes 600,000 seafarers affected by this crisis.

ITF Statement on Crew Change Crisis – 16 July 2020

Today marks one month since the ITF told the world’s governments that ‘Enough is Enough’ and that the global union federation and our affiliates would be assisting the world’s seafarers in enforcing their right to stop working, get off and be repatriated to their homes and families, foll

​Philippines crew from tanker Giancarlo D return home

For the crew of chemical tanker Giancarlo D, Luz Baz and the ITF are a godsend.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) says the Australian federal government has been asleep at the wheel of the crew change crisis – risking trade, Australia’s economy and seafarers’ lives.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) today branded the New South Wales Government’s inquiry into the Ruby Princess as a ‘smokescreen’ for the government’s failings in the second phase of the Ruby Princess saga after passengers disembarked.

The Mauritian government recently announced it would finally open its doors to the thousands of its own seafarers trapped around the world – but only by a slight crack. And there’s a few catches.

Seafarers in their unions are putting more pressure on the world’s governments to allow for crew changes, as more than 200,000 seafarers are now trapped aboard vessels working beyond their contracts.

The race to develop a Covid-19 response that controls the virus, protects people and provides relief for battered economies is an urgent priority.

However, as major labour providing unions that represent nearly two-thirds of the world’s seafarers, we are extremely concerned by and frustrated over the lack of understanding the global community has of the challenges faced by the men and women working at sea, and who know feel forgotten by many Governments of the world .

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has been assisting hundreds of seafarers aboard the six Global Cruise Lines’ vessels currently in Tilbury and Bristol, in the United Kingdom. The seafarers have been stranded there because of global travel restrictions brought in to deal with the global pandemic.

There’s 11,086 kilometres between São Sebastião, Brazil and the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. It’s those eleven thousand kilometres ITF Inspector Renialdo de Freitas has been working to get 16 Ukrainian seafarers back across, to their homes and families. With their wages.