Whatdoesthe shippingcrisis meanfor seafarers?

InternationalTransportWorkers’ Federation no. 23/2009

Seafarers’Bulletin

Engli

sh

Whatdoestheshippingcrisis

meanforseafarers?

The ITF’s activities in the maritime industry are

spearheaded by the campaign by seafarers’ and dockers’

unions around the world against the transfer of ships to

flags of convenience (FOCs) to evade national laws and

conditions and trade unions.

The campaign has two sides: politically the ITF fights

with governments and international bodies to ensure that

there is a “genuine link” between the owner of a ship and

the flag it flies; industrially ITF unions have fought to

establish acceptable minimum wages and social

standards on all FOC ships.

In effect, the unions seek to agree conditions which at

least reach the standards laid down by the ITF Fair

Practices Committee – the joint seafarer and docker body

which sanctions the FOC campaign. In recent years, the

ITF has negotiated an international collective agreement

with a large and growing group of ship operators within

the International Bargaining Forum, which provides

comparable standards but with more flexibility.

Seafarers who are hired to work on FOC ships are often

given strict instructions not to make contact with the ITF.

Some are made to sign contracts in which they promise

not to do so. There are even some employers who will sign

an ITF agreement and then defraud their crews by paying

lower wages – a practice known as double book-keeping.

FOC seafarers who have problems with their pay and

conditions, or any other grievance about the way they are

being treated, can either get in touch with the ITF directly

(see our addresses and numbers on page 21) or can

contact one of our Inspectors based in ports around the

world (see map on centre pages and more details on the

reverse of the map).

TheITFflagofconveniencecampaignHelpingyousurviveatsea

www.itfseafarers.org

PatriceTerraz

QQQQQQQ

4-13 InbriefHowtheITFhasbeenhelpingseafarers

14-16 EconomiccrisisWhattheglobaldownturnwillmeanforseafarers

17-19 Accessdenied Fiveyearson,howis the ISPScodeaffectingseafarers’freedom?

20 IndianactivistsAnewproject inAsiaaimstotrainseafarers to inspectships

21-24 ITFInspectorsAfour-pagepulloutwithcontactdetails for Inspectorsaroundtheworld

25 Flagsofconvenience The latest list

26 Factsandfigures Theworld fleet table

27-29 MurderatseaAspecial reportonBurmesemigrantfishersandthehumanrightsabusestheyface

30 GetintouchDoyouneedhelp?Fill in thispageandfax it tothe ITF to letusknow

31 ContractadviceReadthisbeforeyousign

32-33 HebeiSpirit Thefull storybehindthecriminalisationof twoIndianseafarers

34-35 Unitedwestand Thehistoryof therelationshipbetweendockersandseafarers

36-37 Awarmwelcome TheITFSeafarers’Trust is fundingnewprojects tohelpseafarers;wetakea lookatsomeof them

38-39 SiriusStarAcrewmember fromthehijackedvessel tellshisstory

40-41 ITFseafarerswebsiteSevenreasonsto logon

42 QuizHowmuchdoyouknowabout the ITF?Testyourwits

Published inMarch2009by theInternationalTransport

Workers’Federation (ITF),49/60BoroughRoad,

LondonSE1 1DR,UnitedKingdom

Telephone:+44 (20) 74032733

Fax:+44 (20) 73577871

Email:[email protected]

Website:www.itfglobal.org

Further copiesof Seafarers’Bulletin (published inEnglish,

Arabic, Chinese,German,Indonesian, Japanese,Polish,

Russian,Spanish,TagalogandTurkish)areavailable fromthe

ITFat theaboveaddress.

Cover photo: Reuters/STRNew

ITFSeafarers’Bulletinno. 23/2009

QThe InternationalTransport Workers’Federation (ITF) is aninternational trade unionfederation of transporttrade unions,representing 41⁄2 milliontransport workers in 148countries. Founded in1896, it is organised ineight industrial sections:seafarers, railways, roadtransport, civil aviation,ports, inland navigation,fisheries and tourismservices. It representstransport workers atworld level and promotestheir interests throughglobal campaigning andsolidarity. The ITF is oneof 10 Global UnionFederations allied to theInternational TradeUnion Confederation(ITUC) and part of theGlobal Unions group.In

tern

atio

nal T

rans

port W

orke

rs’ F

eder

atio

n

Pay and repatriationcosts for Russian crew A crew abandoned in the UK port of Liverpoolhas won its struggle to receive back wagesand repatriation costs.

The 14 Russian seafarers on board theStalingrad, owned by Russian firmSakhalinMor Trans, were owed four months’wages, approximately 85,000 euros(US$113,000). The vessel had been arrestedfor non-payment of bills.

Dan Bunkering, the company’s maincreditor, made an application for the sale ofthe vessel. It promised to pay an initialamount of 50,000 euros to cover repatriationcosts and part of the workers’ unpaid wages,with the balance to be paid within 14 days of acourt judgment on the sum payable.

ITF Inspector Tommy Molloy commented:“This is a good result for the crew, and thelawyer acting for them is to be commendedfor his work.”

He added: “Local groups have helped toraise money for food and other provisions forthe crew; they had been left without theirbasic needs being taken care of.”

Kokkola case closedwith crew pay victory Seafarers have won a pay increase of almostUS$100,000 following joint union action thatbegan during a Baltic Sea week of action.

During the action week, a Finnishinspection team visited the Hong Kong-flagged Idefix Bulker at Kokkola and foundthat the 24 crew members had no sort ofcollective bargaining agreement whatsoever.Management of the apparently Danishowned or chartered vessel was delegated toCosco Wallem in Hong Kong.

The Finnish Seamen’s Union (FSU)responded by asking the company to sign anITF standard collective agreement for thecrew members and to pay them wages in linewith such an agreement. Cosco Wallemadmitted that there was no CBA but they saidthey would sign one with Hong Kong unions.The FSU, after consulting with unions in HongKong, responded with their message that thiswas not acceptable.

Luckily, there was time for negotiationsbecause the unloading had been slowed byheavy rain and a new cargo of timber wasexpected, but after two weeks of talks therewas still no satisfactory outcome. The FSU


ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2009 5

In brief

decided it had no other option than toboycott the vessel. The local dockers, whoare members of the Finnish TransportWorkers’ Union AKT, showed their support bystopping the loading of the vessel.

The boycott had an immediate effect andthe owner agreed to cover the vessel with anITF standard collective agreement and paythe crew’s outstanding wages of US$99,289.

The agreements were signed on 23October 2008 and the FSU, with the supportof its dockworker colleagues, lifted theboycott at noon on the same day, while therewas still time to load the ship. The money forthe dues arrived on 27 October and theoutstanding wages were paid to the crew inthe presence of ITF Inspector Jan Örn who,along with his colleague Simo Nurmi, hadbeen on the case throughout.

Wage agreement forEstonian seafarersSome 2,000 seafarers in Estonia are set tobenefit from a three-year wage deal followinglengthy negotiations between their unionand their multinational ferry companyemployer.

The ITF-affiliated Estonian Seamen’sIndependent Union (ESIU), which representsthe seafarers working on board TallinkGroup’s vessels, reached the agreementduring negotiations that began in January2008. The deal provided the 2,000 seafarerswith a 25 per cent pay increase lastSeptember, to be followed by a nine per centincrease in 2009 and a further six per cent in2010. Workers with more than four and nineyears’ service will also receive a senioritybonus of 5 or 10 per cent respectively from 1April 2009.

The settlement follows a one-hour longwarning strike on 4 August when five ferries were stopped in Estonia’s capitalTallinn, as well as in ports in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden, whereFinnish and Swedish unions organisedsolidarity action.

“We acknowledge the company’s will tosecure jobs and pay for the next three years,”said Kaia Vask, ESIU Chair. “The increase willboost employees’ motivation and help toimprove the quality of service on ferries. Theseniority bonus system also recognises theinput of skilled and experienced workers. Thecompany management has additionally

�

Ukrainian seafarers were able to claim backpay after going on strike, following ITFadvice. Muzaffer Civelek, the ITF Inspectorin Turkey, explains what happened.

�3 June 2008: The chief mate of the merchantvessel Venediktcontacted the ITF, while thevessel was crossing the Dardanelles Strait, enroute to Russia. The chief mate told the ITF thatthere were 13 Ukrainian crew members on board,with four months’ unpaid wages, a total ofUS$100,000. They asked for help from the ITF.We kept contact till the vessel came to Istanbul. Iadvised the crew not to pass the Bosphorus, andto wait at anchor.

�7 June: The vessel reached Istanbul, and thecrew anchored the vessel. The manager pressedthe crew to sail on, but they refused till my visit.

�10 June: After three stormy days, I visited thevessel with a lawyer, and met with the team onboard. The Ukrainian consulate came to providelanguage assistance. I explained some possiblesolutions to the situation. After someconsideration, the crew decided to go on strike. Alocal lawyer collected legal documents to applyto the Turkish court to arrest the ship because ofunpaid wages.

�11 June: An agent of the vessel offered the crewmoney to sail, but they refused to let him enter.

The agent asked me to help him get on thevessel, so we went together and gave the money– US$50,000 – to the master. He put the moneyunder lock and key, witnessed by the crew.

�12 June: The master called me and told me thatthe manager had put pressure on him to sail toRussia immediately, saying the rest of the moneywould be paid there. I phoned the bare boatcharterer; they told me that they had terminatedtheir agreement with the manager. The chartereroffered a payment plan to the crew. If the crewbrought the vessel to Russia, the chartererwould pay their wages in cash on board at theport. We discussed the matter and decided tomake an alternative offer. The crew demandedall their unpaid wages in cash in Istanbul and, ifthe company gave them a guarantee letter fortheir next wages, they would sail to Russia. Thecompany didn’t reply. So, I warned them that wewere getting ready to apply to the court andarrest the ship. A court process would takemonths.

�14 June: A new agent of the vessel called me.He said they were prepared to pay the unpaidwages: a total of US$98,478. The master and thecrew received a guarantee letter from the owner.The crew agreed to sail to Russia. Three dayslater, some of the crew called me and said thatthey had received the rest of their money inRussia in cash on board.

The crew has won US$100,000 with the help of the ITF.

Venedikt strike wins pay



promised to find solutions for other problemsthat the ESIU raised around the negotiatingtable. This was a victory for all of us.”

Stephen Cotton, ITF Maritime Coordinator,added: “Both sides can congratulatethemselves on achieving such a positiveoutcome, and we are also pleased to see thatthe ESIU not only made these gains for theirmembers, but also significantly increasedtheir membership during the negotiations.”

Crew members ofhijacked vessel set free ITF affiliates helped to lobby for the release of22 seafarers held on board a vessel hijackedby Somalian pirates last year.

The ITF-affiliated National Union ofSeafarers of India (NUSI) and the MaritimeUnion of India jointly lobbied for the releaseof the seafarers on board the Stolt Valor; 18 ofthe crew were Indian. The unions helddemonstrations and peace marches, lobbied

government and briefed the media on thecase of the seafarers.

The seafarers were finally released in lateNovember 2008, after being held for twomonths. Five of the crew were reunited withtheir families in Mumbai, the remainingIndian crew arrived in Delhi shortly after.Nationals from other countries in South EastAsia also returned home.

Abdulgani Serang, NUSI General Secretary,said: “We are thankful that the seafarershave all been released. The efforts of theentire Indian shipping fraternity, which joinedtogether in a show of solidarity with theseafarers, was commendable.”

Filipino crew win pay The Filipino crew of the Silver Constellationreceived outstanding wages and wererepatriated from Cornwall, England, followinga protracted struggle to recover back pay. TheITF helped the crew clinch a final acceptablepay settlement on 16 February 2009.

The crew had taken two months’ strikeaction while in Scottish waters, but had thenbeen laid up off Falmouth, England, withdwindling provisions while their back pay andrepatriation were being negotiated. The crewran out of food while in Cornish waters, butreceived emergency supplies from the localMission to Seafarers.

Norrie McVicar, ITF Coordinator for UK andIreland, pursued the company to win whatwas owed to the crew, and a remaining final

�

In brief

“ The unions helddemonstrations andpeace marches, lobbiedgovernment and briefedthe media on the case ofthe seafarers. They werefinally released in lateNovember 2008, afterbeing held for twomonths.”

On strike: Estonian seafarers.

Although the ITF has made successful claims for many seafarers, there are some cases where weare unable to help. For example, the widow of a Filipino seafarer wrote to the ITF for help. Herhusband was on a nine-month contract on board a motor vessel. Four months into his contract,the seafarer did not feel well. He told his chief mate about his health condition and evenrequested to cut short his contract. But his request was overlooked. Either the chief mate did notthink the seafarer was serious, or the seafarer was not persistent enough.

The seafarer never received a medical check up and completed his contract. The day after hearrived home, he went to a local hospital straight away. He was diagnosed withhyperthyroidism. During his treatment, he also acquired another illness and died within twomonths of leaving the ship. All the medical costs and funeral arrangements were paid by theseafarer and his family. The ITF approached the company with the help of our affiliated union,asking for ex-gratia payments for the widow and the family but we got nothing.

The lesson for seafarers is that, when you feel very ill, you must insist on seeing a doctor. Makeyour request official and put it in writing. In cases like this, it is possible to pursue a negligenceclaim if there is a written request from the seafarer. Without anything in writing, it is very hard toprove the company’s negligence. The company can simply deny that the seafarer had ever askedfor medical treatment or repatriation.

A lesson for seafarers

�



A cautionary tale about checking your ship’sstatus before you board is given here byFusao Ohori, ITF Japanese Inspector.

On 1 January 2008, a ship ran aground off asmall island in the northern part of Japan,where a blizzard hit, with temperatures ofaround minus 20 degrees centigrade. The crewtried to refloat the ship but it was impossible.

The Japanese coast guard (JCG) found therewere no casualties on the ship and suggestedthe crew abandon ship. But the crew insisted onstaying on board and trying to remove it. Theyonly asked for food and water from the coastguard. The crew finally decided to abandonship on 6 February, and arrived in Wakkanai onHokkaido.

I met the crew there, to support theirrepatriation and to resolve any outstandingwages. When I met four Ukrainian and 10Russian crew, I discovered the name of the shipwas Derbentand there was no flag: the registryof Cambodia had expired six months before.The ship was still trading between Korea and

Russia, loading live fish and crabs.According to the Ukrainian crew, they had

outstanding wages of about US$65,000 formore than 14 months, and they wanted to gohome with their wages from Japan. The Russiancrew also confirmed they had not been paid forseveral months.

While they stayed in a public facility inWakkanai, the ITF Inspector team in Japanmade contact with the manning agent in Kiev,Ukraine, the Ukrainian embassy and theRussian embassy in Tokyo, the local agent, theJCG, and the ITF Inspectors in Ukraine andKorea as well as ITF London.

We also found the contact details for theship’s owner, V and V, in Moscow and the ship’soperator, Ttex Trading, in Korea and askedthem to pay the outstanding wages and thecrew’s repatriation. However, the owner saidthe company was almost bankrupt, so that itwas impossible to pay the costs to rescue theship, local agent fees, accommodation costs forthe crew and their outstanding wages. He didnot mention where he was or when he would be

next in Japan. The operator only reiterated thatit was the owner’s responsibility, not theoperator’s.

The JCG also tried to find a way to repatriatethe crew through the Japanesegovernment.The cost had already reachedmore than US$200,000, which included thecost of removing the fuel oil from the ship. Thesmall municipal government had had to paythis large amount of money and were reluctantto spend more.

Meanwhile, I wrote letters to the Ukrainianand Russian embassies in Tokyo, to ask them tomake the owner send the crew back to theircountries, pay their outstanding wages andrescue the ship. The Ukrainian crew wrote apetition letter to the embassy as well.

Our efforts paid off: the Ukrainian crew wererepatriated on 14 February by their governmentand the Russian crew were repatriated on 19February by a JCG patrol boat.

I tried to contact the owner but there was noresponse. The Derbentwas left there: it had tobe cleaned and dismantled at the expense ofthe local government.

This case shows that all crews should lookup a ship before they board, by accessingEquasis or the ITF seafarers’ website. They canfind data about the ship, such as year of build,gross tonnage, type of the ship, the name andaddress of the owner and the manager, PSCrecords, crew’s number and nationalities andwhether it is covered by an ITF agreement.

By typing in the ship’s name or IMO number,crew can tell whether it is likely to bedangerous or offer poor working conditions.�See www.equasis.org or “Look Up a Ship” onwww.itfseafarers.org

Why you should always look up a ship…

“The owner said the company wasalmost bankrupt, so that it wasimpossible to pay the costs to rescuethe ship, local agent fees,accommodation costs for the crewand their outstanding wages.”

Going home: the crew of the Derbent.


settlement of around US$204,000 wages,outstanding since July 2008, was paid on 16February.

The Silver Constellation remained inFalmouth for repairs with a new crew of 21Indian seafarers. Meanwhile, ITF affiliates inHong Kong have pursued an ITF-approvedcollective bargaining agreement to cover thevessel.

Piracy spiralling out ofcontrol Seafarers’ lives and livelihoods have comeunder increasing threat from piracy in thelast year.

At the time of going to press, almost 200incidents had been reported in 2008 to theInternational Maritime Bureau (IMB) PiracyReporting Centre. This represents adramatic increase. Somalia, Nigeria andIndonesia remain international piracyhotspots.

Reported acts of piracy committed in2008 included 115 vessels boarded, 31vessels hijacked, and 23 vessels fired upon.A total of 581 crew members were takenhostage, including nine killed and sevenmissing, presumed dead.

IMB director, Capt Pottengal Mukundan,said: “The increased frequency of piracy andheightening levels of violence are ofsignificant concern to the shipping industryand all mariners. The types of attacks, theviolence associated with the attacks, thenumber of hostages taken and the amountspaid in ransoms for the release of thevessels have all increased considerably.”

The scourge of piracy is likely to haveserious consequences for seafarers. Apartfrom the obvious risk of being held toransom, rising costs for shipowners couldalso affect employment and pay rates. Someships have been taking longer routes, atgreater cost, to avoid piracy hotspots.Insurance premiums have gone up. Somecosts will be passed to the consumer, butworkers may also be at risk.

Last year, the ITF negotiated conditionsfor many seafarers, entitling them to extrapay and rights and ensuring their familieswould receive compensation in the event oftheir death when passing through the Gulfof Aden, a piracy hotspot. But the attacksneed to be dealt with at an earlier stage inthe chain, which is why the ITF has called for

decisive action from the military to tacklethe problem of piracy. It is calling on naviesto seek out the mother ships from whichattacks are being launched, rather thantaking a purely defensive approach.

Seafarer wins disabilitypayment of US$76,000 The ITF has helped a seafarer win asignificant disability payout thanks tocoordinated action between Japan and Chile.

In January 2008, Shoji Yamashita, ITFCoordinator in Japan, received an emergencyphonecall from Juan Luis Villalón, the ITFInspector in Valparaiso, Chile. SeafarerNibaldo León had been injured on theJapanese-flagged fishing vessel NiitakaMaru in June 2007. He had received adoctor’s report for his lost job as a fisher buthad not received anything from the owner,Nissui Shipping.

The ITF in Japan had discussions with theJapanese seafarers’ union’s fisherydepartment and took the decision to supportLeón. Yamashita provided full information toLeón through Villalón.

León and Nissui Shipping had a meeting tonegotiate a settlement on 28 January 2008 inChile. Unfortunately this was unsuccessful.The lawyers involved continued to negotiate,and the JSU also continued strongnegotiations with Nissui Shipping. Theyfinally reached an agreement on 20 August

�

�

�Do you want to know more about the shipyou work on?

�Do you want to find out if your ship iscovered by an ITF acceptable collectiveagreement?

�Do you want details of your ship’s safetyrecord?

If so, you might want to visitwww.equasis.org for free ship informationonline.

This website provides free searchableship information including ownershipdetails and port state control (PSC)inspections. It also includes important ITFinformation including details of any ITFagreement that exists on board, asummary of the last recorded crew list, andthe date and location of last ITF inspection.

In order to access this information allyou have to do is register. It is free ofcharge and very simple.

How to register� Go to www.equasis.org. � Select “Registration” from the top of thescreen. � If you agree to the terms and conditions,select “Accept” at the bottom of the page. � A registration form will appear. Enteryour preferred username and password,and enter your name, address, email andany other details.� Once you have completed this processyou will receive confirmation that yourregistration is complete and you can beginusing the Ship Search service.

How to use the serviceYou can search for a ship by name, call signor IMO (International MaritimeOrganization) number. When you searchfor a ship, the main page will display:� Ship information – name, ship type, flag,build year.� Management – details of ownership.� Classification societies.� Safety management.� P&I insurers’ information.

You can choose from the top menu:� Certification.� Inspection and manning – port statecontrol (PSC) inpections, PSC humanelement, International LabourOrganization, ITF etc.� History – flag, ownership history etc.

Free shipinformationonline

The ITF website for seafarers is due tolaunch in three new languages. Thewebsite, www.itfseafarers.org, will beavailable in Chinese, Russian andSpanish by the end of 2009.

The seafarers website was launchedas a “one stop shop” for seafarersanywhere, irrespective of how computerliterate they are or how good or bad theequipment they access it from may be.

The new language versions will allowseafarers from around the world to findinformation and communicate with theITF and each other more easily. For more on the ITF seafarers website,see page 40.

ITF website launcheslanguage versions



In brief

A happy shipInspectors don’t always find a problem, as was the casewith this inspection of the IVS Nightingale, at the port ofTimaru, South Island, New Zealand. The Inspector wenton board last August, and found no issues with the vessel,wages or conditions (except the gangway netting, whichneeded to be reslung). Pictured above is the ITF NewZealand Inspector Grahame McLaren (ITF vest) andMaritime Union of NZ Timaru Branch President KevinForde inspecting the vessel and talking to captain,officers and crew.

The ITF Inspector in New Zealand, Grahame McLaren, finds a,contented crew on the IVS Nightingale.


A Filipino engineer has won compensation foran eye injury sustained more than five yearsago. Paquito was working as a secondengineer on a Hong Kong registered generalcargo ship when he was injured in 2003. On 3September 2003, he was ordered by theMaster to repair the starboardaccommodation ladder together with thechief engineer. When the chief engineerattempted to straighten a bent portion of theladder using a sledgehammer, a piece ofmetal shrapnel flew out and struck the secondengineer, causing him the total loss of visionin his right eye. He was 54 years old at thetime.

Paquito’s contract was in the PhilippinesOverseas Employment Administration (POEA)standard form, which is intended to protectthe rights of Filipino seafarers. It means thatthe law of the Philippines governs thecontractual relationship, and that disputesare to be resolved by means of arbitration inthe Philippines. It also sets out the minimumsum payable to a seafarer where there hasbeen injury or death. The POEA “StandardTerms and Conditions Governing theEmployment of Filipino Seafarers OnboardOcean-Going Vessels” were incorporated intoPaquito’s employment contract.

It is not uncommon for shipowners to enterinto two agreements with Filipino seafarers,the first in the approved POEA form to complywith Filipino requirements, and the second, tosatisfy other legal requirements. In this case,apart from the POEA contract executed in thePhilippines, another employment contractentitled “Agreement and Lists of the Crew”was signed between the shipowner andPaquito to comply with the laws of HongKong. As such, the terms of Paquito’s contractof employment were found in both the POEAcontract and the Hong Kong contract.

Compensation claimPaquito first made a claim for compensationfor his loss and suffering in the Philippines bycommencing arbitration proceedings beforethe National Labour Relations Commission,on 5 November 2003. Subsequently, heinitiated Admiralty action in rem (in otherwords, against the vessel) Rainbow Joy inSingapore on 30 December 2003.

On 15 January 2004, Paquito withdrew hisclaim in the Philippines. In the meantime, theshipowner applied for a stay of the Singaporeaction on a number of grounds. The assistant

registrar was persuaded that the Singaporeaction ought to be stayed. Paquito appealedagainst the decision, but was dismissed in thehigh court proceedings. Even though heappealed to the court of appeal, the decisionof the assistant registrar was still upheld.

Paquito did not give up. He took outproceedings to claim EmployeeCompensation in Hong Kong in August 2005whilst the shipping company commencedarbitration in the Philippines on 23September 2005. Paquito was in financialdifficulties, so he applied for and was grantedlegal aid by the legal aid department, HongKong. The representatives of the Hong Kongseafarers’ affiliates acted as his attorney toassist.

Shipping company stays actionIn response to Paquito’s action, the shippingcompany applied for a stay of the seafarer’sproceedings. The company also said theclaims of the seafarer should be referred toarbitration. A section in the POEA contractsays: “In cases of claims and disputes arisingfrom this employment, the parties covered bya collective bargaining agreement shallsubmit the claim or dispute to original andexclusive jurisdiction of the voluntaryarbitrator or panel of arbitrators.”

The district court judge pointed out that

this was a claim by the seafarer arising fromthe Employees’ Compensation Ordinance(ECO) and not a claim arising from theemployment, in other words: not a claimunder the contract.

Compensation under ECO is payable solong as the person injured was an employeeand the accident happened in the course ofhis employment. The seafarer’s claim in thiscase does not fall within the arbitration clauseand the seafarer is exercising the statutoryright conferred upon him by ECO by virtue ofhis status as an employee. The employer waswrong to rely on the arbitration clause to staythese proceedings.

The judge concluded in June 2006 that thedistrict court has exclusive jurisdiction overECO claims irrespective of the existence of anarbitration agreement between the parties.The special feature that an ECO claim must bedetermined in the district court renders theECO claim inarbitrable, and, therefore, theseafarer’s claim should not be stayed andreferred for arbitration.

However, the shipping company continuedto lodge an appeal in the high court againstthe order of the district court judge.

The high court judge allowed the appealand set aside the district court judge’s order.The judge made an order on February 2007that the proceedings be stayed and that theclaims of the seafarer be referred toarbitration, as per the POEA contract.

Although Paquito had failed again in theapplication in the court of appeal for leave toappeal to the court of final appeal, the legalaid department, HK firmly continued to assistthe seafarer and eventually was granted leaveto appeal to the court of final appeal.

The hearing upheld the view that there is nopower to stay ECO proceedings in favour ofarbitration. In April 2008, the court concludedthat the arbitration agreement and theexclusive jurisdiction points must be decidedin the seafarer’s favour. This meant thatPaquito was entitled to compensation underthe Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, avictory for commonsense and seafarers’rights.

10 ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2009

In brief

“The district court judgepointed out that this was a claim by theseafarer arising from the Employees’Compensation Ordinanceand not a claim arisingfrom the employment, inother words: not a claimunder the contract.”

Lengthy legal battle upholds entitlement under Employees’ Compensation Ordinance

Seafarer wins 5-yearbattle for compensation


2008 to start negotiations in Chile betweenthe lawyers for an early resolution.

The negotiations failed, so León’s lawyersdecided to prepare for a court trial. The ITF continued firm negotiations with Nissui Shipping, and finally on 2 December2008 Nissui Shipping agreed to payUS$76,000 for León’s disability. He agreed toaccept this decision and thanked the ITF forits help.

Italian unions strike overdock deaths Dockers’ unions in Italy went on strikerecently in protest over poor workplacesafety which has led to a series of deaths inthe country’s ports.

The strike, which was called by Italy’s

major port unions, FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL andUiltrasporti – all affiliated to the ITF – wasprompted by a number of fatal accidents.These included the death of docker GiulianoFenelli who was crushed by a mobile crane in La Spezia and two other fatalities in theport sector, since the beginning of Januaryalone.

In a joint statement, the unions said: “It isnow clear that we face a genuine emergencyin terms of workplace safety in the ports.”

They added: “There are precise causes for such accidents, related to workplacesafety measures that have long beenpromised but never delivered.”

ITF Dockers’ Section Secretary Frank Leyscommented: “There is a need for a zerotolerance approach to unsafe workingpractices and conditions on the wharves andterminals. National legislation andinternational conventions have a key role toplay – countries must ratify and implementInternational Labour OrganizationConvention 152 and the code of practice onsafety and health in ports. The ITF and itsEuropean arm, the ETF, will continue to workwith international bodies such as the ILO andthe International Maritime Organization and

�

�

�Thinkingof takingindustrial action?

�Read this first!

The ITF is committed to assistingseafarers serving on flag ofconvenience ships to get just wagesand proper collective agreementcoverage. Sometimes seafarers have to

resort to legal action in local courts.On other occasions boycott actionmay be taken against a ship. Differentactions are right for different places.The right action in one country mayvery well be wrong in another.What you must do first is contact

the local representative of the ITF.You will find contact email addressesand phone numbers in the centre ofthis bulletin. There is also a fax formon page 30. You should seek localadvice before you take any action.In some countries, the law actually

works against you and your fellowcrew members if you take strikeaction, and in such a case, the localITF union representatives will explainthis to you.In many more countries, the key to

winning a dispute is strike action.Once again, this depends on the localadvice you receive. You have the legalright to strike in many countries, solong as your ship is in port and not atsea.In any strike action it is important

to remember to remain disciplined,peaceful and united. And remember,the right to strike is a basic humanright guaranteed, in many countries,by the law or constitution.Whatever you choose to do, don’t

forget to talk to the local ITFrepresentatives before you doanything. Working together, we can win the battle for justice andbasic rights.

�You can access current news about ITFand trade union activities concerningseafarers at:www.itfseafarers.org/maritime_news.cfm


Italian dockers want a zero tolerance approach to safety.

Danny Cornelissen/Port Pictures NL

Q

�ITF Inspectors visiteda total of 9,580 vesselsduring 2008.

�ITF agreements on payand conditions weresigned in 31 countriesduring 2008.

�The ITF flag ofconvenience campaignresulted in a total ofUS$18.8 million beingrecovered in back wagesand compensation forcrews during 2008.

�The ITF has 125Inspectors in the ports of45 countries around theworld.

�During 2008,seafaring members ofITF-affiliated unions andcrews on flag ofconvenience ships took

industrial action insupport of the ITFcampaign in 21 countrieson four continents.

�ITF agreements on payand conditions weresigned in 31 countriesduring 2008.

�82 per cent of theinspections carried out by

the ITF were of flag ofconvenience vessels (seelist of FOCs on page 25),with special attention onthose vessels with a poorrecord.

�The number ofseafarers covered by ITFcollective agreements in2008 was 232,946(209,950 in 2007).

ITF campaign against flags of convenience and substandard shipping

Facts and figures for 2008

ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2009 12 www.itfseafarers.org

the global port operators to make portssafer.”

ITF wins US$70,000 forRussian seafarers Russian seafarers have received the back paythey were owed, after the ITF stepped in toassist.

In January 2007, a Russian chief engineeron board merchant vessel AP Light called theITF to say the vessel was unsafe, and that hiscompany owed crew members’ wages. TheITF Actions Team called Slovenia Port StateControl and requested the vessel beinspected.

There were lots of deficiencies found andthe vessel was detained by the port authority.The owner arranged for the vessel to go to ashipyard for repair. Meanwhile, the ITFnegotiated with the owner for the chiefengineer’s wages, as well as repatriation.Other crew members decided not to followthe engineer’s decision and stayed.

In January 2008, a crew member on thesame vessel called to say they had not beenpaid for five months. The vessel had been in aSlovenian shipyard for a year. The company

was in serious financial trouble. One of theirships was arrested in Turkey at the same timeas the AP Light over outstanding crew wages.

Another was sold previously followingaction by a Turkish affiliate for the samereason.

Dongli Hur of the ITF Actions Team wagedtactical negotiations with the Russiancompany and the company paid US$22,000,one third of the owed wages.

Branko Krznaric, ITF AgreementsDevelopment Manager, visited the nine crewmembers, while on leave. He found the crew –eight Russians and one Ukrainian – had runout of food, and were living off their fishing.He got local media involved, organising pressconferences. The crew members receivedoverwhelming local support. Within a fewdays, the public had given them enough foodto last a month.

The owner wanted to pay the rest of thewages, but could not afford to because theshipyard was asking for 1.3 million euros inrepair fees. The ITF continued to negotiatewith the potential buyer as well as with theshipyard.

Eventually the shipyard agreed to reducetheir charges to 630,000 euros, a 50 per centreduction of the original asking price. Thevessel was sold in July 2008 and all crewmembers were paid and repatriated. A totalof US$70,000 crew wages was recovered.


�

In brief

“The crew membersreceived overwhelminglocal support. Within afew days, the public hadgiven them enough foodto last a month.”

TheAP Light: crew members were left without wages until the ITF stepped in.



BackgroundIn 2007, when concern began to emerge in theUnited States about finance companies takinghigh-risk strategies to encourage low incomeearners to buy property, it seemed, initially, tobe a little local difficulty.

But what started as speculative investmentand over-reach by US financiers has affectedthe economy worldwide – and the jobs andlivelihoods of millions of people. The effects ofthe credit crunch have come quickly, and willlast for a while to come. And shipping, and theprospects for seafarers, have taken a blow.

With the squeeze on credit, orders havefallen for the products from the factories ofChina, India and South East Asia. The result hasbeen a fall in demand for the container shipsthat transport the goods from Asia to Europeand North America. Meanwhile, shippingcompanies are cutting plans for expansion andgrowth – including orders for new ships.

Falling incomes and reduced access tocredit are also affecting demand for cruiseholidays and other leisure shipping.

These developments have had a directeffect on shipping traffic, with longer-termeffects on the shipbuilding industry and futurecapacity when the economy begins its upturn.

If that hasn’t been enough, higher fuelprices and cuts to oil production and supplyhave hit shipping in the past year. And thethreat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden has forcedsome shippers to take longer, more expensiveroutes from Asia to Europe, raising costs forimports still further.

Crisis hits shippingThe downturn in the international economybegan to hit the shipping industry during2008. A dramatic fall in dry bulk charter rates hit some of the largest shippingcharterers and owners. The worsening

Economic downturn

“Even before the reduction in shipping traffic hitseafarers’ jobs, crew members felt the effects ontheir wages.”

Seafarers beginto feel the pinch

The global economiccrisis has come upon

the world fast andfurious, and shipping

has felt the blows;BRENDA KIRSCH looks

at what’s beenhappening and the

implications forseafarers.



conditions also saw a steep erosion of freightrates.

By June 2008, the volume of cargo carriedby container shipping had begun to slump.Second quarter figures showed thatwestbound growth had dropped to 5.24 percent from 11.62 per cent in the first quarter,and over 20 per cent a year earlier.

Containerised traffic to northern Europerecorded only a 3.6 per cent growth comparedwith 9.3 per cent in the first quarter. In June2008, total westbound volumes to alldestinations expanded by less than 1 per cent,compared to figures 9.35 per cent higher inMay 2008.

The shipping industry was further shakenby the effects of the run-down of the US stockmarket, following the collapse of investmentbank Lehman Brothers in September, and thegrowing squeeze on credit for business. Andthen the US government had to bail out the

crisis-hit insurance firm AIG when it was onthe point of crashing – a major shippinginsurer, AIG also owns Ports America, thelargest port management company in the US.

As for the usual pre-Christmas upturn incargo trade from Asia to Europe, that neverhappened in 2008.

Stephen Roach, Asia chair of the MorganStanley investment company, warned theWorld Shipping (China) summit in November2008 that the economic downturn could lastfor at least two years.

Seafarers feel the effectsEven before the reduction in shipping traffichit seafarers’ jobs, crew members felt theeffects on their wages. Many seafarers arepaid in US dollars, which fell in value in mid-2008. That had an immediate effect onseafarers and their families – as well asconsequences for economies, such as the

Philippines, which depend on foreignearnings (see box).

A survey of seafarers (mainly officers) byShiptalk Recruitment in July 2008 found thatmany had been hit by the falling dollar – morethan 70 per cent said that their wages had notkept up with the cost of living at home.

There are growing concerns that companieswill seek to freeze – or even cut – wages forcrews. ITF-affiliated officers’ union NautilusUK says it is already dealing with pay-freezedemands from container and cruise lines.

The economic downturn is also raising realfears that crews could be left high, dry andunpaid if shipping companies becomebankrupt while they are in transit. The ITF iscurrently finalising guidelines for itsInspectors on how to handle incidents andsupport crew when ships are abandoned orcompanies become bankrupt.

But it’s not just cuts to wages – the dangernow is cuts to jobs and growingunemployment among seafarers.

“We have clear evidence of the impact ofthe economic downturn on seafarers becauseseveral companies have already gone bust,leaving unpaid seafarers around the world,”says Fabrizio Barcellona, ITF MaritimeOperations Manager. He’s responsible forday-to-day assistance to ITF Inspectors andseafarers in need, so has a close eye on theimpact of the downturn.

“The slow-down in the import of rawmaterial from China and India has caused asurplus of bulker ships. Almost everycompany operating in the market – bulker,containers and general cargo – has alreadyrescheduled services and cut unprofitableroutes. Ships are laid up in ports and crewrepatriated without knowing when they will

�

Ships at anchor off Singapore; in November 2008, the world’s biggest container port, Singapore, reported its first fall in shipping traffic since 2001.

A high number of theworld’s seafarers – morethan 300,000 – comefrom the Philippines, andthe Filipino economyowes much to theoverseas earnings of itspeople. More than 12 percent of the country’seconomy depends onoverseas remittancesfrom Filipinos working ina range of industries,including seafaring –remittances totalledUS$13.7 billion inJanuary to October 2008.The value of that income

has been hit by the fallingdollar and growinginflation in that country.

Some Filipinosworking overseas havealready been displacedthrough bankruptcy,redundancy,restructuring andreduction in workload.The Philippinesgovernment has nowcreated a “paybackpackage” for its overseasforeign workersretrenched as a result ofthe global financialcrisis.

ThePhilippines

effect


Jonathan Kirn / Alamy


next find work.” Fabrizio adds that the ITF ismonitoring the market constantly, and hasalready helped a number of seafarers obtainunpaid wages and be repatriated to theirhome.

In the longer term, the industry could be hitas officers leave employment, creating futureshortfalls in trained officers and crew whenthe economy picks up again. The ITF isreiterating the need for training of ships’officers, for now and for a brighter future.

� Brenda Kirsch is a London-based freelancejournalist.

� Ukrainian dry bulk andtanker operator IndustrialCarriers filed for bankruptcyin October 2008 – it hadoperated with up to 52 shipsunder charter.

�Taiwanese box line YangMing Marine Transport laidoff two containerships in2008, with a further eight tofollow by mid-2009.

� Singapore government-owned Neptune OrientLines (NOL) and partnersMOLand Hyundai MerchantMarinehave taken 40 shipsout of service, and NOL isreducing its containershipcapacity by up to 25 per centon some routes.

�Singapore PacificInternational LinesandTaiwanese Wan Hai Linessuspended their joint Asia-Europe service in December2008.

�The long-haul containerCKYH Alliance, whichincludes Coscon, K Line,Yang Mingand HanjinShipping, reduced itsweekly capacity from Asia to

North Europe by 9 per cent inNovember 2008, and HanjinShipping reduced its US-Europe service.

�The Danish-ownedMaersk container shippingline – the biggest in theworld – has cut its Asia-Europe, Asia-CentralAmerica and Transpacificservices and is laying off upto eight of its twenty-foot-equivalent unit (TEU)vessels. The company saw a3 per cent year-on-year fallin volumes on its Asia-Europe route in the thirdquarter of 2008 – following a2 per cent fall in the secondquarter of 2008 – the firstyear-on-year falls involumes in the 40 years ofcontainer shipping on thisroute.

� CMA CGM and ChinaShipping are axing theirjoint Asia-Europe service.

�Mediterranean ShippingCo (MSC) – the world’ssecond largest container line– has cut its Asia-Europecapacity by 5 per cent andsuspended its route

between Asia and the BlackSea.

� South Korean C&Lineceased trading in October2008 – its fleet hadpreviously operated 24chartered vessels on morethan 20 intra-Asia routes.

�NYK Line, Japan’s largestshipping firm by sales, is tocut its fleet expansion planby around 25 per cent – 50to 60 ships.

� Taiwanese EvergreenMarine Corp Groupreported a 94 per centslump in its 2008 thirdquarter net income.

� South Korean shipyardshave been making heavylosses, with more expected.

� Japanese shipbuilderTsuji Heavy Industries hasfiled for bankruptcy, with anapparent backlog of 46ships on order.

� Leading UK ferryoperators P&O Ferries andRed Funnel have cut tripsand frozen recruitment.

Heavy losses:Some of the

victims

Economic downturn

�

Seafarers beginto feel the pinch

�Are you having problems withgetting your pay in full? If you are,this could be a sign that yourcompany is in economic trouble.You should contact your union oryour nearest ITF Inspector or the ITFdirectly on: +44 (20) 7940 9287.

�For background information on what to do if your ship isabandoned at sea, visit:www.itfseafarers.org -abandoned-seafarers.cfm

Problems at sea?

Seafarers are suffering as the downturn hits jobsand wages.


On 1 July 2009 the controversialInternational Ship and Port FacilitySecurity Code (ISPS) will celebrate its

fifth anniversary around the world. Theimplementation of this code has allowedseafarers to be treated as potential terroristsand has made them feel like criminals and thattheir role is undervalued.

Following the terror attacks in America on 11September 2001 the USA pushed through thecode to intensify safety standards ininternational ports, as well as on board ships ofmore than 500 gross tons. It did this verysuccessfully: at the end of 2002 the code wasalready accepted as the ISPS. It has sincebecome a component of the internationalconvention Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) andfrom 1 July 2004 has been obligatory on shipsand port facilities.

Since the introduction of the code theworking conditions of seafarers have changed

noticeably. In particular, seafarers whooriginate from Muslim countries have foundtheir movements restricted. Large parts of theports have also become restricted areas. Insome cases this has made life very difficult forseafarers, as many ports interpret the code intheir own way. While seafarers remain anessential part of the operation of ships, someport operators have not included them in theirinterpretation of how to implement the code.

Rev Jan Oltmanns is chaplain of one of thelargest seafarers’ centres, “Duckdalben” inHamburg, where more than 100 guests from atotal of 156 countries visit daily. He says: “Theseafarers are the ones most strongly affected bythe ISPS code. They tell us that as well as havingless time in port they now have to go throughcontrols which are similar to those at airports,which travellers going on vacation or business

AccessdeniedISPS code

Seafarers are finding itever more difficult tomove freely, because ofthe ISPS code. ROYPAUL reports.

Hamburg chaplain JanOltmanns talks to a

seafarer through a gate.

�

Duckdalben



Sinarajah Govindasamy is aMalaysian singer, composer,entertainer and magician who hasperformed in south east Asia andmany other parts of the worldunder his stage name of Sina. Hehas been a member of theDuckdalben staff since the openingof the centre in 1986. After theintroduction of ISPS he spoke tomany seafarers of Muslim originand heard their complaints.

He says: “I spoke to Indonesianseafarers and found out that theyare also confronted sometimeswith the ISPS code. So I wrote thissong. My songs are based on peaceand it is also my point that ifseafarers come from a countrywhere there is war taking place, itaffects them or disturbs them withtheir daily life, with worries of thewell being of their families andfriends back home.” Sina has sentcopies of his song to world leadersincluding the then US PresidentBush and he will now send it toPresident Obama.

Sina says: “I was watching CNNand President Obama said in hiselection campaign that he plans toprotect the borders of the USA andthe port of New York with moreeffort with security againstterrorism. Seafarers are notterrorists; they just want to earntheir daily bread and to supporttheir family. I will remind thepresident that when he drinks acup of coffee in the morning thatmaybe the coffee was transportedby a ship which seafarers areworking on and he should alsoremember that 95 per cent of worldcargo is transported by ships andseafarers.”

Seafarers can hear the songperformed on the internet atwww.duckdalben.de/duckdalben/downloads/

A seafarer’slament

ISPS code


trips have to go through. Many people haveexperienced such airport checks and the timethey take and delays they cause. How wouldthey feel if such checks were done every timethey left or entered their own dwelling andworkplace? Thus the feeling develops amongmany seafarers that they have become‘criminalised’ by the ISPS code.”

Many chaplains have raised their concernsabout what the ISPS code means for seafarersin their everyday life. It means that with theirinternational minimum wage they are forced tomake expensive mobile telephone calls to theirfamily because the shore side telephone boxesare separated from them by fences. Access tothe accommodation is made more difficult andon board their safety equipment is also lockedbecause “public security” ranks before thesecurity of the seafarers working on board.

On each ship the crew members have feweropportunities to go ashore as they must nowspend their time in port on gangway watch,making lists of visitors and handing out securitypasses. They have to do this as it saves the costof a security guard. Sometimes this meansblocking the way of union or welfare officialvisitors to their fellow crew members on theorders of a company which says that having novisitors makes the ship secure. Greaterproblems arise for seafarers if the ship sailsclose to their home port and their families are

prevented from visiting them on board. It wasreported that, in one port, the security guardswere making seafarers’ wives pay for portpasses to get on board the ship. The fee thatthey charged was four times more than theofficial cost of the passes.

There are practical dangers as well, as thefences and walkways have been built too closeto the quayside so as not to take up essentialcontainer storage space. So there is a constantdanger of seafarers slipping into the water,

especially when it is slippery underfoot or whenit is dark.

So let’s hope that governments and portauthorities will re-examine their interpretationof the code. They should realise that seafarersare part of the war against terrorism and soshould be treated with the respect and dignitythey deserve. In a survey carried out by the ITFone year after the code’s implementation, 58per cent of seafarer union respondents said thatshore leave had been denied – particularproblems were experienced in US ports. Thiswas despite the fact that the ISPS code clearlystipulates that states should pay “duecognisance” to seafarers’ need for shore leaveand access to shore-based seafarer welfarefacilities, including medical care.

The ITF is introducing a new reporting systemwhich will involve asking ITF Inspectors torecord cases of seafarers being denied accessto shore leave or prevented from leaving theirship. Jon Whitlow, ITF Seafarers’ SectionSecretary, said: “Improvements in security inthe maritime sector must be implemented in away that safeguards the human rights ofseafarers. This includes their ability to secureshore leave. The new reporting system willshow us the extent of the problem and help usensure that the ISPS code and other securityrelated measures are properly implemented.”

� Seafarers can join in the debate and reportoccasions when they are denied shore leave bylogging on to www.itfseafarers.org

� Roy Paul is the Assistant AdministrativeOfficer of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust.


�

“Many chaplains haveraised their concernsabout what the ISPS codemeans for seafarers intheir everyday life.”

New security measuresmake it harder for

visitors to get on board.

Accessdenied


Seafarers in India could benefit from anew initiative to boost the power of theITF inspectorate in the region. A new flag

of convenience (FOC) campaign trainingprogramme is empowering local tradeunionists to conduct inspections, and ensurethat working conditions are good enough.

Increasing numbers of seafarers are startingto work in the Indian subcontinent, with morethan 70,000 Indian seafarers activelyemployed on all types of vessels, national andFOC-flagged.

Despite the economic downturn, India is stilla key player in the overall growth of the worldeconomy. There is a strong demand for theexport and import of raw resources, as well asmanufactured goods. These factors have led toan increase in shipping activity to transport thegoods to, from and within India. Further growthin the numbers of seafarers in this region isanticipated.

This means that there is an increasingdemand for both assistance and informationfrom the ITF (FOC) India/Sri LankaInspectorate. ITF-affiliated unions in the regionhad asked for additional training of activists, toenhance the FOC campaign at the grassroots.The ITF was more than happy to oblige.

Developing union activistsThe training programme aims to developlocal union activists from dockers’ andseafarers’ unions. They need to:�Have an understanding of the ITF flag ofconvenience campaign.

�Be familiar with the ways that activists canrespond to and assist seafarers. �Understand the role of the FOC campaignand how it impacts on dockers (mutualsolidarity).� Identify dedicated activists who areinterested in developing their potential onthe FOC campaign.

It is important that the knowledge of ourexisting ITF Inspectors is used, so they canteach and pass on their experience to theactivists. The continued success of the Indianinspectorate is dependent on educatingdockers and seafarers on why they shouldsupport, and be active, in the FOC campaign.

FOC vessels with ITF-acceptableagreements need to be inspected to ensurecompliance; those without need pressure toensure that their owners cover them with ITF-acceptable agreements.

Positive response The ITF received a very positive responsefrom the activists – some of whom have beeninvolved in past FOC weeks of action andappreciated the opportunity of improvingtheir knowledge of the FOC campaign. Theyfound it especially beneficial as the IndianInspectors conducted the training in the localdialects of Malayalam (Kochi) and Tamil(Chennai). The Inspectors also played a very

positive role in passing on their knowledgeand experience, which resulted in usefuldiscussions on the FOC campaign andconducting a ship inspection.

“The main advantage of the training was inthe absence of an ITF Inspector and for otherFOC activities, a trained activist could board avessel and assist the seafarer or seafarers,”said Inspector Thomas Sebastian. “Thefeedback received from the activists revealedthat they gained confidence to board avessel. The use of the local language washailed by all participants.”

The training also achieved the signing oftwo vessels, ensuring that the seafarers arecovered by ITF-acceptable agreements in theport of Chennai and in the port of Kochi. TwoIndian-flag vessels agreed to have theirvessels sign national agreements with thelocal union covering the crew members.

Mahendra Sharma, ITF assistant regionalsecretary, said his office was committed tobuilding capacity in local unions to protectseafarers from exploitation by shipowners,including low wages and abandonment. “Wehave plans to develop a large pool of trainedunion activists to inspect all the flag ofconvenience vessels in the region,” he said.

� Finlay McIntosh is on the Actions Team,Maritime Operations Department, at the ITF.

20

Indian seafarers get activeFlag of convenience campaign

FINLAY McINTOSH reports on a new activist trainingprogramme for Indian seafarers.

“We have plans todevelop a large pool oftrained union activists toinspect all the flag ofconvenience vessels inthe region.”

Right: Participantsat an ITF activisttraining session.


Your 4-page pull-out guide to contacting the ITF

HEAD OFFICE49/60 Borough Road, LondonSE1 1DR, United KingdomTel: +44(0)20 7403 2733Fax: +44(0)20 7357 7871 Telex: 051 8811397 ITF LDN GEmail: [email protected]: www.itfglobal.org

AFRICAN REGIONAL OFFICEPO Box 66540, Nairobi, KenyaTel: +254(0)20 444 80 19Fax: +254(0)20 444 80 20Email: [email protected]

AFRICAN FRANCOPHONE OFFICE1036 Avenue Dimbdolobsom, 3rd floor ex immeuble CEAO,11 BP 832, Ouagadougou,Burkina FasoTel: +226(0)50 30 19 79Fax: +226(o)50 33 31 01Email: [email protected]

ARAB WORLD OFFICEPO Box 925875, Amman 11190,JordanTel/Fax: +962(0)6 569 94 48Email: [email protected]

ASIA/PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICETamachi Kotsu Building 3-2-22,Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023, JapanTel: +81(0)3 3798 2770Fax: +81(0)3 3769 4471Email: [email protected]

ASIAN SUB-REGIONAL OFFICE12D College Lane, New Delhi110001, IndiaTel: +91(0)11 2335 4408/7423Fax: +91(0)11 2335 4407Email: [email protected]

EUROPEAN REGIONAL OFFICEEuropean Transport Workers’Federation (ETF), Galerie Agora,Rue du Marché aux Herbes 105, Boîte 11, B-1000 Brussels,BelgiumTel: +32(0)2 285 4660Fax: +32(0)2 280 0817Email: [email protected]

EUROPEAN SUB-REGIONALOFFICE21/1 Sadovaya Spasskaya, Office729, 107217 Moscow, RussiaTel: +7 495 782 0468Fax: +7 095 782 0573Email: [email protected] Website: www.itf.ru

INTERAMERICAN REGIONALOFFICEAvenida Rio Branco 26-11 Andar,CEP 20090-001 Centro, Rio deJaneiro, BrazilTel: +55(0)21 2223 0410/22332812Fax: +55(0)21 2283 0314Email: [email protected] Website: www.itf-americas.org

QARGENTINABuenos Aires�Roberto Jorge Alarcón*Tel/Fax: +54(0)11 4331 4043Mobile: +54(0)911 4414 5687Email: [email protected]�Rodolfo VidalTel/Fax: +54(0)341 425 6695Mobile: +54(0)911 4414 5911Email: [email protected]

AUSTRALIAFremantle�Adrian EvansTel: +61(0)8 9335 0500Fax: +61(0)8 9335 0510Mobile: +61(0)401 692 528Email: [email protected]�Matt PurcellTel: +61(0)3 9329 5477Fax: +61(0)3 9328 1682Mobile: +61(0)418 387 966Email: [email protected] Sydney�Dean Summers*Tel: +61(0)2 9267 9134Fax: +61(0)2 9267 4426Mobile: +61(0)419 934 648Email: [email protected]�Graham BraggTel: +61(0)7 4771 4311Fax: +61(0)7 4721 2459Mobile: +61(0)419 652 718Email: [email protected]

BELGIUMAntwerp�Joris De Hert*Tel: +32(0)3 224 3413Fax: +32(0)3 224 3449Mobile: +32(0)474 842 547Email: [email protected]�Marc Van NotenTel: +32(0)3 224 3419Fax: +32(0)3 224 3449Mobile: +32(0)475 775 700Email: [email protected]�Christian Roos Tel: +32(0)2 549 1103Fax: +32(0)2 549 1104Mobile: +32(0)486 123 890Email: [email protected]

BRAZILParanaguá�Ali ZiniTel/Fax: +55(0)41 3422 0703Mobile: +55(0)41 9998 0008Email: [email protected] de Janeiro �Luiz Fernando Duarte de Lima*Tel: +55(0)21 2233 2812Fax: +55(0)21 2283 0314Mobile: +55(0)21 9480 5336Email: [email protected]�Airton Vinicius Broto Lima*Tel: +55(0)21 2233 2812Fax: +55(0)21 2283 0314Mobile: +55(0)21 9480 5337Email: [email protected]�Renialdo Donizete Salustiano deFreitasTel/Fax: +55(0)13 3232 2373Mobile: +55(0)13 9761 0611Email: [email protected]

CANADAHalifax�Gerard BradburyTel: +1(0)902 455 9327Fax: +1(0)902 454 9473Mobile: +1(0)902 441 2195Email: [email protected]�Mike GivenTel: +1(0)905 227 5212Fax: +1(0)905 227 0130Mobile: +1(0)905 933 0544Email: [email protected]�Patrice CaronTel: +1(0)514 931 7859Fax: +1(0)514 931 0399Mobile: +1(0)514 234 9962Email: [email protected]�Peter Lahay*Tel: +1(0)604 251 7174Fax: +1(0)604 251 7241Mobile: +1(0)604 418 0345Email: [email protected]

CHILEValparaiso�Juan Luis Villalón JonesTel: +56(0)32 221 7727Fax: +56(0)32 275 5703Mobile: +56(0) 9250 9565Email: [email protected]

COLOMBIACartagena�Miguel SánchezTel: +57(0)5 666 4802Fax: +57(0)5 658 3496Mobile: +57(0)3 10 657 3399Email: [email protected]

CROATIADubrovnik�Vladimir GlavocicTel: +385(0)20 418 992Fax: +385(0)20 418 993Mobile: +385(0)98 244 872Email: [email protected]�Predrag Brazzoduro*Tel: +385(0)51 325 343Fax: +385(0)51 213 673Mobile: +385(0)98 211 960Email: [email protected]�Milko KronjaTel: +385(0)22 200 320Fax: +385(0)22 200 321Mobile: +385(0)98 336 590Email: [email protected]

DENMARKCopenhagen�Morten BachTel/Fax: +45(0)33 36 13 97Mobile: +45(0)21 64 95 62Email: [email protected]

EGYPTPort Said�Talaat ElseifyTel/Fax: +20(0)66 322 3131Mobile: +20(0)10 163 8402Email: [email protected]

FINLANDHelsinki�Simo Nurmi*Tel: +358(0)9 615 202 55Fax: +358(0)9 615 202 27Mobile: +358(0)40 580 3246Email: [email protected]

�Kenneth BengtsTel: +358(0)9 615 202 58Fax: +358(0)9 615 202 27Mobile: +358(0)40 455 1229Email: [email protected]�Ilpo Minkkinen Tel: +358 (0)9 615 202 53Fax: +358 (0)9 615 202 27Mobile: +358 (0)40 728 6932Email: [email protected]�Jan ÖrnTel: +358(0)9 613 110Fax: +358(0)9 739 287Mobile: +358(0)40 523 3386Email: [email protected]

FRANCEDunkirk�Pascal PouilleTel: +33(0)3 28 66 45 24Fax: +33(0)3 28 21 45 71Mobile: +33(0)6 80 23 95 86Email: [email protected] Havre�François Caillou*Tel: +33(0)2 35 26 63 73Fax: +33(0)2 35 24 14 36Mobile: +33(0)6 08 94 87 94Email: [email protected]�Yves ReynaudTel: +33(0)4 91 54 99 37Fax: +33(0)4 91 33 22 75Mobile: +33(0)6 07 68 16 34Email: [email protected] Nazaire�Geoffroy LamadeTel: +33(0)2 40 22 54 62Fax: +33(0)2 40 22 70 36Mobile: +33(0)6 60 30 12 70Email: [email protected]ète�Stéphanie DanjouTel/Fax: +33(0)4 67 43 75 18Mobile: +33(0)6 27 51 35 78Email: [email protected]

GERMANYBremen�Susan LinderkampTel: +49(0)421 330 3333Fax: +49(0)421 330 3366Email: [email protected]�Ulf ChristiansenTel: +49(0)40 2800 6811Fax: +49(0)40 2800 6822Mobile: +49(0)171 641 2694Email: [email protected]�Hartmut KruseTel: +49(0)381 670 0046Fax: +49(0)381 670 0047Mobile: +49(0)171 641 2691Email: [email protected]

GREECEPiraeus�Stamatis Kourakos*Tel: +30(0)210 411 6610 / 6604Fax: +30(0)210 413 2823Mobile: +30(0)69 77 99 3709Email: [email protected]�Antonios MaounisTel: +30(0)210 411 6610 / 6604Fax: +30(0)210 413 2823Mobile: +30(0)69 44 57 0910Email: [email protected]

ICELANDReykjavik�Jónas GardarssonTel: +354(0)551 1915Fax: +354(0)552 5215Mobile: +354(0)892 7922Email: [email protected]

INDIACalcutta�Chinmoy RoyTel: +91(0)332 459 7598Fax: +91(0)332 459 6184Mobile: +91(0)98300 43094Email: [email protected]�Narain Chandra Das AdhikaryTel: +91(0)332 425 2203Fax: +91(0)332 425 3577Mobile: +91(0)94345 17316Chennai�K Sree KumarTel: +91(0)44 2522 3539 / 5983Fax: +91(0)44 2526 3343Mobile: +91(0)44 93 8100 1311Email: [email protected]�Thomas SebastianTel: +91(0)484 233 8249 / 8476Fax: +91(0)484 266 9468Mobile: +91(0)98950 48607Email: [email protected]�Kersi ParekhTel: +91(0)22 2261 6951 / 6952Fax: +91(0)22 2265 9087Mobile: +91(0)98205 04971Email: [email protected]�Hashim SulaimanTel: +91(0)22 2261 8368 / 8369Fax: +91(0)22 2261 5929Mobile: +91(0)9967 218893Email: [email protected]�DM Stephen FernandoTel: +91(0)461 2326 519 / 2339 195Fax: +91(0)461 2311 668Mobile: +91(0)94431 59137Email: [email protected]�BV RatnamTel: +91(0)891 2502 695 / 2552 592Fax: +91(0)891 2502 695Mobile: +91(0)98481 98025Email: [email protected]

IRELANDDublin�Ken FlemingTel: +353(0)1 874 3735Fax: +353(0)1 874 3740Mobile: +353(0)87 647 8636Email: [email protected]

ISRAELHaifa�Michael ShwartzmanTel: +972(0)4 852 4289Fax: +972(0)4 852 4288Mobile: +972(0)544 699 282Email: [email protected]

ITALYGenoa�Piero Luigi ReTel: +39(0)10 25 18 675Fax: +39(0)10 25 18 683Mobile: +39(0)335 707 0988Email: [email protected]/Livorno�Bruno NazzarriTel: +39(0)58 68 25 251Fax: +39(0)58 68 96 178Email: [email protected]�Paolo SerretielloTel/Fax: +39(0)81 26 50 21Mobile: +39(0)335 482 706Email: [email protected]�Francesco SaittaTel/Fax: +39(0)91 32 17 45Mobile: +39(0)338 698 4978Email: [email protected]

�Continued on reverse of map

Contact one of our Inspectors if you need help and youwork on either a flag of convenience ship or on aforeign-flag ship not covered by a union agreement. Ifan Inspector is not available, contact the Actions Teamat ITF head office or your nearest ITF office (see left).

ITF Inspectors

U

Durban+27(0)31 909 1087

Uza

Mombasa+254(0)41 2495 244

U

Buenos Aires +54(0)11 4331 4043

Rosario +54(0)341 425 6695

Santos +55(0)13 3232 2373 Rio de Janeiro +55(0)21 2233 2812

UU

U

U

U

U

ra

br

rch

copa

pr

mex

Cartagena +57(0)5 666 4802

Los Angeles +1(0)562 493 8714

San Juan +1787(0)783 1755

Manzanillo +52(0)314 332 8834

U

U

UU

Cristóbal +507(0) 264 5101U

Baltimore +1(0)410 882 3977

Morehead City +1(0)252 726 9796

Houston +1(0)713 659 5152

Miami +1(0)321 783 8876

New Orleans +1(0)504 581 3196

New York +1(0)718 832 6600 (ext 240) Portland +1(0)503 286 1223

Seattle+1(0)206 533 0995

U

U

U

U

U

U

U

usa

cdn

Halifax +1(0)902 455 9327 Hamilton +1(0)905 227 5212

U

UU U

Mumbai+91(0)22 2261 6951

U

african regional officeR

Cape Town +27(0)21 461 9410

eak

Rbf

ngr

african francophone office

Vancouver +1(0)604 251 7174 Montreal +1(0)514 931 7859

UU

U

Tampa +1(0)321 784 0686

Veracruz +52(0)229 932 1367

Rinteramerican regional office

Paranaguá +55(0)41 3422 0703

For full contact details of ITF Inspectors go to www.itfglobal.org/seafarers/msg-contacts.cfm

Rarab world officehkjet

il

itf head officeRR

european regional office (etf)

tr

R

european sub-regional office

ITF HEAD OFFICElondon+44 (0)20 7403 2733

INTERAMERICAN REGIONAL OFFICErio de janeiro +55 (0)21 2223 0410

EUROPEAN REGIONAL OFFICEbrussels+32 (0)2 285 4660

EUROPEAN SUB-REGIONAL OFFICEmoscow+7 495 782 0468

International Transport Workers’ Federation

Helping seafarersaround the world

Valparaiso+56(0)32 221 7727

ULagos+234(0)1 793 6150

U

Haifa+972(0)4 852 4289

Port Said+20(0)66 322 3131

ITF Inspectors

Las Palmas+34(0)928 467 630 U

e

Reykjavik+354(0)551 1915 U

is

gb

b

Q

QQTokyo +81(0)35 410 8330asia/pacific regional office

U

Chiba +81(0)50 1291 7326U

Yokohama +81(0)45 451 5585Osaka +81(0)66 612 1004 U

U

rc

UU

UInchon

+82(0)32 881 9880 Pusan+82(0)51 469 0401/0294

Seoul+82(0)2 716 2764

Vladivostock+7(0)423 251 2485

U

rok

Manila +63(0)2 536 82 87

Cebu City +63(0)32 256 16 72

U

U

rp

asian sub-regional office

UU

U

U

ind

Fremantle+61(0)8 9335 0500

Melbourne+61(0)3 9329 5477

Sydney +61(0)2 9267 9134

Townsville+61(0)7 4771 4311

U

U

U

U

aus

Wellington+64(0)4 801 7613U

nz

Mombasa+254(0)41 2495 244

U

U

Keelung+886(0)2251 50302

Taichung+886(0)2658 4514

U

U

Kochi+9(0)484 233 8249

UMumbai+91(0)22 2261 6951

U

R

R

Tuticorin+91(0)461 2326 519

Colombo+94(0)11 243 8326

Visakhapatnam+91(0)891 2502 695

UChennai +91(0)44 2522 3539

Calcutta +91(0)332 459 7598

For full contact details of ITF Inspectors go to www.itfglobal.org/seafarers/msg-contacts.cfm

arab world office

URiga

U

U

U

UGdyniaUDublin

BristolU

U

UUBremen

U

U

DunkirkU

MarseilleSète

Bilbao UVigo U

U Algeciras

LisbonU

UBarcelona

USt Nazaire

Genoa U

U

U Piraeus

UConstanta

U Istanbul

U

Turku

StockholmU

Gothenburg U

Tilburygb

irl

n

s fin

CopenhagenHelsingborg

Hamburg

d

dk

Rotterdam UZeebrugge

UAntwerp

U

U

LiverpoolU

b

nl

Le Havre

U

f

UU

U

ep

U TarantoNaples U

PalermoU

ULivorno

Ravenna

i

gr

U SibenikURijeka

hr ro

ua

tr

UKlaipeda

pl

lt

lv

UHelsinkiSt Petersburg

rus

rus

Porsgrunn

Stavanger

Oslo

Rostock

U

U

Bergen

U

U

U

UAberdeen

Szczecin

Dubrovnik

Odessa

Trieste

european sub-regional office

ARAB WORLD OFFICEamman+962 (0)6 569 94 48

AFRICAN REGIONAL OFFICE nairobi +254 (0)20 444 80 19

AFRICAN FRANCOPHONE OFFICEouagadougou+226 (0)50 30 19 79

ASIA/PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICEtokyo+81 (0)3 3798 2770

ASIAN SUB-REGIONAL OFFICEnew delhi+91 (0)11 2335 4408/7423


Q

Aberdeen+44(0)1224 582 688

Algeciras+34(0)956 657 046

Antwerp +32(0)3 224 3413

Barcelona+34(0)93 481 2766

Bergen+47(0)55 230 059

Bilbao +34(0)94 493 5659

Bremen +49(0)421 330 3333

Bristol +44(0)151 427 3668

Constanta+40(0)241 618 587

Copenhagen+45(0)33 36 13 97

Dublin +353(0)1 874 3735

Dubrovnik+385(0)20 418 992

Dunkirk+33(0)3 28 66 45 24

Gdynia +48(0)58 661 60 96

Genoa +39(0)10 25 18 675

Gothenburg+46(0)10 480 31 14

Hamburg+49(0)40 2800 6811

Helsingborg+46(0)31 42 95 31

Helsinki+358(0)9 615 202 55

Istanbul +90(0)216 347 3771

Klaipeda +370(0)46 410 447

Le Havre+33(0)2 35 26 63 73

Lisbon +351 (0)21 391 8150

Liverpool+44(0)151 639 8454

Livorno +39(0)58 68 25 251

Marseille+33(0)4 91 54 99 37

Naples +39(0)81 26 50 21

Odessa +380(0)482 429 901

Oslo +47(0)22 825 835

Palermo +39(0)91 32 17 45

Piraeus +30(0)210 411 6610

Porsgrunn+47(0)35 548 240

Ravenna+39(0)54 44 23 842

Riga +371(0)7 073 436

Rijeka +385(0)51 325 343

Rostock+49(0)381 670 0046

Rotterdam+31(0)10 215 1166

St Nazaire+33(0)2 40 22 54 62

St Petersburg+7(0)812 718 6380

Sète +33(0)4 67 43 75 18

Sibenik +385(0)22 200 320

Stavanger +47(0)51 840 549

Stockholm+46(0)8 791 4100

Szczecin +48(0)91 423 97 07

Taranto +39(0)99 47 07 555

Tilbury +44(0)20 8989 6677

Trieste +39(0)40 37 21 832

Turku +358(0)9 613 110

Vigo +34(0)986 221 177

Zeebrugge +32(0)2 549 1103

j

QRavenna�Giovanni Olivieri*Tel: +39(0)54 44 23 842Fax: +39(0)54 45 91 852Mobile: +39(0)335 526 8464Email: [email protected]�Gianbattista LeonciniTel/Fax: +39(0)99 47 07 555Mobile: +39(0)335 482 703Email: [email protected]�Paolo SiligatoTel/Fax:+39(0)40 37 21 832Mobile: +39(0)348 445 4343Email: [email protected]

JAPANChiba�Shigeru FujikiTel: +81(0)50 1291 7326Fax: +81(0)3 3733 2627Mobile: +81(0)90 9826 9411Email: [email protected]�Mash TaguchiTel: +81(0)66 612 1004 / 4300Fax: +81(0)66 612 7400Mobile: +81(0)90 7198 6721Email: [email protected]�Shoji Yamashita*Tel: +81(0)35 410 8330Fax: +81(0)35 410 8336Mobile: +81(0)90 3406 3035Email: [email protected]�Fusao OhoriTel: +81(0)45 451 5585Fax: +81(0)45 451 5584Mobile: +81(0)90 6949 5469Email: [email protected]

KENYAMombasa�Juma KhamisTel: +254(0)41 2495 244Fax: +254(0)41 2495 117 Mobile: +254(0)721 738053Email: [email protected]

KOREAInchon�Kwang-Jo KoTel: +82(0)32 881 9880Fax: +82(0)32 884 3228Mobile: +82(0)11 440 4611Email: [email protected]�Sang Gi GimTel: +82(0)51 469 0401 / 0294Fax: +82(0)51 464 2762Mobile: +82(0)10 3585 2401Email: [email protected]�Bae Jung HoTel: +82(0)51 463 4828Fax: +82(0)51 464 8423Mobile: +82(0)10 3832 4628Email: [email protected]�Hye Kyung Kim*Tel: +82(0)2 716 2764Fax: +82(0)2 702 2271Mobile: +82(0)10 5441 1232Email: [email protected]

LATVIARiga�Norbert PetrovskisTel: +371(0)7 073 436Fax: +371(0)7 383 577Mobile: +371(0)29 215 136Email: [email protected]

LITHUANIAKlaipeda�Andrey ChernovTel/Fax: +370(0)46 410 447Mobile: +370(0)699 28198Email: [email protected]

MEXICOManzanillo�Honorio Alberto Galván AguilarTel/Fax: +52(0)314 332 8834Mobile: +52(0)1 314 122 9212Email: [email protected]�Enrique LozanoTel/Fax: +52(0)229 932 1367 / 3023Mobile: +52(0)1 229 161 0700Email: [email protected]

NETHERLANDSRotterdam�Ruud Touwen*Tel: +31(0)10 215 1166Fax: +31(0)10 423 3933Mobile: +31(0)65 331 5072Email: [email protected]�Debbie KleinTel: +31(0)10 215 1166Fax: +31(0)10 423 3933Mobile: +31(0)65 318 2734Email: [email protected]�Aswin NoordermeerTel: +31(0)10 215 1166Fax: +31(0)10 423 3933Mobile: +31(0)65 333 7522Email: [email protected]

NEW ZEALANDWellington�Grahame McLarenTel: +64(0)4 801 7613Fax: +64(0)4 384 8766 Mobile: +64(0)21 292 1782Email: [email protected]

NIGERIALagos�Henry AkinrolabuTel/Fax: +234(0) 1 793 6150Mobile: +234(0)803 835 9368Email: [email protected]

NORWAYBergen�Tore SteineTel: +47(0)55 230 059Fax: +47(0)55 900 152Mobile: +47(0)90 768 115Email: [email protected]�Nils Pedersen*Tel: +47(0)22 825 835 / 425 872Fax: +47(0)22 423 056Mobile: +47(0)90 148 487Email: [email protected]�Angelica GjestrumTel: +47(0)22 825 824Fax: +47(0)22 423 056Mobile: +47(0)97 729 357Email: [email protected]�Truls M HellenesTel: +47(0)35 548 240Fax: +47(0)35 548 023Mobile: +47(0)90 980 487Email: [email protected]�Aage BaerheimTel: +47(0)51 840 549Fax: +47(0)51 840 501Mobile: +47(0)90 755 776Email: [email protected]

PANAMACristóbal�Luis FrutoTel: +507(0) 264 5101Fax: +507(0) 269 9741Mobile: +507(0)66 178 525Email: [email protected]

PHILIPPINESCebu City�Joselito O PedariaTel: +63(0)32 256 16 72Fax: +63(0)32 253 25 31Mobile: +63(0)920 970 0168Email: [email protected]�Rodrigo AguinaldoTel: +63(0)2 536 82 87Fax: +63(0)2 536 82 86Mobile: +63(0)917 811 1763Email: [email protected]

POLANDGdynia�Andrzej KoscikTel: +48(0)58 661 60 96Fax: +48(0)58 661 60 53Mobile: +48(0)602 233 619Email: [email protected]�Adam MazurkiewiczTel: +48(0)91 423 97 07Fax: +48(0)91 423 93 30Mobile: +48(0)501 539 329Email: [email protected]

PORTUGALLisbon�João de Deus Gomes PiresTel: +351 (0)21 391 8150Fax: +351 (0)21 391 8159Mobile: +351 (0)91 936 4885Email: [email protected]

PUERTO RICOSan Juan�Felipe García-CortijoTel: +1787(0)783 1755Fax: +1787(0)273 7989Mobile: +1787(0)410 1344Email: [email protected]

ROMANIAConstanta�Adrian MihalcioiuTel: +40(0)241 618 587Fax: +40(0)241 616 915Mobile: +40(0)722 248 828Email: [email protected]

RUSSIASt Petersburg�Sergey Fishov*Tel/Fax: +7(0)812 718 6380Mobile: +7(0)911 096 9383Email: [email protected]�Petr OsichanskyTel/Fax: +7(0)423 251 2485Mobile: +7(0)423 270 6485Email: [email protected]

SOUTH AFRICACape Town�Cassiem AugustusTel: +27(0)21 461 9410Fax: +27(0)21 462 1299Mobile: +27(0)82 773 6366Email: [email protected]�Sprite Zungu*Tel/Fax: +27(0)31 909 1087Mobile: +27(0)82 773 6367Email: [email protected]

SPAINAlgeciras�José M OrtegaTel: +34(0)956 657 046Fax: +34(0)956 632 693Mobile: +34(0)699 436 503Email: [email protected]�Joan Mas GarcíaTel: +34(0)93 481 2766Fax: +34(0)93 298 2179Mobile: +34(0)629 302 503Email: [email protected]�Mohamed ArrachediTel: +34(0)94 493 5659Fax: +34(0)94 493 6296Mobile: +34(0)629 419 007Email: [email protected] Palmas�Victor CondeTel: +34(0)928 467 630Fax: +34(0)928 465 547Mobile: +34(0)676 057 807Email: [email protected]�Luz BazTel/Fax: +34(0)986 221 177Mobile: +34(0)660 682 164Email: [email protected]

SRI LANKAColombo�Ranjan PereraTel: +94(0)11 243 8326Fax: +94(0)11 278 5091Mobile: +94(0)77 314 7005Email: [email protected]

SWEDENGothenburg�Göran LarssonTel: +46(0)10 480 31 14Fax: +46(0)31 13 56 77Mobile: +46(0)70 626 77 88Email: [email protected]�Göran NilssonTel: +46(0)10 480 31 21Fax: +46(0)31 13 56 77Mobile: +46(0)76 100 65 12Email: [email protected]�Sven SaveTel: +46(0)31 42 95 31Fax: +46(0)42 37 43 45Mobile: +46(0)70 57 49 713Email: [email protected]�Carl Tauson*Tel: +46(0)8 791 4100Fax: +46(0)8 212 595Mobile: +46(0)70 59 26 896Email: [email protected]�Annica BarningTel: +46(0)8 454 8405Fax: +46(0)8 411 6940Mobile: +46(0)70 57 49 714Email: [email protected]�Peter LövkvistTel: +46(0)10 480 37 62Fax: +46(0)87 23 18 03Mobile: +46(0)70 626 77 89Email: [email protected]

TAIWANKeelung�Huang Yu-Sheng*Tel: +886(0)2251 50302Fax: +886(0)2250 61046 / 78211Mobile: +886(0)933 906 398Email: [email protected]�Sanders ChangTel: +886(0)2658 4514Fax: +886(0)2658 4517Mobile: +886(0)955 415 705Email: [email protected]

TURKEYIstanbul�Muzaffer CivelekTel: +90(0)216 347 3771Fax: +90(0)216 347 4991Mobile: +90(0)535 663 3124Email: [email protected]

UKRAINEOdessa�Nataliya YefrimenkoTel: +380(0)482 429 901 / 902Fax: +380(0)482 429 906Mobile: +380(0)503 366 792Email: [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMAberdeen�Norrie McVicar*Tel: +44(0)1224 582 688Fax: +44(0)1224 584 165Mobile: +44(0)7768 652 257Email: [email protected]�Neil KeithTel: +44(0)1224 582 688Fax: +44(0)191 456 1309Mobile: +44(0)7748 841 939Email: [email protected]�Bill AndersonTel/Fax: +44(0)151 427 3668Mobile: +44(0)7876 794 914Email: [email protected]�Tommy MolloyTel: +44(0)151 639 8454Fax: +44(0)151 346 8801Mobile: +44(0)7764 182 768Email: [email protected]

Tilbury�Chris JonesTel: +44(0)20 8989 6677Fax: +44(0)20 8530 1015Mobile: +44(0)7921 022 600Email: [email protected]

UNITED STATESBaltimore�Arthur PetitpasTel: +1(0)410 882 3977Fax: +1(0)410 882 1976Mobile: +1(0)443 562 3110Email: [email protected]�Shwe Tun AungTel: +1(0)713 659 5152Fax: +1(0)713 650 8629Mobile: +1(0)713 447 0438Email: [email protected] Angeles�Stefan Mueller-DomboisTel: +1(0)562 493 8714Fax: +1(0)562 493 7190Mobile: +1(0)562 673 9786Email: [email protected]�Hans SaurenmannTel: +1(0)321 783 8876Fax: +1(0)321 783 2821Mobile: +1(0)305 360 3279Email: [email protected] City�Tony SaccoTel/Fax: +1(0)252 726 9796Mobile: +1(0)252 646 2093Email: [email protected] Orleans�Dwayne Boudreaux*Tel: +1(0)504 581 3196 (ext 7)Fax: +1(0)504 568 9996Mobile: +1(0)504 442 1556Email: [email protected] York�Enrico Esopa*Tel: +1(0)718 832 6600 (ext 240)Fax: +1(0)718 832 8870Mobile: +1(0)201 417 2805Email: [email protected]�Martin LarsonFax: +1(0)503 286 1223Mobile: +1(0)503 347 7775Email: [email protected] RicoSee separate listing for Puerto RicoSeattle�Lila SmithTel: +1(0)206 533 0995Fax: +1(0)206 533 0996Mobile: +1(0)206 818 1195Email: [email protected]�Jeff Engels*Tel: +1(0)206 633 1614Fax: +1(0)206 675 1614Mobile: +1(0)206 331 2134Email: [email protected]�Tony SassoTel: +1(0)321 784 0686Fax: +1(0)321 784 0522Mobile: +1(0)321 258 8217Email: [email protected]

*Denotes ITF Coordinator

�


ITF Inspectors


These are the maritime flags that the International Transport Workers’ Federation has declared FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE

ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES TONGASÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE

Flags of convenience

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA BAHAMAS BARBADOS BELIZE BERMUDA

BOLIVIA BURMA/MYANMAR CAMBODIA CAYMAN ISLANDS COMOROS

EQUATORIAL GUINEACYPRUS GERMANY (second register)

HONDURASGIBRALTAR

GEORGIA

LEBANON LIBERIA

MONGOLIA

JAMAICA

MALTA

FRANCE (second register)

MARSHALL ISLANDS

NETHERLANDS ANTILLESMAURITIUS NORTH KOREA PANAMA

SRI LANKA

In addition to these flags, there are certain shipping registers whose vessels can be regarded, on a ship by ship basis, as operating under a flag of convenience.

VANUATU

ITF HOUSE, 49-60 BOROUGH ROAD, LONDON SE1 1DR TEL: +44 (0)20 7403 2733 FAX: +44 (0)20 7357 7871 EMAIL:[email protected] INTERNET:WWW.ITFGLOBAL.ORG


No. of Gross tonnage GT (m) Averageships (millions) 1January age

(over 1o0gt) 2007 (ships)

1 Panama* 7,605 168.2 155.0 19

2 Liberia* 2,171 76.6 68.4 12

3 Bahamas* 1,430 43.7 40.8 15

4 Singapore 2,257 36.3 32.2 10

5 Marshall Islands* 1,099 36.0 32.8 10

6 Hong Kong (China) 1,242 35.8 32.7 12

7 Greece 1,478 35.7 32.0 22

8 Malta* 1,421 27.8 24.8 16

9 China 3,799 24.9 23.5 23

10 Cyprus* 985 19.0 19.0 14

11 Norway (NIS second register) 598 14.7 14.8 16

12 United Kingdom 1,637 13.4 12.1 20

13 South Korea 2,946 13.1 10.5 25

14 Italy 1,564 13.0 12.6 22

15 Germany 885 12.9 11.4 21

16 Japan 6,519 12.8 12.8 15

17 United States 6,416 11.3 11.1 26

18 Bermuda* (United Kingdom) 152 9.2 8.4 12

19 India 1,417 9.2 8.4 18

20 Denmark (DIS second register) 435 9.0 8.2 17

21 Antigua and Barbuda* 1,130 8.6 7.9 11

22 Russia 3,481 7.6 8.0 24

23 Malaysia 1,151 7.0 6.4 16

24 Netherlands 1,258 6.1 5.8 17

25 St Vincent* 1,048 5.9 6.1 25

26 Indonesia 4,469 5.7 5.3 21

27 Philippines 1,840 5.1 5.1 28

28 Turkey 1,252 5.0 4.8 25

29 Sweden 572 4.0 3.9 32

30 Iran 508 3.6 5.2 22

31 Norway 1,490 3.4 3.4 26

32 Thailand 858 2.8 2.9 26

33 Canada 927 2.8 2.8 31

34 Taiwan 629 2.7 2.8 26

35 Kuwait 212 2.4 2.2 24

World total 97,504 774.9 721.9 22

Source: Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. * Denotes flag of convenience.

Top 35 flag fleets(ranked by tonnage, as at 1 January 2008)

World fleet

No. of Gross Averageships tonnage age

(over 1,000gt) (millions) (ships)

1 Japan 3,526 110.0 9

2 Greece 3,121 103.3 16

3 Germany 3,223 69.2 8

4 China 3,317 54.3 20

5 United States 1,760 35.4 18

6 Norway 1,825 33.7 15

7 South Korea 1,136 23.5 17

8 Denmark 856 21.2 12

9 Hong Kong (China) 650 20.1 12

10 United Kingdom 865 20.1 13

11 Singapore 869 17.7 15

12 Taiwan 589 17.5 13

13 Italy 771 14.3 16

14 Russia 2,129 13.8 24

15 Canada 418 12.1 21

16 India 538 9.7 17

17 Malaysia 393 8.9 16

18 Turkey 1,024 8.5 19

19 Belgium 234 7.3 14

20 Saudi Arabia 165 7.3 15

21 Sweden 364 7.1 14

22 United Arab Emirates 425 6.5 21

23 France 358 6.4 11

24 Netherlands 755 6.2 13

25 Iran 179 5.9 16

26 Indonesia 850 5.3 23

27 Spain 377 3.5 17

28 Kuwait 69 3.4 16

29 Switzerland 161 2.9 15

30 Thailand 342 2.7 23

31 Brazil 143 2.5 22

32 Ukraine 469 2.3 25

33 Finland 140 2.1 17

34 Israel 72 2.0 18

35 Monaco 73 1.9 17

World total 41,184 756.1 22

Source: Lloyd’s Register of Shipping.

Top 35 shipowning countries(ranked by tonnage, as at 1 January 2008)


From the air, the view of Tual Island isidyllic. It is fringed by coconut trees andpearly-white beaches and set on the

azure calm of Indonesia’s far eastern BandaSea. But for many hundreds of Burmesefishers, trapped below, Tual has become avirtual prison.

From the findings of a recent ITF mission tothe island, there could be anything from 700to 1,200 undocumented runaway Burmeseseafarers on Tual and its surrounding islands,which lie almost 3,000 kilometres east of theIndonesian capital, Jakarta.

They have fled murder on the high seas andbrutal working conditions to find relativesafety in Indonesia; but they live in constantfear of arrest and deportation back toThailand or the military dictatorship of theirhomeland.

Many of the abandoned seafarers, amongthem Soe Min and his friend Saing Winna, ekeout a precarious existence by foraging orfarming in the forested interior of the island.For them, this remote, little-known island,thousands of kilometres from their military-ruled homeland, is not a paradise.

“We stay here because we’ve got nooptions. We don’t want to stay in anothercountry. Everyone wants to go back home,”said Winna.

“The Burmese here have got a lot ofproblems,” said Min. “Not small problems,big problems. They’re missing Burma andfacing a lot of hardship. I’ve seen people

break down, laughing and crying, in front ofme. It’s the way they feel.”

Soe Min, who said he was faced with astark choice: stay on his fishing boat and die,or jump ship when it docked at Tual, hasemerged as a leader of the exiled fishers;bolstered by his marriage to Popi, a localwoman who owns a small house in a nearbyvillage.

Brutality on boardWe met Min and a group of eight otherBurmese migrant fishers in a forest hideaway.Aged 33, of medium height and powerfullybuilt, he deserted the Burmese army and fledthe country after he was ordered to massacreinnocent villagers.

“Whenever we entered a village, you couldsay that village had a problem,” he said.“There was fighting and shooting. Thecommander ordered us to kill every man inthe village and burn it down. We had to followhis orders. Some people didn’t knowanything at all. They were only 15-year-oldboys. We killed them all.”

But at sea, working illegally aboard a Thai

ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2009 27�

Murder at seaDAVID BROWNE reportson the shocking abusesfaced by Burmese fishers.

“He was faced with a starkchoice: stay on his fishingboat and die, or jump shipwhen it docked at Tual.”

There are up to 1,200undocumented

Burmese fishers onthe Indonesian

island of Tual. Manyof them have

escaped extremeviolence.


fishing boat, with false Thai papers and only avague promise of wages, Min entered a worldas brutal as the one he had fled.

He recalled the murder of a friend at sea.“Ever since we’d left Thailand my friend had

been seasick, and he was not familiar withthe work. The skipper didn’t like him at all. Myfriend couldn’t speak Thai, so he couldn’tunderstand what the skipper told him.

“Water was running around the deck and asquid had dropped out of the basket. Thecaptain shouted for him to pick it up, but hedidn’t understand. Then, the squid waswashed overboard.

“The skipper just came down and hit himwith a pipe. My friend raised his hand againstthe first blow and his hand broke. The secondblow smashed his shoulder-blade.

“Then he hit the back of his head. He fell tothe deck. There were other Thai workers nearhim. The skipper dropped the pipe, washedhis hands and went back up to thewheelhouse. He ordered his people to throwhim into the water. We saw he was still alive.

“When he went back to the wheelhouse,the skipper took the loudhailer and warnedeveryone: ‘What are you looking at? Get backto work. If you want to end up like him, thenbehave like him!’”

And Soe Min witnessed another horrificmurder by the Thai captain.

“A guy was defecating over the side of theboat,” he said. “Some of the crew reported itto the skipper. The skipper came down,looked around, picked up a pipe, then he hithim only one time. We saw he was hit. But wedidn’t see exactly where he’d been hit. Hisbody fell directly into the water.

“After that, whenever it was busy,everybody was terrified to shit or pee. Somepeople did it in their pants while they wereworking.”

Saing Winna, aged 45, is unmarried andleads a solitary life on Tual. He is a member ofBurma’s ethnic minority Chin people,legendary jungle fighters who fought with theAllied forces against Japan in the SecondWorld War; he escapes periodic police andimmigration department dragnets by hidingin the forest.

“I think our Burmese boat people die likedogs and pigs. I was sold into slavery bybrokers, who passed me from one hand toanother. Eventually, I was sold to a fishingcompany in Mahachai, near Bangkok,” hesaid.

“When I was on the boat a Thai cook beatone of our Burmese guys with an iron bar infront of my eyes. The skipper asked if the guywas dead or not. I told him: ‘He hasn’t diedyet, leave him alone, I’ll look after him.’

“The guy was hit at the back of his headand his brains spilled out. I grabbed him. Hetook an hour to die; the young guy took anhour to die.

“We can’t go back to Burma, we have nocontacts. When we have contacts we don’t

have money. We’ve got a lot of difficultiesback in Burma, so we can’t go back.”

Burmese diasporaTual’s abandoned fishers are among the 3 million-strong Burmese diaspora, fleeing 60years of civil war and, since the 1960s, asuccession of brutal military regimes in theirhomeland. The ITF estimates there are over250,000 Burmese migrant fishers, includingfemale fish-processing workers, in Thailand’sbillion-dollar, export-driven fishing industry.But only 70,000 are legally registered.

Like Saing Winna, the majority of workershave been trafficked across the porous Thai-Burma border and sold from agent to agentwithin the Thai fishing mafia.

Once onboard a Thai fishing boat they areissued with false Thai documents, and workback-breaking 14 to 20-hour shifts for US$50 amonth. The lucky ones can get paid a US$9,000end-of-contract bonus; but only after a three tofive-year voyage.

The president of the exiled, ITF-affiliatedSeafarers’ Union of Burma, Aung Thu Ya, who isbased in Bangkok, accompanied us on our visitto Tual Island.

He said: “Thai captains and skippers arecommitting inhumane abuses against ourBurmese seafarers. This cruel abuse is directednot just against individuals but against themass of our people.

“Our country’s current economic situation isvery poor and much lower than Thailand’s.That’s why the Burmese people are beingdegraded and exploited. They are treating our


�

Fishers

� Union leader AungThu Ya (left): “It’sclear these arecrimes.”

Soe Min (right): friendwas beaten to death.

Saing Winna (farright): sold intoslavery.

Murder at sea



What is the situation inBurma?A military dictatorship hasruled Burma for severaldecades. It is one of theworst human and tradeunion rights offenders in theworld. There are not onlyforced labour and otherserious human and tradeunion rights abuses on alarge scale, there is nofreedom of association andno democracy. Source: ITUC

Why are migrant workersvulnerable?Many Burmese fishers workin Thailand, in order toescape the conditions

outlined above. Thesemigrant workers areextremely vulnerable toexploitation, particularly toextortion and physicalabuse, at the hands ofsmugglers, employers, orthe local police. Manyworkers are not paid theminimum wage, and are atthe mercy of theiremployers.

What is the ITF doing tohelp Burmese fishers?The ITF Fisheries Sectioncommittee adopted aresolution in April 2007related to the horrific deathsof 39 Burmese fishersworking on Thai fishing

vessels in Indonesianwaters. The committee urgedthe Indonesian governmentto take action to prevent theperpetration of suchappalling human rightsabuses in its waters andcalled on the Thai authoritiesto take the appropriatesanctions against itsnationals involved in theruthless exploitation ofmigrant workers.

The ITF started a three-year organising project in fareast Asia sponsored by theFES foundation in 2008. Theproject is focusing on thePhilippines, Indonesia andBurmese fishers in Thailand,with the aim of improving the

working and livingconditions of fishers in theregion.

The ITF Fisheries Sectionand its affiliates are furthertrying to persuade theinternational community toassist in these efforts. Theyare also working through theITF Seafarers’ Trust with therelevant welfareorganisations in developingappropriate projects to aidBurmese fishers.

The ITF Asia/Pacific regionhas organised severalactivities in the last fewyears in Thailand to improvethe working and livingconditions of migrantBurmese workers.

Burmese boat people in an unjust and abusiveway. They torture our seafarers but their wealthand prosperity are based on us.”

The ITF-affiliated Indonesian Seafarers’Union, the KPI, is now investigating the plight of Tual’s abandoned Burmese migrantseafarers.

Passal Meli, KPI officer on Tual Island, said:“KPI is working very hard to monitor thissituation. We get data and information from theharbour master; then we contact immigration,boat owners and employers and tell them tostop intimidation, beatings and crimes at sea.We are seafarers, they are seafarers.

“It’s clear these are crimes, because no-onecan kill other people. He needs to think thatthat’s a human being and I’m a human being.We should live together. If a human murdersanother human, it’s against the law:Indonesian law and international law. It’s thesame.”

Indonesian authorities are slowly waking upto the abuses being suffered by migrantBurmese fishers working on Thai boats.Johannes Saija, chief immigration officer onTual, told the ITF: “In the beginning, when theyfirst come here, whether they are Burmese,Cambodian, Indian or Thai, they are all carryingThai documents.

“Because of the violence they’ve suffered at the hands of the ship’s boss, theydon’t want to go back to the ship. So they getoff in Tual and make problems and local peoplereport them to the immigration office and we arrest them and deport them.

“We feel sorry for them. Some are living in

the forest; some of them are living with localpeople. It’s hard for them to get food, so it’sbetter for them if immigration take them, bringthem here and send them home to theircountry.”

Immigration detention cellsDespite its grand offices, Tual’s immigrationdepartment only has the funding and resourcesto hold a dozen detainees at any given time.And, in a bitter irony, the department relies onthe dubious goodwill of Thai maritime bossesto ship the deportees back to Thailand, only torenew the cycle of vengeance.

Interviewed in Tual immigration detentioncells, Phyoe Maung Maung, aged 24, said hejumped ship and hid on Tual for four monthsbefore being arrested.

“We will go back by Thai boat. We can’timagine what problems we might face,” hesaid.

And fellow Burmese detainee Ko Yasha wasclearly distraught at the prospect of being tornaway from his local wife and two youngdaughters.

“One is two years old, the other is just overone. I have to send them to school and my wifehas no job. I’m the only breadwinner,” hepleaded. “I feel so sad for my kids. I will comeback if they don’t arrest me again. We don’tknow whether they will beat us, kick us, or killus on the sea. We’ll be lucky to arrive in onepiece.”

� David Browne is a freelance journalist andinvestigative reporter.

“We don’t knowwhether they will beatus, kick us, or kill us onthe sea. We’ll be luckyto arrive in one piece.”

Fishers


Do you need help?If so, send us this fax…


To: ITF Actions Team, Maritime Operations Department (fax: +44 20 7940 9285 or +44 20 7357 7871)Re: Seafarer request for assistance

Your details

Your name (will be treated in confidence)

Your contact number(s)

Your position on board (for example, AB) Your nationality

Details of the ship

Ship name Type of ship

Flag IMO number

Current location of the ship

Next port of call + ETA

Number of crew /nationalities

Type of cargo /quantity on board

Name of shipowner /operator

What is the problem?

Describe the problem (giving as much detail as possible)

How long have you been experiencing this problem?

Are there others experiencing similar problems on board? (Please give details)

How long have you been on board this ship?

What kind of help are you looking for? (for example, recovery of wages, repatriation etc)

QA

Don’t start work on a ship without having awritten contract.

ANever sign a blank contract, or a contractthat binds you to any terms and conditions

that are not specified or that you are not familiarwith.

ACheck if the contract you are signing refersto a Collective Bargaining Agreement

(CBA). If so, make sure that you are fully aware ofthe terms of that CBA, and keep a copy of it alongwith your contract.

AMake sure that the duration of the contractis clearly stated.

ADon’t sign a contract that allows foralterations to be made to the contractual

period at the sole discretion of the shipowner.Any change to the agreed duration of thecontract should be by mutual consent.

AAlways ensure that the contract clearlystates the basic wages payable and make

sure that the basic working hours are clearlydefined (for example 40, 44 or 48 per week). TheInternational Labour Organization states thatbasic working hours should be a maximum of 48per week (208 per month).

AMake sure that the contract clearlystipulates how overtime will be paid and at

what rate. There could be a flat hourly rate

payable for all hours worked in excess of thebasic. Or there may be a monthly fixed amountfor a guaranteed number of overtime hours, inwhich case the rate for any hours worked beyondthe guaranteed overtime should be clearlystated. The ILO states that all overtime hoursshould be paid at a minimum of 1.25 x the normalhourly rate.

AMake sure that the contract clearly stateshow many days paid leave per month you

will get. The ILO states that paid leave should notbe less than 30 days per year (2.5 days percalendar month).

AMake certain that the payments for basicwages, overtime and leave are clearly and

separately itemised in the contract.

ANever sign a contract that contains anyclause stating that you are responsible for

paying any portion of your joining or repatriationexpenses.

ADon’t sign a contract that allows theshipowner to withhold or retain any

portion of your wages during the period of thecontract. You should be entitled to full paymentof wages earned at the end of each calendarmonth.

ABe aware that an individual employmentcontract will not always include details of

additional benefits. Therefore, try to obtainconfirmation (preferably in the form of a writtenagreement or contractual entitlement) of whatcompensation will be payable in the event of:�Sickness or injury during the contractualperiod�Death (amount payable to the next of kin)�Loss of the vessel�Loss of personal effects resulting from the lossof the vessel�Premature termination of the contract.

ADon’t sign a contract that contains anyclause that restricts your right to join,

contact, consult with or be represented by atrade union of your choice.

AEnsure that you are given and retain a copyof the contract you have signed.

ACheck that your contract states that youare entitled to the costs of your

repatriation.

ACheck the conditions for terminating yourcontract, including how much notice the

shipowner must give you to terminate yourcontract.

ARemember… whatever the terms andconditions, any contract/agreement that

you enter into voluntarily would, in mostjurisdictions, be considered legally binding.

The best guarantee of proper conditions of employment at sea is only to sign a contract drawn up inaccordance with an ITF-approved collective agreement. Failing that, here is a checklist to follow.

Look carefully before you sign: ITFadvice on your contract to work at sea


Patrice Terraz


Captain Jasprit Chawla and chief officerSyam Chetan have had a terrible year byanyone’s standards. The two officers

have been detained in Korea since December2007, after an oil spill which it is widely agreedwas not their fault. They were exonerated,released, and then detained yet again whilethe prosecution appealed. The second timeround, the two were found guilty. Despitewidespread condemnation, the Koreanauthorities kept the officers locked up andaway from their families.

The campaign to release these officers hasseen the ITF and the shipping industry worktogether to an unprecedented degree. Thecompany that employs the officers, V Ships,has supported the officers throughout theircontinuing ordeal. The ITF, shipping industrybodies and the Indian seafarers’ unions haveall shown their opposition to the decisionsmade by the Korean judiciary. Many tradeunionists and others have launched protests,including a blog expressing disgust, and aYouTube video showing the collision with anexplanation of the ridiculousness of thecharges brought against the men.

The actions of the ITF and the shippingindustry finally put pressure on the Koreangovernment to release the so-called Hebei Twoon bail in January this year, while supremecourt judges decide their fate. At the time ofgoing to press, the decision had not beenmade and the ITF was continuing to campaignfor the two to be allowed home. This is the fullstory.

15 months of hell

7 December 2007:A tug-towed crane bargeowned by Samsung Heavy Industries collidedwith the anchored very large crude carrier(VLCC) Hebei Spiritafter the cable linking it tothe tug snapped in the seas. No casualtieswere reported, but the collision puncturedthree of the five tanks aboard the VLCC andresulted in the leaking of some 10,800 tonnesof oil. The Hebei Spiritofficers were held inKorea, pending a trial.

24 June 2008:The trial concluded. The HebeiSpiritofficers were exonerated, as were thepersonnel on the barge. The two tug captainswere found guilty. Samsung Heavy Industrieswas also fined. Despite their exoneration, theHebei Spirit’s captain and chief officercontinued to be detained in Korea, becausethe prosecutors appealed against thedecision, which then pushed the case up to thenext court.

7 July 2008:The ITF appealed to the SouthKorean authorities to allow the two to returnhome. Backed by V Ships, the men gaveassurances that they would return for the nexttrial.

ITF maritime coordinator Stephen Cottonsaid: “Captain Chawla and chief officer Chetanhave asked to be able to go home. We can seeno possible reason why they should not beallowed to do so.”

The ITF worked with other industry bodies,including Bimco, the International Chamber ofShipping, the International ShippingFederation, Intercargo, Intertanko, theInternational Group of P&I Clubs and the Hong

Kong Shipowners’ Association, on a vigorousprotest.

They issued a joint statement conveyingtheir surprise and great concern at the news ofthe Korean court decision, calling it“unjustified, unreasonable and incontravention of the men’s rights”, making itclear that they would continue to campaign forthe officers’ release. This was an unusual stepfor shipping industry bodies as they usuallykeep out of such matters, not wanting tointerfere with state sovereignty.

July-November 2008:The Korean court wouldnot be moved and the officers remained


Support theHebei TwoThe ITF and the shipping industry have worked togetherto get the Hebei Two out of jail, but the campaign is notover yet, says NICHOLA SMITH.

Criminalisation of seafarers

“They were exonerated, released, and then detained yetagain while the prosecution appealed. The second timeround, the two were found guilty. Despite widespreadcondemnation, the Korean authorities kept the officerslocked up and away from their families.”


detained many miles away from their Indianhomes and families. The two officers wereworried about the reaction to the news backhome, and whether their families could copewith the stress of their further detention.Chetan missed his son’s first birthday.

The unjust actions of the Korean court werebeginning to take their toll on the innocentseafarers as they started to worry about whatlife would be like once they were allowed toreturn home.

Meanwhile, the protests continued. ITFgeneral secretary David Cockroft met justiceministry officials in Seoul on the men’s behalf.

In India, seafarers’ unions organised a jointdemonstration in Mumbai. The protestresulted in an Indian government pledge totake up their plight with the Koreangovernment and the UN’s InternationalMaritime Organization (IMO), and a promisefrom the Korean consul to raise the matter inSeoul. Abdulgani Serang, general secretary ofthe National Union of Seafarers of India, alongwith colleagues in the other Indian seafarers’unions, made sure the plight of the Hebei Twowas kept high on union agendas across theworld.

19 November 2008:The ITF seafarers’ sectionconference resolved to make “every effort tosecure the immediate release of the captainand chief officer of the Hebei Spiritand an endto the injustice they have been subjected to”.

Later the same month, maritime tradeunions and shipping companies jointlycondemned the ongoing detention of the twoofficers and their treatment. They pledged todo all they could to secure their release. Both

parties stated that since the collision and theensuing oil spill could not be attributed to anynegligence on the officers’ part and since theyhad already been proven innocent under SouthKorean law, their treatment was unlawful andunjust and contravened their human rights.

26 November 2008:At the opening of the IMOmaritime safety committee meeting in London,the ITF backed strong interventions in favour ofthe detained officers from India, Hong Kongand China, stating: “We sympathise with thosein South Korea affected by the oil spill but areconscious that captain Chawla and chief officerChetan have been found innocent of causinglast December’s spill. We accept that theKorean government cannot interfere with thejudicial system but call on them to doeverything possible to enable the seafarers tobe repatriated as soon as possible. Seafarersthroughout the world and their representativesare deeply concerned at the unjust treatmentof these men.”

10 December 2008:The verdict of the trial wasannounced. In the run-up to the decision,maritime unions around the world had pledgedtheir support by attending Korean embassiesin their own countries and handing over lettersof protest to the authorities and thegovernment of Korea, as well as stagingdemonstrations.

Despite these actions, Chawla and Chetanwere found guilty and sentenced to 18 monthsand eight months respectively.

The condemnation of this verdict wasvehement. For the ITF, Cotton said: “This is notjustice. It’s not even something close. What we

have seen today is scapegoating and a refusalto consider the wider body of evidence thatcalls into question the propriety of the court.This decision is incomprehensibly vindictive.”This sentiment was echoed by the rest of theindustry.

14 January 2009:The ITF and the shippingindustry decided to put further pressure on theKorean government. They announced a jointprotest rally in London, along withinternational diplomatic and campaignactivities. Just one day after the rally wasannounced, the supreme court released thetwo men on bail.

February 2009:Speaking just after his releaseon bail, Chawla said: “We are relieved to be outof jail, it is much better to be out on bail.” Thetwo men had heard about the campaign to freethem and the efforts of the Indian unions, theIndian government, the ITF and its affiliates.“Thank you all for your ongoing support. Wewere really very encouraged by it throughoutthis time and could not get through thisdifficulty without it,” Chawla stated.

The men are still not home at the time ofwriting but all are hopeful that theinternational spotlight will remain on Korea,which will encourage the supreme court tomake the right decision and clear these men ofall legal blemish so they can return home. AsChawla said: “All we hope for is that we can gohome and be with our families.”

�Nichola Smith is a Section Assistant in theAgreements Team in the Maritime OperationsDepartment at ITF head office.


Syam Chetan (second from left) and Jasprit Chawla (second from right) with their families.



Dockers, stevedores, longshoremen andwharfies – the name may vary betweencountries, even in English, but the skilled

job of cargo handling is one that seafarers havetraditionally respected, despite the pressures onthem to handle cargo themselves. Dockers’ andseafarers’ unions agree that seafarers should usetheir skills in sailing the ships and bringing themto port, and that dockers should use their skills inhandling and unloading the cargo they carry. Thatis recognised in the ITF collective agreement,which states that ships’ crews should not berequired to handle cargo.

The organisation of dockers into unions toprotect and extend their working rights has along, and often militant, history. One of theearliest examples was the London dock strike of1886, when the then exploited workforcedemanded the “docker’s tanner” – payment ofsixpence an hour. Not only were the strikerssuccessful, but their action laid the basis for therecruitment of casual workers into unions, anddevelopment of the Transport and GeneralWorkers’ Union, which was to become one of thelargest and most powerful unions in GreatBritain.

One of the earliest examples of dockers andseafarers working in solidarity was during theRotterdam dockers’ strike in 1896. Frank Leys,Secretary of the ITF Dockers’ Section and aformer dockworker in Antwerp, points out thatthe issues then were as now – the introduction of“new” technology. At the end of the 19th century

the new technology was the use of cranes tounload cargo. In the Rotterdam strike, thedockworkers called on their Europeancolleagues to support them, and crew on Britishships refused to handle cargo. The solidarityaction led to the formation of the InternationalFederation of Ship, Dock and River Workers, thepredecessor of the ITF.

“Cargo handling has become even more of askilled trade since then,” says Frank, and one thatuses an increasing array of technology. Oneresult is that the dock workforce has reduced astechnology has replaced most of the heavylabour. “The dock workforce in Antwerp, forexample, has halved to about 7,000 since Iworked there 20 years ago.”

Technology has also transformed work onships. “The ships are getting bigger, and thecrews are getting smaller,” he points out. But theapplication of new technology should be used forthe benefit of the workers involved – not toexploit them.

“Seafarers should not be forced to handle

Together we standBRENDA KIRSCH looks at thehistorical link betweenseafarers and dockers inunion action.

Dockers in south east Asia show their support for seafarers by delaying work during a recent week of action.


cargo,” says Frank. “There are the risks of fatiguewhen they come into port, and shorter turn-round times already jeopardise decent restperiods. They should not be asked to do dockers’work, which should be done by those who aretrained and have the correct protectiveequipment.”

Conventions and campaignsDock work and cargo handling are recognised in

two conventions agreed by the InternationalLabour Organization (ILO) – convention 152Occupational Health and Safety (Dock Work) and137 (Dock Work Convention). These have beenratified by 26 and 24 states respectively. FrankLeys points out that the low number ofratifications does not mean that governments donot support protected working conditions fordockers, but that health and safety matters oftenfall to regional and local rather than national

state jurisdiction. Many of the clauses in C152and C137 have also been translated into nationallegislation, as well as company policy, he reports.

That’s not to say that there aren’t thoseseeking to cut corners when it comes to workers’rights. In 2006 there was a move to introduce anew European Union directive to permit ships’crews to unload cargo, but that was seen offfollowing “serious pressure from the dockers ofthe European Union”, reports Leys. “By stickingtogether, and showing that they were proud to bedockers, this was defeated.”

The ITF Dockers’ Section runs a “ports ofconvenience” campaign to set acceptablestandards for dockers in ports around the world.The growth of privatisation and globalisationmeans that just four international companiesnow handle 58 per cent of the throughputthrough the world’s ports. The companies areDubai Ports World, PSA (Port of SingaporeAuthority) International, AP Møller-Maersk andHutchison Port Holdings.

The campaign seeks to protect dockers andtheir working conditions in the face ofcasualisation, privatisation and new technology.Health and safety is an issue where employersand employees can and must join forces.

As Leys says: “If there are no dockers left, whowill be there to lend a hand when you are introuble?”

� Brenda Kirsch is a London-based freelancejournalist.


Dockers

Together we stand

Solidarity in theports

� If you are asked to do dock work…

� If you are asked to lash, secure, load/unload orotherwise handle cargo…

you should contact your TRADE UNION OR THE NEARESTITF INSPECTOR.

Dockers and seafarers worktogether in joint campaigns,such as ITF weeks of actionaimed at flag of convenienceships.

During the Baltic week ofaction last October, ademonstration by seafarersand dockers in Germany ledto the owners of theSwedish-flagged StenaCarrieragreeing not to orderseafarers to do traditionaldock work.

“The vessel regularlytrades between Sweden andGermany,” says Dongli Hurof the ITF. “In the past,lashing was done by dockerstogether with seafarers.However, Stena had startedto order their seafarers to dothe lashing without thedockers. Following the

request of the dockers’union, the ITF week of actionGerman team held a one-hour rally against thecompany.

“Together withnegotiation, the companyagreed that they will notorder seafarers to dotraditional dockers’ work – avictory for both seafarersand dockers.”

Dongli adds that the weekof action involved seafarers’and dockers’ activists andunion officials from 10countries. “Not only didseafarers and dockers learnfrom each other, but theaction also demonstrated aclose working relationshipamong seafarers anddockers. This sent out a clearmessage to shipowners that

when workers are united, wewill never be defeated.”

During a week of action insouth east Asia in November2008, Indonesian dockersshowed their solidarity bydelaying work on aJapanese-owned vessel thatITF Inspectors found had nocontract with the JapaneseSeamen’s Union (JSU).Following four hours of talksinvolving the ITF, unions andthe ship’s owners andcharterers, an agreementwas signed.

Dockers also joinedseafarers in protests andrallies in South Korea, and inKobe and Osaka, in Japan,dockers stoppedloading/unloading work onships owned by KK, anothertarget of action.


The ITF Seafarers’ Trust is a charitydedicated to the benefit of the world’sseafarers. For 28 years the trust has

been giving grants for buildings, minibuses,equipment and facilities for seafarers. Whenyou visit a port, look out for stickers onequipment that the trust has bought for theseafarers’ centres and ship visitors.

A survey of 4,000 seafarers in 2007 told uswhat seafarers calling in port most need:communication facilities for cheapinternational calls and email; free transportand information on the facilities available inor close to the port (location of telephones,shops, taxis). On this basis we haveconcentrated our grant making on theseareas and in 2008 have given almost £1million for vehicles to transport seafarers.

Communication facilities for seafarers arebest placed on board the ship. The ITF isworking towards having personal, privateand cheap access to phone calls and texts forseafarers on board their ship, but it will taketime to do this and in the meantime we arecommitted to getting communicationfacilities into ports.

In some ports, seafarers’ welfare is takenseriously, and good facilities are provided atreasonable cost through seafarers’ centres,or through ship visitors providing transportinto town. The trust is encouraging welfareagencies and port authorities to set upwelfare facilities for seafarers in ports wherethere is nothing.

These agencies set up port welfarecommittees, which bring together local ornational government representatives,unions, shipowners, churches, portauthorities, agents, and others involved inthe maritime sector. Together, they set up alocal organisation which is able to deal withfunds and employ ship visitors and drivers.While the trust will provide the initial fundingto start this off, the local committee thenneeds to take it on and keep it going withfunding of their own.

In Latin America, some ports have beentransformed, and now have centres andship visitors where before there was

nothing. In the course of a four-yearprogramme of the International Committeeon Seafarers’ Welfare we have set upseafarers’ centres in the ports of PuertoCortés, Honduras; Puerto Limón, Costa Rica;Balboa, Panama; Guayaquil, Ecuador;Buenaventura and Barranquilla in Colombia;and Ensenada in Mexico. In addition to theseports, where there were no facilities forseafarers before, we also improved the



ITF Seafarers’ Trust

existing facilities and services in the ports ofCartagena, Colombia and Progreso, Mexico.

All of these centres and the services thatthey offer are run by local committees, mainlywith the support of volunteers from the localchurches, and they visit ships and transportseafarers to the centre and to town. They arethere to provide friendship and serviceswhich those who do not go to sea take forgranted: communication with family andfriends; having a drink with people who arenot on the same ship; buying somenecessities and souvenirs.

These seafarers’ centres are not part of alarge worldwide organisation, and the staffcan feel quite isolated. The trust providessupport for the staff, whether it is in the formof start-up funds to help meet the costs ofrunning the centres when they are juststarting off, or whether it is in the form oftraining courses where they are able to meetpeople with many years of experience inrunning seafarers’ centres or pastoral care.

The ITF in Latin America is also active inhelping to support these initiatives. The ITFRegional Secretary for Latin America, AntonioFritz, who is himself a former seafarer, hasprovided valuable support from the regionalcentre in Rio.The change in this region hasbeen tremendous. Five years ago there werealmost no facilities in Latin America; now

there are several centres offering a widerange of services to all seafarers.

“This incredible change is a combination ofwill, determination, but also training andsupport thanks to a special project created bythe ITF Seafarers’ Trust,” said Antonio Fritz.“That project helped to combine efforts andexpertise to provide more and more servicesto seafarers visiting this region.”

Other regions of the world have also beenthe target of trust funds to open and operatecentres: Eastern Europe, the Indian Ocean,West Africa have all had programmes withinthe last ten years; and currently there are twoprogrammes running in south Asia and southeast Asia.

In all of these areas, you will find ports thatpreviously had nothing to offer in terms ofservices to seafarers providing welfarefacilities. This may take the shape of aninternet café inside the port, or it may be avan to transport you into town, but it will bebased on the number of, and the needs of,seafarers calling in that port.

As well as new projects, the trust is stillproviding assistance for the very goodwork done in established seafarers’

centres. Recent projects include assistancewith the refurbishment of the Germanseafarers’ mission in Altona, Hamburg; alarge grant to assist with the replacement ofageing vehicles for the ports in the UK; andvehicles and equipment for centres inScandinavia and the USA. Currently it is notconsidered appropriate to provide largegrants for big buildings, but for those whichare still used well by seafarers the trust helpsas it can. � You will find more information about theITF Seafarers’ Trust at:www.itf.org.uk/seafarerstrust� Is there a port you visit which does nothave phones or email facilities and needsthem? You can let us know about this, orcontact us with any other comments orsuggestions by emailing:mailto:[email protected]

Tom Holmer is the Administrative Officer ofthe Seafarers’ Trust.

TOM HOLMERexplains howthe ITF Seafarers’ Trust ishelping to fund newseafarers’ centres andcommunication projects.

A warm welcome

“The Trust is encouraging welfare agencies and portauthorities to set up welfare facilities for seafarers inports where there is nothing.”

Pictured left: Seafarers relax at a centre in theport of Barranquilla, Colombia.



When the VLCCSirius Starwascaptured off Kenya, 25 crewmembers were held captive by

Somali pirates. James Grady, a member of ITFaffiliate Nautilus, was one of them.

The second engineer officer was one of twoBritish seafarers – the other was chiefengineer Peter French – taken hostage whenthe ship was seized off the coast of Kenya inNovember 2008.

The crew, which also included Polish, SaudiArabian and Filipino nationals, were heldcaptive on the ship, while ransomnegotiations were thrashed out. The 318,000dwt Vela International Marine-owned tankership was carrying about 2.2m barrels of oilworth some US$100m, a tempting target forthe pirates.

“It started on 15 November. By about 08:55the pirates were onboard and at 09:12, therewas an order from the bridge to stop,” recallsJames. “It wasn’t a total surprise. They werefirst spotted about an hour before they gotonboard, about two miles away, in aspeedboat, specks in the ocean.”

What was surprising was where theinvasion took place – some 450nm SE ofMombasa, far to the south of the world’s“hottest” pirate zone off Somalia.

“Initially we were all scared about what wasgoing to happen next,” James said. “We hadvisions of being locked up in one cabin.”

But, to the crew’s relief, that neverhappened. However, the pirates soon gotbusy. “They started doing the stealing, goinground the cabins taking mobile phones, cash,etc. They did that several times. I was visitedfive times by them personally,” said James. “Ihad hidden most of my stuff, but I lost about£100 in cash, various currencies, my walletand watch.”

Pirate raids on the engineroom were lessfrequent. “We told them it was too dangerousto go round on their own, and they werealways scared when they came down. Theyonly came down about four times, just torummage through drawers in the control roomfor mobile phones, cash, not tools. When theytook mobile phones, they gave the sim cardback. They weren’t interested in credit cards.”

The Sirius Starwas made to sail some 500miles to the pirates’ anchor zone. “Once we

were off Somalia, we didn’t know how manypeople were onboard, because we weren’tallowed outside, except about five minutes,”James said. “So we never got to see how manythere were, but my guesstimate is there wereabout 20 to 25 at any one time. They did shifts;they changed about every four days. I think itwas very much a cottage industry, no bigcheese ashore, just the guys we could see.There were 33 left on the ship onboard in thelast two days, because I took photos of themfrom the funnel.”

Relations with the pirates varied during the57-day ordeal, but mostly they treated thecrew members quite well, James feels. “Wewent about our normal daily business withouttoo much trouble, running the engine asnormal, jobs that they could not do. A lot of itwas making up jobs to keep the lads busy, tokeep their minds off the situation they werein.”

Colleagues on the bridge were undergreater stress, James could see. “They[the pirates] were with them all the time,

they slept up there, they ate up there. Thebridge weren’t at all happy about it, werequite stressed about it, you could see it inthem.

“These guys were going about withKalashnikovs, and the guns would fall off theirshoulder onto the deck. The biggest fear wehad was that someone would get shot byaccident. They shot one of their own guys byaccident. We don’t know what happened tothat guy, we heard a burst of automatic fire,and they brought him in to see the chief matewith an injury to his arm, the bullet still in it.”

Much of the time, the pirates chewed on adrug called mirra (or khat). This, says James,made them “spaced out” and calm. “Whenthey had plenty of mirra, life was sweet. Whenthey were without it, they were a bit moretwitchy.”The hairiest incident, he remembers, was

on the night of 2 December. “There had been ashift change, five new guys onboard, and theythought they were being attacked from thestern.” What made them jumpy was that theyhad spotted a light flashing to the stern. Infact, the beam was coming from a lighthouseabout 15 miles away.

“The biggest fear we hadwas that someone wouldget shot by accident. Theyshot one of their own guys

by accident.”

Piracy

Sirius Star ordeal


The Sirius Star was seizedby Somali pirates last year.MIKE GERBERspoke to a

crew member about his 57days of captivity.


Is piracy on the increase?Maritime hijackings are at an all-time high, according to a report bythe International Maritime Bureau’sPiracy Reporting Centre (PRC). The2008 figures surpass all thoserecorded since the PRC beganworldwide reporting in 1991.

What else has changed?Piracy has always been a problem.But the attacks have increasinglybeen occurring in the Gulf of Aden,with 111 incidents reported in thisarea, an increase of nearly 200 percent from 2007. All types of vessels

were targeted. The pirates were alsobetter armed than in previous yearsand prepared to assault and injurethe crew.

What is the ITF doing?Seafarers covered by ITF collectivebargaining agreements havealways had special benefits whentrading in areas declared as highrisk or war zones. They are able toopt to disembark before their vessel

enters the area. If crews choose tosail into the area, they receive abonus equal to 100 per cent of theirbasic wage while the vessel is intransit. In addition, the normal ratesof death and disabilitycompensation for seafarers aredoubled.

Last year, the ITF and employercounterparts in the InternationalBargaining Forum agreed to extendthe high risk area to cover the entire

Gulf of Aden. The high risk area isreviewed on a regular basis.

The ITF has a permanentpresence at the InternationalMaritime Organization and iscontinually lobbying alongside theindustry for longer-term solutions tothe problem of piracy.

�For more information on piracyfigures see: www.icc-ccs.org �For help and advice see:www.itfseafarers.org/ITI-piracy.cfm �To find out if your ship is coveredby an ITF agreement see: www.itfseafarers.org/look_up_ship2.cfm


“Stupid bandits,” says James. “The captainpersuaded them it was a lighthouse becausehe showed them the chart. That night I was theduty engineer, and I got a phone call from thebridge, and when I got there I found theSomalis very, very nervous. It took a long timeto persuade them – they always thought wewere up to something. That was a very scarynight; that really brought it home to us whatthey were. It calmed down again the next day.”

Crew members were worried about whattheir families were feeling. “They couldn’t seethe day to day situation, and imagination runsaway with you.”

Occasionally, the pirates allowed calls homefrom the bridge. “The primary thing to conveywas that we were safe and in no immediatedanger, because the pirates’ main thing wasthe ship; we were an inconvenience in a way,”James added.

“They were supplying their own food most ofthe time; towards the end they ate more andmore of our food, but we were never short offood or water. The last few weeks they allowedus to go fishing, forward of the accommodation

on main deck. It did help the food last longer.”The crew’s ordeal finally ended when

US$2m ransom money was air-dropped to thepirates. “We were aware of the negotiations,but weren’t party to it at any time. They [Vela]really were concerned about our safety – thatreally came across, because when the moneywas being dropped on 9 January, we were allon deck, 10ft apart so that the plane couldcount us to make sure we were all there, andthen it passed a second time and dropped halfthe money by parachute into the sea. Thenabout two in the afternoon, the plane cameback again with the second half of the money.

“Half of them departed about 16:30.Then there was a boat accident, oneof their boats capsized. At the time

we were told four guys were missing. Becausethe boat capsized, that delayed us. Theremaining pirates left on 10 January.”

Seafarers tend to be stoical; James believesPeter French put it well in a Mail on Sundayinterview: “At sea shit happens, and you dealwith it.”

Even so, Vela has employed anoccupational therapist to advise crewmembers about the possibility of post-traumatic stress.

“The doctor told us that sometimes thiskind of thing can happen months later,” saysJames. “For the present, I know the fiveEuropeans [crew members] are happy withtheir lot; the company has compensated usfor the loss of personal gear and money.”

James said that he supports thedeployment of more warships to deter piracy.But the Sirius Star crew were furious about anincident they learned about while being heldhostage. “A German warship caught pirates,and on the orders of the German government,they disarmed them, according to the BBC,and sent them back to Somalia. This made usvery annoyed that they should just disarmthem and send them back, that they should letthem off so lightly, because they just get newguns and come back again.”

�This is an edited version of an article thatoriginally appeared in the Nautilus Telegraph.

In dangerous waters


And this is how we’ve made it even easier to use

Simple layouts and navigation menus around thesite make it easier to find what

you need.

Learn more about key issuesWe have a series of factsheets for you to use onthe most important issues: from piracy andcriminalisation to shore leave and safety. If youneed to know the basics, you’ll find a greatoverview here. And, if you need more details,we’ll point you in the right direction with otheruseful links and resources.

Keep up to date with maritime newsOur news section is updated at least once aweek with the most relevant news for seafarers.Check back regularly to keep well informed onall the latest developments.

Make sure your rights are respectedYou can find advice and guidance on your rights under ITF agreements andinternational conventions. Visit here beforeyou board…

A related items feature groupstogether useful links and

related documents so you geta comprehensive view of the

issues.


Seven reasons to visit www.itfseafarers.org


And this is how we’ve made it even easier to use

Look up a shipYou can look up a ship by name or IMOnumber. Our database will tell you whether or not the ship has an ITFagreement.We recommend checking before you join

the ship, where possible, as the system willalso flag up any previous problems, such asunpaid wages.

Find an ITF Inspector or unionIf you need assistance, an ITF Inspector canhelp. Or get in touch with your local ITF union toenquire about membership. Simply select acountry from the list to find details of all theInspectors and unions there.

Stay informed about the industryThe Inspectors’ blog offers regular updates andadvice. It provides information and opinion onthe shipping industry from the Inspectors’ pointof view. Inspectors in different regionscontribute to give their unique perspective.

Get in touch with other seafarersShare information or discuss the issues on ourCrew Talk forums. After a simple registrationprocess, you can post anonymously and chatabout issues that affect you with other seafarers.

ITF Seafarers is available inquick-loading, text-onlyformat for users on a slow

internet connection.

And, if you can’t find what youneed, you can search for it. Thenew search tool works likeGoogle, so it’s simple to use.


Seven reasons to visit www.itfseafarers.org


QUIZThe ITF1. What does ITF stand for?2. When was the ITF established?3. How many unions belong to the ITF?4. Who is the ITF’s General Secretary?5. Can you name the eight sectors of thetransport industry that the ITF represents?6. Can the ITF find a job for me? 7. In which of the following does the ITF haveoffices?

a) Burkina Fasob) Ammanc) Moscow

8. In 2008, how much money did the ITFrecover for seafarers in owed wages?

a) US$5.9 millionb) US$9.1 millionc) US$13.8 milliond) US$18.8 million

Flags of convenience9. What does FOC stand for?10. What is the definition of an FOC ship?11. What proportion of the world fleet sailsunder an FOC?12. Which two FOC registries are landlockedcountries without a coastline?13. How many ITF Inspectors are thereworldwide?14. What was the name of the ITF’s exhibitionship that sailed round the world to mark the50th anniversary of the FOC campaign?

Seafaring knowledge15. According to STCW 95, what is theminimum rest period a seafarer should have inany 24-hour period?16. Which are the three biggest crewingnations?17. By which authority do Filipino seafarershave to have their employment contractsstamped? 18. What is the name of the vessel involved inthe case where two Indian seafarers have beencriminalised by the Korean courts?19. What do governments need to take intoaccount when planning port security?20. How can you ensure your employmentrights will be better protected during a time ofeconomic crisis?

a) Be nice to the bossb) Join a unionc) Take any work you can get

1. International TransportWorkers’ Federation.2. 1896.3. 681 in 148 countriesworldwide, representing 4.5million transport workers.4. David Cockroft.5. Seafarers, civil aviation,

tourism, dockers, inlandnavigation, fisheries,railways, road transport. 6. No. The ITF does notsupply crews to shippingcompanies.7. All of these.8. d: US$18.8 million.

9. Flag of convenience.10. One that flies the flag of acountry other than thecountry of ownership,management or crewing.11. Approximately one thirdof the ships and one half ofthe tonnage.

12. Bolivia and Mongolia.13. 125 in 45 countries.14. Global Mariner.15. 10 hours.16. China (122,000),Philippines (120,000),Turkey (85,000).17. POEA.

18. Hebei Spirit.19. The fact the seafarerslive and work on board shipsand need shore leave andaccess to shore-basedfacilities, including medicalcare.20. b: Join a union. Answ

ers


Test your

knowledge

Whatdoesthe shippingcrisis meanfor seafarers?

Documents

Transcript of Whatdoesthe shippingcrisis meanfor seafarers?