Seafarers around the world should see an uplift in their wages following a new international minimum wage deal agreed by the ITF and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) at a meeting to review the minimum wages for seafarers as per the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).
The minimum wages agreed last week in Geneva will be the basis of negotiation between social partners to provide seafarers with an increase with their contractual conditions. The agreed uplift in Able Seafarer wages will see the minimum wage increase by USD27 (4.5 percent) in three stages over the next three years – an increase to USD618 from 1 July 2019, then USD625 from 1 January 2020 and a final increase to USD641 from 1 January 2021. The wage rise was based on current consumer price changes and the impact of the fluctuation of the US dollar.
Although the shipowners were strongly opposed to a significant wage increase, the final outcome was acceptable to both parties.
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