crew change crisis

The International Transport Workers’ Federation commends the Federal Government and maritime industry of Canada for continuing their cooperative leadership to improve the lives of seafarers with the establishment of the country’s first Seafarers’ Welfare Board.

Delivering the board is part of Canada’s commitments as a signatory to the International Maritime Organisation's Maritime Labour Convention.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is urging the governments of China, India and Australia to collaborate and urgently end the stalemate around the berthing of the coal-carrying vessels in Chinese ports, as some of the seafarers have been on board over 20 months.

Stuck on board a ship since February, an apprentice engineer feels humiliated that she has no sanitary towels. She’s increasingly distressed that she cannot go home. Another seafarer doesn’t understand why he can’t be repatriated when his contract ended six months ago. A fresh crew member can’t board a ship because the person he’s replacing is blocked from leaving the ship.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) have launched an enhanced quarantine and testing programme in Manila, with the aim of getting more Filipino seafarers to-and-from ships amidst a global crew change crisis by addressing the concerns governments have in regard to minimising the spread of the pandemic.

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) officials have been involved in stopping a Japanese-owned car import vessel from slipping through Australian authorities’ fingers in the Port of Melbourne. The ship had brought vehicles to Australia earlier this week, including the Great Wall, Hyundai, Kia and Subaru brands

In August the Panama-flagged towing vessel ‘Diavlos Force’ left Piereus, Greece on a contract to transport a hull from a Romanian shipyard in the Black Sea to Norway. While on its way, the family of the ship’s crew alerted the Norwegian ITF Inspectorate that the crew on board was not paid as agreed.

Our industry is responsible for 90% of global trade. Historically, we have been critical to the development of national economies and global prosperity. We remain the lifeblood of the global economy and key to the future recovery, including the jobs of billions of people, as the world responds to Covid-19.

The ITF have advocated for new guidance to governments from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) prioritising aviation workers’ and passengers’ safety while pushing airlines to do more on the worsening crew change crisis affecting seafarers.

Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez, Section Secretary of ITF Civil Aviation outlined how the new guidance would improve the safety of aviation workers and contribute to a safe restart to global passenger operations.

It was an image that shocked many. A ship with the desperate scrawls of a desperate crew scribbled across the hull of what had become their floating prison, as the tanker bobbed aimlessly in the warm waters of the South China Sea.

Now, after at least two months of anxious waiting for flights and government permissions, the Vietnamese crew of the MV Viet Tin 01 are finally home with union support.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has slammed government inaction to alleviate the crew change crisis, declaring that current Covid-19 border and travel restrictions risk creating an epidemic of forced labour and modern slavery as seafarers are increasingly forced to stay onboard working against their will.