Here to help the world's seafarers

Seafarers’ Bulletin International Transport Workers’ Federation

no. 19 / 2005

Need to contact an ITF Inspector? Find out how inside Read our advice before signing your next employment contract Seafarers’ rights under threat in the new age of heightened security

Here to help the world’s seafarers …and build trade union organisation at sea

Olivier Aubert

The ITF flag of convenience campaign 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.

exist. 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.

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.

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 bookkeeping.

That means that the unions in the country where the ship is owned beneficially must agree the conditions, which have to at least reach the standards laid down by the Fair Practices Committee, the joint seafarer and docker body which supervises the industrial campaign. In addition, the seafarers have to be members of an ITF union, or of the ITF Special Seafarers’ Department where such a union doesn’t

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 39) or can contact one of our Inspectors based in ports around the world (see map on pages 22-23 and more details on pages 39-42).

ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin

Q Q Q Q

Published in April 2005 by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), 49/60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (20) 7403 2733 Fax: +44 (20) 7357 7871 Email: [email protected] Website: www.itfglobal.org Further copies of Seafarers’ Bulletin (in English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Tagalog) are available from the ITF at the above address. Cover: Olivier Aubert/ID-photo

no. 19/2005

4-5, 8-11, 14-15

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News

Flags of convenience

Key developments from around the world

The ITF identification guide

6-7

27-28

Advice before you sign a contract

Shipping review

Fifteen tips from the ITF for all those about to take a job at sea

All the latest facts and figures

29-31

12-13

International Maritime Organisation

ITF in action

The Secretary-General writes

Highlights of the campaign against flags of convenience and substandard shipping

32-35

16-19 Trade unions Why joining your union makes sense; plus a special report on Russian seafarers and trade union membership

20-25 ITF Inspectors Where are they? What do they do? Meet the new appointees

All in the same boat Rights under threat as seafarers are viewed as potential terrorists and criminals

36-38 Waterfront unity Why it’s best to leave cargo handling to dockers

39-42 Directory How to contact an ITF Inspector

Olivier Aubert

International Transport Workers’ Federation

Q The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a federation of more than 600 transport workers’ trade unions in over 135 countries, representing around 5 million workers. Founded in 1896, it is organised in eight industrial sections: seafarers, railways, road transport, civil aviation, ports, inland navigation, fisheries and tourism services. It represents transport workers at world level and promotes their interests through global campaigning and solidarity. The ITF is one of 10 Global Union Federations allied to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and part of the Global Unions group.

The internet is now the medium of choice for those seeking to exploit the desire for seafaring jobs by offering non-existent employment in exchange for cash up-front. The ITF has recently issued warnings about fraudulent operations based in Nigeria, Panama and Canada, with the risk that more sites will spring up every day. Offering jobs for money is illegal – and is almost certainly likely to be fraudulent if advertised on the internet, even if the site looks professional. Many bear similarities in name to legitimate sites – offering real jobs in a legal framework. All sectors of employment are subject to such job scams – offshore, cruise vessels and general cargo ships. The amount charged in return for bogus jobs can vary from US$50 to US$500. Like the sites themselves, the victims are based in many countries. They share one thing – the desire to get a decent job. The ITF has alerted the authorities in several countries about the lucrative activities of the job scammers, but has found that it is easy for the fraudsters to escape prosecution. Sites allegedly offering offshore jobs around the world and based in Canada – about which complaints were made as long ago as 1999 – are still in operation. The ITF is warning anyone looking for work: Do not pay in advance. It is illegal to ask for money and is the best indicator available that you are about to lose it. During 2004 the ITF was notified of a number of cases of fraudulent agencies offering seafarers jobs in return for money.

News

Left: prospective seafarers outside a reputable crewing agency in Manila. Right: A letter sent out by a bogus agency based in Uganda.

Looking for work? Now beware the internet scams A deck officer from Croatia claimed that Agent Africa Nigeria offered him a position as a second officer on a salary of US$5,300 a month on board container vessel Maria. The job offer was subject to the seafarer paying 10 per cent of the first month’s wages up-front to the agent. The vessel, claimed the company, was owned by Hado Maritime Nigeria and operated on the Middle East to Nigeria route. According to investigations by the ITF, the only container vessel listed under the name of Maria was owned by a bona fide German company and did not operate on the route in question. Hado Maritime did not feature in the ownership or management details, nor was it a known company. No container vessels previously listed under the name of Maria were trading on the route specified by the company. The ITF also found that the Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI) listing on the company’s website, www.agentafrica.xaper.com, did not match with BVQI records. Similarly, the quality assurance listing quoted on the website

was outdated and no longer used. Stephen Cotton, head of the ITF Special Seafarers’ Department, commented: “The International Labour Organisation stipulates that nobody is obliged to pay a fee to any crewing agent. We strongly advise seafarers to exert extreme caution in any dealings with the company.” The ITF has also called on the Panamanian government to investigate Panama City-based companies Sea Cruise Enterprises and Caledonian Offshore, which are reported to have lured money from jobseekers around the world in return for nonexistent jobs. In a letter to Panamanian Minister of Government and Justice Arnulfo Escalona Avila, ITF General Secretary David Cockroft said: “We know that this disgraceful racket has been run for several years and has defrauded victims in many countries, including the Philippines, Guatemala, Uruguay, Jamaica, Guyana, Uganda and others. No one knows just how many people have been robbed

this way, but it must number at the very least tens of thousands. “I trust that the Panamanian police will now move to investigate and put an end to this parasitical operation.” The ITF enclosed detailed information about the matter gathered by maritime magazine Fairplay. This included links between the websites the ITF has identified as bogus – caledonianoffshore.com, jobsoncruises.com and seacruiseent.com – and 11 others. The ITF advises that these should be treated with caution and repeats its warning that any job offer that depends on payment of an up-front “registration” or “medical” fee is likely to be false. The 11 websites named in the investigation are: idirect.com, internationalpublishers.com, cooljobsite.com, internationalmaritimelink.com, internationaljoblink.com, airlinejoblink.com, modelingjobs.com, cruisejoblink.com, oiljoblink.com, hoteljoblink.com, modeljoblink.com.

ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2005

5

Q

Olivier Aubert/ID-photo

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

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A A

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

Never sign a blank contract, or a contract that binds you to any terms and conditions that are not specified or that you are not familiar with.

A

Check if the contract you are signing refers to a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). If so, make sure that you are fully aware of the terms of that CBA, and keep a copy of it along with your contract.

A A

Make sure that the duration of the contract is clearly stated.

Don’t sign a contract that allows for alterations to be made to the contractual period at the sole discretion of the shipowner. Any change to the agreed duration of the contract should be by mutual consent.

A

Always ensure that the contract clearly states the basic wages payable and make sure that the basic working hours are clearly defined (for example 40, 44 or 48 per week). The International Labour Organisation states that basic working hours should be a maximum of 48 per week (208 per month).

Olivier Aubert/ID-photo

A

Make sure that the contract clearly stipulates how overtime will be paid and at what rate. There could be a flat hourly rate payable for all hours worked in excess of the basic. Or there may be a monthly fixed amount for a guaranteed number of overtime hours, in which case the rate for any hours worked beyond the guaranteed overtime should be clearly stated. The ILO states that all overtime hours should be paid at a minimum of 1.25 x the normal hourly rate.

A

Make sure that the contract clearly states how many days paid leave per month you will get. The ILO states that paid leave should not be less than 30 days per year (2.5 days per calendar month).

A

Make certain that the payments for basic wages, overtime and leave are clearly and separately itemised in the contract.

A

Don’t sign a contract that allows the shipowner to withhold or retain any portion of your wages during the period of the contract. You should be entitled to full payment of wages earned at the end of each calendar month.

Q A

Never sign a contract that contains any clause stating that you are responsible for paying any portion of your joining or repatriation expenses.

A

Don’t sign a contract that contains any clause that restricts your right to join, contact, consult with or be represented by a trade union of your choice.

A

Be aware that an individual employment contract will not always include details of additional benefits. Therefore you should try to obtain confirmation (preferably in the form of a written agreement or contractual entitlement) of what compensation will be payable in the event of: ● Sickness or injury during the contractual period ● Death (amount payable to the next of kin) ● Loss of the vessel ● Loss of personal effects resulting from the loss of the vessel ● Premature termination of the contract.

A A

Ensure that you are provided with and retain a copy of the contract you have signed.

Remember… whatever the terms and conditions, any contract/agreement that you enter into voluntarily would, in most jurisdictions, be considered legally binding.


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Substandard shipping

Fewer detentions, but more flags on blacklist The risk of a vessel being banned from one of the 20 maritime nations who are signatories to the international treaty called the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on port state control is starting to lead to a reduction in substandard ships using Europe’s ports. Despite a rise in the number of inspections, the percentage of ships being detained for dangerous deficiencies fell by 9.1 per cent in 2003, according to the MOU’s latest annual report. Around 30 per cent of vessels entering European waters are now inspected by port state control officers. The MOU divides flags into “White”, “Grey” and “Black” lists depending on good, average or poor scores in port state control inspections. The “Black List” comprises 26 flag states, one more than in 2002. The “White List” includes 29 flag states, three more than in the previous year. A “hard core” of flag states reappear on the “Black List”. Most flags that were considered “very high risk” in 2002 remain so. The poorest performing flags are still Albania, São Tomé & Príncipe, North Korea, Tonga and Bolivia. The flag of Comoros has managed to jump to sixth place in the “very high risk” sector. The “White List” represents quality flags with a consistently low detention record. The UK, Sweden, Isle of Man, Ireland and Germany are placed highest in terms of performance. Nearly half of all deficiencies (47 per cent) involved vital safety areas such as life-saving appliances, fire fighting equipment, safety in general and navigation. Says the MOU report: “While the number of ships inspected has shown a steady increase over the past two years, the number of detained ships indicates a positive downward trend. It is perhaps too early to report that substandard shipowners are no longer trading to the Paris MOU region, but the zero-tolerance approach of the Paris MOU is beginning to show results.” Olivier Aubert/ID-photo

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News Argentina

Unions welcome move to national flag Argentinian maritime unions have welcomed new legislation which forces Argentinian-owned flag of convenience (FOC) ships to register with the national flag. The decree, passed by Argentinian President Nestor Kirchner’s government in August 2004, is part of plans to re-establish the national merchant fleet. The fleet has been in decline since deregulation and privatisation were introduced in the 1990s. Drawn up in consultation with ITF affiliates CCUO and SOMU, the legislation will require ships that registered as FOCs in 1991 following deregulation to return to the national flag within two years. All labour contracts will also have to be subject to Argentinian law. In addition, the plans require foreign ships using a waiver to exempt their operations from national cabotage over a period of 30 days or more to use Argentinian crew. Shipowners will be allowed a period of three years to incorporate new national or foreign freight vessels, as long as they accept Argentinian regulations. Capt Marcos Castro, President of the CCUO masters’ union, said President Kirchner’s decision was the first and fundamental step towards reconstruction of the sector. “Deregulation has destroyed tens of thousands of jobs, leaving the transport of our foreign trade to foreign fleets.”

Senegal

Offshore workers win battle for bonus pay Senegalese offshore workers have won compensation and bonus pay following a oneyear battle with the multinational subsidiary that acquired the company employing them. The workers are members of the ITF-affiliated SNTMMS and had been working for Bouygues Offshore – now Saipem SA France, a subsidiary of Saipem Italy. The workers had been employed under Bouygues contracts, leaving them on lower rates of pay than their counterparts of other nationalities. They were determined to be in a position to negotiate a new contract with Saipem. The Italian headquarters claimed that new contracts would be signed once their contracts with Bouygues had been terminated. However, Saipem SA France was refusing to pay the Senegalese workers the compensation and bonus pay to which they were entitled on

termination of their contract in the event of any acquisition. After a year of wrangling, Saipem SA France finally agreed in June 2004 to pay the workers compensation plus seniority bonuses, in line with their contracts. “This is a victory for the union’s dogged determination in the face of the multinational’s attempts to undermine the contractual rights of the workforce,” said Norrie McVicar of the ITF Offshore Task Force Group.

Europe

New guidelines against discrimination A new set of ITF-backed anti-harassment guidelines aiming at promoting equality and diversity on board ships has been endorsed by European shipping companies. The guidelines were inspired by a similar UK code on workplace harassment. The UK-wide initiative was developed by ITF affiliates Numast and the RMT as well as the British Chamber of Shipping. Funded by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, the project aimed to change attitudes in the shipping industry through a set of best practice guidelines on harassment and bullying and a training pack on equal opportunities. Now the European shipping industry has adopted similar Europe-wide guidelines, with financial support from the European Union. Put together by the ITF’s European arm, the ETF, and the European Community Shipowners’ Association, the European code was launched in December 2004. Mark Dickinson, Assistant General Secretary of Numast, commented: “It is vital that the officers and ratings of tomorrow are educated on how to deal with the issue of harassment and bullying. We are looking to develop a worldwide initiative along similar lines.”

Philippine Seafarers’ Union officials – one of whom is an ITF Inspector – as well as the leader of the Papua New Guinea Maritime Workers’ Industrial Union and an employee of the ITF Special Seafarers’ Department. The officials had attempted to help resolve the dispute. A motion deploring the company’s behaviour was passed at the ITF Fisheries Section Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in November 2004. It called on the ITF to explore the possibility of launching an organising drive within the RD group of companies. The arrest warrants were rescinded following representations by the ITF. At the end of 2004, the ITF filed a motion for reconsideration of the wording of the judge’s final order withdrawing the charges, which still referred to the men as “mutineers” and the ITF as “instigators of the mutineers”.

India

Government agrees aid for welfare fund A strike by Indian seafarers in protest over the loss of monies from a seafarers’ fund was called off in August 2004 following a pledge by the Indian government to take steps to recoup the funds. The money was alleged to have been lost as a result of fraud. The government announcement came in a letter sent on the day after a 600-strong demonstration at government offices in Mumbai by members of the ITF-affiliated National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI). During the demonstration, a union delegation presented a memorandum urging that the lost money of the Seamen’s Provident Fund (SPF) – amounting to 1 billion rupees (US$22 million) – should be replenished. The fund is made up of statutory contributions by seafarers and shipowners and is intended to support them during their retirement. The government has now promised to take effective steps to recoup the SPF money “at the earliest opportunity”.

Philippines

Strikers accused of mutiny

British Isles

The ITF has deplored the conduct of a Philippine fishing company which had 10 fishers arrested on trumped-up mutiny charges. The fishers were employed by RD Tuna and were arrested as result of a bitter dispute over working conditions. The crew took action against trade union advice. Warrants were also issued for the arrest of two

A campaign to stamp out exploitation and substandard shipping around the British Isles has revealed shocking evidence of “social dumping” in UK and Irish waters.

Campaign finds exploited crews

➡


9

News Fisheries

More workers to be covered by new international convention Delegates to the annual conference of the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) in June 2004 took a significant step toward improving the safety and working conditions of several million people who work on fishing vessels at sea. The ILO conference concluded preliminary discussions aimed at establishing a comprehensive international convention on work in the fishing sector. This would replace the existing five ILO standards adopted between 1920 and 1966. If agreed following further discussions this year, the new convention will extend the coverage of ILO standards to more than 90 per cent of the world’s fishers. The existing conventions cover only about 10 per cent of those employed in a sector that now contributes some US$50 billion to international trade. It is hoped the new convention will have the flexibility to ensure widescale ratification and implementation while at the same time providing meaningful standards. It will include new provisions on safety and health to reduce the high rate of accidents and fatalities that beset the industry. There will also be new provisions on compliance and enforcement of the standards, strengthening the role of both flag and port states.

➡ The campaign by UK and Irish ITF affiliates took place over four days in September 2004 and focused on ports in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. During the action, ITF Inspectors visited ships in Belfast, Dublin, Greenore, Waterford and Cork and found substandard ships and the use of poorly paid crews from countries such as Burma, the Philippines and Ukraine. Among the ships targeted were Antiguan-flag Berys Trader, on charter to Corus Steel, where Ukrainian seafarers were working for less than £2 (US$3.80) per hour and British-flag vessels owned by R Lapthorn Co, with Filipino crews paid £2 (US$3.80) per hour for a 48-hour week. All crews on British vessels are entitled to the UK minimum wage of £4.85 (US$9) while working in UK ports and waters.

Korea

Strike threat brings new employment law A new agreement, signed by the Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, was drawn up in August 2004 following a threat by the ITFaffiliated Federation of Korean Seafarers’ Unions

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to hold a general strike later in the month. The union issued the threat after a 1,000strong sit-down demonstration outside ministry offices in Seoul by members in July failed to bring a satisfactory outcome to negotiations with the ministry. The agreement revises existing seafarers’ legislation, providing fishers with more than one year’s service with paid leave and extends the law’s coverage to include vessels of 20-25 tonnes. Previously only 25 tonne vessels and above were included.

Madagascar

approved the affiliation of Sygmma in April 2004. ITF officer Tony McGregor, who led the ITF delegation to Madagascar, said the creation of the new union was a golden opportunity for the country’s maritime workers to build a strong trade union to promote their rights. He urged the new union to encourage their government to ratify international conventions and to ensure seafarers were offered opportunities to update their qualifications. Lucien Razafindraibe, Sygmma General Secretary, indicated that full employment was the main current concern of seafarers, together with the need to eliminate the payment of bribes to recruitment agencies.

New union gets helping hand from ITF

France

Twenty representatives from the newly-formed Madagascan seafarers’ union, Sygmma, underwent special training organised by the ITF to develop their skills in democratic union management. The objective was to strengthen the resources of the Syndicat général maritime de Madagascar following a mission from the ITF to Madagascar in 2003 to help establish the union. Both the seminar and the visit were also a collaboration between the ITF and the ITFaffiliated FGTE-CFDT. The ITF Executive Board

Plan for second register under fire The ITF has deplored proposals by the French government to set up a “second register”, giving shipowners, among other things, more favourable terms for hiring crews. ITF General Secretary David Cockroft said the creation of the register could only ever be a second-rate alternative to the established French national flag. “Offer a substandard choice and you risk

Philip Wolmuth/reportdigital.co.uk

India

conditions for local workers by the ITF and the International Chemical, Energy and Mine Workers’ Federation (ICEM). An earlier fact-finding mission to Nigeria and Ivory Coast led by Norrie McVicar of the ITF Offshore Task Force Group found that West African workers were not getting a fair share of work in the region. There was also an urgent need to expand cooperation between affiliates at a time when nine out of 10 offshore work visas issued by the Nigerian government were to non-Nigerian or African workers. A joint ITF/ICEM seminar will be held in Nigeria during 2005 and unions in the region affiliated to the ITF and ICEM will be invited to attend along with other stakeholders in the offshore industry.

Offshore crew wins claim for back pay

Paraguay

attracting substandard shipping,” he said. “Sadly, it seems that the French government is determined to continue down this path. If that is the route that they have chosen then we remind the Commission of Economic Affairs that the only way to ameliorate the damage to France’s shipping reputation that this new register risks is to listen to the widest spectrum of opinions on how that risk can be reduced.” He added: “We support the strongly held views of the French trade unions involved that reasonable guarantees have to be built into any such new enterprise. Any new register may be an unloved operation, but it must be founded on agreement, not disagreement.”

Workers on board an Indian offshore vessel have benefited from a massive payout, after union pressure ended a lengthy battle over the nonimplementation of a tribunal award. Reports by crew members on board the Indian national flag, the Malaviya 5, about non-payment of arrears owed to them for six years reached the ITF-affiliated National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) in November 2004. The nine seafarers’ claim dated back to a tribunal win in 1999, during which an Indian high court set wages and interim relief payment for ratings and petty officers on board offshore and home trade ships. The owner of the Malaviya 5, Great Eastern, consistently failed to make the payments in line with the court ruling. Thanks to a successful lobby of a number of bodies by the NUSI, including the Indian National Shipowners’ Association – among the petitioners in the writ that led to the court ruling – and of the vessel’s manning agent, the company had no option but to concede. The crew has now received more than Rs21 lakhs (US$48,000) in backdated pay. In a letter to NUSI General Secretary Abdulgani Serang, the crew praised the union for its “spontaneous support” and stated: “We were overwhelmed that some prosperity should benefit our welfare.”

West Africa

ITF in joint campaign with oil unions The offshore industry in West Africa is to be the subject of a joint campaign to improve

Unions oppose privatisation move Solidarity by ITF affiliates in Paraguay has contributed to a government turnaround on liberalisation in the country’s petroleum transport industry. The dispute, involving ITF affiliate USTT, centred on attempts by state-owned company Petropar to avoid cargo reservation provisions so that petroleum and its derivatives could be shipped by foreign companies, including foreign-flag vessels. This would have constituted a violation of Paraguayan law, which establishes a preference for national-flag vessels, and threatened thousands of job losses both in inland navigation and maritime transport. However, following protest letters from ITF affiliates to the Paraguayan government as well as a series of demonstrations, press conferences and other actions, the union managed to obtain a motion in parliament to secure the rights of workers, protecting their jobs and upholding current provisions on national-flag vessels. Percio Rafael Duarte Díaz, USTT President, said: “This is the first time a Paraguayan maritime union has succeeded in changing a government position. The government had no option but to back down in the face of pressure from the public, civil society sectors and ITF affiliated unions.” He added: “Workers have done what the authorities failed to do: protect the merchant marine. We are now preparing a campaign against the corruption that has long been prevalent in the industry.”

●Thinking of taking industrial action? ● Read this first! The ITF is committed to assisting seafarers serving on flag of convenience ships to get just wages and proper collective agreement coverage. Sometimes seafarers have to resort to legal action in local courts. On other occasions boycott action may be taken against a ship. Different actions are right for different places. The right action in one country may very well be wrong in another. What you must do first is contact the local representative of the ITF. You will find contact addresses and numbers at the back of this bulletin. You should seek local advice before you take any action. In some countries, the law actually works against you and your fellow crew members if you take strike action, and in such a case, the local ITF union representatives will explain this to you. In many more countries, the key to winning a dispute is strike action. Once again, this depends on the local advice you receive. You have the legal right to strike in many countries, so long as your ship is in port and not at sea. In any strike action it is important to remember to remain disciplined, peaceful and united. And remember, the right to strike is a basic human right guaranteed, in many countries, by the law or constitution. Whatever you choose to do, don’t forget to talk to the local ITF representatives before you do anything. Working together, we can win the battle for justice and basic rights.

Campaign facts and figures

Examples of successful action taken by the ITF during 2004…

➨Crews on more than one in eight ships in the world

Paid less than 50 cents a day

fleet had some form of contact during 2004 with the ITF Special Seafarers’ Department and its team of Inspectors.

➨The ITF has 129 Inspectors in the ports of 43 countries around the world.

➨Inspectors visited more than 9,500 ships in 2004. ➨Eighty per cent of the inspections are of flag of convenience vessels, with visits being increasingly targeted at the worst offending flags and owners.

➨In 2004, a total of 8,171 vessels were covered by ITF agreements. During the year, 1,285 new agreements were signed.

➨The number of seafarers covered by ITF collective agreements last year was 187,218 – an increase of nearly 10,000 over 2003.

➨The ITF campaign paid handsome dividends for crews, who received more than US$25 million in back wages during 2004.

➨ITF affiliates and crews on flag of convenience ships took industrial action in support of the ITF campaign in 24 countries on four continents.

Low wages are not uncommon on flag of convenience ships. But a rate of pay of less than US50 cents a day for two years comes close to the bottom of the scale. But that is all two Burmese seafarers on Panamanian rustbucket Lung Yuin had received until the ITF Coordinator in Japan, Shoji Yamashita, received a fax asking for help when the ship visited the port of Shimizu. Fusao Ohori, ITF Inspector for Yokohama, visited this vessel and found all eight crew were owed substantial wages along with overtime pay. In addition, the toilets were found to be in a dreadful state and the captain was hostile to any ITF intervention. He even tried to dismiss the crew for reasons of “sabotage”, as well as threatening to write negative comments in each seafarer’s book. Two of the Burmese crew had been working for two years and had received just US$300 in all this time. Ohori spoke to the Taiwanese owner of the vessel, who agreed to conclude an ITF-approved agreement and to pay the eight Burmese crew wages of US$71,099 and also a large contribution to their repatriation costs. A letter of indemnity was signed by the company to avoid action being taken by it to retrieve the wages it paid to the seafarers. Later, a port state control inspection revealed that there were deficiencies in the vessel’s firefighting measures and its stability, structure and safety equipment.

No wages for three months Unpaid wages make up a large proportion of the cases handled by the Actions Unit at ITF head office. In the middle of 2004, John Canias of the unit received a call from the crew of the 24-year-old Arahanga II, sailing under the North Korean flag. The crew complained that they had not been paid for three months, with the result that they were owed back wages of some US$72,000. None of them had a copy of their employment contract in their possession, but they all insisted that they had signed a contract in Pakistan. The whole crew were desperate to go home as the vessel had been at anchor since they arrived in Paramaribo, Surinam, for over a year. The crew had been working on making the ship fit for service, as it had previously sunk and been re-floated. At that time they feared

ITF in action Defending crews against flags of convenience and bad shipowners that the vessel in its current state of repair would not be able to withstand the severe monsoon weather conditions. The ship had no propulsion, making it impossible to move to more sheltered conditions if the need arose. Furthermore, the crew’s food supplies were low and they also lacked suitable drinking water. Canias wrote a letter to the owners in Dubai highlighting all these problems. After several exchanges of correspondence, the owners made a commitment to pay the crew their wages in instalments. The company said it was unable to pay everything at once as the vessel had not been trading for over a year and therefore had not produced any income. A month later, six Pakistani crew members were repatriated at the owner’s expense and a US$48,000 initial payment was remitted to the ITF for payment to the crew. A Romanian replacement crew for the 11 Pakistani crew remaining aboard finally arrived, but it was not until nearly three weeks later that the Pakistanis were able to return home.

Further payments were made to the ITF for the crew in the following month and eventually a final settlement was agreed. The total recovered was more than US$150,000.

Abandoned in Bangkok For the mixed nationality crew of the Panamanian-flag Hellin, the problems of no wages were compounded by being left with little food after the vessel was abandoned in Bangkok. The ship would have run out of drinking water if it had not been for the master, who purchased water supplies with his own money. The Taiwanese, Indian, Pakistani and Indonesian seafarers appealed to the ITF-affiliated Seafarers’ Union of Burma, which is exiled in Thailand. The union managed to secure further provisions and alerted the ITF to their plight. Pressure from the ITF Inspector in Taiwan immediately resulted in proper supplies of water being provided and, a month later, US$25,000 in outstanding wages were

paid. The ship then won a new charter and left the port.

Back pay and repatriation wanted Stephen Fernando, ITF Inspector for Tuticorin, India, followed the Amer Rhine, a Panamanianflag ship, to Visakhapatnam to make sure that promises of back wages being paid were honoured by the owner. Complaints about owed wages and demands for repatriation by eight crew out of a total of 19, including two Ukrainian officers and the master, were made in Tuticorin. The ship was detained in the port for 15 days. Fernando found there to be no food on board, so his union supplied some. The owner offered to pay up after the cargo had been discharged. The officers and crew agreed and sailed on to Visakhapatnam, where the officers and crew eventually received their full back wages of US$155,761. They were also given tickets for the journey home plus two days’ wages for their travel time.

ITF agreement was ignored A message from the ITF in London alerted the ITF Gulf Coast Inspector in the US that complaints had been received from some of the crew of the Maltese-registered Sealight that they had not been paid by the Turkish owner. Shwe Tun Aung, ITF Inspector for Houston, visited the vessel and requested that the seafarers receive all wages and back pay in line with the ITF agreement, along with repatriation paid for by the company. In addition, he demanded that the company take no action against the seafarers for insisting on their contractual rights. Five crew members received a total of US$55,813 and were repatriated at the owner’s expense. The remainder of the crew had only just boarded the vessel and did not want to pursue a wage claim yet. But a message was passed to other ITF Inspectors to keep an eye out for the vessel to make sure that the owner was complying with its agreement.

Wages were trebled The South Korean and Chinese crew of the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier Pos Dignity won a trebling of wages when it was inspected by the ITF as it discharged coal in the port of Luleå. Peter Lövkvist, ITF Assistant Coordinator in Sweden, said the ship’s South Korean owner agreed to raise wages for the 22 crew members to more than US$1,500 a month, compared to the US$500 they had been receiving. Swedish dockers’ unions refused to move the ship until the agreement was reached.


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News A new international convention on global labour standards for seafarers is under negotiation at the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

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overnments, shipowners and trade unions represented by the ITF are hoping to have the new ILO instrument in place in 2006. It will consolidate more than 60 maritime labour conventions into a single instrument (see below) covering working conditions at sea. Some of these conventions date back to the 1920s and 1930s. Unlike the technical conventions drawn up by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which have been adopted widely and cover more than 90 per cent of the world fleet, the ILO conventions have generally not been as widely ratified. However, the potential to influence conditions at sea is enormous – just as the standards on ship construction and watchkeeping have had a dramatic impact on seafarers. The 100-page draft addresses issues, including minimum standards for employment, working conditions, repatriation, entitlements to leave, standards for onboard working, living accommodation and social protection and

General conventions There are International Labour Organisation conventions which specifically apply to seafarers. But they are also covered by its general conventions. The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Rights at Work lays down the key rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, together with the right to be free from forced labour, child labour and discrimination. There are eight ILO conventions covering these areas, called the “Core Conventions”. They are: ● Convention 29, Forced Labour, 1930; ● Convention 87, Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, 1948; ● Convention 98, Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, 1949; ● Convention 100, Equal Remuneration, 1951; ● Convention 105, Abolition of Forced Labour, 1957; ● Convention 111, Discrimination

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ITF backs plan for single convention for seafarers welfare and enforcement and control. It will also adopt a simplified amendment procedure for parts of the convention, so that it can be updated more easily. Jon Whitlow, Secretary of the ITF Seafarers’ Section and Secretary of the Seafarers’ Group in the ILO, said: “The aim is to consolidate the existing maritime labour standards into a seafarers’ ‘bill of rights’ which should secure

decent living and working conditions for all seafarers. The rights should in practice be delivered, through effective enforcement and control mechanisms, and establish minimum standards and, thereby, go some way to removing the unfair competition on social and labour conditions which is currently prevalent in the maritime industry. It seeks to put the social and labour dimension on a par with the safety

Key ILO conventions covering seafarers (Employment and Occupation), 1958; ● Convention 138, Minimum Age, 1973; ● Convention 182, Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999. The primary international agreement which recognises the right of workers to join trade unions is ILO Convention 87. Convention 98 protects workers against discrimination for belonging to a union. Employers may not dismiss a worker merely for union activities.

Maritime conventions These ILO maritime conventions apply only to seafarers and will be included in the proposed consolidated convention:


● Convention 147, Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards), 1976, came into force in 1981 and has been ratified by just 48 countries, including the major maritime nations. Specifically aimed at merchant shipping, Convention 147 covers minimum conditions on board as well as a requirement to have social security arrangements in place for seafarers. Governments also commit themselves to adopt safety standards, including standards of competency, hours of work and manning, so as to ensure the safety of life on board ship. The convention is important because it provides for port state control and is included in most of the memoranda of port state control,

apart from that for Latin America. The proposed new maritime convention further develops the regime established by Convention 147. ● Convention 179, Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers, 1996, came into force in 2001 and has been ratified by nine countries: Bulgaria, Finland, France, Ireland, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, and the Russian Federation. Convention 179 requires governments to regulate recruitment agencies for seafaring employment. It explicitly states that seafarers should not be subject to fees or other charges for recruitment, excluding the costs of any national statutory medical examination, certificates and personal travel documents. All seafarers must have contracts of employment and the right to join a trade union must be respected. ● Other conventions cover matters such as working time and social security standards.

David Bocking/reportdigital.co.uk

and environmental pillar established by Solas and Marpol conventions.” Conditions on board ship and the right of seafarers to organise in trade unions are covered by a number of existing conventions. Some apply only to seafarers, others to all workers in general. These international agreements between governments, employers and trade unions only come into force once governments take the decision to ratify the conventions.

Right The right of workers to organise and bargain effectively – plus freedom from discrimination and other basic employment rights – were enshrined in the ILO's Declaration of Fundamental Rights at Work in 1998. The main ILO conventions covering the rights of seafarers are outlined on the previous page. Some have a long list of signatories and have been ratified by countries representing over 60 per cent of the world’s fleet. Others have yet to be ratified by a significant number of nations. The 2003 Convention 185 on seafarers’ identity documents is the only maritime convention which will not be included in the consolidated convention. The oldest convention covering seafarers is the Minimum Age (Sea) Convention, 1920 (No. 7), one of the very first agreements made after the ILO was formed in 1919. Other early conventions relate to medical care and examinations, repatriation, accommodation and food and catering arrangements.

“The aim is to consolidate the existing maritime labour standards into a seafarers’ ‘bill of rights’ which should secure decent living and working conditions for all seafarers.”

A nurse performs an electro-cardiograph check on an overweight patient. Studies have shown that seafarers are prone to cardiovascular disease – a problem which the ITF Seafarers’ Trust is addressing with its funding for a health promotion campaign.

ITF trust helps tackle heart and obesity problems The ITF Seafarers’ Trust is to fund a threeyear US$900,000 health promotion campaign to improve seafarers’ health. Named the Seafarers’ Health Information Programme (Ship), the project will be run by the International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare (ICSW). It will cover seven topics: Aids/STIs, physical fitness, cardiovascular disease, food, obesity and malaria. The trust – established in 1981 and dedicated to the welfare of seafarers – makes substantial grants every year to many welfare projects. Most of the grant aid is targeted at those regions without adequate welfare facilities and in 2003, the last year for which accounts have been finalised, more than 70 per cent of expenditure was in developing countries. Projects supported include a grant towards the construction of the first seafarers’ centre in the Caspian Sea, four centres in Africa, and the most northern seafarers’ centre in the

world at Murmansk, Russia. Support was also given for seafarers’ missions in Indonesia, the Philippines and Italy. Global programmes on the use and access by seafarers of internet services and international helplines were also awarded grants by the trust. The Ship project will use all means of communication – videos and DVDs, comic books, posters and stickers – to get the health promotion message across to those at sea. The programme will also use the resources of the global network of seafarers’ centres and welfare agencies. “Seafarers are among the most isolated groups of workers in the world in relation to access to medical care, both in emergency situations and for primary healthcare,” says Dr Rob Verbist, Ship project manager. “The main battle is to get our Ship messages going to the hearts and minds of individual seafarers, which in turn will help them change their often hazardous lifestyle.”


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Trade unions Evgeniy Hizhyak, chief technical labour inspector of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia (SUR), describes the importance for seafarers of joining a trade union. I have been a member of the SUR since 1991 and took part in organising this union, which provides help and support for seafarers both in Russia and abroad. The union assists its members in claims for compensation following injury or death, solves any problems about receiving money owed to them in unpaid contractual wages and fights for decent pay. Now, government officials are telling seafarers, even those employed on Russian-flag vessels, to settle problems in countries like Cambodia or Belize where their bareboat-chartered ship is registered. But only a union – and the ITF – can advise seafarers what to do in such a situation, which can involve not only a shipowner, but also a crewing company and an unfair master. That’s why it is so important and necessary to join a union. We shall be able to win the battle for seafarers’ justice and rights only if we are united and organised in unions.”

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Tymoteusz Listewnik (below), a member of the National Maritime Section (NMS) of Solidarnosc, Poland: I joined the NMS barely three years ago. That was my first contact. It was through a trade unionist I met in a crewing agency. Before then, I didn’t know much about unions for seafarers. During my time at sea before then, many times I had had problems and questions when serving on flag of convenience ships, but nobody could clarify my uncertainty regarding my conditions of employment. I had had queries about matters such as terminations of contract, unpaid overtime and the lack of contracts of employment. At first I accepted this situation, as everybody else on board did. After some time I had learned from other seafarers about the ITF and trade unions, but still for many months these organisations were remote from me. What a pity! Now, after some visits and conversations with my union, all my conditions of engagement are clear to me. I know what to ask for in a crewing agency and how to prepare for my next tour of duty. I would like to encourage all young seafarers to join a trade union affiliated to the ITF in their own country. At the start of a career at sea, most people pass over many things which after some time turn out to be important. Quite often appearances are misleading and a nice-looking ship with apparently good working conditions may be deceptive. Let’s treat union membership as a kind of insurance, an information centre and institution that fights for our rights. It’s good to go through life knowing that at any time you can call on someone else – your union – for help.”

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Andrzej Koscik, ITF Inspector, Gdynia, Poland: Seafarers are strong people. We should join together in solidarity. If we do, we are stronger. I am a seafarer and I know very well what it means to work on board, to be lonely,

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Why we think it’s important that you become a member to be so far from your family, to be under pressure. We cannot be alone when we need help. None of this is news, but we must remind the new generation of seafarers that we should join together in unions. Unions make you stronger. They help people who need help.” Stephen Fernando, ITF Inspector, Tuticorin, India: Non-union seafarers usually have lower pay and their working time is not fixed. If anything happens to them on board the shipowner simply gets them admitted to a hospital and then sends them home – no compensation, no medical leave, no leave pay, no welfare fund and no pension. If all seafarers enrol in their own national unions, then those unions would be strong and their bargaining capacity would increase. All seafarers would benefit.”

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Andrey Chernov, ITF Inspector, Klaipeda, Lithuania, asked a group of seafarers, all members of the Lithuanian Seamen’s Union, on the NIS (Norwegian international)-registered Ice Wind: “Why is it important to be a member of a trade union?” The main answer was: ‘to be organised’. If you are organised you can elect and employ people who will represent your interests, negotiating better working conditions and pay. The second reason given was ‘to be protected’ from unlawful actions by employers. Union officials can provide legal protection, assistance and

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Andrey Chernov (left) with the crew of the Ice Wind who give three good reasons to be members of a trade union. advice either by themselves or with the help of a professional lawyer. The third reason was ‘to be informed’, because the union is always involved in seminars and meetings and collects information about how employers are treating their workers.”

I must first confess, that I am not a union member. But I have just received US$4,562 in four months’ back wages for serving on board the Indian-registered Vispataurini. This would not have been possible but for the intervention of the ITF. I will definitely join a union now.”

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Lucien H Razafindraibe, General Secretary, Sygmma (Syndicat général maritime de Madagascar), the maritime union of Madagascar: Workers have an interest in joining their union in order to understand, promote and protect their rights. Unions can also be a big help in the elaboration of collective conventions. A union’s strength resides principally in its capacity to call on members at times of protest.”

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Chinmoy Roy, ITF Inspector, Calcutta, India: From my experience as an ITF Inspector, seafarers from labour-supplying countries have a much higher chance of getting exploited or cheated by crewing agents and shipowners if they are not union members. A union card can put fear in the way of these agencies. So union membership is a must for all seafarers.” From India, Subhash Dey, second engineer, who has just won a back pay claim negotiated by Chinmoy Roy:

To find out how to contact your national ITF-affiliated union, consult the ITF’s “Message to Seafarers” (right). The booklet is available free of charge from ITF Inspectors and ITF offices (see addresses on pages 39 to 42). It can also be downloaded from the www.itfglobal.org ITF website.


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Trade unions Will Russian seafarers now do the right thing? Russian seafarers and fishers take a very utilitarian attitude to trade unions: they only remember them when they are in dire straits, writes Petr Osichansky, the ITF Inspector in Vladivostock. But there are signs that this attitude is changing.

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couple of years ago the crew of the enormous factory ship Rybak Chukotki needed a union. The vessel was undergoing repairs in Pusan and the crew had received no wages for nearly a year. So the fishers approached the ITF office in Vladivostock and joined their union in order to get assistance. The union helped them, of course, and wages of nearly US$500,000 were paid to them – except for the master, who had decided not to join the union. Incidentally, several months later the same master called in at the union office asking it to help him, too; but the train, as they say, had already left the station. As for the union’s new members, they disappeared on to the open sea and will no doubt only reappear the next time they are not paid their wages. It was the same story with the crews of the Rekin and Khaiduk, who had had problems two years running with the payment of their wages. After appealing to the union, they received their money… and promptly forgot all about the union. The same thing has happened with the crews of many other ships, including the Feniks, Bereg Mechty, Bereg Nadyezhdy and Ulbansky Zaliv, who over the past five years have appealed to the union for help and got what they were owed, to the tune of over US$2 million. But only a very few of the individuals involved have retained their union membership. The situation is even worse when fatal

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accidents occur on ships sailing under flags of seafarers – in total, around US$65,000. It was convenience. The relatives of the deceased paid directly into the relatives’ bank accounts by explore every other avenue in their search for the Korean shipowner. However, a few months justice – the shipowner, the public prosecutor’s later they asked the authorities to help them get office, the media – before heading for the ITF. compensation at ITF levels – US$60,000 per That’s right — they approach the ITF as a last seafarer plus US$15,000 for every dependent resort, not in the least troubled by the fact that child. Nobody helped them, of course. their husbands and sons had not burdened On 2 November 2004, two ships sailing under themselves with membership of a union, and so flags of convenience sank suddenly off the far had either no contract of any kind or one that eastern coast of Russia during a severe storm – was not worth the paper it was written on. the Cambodian-flag Arosa and the MongolianYet these people seem to believe, curiously, flag Vest. Thirty-three seafarers on the two ships perished (of whom only one was a member of that the ITF has a duty to help them receive the Seafarers’ Union of Russia), most of them – compensation — and at ITF rates. 26 – on the Vest. The seafarers on the Vest had This is what happened last year in the case of no documents or contracts. An attempt to find the Aront-103, which went down in the Sea of Japan with all hands: a 13-man international some sort of records on them was abandoned crew of Burmese, Indonesian and “They approach the ITF not in the least Russian seafarers. troubled by the fact that their husbands and The four Russian crew members, sons had not burdened themselves with including the master membership of a union.” and chief engineer, were not insured. Moreover, they had no contracts. With the assistance of our colleagues in Korea, we managed to get a small amount of compensation for each of the Russian

after a couple of days when the director of the crewing company that had hired them was killed. Yet again, the relatives were asking the ITF for help, for the authorities have decreed that, since the seafarers were working under a foreign flag, the truth should be sought in the country of that flag: Mongolia. But how could the union help them when the seafarers were not its members, when it had no control over the quality, or even the existence, of their contracts? So why do seafarers and fishers avoid joining a union? After all, there are several maritime unions in the Russian far east — first and foremost, the SUR, the Russian Union of Fishing Industry Workers and the Dockers’ Union.

There are at least two explanations for this phenomenon. Firstly, the small shipping companies which make extensive use of flags of convenience avoid hiring union members. There is an unspoken prohibition on joining a union. And given the high level of unemployment, seafarers are forced to choose between a union and having at least some sort of pay. Only a few of them are capable of such a feat as keeping their union membership secret. Their wages are normally not high — US$300 to US$400 a month. But they can top up their wages by doing additional jobs, such cleaning out the holds and loading and unloading cars, and by bringing in from Japan spare parts for cars; this enables them to earn up to US$800 dollars a month. The second reason why seafarers do not want to join a union is psychological. In Soviet times, if a seafarer had a problem all he had to do was complain to the union and it would unfailingly be resolved — usually to the benefit of the worker. Obviously, this was down not so much to the union as to the Party Committee, Graduating merchant service cadets at the Vladivostock Marine which everyone was State University with a banner saying “Far Eastern maritime trade afraid of. In those days, unions support ITF policy”.

Seafarers’ union officials are interviewed by the local media in Vladivostock during the latest ITF flag of convenience week of action. the Party was everything. This state of affairs fostered a culture of social dependence amongst seafarers and fishers. In today’s conditions, however, it takes more than just complaining to the union. You need to take action yourself – like going on strike and initiating legal proceedings against the employer. The outcome will not always be to the benefit of the seafarers. But even if a ruling is made in their favour, it’s not always possible to implement it. In other words, seafarers could spend years trying to recover their wages and end up with nothing. This is something that they are not used to. Most of them, therefore, are not yet ready to create a strong and independent union, and this kind of temporary union membership suits them just fine. And yet, more and more seafarers – many of them, encouragingly, officers and even masters – are calling in at the ITF office in Vladivostock before boarding their ships, asking how they can become members of an ITF union. Many of the seafarers still remember the help they were given by the ITF when Adriatic Tankers and Millennium went bankrupt. They realise how important it is for them to have employment contracts and, even more importantly, a collective agreement. Slowly but surely, union awareness amongst Russian seafarers and fishers is growing.


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ITF Inspectors

A friend in eve There are 129 ITF Inspectors in ports all around the world. This unique team of trade union officials is expanding every year and now covers 110 ports in a total of 43 countries. The job of the Inspectors is to help crews on flag of convenience ships or other seafarers who cannot be represented by a national trade union affiliated to the ITF. Here, we profile three of the new ITF Inspectors to be appointed. A map overleaf shows the ports where an Inspector can be contacted. On pages 24-25, Inspectors from four different continents describe their work.

The network of ITF Inspectors continues to expand across the world’s leading ports. Meet three new Inspectors from three different continents …

Carolina, Puerto Rico Angel Felipe Garcia-Cortijo (left) was appointed fulltime ITF Inspector for Puerto Rico with effect from November 2003. Whereas Felipe is a relatively new ITF Inspector, he has been a member of the ILA (International Longshoremen’s Association) since 1977, rising to become an officer of the union, and is no stranger to disputes. Felipe, fluent in Spanish and English, notes that there is an increasing number of ships and cargo arriving in the Caribbean port of San Juan. Containers, car carriers and bulk cargo ships mainly visit the port. However, it is also the home port to some 28 cruise vessels, making it the largest home-

based cruise port in the world. It is anticipated that the port of Ponce will be expanded to cope with this new influx. As a result both of the current increase in traffic and the anticipated increase upon the expansion of the port, it was decided that formal ITF assistance through the establishment of a brand-new inspectorate was merited.

Taichung, Taiwan Sanders Chang was appointed as ITF Inspector for Taichung port with effect from July 2004. He is a member of the National Chinese Seamen’s Union and has been elected as representative, auditor and standing director of the National Chinese Seamen’s Union. In 1984, Sanders graduated from the National Taiwan Ocean University and in 1992 he studied marine law at Cardiff University in Wales, UK. Sanders has seen both sides of the shipping industry as he has worked as a third mate and second mate for Chi-Yuan Navigation, as a sales representative for American President Line and as a section

Sanders Chang (left) greets a crew in the port of Taichung.

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ry port chief for U-Ming Marine Transportation. The port of Taichung was designed to cope with the fast growing needs of Taiwanese economic development. It currently consists of 50 deep-water wharves handling a wide variety of cargo. With a high level of automation, the port handled a total of some 81 million tonnes in 2003. By the end of 2021, it is projected that Taichung’s capacity will be expanded to 64 wharves and will be handling approximately 120 million tonnes of cargo. There has been a Seamen’s Club in Taichung since 2001. It has provided medical assistance, ITF publications and assistance in calculating back pay claims for seafarers. Although there are other Inspectors in Taiwan, the rapid increase of activity in Taichung and its burgeoning importance have meant that an immediate ITF presence is now necessary.

Mombasa, Kenya Juma Khamis was appointed to be the new ITF Inspector for Mombasa in June 2003. Juma is a member of the Dockworkers’ Union of Kenya. Juma brings a vast amount of experience to his new job as an ITF Inspector, having worked as a police inspector for several years, as a customs officer and then in various capacities at the Kenya Ports Authority, including as a lecturer. He served as the General Secretary of the Dockworkers’ Union for over 13 years and was elected the African Regional Chair of the ITF Dockers’

Section. Nationally, he was an executive board member of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions of Kenya. The port of Mombasa is a gateway to Kenya and inland states such as Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. It is also a main transit port to Tanzania, Mozambique and the islands in the Indian Ocean. Mombasa is currently being expanded and modernised, since shippers prefer its facilities and strategic position to other ports in the region. As a result, it attracts many flag of convenience ships, with all their inherent problems, keeping him constantly busy. The port handles all sorts of imported cargo as well as relief food supplies for the United Nations. The port exports diverse agricultural products along with cement and primary products such as textiles and soap. The main problems encountered by the ITF are abandoned crew members and unpaid wages. Some Kenyan seafarers have started to join these foreign vessels, bringing to light cases of cruelty, underpayment and confiscation of dues. Juma says he is particularly concerned about the dreadful state of some of the vessels that visit Mombasa and wonders how it is possible that they have been awarded certification. One was allowed to sail from a particular port, only to capsize in the Mozambique Channel with loss of lives and cargo. “Shipowners take advantage of the acute unemployment situation in Kenya, and exert their influence on those in authority, while seafarers suffer from poverty, disunity and intimidation,” he says.


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ITF Inspectors Helping seafarers around the world

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INTERAMERICAN REGIONAL OFFICE rio de janeiro +55 (0)21 2233 0410 CARIBBEAN SUB-REGIONAL OFFICE georgetown +592 (0)22-71196

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ValparaisoU +56(0)32 755 703 rch

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

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Gävle +46(0)26 65 72 06

Rotterdam +31(0)10 215 1166

Gdynia +48(0)58 661 60 96

St Petersburg +7(0)812 114 9732

Helsingborg +46(0)31 42 95 31

U Sydney +61(0)2 9335 0500

Piraeus +30(0)210 411 6610

Dunkirk +33(0)3 28 66 45 24

Hamburg +49(0)40 2800 6811/6812

aus

Palermo +39(0)91 32 17 45

Riga +371(0)7 073 436

Gothenburg +46(0)31 701 24 14

ARAB WORLD OFFICE amman +962 6 560 3181

Oslo +47(0)23 825 835

Dubrovnik +385(0)20 418 992

Genoa +39(0)10 25 18 675

EUROPEAN SUB-REGIONAL OFFICE moscow +7 095 782 0468

Novorossiysk +7(0)861 761 3282

Helsinki +358(0)9 615 202 55

Rijeka +385(0)51 325 343

Sibenik +385(0)22 200 320 South Shields +44(0)191 455 1370

Stavanger +47(0)51 840 500

Stockholm +46(0)8 791 4100 Szczecin +48(0)91 423 97 07 Tallinn +372(0)6 443 009

Klaipeda +370(0)46 410 447

Taranto +39(0)99 47 07 555

nz

Wellington +64(0)4 801 7613 U

Koper +386(0)5 6530 239 Tilbury +44(0)20 8989 6677 Kotka +358(0)5 213 855 Valencia +34(0)96 367 12 63 La Coruña +34(0)981 169 740 Valletta +356(0)21 244 649

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

Le Havre +33(0)2 35 26 63 73 Venice +39(0)41 52 03 950 Lisbon +35(0)21 302 0465 Waterford +353(0)51 875 946 Liverpool +44(0)151 639 8454

Zeebrugge +32(0)5 036 6730

ITF Inspectors The daily routines of the men and women in the front line of the campaign against flags of convenience and substandard shipping

All in a day’s work Annica Barning Stockholm, Sweden Every morning starts with the same routine, I check my ports on the internet – most of the ports have their own websites – to see if there are any interesting vessels to visit. This morning, I found a couple of vessels so I went on to check them all in the ITF’s computer database, where I find all the useful information I need to decide which vessel to visit. After checking whether the ships have ITF collective agreement status, their crew lists and prior ship visits made by my fellow Inspectors, I decide to visit a vessel flying an Antigua and Barbuda flag. According to the ITF records there was a claim for an agreement made months ago by my colleague in Latvia, but none was signed. I also find a report from another Inspector in Germany indicating problems with crew pay and overtime compensation. My destination will be the port of Köping. Since it is a 170km drive I have plenty of time to contact people in the port, including the dockers’ union representative. His name is Mike and he’s one of the best. It’s very important to keep him informed in case we need assistance from the dockers, for example to boycott the vessel. By now the ITF head office in London has opened, so I call to get some more detailed information and I’m told that there is an agreement after all. Finally I reach my destination. I meet two deck ratings on deck and we talk for a while and they tell me how much they earn, how many hours they work and how long their contracts are. Then I move on to see the captain. He turns out to be a man with a strange sense of humour and doesn’t want to show me any documents whatsoever, but I can be quite persuasive in these situations and after some discussions he gives me access

24


to the ship’s files. Nothing indicates foul play, but some documents are missing. I call my ITF colleague in Latvia and he contacts the company about the missing documents and reminds them that they are obliged to keep them on board. The company promises to send them immediately. I talk to the crew again and, if something is wrong, they do a good job of hiding it. I thank them for their time and leave the vessel. I manage to track down Mike so I can tell him that there will be no problems with this vessel and that the discharge of its cargo can continue without interruption. I drive back to Stockholm and start my report for the ITF’s computer records. I always try to make my report as detailed as possible, because I know how important it is to have all the facts for the next Inspector who will visit this vessel.

Shwe Tun Aung Houston, USA I have been an Inspector now for two years (since February 2003) working for the ITF and the Seafarers’ International Union in Texas. But I still remember my very first inspection, which was settled with a payment of US$34,846 and plane tickets home for the Russian crew. Even today, Capt Vladimir V Dovzhenko expresses his appreciation and keeps in touch with me. Before becoming an Inspector, I had five years as an AB on flag of convenience ships. During those years at sea I underwent many experiences and hardships, such as substandard living conditions, low wages, lack of pay, insufficient food, unfair treatment, inadequate medical attention and so forth. So I take my job of assisting seafarers seriously and take great pleasure in helping them. Every morning, I check emails and review the Houston port traffic information website for incoming vessels to plan the day’s preliminary inspection schedule. Priority is given to emergency calls from crew members. For routine

inspections, I first check the prior case history of the vessels on the ITF online information database. On my way to my first inspection, I take time to talk to the port chaplain, port vendors and others who are working at the port to gather some other insight or information about vessels and their crew members. When I receive complaints from crews, each seafarer is first interviewed privately to understand his or her side of the story. Then, I discuss the nature of the complaints with the captain and try to resolve the matter in accordance with the collective agreement or employment contract. In the case of owed wages, I contact the vessel’s owner and return to the vessel on the day that back wages are paid to make sure that all crew members receive what they are owed. All inspection routines are documented properly into the ITF’s online database. It always feels great to be of assistance to any crew members who have been treated unfairly. It is a delight to receive thank-you notes and

Fusao Ohori (second from right) meets a crew in Yokohama. Christmas cards from many crew members who greatly appreciate the great service and mission of the ITF.

Cassiem Augustus Cape Town, South Africa I arrive in the office and firstly go through the newspaper to check port movements. Then it’s phone calls to different ports to gather more information and then contact the ITF online to find out if any vessels have been assigned to me for inspecting. The vessels are then sorted out by priority starting with visits requested by crews, then vessels that have had problems on them whether or not covered by an ITF agreement. The next categories are ships without an agreement followed by vessels that are covered by an agreement. Before starting the inspections, I check that the ship is the correct one by looking at its name, International Maritime Organisation number and the flag. The next step, while going up the gangway and on deck, is to make a visual inspection for defaults. Such a check can tell you a lot of things about working and living conditions. Then I speak to the crew to find out what their wages are. On my way to see the captain I check the kitchen and stores.

After gathering all the information I need from the captain, I would then provide him with ITF publications and warn the captain to inform the crew about HIV/Aids and wish all crew a happy trip to their next destination. All going well, this is the routine for subsequent vessels. Then at the end of the day I write reports on the inspections for the ITF’s computer records.

Fusao Ohori Yokohama, Japan Many messages from seafarers arrive by phone and email. They can be about everything from defective safety equipment to requests for information. The latest call was from a Russian captain who asked me to get in touch with Nagoya port authority to know whether his ship was available to berth – as if he thought I was a local agent! One day an Indonesian crew member called me to consult about his physical condition. He had his left arm fractured three months before when his ship was in Shimizu with tuna from the Pacific. He was very worried about being able to continue working when I met him on board. He showed me the x-ray which a Japanese doctor had given him. I told him he should see another doctor at his next port, Pusan, Korea, because the fracture still looked serious. Then I asked the captain to make sure he got to a hospital. While on board I also found out that the man had not been paid in accordance with his

employment contract. I called the ship’s owner to request payment of his back wages. Eventually, the crew member had an operation in Pusan, stayed there for a month with support from the local ITF Inspector and was repatriated to Indonesia with his back wages. Another call came in the other day from an agent in Kawasaki about problems on a ship with a mixed nationality crew. I met two Indonesian crew members in the local office of the agent. They had already decided not to return to the ship. They told me about problems with safety in the engine room. The crewing agent in Jakarta, Indonesia, had already arranged replacements and did not want to pay the repatriation costs of two crew members, arguing that their decision to sign off had not been the result of the company’s negligence. I called the port state control officer to request that he investigate the ship. He found a lack of safety measures in the main engine and the vessel was detained for two weeks. Finally, both Indonesian crew members were repatriated. One recent email highlighted the problem of outstanding wages. A Chinese seafarer said he was owed wages of about US$9,000. Such cases cause serious problems for the crew and their families. I have always recommended seafarers, whenever possible, to get information on a ship by consulting the Equasis website (www.equasis.org). The Equasis scheme is supported by many global maritime organisations, including the ITF. Once registered with Equasis, seafarers can find out a ship’s owner, manager, year of build, type of ship, gross tonnage, port state control record and whether it is covered by an ITF agreement.

“I called the port state control officer to request that he investigate the ship. He found a lack of safety measures in the main engine and the vessel was detained for two weeks.”


25

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

BAHAMAS

BARBADOS

BELIZE

BERMUDA

BOLIVIA

BURMA/MYANMAR

CAMBODIA

CAYMAN ISLANDS

COMOROS

CYPRUS

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

GERMANY (second register)

GIBRALTAR

HONDURAS

JAMAICA

LEBANON

LIBERIA

MALTA

Flags of convenience MARSHALL ISLANDS

MAURITIUS

MONGOLIA

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

PANAMA

SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE

SRI LANKA

ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

TONGA

VANUATU

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

Shipping review S

eldom have virtually all sectors of the shipping industry – tankers, bulk carriers, containers and port operations – enjoyed such a healthy period of growth as in the past couple of years. Economists and forecasters are also predicting another year of firm freight rates and trade growth for 2005, with just a hint of a warning that the inevitable shipping industry cycle could take its revenge through the start of a downturn in 2006. The increase in world trade is based on the growth in the global economy, continuing to be led by China. The need for crude oil and raw materials to fuel the rise in industrial output has had a natural impact on the need for tankers and bulk carriers, while containerships are benefiting from the insatiable demand from the US and Europe for the products of Far Eastern factories.

Trade World seaborne trade increased 3.7 per cent in 2003 to a record 6.17 billion tonnes, according to the latest figures from the United

Maritime trade prospects still look bright Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad)*. Similar rises are expected for 2004 when the figures are compiled. For the world fleet, the percentage increases have been even greater. The fleet of

Sample wage cost summary, selected countries (US$ per month served) Master Dry cargo

AB Tankers

Dry cargo

Tankers 4,200 - 4,900

UK

9,300 - 11,000

11,000 - 12,800

3,500 - 4,200

Denmark

8,760 - 10,820

9,790 - 11,850

3,810 - 4,120

4,330 - 4,640

Spain

7,300 - 7,500

8,300 - 8,500

2,100 - 2,300

2,200 - 2,400

Pakistan

4,800 - 5,200

5,300 - 5,600

1,300 - 1,400

1,300 - 1,400

India

4,700 - 4,900

5,500 - 5,900

1,160 - 1,400

1,215 - 1,400

Croatia

4,600 - 5,000

6,000 - 8,000

1,300 - 1,400

1,300 - 1,400

Korea (South)

4,500 - 5,000

5,500 - 6,500

1,400 - 1,700

1,700 - 2,300

tankers rose by 4.1 per cent, bulk carriers by 2.5 per cent and a there was a massive increase of 9.3 per cent in the container fleet. The capacity of gas carriers also grew 7.6 per cent. An indication of the strength of the markets was that, despite the increase in fleet size, the amount of surplus tonnage continued to fall during 2003 and stood at as little as 1.2 per cent of the global fleet. Over the past two years, freight rates have increased by more than six per cent per year, with dramatic rises of nearly 25 per cent recorded for container rates across the Pacific. Rates from Europe to the US and from Asia to Europe also saw increases of more than 15 per cent. Observers predict that new ship deliveries expected in 2005 will not be enough to soak up the demand from shippers, but that the position could be reversed the following year when shipyards are set to deliver new vessels equivalent to a 15 per cent increase in capacity.

Latvia

4,500 - 5,000

5,500 - 5,800

1,300 - 1,400

1,300 - 1,400

Russia

4,500 - 4,800

5,000 - 5,500

1,300 - 1,400

1,350 - 1,450

New tonnage

Poland

4,500 - 4,700

5,900 - 6,300

1,200 - 1,400

1,350 - 1,550

Mexico

4,330 - 4,530

4,750 - 4,950

1,150 - 1,400

1,200 - 1,450

Most of the rise in new tonnage has come from the developed countries, which control more than two-thirds of the world’s shipping. The proportion of vessels flying flags of convenience increased marginally in 2003 and is around half of the world fleet in deadweight tonnes. More than two-thirds of vessels owned by Greek shipowners, the world’s most important maritime nation, fly foreign flags. In Japan, the second largest beneficially owned fleet, the proportion flying foreign flags is nearly 90 per cent.

Montenegro

4,100 - 4,300

6,150 - 6,350

1,300 - 1,400

1,390 - 1,490

Egypt

3,880 - 4,080

4,490 - 4,690

1,400 - 1,450

1,400 - 1,450

Romania

3,800 - 4,000

5,050 - 5,250

1,150 - 1,400

1,350 - 1,550

Philippines

3,600 - 4,000

3,800 - 4,300

1,050 - 1,400

1,100 - 1,400

Ukraine

3,460 - 3,660

3,980 - 4,190

870 - 970

970 - 1,070

China

2,700 - 3,300

3,550 - 4,150

820 - 1,000

970 - 1,200

Burma/Myanmar

2,150 - 2,350

2,550 - 2,750

370 - 420

450 - 500

Source: Precious Associates, from Drewry report “Ship Operating Costs Annual Review and Forecast – 2004/05”.

➡

NB: Rates above do not take account of improved wages under ITF agreements.


27

Shipping review Top 50 flag fleets (by tonnage, as at 1 January 2004)

No. of ships (over 100gt)

Gross tonnage (millions)

% increase in GT during 2003

Average age

Share of trade (as at the end of 2003)

1

Panama*

6,302

125.7

0.8

17

2

Liberia*

1,553

52.4

4.0

12

3

Bahamas*

1,297

34.7

-3.1

15

4

Greece

1,558

32.2

11.8

22

United States

13.0

5.9

8.7

6.3

5.5

14.2

Share of world trade %

Share of world fleet % dwt

5

Malta*

1,301

25.1

-30.9

18

Germany

6

Singapore

1,761

23.2

10.0

11

Japan

7

Cyprus*

1,198

22.1

-3.9

16

China

5.5

6.1

8

Hong Kong

901

20.5

26.5

12

France

5.0

0.6

9

China

3,376

18.4

6.4

22

United Kingdom

4.4

2.5

10

Marshall Islands*

515

17.6

19.7

12

Italy

3.7

1.6

11

Norway (NIS second register)

705

17.0

-7.6

16

12

Japan

7,151

13.6

-2.2

13

13

United Kingdom

1,594

10.8

35.0

20

14

Russia

4,950

10.4

0.0

23

Netherlands

3.6

0.9

Canada

3.3

0.8

Belgium

3.1

0.8

Hong Kong (China)

2.9

4.0

15

United States

6,144

10.3

0.0

24

16

Italy

1,504

10.2

6.3

22

Korea (South)

2.4

3.3

2.3

0.6

17

Denmark (DIS second register)

18

India

425

7.2

1.4

17

Spain

1,028

7.0

14.8

18

Mexico

2.2

0.0

1.8

3.0

19

South Korea

2,604

6.7

-4.3

23

Taiwan

20

Isle of Man

302

6.4

–

10

Singapore

1.7

3.0

21

St Vincent*

1,219

6.3

-4.6

24

Russia

1.3

2.2

22

Germany

782

6.1

-6.2

22

Switzerland

1.3

1.1

23

Antigua and Barbuda*

950

6.0

17.7

12

Malaysia

1.2

1.3

Sweden

1.2

0.8

24

Malaysia

972

5.7

5.6

17

25

Netherlands

1,313

5.7

0.0

16

26

Philippines

1,703

5.1

-3.8

26

27

Turkey

1,113

4.9

-14.0

25 20

28

Iran

382

4.8

17.1

29

Bermuda*

106

4.8

0.0

16

30

Indonesia

2,700

3.8

2.7

25

31

Sweden

581

3.6

12.5

30

32

Norway

1,548

3.5

-7.9

27

33

Taiwan

637

3.5

-18.6

23

34

French Antarctic Territory

116

3.3

10.0

8

35

Brazil

482

3.3

-5.7

24

36

Canada

916

2.8

0.0

29

37

Thailand

671

2.3

21.1

24

38

Kuwait

208

2.3

0.0

23

39

Australia

643

1.9

0.0

21

40

Vanuatu*

352

1.6

41

Belize*

1,040

1.5

14.3 0.0

17 23

42

Finland

280

1.4

-6.7

31

43

Ukraine

829

1.4

44

Saudi Arabia

285

1.4

7.7 -6.7

24 22

45

France

561

1.4

0.0

21

46

Egypt

346

1.1

-15.4

25

47

Mexico

654

1.0

11.1

25

48

Algeria

137

0.9

0.0

24

1,143

0.8

-11.1

30

151

0.7

-22.2

28

49

Honduras*

50

Bulgaria

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

28


Source: Unctad / WTO.

Maritime trade prospects still look bright

➡ Asia’s importance in the maritime world is underlined by the Unctad report which says that 16 of the world’s top 25 liner shipping companies and 28 of the top 50 are based in the region. In addition, 60 per cent of the world’s ratings are from Asia. The largest labour suppliers are the Philippines, followed by Indonesia, Turkey, China and India. Filipino seafarers working on foreign-flag ships sent home an estimated US$1.4 billion last year or $120 million a month, according to figures released by the government. Remittances were 12.4 per cent higher than in 2003. * Review of Maritime Transport, 2004. Unctad, February 2005. Background photo: AP Photos/Reed Saxon

IMO Efthimios Mitropoulos (right) Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation explains why the ‘human element’ is so important to the work of the IMO.

T

here can be no doubt that shipping plays a pivotal role in underpinning international trade. It has always provided the only really costeffective way to transport raw materials, components, finished goods, fuel and foodstuffs over any great distance. As the human factor at the cutting edge of sea transportation, seafarers are therefore a vital component in today’s global economy. As has been said in highlighting the role of seafarers: without their contribution, half the world would freeze and the other half starve. That is why, at the IMO, we now place consideration of the human element at the very centre of our work. Issues of concern to seafarers such as stress, fatigue, workloads, training standards, security and environmental protection are all of prime importance to the committees and sub-committees of the organisation. In the course of their work, the

Putting the seafarer first experts who sit on these committees take into consideration the “human element”, particularly when reviewing the adequacy of requirements and recommendations for equipment and operating manuals on board ships. As an example, the simplification and standardisation of terminology is a prerequisite and careful consideration is given to factors such as user-friendliness, safety of use, harmonisation of essential safety features and

“Issues of concern to seafarers such as stress, fatigue, workloads, training standards, security and environmental protection are all of prime importance.”

the need for clear, easily-understandable and updated operating and technical manuals. Shipowners today clearly recognise the benefits to be gained from employing seafarers who are not only properly qualified but who also display the professional standards and technical competence needed to manage today’s ships safely and efficiently. That is why the IMO’s revised Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), which is designed to make sure that the human resource available to the shipping industry meets the required standards, is considered to be one of the most important measures to go through the IMO in recent years. The revised and updated STCW Convention embodies a shift in the emphasis of maritime training from the demonstration of knowledge to the demonstration of competence. The

➡


29

IMO: Putting ➡ the seafarer first By Efthimios Mitropoulos

implications of this are huge, not least for the long-term impact it may have on maritime casualty statistics which continue to demonstrate an improving safety and environmental protection record for international shipping. Some of this improvement can be attributed to improved technology but, with statistics also suggesting that some 80 per cent of accidents are attributable in some way to human error, the improving record is a testimony to the skills and dedication of today’s seafarers. Another major part of the IMO’s work in the recent past which was closely related to the human element at sea was the introduction of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. As its name suggests, this code deals with management and, in particular, the responsibility of management to play a full and active part in building a safety culture on board ship and within the company to the benefit of all concerned. The code puts management squarely in the safety chain and, should something go wrong with the ship at sea, does not leave the master as solely responsible but takes the issue as far as the boardroom. Turning now to wider issues, like everyone involved in shipping today, I am deeply concerned about the widely reported upcoming shortage of seafarers. A number of international, regional and national research studies have highlighted the scale of the problem if action is not taken soon. So we need to tackle it before it reaches unmanageable proportions. I am convinced that, through a rigorous and well-orchestrated campaign, and through paying attention to details of such issues as seafarers’ training, welfare, pay, conditions and so on, the attractiveness of seafaring as a profession, in what today has become a very competitive and international employment market, can be significantly enhanced.

B

ut it certainly alarms me when I read and hear about plans in various countries to introduce legislation that would impose criminal sanctions against those found responsible for pollution by ships following accidents as a result of negligence. Quite apart from the possibility that the prospect of criminal proceedings might have a detrimental effect on the willingness of salvage and clean-up specialists to respond quickly, any decision to criminalise inadvertent polluters will be yet another deterrent to youngsters weighing up the pros and cons of the various career options before them.

30


The IMO has now taken up this matter, following a proposal that the organisation, in cooperation with the ILO, should consider the development of appropriate guidelines for the fair treatment of seafarers in such situations. This is a difficult issue but I believe it is a cause for optimism that, notwithstanding the complex and delicate nature of the subject, something positive is now being done to address it at the international level. If the global pool of competent, properly qualified and efficient seafarers is to be increased, seafaring must be seen as a viable career choice for people of the right calibre. This clearly dictates that efforts should be made to ensure that the employment conditions for seafarers should be at least comparable with those found in other industries – particularly in view of the obvious impact that the quality of the shipping industry’s workforce has on safety at sea and protection of the marine environment.

W

hile the vast majority of shipowners are fully aware of their obligations in this respect and honour them assiduously, nevertheless, given the global nature of the shipping industry, seafarers sometimes need special protection to help improve their working conditions and ensure their basic human rights. Operating the complex ships of today is a skilled job at all levels, from master to deck hand. It demands that seafarers really do possess the skills necessary to carry out the various functions for which they are certificated. A troubling complication in this regard is the incidence of fraudulent practices related to obtaining statutory certificates. This is an extremely serious matter because people could be put in positions of responsibility that they are not capable of undertaking and thereby jeopardise the lives of others and the state of the marine environment. Clearly it is essential that certificates can be relied upon and that their validity can be verified. It is therefore imperative that these practices should be stamped out. Research undertaken by the IMO has highlighted the issues involved and made recommendations for future action. That action has been taken by the STCW Sub-Committee through a series of circulars giving appropriate guidance to training institutes, maritime administrations and shipowners. But seafarers themselves have a role to play too and should take whatever steps are necessary to draw to the attention of the authorities any instances of fraudulent certification which come to their attention.

IMO

Paul Box/reportdigital.co.uk

“If the global pool of competent, properly qualified and efficient seafarers is to be increased, seafaring must be seen as a viable career choice for people of the right calibre.”

At the IMO, we have, regrettably, had to join other UN organisations in strengthening our existing measures to address the issue of security following the recent terrorist incidents around the world, foreshadowed by the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. The role of seafarers was a central consideration in the new maritime security measures that entered into force on 1 July 2004. Part of the guiding philosophy has been to create specific responsibilities, a chain of accountability and, through training, to ensure that all concerned have the appropriate skills they need to fulfil the responsibilities with which they have been entrusted. A balanced approach is important when it comes to implementing the ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) Code and particularly so in terms of how the Code impacts on seafarers. The IMO is concerned to ensure that there is a balance between the importance of tightening security provisions so that criminals and terrorists cannot gain access to ships and ports by posing as seafarers, while ensuring that innocent seafarers are not themselves unfairly penalised as a result – for

example, by denying them shore leave. Shipping relies heavily on the initiatives, cooperation and constant vigilance of seafarers to help prevent breaches of maritime security and, without their support and wholehearted commitment, the system the ISPS Code aims to put in place will be severely weakened. It is crucial that seafarers are not made to feel in any way rejected or that their services are not sufficiently recognised. Shore leave is very important for hard-working professionals reaching port after days or even weeks of isolation at sea, often after having faced the elements at their full strength. They should not, therefore, be unnecessarily restricted. Governments and port authorities should treat seafarers as partners in the fight against terrorism and facilitate their access to ports and shore facilities. Fast turnaround times mean port stays are short these days and the pressure on seafarers is growing all the time. For the sake of safety and efficiency, as well as for the security aspect, they need adequate opportunity to relax and recover before they take their ships out to sea again in pursuit of

their peaceful objectives in the service of world trade. Thanks to the efforts of the IMO and others, ships are now designed, built, equipped, operated and manned to standards more exacting than ever before. Nevertheless, every year too many seafarers are either injured or lose their lives in maritime accidents. More often than not, their injuries and deaths go largely unrecorded and are soon forgotten by all but close friends and families.

T

o mark the 50th anniversary of the IMO in 1998, a trust fund dedicated to seafarers was inaugurated – generously supported by the ITF. The fund has been used, among other things, to create a permanent memorial to seafarers at IMO headquarters, which acts as a constant reminder of the important role they play and of what the work of the 0rganisation is really all about. In pursuing our mission statement of “Safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans”, we never forget that achieving such objectives would be simply impossible without the vital contribution of the seafarer.


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I

t is not that often that shipowners and shipping trade unions speak with one voice over the working conditions of seafarers. But they are united in pleading with national governments, particularly the US, to cease treating seafarers like criminals when they arrive in port. Joint protests to the US Administration on World Maritime Day have been followed up by lobbying of governments to ratify the new international Convention on the Security of Seafarers’ Identity Documents, drawn up by the International Labour Organisation and adopted in June 2003. The new convention, which followed overwhelming global concern after the terrorist attacks on the US in September 2001, provides for a more secure identity document for seafarers. But the convention also maintains the principle that port states must recognise the needs of seafarers for shore leave and crew transits. Generally, seafarers holding the new ID should not be required to apply for visas in advance from their home country. The seafarer’s ID

Reuters/Alberto Lowe

“Ask anyone involved in shipping what is happening now and they’ll tell you stories of deportations and victimisation, crews laid off because they come from Islamic countries, and armed guards on gangways stopping people who have been weeks or months at sea even walking 20 paces to a public phone to call home.”

Seafarers’ rights

All in the same boat …in the new age of heightened security and criminal responsibility contains a biometric template of the seafarer’s fingerprint and name, gender, date and place of birth, nationality, special physical characteristics, digital or original photograph and signature. The template is based on a fingerprint that is printed as a number in a bar code. However, the US is insisting that all seafarers visiting its ports must have individual visas for entry to the US in order to have any chance of being granted permission to enjoy shore leave. David Cockroft, General Secretary of the ITF, and Chris Horrocks, Secretary General of the International Shipping Federation, said this not only presented practical problems for companies and seafarers, but also discouraged other nations from ratifying the convention. “We are all joining to back the basic rights of those who work at sea and to remind the US and

other governments that enhanced security will be achieved by cooperation not confrontation,” said Cockroft.

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hris Horrocks supported this view and added: “We are all committed to improving security, but we want to remind governments – especially the US – that this is best achieved by working together, not by treating visiting seafarers as potential terrorists.” Employers and seafarers’ trade unions believe that unreasonable restrictions on shore leave are counter productive – they simply generate resentment among those who have a vital role in ensuring the security of ships and port facilities. Countless examples of heavy-handed security

have been reported at US ports. “Ask anyone involved in shipping what is happening now and they’ll tell you stories of deportations and victimisation, crews laid off because they come from Islamic countries, and armed guards on gangways stopping people who have been weeks or months at sea even walking 20 paces to a public phone to call home,” said Cockroft. Many of the worst cases of victimisation and obstruction involve Muslim seafarers. The Scandinavian tanker operator Jo Tankers said it was replacing Indonesian crew members with Filipinos because it believed that “to continue to use Muslim seafarers would attract delays and costly enhanced security”. The continued criminalisation of seafarers continues despite the introduction in July 2004 of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS). Created by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the code is an international regulation that obliges authorities to take measures to ensure the security of ships and port facilities.

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his includes stopping unauthorised access to ships or port facilities. It also calls for mandatory ship security plans and designated ship security officers to be put in place. The ITF worked hard to make sure the code contains a clear instruction that the fundamental rights and freedoms of maritime workers, including the trade union rights of port workers, must be protected. Port security plans are also required to facilitate access to ships by visitors and seafarers’ welfare and labour organisations. Access to port terminals by port workers’ union representatives and ITF Inspectors should be maintained by this provision.

Union access guaranteed in new security plans The new International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), introduced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in July in 2004, obliges national authorities to take measures to ensure the security of ships and port facilities. The measures include stopping unauthorised access to ships or port facilities. The code also calls for mandatory ship security plans and designated ship security officers to be appointed. During discussions at the IMO

on the new code, the ITF tabled provisions to protect seafarers’ human and trade union rights. As a result, the code contains a clear instruction that the fundamental rights and freedoms of maritime workers, including the trade union rights of port workers, must be protected. Port security plans are also required to facilitate access to ships by visitors and seafarers’ welfare and labour organisations. The ITF hopes that access to port terminals by maritime union

representatives and ITF Inspectors will be facilitated under this provision. “While we understand the need to increase maritime security there is also a need for proportionate measures and other longstanding problems like piracy to be addressed,” commented Jon Whitlow, ITF Seafarers’ Section Secretary. “We must ensure that the measures do not increase the workload of already overburdened seafarers and that their fundamental rights,

freedoms and basic dignity are protected.” ITF port workers’ unions have pledged themselves to the cause of assuring port security and have warned that the ISPS code must be rigidly upheld – not undermined by using it as a backdoor way of introducing casual labour and selfhandling. Meeting in Singapore in July 2004, the ITF Dockers’ Section conference moved to support the new legislation but flagged up areas of concern.


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Seafarers’ rights Case study: Fighting curbs on shore leave in Slovenia by Branko Krznaric (left), former ITF Inspector in Koper, Slovenia, now head of the Agreements Unit at ITF Head Office in London

On 1 July 2004 the Slovenian general police directorate instructed maritime police about some new restrictions to be placed on visiting seafarers. The restrictions applied to any seafarer holding a seaman’s book issued in a country which has not ratified ILO Convention 108 (concerning seafarers’ national identity documents), and who holds the passport of a country in which citizens need a visa to enter Slovenia. Such seafarers would be allowed to go ashore only on condition that they applied and paid for a visa. Unfortunately, I was not aware of this new instruction until I was informed of it by a Slovenian journalist nearly a month later. I wrote immediately to the general police directorate informing them that Slovenia had ratified an IMO convention on the facilitation of international maritime traffic (FAL, 1965), which provides that crew members shall not be required to hold a visa for the purpose of shore leave. It also stipulates that foreign crew members shall be allowed ashore by the public authorities while their ship is in port. Discussing this on the telephone with a general police representative, I was surprised to learn that the police knew nothing about the IMO convention. Furthermore, I received an official letter from Darko Anzelj, general director of the Slovenian general police directorate, in which he stated that there is no international legal basis which would require the Slovenian police to change their policy. Of course I did not agree with him. I sent official letters to the ombudsman and President Janez Drnovsek, and over 30 emails and fax messages to the competent authorities. I received full support from the Slovenian public and the media, with coverage on TV and radio and in the newspapers. This included a statement by a retired seafarer, Vinko Grgic, who had sailed during his career as a radio officer with

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seafarers of more than 20 different nationalities. He understood the absurdity of discrimination based on nationality and national documents. There was also a strong letter of protest written by one captain whose crew members were refused permission to go ashore without a visa at the Slovenian Port of Koper. I must stress that the right to shore leave for seafarers was fully supported by the management of the Port of Koper and also by the Association of Maritime Agencies. On 20 August, there was finally a positive response. The Slovenian transport minister Marko Pavliha initiated a meeting between the ministry of transport, ministry of internal affairs and ministry of external affairs. Pavliha confirmed that I was right, and made it very clear that Slovenia must respect the IMO convention on the facilitation of international maritime traffic. It was agreed that all seafarers coming to the port of Koper would be allowed to go ashore, even if they did not possess an entry visa. The general police directorate changed their instructions to the maritime police, but not as I expected. According to the new instructions, the maritime police are now allowing seafarers to go ashore without a visa if they have a valid passport. In cases where seafarers are without a valid passport (if, for example, it has expired), they are allowed to go ashore only if they have a seaman’s book issued in a country which has ratified ILO Convention 108. My view is that they should also allow ashore seafarers with seaman’s books from countries that have not ratified ILO 108. There are many countries which have not ratified this convention, including, I believe, the US, Germany and Japan. Indeed, as I understand it, only 62 countries have ratified. I argue that if you are a signatory to the IMO Convention FAL 1965, then as long as a seafarer’s ID complies with provision 3.10.1 (concerning the standard requirements for an ID), then the ID is valid and ILO 108 is irrelevant. I worked at sea as an engineer officer for more than 10 years and I know how important it is for seafarers to go ashore. Shore leave is essential for the physical and mental health of seafarers.

The risk of being treated as polluters and terrorists could lead to seafarers demanding legal protection as they face being charged with criminal acts.

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he criminalisation of seafarers is not new. A long line of masters and senior officers have been prosecuted and jailed for pollution incidents. But the increasing emphasis on maritime security since September 2001 and new measures on pollution have added to the list of criminal sanctions. Seafarers are easy targets in the wake of major incidents, unlike shipowners themselves, who often hide in a web of flags of convenience and brass plate companies. Arrests can be made for marine pollution, maritime security, safety of navigation, arms or people smuggling or assault of people on board. When the Maltese-flagged crude oil tanker Tasman Spirit ran aground in July 2003 near the harbour mouth at Karachi port the crew could not have imagined that they would effectively be held hostage in Pakistan for nine months. And Capt Apostolos Mangouras, the master of the Prestige, could not have thought that he would be kept in Spain for two years, following the break-up of the Bahamas-flag vessel. Both cases highlighted the risk of unnecessary and unjustified detentions, when seafarers can find themselves at the centre of political battles over compensation and the apportionment of blame. The economic losses involved in major pollution incidents and growing public concern have put governments under pressure to take action. At the same time, the failure of flag states to live up to their international obligations has added to the pressure. For example, it has been the prime motivator of port state control regimes that have been put in place by coastal states in an effort to eliminate “rust buckets” and to ensure that foreign ships visiting their ports meet international safety, social and environmental standards.

Criminal As in any other walk of life, there are those in the seafaring profession who are actively and intentionally engaged in criminal behaviour. However, this should not detract from the fact that seafarers are, by virtue of the fact that they live and work on board a ship, in a disadvantaged position when faced with a state intent on a criminal prosecution. They are physically present at the scene and are easily accessible to law enforcement officials who can detain them while deciding how best to proceed. Against the backdrop of an industry where substandard shipowners seek to evade

Reuters/Zahid Hussein

which would then criminalise accidental pollution. Where seafarers have knowingly and intentionally carried out crimes, they should expect to face prosecution. However, not all cases are clear-cut. Seafarers sometimes find themselves in circumstances where they are under immense pressure to break the law, or where Crew members of the Greek oil tanker Tasman Spirit leave a court in Karachi in April 2004 after a judge they have a limited ability to stop the returned their passports and allowed them to leave the country. Eight crew members – five Greeks and illegal activity. The choice is to break three Filipinos – had been arrested six months earlier for their alleged negligence resulting in the worst oil the law or lose their job. In such spill in Pakistan’s history. cases, those circumstances could be mitigating factors in decisions relating to prosecution or to sentencing. There is a long tradition of seafarers openly cooperating with maritime casualty investigators from a variety of jurisdictions as they seek to explain serious incidents at sea. But under the current legal provisions, there is no guarantee that information gained under such investigations would not then be used later for a criminal prosecution, with the individual at risk of incriminating themselves. responsibility, using shell companies and detention, access to legal advice and Some ITF affiliates and legal experts are corporate veils to vanish without a trace, the representation, a fair trial and a proper process asking whether it is now time for seafarers to odds are stacked against an innocent seafarer. for extradition. Again, the flag state has a role to demand the provision, at no cost to themselves, The fact that beneficial ownership in shipping play, as do shipowners and insurers, particularly of independent legal counsel as a condition for can be very opaque is seen as one of the in addressing welfare and legal needs. speaking to casualty investigators. reasons why masters and sometimes crew are Although the issue of criminalisation is a held. Even if the shipowner can be found, the Intentional complex one, governments and the industry company is usually half way across the world The distinction between intentional and noncould go some way to mitigate the problem if and its directors are unlikely to have to endure intentional acts by seafarers has been long they paid more attention to fundamental issues incarceration. recognised. Criminal activities generally require such as eliminating substandard shipping. What’s more, flags of convenience, which both intention and knowledge of an offence. Seafarers find themselves on the front line in facilitate the evasion of liability by substandard But new provisions of the European Union’s the battle against terrorism, and in efforts to operators, have a poor record of providing proposed directive on maritime pollution, for protect the marine environment. Yet they feel diplomatic protection to seafarers when they example, require a much lower “civil law” they are being treated as potential terrorists and need it most. It is striking that the flag states in burden of proof, such as serious negligence, polluters until proven otherwise. the Prestige and Tasman Spirit cases – Bahamas and Malta respectively – did not exercise their “Seafarers sometimes find themselves in circumstances where they right under international law to institute legal are under immense pressure to break the law, or where they have a proceedings through the International Tribunal limited ability to stop the illegal activity. The choice is to break the on the Law of the Sea, requesting the immediate law or lose their job.” release of the seafarers involved. This application for release can only be made by or on behalf of the flag state of the vessel. Considering the number of ships flying flags of convenience, this is a major problem facing seafarers. Another aspect of protection that seafarers are often denied in practice are the procedural rights that many of us take for granted. These are the safeguards that ensure proper procedures are followed prior to and during an arrest, humane treatment during any periods of

Substandard shipping should be in the dock, not crew members


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Waterfront unity Cargo handling is best left to trained port workers, yet increasing numbers of seafarers are being persuaded or pressured into doing it, says Erol Kahveci.

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he traditional mutual support and solidarity enjoyed between dock workers and seafarers is being challenged by cargo handling on board ships. This practice creates issues for both parties, to do with employment rights, welfare and health and safety at work. Although there are no concrete international regulations relating to port work and cargo handling, the traditional and historical understanding is that cargo handling is done by dock workers. This tradition is also supported by some national laws and regulations. At an international level, there are two International Labour Organisation conventions: ILO 152, Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979; and ILO 137, Dock Work Convention, 1973. Article 3.2 of ILO Convention 137 states that registered dock workers shall have priority of engagement for dock work. However, implementation of these conventions depends

Cargo handling: It’s a job for the real experts on ratification by nation states and, so far, ILO 152 and ILO 137 have been ratified by only 22 and 25 countries respectively. The ITF uniform collective agreement also includes a clause that ships’ crews shall not be required or induced to carry out cargo handling. However, we cannot judge the situation from the existing agreements or regulations. In reality, a deregulation process is under way and port authorities may decide, for example, whether they will use non-union or casual labour. New port developments and private port terminals in

particular, in a competitive environment, may opt to reduce their labour conditions to make their ports more attractive for the shipping lines. One of the impacts of this process is that seafarers are getting more involved in cargo handling. One AB reported: “We have a very short trip and do all the lashing and unlashing. As far as I know, officers get a percentage and we get $1 per unit. It was very hard in the first few months, but I’ve got used to it. Last month I got $400 from cargo work. Lashing takes six to eight

Seafarers and dockers ‘must stand together’ Frank Leys (left), the new ITF Dockers’ Section Secretary, has been brought up to value solidarity and the lessons of history. Since starting work in the port of Antwerp more than 30 years ago, he has been at the forefront of joint actions of seafarers and dockers, and has witnessed the huge transformation that technology has brought to the quayside. “Dockers and seafarers, particularly ratings, are part of the same stock,” he says. “We are also important links in the same global supply chain.” As an ITF Inspector and Coordinator for the Belgian ports, he knows from first-hand experience that the two groups

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also face many of the same problems, as shipowners and port operators – often the same multinational corporations – seek to reduce costs under pressure from global shippers like the US supermarket chain, Walmart. “We are seeing the rise of naked capitalism, very like that seen at the end of the 19th century when the ITF was formed to protect dockers and seafarers from wage cuts, casualisation and exploitation. Ports have gone from the interchange of goods to being a hub in a global distribution chain,” he maintains. The response, however, has to be the same as it was when Leys’s union, the Belgian Transport Workers’ Union (BTB), became one of the founding affiliates of the ITF more than 100 years ago. “We have to work together and understand each other’s problems. If crews are doing dockers’ jobs, we are not only out


of a job, but it will be worse for those on board ship. They will have to be working in port, they will lose their time ashore and they will be working over rest periods.” The growth of the modern logistics industry and the huge investment in new port terminals has meant increased resistance from employers to any form of disruption of cargo handling. Trade unions are often seen as an obstacle that has to be overcome, with devastating consequences for jobs and conditions of employment. “It’s not that we should oppose change. But trade unions and the workers they represent should be involved from the start. I have just come back from Africa where, in Dar-es-Salaam, 600 unionised dockers were made redundant and 300 were taken on in their place,” he said. “In Malaysia, Vietnamese and Indonesian

dockers are working and being paid lower wages – ports of convenience.” In Europe, a new ports directive has been proposed, which again seeks to encourage self-handling by shippers and on board ship. In the US, the threat of non-union ports remains one of the biggest challenges to hard-won port employment rights. The pressure is not just on those on the quayside. Turning to that day’s messages on his computer, Leys says: “Here is an email from the crew of a Cyprus-registered bulk carrier where the Greek captain was seeking to amend the ITF contract on board to allow assisting with cargo discharge in port. It happens all the time.” Leys urges all seafarers to notify the ITF if they are asked to do traditional dock work. “We are dependent on each other, as we always have been, and we must stand together.”


hours because the vessel only carries 400 units. Lashing is not included in normal working hours. We still do maintenance work and keep watches.” As this account suggests, seafarers generally receive an additional payment for cargo handling. The going rate in the industry is $1 for lashing and $0.50 for unlashing cargo and, after various cuts, an AB could earn as much as $500 a month. This income is generally termed in the portage bill as an “additional earning”. As the crew are paid separately for the cargo handling, the hours they work for cargo handling are not included in their working hours. In a sense, they are sub-contracted to handle the cargo. Despite long working hours and adverse consequences, the system provides some extra cash for the crew and there are seafarers happy to do this sort of work. At the same time, there is an incentive for the officers to keep this cargo handling system and, of course, it is more profitable for the shipowner/operator. So there will always be pressure on the crew to perform this sort of task. This system also speeds up port operations. For example, seafarers can start unlashing cargo before approaching the port. A senior manager of a shipping company who was interviewed recently stated that in his company seafarers handled the cargo, but the additional amount paid to seafarers was comparable to that paid to dock workers. He emphasised that the advantage of seafarers handling the cargo was that it speeded up port operations and seafarers were available to handle the cargo whenever needed. Not all companies operate in this way. It is more common aboard ro-ro and containerships involved in the short-sea trade. Some ports do not permit cargo handling by seafarers (mainly ports in France), but it is very common all over Europe. Some ports bring in agency workers, however, and in many cases these are much cheaper than dock workers and seafarers. For example, in the UK, casual port labour generally only earns the minimum wage.

“Container and ro–ro vessels in particular have very fast turnaround times and when seafarers handle cargo they have no opportunity for shore leave.”

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ontainer and ro–ro vessels in particular have very fast turnaround times and when seafarers handle cargo they have no opportunity for shore leave. This creates very serious welfare issues. Seafarers became more and more confined to their ships. A recent SIRC survey of seafarers in relation to their life and work balance revealed that the perception of shore leave has changed over the years. Being able to get to the nearest phone box to make a phone call was regarded as “shore leave” by the majority of the seafarers.

➡ ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin 2005

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Cargo handling: It’s a job for the real experts

➡ Seafarers are in a very vulnerable position and find it difficult to resist cargo handling even though they are not always paid for it, as this account from another AB demonstrates: “We trade between X, Y and Z. X is our home port and we load 2,800 units. We do all the lashing and unlashing – sometimes we work as long as 28 hours with just meal breaks. We don’t get any additional money for lashing. I accept this. I’ve no choice. Our crew agent in Manila will not give us a ship [if I complain]. The manning agent takes our passports, seamen’s books and training certificates. Without handing these in you cannot take your leave pay. They take them so that you cannot be transferred to another company without their knowledge. Despite these conditions many seafarers want to work for them.” Many seafarers find this additional work detrimental to their long-term health. As a different AB put it: “I get about $500 a month extra [for cargo work], but it is back-breaking work. I’m sure all this money will go to doctors in the long run.” However, cargo handling by seafarers under pressure can have still more serious consequences as a port chaplain explains: “There has been a fatal injury here… Mistakes were made; short cuts were taken because there is great pressure on seafarers. The fatality case

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was an accident waiting to happen. When the ship came back into the port a week after the incident I had to counsel the other AB who was working with the seafarer and watched him die. He said that the pressure is always on, that the deceased was taking risks with the consent of both of them because once they’d finished lashing the containers – and it was the

“Research-based evidence suggests that for seafarers’ welfare, health and safety at work, cargo handling still needs to be done by trained, experienced and registered port workers.”

penultimate container loading that killed him – they had to get the ship ready to go to sea. So, therefore, they’re doing the lashing while the containers are being loaded. They are taking risks with their lives every time they are in port.” When the chaplain was asked why he thought that the seafarers were taking such risks his response was brief: “In order to keep up with the schedule, because otherwise they get penalised.” It needs to be acknowledged that new technology, deregulation, the introduction of casual labour, the emergence of new port terminals and new port developments and the competitive environment between port operators, are all presenting challenges to traditional dock workers. Self cargohandling by seafarers and casual workers is widely accepted by governments, shipping companies, port authorities and even by seafarers themselves. However, it is not accepted by dock workers, of course, and research-based evidence suggests that for seafarers’ welfare, health and safety at work, cargo handling still needs to be done by trained, experienced and registered port workers. Erol Kahveci is a senior researcher at the Seafarers’ International Research Centre in Cardiff, Wales. This article was originally published in The Sea, the newspaper of the Mission to Seafarers.

Directory ITF offices HEAD OFFICE 49/60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7403 2733 Fax: +44 (0)20 7357 7871 Telex: 051-8811397 ITF LDN G Email: [email protected] Website: www.itfglobal.org

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Contact an ITF Inspector Contact one of our Inspectors if you need help and you work on either a flag of convenience ship or on a foreign-flag ship not covered by a union agreement. If an Inspector is not available, contact the Actions Unit at ITF head office or your nearest ITF office (see addresses on the panel on the left).

BELGIUM Antwerp ● Joris De Hert* Belgische Transportarbeidersbond (BTB), Paardenmarkt 66, 2000 Antwerp Tel: +32(0)3 224 3413 Fax: +32(0)3 224 3449 Mobile: +32(0)474 842 547 Email: [email protected] ● Ben Verschueren BTB, Paardenmarkt 66, 2000 Antwerp Tel: +32(0)3 224 3419 Fax: +32(0)3 224 3449 Mobile: +32(0)475 775 700 Email: [email protected] Zeebrugge ● Christian Roos ACV-Transcom, Werfkaai 3b, 8380 Zeebrugge Tel: +32(0)5 036 6730 Fax: +32(0)5 055 1583 Mobile: +32(0)486 123 890 Email: [email protected]

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ARGENTINA Buenos Aires ● Roberto Jorge Alarcón* Centro de Capitanes de Ultramar y Oficiales de la Marina Mercante (CCUOMM), Bolívar 382, Piso 11, Oficina 42, CP C1066AAH, Buenos Aires Tel/Fax: +54(0)11 4331 4043 Mobile: +54(0)11 4414 5687 Email: [email protected] Rosario ● Rodolfo Vidal CCUOMM, Bolívar 382, Piso 11, Oficina 42, CP C1066AAH, Buenos Aires Tel/Fax: +54(0)341 425 6695 Mobile: +54(0)11 15 4414 5911 Email: [email protected] AUSTRALIA Fremantle ● Ross Storer Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), 2-4 Kwong Alley, North Fremantle, WA 6159 Tel: +61(0)8 9335 0500 Fax: +61(0)8 9335 0510 Mobile: +61(0)401 692 528 Email: [email protected] Melbourne ● Matt Purcell MUA, 46-54 Ireland St, West Melbourne, VA 3003 Tel: +61(0)3 9329 5477 Fax: +61(0)3 9328 1682 Mobile: +61(0)418 387 966 Email: [email protected] Sydney ● Dean Summers* MUA, 365-375 Sussex St, Level 2, Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: +61(0)2 9335 0500 Fax: +61(0)2 9267 4426 Mobile: +61(0)419 934 648 Email: [email protected] Townsville ● Graham Bragg MUA, 18 Mcllwraith St, South Townsville 4810, PO Box 277, Townsville QLD 4810 Tel: +61(0)7 4771 4311 Fax: +61(0)7 4721 2459 Mobile: +61(0)419 652 718 Email: [email protected]

BRAZIL Paranagua ● Ali Zini Federação Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Aquaviarios e Afins, Rua Caetano Gomes Correa 404, Costeira, CEP 83203-580, Paranagua PR Tel: +55(0)41 422 7774 Fax: +55(0)41 423 5005 Mobile: +55(0)41 9998 0008 Email: [email protected] Rio de Janeiro ● Luiz Fernando Duarte de Lima* ITF Interamerican Office, Avenida Rio Branco 26-11 Andar, CEP 20090-001 Centro, Rio de Janeiro Tel: +55(0)21 2233 0410 / 0411 Fax: +55(0)21 2283 0314 Mobile: +55(0)21 8169 4320 Email: [email protected] ● Airton Vinicius Broto Lima Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Aquaviarios e Aéreos, na Pesca e nos Portos (CONTTMAF), Avenida Rio Branco, 26-11 Andar, CEP 20090-001 Centro, Rio de Janeiro Tel: +55(0)21 2233 0410 / 0411 Fax: +55(0)21 2283 0314 Mobile: +55(0)21 8169 4326 Email: [email protected] Santos ● Renialdo Donizete Salustiano de Freitas CONTTMAF, Rua Amador Bueno, 59/2 Andar, Conjunto 23, CEP 11013-151 Centro, Santos-SP Tel/Fax: +55(0)13 3219 1843 Mobile: +55(0)13 9761 0611 Email: [email protected] CANADA Halifax ● John Parsons National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers’ Union of Canada, 63 Otter Lake Court, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3S 1M1 Tel: +1(0)902 455 9327 Fax: +1(0)902 736 1366 Mobile: +1(0)902 565 6891 Email: [email protected]

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Montreal ● Patrice Caron Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU), 1333 Saint-Jacques St, Montreal, Quebec H3C 4K2 Tel: +1(0)514 931 7859 Fax: +1(0)514 931 3667 Mobile: +1(0)514 234 9962 Email: [email protected] Toronto ● Mike Given SIU, 70 St. David St East, Thorlold, Ontario L2V 4V4 Tel: +1(0)905 227 5212 Fax: +1(0)905 227 0130 Mobile: +1(0)905 933 0544 Email: [email protected] Vancouver ● Peter Lahay* International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Maritime Section, Local 400, 111 Victoria Drive, Suite 120, Vancouver, British Columbia V5L 4C4 Tel: +1(0)604 251 7174 Fax: +1(0)604 251 7241 Mobile: +1(0)604 418 0345 Email: [email protected]

Esbjerg ● John Jacobsen* Dansk Metalarbejderforbund, ITF Office, Smedegade 25 1, 6700 Esbjerg Tel: +45(0)75 13 99 40 Fax: +45(0)75 13 99 41 Mobile: +45(0)40 33 25 77 Email: [email protected] ESTONIA Tallinn ● Jaanus Kuiv Estonian Seamen’s Independent Union, Nunne 8, Tallinn 10133 Tel: +372(0)6 443 009 Fax: +372(0)6 466 240 Mobile: +372(0)523 7907 Email: [email protected]

Q CHILE Valparaiso ● Juan Luis Villalon Jones Sindicato de Trabajadores Interempresas de Compañias Navieras, Pasaje Naylor 15, Plaza Justicia, Valparaiso Tel: +56(0)32 755 703 / 217 727 Fax: +56(0)32 217 727 Mobile: +56(0) 9250 9565 Email: [email protected]

COLOMBIA Cartagena ● Miguel Sanchez Unión de Marinos Mercantes y de Pesca Colombianos, Carrera 20A, No.29 B10 Pie de la Popa, 2do. Callejon Trucco, Apartado Postal No. 908, Cartagena Tel: +57(0)5 666 4802 Fax: +57(0)5 658 3496 Mobile: +57(0)3 10 657 3399 Email: [email protected] CROATIA Dubrovnik ● Vladimir Glavocic Sindikat Pomoraca Hravtske (SPH), Andrije Hebranga 83, 20 000 Dubrovnik Tel: +385(0)20 418 992 Fax: +385(0)20 418 993 Mobile: +385(0)98 244 872 Email: [email protected] Rijeka ● Predrag Brazzoduro* SPH, Kresimirova 4/II, 51 000 Rijeka Tel: +385(0)51 325 343 Fax: +385(0)51 213 673 Mobile: +385(0)98 211 960 Email: [email protected] Sibenik ● Milko Kronja SPH, Obala Dr. Franje Tudjmana 6, 22 000 Sibenik Tel: +385(0)22 200 320 Fax: +385(0)22 200 321 Mobile: +385(0)98 336 590 Email: [email protected] DENMARK Copenhagen ● Kjartan Gudmundsson Fagligt Faelles Forbund, ITF Office, Herluf Trolles Gade 5, 1052 Copenhagen Tel: +45 (0)33 14 30 30 Fax: +45 (0)33 14 39 39 Mobile: +45 (0)21 22 31 22 Email: [email protected]

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FINLAND Helsinki ● Simo Nurmi* Suomen Merimies-Unioni (SMU) r.y. (Finlands Sjömannsunion), Uudenmaankatu 16 B, PO Box 249, 00121 Helsinki Tel: +358(0)9 615 202 55 Fax: +358(0)9 615 202 27 Mobile: +358(0)40 580 3246 Email: [email protected] ● Ilpo Minkkinen SMU, Uudenmaankatu 16 B, PO Box 249, 00121 Helsinki Tel: +358 (0)9 615 202 53 Fax: +358 (0)9 615 202 27 Mobile: +358 (0)40 728 6932 Email: [email protected] ● Jan Örn Auto- ja Kuljetusalan Työntekijäliitto – AKT r.y. (Bil-och Transportbranschens Arbetareförbund i Finland), John Stenbergin Ranta 6, PO Box 313, 00531 Helsinki Tel: +358(0)9 613 110 Fax: +358(0)9 739 287 Mobile: +358(0)40 523 3386 Email: [email protected] Kotka ● Markku Uimonen SMU, Puutarhakatu 12, 48100 Kotka Tel: +358(0)5 213 855 Fax: +358(0)5 213 881 Mobile: +358(0)40 096 9619 Email: [email protected] FRANCE Dunkirk ● Pascal Pouille Fédération FO de l’Equipement, de l’Environnement, des Transports et des Services, Bâtiment Fond de Darses IV, Chaussée des Darses, BP 5303, 59379 Dunkerque Cedex 1 Tel: +33(0)3 28 66 45 24 Fax: +33(0)3 28 21 45 71 Mobile: +33(0)6 80 23 95 86 Email: [email protected] Le Havre ● François Caillou* Fédération Générale des Transports et de l’Equipement (FGTE)-CFDT, Union Maritime, 1 Rue Fontenoy, 76600 Le Havre Tel: +33(0)2 35 26 63 73 Fax: +33(0)2 35 24 14 36 Mobile: +33(0)6 08 94 87 94 Email: [email protected] Marseille ● Yves Reynaud FGTE-CFDT, 18 Rue Sainte, 13001 Marseille Tel: +33(0)4 91 54 99 37 Fax: +33(0)4 91 33 22 75 Mobile: +33(0)6 07 68 16 34 Email: [email protected]


GERMANY Bremen ● Ali Memon* Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (Ver.di), ITF Office, Bahnhofsplatz 22-28, 28195 Bremen Tel: +49(0)421 330 3333 Fax: +49(0)421 330 3366 Mobile: +49(0)171 571 2388 Email: [email protected] ● Michael Blanke Ver.di, ITF Office, Bahnhofsplatz 22-28, 28195 Bremen Tel: +49(0)421 330 3333 Fax: +49(0)421 330 3366 Mobile: +49(0)171 641 2693 Email: [email protected] Hamburg ● Ulf Christiansen ITF Office, c/o Ver.di Bezirksverwaltung, Besenbinderhof 60, D-20097 Hamburg Tel: +49(0)40 2800 6811 Fax: +49(0)40 2800 6822 Mobile: +49(0)171 641 2694 Email: [email protected] ● Jörg Stange ITF Office, c/o Ver.di Bezirksverwaltung, Besenbinderhof 60, D-20097 Hamburg Tel: +49(0)40 2800 6812 Fax: +49(0)40 2800 6822 Mobile: +49(0)172 971 0254 Email: [email protected] Rostock ● Hartmut Kruse Ver.di, ITF Office, Ost-West-Str 3, 18147 Rostock Tel: +49(0)381 670 0046 Fax: +49(0)381 670 0047 Mobile: +49(0)171 641 2691 Email: [email protected] GREECE Piraeus ● Stamatis Kourakos* Pan-Hellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO), 102-104 Kolokotroni St, 185 36 Piraeus Tel: +30(0)210 411 6610 / 6604 Fax: +30(0)210 413 2823 Mobile: +30(0)69 77 99 3709 Email: [email protected] ● Antonios Maounis PNO, 102-104 Kolokotroni St, 185 36 Piraeus Tel: +30(0)210 411 6610 / 6604 Fax: +30(0)210 413 2823 Mobile: +30(0)69 44 57 0910 Email: [email protected] ICELAND ReykJavik ● Jónas Gardarsson Sjómannafelag Reykjavikur, Skípholt 50 D, IS-105 Reykjavik Tel: +354(0)551 1915 Fax: +354(0)562 5215 Mobile: +354(0)892 7922 Email: [email protected] INDIA Calcutta ● Chinmoy Roy Calcutta Port Shramik Union, Port Shramik Bhawan, 26 Dr Sudhir Basu Rd, Khidderpur, Calcutta 700 023 Tel: +91(0)332 2459 7598 Fax: +91(0)332 2459 6184 Mobile: +91(0)98300 43094 Email: [email protected] Tuticorin ● DM Stephen Fernando Tuticorin Port Mariners’ and General Staff Union, Beach Rd, Zone “B” Extension Port (Opp Customs Office), Tuticorin 628 001, Tamil Nadu Tel: +91(0)461 2326 519 / 2339 195 Fax: +91(0)461 2311 668 Mobile: +91(0)94431 59137 Email: [email protected]

Visakhapatnam ● BV Ratnam Visakhapatnam Port Employees’ Union, Dharmsakti Bhavan, 26-15-204 Main Rd, 530 001 Visakhapatnam Tel: +91(0)891 2502 695 / 2552 592 Fax: +91(0)891 2502 695 Mobile: +91(0)98481 98025 Email: [email protected] IRELAND Waterford ● Tony Ayton Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union, ITF Office, Connolly Hall, Summerhill, Waterford Tel: +353(0)51 875 946 Fax: +353(0)51 876 381 Mobile: +353(0)87 679 4426 Email: [email protected] ISRAEL Haifa ● David Kritz Israeli Sea Officers’ Union, Haparsim St 22, PO Box 9512, Haifa Tel: +972(0)4 852 4289 Fax: +972(0)4 852 4288 Mobile: +972(0)547 334 644 Email: [email protected] ITALY Genoa ● Piero Luigi Re Federazione Italiana Trasporti (FIT-CISL), Via Milano 40B No. 9, 16126 Genoa Tel: +39(0)10 25 18 675 Fax: +39(0)10 25 18 683 Mobile: +39(0)335 707 0988 Email: [email protected] Leghorn/Livorno ● Bruno Nazzarri Federazione Italiana Lavoratori Trasporti (FILT-CGIL), Corso Mazzini 44, 57126 Leghorn Tel: +39(0)58 68 25 251 Fax: +39(0)58 68 96 178 Mobile: +39(0)987 100 2034 Email: [email protected] Naples ● Paolo Serretiello FIT-CISL, Piazzale Molo Angioino 50, Stazione Maritime No.81, 80132 Naples Tel: +39(0)81 55 12 677 Fax: +39(0)81 55 213 44 Mobile: +39(0)335 482 706 Email: [email protected] Palermo ● Francesco Saitta FILT-CGIL, Stazione Marittima Porto PA, Molo Vittorio Veneto, 90133 Palermo Tel/Fax: +39(0)91 32 17 45 Mobile: +39(0)338 698 4978 Email: [email protected] Ravenna ● Giovanni Olivieri* FIT-CISL, Via Magazzini Anteriori 47, 48100 Ravenna Tel: +39(0)54 45 91 852 Fax: +39(0)54 44 26 420 Mobile: +39(0)335 526 8464 Email: [email protected] Rome ● Carla Marchini FIT-CISL, Via Antonio Musa n.4, 00161 Rome Tel: +39(0)64 42 86 317 Fax: +39(0)64 40 29 91 Mobile: +39(0)335 644 9980 Email: [email protected] Taranto ● Gianbattista Leoncini FIT-CISL, Maritime Department, Piazza Della Libertà 12, 74100 Taranto Tel/Fax: +39(0)99 47 07 555 Mobile: +39(0)335 482 703 Email: [email protected]

Directory Venice ● Antonio Blasi FILT-CGIL, Zattere 1472, 30123 Venice Tel: +39(0)41 52 03 950 Fax: +39(0)41 52 29 326 Mobile: +39(0)335 618 7728 Email: [email protected] JAPAN Osaka ● Mash Taguchi All-Japan Seamen’s Union (JSU), 8-1-34, Nanko-Naka, Suminoe-ku, Osaka 559-0033 Tel: +81(0)66 612 1004 / 4300 Fax: +81(0)66 612 7400 Mobile: +81(0)90 7198 6721 Email: [email protected] Tokyo ● Simon Des Baux (Asia/Pacific Regional Coordinator) ITF Asia/Pacific Regional Office, Tamachi Kotsu Building 3-2-22, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023, Japan Tel: +81 (0)3 3798 2770 Fax: +81 (0)3 3769 4471 Email: [email protected] ● Shoji Yamashita* JSU, 15-26 Roppongi, 7-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032 Tel: +81(0)35 410 8330 Fax: +81(0)35 410 8336 Mobile: +81(0)90 3406 3035 Email: [email protected] ● Keiko Takahashi JSU, 15-26 Roppongi, 7 chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032 Tel: +81(0)35 410 8332 Fax: +81(0)35 410 8336 Email: [email protected] Yokohama ● Fusao Ohori JSU, 1-9-10 Higashi-Kanagawa, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama 221-0044 Tel: +81(0)45 451 5585 Fax: +81(0)45 451 5584 Mobile: +81(0)90 6949 5469 Email: [email protected] KENYA Mombasa ● Juma Khamis Dockworkers’ Union, PO Box 98207, Mombasa Tel: +254(0)41 495 244 Fax: +254(0)41 495 117 Mobile: +254(0)721 738053 Email: [email protected] KOREA Inchon ● Kwang-Jo Ko Federation of Korean Seafarers’ Unions (FKSU), c/o Inchon International Seafarers’ Welfare Center, Rm 301, 82-18, 7-Ka, Hang-Dong Jung-Ku, Inchon 400-037 Tel: +82(0)32 881 9880 Fax: +82(0)32 884 3228 Mobile: +82(0)11 440 4611 Email: [email protected] Pusan ● Sang Gi Gim FKSU, 2nd Floor Pusan Marine Center 79-1, 4ga Chungang-dong, Chung-Ku, Pusan 600-014 Tel: +82(0)51 469 0401 / 0294 Fax: +82(0)51 464 2762 Mobile: +82(0)11 585 2401 Email: [email protected] ● Bae Jung Ho Korean Federation of Port & Transport Workers’ Unions, Pusan Port and Transport Workers’ Union, 1168-11 Cho Ryang 3 Dong, Dong-ku, Pusan Tel: +82(0)51 463 4828 Fax: +82(0)51 464 8423 Mobile: +82(0)11 832 4628 Email: [email protected]

Seoul ● Hye Kyung Kim* FKSU, Room 203, Koryo Building, 544 Dowha-Dong, Mapo-Ku, Seoul 121-704 Tel: +82(0)2 716 2764 Fax: +82(0)2 702 2271 Mobile: +82(0)11 441 1232 Email: [email protected] LATVIA Riga ● Norbert Petrovskis Latvian Seafarers’ Union of Merchant Fleet, 22a Katrinas Dambis, Riga LV 1045 Tel: +371(0)7 073 436 Fax: +371(0)7 383 577 Mobile: +371(0)9 215 136 Email: [email protected] LITHUANIA Klaipeda ● Andrey Chernov Lithuanian Seamen’s Union, Vilties St 6-5, LT5800 Klaipeda Tel/Fax: +370(0)46 410 447 Mobile: +370(0)699 28198 Email: [email protected] MALTA Valletta ● Charles Briffa General Workers’ Union, c/o The Cargo Handling Co, Triq Belt il-Hazna Marsa HMR 12 Tel: +356(0)21 244 649 / 223 734 Fax: +356(0)21 244 649 Mobile: +356(0)9949 0291 Email: [email protected] MEXICO Cozumel ● Bruno Nazzarri ITF Cruise Ship Campaign Sub Office, Crew Member Club, c/o Hotel Barracuda, Avda Rafael E Melgar 628, Isla de Cozumel, Quintana Roo 77600 Tel/Fax: +52(0)987 869 1929 Mobile: +52(0)987 100 2034 Email: [email protected] Manzanillo ● Honorio Alberto Galván Aguilar Unión Nacional de Marineros, Fogoneros, Mayordomos, Cocineros, Camareros, Similares y Conexos de la Industria Marítima de la República Mexicana, Calzada Nios Héroes No.596 altos, CP 28200 Manzanillo Tel: +52(0)938 101 7167 Fax: +52(0)229 932 8962 Mobile: +52(0)229 929 9031 Email: [email protected] Veracruz ● Enrique Lozano Orden de Capitanes y Pilotos Navales de la República Mexicana, Xicotencatl No.85 Altos, Col Centro, Apartado Postal No.14, CP 91700, Veracruz Tel/Fax: +52(0)229 932 1367 / 3023 Mobile: +52(0)229 118 1281 Email: [email protected] NETHERLANDS Rotterdam ● Ruud Touwen* Federatie van Werknemers in de Zeevaart (FWZ), ITF Office, PO Box 5626, 3008 AP Rotterdam Tel: +31(0)10 215 1166 Fax: +31(0)10 423 3933 Mobile: +31(0)65 331 5072 Email: [email protected] ● Ed Booister FNV Bondgenoten, ITF Office, Zuidplein 113D, 3083 CN Rotterdam Tel: +31(0)10 215 1166 Fax: +31(0)10 423 3933 Mobile: +31(0)65 331 5073 Email: [email protected]

● Debbie Klein FWZ, ITF Office, PO Box 5626, 3008 AP Rotterdam Tel: +31(0)10 215 1166 Fax: +31(0)10 423 3933 Mobile: +31(0)65 318 2734 Email: [email protected] ● Aswin Noordermeer FWZ, ITF Office, PO Box 5626, 3008 AP Rotterdam Tel: +31(0)10 215 1166 Fax: +31(0)10 423 3933 Mobile: +31(0)65 333 7522 Email: [email protected] NEW ZEALAND Wellington ● Kathy Whelan* Maritime Union of New Zealand, PO Box 27004, Wellington Tel: +64(0)4 801 7613 Fax: +64(0)4 384 8766 Mobile: +64(0)21 666 405 Email: [email protected]

Manila ● Rodrigo Aguinaldo Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines, c/o Filnorgain Office, Ground Floor ECJ Condominiums Real, Corner Arzobispo St, Intramuros, Manila Tel: +63(0)2 536 82 87 Fax: +63(0)2 536 82 86 Mobile: +63(0)917 811 1763 Email: [email protected] POLAND Gdynia ● Andrzej Koscik National Maritime Section NSZZ Solidarnosc, ul Slaska 49A, 81-310 Gdynia Tel: +48(0)58 661 60 96 Fax: +48(0)58 661 60 53 Mobile: +48(0)602 233 619 Email: [email protected] Szczecin ● Adam Mazurkiewicz National Maritime Section NSZZ Solidarnosc, ul Szarotki 8, 70-604 Szczecin Tel: +48(0)91 423 97 07 Fax: +48(0)91 423 93 30 Mobile: +48(0)501 539 329 Email: [email protected]

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NORWAY Mosjøen ● Pål Aanes Norsk Transportarbeiderforbund, Havengata 60B, 8663 Mosjøen Tel: +47(0)75 175 135 Fax: +47(0)75 176 558 Mobile: +47(0)48 246 633 Email: [email protected] Oslo ● Nils Pedersen* Norsk Sjømannsforbund (NSF), PO Box 2000, Vika, N-0125 Oslo Tel: +47(0)23 825 835 / 22 495 872 Fax: +47(0)22 423 056 Mobile: +47(0)90 148 487 Email: [email protected] ● Angelica Gjestrum NSF, Rosenkrantz’gate 15-17, PO Box 2000, Vika, N-0125 Oslo Tel: +47(0)22 825 824 Fax: +47(0)22 423 056 Mobile: +47(0)97 729 357 Email: [email protected] Porsgrunn ● Truls M Hellenes Norsk Sjøofisersforbund, PO Box 421, Down Town, 3902 Porsgrunn Tel: +47(0)35 548 240 Fax: +47(0)35 548 023 Mobile: +47(0)90 980 487 Email: [email protected] Stavanger ● Aage Baerheim Norsk Olje- og Petrokjemisk Fagforbund, Kongsgate 52-58, N-4005 Stavanger Tel: +47(0)51 840 500 Fax: +47(0)51 840 501 Mobile: +47(0)90 755 776 Email: [email protected] PANAMA Balboa ● Londor Rankin Panama Canal Pilots’ Association, Apartado 601, Balboa-Ancón Tel: +507(0)228 4015 / 4854 Fax: +507(0)228 4125 Mobile: +507(0)613 1365 Email: [email protected]

PHILIPPINES Cebu City ● Joselito O Pedaria Philippine Seafarers’ Union, ALU Building, Port Area, Cebu City 6000 Tel: +63(0)32 256 16 72 Fax: +63(0)32 253 25 31 Mobile: +63(0)917 324 0100 Email: [email protected]

PORTUGAL Lisbon ● João de Deus Gomes Pires Sindicato dos Engenheiros da Marinha Mercante, AM-10 Edificio das Autoridades Maritimas, Doca Pesca-Pedroucas, 1400 Lisbon Tel: +35(0)21 302 0465 / 301 1209 Fax: +35(0)21 302 0173 Mobile: +35(0)91 936 4885 Email: [email protected]

PUERTO RICO Carolina ● Angel Felipe Garcia-Cortijo International Longshoremen’s Association, PMB 432, PO Box 6017, Carolina, PR00984-6017 Tel: +1787(0)783 1755 Fax: +1787(0)273 7989 Mobile: +1787(0)410 1344 Email: [email protected]

ROMANIA Constanta ● Adrian Mihalcioiu Sindicatul Liber al Navigatorilor, Incinta Port Constanta, Cladirea Bursa Noua, Constanta COD 900900 Tel: +40(0)241 618 587 Fax: +40(0)241 616 915 Mobile: +40(0)722 248 828 Email: [email protected]

RUSSIA Murmansk ● Konstantin Krivenko Seafarers’ Union of Russia (SUR), PO Box 123, Murmansk 183012 Tel: +7(0)815 242 2860 / 2821 / 2806 Fax: +7(0)815 242 2860 Mobile: +7(0)911 300 0807 Email: [email protected] Novorossiysk ● Alexander Ageev* SUR, PO Box 439, Novorossiysk 353922 Tel/Fax: +7(0)861 761 3282 Mobile: +7(0)861 762 4704 Email: [email protected] St Petersburg ● Victor Soloviov Dockers’ Union of Russia, 16/3 Dvinskaya St, St Petersburg 198035 Tel/Fax: +7(0)812 114 9732 Mobile: +7(0)812 965 5224 Email: [email protected]

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Directory ➡

Vladivostock ● Petr Osichansky SUR, R12, 3A Strelnikova St, Vladivostock 690065 Tel/Fax: +7(0)423 251 2485 Mobile: +7(0)423 270 6485 Email: [email protected] SLOVENIA Koper ● Branko Krznaric ITF Office, Prade Cesta XII 1, 6000 Koper Tel/Fax: +386(0)5 6530 239 Mobile: +386(0)41 646 167 / 31 521 293 (car) Email: [email protected]

Las Palmas ● Pedro Novo FCT-CCOO, Explanada Tomas Quevado s/n, Edifico Oeste, 1er piso, Oficina 105, 35008 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Tel: +34(0)928 467 630 Fax: +34(0)928 465 547 Mobile: +34(0)699 470 476 Email: [email protected] Valencia ● Miguel Coronado* FETCM-UGT, Espigón del Turia s/n, 46024 Valencia Tel: +34(0)96 367 12 63 / 06 45 Fax: +34(0)96 367 12 63 Mobile: +34(0)608 510 778 Email: [email protected]

Q SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town ● Cassiem Augustus South African Transport & Allied Workers’ Union (SATAWU), Cape Town Office, 69 Plein St, PO Box 1621, 8000 Cape Town Tel: +27(0)21 461 9410 Fax: +27(0)21 462 1299 Mobile: +27(0)82 773 6366 Email: [email protected] Durban ● Sprite Zungu SATAWU, PO Box 61601, Bishopsgate 4008, Durban Tel/Fax: +27(0)31 909 1087 Mobile: +27(0)82 773 6367 Email: [email protected] Johannesburg ● Thulani Dlamini* SATAWU, 6th Floor, 215 Sanlam Centre, Corner Jeppe & Von Wielligh Sts, PO Box 9451, Johannesburg 2000 Tel: +27(0)11 333 6127 / 0309 / 9247 Fax: +27(0)11 333 8918 Mobile: +27(0)82 773 6365 Email: [email protected]

SPAIN Algeciras ● David Echevarrieta Federación Estatal de Transportes, Comunicaciones y Mar (FETCM-UGT), Puerto de Algeciras, Nuevos almacenes de los pescadores, Nr 242, 11207 Algeciras Tel/Fax: +34(0)956 632 693 Mobile: +34(0)629 179 619 Email: [email protected] Barcelona ● Joan Mas Garcia Federación de Comunicación y Transporte (FCT-CCOO), Puerto de Barcelona, Crta de Circunvalación km 6, Tramo IV (Junto Edificio ASTA), 08039 Barcelona Tel: +34(0)93 298 21 00 ext. 2521 / 481 27 66 Fax: +34(0)93 298 21 79 Mobile: +34(0)629 302 503 Email: [email protected] Bilbao ● Mohamed Arrachedi ELA-Hainbat, Maestro Calles, 1-Bajo, 48980 Santurce Tel: +34(0)94 493 5659 Fax: +34(0)94 493 6296 Mobile: +34(0)629 419 007 Email: [email protected] La Coruña ● Jose M Ortega FETCM-UGT, Avenida Fernandez Latorre 27-3, SCTCM de UGT, A Coruña-Cee-Barbanza, 15006 La Coruña Tel: +34(0)981 169 740 Fax: +34(0)981 169 383 Mobile: +34(0)699 436 503 Email: [email protected]

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SWEDEN Gävle ● Peter Lövkvist Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet (STF), Avdelning 1, FH 25, Joe Hillsplatsen, 801 30 Gävle Tel: +46(0)26 65 72 06 Fax: +46(0)26 65 72 18 Mobile: +46(0)70 626 77 89 Email: [email protected] Gothenburg ● Göran Larsson STF, Avdelning 2, Pusterviksgatan 15, 413 01 Gothenburg Tel: +46(0)31 701 2414 Fax: +46(0)31 13 28 06 Mobile: +46(0)70 626 77 88 Email: [email protected] Helsingborg ● Sven Save SEKO Facket för Service och Kommunikation, SEKO Sjöfolk, Växjögatan 25, S-252 51 Helsingborg Tel: +46(0)31 42 95 31/ 42 37 43 35 Fax: +46(0)42 37 43 45 Mobile: +46(0)70 57 49 713 Email: [email protected] Stockholm ● Carl Tauson* SEKO Facket för Service och Kommunikation, Box 1105, S-111 81 Stockholm Tel: +46(0)8 791 4100 Fax: +46(0)8 212 595 Mobile: +46(0)70 59 26 896 Email: [email protected] ● Annica Barning SEKO Facket för Service och Kommunikation, Barnhusgatan 10, 1 tr ög, 111 23 Stockholm Tel: +46(0)8 454 8405 Fax: +46(0)8 411 6940 Mobile: +46(0)70 57 49 714 Email: [email protected] ● Lars Lindgren STF, Box 714, 101 33 Stockholm Tel: +46(0)8 723 7729 Fax: +46(0)8 24 91 03 Mobile: +46(0)70 512 7531 Email: [email protected] TAIWAN Keelung ● Huang Yu-Sheng National Chinese Seamen’s Union (NCSU), 8th Floor, No 25, Sec 3 of Nanking East Rd, Taipei City, Taiwan 104 Tel: +886(0)2251 50302 / 50259 Fax: +886(0)2250 61046 / 78211 Mobile: +886(0)933 906 398 Email: [email protected] Taichung ● Sanders Chang NCSU, No. 94 Pa-Der Rd, Wu-Chi Town, Taichung County Tel: +886(0)2251 50302 Fax: +886(0)2250 78211 Mobile: +886(0)955 415 705 Email: [email protected]


Taipei ● Hsieh Cheng Chuan* NCSU, 8th Floor, No.25, Sec 3 of Nanking East Rd, Taipei City, Taiwan 104 Tel: +886(0)2251 50302 Fax: +886(0)2250 61046 Mobile: +886(0)933 906 298 Email: [email protected] UNITED KINGDOM Aberdeen ● Norrie McVicar* National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT), 3 Commerce St, Aberdeen ABII 5EU Tel: +44(0)1224 582 688 Fax: +44(0)1224 584 165 Mobile: +44(0)7768 652 257 Email: [email protected] Avonmouth ● Bill Anderson RMT, 53 Redington Road, Liverpool L19 4UB Tel/Fax: +44(0)151 427 3668 Mobile: +44(0)7876 794 914 Email: [email protected] Liverpool ● Tommy Molloy National Union of Marine, Aviation & Shipping Transport Officers (Numast), Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park, Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44(0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44(0)151 346 8801 Email: [email protected] South Shields ● Keith Jobling RMT, 4 Coronation St, South Shields, Tyne & Wear NE33 1AR Tel: +44(0)191 455 1370 Fax: +44(0)191 456 1309 Mobile: +44(0)7860 385 247 Email: [email protected] Tilbury ● Chris Jones Numast, 750-760 High Rd, Leytonstone, London E11 3BB Tel: +44(0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44(0)20 8530 1015 Mobile: +44(0)7921 022 600 Email: [email protected] UNITED STATES Baltimore ● Arthur Petitpas Seafarers’ International Union of North America (SIU), 2315 Essex St, Baltimore, MD21234 Tel: +1(0)410 882 3977 Fax: +1(0)410 882 1976 Mobile: +1(0)443 562 3110 Email: [email protected] Charleston ● Tony Sacco SIU, 310 East Bogue Blvd, Atlantic Beach, NC28512 Tel/Fax: +1(0)252 726 3033 Mobile: +1(0)252 241 2396 Email: [email protected] Detroit ● Don Thornton SIU, 520 St Clair River Drive, Algonac, Michigan Tel/Fax: +1(0)810 794 0909 Mobile: +1(0)419 349 1838 Email: [email protected] Houston ● Shwe Tun Aung SIU, 1221 Pierce St, Houston, TX77002 Tel: +1(0)713 659 5152 Fax: +1(0)713 650 8629 Mobile: +1(0)713 447 0438 Email: [email protected] Los Angeles ● Stefan Mueller-Dombois International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), 5318 E 2nd St 351, Long Beach, CA90803-5354 Tel: +1(0)562 439 8714 Fax: +1(0)562 856 7190 Mobile: +1(0)562 673 9786 Email: [email protected]

Miami ● Hans Saurenmann International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), 1610 Port Boulevard, Miami, FL33132 Tel: +1(0)305 428 0609 Fax: +1(0)305 371 2409 Mobile: +1(0)305 360 3279 Email: [email protected] New Orleans ● Dwayne Boudreaux* ILA, 2337 Tchoupoulas St, New Orleans, LA70130 Tel: +1(0)504 271 1496 Fax: +1(0)504 271 5508 Mobile: +1(0)504 442 1556 Email: [email protected] New York ● Enrico Esopa* SIU, 3rd Floor, 360 W 31st St, New York, NY10001 Tel: +1(0)212 244 4000 Fax: +1(0)212 244 0245 Mobile: +1(0)201 417 2805 Email: [email protected] Port Canaveral ● Scott Brady SIU, Cruise Ship Campaign Office, 399 Challenger Rd, Suite 103, Cape Canaveral, FL32920 Tel: +1(0)321 799 2994 Fax: +1(0)321 799 9282 Mobile: +1(0)321 693 8331 Email: [email protected] Portland ● Don Liddle ILWU, 19216 NE Couch St, Portland, OR97230 Tel: +1(0)503 465 1812 Fax: +1(0)503 465 8302 Mobile: +1(0)503 504 7490 Email: [email protected] Puerto Rico See separate listing for Puerto Rico Seattle ● Lila Smith ILWU, 10002 Aurora Ave 36, Seattle, WA98133-9334 Tel: +1(0)206 533 0995 Fax: +1(0)206 533 0996 Mobile: +1(0)206 818 1195 Email: [email protected] ● Jeff Engels* ILWU, 3518 Freemont Ave North, No.322, Seattle, WA98103 Tel: +1(0)206 633 1614 Fax: +1(0)206 675 1614 Mobile: +1(0)206 331 2134 Email: [email protected] Tampa ● Tony Sasso National Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, Cruise Ship Campaign Office, 399 Challenger Rd, Suite 103, Cape Canaveral, FL32920 Tel: +1(0)321 784 0686 Fax: +1(0)321 784 0522 Mobile: +1(0)321 258 8217 Email: [email protected] *Denotes ITF Coordinator

Need help? Whatever the problem freephone… ✱-800-seafarer ✱-800-73232737 ✱ See toll free codes below

or telephone… +44-20-73232737 and we’ll call you back immediately SeafarerHelp is a completely free and confidential telephone support service provided by ISAN (International Seafarers’ Assistance Network) for all seafarers and their families. Whether you have a problem you need to discuss or simply want to know where the nearest seafarer centre is, we will point you in the right direction. Whatever you want to know, whatever language you speak, wherever you are, whatever time it is, we are here for you.

www.seafarerhelp.org Toll free available from: ✱ Australia: 0011 ✱ Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK: 00

✱ Brazil: 0800-8919181 ✱ Canada, USA: 011 or dial 1-877-3-737283 (1-877-3-rescue) ✱ China: 1-800-4410168 ✱ Hong Kong, Singapore: 001 ✱ India: 1-600-4254357 ✱ Israel: 012, 013 or 014 ✱ Japan: 001, 0041 or 0061

✱ Korea: 001, 002 or 008 ✱ Mexico: 01-800-33-73232737 (complete number) ✱ Philippines: 00-800-73728300 ✱ Russia: 810-800-21362044 ✱ South Africa: 09 ✱ Tailand: 001-800-442096 ✱ UAE: 800-0440104

Call us on ✱-800-73232737 (seafarer) or +44-20-73232737

ITF Seafarers’ Bulletin no. 19/2005

International Transport Workers’ Federation

Q

Keep up to date with campaigns such as the battle against flags of convenience and for improving on board conditions for seafarers. Find out how to mobilise solidarity in support of workers facing challenges to their human and trade union rights. Information on the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, women’s issues and the ITF’s legal and education services is also available online. For advice, information and news on ITF activities in the shipping industry and on the global transport trade union movement log on to…

www.itfglobal.org