Around 250,000 seafarers working on more than 10,000 boats will benefit from wage hikes, many workplace protections, and other changes thanks to a four-year agreement between seafarers' unions and maritime companies.
The details of the 2024–2027 IBF Framework Agreement were agreed upon last week in Berlin by the International Bargaining Forum (IBF), the body that negotiates the largest worldwide collective bargaining agreement in history.
A 6% pay rise will be given to seafarers covered by the agreement over the next two years, with a 4% pay increase beginning on January 1 2024 and a 2% pay increase beginning on January 1 2025. The salary agreement and cost items for 2026–2027 will be negotiated in 2025.
The agreement also makes mention to ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment to further emphasise a shared commitment to offering all seafarers secure workplaces free of violence, discrimination, and harassment. Also, in the shared fight against malpractice, the significance of safe working procedures in cargo lashing was acknowledged.
Also, a new working group was created to concentrate on the maritime industry's major concerns, such as the influence of new technologies, the use of alternative fuels, and ensuring a fair transition as the sector adapts to climate change. The working committee will also be responsible for issues related to the crewing levels, exhaustion, and length of employment for seafarers.
"The pay deal locked into this agreement provides concrete financial recognition for the crucial contribution that seafarers make to the global economy and also recognises the sacrifice that seafarers have carried over the past few years and throughout the pandemic," said Paddy Crumlin, president of the International Transport Workers' Federation. Despite the difficulties in these negotiations, the ITF and JNG nevertheless have a strong relationship.
-By Madia Greenslade|thetransporteronline24|
