Inspectors from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have recovered nearly US $119 million in wages owed to seafarers between 2020 and 2022, with over $36 million paid back to seafarers in 2022 alone.
Tasked with boarding ships to educate seafarers about their legal entitlements, ITF inspectors also identify breaches of contracts, national laws and international conventions. They work with authorities to ensure these rights are upheld. Currently, the ITF has a network of inspectors in 111 ports across 56 nations.
In 2022, the ITF received reports of 2,199 contract violations, with the most common issue being wage non-payment.
“Although we take pride in having recovered nearly $120 million for seafarers over the last three years, it’s regrettable that such actions are necessary. Ideally, all seafarers should receive their full wages punctually,” said David Heindel, chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Section and president of the Seafarers International Union.
“For some seafarers, a shipowner might miss a pay date here or there, but others can go months without receiving their salaries. ITF inspectors, supported by our seafarer and docker union affiliates, are here to help crew stand up for their rights wherever they find themselves in need of support.”
Last year, ITF inspectors carried out 8,667 global ship inspections. Of these, 1,878 were initiated by seafarers reaching out to the ITF for assistance.
An additional 3,771 inspections were part of a systematic approach to ensure that ships registered under Flags of Convenience (FOC) comply with international standards, just as nationally registered vessels do.
ITF President and Dockers’ Section Chair, Paddy Crumlin said: “Pandemic-related restrictions had blocked most of our inspectors from boarding vessels in the way they had done pre-pandemic. We are now seeing a strong return to active and regular inspections of Flags of Convenience vessels – and still the same level of exploitation. It’s another stark reminder of the underbelly of our industry, and also that more ITF inspections taking place is good news for seafarers and their rights.”
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