Shipowners are bracing for possible industrial action by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) from next week, when a grace period allowing crew to work beyond their contracts expires.

Last month, the ITF agreed to allow a 30-day extension to employment terms — to 16 June — for crew working under International Bargaining Forum (IBF) employment contracts.

Hundreds of thousands of seafarers are employed under IBF contracts that are approved by the ITF.

It was the union’s third and final extension and was intended as an ultimatum to governments to introduce an industry-designed 12-step programme to allow crew to go home amid global travel restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Little choice

However, with about 150,000 crew still trapped on ships, and ­limited response from governments, the federation feels it has been left with little choice but to seek ways to protect the interests of its ­members who want to go home.

Some crew have already worked close to four months beyond their contractual obligations, and reports of suicides and mental ­distress are growing.

The ITF has informed the Joint Negotiating Group — the employers’ representative in the IBF talks — that it is not prep­ared to agree to further em­ployment extensions.

While the ITF has work­ed closely with employer organisations over the issue, it is now ready to act to protect seafarers’ rights, which could bring it into conflict with owners. One manager said: “The ITF will no longer be able to ­support us in telling crews to be patient.”

ITF representative Jacqueline Smith did not respond to questions on what action the federation might take before TradeWinds' press time.

But the union has a number of weapons at its disposal. It has previously used “naming and shaming” tactics against owners that it believes have not acted in the best interest of its crews.

Employers dismayed too

Francesco Gargiulo, who heads the International Maritime Employers’ Council. Photo: IMEC

It could also put pressure on governments through its extensive representation in other transport sectors, such as ports and aviation.

More extreme methods include boycotting vessels at ports and strike action, organised through its network of affiliated unions around the world.

That could cause vessel delays at ports and obstruct loading and unloading operations.

In an earlier statement, ITF ­general secretary Steve Cotton said: “This is about governments recognising the critical role that seafarers play in the global supply chain, recognising them as key workers, and providing immediate and consistent exceptions from Covid-19 restrictions to allow crew changeovers.”

Employers are equally dismayed over the failure of many governments to act in recognising seafarers as key workers and allowing them home.

International Maritime Employers’ Council chief executive Francesco Gargiulo said: “The expectation seems to be that ­seafarers can continue to be treated as second-­class citizens and kept on board almost as captives, ­making sure supermarket shelves stay full and life goes on as normal.”

Positive developments

ILO director general Guy Ryder. Photo: ITF

The United Nations’ International Labour Organization has also put its weight behind the effort to persuade governments to act.

Director general Guy Ryder said: “Forcing exhausted seafarers to continue working more than four months beyond the end of their contract is unacceptable. This jeopardises their health and endangers maritime safety.”

In more positive developments, there have been relaxations on restrictions on crew travel, the most significant of which is Hong Kong’s decision to allow crew exchange.

Sri Lanka has also eased its requirements for seafarers and emerged as a key crew exchange location in recent months. The European Union is allowing crew change, and the UK has not applied its quarantine restrictions to ­seafarers.

However, crew exchange remains difficult in the key shipping and recruitment hubs of ­Singapore, Philippines and India.

The Philippines has even added to the problems of managers and owners by insisting that they pay for the quarantine costs of returning seafarers.

Seeking alternatives

About 35,000 seafarers from the Philippines are expected to return home each month once the crisis is over.

The country's main unions wrote to the government, urging it not to make shipowners foot the $700-per-person quarantine bill.

The unions are concerned that the requirement will encourage owners to seek seafarers from alternative countries.

“Principals might be compelled to look for replacements in other source countries such as Eastern Europe, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, India and China, where repatriation quarantine costs are shouldered by their government and not passed on to the shipowners,” the Philippine seafarers’ unions said.