Owners have been urged to make sure they are in compliance with new rules on cargo-handling operations in port.
The Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) of maritime employers and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) have reminded industry players that an amended "dockers clause" in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) comes into force on 1 January.
The CBA was agreed at the last International Bargaining Forum (IBF) negotiations in February 2018, and was effective from 1 January this year.
The "dockers clause", however, was delayed to 2020 as both sides realised it might require big changes to existing arrangements with stevedoring companies, charterers and other third parties.
This deferment period applied to containerships operating in the Baltic Sea, Canada, northern Europe and western Europe, excluding the Mediterranean Sea.
The clause lays out procedures for loading and unloading operations in port which better safeguard the ship’s crew and the dockers’ right to do the work.
"Both parties have continuously reminded the respective companies of the upcoming change to the IBF requirements in the 'dockers clause' and strongly encourage those companies affected to take concrete action to ensure that they are compliant come 1 January 2020," the JNG and ITF said.
