The transport industry is calling for unrestricted movement and Covid-19 vaccination priority for its workers to put an end to the global supply crunch.
The International Chamber of Shipping has joined the World Transport Organization, International Transport Workers' Federation and International Air Transport Association in "an urgent plea" to make this happen.
"Seafarers, aircrew and drivers must be able to continue to do their jobs and cross borders, to keep supply chains moving," they wrote in an open letter on Wednesday to the United Nations' (UN) World Health Organisation (WHO).
"We ask heads of government to urgently take the leadership that is required to bring an end to the fragmented travel rules and restrictions that have severely impacted the global supply chain and put at risk the health and wellbeing of our international transport workforce."
They also asked the Switzerland-based WHO to ensure their workers are among the first to get inoculated through its SAGE Roadmap for Prioritizing Uses of COVID-19 Vaccines in the Context of Limited Supply.
'Failed to listen'
"Heads of government have failed to listen, to end the blame-shifting within and between governments and take the decisive and coordinated action needed to resolve this crisis," they wrote.
"Transport workers keep the world running and are vital for the free movement of products, including vaccines and PPE, but have been continually failed by governments and taken for granted by their officials."
The transport sector accounts for more than $20trn of annual world trade annually and represents 65m global transport workers that include seafarers, they said.
"We also call on the WHO to take our message to health ministries," they wrote.
"Despite early engagement at the outset of the pandemic and issuance of guidance, health and transport ministries have not utilised it, resulting in the situation we face today.
"We need the WHO and governments to work together to ensure this guidance is accepted and followed."
The transport bodies, which pointed out that supply-chain disruptions will only worsen as Christmas approaches, also urged the WHO and International Labour Organisation to take the transport industry's requests to the UN General Assembly.
"It is of great concern that we are also seeing shortages of workers and expect more to leave our industries as a result of the poor treatment they have faced during the pandemic, putting the supply chain under greater threat," they said.
