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December 18, 2020
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- ICS and ITF, ilo's complaint accusing governments of
that they have not fulfilled their obligations to seafarers
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- Mattioli (Confitarma): a formal recognition of the
seafarers as essential workers on the part of Italy could
be useful also in view of the vaccination campaign
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 The Shipowners' Association International Chamber of Shipping
(ICS) and the international transport workers' trade union organization
Federation (ITF) stressed the historical nature of the
decision of the Committee of Experts in recent days
International Labour Organisation (ILO) which points out that
during the Covid-19 pandemic, governments that have not
fulfilled their obligations towards seafarers under the
international law.-
- ICS and ITF noted that this is the first
this type, with which twenty eminent jurists found
that governments have failed to enforce minimum standards
for the protection of the rights of seafarers, as established by the
international law under the Labour Convention
(MLC) 2006. This - ICS and ITF recalled -
includes fundamental rights such as access to
repatriation, annual leave and ground holidays.
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- Pointing out that the conclusions follow the comments
presented by the International Transport Workers' Federation and
by the International Chamber of Shipping, the Secretary-General
of the ITF, Stephen Cotton, and the Secretary-General of the ICS, Guy
Platten recalled that "governments have been
for months to address the crisis of crew changes and
now they've been told they have to act to help the
hundreds of thousands of seafarers still on board the ships because of
the illegal actions of the Member States.'
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- "This judgment- noted Cotton and Platten -
clearly states that it is legally and morally
wrong that countries continue to expect seafarers to
work indefinitely, providing the world with food, medicine and
vital supplies, while depriving them of their rights
fundamental values of seafarers, workers and human beings. This
historical judgment is a clear claim of what
that the seafarers' unions and shipowners have stated in the
the last nine months.'
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- "This judgment," they added, "clarifies that all
governments must comply with international law and recognize
seafarers as essential workers, with
Practices. This means allowing seafarers to get off
ports for medical care. It means allowing seafarers to
reach an airport to get home when their contracts
are finished. And it means letting the crews who have to them
replace cross the border of a country in order to arrive
to the ships waiting for them without having to confront a mountain
of bureaucracy. To date - Cotton and Platten recalled - only 46
countries have classified seafarers as key workers, which
it is simply not far from sufficient.'
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- Mario Mattioli, President of the Italian Confederation
Shipowners, an association that adheres to the ICS, pointed out that
the organization it represents fully shares what it says
ICS and ITF and in turn strongly calls on the Italian Government to
recognise seafarers as key workers. "We are aware
and grateful - said Mattioli - for the fact that in recent months the
competent ministries, with the General Command of the Corps of
Captaincies of Porto, have shown great attention to the
problems of crew changes and that, on Italian territory,
the rights of seafarers have been fully respected. However
a formal recognition by our country of seafarers
as essential workers could also be useful for their
necessary inclusion among the categories of subjects that must have
priority in the imminent launch of the
vaccination against Covid. It is an important signal to give
only to the entire international maritime community but
especially to seafarers on board our ships who for months have not
they manage to return to their families."
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