***A sea of troubles

ITF re-launches action week targeting “shocking” levels of crew abuse and dangerous ships in the Black Sea.

The ITF union is re-launching its week of action against “shocking” levels of crew abuse and unsafe vessels in the Black Sea.

The Black Sea of Shame campaign revisits the region two years after the last crackdown on substandard owners.

The union and its affiliates will be based in ports from Monday.

It said the Black Sea remained “one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a seafarer. This week of action is the latest step in the campaign to publicise and improve that disgraceful situation.”

Vessels calling in Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine will be boarded for inspections and to inform seafarers of their rights, particularly under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).

ITF maritime coordinator Tomas Abrahamsson said: “Any honest observer will find themselves appalled by the low standards in this region. The state of some of these vessels and the abominable working conditions on them almost defy description.

“Unions are actively battling these conditions and, even in the face of current political events, they are focusing as usual on the interests of workers.”

He urged governments to take action as well and added there had been some encouraging detentions by port state control in Bulgaria and Russia but much more needs to be done.”

A new report on Black Sea conditions claims MLC has yet to be widely enforced, with the region still a haven for older vessels with inadequate insurance operated by owners with “scant regard for obligations to their crew.”

***Panama officers training ‘monopoly’ faces union fire

As a new government prepares to take office, the country’s shipping sector is hoping for reforms of practices that left Orion Maritime Training with no rival

Panama’s outgoing government has come under criticism for a licensing process that has left a single company with a monopoly over key officer training for vessels flying the world’s largest shipping flag.

Panama City-based Orion Maritime Training Center has had a permit from the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) since 2011 to carry out assessments for officers’ licences on vessels registered in Panama. It recently emerged that the company’s licence had been renewed until 2015.

The country’s maritime union leaders have decried the situation, saying it has driven up costs for Panamanian seafarers and raises safety concerns.

“For us, what is happening is worrisome,” said Luis Fruto, a tug captain who is president of the Panamanian Association of Marine Officers (APOM) and the local inspector for the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

He tells TradeWinds that after three years in operation, little is known about Orion and about the level of evaluation it is carrying out before approving officer assessments in the name of the AMP.

Fruto says the situation means that, while Panamanian seafarers are expected to spend years at the country’s maritime universities and as cadets at sea before qualifying as officers, foreign officers are able to obtain qualifications by e-mail with less training.

Plus, the assessments come at a more prohibitive cost of at least $5,000 compared to a prior price in the hundreds of dollars.

“If companies like this are going to exist, it’s best to just close the maritime universities,” Fruto said.

However, he says APOM wants the AMP to require assessments to be carried out with in-person testing, as had been done previously, rather than by mail or e-mail.

Efforts to reach Orion, whose website and at least one e-mail address are no longer functioning, were unsuccessful. The AMP’s director general for seafarers, Jose Rogelio Hernandez, referred TradeWinds’ questions to an agency spokesman, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, the government has previously defended the company’s role in the maritime training regime, pointing out that there have been no safety incidents tied to Orion.

There is widespread hope that the administration of president-elect Juan Carlos Varela, who takes office in July, will change the concession practice.

Lawyer Iria Barrancos, president of the Panama Maritime Law Association (Apademar), says the controversy over Orion is just the latest example of years of outsourcing the assessments work to one company or a small number of companies. The problem, the association believes, is a system in which politicians are granting concessions to carry out work in the government’s name.

“Instead of carrying out this concession, we should do it ourselves,” Barrancos told TradeWinds.

She says the work should be carried out by a government-owned company as part of reforms that Apademar has proposed for Panama’s shipping registry.

***Wage bargaining parties edge towards deal in Bali

Unions and employers are saying little as they enter the final stage of collective negotiations but a prospective three-year deal could be on the cards

Shipping’s largest collective bargaining assembly, the International Bargaining Forum (IBF), is set to be concluded in Bali next week in a deal that will have a significant impact on shipowners’ costs over the coming years.

Both employers’ representatives and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) are declining to comment ahead of the final round of talks, both claiming that they do not want to affect what has already been a “fraught” series of discussions over the past seven months.

Yet, despite what has seemingly been a wide difference between the sides’ bargaining position, sources familiar with recent developments claim that an agreement will be reached in Bali.

Shipowners, represented by the International Maritime Employers’ Committee and Joint Negotiating Group, have argued strongly that the recovery in the trading market is fragile and their members’ costs still need to be protected by restraining wage increases.

Unions counter that the recovery is well underway and the past three years of low wage increases need to be made up in the next agreement.

But equally significant as the headline wage-rate increase will be the terms of the agreement.

It appears likely that the next deal will be in line with the last 2011 pact and extend over three years.

That could prove suitable for both sides.

It will offer the opportunity for the initial wage increase in the first two years to be kept at a minimum, which will suit owners. A higher rate in the third year should coincide with a full recovery in the market around 2017, when owners are in a better position to pay, and help unions save face over the agreement.

The ITF has been looking for a 15% wage increase on the previous deal.

The Bali talks will be the first test of a new methodology agreed at the last round of negotiating wage agreements.

Part of the final collective bargaining package will be an attempt by shipowners to gain greater control over the spending of the IBF Welfare Fund, made up of shipowner contributions but almost entirely controlled by the ITF.

But there are other side issues that shipowners will be attempting to use to temper the union’s demands.

The first is the progress both sides have made on developing the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, not least the recent agreement in Geneva earlier this year that offered financial guarantees for seafarers involved in cases of abandonment — something that is likely to increase shipowners’ insurance costs.

FROM ZIUA CONSTANTA (ROMANIA):

***Verificarea respectării contractelor de muncă şi a stadiului achitării salariilor, printre obiectivele „Black Sea Campaign“ (galerie foto)

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În perioada 26-30 mai, toate navele care vor ancora în porturile constănţene vor fi inspectate de reprezentanţi ai Sindicatului Liber al Navigatorilor (SLN). Potrivit preşedintelui SLN, Adrian Mihălcioiu, inspecţiile se vor desfăşura în cadrul unei campanii intitulate „Black Sea Campaign“.

„Acţiunile au ca scop verificarea condiţiilor în care navigatorii îşi desfăşoară activitatea şi stadiul achitării salariilor şi diurnelor acestora. Mai mult, vom putea constata, la faţa locului, dacă prevederile din contractele de muncă ale navigatorilor sunt respectate“, a declarat, ieri, în contextul unei conferinţe, liderul SLN. „Black Sea Campaign“ 2014 este organizată de Federaţia Internaţională a Transportatorilor (ITF) şi de sindicatele navigatorilor din Bulgaria, Georgia, România, Rusia, Turcia şi Ucraina. Campania beneficiază de sprijinul sindicatelor docherilor şi al autorităţilor navale din ţările respective. ITF este o federaţie de peste 700 de organizaţii reprezentative, compusă din mai mult de 4,5 milioane de membri din 150 de ţări, care promovează interesele componenţilor săi în campanii globale de solidaritate. „Cei cinci inspectori IFT din zona Constanţa, Novorossiysk, Odessa, Istanbul şi Batumi au continuat să se confrunte cu un număr mare de cazuri de neplată a salariilor, de încălcare a legislaţiei şi a standardelor, de nave care nu oferă condiţii decente de muncă şi de viaţă navigatorilor de la bord“, a mai spus Adrian Mihălcioiu.

Arialul Mării Negre, dominat de nave cu 20 de ani vechime

În Marea Neagră sunt active 2.200 de nave cu o capacitate de 2000 tdw -  12.000 tdw. Majoritatea au peste 20 de ani vechime, iar 800 dintre ele au peste 30 de ani vechime. Din totalul de 2.200 nave, doar 500 sunt mai noi de zece ani. Din 2012, au fost raportate 151 de nave cu probleme grave, 105 cazuri de neplată a salariilor, cinci nave abandonate, din care două în Constanţa. Liderul Sindicatului Liber al Navigatorilor a adăugat că cele mai multe pavilioane cu probleme aparţin Turciei, cu 64 de cazuri, după care urmează Panama (54 cazuri), Tanzania (27 cazuri), Rusia şi Cipru (câte şase cazuri), Moldova, Egipt, Jamaica, Siria, Republica Dominicană și Togo (câte patru cazuri).

FROM TELEGRAF ONLINE (ROMANIA):

***Control mamut în porturile din Marea Neagră

Pentru al doilea an consecutiv, toate navele comerciale din porturile de la Marea Neagră vor fi verificate, în perioada 26 - 30 mai, de echipe formate din reprezentanţi ai sindicatelor navigatorilor, autorităţilor portuare şi de voluntari, iar în cazul depistării unor nereguli, sancţiunile pot merge de la avertisment până la reţinerea navei. Liderul Sindicatului Liber al Navigatorilor şi reprezentantul Federaţiei Internaţionale a Transportatorilor în România, Adrian Mihălcioiu, coordonator al acestor verificări în ţara noastră, a spus că inspecţiile realizate în toate porturile de la Marea Neagră (Turcia, Georgia, Rusia, Ucraina, România, Bulgaria) se vor axa pe condiţiile de muncă ale navigatorilor, plata la timp a salariilor, dar şi respectarea contractelor de muncă.

CONTROALELE DIN ROMÂNIA VOR AVEA LOC ÎN PORTURILE CONSTANŢA, AGIGEA ŞI MIDIA.

„În urma inspecţiilor făcute anul trecut s-a văzut că Marea Neagră este „Marea ruşinii” şi că ar trebui curăţată de nave sub standard şi de abuzurile împotriva navigatorilor, astfel încât aceştia să aibă o viaţă decentă la bordul lor. Sperăm să scoatem această sintagmă din titlu”, a declarat Mihălcioiu. El a precizat că în topul navelor unde au fost găsite probleme sunt cele care navighează sub pavilion: Turcia (65 cazuri), Panama (54), Tanzania (27), Rusia, Kiribati şi Cipru - câte 6 cazuri, Moldova, Egipt, Jamaica, Siria, Republica Dominicană, Togo - câte 4 cazuri. Potrivit reprezentantului ITF, în Marea Neagră încă navighează mii de nave vechi care pot pune în pericol viaţa marinarilor. „Sunt peste 800 de nave în zona Mării Negre care au o vechime de peste 30 de ani, iar 1.700 de nave au peste 20 de ani vechime. Acolo, slujba de navigator devine una cu foarte multe pericole, s-au pierdut foarte multe vieţi, în ultima vreme, în Marea Neagră din cauza standardelor reduse ale navelor”, a spus Mihălcio

PUBLICITATE

STANDARDE EGALE În opinia sa, Convenţia internaţională privind munca pe mare (MLC 2006) este posibil să fie ratificată şi de ţara noastră în acest an, mai precis, în august. „Dacă legea va fi aprobată aşa cum este acum, la stadiul de proiect, vom avea şi noi standarde egale pentru toţi navigatorii. Cred că este o lege care va revoluţiona angajarea personalului navigant românesc şi nivelul de lucru al navigatorilor români”, a spus Mihălcioiu. Legat de standardele de angajare, liderul sindical a dat exemplul unui tânăr din Bucureşti care a plecat ca bucătar în Olanda printr-o firmă nemţească, iar când a ajuns acolo, a fost nevoit să cureţe toaletele. Întrucât a refuzat să facă acest lucru, el a fost concediat şi nevoit să se întoarcă acasă fără niciun leu în buzunar, şi asta pentru că nu a citit bine contractul, unde se preciza că va sta la dispoziţia angajatorului pentru orice activitate, din orice domeniu.

FROM CUGET LIBER (ROMANIA):

***Începe „vânătoarea coşciugelor plutitoare“ de pe Marea Neagră

Ştire online publicată Sâmbătă, 24 Mai 2014. Autor: Ion TIŢA-CĂLIN

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ITF şi sindicatele navigatorilor din ţările riverane declanşează campania împotriva navelor sub standard

Pentru „rechinii” shipping-ului de la Marea Neagră, pentru proprietarii de „coşciuge plutitoare” şi companiile de navigaţie care fac dumping social se anunţă o săptămână cu… furtună.

Pe data de 26 mai 2014, începe campania împotriva navelor sub standard (Black Sea Campaign), a anunţat Adrian Mihălcioiu, şeful Inspectoratului ITF - România şi preşedinte al Sindicatului Liber al Navigatorilor, în cadrul unei conferinţe de presă organizată la Seamen’s Club Constanţa (Clubul Marinarilor). Timp de o săptămână, până pe 30 mai, navele care intră sau ies din porturile Bulgariei, Georgiei, României, Rusiei, Turciei şi Ucrainei vor fi luate la puricat de către inspectorii ITF (Federaţia Internaţională a Transportatorilor) şi ai sindicatelor afiliate.

În zona Mării Negre, au mai fost organizate şi în anii trecuţi campa-nii internaţionale similare. Cea din 13 - 17 mai 2013 a demonstrat că navigaţia din zonă este „infestată” de nave sub standard şi abuzuri împotriva echipajelor.

„Din această cauză Marea Nea-gră a fost etichetată drept «marea ruşinii» - a spus liderul SLN. Acest renume se menţine în 2014, dar sperăm să scăpăm de el în 2015, în urma inspecţiilor ce vor fi efectuate în baza Convenţiei internaţionale privind munca şi viaţa pe mare MLC - 2006.”

În echipele de control ce vor urca la bordul navelor, în cadrul Black Sea Campaign, vor participa, alături de reprezentanţii ITF şi SLN, inspectori ai Autorităţii Navale Române, membri ai Federaţiei Naţionale a Sindicatelor Portuare, ai Seamen’s Club Agigea şi voluntari din rândul navigatorilor.

Pe data de 30 mai va fi prezentat raportul final pentru porturile ro-mâneşti, iar după o săptămână sau două, raportul privind întreaga re-giune a Mării Negre.

Referindu-se la forţa socială extraordinară pe care o reprezintă ITF, Mihălcioiu a arătat că această organizaţie cuprinde peste 700 de sindicate reprezentative, din toate ramurile transporturilor, cu peste 4,5 mi-lioane de membri din 150 de ţări. ITF este parte a ITUC (Confederaţia Internaţionala a Sindicatelor).

În regiunea Mării Negre, funcţio-nează o reţea de inspectorate ITF, care cuprinde porturile: Constanţa, Novorossiysk (Rusia), Odessa (Ucraina), Istanbul (Turcia) şi Batumi (Georgia).

Odată cu intrarea în vigoare a MLC - 2006 şi ratificarea ei de către două ţări din regiune (Bulgaria şi Rusia), ITF şi sindicatele din zonă au la dispoziţie o nouă armă în combaterea fenomenului navelor sub standard, care nu oferă condiţii de munca şi viată decente la bord, a afirmat Mihălcioiu.

În rândul echipajelor din shipping-ul Mării Negre, numărul cazurilor de neplată a salariilor se menţine ridicat. Legislaţia este frecvent încălcată, standardele internaţionale nu sunt respectate, condiţiile de lucru sunt de multe ori proaste, iar abandonările de nave nu sunt deloc puţine.

Din 2012, au fost raportate peste 151 de nave cu probleme sociale grave, considerate violări ale MLC - 2006. Au fost înregistrate 105 ca-zuri de neplată a salariilor. Cinci nave au fost abandonate, din care două în portul Constanţa.

Pavilioane cu probleme au fost următoarele: Turcia - 65 cazuri; Panama - 54 de cazuri; Tanzania - 27 cazuri; Rusia, Kiribati şi Cipru - câte 6 cazuri; Modova, Egipt, Jamaica, Siria, Republica Dominicană, Togo - câte 4 cazuri.

La conferinţa de presă au participat, de asemenea, Costică Stici - vicepreşedintele SLN şi Aurel Stoica - secretarul general al organizaţiei.

***O lege care va revoluţiona angajarea marinarilor români

Ştire online publicată Sâmbătă, 24 Mai 2014. Autor: Ion TIŢA-CĂLIN

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România ar putea să ratifice Convenţia internaţională privind munca şi viaţa pe mare MLC - 2006 până în luna august 2014, a declarat Adrian Mihălcioiu, liderul Sindicatului Liber al Navigatorilor.

În luna august va intra în vigoare şi Directiva europeană privind Acordul social. „SLN a lucrat la proiectul legii de implementare a Acordului social în shipping-ul românesc, reali-zând 90% din documentaţie. Am trimis propunerea noastră spre toate autorităţile care trebuie să îl avizeze: Autoritatea Navală Română, Ministerul Muncii, Ministerul Transpor-turilor, Ministerul Finanţelor Publice, Ministerul Justiţiei şi Ministerul Afacerilor Externe. Urmează să avem o întâlnire pentru a discuta forma finală“ - a relatat Mihălcioiu.

Acordul social prevede nu doar standarde mai înalte la angajarea personalului navi-gant, ci şi standarde egale. An-gajatorii şi navigatorii nu vor putea negocia contracte sub nivelul acestora.

„Va fi o lege care va revoluţiona angajarea echipajelor româ-neşti. În prezent, avem circa 4.000 de navigatori cu contracte bune, la standard ITF. Alte 2.000, sunt negociate cu sindicate afiliate la ITF. Dar avem şi vreo 6.000 de navigatori care îşi negociază contractele de îmbarcare sub orice standard” - a afirmat liderul SLN.

FROM THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE (USA):

The International Transport Workers’ Federation and its affiliated maritime unions in Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine are aiming to improve safety and working conditions in what they call the “Black Sea of Shame” in actions on May 13-15.

According to the ITF, the Black Sea is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a seafarer. As a result, it is the focus of an ITF campaign to boost safety and drive up standards by exposing unacceptable conditions and bringing them to the attention of the public and governments. The goal is to put governments on notice of what has to change before Aug. 20, 2013, when the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, goes into effect. This campaign action will involve joint inspection teams made up of ITF inspectors and union activists visiting ships in Black Sea ports.

There are around 2,400 vessels working the Black Sea, many of which are more than 20 years old, ITF said. The shipping market there is characterized by old vessels moving low value goods, with low or unpaid wages coupled with a high risk of death and injury, ITF added.

“Some of the worst ships in the world are to be found plying the Black Sea,” said Steve Cotton, ITF acting general secretary, in a written statement. “Work conditions are often shameful and safety non-existent. The human cost is enormous.”

FROM DIGITAL JOURNAL:

***Flight Attendant Union and Global Workers Organizations Call on DOT to Deny NAI

PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2014

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The world's largest Flight Attendant union, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), was joined today by the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) as well as the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) in calling on the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to deny an application for a foreign air carrier permit submitted by Norwegian Air International (NAI).

AFA, ETF and ITF once again spotlight the unfair labor practices established by NAI in their mission to enter the U.S. aviation market. NAI's business plan is crafted to circumvent worker protections by evading international labor laws, creating unfair competition with EU and U.S. carriers and threatening to degrade labor standards both in the U.S. and in Europe.

Veda Shook, AFA International President stated: "AFA remains committed to a healthy and robust global aviation marketplace that provides career opportunities and good jobs for workers across the world. Competition and growth are essential to our industry but we must remain dedicated to promoting strong labor standards. Skirting international laws in order to gain unfair advantage cannot be tolerated. We call on Secretary Foxx to deny NAI's current application before such labor practices become the norm in international aviation, triggering a race to the bottom."

François Ballestero, the ETF Civil Aviation Political Secretary commented: "The attempt of Norwegian Air to import cheap labor from Asia by employing non-European cabin crew on its long-haul routes are an attack on working conditions of the existing workers. The ETF is committed to fight against social dumping and we urge the DOT to put an end to these unfair practices. And we are not alone in our concerns: the Norwegian Minister of Transport and Communications recently raised his concern to the European Commission about the challenges facing European aviation that are created by fragmented operations between multiple countries."

Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez, ITF Civil Aviation Secretary added: "The practice of establishing subsidiaries and registering vessels under flags of convenience in order to avoid oversight and slash costs has long been a feature of the maritime industry. The results are well known: lower safety standards, sometimes shocking working conditions, little protection for workers. The ITF is well known for fighting these abuses. For decades we have been warning that the flags of convenience model could be copied in the aviation sector. Just last month, our cabin crew committee decisively rejected the outsourcing and flagging out practices of NAI. The AFA together with the IAM (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers), TWU (Transport Workers' Union) and APFA (Association of Professional Flight Attendants), supported that resolve and are actively lobbying the U.S. government and urging it  to prevent those unacceptable practices being imported into the US. The ITF will continue to support their effort."

The ETF represents more than 250,000 civil aviation workers all over Europe, including 80,000 cabin crews.

The ITF represent more than 650,000 civil aviation workers all over the world, including nearly 100,000 Flight Attendants in the United States.

The Association of Flight Attendants is the world's largest Flight Attendant union. AFA represents nearly 60,000 Flight Attendants in the USA.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110302/DC58223LOGO

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA)

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1938823#ixzz32uOx0J3g

FROM MARINE LINK:

***ITF Points Finger at Suspect Indonesian Crewing Agency

By George Backwell

Monday, May 26, 2014

Stranded Indonesian fisherfolk: Image ITF

The International Transport Federation says it has reported a Taiwanese and an Indonesian crewing agent to Interpol for suspected human trafficking after 74 Indonesian fishers working on board seven Taiwanese vessels were abandoned in September, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa.

It is alleged that the agents withheld the fishers’ wages, in some cases for over a year; produced counterfeit documents relating to crew members’ employment; and charged the fishers [fees] before they boarded the vessel.

ITF/IUF fisheries programme leader, Liz Blackshaw, said: “The fishing industry has a very serious human trafficking problem. Whenever we come across a suspected case like this one, we report it to Interpol.

"

“In this case, it appears the men were captives on their vessels for months without wages. They would have gone without food and water, while the captain was wined and dined by the local agents, if it hadn’t been for the help of the local community and the ITF inspector. And the government machinery to release them ground far too slowly. These men have experienced an absolute breach of their fundamental human rights.”

Cassiem Augustus, an ITF inspector in Cape Town, was involved in working with the South African government and Indonesian embassy in Pretoria to get the fishers repatriated in March, following two months’ detention by immigration officials in Cape Town. He presented humanitarian gifts at ITF affiliate KPI (Kesatuan Pelaut Indonesia) to the fishers on 19 May in Jakarta, Indonesia, to help them while they pursue their unpaid wages claims.

Meanwhile, KPI is lobbying the Indonesian government to implement stricter measures for checking documents and harsh penalties for companies who violate recruitment rules for foreign vessels.