Black Sea of Shame

Meeting between seafarers and dockers’ unions affiliated by ITF is being held in Turkey. Among the participants are seafarers and dockers from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Rumania, Turkey and Israel, ITF inspectors from Black Sea region and also authorities from the head office in London. Seafarers Union of Russia, SUR, and Dockers Union of Russia, DUR, represent interests of Russia. Among the representatives are also Sergey Fishov, ITF coordinator in Russia, and Olga Ananina, ITF inspector in Novorossiysk.

The meeting is held within the framework of a new ITF campaign called “Black Sea of Shame”, which is aimed against substandard shipping in Black Sea region. As Olga Ananina said, Black Sea has been inspected by ITF for a long time as there is plenty of law-breaking here. It includes non-payment of wages, social damping, grounding of vessels, high injury rate and lack of insurance coverage. On the whole, seafarers are often deprived of their working rights, and those who rebel are included to the black-listing by ship-owners.

According to ITF figures, about 2 500 vessels are operated in the Black Sea region. 1500 of them are operated for 20 years already, and 800 – for more than 30 years. An average salary of seafarers at Black Sea is much lower than in other regions, and vessels are rarely covered by the ITF collective agreement.

ITF maritime coordinator Steve Cotton pointed out: “It is shameful indeed when seafarers are treated as consumables. We are pioneers in this long way to justice and we want to convince the government that it can’t last any longer!”