Maritime Unions Herald No. 2-2021: dockers are pushed to strike, and pilots have to work without Safety Rules

Members of  the Russian Dockers’ Union Primary Organization at  NEVA-METAL JSC believe that strike is the only remaining and provided for by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation way out for the workers to deal with the situation: since  2020 the employer has refused to enshrine in the collective agreement a clear procedure for wage rates and salaries indexation for employees.

Pilots have a different situation: due to the absence of the Occupational Safety Rules and the failure to comply with generally accepted recommendations for the training of pilots, they often fall victims of accidents, sometimes fatal ones.

According to Vladimir Kabanov, Chairman of the Interregional Trade Union of Maritime Pilots, the only way to to avoid further  human tragedies is to to ensure regulation of  safe working conditions for pilots.

Against this background, seemingly far from the ongoing current epidemiological situation, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic affects seafarers’ working environment. Many seafarers  face huge difficulties in returning home. The reasons why this is happening are cited in the article “Novorossiysk seafarers not able to return home” through the example of crew members of the tanker Marvin Star.

However, if the problem with crew change is a relatively new phenomenon, the non-payment of wages has been and remains a headache for trade union inspectors, as it is  stated in the article  "M/V FRIO V sailors not paid since November" 

In such cases ITF Inspectors, like  Olga Ananyina in Novorossiysk, always come to  seafarers’ aid. Their do a tremendous work and  achieve a success. This is exactly what happened to the crew of M/V BOLD PILOT: they were paid $87165.

Other problems face maritime professionals onshore: seafarers working for a foreign employer risk being left without pension benefits in old age. To prevent such situations seafarers should read the article "State Pension System: Pension Fund Registration as a Necessary Step" carefully.

According to statistics, a little more than 2% of women work in shipping, there are Russian women among them.  Elvira Mikhlyukova and Tamara Savchuk who have tyed theit fate with sea prove conclusively that this is also a "Work for a lady" if you are an excellent professional.

Also, the latest journal issue (№2) tells us why the Far North and the Arctic are in the areas of special attention of the trade unions, and what makes Kaliningrad - the Russian westernmost city and port - so peculiar. All about it you will know from the article “An Island of Russia Abroad”.

The electronic version of “Maritime Unions  Herald”  No. 2-2021is available here.