KTO SUR helped the seafarers to understand the payment of sick leave under the ITF collective agreement

The Kaliningrad territorial organization of the Seafarers Union of Russia was contacted for help by two crewmembers who worked on the Hansa Shipping company vessel. One of them claimed that the shipowner had not paid the sick leave in full, the other that he had not paid the insurance. The KTO SUR was surprised by what happened, because almost the entire fleet of the company works under the ITF collective agreement, which means that there should be no problems of this nature. The trade union took control of the situation.

The story began in the summer when two accidents occurred on one of the Hansa Shipping vessels a month apart, which led to injury to the seafarers. Both crewmembers were hospitalized in a timely manner and received all the necessary medical care, and then returned to Kaliningrad, where they continued treatment. According to seafarers, temporary disability sheets were closed and handed over to the shipowner, but one of seafarer was not paid in full, and the other was sure that an insurance payment was attached to the payment for the sick leave.

As explained by Lyudmila Izmalkova, chairman of the KTO SUR, indeed, the vessel are covered by the collective agreement, and the seafarers, it seems, correctly believe that according to the collective agreement, the sick leave and insurance should be paid. But there are nuances. So, according to the collective agreement, the shipowner pays 103 days of sick leave.

«When a seafarer recovers after an illness the company pays him sick leave based on the base rate. Another option is when the doctor extends the sick leave for a period of more than 103 days but seafarer recovers and fit for job, the company can decide to pay for the sick leave. And when, as a result of an accident and after undergoing treatment, a seafarer cannot perform his professional duties, the shipowner arranges a medical commission that determines the degree of disability. Only then can we talk about the payment of insurance according to the collective agreement, where, by the way, absolutely everything is prescribed - starting from the loss of the phalanx of the finger», - says Lyudmila Izmalkova.

Returning to the seafarers who applied to the union, the KTO SUR found out that the sick list of one of them was closed, he was recognized as healthy and fit to perform his duties. As for the underpayment of sick leave to another sailor, he simply did not send the sick list to the company. Hansa Shipping assured that as soon as he sends the documents, he will be paid everything.

The KTO SUR advises seafarers to carefully check the set of medical documents sent to the company, otherwise the shipowner will have no grounds for payments, and also wishes the crewmembers not to get sick.

The source: KTO SUR