Due to the lack of an ITF collective agreement, seafarers have low salaries

During a visit on board of the m/v PVT Diamond  (Panama flag, IMO 9438640) in Nakhodka, representatives of the Far Eastern territorial organization of the Seafarers Union of Russia found out that the base rate of an AB is only $238, and the captain's salary ranges from $5,000.

«Using a convenient flag, the Vietnamese operator PV Trans Oil, which is financially responsible and transfers money to seafarers, clearly understates wages. Insurance is also far from ideal. According to the documents, ratings are insured for $40,000 in case of death, officers- from $ 60,000 to $ 80,000. The bulk carrier is covered by collective agreement signed with the Vietnamese trade union from Ho Chi Minh, but if it was a collective agreement of the International Transport Workers Federation on board, an AB would receive at least $1800. The ITF would also guarantee the protection of the rights of crewmembers in case of difficulties», explains the chairman of the FETO SUR Nikolay Sukhanov. Nikolay Sukhanov adds that the reasons for using the flag of convenience have long been known.

«These are both low registration fees and the opportunity to hire the cheapest labor. In the case of PVT Diamond, these are Vietnamese seafarers. A crew, recruited on a ship under a flag of convenience, can easily be denied basic human rights, since the flag of convenience’s registers do not ensure compliance with minimum social norms. Naturally, we told the crewmembers  about all this, emphasizing that PVT Diamond should be covered by the ITF collective agreement signed by the Japanese Seafarers Union and the owner of the vessel from Japan – Humming Bird/Koyo Kaiun Co»,- he says.

Seafarers, in turn, asked the FETO SUR to send a notice of warning to the company about the need to conclude an agreement with the ITF. In support of their legitimate demands, the crewmembers took part in an action against the flags of convenience at the stern of the vessel. Nikolay Sukhanov also added that, according to tradition, magazines Maritime Union Herald, books on the rights of seafarers under a convenient flag in English and calendars of the Seafarers Union of Russia for the current year were delivered on board. One of them was immediately placed in the mess room. It should be noted that the crew very cordially welcomed SUR representatives, with whom they discussed not only the system of flags of convenience and the ITF collective agreement, but also the equally acute topic of going ashore. 

«It is obvious that they are very tired of restrictions, prohibitions and pandemics», - Nikolay Sukhanov notes.