Volga Shipping Company and SUR signed a new collective agreement

JSC “Volga Shipping” and the Seafarers’ Union of Russia (SUR) have signed a new collective bargaining agreement. Changes were made in terms of updating the regulatory framework to improve working conditions and occupational safety and reduce the levels of occupational risks throughout the fleet of the Volga Shipping Company and its shore-based divisions.

The document was signed by Pavel Vinogradov, General Director of JSC “Volga Shipping”, and Yury Sukhorukov, Chairman of the Seafarers’ Union of Russia, during an official ceremony in Nizhny Novgorod.

- We have done a lot of joint work on improving the terms of the contract related to occupational safety. Besides, we negotiated marine fleet workers' wages to increase up to the level set by the International Transport Workers' Federation, - Pavel Vinogradov said. – Also, technical amendments were made to improve the safety of vessels' operation. By signing an updated agreement, we guarantee that the working conditions of our seafarers meet international requirements.

In addition, in terms of social benefits and guarantees, an amendment was made to the agreement on the amount of compensation payments to crew members in case of loss of occupational capacity due to illness or injury.

- The document can rightly be deemed exemplary: the agreement meets all international standards regarding the work of seafarers, primarily the Maritime Labor Convention, - Yury Sukhorukov emphasized. – In addition, it meets the requirements of the International Transport Workers Federation and, of course, Russian legislation. Thanks to this, seafarers can be sure of decent working conditions on board the vessels of the Volga Shipping Company, and the company can be sure that current labor relations will not cause any problems in foreign ports.

It should be noted that the Volga Shipping Company and the SUR have been social partners since 2021. The primary organization of the SUR operates under the Volga Shipping Company.