The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has released the following news item:Meeting sets ITF benchmark and names FOCs
The ITF’s Fair Practices Committee (FPC), has fixed the new ITF benchmark rate for ABs at US$1550 per month from 1 January 2006 and has voted to declare North Korea, Georgia and the RIF (Registre International Francais – the French second register) as flags of convenience (FOCs).
Vessels owned by Zodiac and Lapthorne are also added to the list of FOCs on a ship by ship basis. The FPC also agreed to examine the strategic direction of the FOC campaign in the light of current and future developments in the maritime industry. Additionally it decided to expand the ITF’s Ports of Convenience campaign.
The FPC, which met last week in Rio de Janeiro, is the decision making body of the ITF’s FOC campaign, and is made up of representatives of ITF affiliated seafarers’ and dockers’ unions worldwide.
Steve Cotton, Secretary of the ITF’s Special Seafarers’ Department, commented: “The increase in the worldwide benchmark sets an agreed living wage for seafarers on FOC ships. It is a combination of what is fair and what is feasible.
“We will be consulting with the other parties in the International Bargaining Forum as to how it affects them.”
He continued: “There is worldwide agreement that North Korean ships are among the worst there are, combining age, decrepitude and near zero protection for those working on them. These rustbuckets are touting for business, and it was time that they were named for what they are. Georgia has been living down to similar standards, and it too has been added to the list. It gives me no pleasure to see the RIF included in company like that - but the French government has been given every opportunity to maintain the reputation of its maritime heritage and, sadly, has chosen to reject it.”
Frank Leys, Secretary of the ITF’s Dockers’ Section, commented: “The Ports of Convenience Campaign was launched in response to the emergence of deregulated and substandard ports. With the support of our colleagues in seafaring unions we are broadening that focus to also include global network terminal operators. We are not on the warpath, but we are determined to get high standards back into this industry.”
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