This year's second ITF maritime week in East Asia took place between 9 and 13 July, with ITF inspectors and union activists visiting vessels across the region to check on pay and conditions for crewmembers. The action week took place in Japan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan.
Fusao Ohori, ITF coordinator for Japan, explained that the campaign focused on "the safety condition of lifesaving appliances, cargo work equipment, working terms and conditions for crew, and applying ITF acceptable agreements for flag of convenience vessels".
The week saw rallies outside the head offices of two shipowners in Japan, Dowa Line and Kotoku Kaiun, which also came under scrutiny in the previous East Asian week of action in February.
In the Far East of Russia, inspectors and activists visited 12 vessels in Vladivostok. The result was a union agreement signed for one flag of convenience vessel, negotiations around the ITF-approved agreement on four further vessels, and 19 seafarers joining a trade union. As well as seafarers, the action week involved members of the Dockers’ Union of Russia and cadets of the state marine academy. The inspections also found that seafarers' wages had been holding up, despite the crisis in the shipping industry.
In South Korea, inspectors visited 16 ships, with union agreements signed on one South Korean-owned ship, a German-owned vessel and a Japanese ship. The deals involved joint work by South Korean, Japanese and German unions. The South Korean team also coordinated with the ITF in Australia to confirm that a ship visiting Pyeong-teak port had paid its crewmembers their wages due.
Source: ITF
The week saw rallies outside the head offices of two shipowners in Japan, Dowa Line and Kotoku Kaiun, which also came under scrutiny in the previous East Asian week of action in February.
In the Far East of Russia, inspectors and activists visited 12 vessels in Vladivostok. The result was a union agreement signed for one flag of convenience vessel, negotiations around the ITF-approved agreement on four further vessels, and 19 seafarers joining a trade union. As well as seafarers, the action week involved members of the Dockers’ Union of Russia and cadets of the state marine academy. The inspections also found that seafarers' wages had been holding up, despite the crisis in the shipping industry.
In South Korea, inspectors visited 16 ships, with union agreements signed on one South Korean-owned ship, a German-owned vessel and a Japanese ship. The deals involved joint work by South Korean, Japanese and German unions. The South Korean team also coordinated with the ITF in Australia to confirm that a ship visiting Pyeong-teak port had paid its crewmembers their wages due.
Source: ITF
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