Image
'It’s expensive, but it’s the right thing to do’ – that’s the message from the global union body for seafarers as the ITF calls on shipping companies to pay the millions of dollars required to get seafarers off ships which remain stranded off the Chinese coast due to the country’s informal Australian exports ban.
“MSC has led the way by paying the necessary costs and penalties to charterers and cargo owners in order to rescue the crew of their ship, the Anastasia, and see them rescued from their six-month floating prison via a port in Japan” said International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) President Paddy Crumlin.
“We call on all responsible ship owners to follow MSC’s lead and perform these long-overdue crew changes. It will be costly for these shipping companies, but it is absolutely necessary to preserve the health, lives and human rights of these seafarers.”
“A number of seafarers have already attempted suicide on these ships, desperate to end their ongoing suffering. Health conditions are worsening. Medical supplies are running low on some vessels.”
“We are very concerned to hear reports that in some cases local Chinese authorities have blocked seafarers from accessing medical professionals, including urgently-needed hospitalisations,” Crumlin said.
More than 60 vessels are thought to still be unable to unload their Australian cargoes such as coal and undertake much-needed crew changes of the seafarers. A rising number of seafarers have been onboard vessels for longer than a year, with some as many as 20 months. Between three and six months of this time has been spent waiting off the Chinese coast.
Crumlin said that a long-term solution still required China to introduce protocols to allow for crew changes of all foreign seafarers. Until China brought in regular crew changes, he said that shipping companies had a humanitarian duty to preserve the lives and welfare of seafarers employed on their ships by diverting ships to neighbouring countries.
“China has failed to put aside its bickering with Australia and respond to this man-made humanitarian disaster just kilometres from its coast. Australia, too, has too often put politics ahead of crew welfare. We call on the industry to step up where the governments have failed: show some leadership and get these desperate people off your ships. MSC has proven it is possible,” he said.
END
Notes:
- The Jag Anand and Anastasia were both brought to a resolution in part thanks to strong advocacy from ITF Indian affiliates NUSI and the MUI
- Read MSC’s statement on how it arranged ‘relief for seafarers stuck off China’s coast since September’
- Seafarers being denied access to medical professionals and hospitalisation by Chinese authorities:
- MSC wrote about this in December 2020
- Captain Tymur Rudov reported that a Chinese national seafarer aboard his ship was denied hospitalisation for an extended period of time in February 2021
- A number of seafarers may be available to speak to media. Some with their faces and names, and others only on an anonymous basis. Contact ITF Comms for more information.
About the ITF: The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation recognised as the world’s leading transport authority. We fight passionately to improve working lives; connecting trade unions from 147 countries to secure rights, equality and justice for their members. We are the voice for nearly 20 million working women and men in the transport industry across the world.
Media contact: media[at]itf.org.uk +44 20 7940 9282