A week long campaign (21-25 January) by ITF Unions against `Flags of Convenience’ (FOC) ships, is presently underway in designated ports in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines. By the end of day two, a total of 22 merchant vessels had been inspected to check if they were covered by ITF approved agreements that stipulate decent and negotiated wages and ship board conditions for crew members.

In Singapore, ITF seafarers unions activists inspected 6 ships in the first two days. They found a reluctant Master on board Gibraltar flagged m.v Mattys who refused to divulge with crew wage details. Also on board Panama flagged Quezon Bridge, Antigua flagged MCC Singapore and Paola the able seamen were being paid very low wages between USD 500 and USD 600. Notices of warning were issued to the owner companies and unions in the next port of call alerted for further follow up action.

In  recent years ITF affiliated Dockers’ and seafarers’ unions in South east Asian countries and its Inspectorate have subjected flag of convenience ships visiting their ports to strict inspections, signed agreements, secured back wages for hundreds of seafarers and helped win claims for crews cheated and/or abandoned by ship owners.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) is a global organization of transport workers’ unions. It brings together over 779 unions in more than 155 countries in every part of the world and represents over five million trade union members in every branch of transport.