The Shipping Administration and MTWTU will strengthen the protection of seafarers’ rights

The Marine Transport Workers Trade Union of Ukraine and the Shipping Administration signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.

As part of the Ukrainian Maritime Forum, the Shipping Administration and Marine Transport Workers Trade Union agreed to join forces to protect the rights of seafarers. This was reported in the press service of the Union.

“This document certifies the joint efforts and interaction of the parties with the aim of creating conditions for the protection of labor and social rights of maritime transport workers of Ukraine,” the statement reads.

Within the framework of the Memorandum, the parties undertake to develop opportunities for acquiring professional competencies that meet the modern and prospective requirements of international conventions in the field of merchant shipping. Special attention is also paid to the provision of assistance to Ukrainian sailors who may find themselves in crisis situations while working on merchant sea vessels.

“The memorandum is an important step forward for the entire maritime industry of Ukraine, emphasizing the readiness of state institutions and trade union organizations to work together to achieve common goals and ensure decent working conditions for every seafarer,” commented MTWTU chairman Oleg Hrygoryuk.

USM recently wrote that a Syrian sailor who had been waiting for a salary on a ship for 12 years had returned home. The shipowner owed him almost 200,000 dollars.