Protest exposes abuse of seamen

THE International Transport Federation will next week name and shame shipping companies that are underpaying or exploiting their sea-going employees.

The ITF is holding a protest in Dublin port from June 4-8 to highlight the plight of thousands of mistreated and underpaid sailors it believes are operating in Irish waters.

It has secured evidence showing the companies responsible for exploiting the seamen and will name them during the protest.

Out of 82 inspections in the 12 months, the ITF in Ireland has identified and taken action against 21 ships for mistreating staff.

Employees were found to be earning as little as €1.31 per hour and in some cases either the seamen or their families in their home countries were threatened by their employers.

In general those found to be exploiting the seamen come from Eastern Europe or Asia. However, the ITF is expected to name Irish companies as well.

The Irish protest is part of an international campaign to expose the “exploitation of workers and violation of their basic human rights which takes place at sea”.

“A significant proportion of the world’s 600,000 seafarers suffer abuse in the workplace, which is also their home for many months of the year,” an ITF spokesman said.

The ITF has more than 100 inspectors operating under a UN mandate from the International Labour Organisation to enforce compliance with international labour standards.