There is a new agreement on minimum basic wages for seafarers

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), have reached an agreement on seafarer basic wages aiming at reviewing the International Labour Organization (ILO) Minimum Wages for seafarers.

The decision, following two days of negotiations in Geneva, was to update the minimum basic wage for the reference function AB (able seafarer) by 27 USD over the next 3 years. The wages will provide an overall increase of 4.5% on the current rate of 614 USD, with an increase of 4 USD to 618 USD as of 1 July 2019, followed by an increase of 7 USD to 625 USD as of 1 January 2020 and a final increase of 16 USD to 641 USD as of 1 January 2021.

This unique mechanism is included in the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.

The Maritime Labour Convention, known as the “seafarers’ bill of rights”, entered into force on 20 August 2013, and has been ratified by 89 ILO member States, representing over 91 per cent of world shipping tonnage.

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