The International Transport Workers Federation announced that seafarers working on ships owned by members of the International Bargaining Forum’s Joint Negotiating Group will receive a 6.5 percent pay increase over the next three years.

The announcement was made as the first round of negotiations on the new IBF framework agreement were concluded in Indonesia early this June.

ITF seafarers’ section chair Dave Heindel, who chaired the negotiations along with Paddy Crumlin, chair of the ITF dockers section and ITF president, commended both sides.

He said that, while the ITF understood the challenges facing JNG members in affording a pay increase, it had been important to secure this raise to ensure a fair wage and conditions of employment for seafarers.

Around 1.2 million seafarers are manning the ships of the international merchant marine. Of these, around 430,000 are Filipinos.*PNA

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