The UK-headquartered Globa union of transport workers said the number of Indians among seafarers in London is the highest, with the number already recorded at 411 this year, up from 401 last year.
The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) wishes to draw attention to the plight of seafarers who are abandoned, where a shipowner abandons responsibilities for the ship and its crew.
In recent years, the ITF and its partners have settled more than 100 abandonment cases each year, affecting more than 1,000 seafarers worldwide.
Last year, the Union recorded 1,983 abandoned seafarers, of whom 401 were Indians and so far in 2024, 411 of the 1,672 abandoned seafarers are Indian nationals. In the context of the ongoing cases, two ships are currently anchored in the UAE, with 16 all-Indian crew members quarantined in extreme conditions."In 2024, Indian sailors are the most likely shunned nationality, followed by Filipino and Syrian," the ITF analysis said.
"Today, 16 Indian seafarers are stranded on two ships in the UAE in very poor conditions," it reads.
Of these two ships, Seashine 7 has Indian crew for five to eight months for two months at Sharjah OPL anchorage.
The ITF says he is owed more than US$40,000 in unpaid wages and no insurance has been identified.
Provisions on board are low and the air conditioning is not working due to Sharjah's scorching May temperatures.The second abandoned ship is Sunshine 7, which has been in Dubai anchorage for 20 months with 10 Indian nationals, seven of whom are requesting IT assistance. They have reportedly not been paid for between five and 18 months and are owed a total of more than US$35,000.
The generators are switched on for only one hour per day, controlled by so-called "company" sailors on board, who have not complained to the ITF. There is no refrigeration or air conditioning and the crew sleep on deck because it is too hot in the cabin. The ITF said the passports of some people who requested assistance had been taken by the company.The union is raising awareness of its campaign relating to the abuse of the 'flags of convenience' (FOC) system. A FOC vessel is one that flies the flag of a country other than the country of ownership, as well as the rules set by that flag.
The London-headquartered ITF notes: “FOCs offer a way to make easy money for countries that do not have their own shipping industry. Countries can establish ship registries by charging shipowners fees, while a de facto flag state has no responsibility for the safety and welfare of the crew.
“The true shipowner (what the ITF calls the ‘beneficial owner’) benefits from concealing their identity and adopting the flag’s often poor regulatory standards, which may not even include any restrictions on crew nationality.In many cases, these flags are not even flown from the country concerned.”
Its FOC campaign has two elements: abolishing the FOC system by achieving global acceptance of the need for a genuine connection between a political-flagged ship and the nationality or residence of its owners, managers and sailors; and an industrial campaign to ensure that seafarers serving on FO ships, regardless of their nationality, are protected from exploitation by shipowners.
The ITF says the ITF has shown some results in enforcing fair minimum wages and conditions on thousands of FOC ships.
"The ITF has worked tirelessly to raise awareness throughout the maritime community about what abandonment is and how to seek help," the union said.
“The ITF has a zero-tolerance stance on abandonment.Our inspectorate of over 130 trained inspectors at 120 ports in 59 countries regularly inspects ships to check their condition, and ensure that contracts are being followed. It also responds to distress calls from seafarers.”
The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) wishes to draw attention to the plight of seafarers who are abandoned, where a shipowner abandons responsibilities for the ship and its crew.
In recent years, the ITF and its partners have settled more than 100 abandonment cases each year, affecting more than 1,000 seafarers worldwide.
Last year, the Union recorded 1,983 abandoned seafarers, of whom 401 were Indians and so far in 2024, 411 of the 1,672 abandoned seafarers are Indian nationals. In the context of the ongoing cases, two ships are currently anchored in the UAE, with 16 all-Indian crew members quarantined in extreme conditions."In 2024, Indian sailors are the most likely shunned nationality, followed by Filipino and Syrian," the ITF analysis said.
"Today, 16 Indian seafarers are stranded on two ships in the UAE in very poor conditions," it reads.
Of these two ships, Seashine 7 has Indian crew for five to eight months for two months at Sharjah OPL anchorage.
The ITF says he is owed more than US$40,000 in unpaid wages and no insurance has been identified.
Provisions on board are low and the air conditioning is not working due to Sharjah's scorching May temperatures.The second abandoned ship is Sunshine 7, which has been in Dubai anchorage for 20 months with 10 Indian nationals, seven of whom are requesting IT assistance. They have reportedly not been paid for between five and 18 months and are owed a total of more than US$35,000.
The generators are switched on for only one hour per day, controlled by so-called "company" sailors on board, who have not complained to the ITF. There is no refrigeration or air conditioning and the crew sleep on deck because it is too hot in the cabin. The ITF said the passports of some people who requested assistance had been taken by the company.The union is raising awareness of its campaign relating to the abuse of the 'flags of convenience' (FOC) system. A FOC vessel is one that flies the flag of a country other than the country of ownership, as well as the rules set by that flag.
The London-headquartered ITF notes: “FOCs offer a way to make easy money for countries that do not have their own shipping industry. Countries can establish ship registries by charging shipowners fees, while a de facto flag state has no responsibility for the safety and welfare of the crew.
“The true shipowner (what the ITF calls the ‘beneficial owner’) benefits from concealing their identity and adopting the flag’s often poor regulatory standards, which may not even include any restrictions on crew nationality.In many cases, these flags are not even flown from the country concerned.”
Its FOC campaign has two elements: abolishing the FOC system by achieving global acceptance of the need for a genuine connection between a political-flagged ship and the nationality or residence of its owners, managers and sailors; and an industrial campaign to ensure that seafarers serving on FO ships, regardless of their nationality, are protected from exploitation by shipowners.
The ITF says the ITF has shown some results in enforcing fair minimum wages and conditions on thousands of FOC ships.
"The ITF has worked tirelessly to raise awareness throughout the maritime community about what abandonment is and how to seek help," the union said.
“The ITF has a zero-tolerance stance on abandonment.Our inspectorate of over 130 trained inspectors at 120 ports in 59 countries regularly inspects ships to check their condition, and ensure that contracts are being followed. It also responds to distress calls from seafarers.”
