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About 90% of world trade is transported by sea and continued
complications with changing over ship crews due to restrictions
in some jurisdictions is still affecting supply chains despite
an easing of lockdown in many parts of the world.
Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the UN's International Maritime
Organization, said some seafarers had been marooned at sea for
15 months, over the 11 month maximum laid out in a maritime
labour convention, which he described as a "humanitarian
crisis".
"This is now a real safety issue, endangering the safe operation
of ships. We cannot expect seafarers to stay at sea forever,"
Lim told a Capital Link digital forum.
"Governments must allow shipping to continue moving by getting
seafarers to their homes, and to their ships to work."
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), which
represents seafarers, told seafarers on Monday that it was no
longer acceptable to force crews to work.
"If you have finished your contract, then you have the right to
be repatriated. If this is not possible then you would remain on
board as a passenger," the ITF said.
"The consequences could be that the ship is unable to sail if
the manning level is inadequate, but that is not the
responsibility of the seafarers."
Guy Platten, of the International Chamber of Shipping, said the
scale of crew changes was huge given 200,000 seafarers on board
ships had to be replaced with 200,000 colleagues ashore.
"At this point it's a question of political will," Platten said.
(Editing by Giles Elgood)
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