Don't miss the other two interviews of the series:

Interview with Christine Freytag

Interview with Matthias Ristau

Mr Hemme, you work for the ITF as ITF Coordinator. What is your remit at the ITF?

I am responsible for the ports in the Weser region as ITF inspector and check the employment conditions on board ships that are bound by collective agreements when they arrive at one of the ports in this region. The international trade union employs around 130 inspectors and is affiliated to a national trade union in each member company. In Germany, it can take action because it is affiliated to ver.di.

We have access to all ships whose owners have signed a collective agreement. This currently applies to 13,400 of almost 55,000 vessels worldwide. We conduct random checks to look for any infringements of safety regulations or labour law on these vessels. This involves a tour of inspection on board and also checking the personnel documents for the crew. By inspecting the crews’ timesheets and monthly salary statements, for instance, we can see whether they receive appropriate pay, or sufficient rest periods and holiday leave, although the data does not always reveal the full picture. Our inspections also involve checking compliance with public holidays, maximum contract terms of 10 months, the right to home leave, access to medical care, including sick pay and compensation payments, as well as the right not to have to work in war zones.

What are the differences between the standards of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and the collective bargaining law of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)?

Since it was drawn up in 2013, the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) constitutes a kind of “charter of fundamental rights” for all seafarers on the almost 55,000 ocean-going vessels all over the world. It defines the minimum standards for working on ships, e.g. in terms of minimum age, accommodation, the right to home leave as well as health care and social security when at work. All ships calling at the ports of states that have ratified the MLC can be inspected for compliance with these standards, irrespective of which flag they sail under.

The ITF regards the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) as a milestone. Its provisions were drawn up in consultation with the International Labour Organisation ILO, shipowners and governments. The major difference to previous agreements is in the enforcement of the MLC: this is now a designated government task which is performed in Germany by BG Verkehr, the employers’ liability insurance organisation for the transport industry. If an infringement is established, the ship is not allowed to sail again until the problem has been remedied.

Since it was founded in 1896, the ITF has helped its affiliated trade unions to improve working conditions for all seafarers. At that time, the European trade unions realised that there was no way they could succeed against the international shipping companies unless they cooperated on an international scale.

The tangible support provided by the ITF for its affiliated trade unions is that it helps conclude collective bargaining agreements that go beyond the minimum standards specified by the MLC. The ITF is against the flag of convenience system and has organised the Flag of convenience campaign together with ver.di. The flag of convenience system allows shipowners to register their vessels in foreign flag registers which exert little or no control over the shipowners, who can thus evade the taxes and regulations that apply in their own countries. Around 75 % of all vessels meanwhile sail under a flag that does not correspond to the nationality of their owner. Some shipowners exploit this advantage to maximise profit at the expense of the crews, who are faced with precarious working conditions.

We are currently considering whether the existence of a collective agreement which satisfies ITF criteria should be a prerequisite for a shipowner to qualify for the greenports award presented every year by bremenports GmbH. What do you think of that idea?

As the social aspects of marine shipping are still not given much attention, I believe that demanding an ITF collective agreement as an assessment criterion would be a very wise move. The ships governed by ITF standards are listed at https://www.itfseafarers.org/en/look-up. It would also be good to include further criteria on fair social treatment, as the ITF criteria are only minimum standards. Many factors are still not taken into account, such as recreational facilities on board, i.e. sports amenities and a quiet place to retreat to, or the massive overtime that the crews work. One of our prime concerns is to have the port regulations adapted to meet these needs.