Seafarer wage hikes hit Asian flags

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

31 Jul 2010

Coastal trading vessels in Asia flying flags such as Singapore, Malaysia and Japan are set to be hit with hefty increases in crewing costs, according to the latest issue of Seatrade Asia Week. The International Transport Workers Federation’s (ITF) congress in Mexico next week is set to push through new benchmark pay rates for foreign nationals serving on national flag ships.
The minimum average pay rate per ship on the Singapore Registry, for example, is expected to jump 17% to $42,326 from the current International Labour Organisation minimum, with the minimum pay rate set to increase a hefty 60% by 2014.
Inside this week’s e-paper we ponder whether it was a grenade, a freak wave or another vessel that dented an MOL VLCC in the Middle East in this week’s most mysterious shipping story. Also analysed  are the likely penalties facing shipowners from irate US politicians in the tough post-Deepwater Horizon climate.
Seatrade Asia Week comes out 50 times a year, with exclusive reports from an experienced, dedicated network of journalists across the region and is priced at just $300 a year.

Source: Seatradeasia-Online