Israel-Hamas conflict spurs seafarer pay boost

Israel-Hamas conflict spurs seafarer pay boost
Raine Cruz January 10, 2024 https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/01/10/business/maritime/israel-hamas-co...

THE escalating Israel-Hamas conflict has prompted Danish shipping employers, along with three other Danish groups — Danish Shipowners Association (Danske Rederier), The Danish Association of Marine Engineers (Maskinmestrenes Forenig), and Metal Maritime, in conjunction with the trade union, Danks El-Forbund — to grant an "inconvenience allowance" to seafarers on Danish-flagged vessels.

In an agreement dated Dec. 28, 2023, seafarers on these vessels are entitled to additional compensation equivalent to 100 percent of their basic salary or usual fixed salary (excluding pension and other supplements). This "surcharge" is paid daily while the ship traverses the identified "High Risks Areas," encompassing the southern part of the Red Sea and the southern part of the southern coast of Yemen, as specified by the December 23 International Bargaining Forum.

In an official statement, the director of Labor Market, Training and Recruitment at Danish Shipowners, Anne Windfeldt Trolle, expressed satisfaction with the collaborative effort of the organizations involved.

"I am happy about the agreement that we have just entered into with the Association of Machinists, Metal Maritime, and the Danish EL Association. And I am happy that, in cooperation with the trade unions mentioned, we are taking care of the seafarers' conditions in this situation," Trolle said.

Over the past two months, heightened terror attacks on ships in these areas involving Filipino seafarers have caused distress. Notably, 17 Filipino seafarers were taken hostage by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, and two others narrowly escaped a hijacking attempt in the Gulf of Aden. On December 16, 15 Filipinos survived an attack by Yemeni rebels in the same region.