‘It’s an outrage’: Seafarer abandonment figures are bad and getting worse

‘It’s an outrage’: Seafarer abandonment figures are bad and getting worse
Sandra Boga 5 February 2025 https://www.tradewindsnews.com/interviews/-it-s-an-outrage-seafarer-aban...

Levels in 2025 could outstrip those of 2024, says ITF

Seafarer abandonment reached its highest level on record in 2024, according to a just-released report.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation revealed that 3,133 seafarers were abandoned by shipowners last year compared with 1,676 in 2023 — an 87% increase.

TradeWinds spoke to Steve Trowsdale, the ITF’s global inspectorate coordinator, to discuss the findings in detail.

Are you surprised by the rise in abandonment?

“It’s a continuing increase that we’ve seen over the last five or six years and it doesn’t show any signs of abating. I think it possibly will get worse before it gets better. We’re already reporting cases in 2025 of nearly 40 for January. If that’s anything to go by, 2025 may well outstrip 2024.”

Why is it increasing?

“I think seafarers are much more aware of what constitutes abandonment. There’s a lot more publicity about it now. Before, it was certainly in the shadows. We’ve [the ITF] now become much more robust. We’ve changed. We’ve looked at our processes for picking up abandonment.

“The Maritime Labour Convention states the criteria to determine whether seafarers are abandoned … one of which is the unpaid wages for two months. Historically, when we’ve got to the two months, if a shipowner has said to us, ‘We’re paying in the next hour or day or week or whatever’, we’ve said, ‘OK’. Now we’re not doing that, because there is evidence that shipowners are trying to skirt the abandonment issue. So, if you hit two months’ unpaid wages, we report on it.”

Why are Indian seafarers most at risk?

“For many years, it was Filipino seafarers who were the highest nationality of abandoned seafarers. However, in 2023 and 2024 … they’ve been overtaken by Indian seafarers.

“And I think there’s a particular issue concerning Indian seafarers. As in most countries, there can be a desperation to work. And in India, there is a lot more possibility of being scammed or trafficked … we’ve seen some Indian seafarers take contracts for $100 a month because they’re desperate to get work.”

Why is the UAE the top port for abandonments?

“The Middle East and the Gulf states, particularly the UAE, have for a number of years been the places where most abandonments happen. And 2024 is no different. I think it was something like 44 abandonments in UAE waters.

“Now we work very closely with the UAE government. But the problem with the UAE is [that] a lot of the ships that are banned there don’t actually come into the port. They’re just anchoring in UAE waters.”

Ninety percent of abandoned ships in 2024 flew a flag of convenience. Surprising?

“No! The reason they do that is that they can pay lower wages, they can employ other nationalities on board and avoid taxes and this kind of thing … I don’t see that there is a lot of passion to tackle the flags from anyone, but there are steps that could be taken to certainly tackle the worst offenders.

“I don’t know what the IMO [International Maritime Organization] or the ILO [International Labour Organization] could actually do, but we can’t just accept that this is going to carry on and on. There’s got to be some way that we stop this.”

Can you name any?

“We’ve got repeat offenders, such as a UAE-based company called Middle East Marine. We’re also working on another company called Friends Shipping based in Turkey — they are serial offenders on abandonment … I’ve got no issue with calling out a company that abandons their seafarers repeatedly.”

General cargo ships are the most abandoned. Any others?

“The next highest one is probably tugs, particularly working in the Gulf states. We’ve had a lot of problems with tugs in and around the Maldives … bulk carriers too.

“We don’t get a lot on container ships, as big companies are covered by ITF agreements and they can’t afford to be delayed in any way — ie, not paying wages is a detainable offence if you’re caught. We don’t get a lot on crude oil or LPG vessels or anything like that, or tankers. The majority are general cargo tugs and bulk carriers. That’s probably at least 70% to 75%.”

What outcome do you expect from the report?

“Well, given that it’s been increasing year on year since 2018, do I see that there’s going to be a change? Not really …

“It certainly needs some conversations at the highest level, at the ILO, the International Maritime Organization and the various other maritime institutions, because this simply cannot go on.

“For me, this is an absolute betrayal of the key workers who power global trade. They put their lives on hold, at home, their families, their time, they sail on or they work in the most difficult environment in the world, the world’s oceans. And this is how they get repaid.

“Come on! It’s an outrage, actually, it’s just completely an outrage.”