War not an excuse to strip seafarer rights, says ITF

War not an excuse to strip seafarer rights, says ITF
Gary Howard June 10, 2026 https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/war-not-an-excuse-to-strip-se...

Union reiterates demands for worker protections and ceasefire in Middle East as conflict reaches 100-day milestone.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has marked 100 days since conflict erupted in the Middle East by reiterating a series of demands for peace and better protections for workers including seafarers.

The union characterised the ongoing conflict, which began when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, as “a war that civilian transport workers did not start, cannot end and have paid for – with their lives, their health and their freedom.”

ITF listed transport workers throughout the supply chain affected by the war, including those working at international airports targeted in the early hours of hostilities.

“In the days and weeks that followed, the attacks on civilian shipping intensified. Ships were struck near the Strait of Hormuz and across the Persian Gulf. Vessels have been seized by Iran and the United States. Seafarers have been killed. Seafarers have been injured. And seafarers are being held hostage,” said ITF.

As of June 9, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) tracker of confirmed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East shows 42 incidents and the death of 11 seafarers. The first incident was recorded on 1 March and the latest on 8 June.

ITF said there were more than 20,000 seafarers still stranded in the Persian Gulf, “far from their families, with no certainty about when they will see home again.” The union has received more than 2,500 requests for assistance from seafarers and their families and helped more than 600 seafarers to get home, it said.

The union noted the mental health consequences of seafarers being trapped onboard for so long, and the potential long-term psychological impacts. Some employers had mad this situation worse by using force majeure to extend contracts without consent, restrict communications, and deny repatriation, ITF alleged.

“War must not be a blank cheque for employers to strip seafarers of their rights. The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) exists precisely to prevent this. Full implementation – now, not when the conflict is convenient – is non-negotiable. Crew changes must happen. Contracts must be honoured. Every seafarer in this region must be able to contact their family without restriction,” said ITF.

100 days into the war, ITF’s demands are:

An immediate, permanent ceasefire and full de-escalation by all parties.
Full and unconditional protection of civilian transport workers and civilian infrastructure under international law
The immediate release of all detained seafarers and vessels.
Full implementation of Maritime Labour Convention protections, including crew changes, wage payments, unrestricted communications and repatriation.
An end of the misuse of force majeure to undermine workers’ rights.
Meaningful mental health support for all transport workers affected by this conflict.
Any humanitarian maritime corridor to be enacted only with full, verified, binding safety guarantees.
Urgent diplomatic engagement under United Nations leadership toward a just and durable peace, grounded in international law and the UN Charter.

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On the humanitarian corridor, ITF said that any such corridor can only operate if there is a full, binding, verified guarantee from every party to this conflict that participating vessels and their crews will not be targeted.