The Seafarers Union of Kenya has issued a plea for the Seafarers Wages Council to be fully operationalized in order to solve a series of pay dispute incidents that have affected Kenyan seafarers.
The Union Chairperson, Atie Ramadhan argues that in quite a few instances, seafarers have been suffering long delays in salary payments of up to six months, and some international shipping companies have been blamed for reneging on their contractual obligations.
The Ministry of Labour, last year, published and launched the establishment of the ten-member Seafarers Wages Council with a set of responsibilities to mediate in matters of remuneration and compensation. Yet, the union maintains that the council has barely begun to fulfill its tasks, resulting in many unresolved cases.
The union has now come forward to ask the government to expedite the establishment of the council’s working so as to be able to deal with non-payment and wage arrears, especially cases of international vessels operating within Kenyan waters.
Along with this, the union has also lodged a request for immediate government intervention to facilitate the release of nine Kenyan seafarers in detention in a country bordering Kenya due to an unclear situation.
However, the Seafarers Union of Kenya has also made an appeal to the Kenya Maritime Authority to ramp up the training programs that focus on familiarizing the trainees with modern shipping practices and global standards so as to keep the Kenyan seafarers competitive and enhance their welfare.
