Collective agreement of Crystal Jade was signed with yellow union

The SUR FERO's representatives visited the  M/V Crystal Jade again. The union's  officers decided  to visit the bulker in cooperation with Alexander Sherstyuk, who is a Port State  Control inspector, following the ship's master had refused to show all necessary documents, including personal contracts and  insurance certificates, in their last visit.

This time  the captain provided the  documents. According to them, the vessel had a collective agreement concluded between the  Japanese shipowner Cosmo Sealand Co Ltd and the Indonesian  Seafarers' Union (KPI). The  master added that the  individual  contracts  of the crews were in line  with the requirements of this document.

“We  have immediately  contacted to the adviser  of the International Transport Workers' Federation  in Indonesia John Wood and the secretary-general  of the  Indonesian Seafarers' Union,” said Nikolai Sukhanov,  the chairman at the  Far Eastern Regional Organization of  the Seafarers' Union of  Russia  (SUR FERO). “It became  clear that the  ITF didn't approve  the  agreement and  actually  it was signed with yellow union. The  latter isn't  affiliated with the ITF and only hiding behind  the  KPI's name and hasn't any real links with the  KPI. The yellow requirements  to the  labour conditions  for  seafarers are  often  very low and nobody controls  the  adherence to the  agreement's requirements. The  master was instructed by  the  shipowner that  the  documents shouldn't be shown us. The company clearly has had no  wish  to contact  with the  organizations affiliated with  the  ITF such as the All-Japan Seamen's Union (JSU) and the Seafarers' Union of Indonesia. 

Also it became  clear that Crystal Jade crew  didn't know  the ship had the  collective  agreement because  it wasn't  shown  them. The SUR FERO's inspectors  told the  seafarers about the  advantages of the ITF collective  agreement. Only  the  collective  agreement provides  the  decent  labour conditions   and higher wages for  seafarers. Finally, the notice was sent  to the  shipowner claiming  to sign the  agreement  with the  ITF-affiliated union.