TRADE unionists from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), seafarers' unions and port authorities plan to conduct safety and welfare visits aboard 1,000 ships flagged to the Cook Islands, Palau, Sierra Leone and Togo in Mediterranean ports, reports New York's Marine Insight.
'Substandard shipping in the Mediterranean Sea is driving down seafarers' wages and conditions; it's endangering the lives of crew and risking our environment,' said the ITF's project coordinator Steve Trowsdale.
'These flags take money from shipowners to register ships that other countries wouldn't touch. Many are old vessels and are poorly maintained by their owners. Many of these ships are dangerous and should not be trading,' said Mr Trowsdale.
He said the itf officials efforts will be augmented in France by the country's Port State Control agencies.
They will also focus on ships with flags from the same four countries, given that the Paris and Tokyo MoUs have banned or cautioned against the admission of such ships to the ports of most countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific, respectively.
SeaNews Turkey
'Substandard shipping in the Mediterranean Sea is driving down seafarers' wages and conditions; it's endangering the lives of crew and risking our environment,' said the ITF's project coordinator Steve Trowsdale.
'These flags take money from shipowners to register ships that other countries wouldn't touch. Many are old vessels and are poorly maintained by their owners. Many of these ships are dangerous and should not be trading,' said Mr Trowsdale.
He said the itf officials efforts will be augmented in France by the country's Port State Control agencies.
They will also focus on ships with flags from the same four countries, given that the Paris and Tokyo MoUs have banned or cautioned against the admission of such ships to the ports of most countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific, respectively.
SeaNews Turkey
