Seafarers are vital employees because they keep the global supply chains moving. Seafarers, including those on ferries, transport around 90 per cent of the world’s goods, including necessary medical supplies, equipment, products and passengers.
Amid the ongoing pandemic, seafarers continue to work to ensure vital goods and passengers are transported, selflessly and in spite of the risks of contracting COVID-19. Despite the vital role that seafarers play, some companies are seeking to use the pandemic to undermine national standards in the industry, including replacing existing crews with seafarers on international terms and conditions that are substantially lower than national conditions, according to ITF.
