The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and its affiliate trade unions met in Mombasa, Kenya last week where it launched a new taskforce which is dedicated to protecting the rights of African workers in the offshore sector.
The task force is expected to be fighting for more jobs opportunities for African nationals in the indigenous hydrocarbon industry.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and its affiliate trade unions met in Mombasa, Kenya last week where it launched a new taskforce which is dedicated to protecting the rights of African workers in the offshore sector.
The task force is expected to be fighting for more jobs opportunities for African nationals in the indigenous hydrocarbon industry.
Document sent to Shipping Position Daily exclusively on Monday by some Nigerian delegates at the meeting revealed that, the new ITF African Regional Offshore Oil and Gas Task Force Group (AROTFG) is bent on campaigning to secure national Cabotage and continental shelf jurisdiction in the offshore oil and gas sector.
Maritime industry labour in Nigeria was represented at the meeting by the National President, Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Engineer Matthew Alalade and his counterpart from the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Deputy President General Douglas Eromobor.
The new drive by the ITF is also expected to check for any abuses by companies of African workers’ rights, particularly where they contravene the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), the seafarers’ bill of rights.
The MLC came into force on 20 August, and is the ‘fourth pillar’ of global maritime regulation, alongside existing international conventions on safety at sea, marine pollution, and seafarer training and certification.
It aims to promote decent living and working conditions in the shipping industry, and to prevent exploitation and unfair competition.
It also upholds the principles of freedom of association and the rights to fair terms of employment.
Speaking at the meeting, ITF Africa regional secretary, Joe Katende, said: “This is a historic event. The AROTFG, backed by the ITF and its global Offshore Task Force Group (OFTG), will send a signal to governments and the hydrocarbon industry that African workers are sick and tired of hearing excuses from the industry.
"It is time the industry backed African workers in developing their skills and finding job opportunities on their own continental shelf.”
ITF Offshore Task Force Group chairman; Norrie McVicar applauded the developments in Africa and called upon the Nigerian Government to show leadership in the region by being the first to review its own cabotage regulations, particularly where it is known there is a clear abuse of the ‘waivers system’ that is undermining job and training opportunities for Nigerian seafarers.
He also thanked the Kenya Maritime Authority in Mombasa for its support for the meeting and its involvement in the opening ceremony.
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