Lloyd’s List London reported today that shipping employers have sent unions an unequivocal message that seafarer salary increases are off the International Bargaining Forum mechanism agenda as far as they are concerned, and salary cuts may even be sought. The news comes after the issue was discussed at the annual general meeting of the International Maritime Employers' Committee, the chief shipowner negotiating organization, which met in London today.
IMEC deputy general secretary Giles Heimann said: "Our standpoint is that we cannot entertain a pay increase this year. We have yet to see the International Transport Workers' Federation demands, and the ITF demands may well say they want a pay increase this year. "Of course, we have got to go through the negotiations and we are going to have to deal with that when we get to it. But certainly our initial starting point is that, due to the financial climate, the shipowners do not believe they have the means to entertain any form of pay increase. We are sending a very firm message." Word of the tough line was initially contained in a press release from IMEC.
Other items on raised at the meeting included the piracy situation in the Gulf of Aden, with confirmation that a meeting of a number of national shipowner associations will take place in London next month, with a view to reaching a co-ordinated response to the problem. Ian Sherwood of Delta Marine was unanimously re-elected as chairman, while Bob Goodall of Bernard Schulte (IOM) and Greg Triantafillou of Epsilon Hellas were re-elected as vice chairman. They will be joined by a third vice-chairman, Rajesh Tandon of V.Ships, in a move that expands the executive officer team to four.
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