December 9, 2020: More than 50,000 Ratings / Petty Officers serving on Indian ships of Foreign Going, Home Trade, Offshore Vessels and Harbour Tugs will benefit from the revised agreement.
NUSI – National Union of Seafarers of India recently announced that the 47th NMB (I) has been signed on 7 December 2020 and for the first time, a new agreement has been achieved for seafarers on Harbour Tugs.
Despite serious doubts raised over the possibility of an upward revision in the agreement during such uncertain times of COVID-19 pandemic, the NUSI has been able to secure numerous terms and conditions in favour of the seafarers in the latest NMB (I) agreement. This positive change is set to benefit over 50,000 mariners and their families.
While the last date of the National Maritime Board (India) – NMB (I) was 31 March 2019, NUSI had given a strong Charter of Demand for the upward revision of the NMB (I) agreement. As the negotiation started, ship-owners did not want to offer any increment in the wages and terms and conditions. They wanted minus salary and reduction in existing salary in the Home Trade and Offshore vessels owing to huge losses suffered due to COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) strongly defended the interests of the seafarers and demanded no minus salary and no reduction in salary from the ship-owners.
Valid till 31 December 2023, this agreement will merge some of the allowances in order to reduce cheating and simplifying the tracking of actual entitlements for the seafarers.
Some of the other highlights of this agreement include, 40% increase in wages for foreign-going Ratings Officers and 30% increase in wages for foreign-going Petty Officers; more than 20% increase in wages for Home Trade Ratings and Petty Officers; and more than 10% and 7% increase in basic wages of Offshore Ratings and Petty Officers respectively.
Also, seafarers working exclusive on harbour tugs will get a 10% increase in the overall salary for the period of 1 January 2021 till 31 December 2022. There will be a further cumulative increase of 5% for the period of 1 January 2023 till 31 December 2023 for them.
Apart from salaries, the death compensation amounts and the amount of Death and Disability compensation for seafarers on ships carrying radio-active material has also been increased significantly. The latest agreement also favours terms of re-employment, skill enhancement, reducing discrimination, increasing mental health awareness and creating robust grievance procedures for mariners.
