SEAFARERS UNIONS

SEAFARERS UNIONS

A trade union (British English and Australian English – trades union is also used), labour union (Canadian English) or labor union (American English) is an organization of workers who have united together to achieve common goals such as protecting the integrity of its trade, achieving higher pay and benefits such as health care and retirement, increasing the number of employees an employer assigns to complete the work, safety standards, and better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members (rank and file members) and negotiates labour contracts (collective bargaining) with employers. The most common purpose of these associations or unions is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment".[1] This may include the negotiation of wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers, benefits, workplace safety and policies.

Unions may organize a particular section of skilled workers (craft unionism),[2] a cross-section of workers from various trades (general unionism),[3] or attempt to organize all workers within a particular industry (industrial unionism).[3] The agreements negotiated by a union are binding on the rank and file members and the employer and in some cases on other non-member workers. Trade unions traditionally have a constitution which details the governance of their bargaining unit and also have governance at various levels of government depending on the industry that binds them legally to their negotiations and functioning.

Originating in Europe, trade unions became popular in many countries during the Industrial Revolution. Trade unions may be composed of individual workers, professionals, past workers, students, apprentices and/or the unemployed.

Since the publication of the History of Trade Unionism (1894) by Sidney and Beatrice Webb, the predominant historical view is that a trade union "is a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment."[1] Karl Marx described trade unions thus; - “...the value of labour-power constitutes the conscious and explicit foundation of the trade unions, whose importance for the […] working class can scarcely be overestimated. The trade unions aim at nothing less than to prevent the reduction of wages below the level that is traditionally maintained in the various branches of industry. That is to say, they wish to prevent the price of labour-power from falling below its value” (Capital V1, 1867, p. 1069).

A modern definition by the Australian Bureau of Statistics states that a trade union is "an organization consisting predominantly of employees, the principal activities of which include the negotiation of rates of pay and conditions of employment for its members

The Seafarers Union of Burma (SUB) is a trade union in exile from Burma (Myanmar). It represents an estimated 20 - 30,000 workers in the international shipping industry, many of whom work on Flag of Convenience ships and suffer from poor work and pay conditions.

Founded in 1991 by the Burmese seafarers who are in trouble and get contact with the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and its affiliated maritime unions around the world and supported by the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB) in opposition to the government sanctioned "Myanmar Overseas Seafarers Association" (MOSA), SUB remains banned in Burma (Myanmar) but is recognized as the legitimate representative of Burmese sailors by other maritime unions, and is a member of the International Transport Workers' Federation

KENYA SEAFARERS UNION

https://www.facebook.com/easeafarers

https://www.facebook.com/pages/marine-kenya/1439717492947512https://www.facebook.com/pages/marine-kenya/1439717492947512

Kenya Seafarers are comprised of 3,280 skilled and experienced maritime staff.

The Seafarers consist of Shipmasters, Deck and Engineer Officers, Electrical and Electro-Technical Officers, Divers, Fish Workers, Deck and Engine room Ratings and off-shore gas/oil rig staff.

Owing to the lack of a National Merchant Fleet and STCW Certificates, only 20% are currently employed aboard Coastal and Foreign Ocean-going vessels.

Majority of the Merchant Navy and Engineer Officers are Britain, Egypt and South Africa trained.

With the assistance of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), 48 Kenyan Seafarers underwent a six week STCW training in South Africa at the UNICORN Tankers Training School while 900 under took STCW training at Bandari College, Kenya.

Due to the absence of legally established manning agencies for Seafarers in Kenya, there is no proper replacement and recruitment of Seafarers in the Country. All replacements and recruitment of Seafarers in Kenya are carried out in close shop system, which is contrary to government directive on recruitment of seamen.

The Government directive of recruitment of Seafarers states that all recruitment of Seafarers are subject to Government control under the Office of the Merchant Shipping Superintendent.

We know that work is the best route out of poverty. But we cannot legislate employment in and poverty out. It is long and complex process requiring all elements of society to work together.

Therefore, there’s a need to harness the unique power of the office of the Merchant Shipping Superintendent, Ship Owners and Seafarers Union of Kenya to a concerted efforts in creating employment to Kenyan Merchant Mariners.

Tanzania seafarers`union

(TASU) is the seafarers’ trade union of its kind to be set in the country. Established under the Trade union act No 10 of 1998 and as amended on the Employment and Labour Relation Act, No. 6 of 2004, the union has registration number 008 issued by the Registrar of Organization.

TASU is affiliated member of Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) based in London.

The union representing seafarers workers who are working in marine engineering, shipbuilding and marine maintanance others are working in ferry boats which are owned by the Government of Tanzania, others are working with foreign going ships and coastal ships. We have more than 1,250 members all over the country but more than 4,000 are potential members in marine industry