The first round of talks is where employers represented by the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) and seafarers’ representative the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) outline their opening positions.
Both parties are maintaining strict confidentiality over the details but sources suggest the ITF refrained from calling for a wage increase in consideration of the poor trading conditions.
The 150,000 seafarers employed under the IBF agreement received a 3% pay rise this year, seemingly out of sync with the current market cycle.
