Employers of hundreds of thousands of seafarers contracted under International Bargaining Forum (IBF) wage agreements will be allowed to extend their employment at least until 15 May.
The extension was agreed by seafarers' union International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG), which represents employers, at a crunch meeting last week.
The talks were an attempt to find a temporary solution to shipping's growing crew change crisis brought about by travel restrictions to prevent the global spread of coronavirus.
