• 2014 March 25 14:33

    North-Western Shipping Company says ITF launches campaign against vessels flying Russian flag

    North-Western Shipping Company OJSC notes persistent acts of the representatives of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) against the company’s vessels, the shipping company says in its statement.

    According to the statement, ITF actions are based on consistently “new” accusations of the company saying that it is in breach of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. The latest incident took place in the port of Ghent (Belgium) with the crew of M/V Lazurit (flag of Russia) on March 17, 2014.

    As North-Western Shipping Company operating the vessels flying the flags of the Russian Federation, it is obliged to comply with all the statutes of the Russian law of employment, work safety and labour conditions. These statutes are tougher as compared with those applied to the flag of convenience ships.

    Each vessel flying the flag of the Russian Federation and operated by the North-Western Shipping Company is certified under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. The minimum monthly basic wages for able seafarers of the Company have always been and continue to be in compliance with ILO Recommendation 187 with regard to the wages amount and payment conditions as defined on an annual basis by the Joint Maritime Commission, and as of January 1, 2014 are at least equal to $585.

    The obligation to determine such level of the Minimum Monthly Basic Wages is binding in accordance with the 2006 Maritime Labor Convention, which has been effective for Russia since August 20, 2013, and compliance with such obligation is ensured by the Company’s adherence to  the River Transport Industry Agreement for 2012−2014 incorporating the  requirements of the above Convention. The shipowner as a socially responsible company fully complies with the ILO Convention, including its requirements regarding the provision of information to confirm that the wages are being paid. 

    Currently, the interests of the North-Western Shipping Company’s seamen are represented by the Water Transport Trade Union of the Russian Federation (WTTU) in accordance with the existing collective bargaining agreement. The WTTU is not an associated member of ITF. There are no members of ITF/FSU among the seamen employed by the Company. Therefore, contrary to what is alleged by ITF/FSU, they do not have any power to check compliance with ILO requirements in the territory of Finland, and their allegations regarding the minimum wages of the Company’s seamen are unfounded and inaccurate.

    The statement says that the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and affiliated Seafarers' Union of Russia should realize that claims about the North-Western Shipping Company’s employment terms are actually an assault on the Russian legislation. 

    The North-Western Shipping Company intends to protect its reputation and the right of its employees to safe labour by all means necessary as permitted by the Russian and international laws.

    The North-Western Shipping Company believes that all administrative, civil and criminal liability for the illegal actions referred to above lies with ITF/FSU and, in particular, their representatives whose unlawful acts will in any way directly or indirectly prejudicial to the rights and lawful interests of the crews, vessels, cargo, the Company or the Shipowners, the statement says.

    North-Western Shipping Company is the largest carrier in Russia’s water transport system, specializing in shipping import / export general cargo, bulk and loose dry cargo, tugging of oversized cargo and vessels.

    The company operates 80 cargo ships with deadweight ranging between 1,700 t and 7,000 t and two ro-ro barges of mixed river-sea type. Total deadweight of the company is 363,000 t, average age – 15 years. The NWS Company transports 6 million tonnes of different cargo a year.

    The Company is a member of VBTH, a shipping division of UCL Holding (majority owner of VBTH), consolidating also a number of Russian rail, stevedoring and logistics assets.

    Related link:

    North-Western Shipping Company comments on delay of loading in Finland>>>> 


2024 April 19

18:02 CMA CGM to strengthen and reshuffle its SEAS1 & SEAS2 services connecting Asia and East Coast South America
17:25 OOCL upgrades Transpacific Latin Atlantic 1/ 2 (TLA1/ 2) service
16:45 The world's two largest hydrogen ships are to be built in Norway
16:15 KEYS Azalea completes first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in Western Japan
15:40 Port Houston surpasses 1mln TEU mark in Q1 2024
15:29 World's first ammonia dual-fuel Aframaxes to be developed by MISC
14:55 Port of Rotterdam total cargo throughput up 2.0% to 3.3 million TEUs in Q1 2024
14:06 DNV awards certificates for Fortescue’s dual-fuelled ammonia-powered vessel
13:44 Imoto Lines and Marindows launch next-generation zero-emission container ship project
12:41 The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach complete a comprehensive Green and Digital Shipping Corridor study
12:20 Ulsan Port Authority signs MOU with Pacific Environment to decarbonize shipping ports in Singapore
11:50 Cavotec signs USD 5 million shore power order with global shipping company
11:22 Rio Tinto selects Alfa Laval OceanGlide fluidic air lubrication with a focus on advancing efficient shipping and reducing emissions
10:45 Steerprop selected to supply main propulsion and tunnel thrusters for Canadian Coast Guard multi-purpose vessels program
10:14 ST Engineering AirX and Bureau Veritas sign cooperation agreement to advance Wing-in-Ground technology
09:38 Solar panels at the Port of Valencia will generate 22% of the energy it consumes

2024 April 18

18:02 DEME wins cable installation contracts from Prysmian for IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems
17:31 RINA awarded contract for Carnival Cruise Line 4th and 5th Excel-class ships
17:18 Cepsa and Evos join up for green methanol storage in Spain and the Netherlands
16:48 ClassNK commences joint research project with JAXA on material compatibility evaluation methods for liquefied oxygen
16:24 Panama Canal announces new measures regarding number of transits and maximum draft
15:50 Kongsberg Maritime secures contract to supply propeller systems to Damen Naval for four Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates
15:24 LR to class Torghatten Nord’s hydrogen-powered ferry duo for Arctic sailings
14:04 CMA CGM sells part of the foreign activities of Bolloré Logistics to the Balguerie Group
13:40 Methanol Institute and SEA-LNG unite against EU trade barriers to biomethane and biomethanol fuels
13:23 DP World launches a new Air Tracking feature to its SeaRates platform
12:31 Port of Los Angeles container volume increases 19% to 743,417 TEU in March 2024
12:16 MABUX: Bunker Outlook, Week 16, 2024
12:11 Coastal Sustainability Alliance boosts development and adoption of maritime biofuel in Singapore
11:43 Ocean Network Express launches reduced emissions shipping service
11:23 Wartsila cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems selected for three new Very Large Ethane Gas Carriers
10:45 Singapore plans production of biofuel blends up to B50 in grade
10:25 Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and International Energy Agency сollaborate on maritime energy transition

2024 April 17

18:03 Australia and Singapore partner in a $20 million initiative to help reduce emissions in the maritime sector
17:38 EPS strengthens green collaboration with MPA with six Singapore-registered ammonia dual-fuel newbuilds
17:03 HD Hyundai, Scottish firms to cooperate on offshore wind power
16:16 Hanwha Ocean wins 176.4 bln-won order for 1 LPG carrier
15:46 Maritime Book and Claim System advances pilot study to support first movers in zero-emissions shipping
15:00 Port of Antwerp-Bruges cargo volumes up 2.4% to 70.4 million tonnes in Q1 2023
14:47 DOF Rederi AS sells PSV Skandi Gamma
14:24 PIL, CCS partner on alternative fuels and onboard carbon capture and storage
13:44 Total volume of bunker fuel sales at the port of Fujairah increases by 25.2% to 700,918 m3 in March 2023
12:11 Eureka Shipping announces construction of new cement carrier for Great Lakes trade
11:32 MOL to adopt new system to increase capacity and improve operational efficiency of car carriers
11:12 GTT receives an order for the tank design of eight new LNG carriers
10:43 Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources takes delivery of a new research vessel
10:27 The United States exported a record volume of natural gas in 2023
09:58 TECO 2030 raises NOK 43 million and partners up with Advait in India

2024 April 16

18:04 HD KSOE attains 73% of annual order target in 100 days
17:31 Anglo-Eastern buys Euronav ship manager
17:06 Navig8 takes delivery of the second of six newbuild MRs with emission reducing technology
16:38 IMO’s Facilitation Committee tackles digitalization and autonomous shipping
16:12 World’s largest car carriers ordered with MAN Energy Solutions propulsion package
15:46 Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan to retrofit five vessels to methanol propulsion
14:13 Asyad Shipping and OQ8 successfully complete first-of-its-kind blended crude oil delivery from Mina Al Fahal to Duqm Refinery
13:54 Hapag-Lloyd unveils its new Strategy 2030
13:14 Singapore aims for over 1 mln tons of low-carbon methanol bunker supply by 2030
12:43 Trafigura to commercially deploy Daphne Technology’s PureMetrics on LNG carrier for precise MRV and optimisation of GHG emissions
12:15 All 12 people rescued from fire on board Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship in Singapore waters
11:49 Drydocks World steel cutting ceremony marks start of UK Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Platforms project
11:23 North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium aims to decarbonize transportation corridor between Canada, Japan and South Korea
10:48 Wartsila offers new high-performance thruster and propulsion control solution package
10:25 Port of Long Beach container volume up 8.3% to 654,082 TEUs in March 2024
09:58 Kalypso Offshore Energy signs LOI with Royal IHC

2024 April 15

18:04 Container shipping costs of S. Korea-EU route surge 40 pct amid Red Sea crisis
17:21 HMM to expand container ship fleet by 2030
17:09 Singapore retains its position as the world's leading maritime city
16:47 Iran says MSC Aries vessel seized for 'violating maritime laws'
16:24 ICTSI gets PPA OK to operate Iloilo Port
15:21 DEME’s offshore installation vessel ‘Orion’ successfully completes the near 15 MW turbine foundation installation project in Scotland and heads to US