中華海員總工會

我們與 ICS 和 JNG 等社會夥伴共同發表了聲明和新聞稿、完成媒體採訪、去信 ILO、IMO 和其他聯合國組織，並制定了一份 12 步驟計畫，由 IMO 發布給 174 個會員國，目標均是促進實行船員變更。同時，我們許多會員組織，特別是勞力供應會員、簽約會員和港口國會員，都各自與政府保持對話，以督促政府在口頭支持船員之外，採取實際行動，實施必要程序讓船員變更得以執行。

目前已有一些成效，但經歷了這麼長時間的封鎖和限制，這些還遠遠不夠。目前許多船員待在海上的時間，已經超過契約時間好幾個月，有些人甚至已經在船上待了 12 個月以上，此外還有更多人被困在世界各地，回不了家。聯合國、IMO 和 ILO 都呼籲各國政府盡快實施船員更換，政府沒有理由繼續推遲。

但我們都明白，要促使政府反應並付諸行動，通常需要集體的外部力量，這就是為什麼 ITF 決定支持由前保加利亞船長 Andriyan Evtimov 發起的線上請願「 Seafarers Matter」(https://seafarersmatter.com/)。我們也希望所有會員海事組織共襄盛舉，請把請願連結分享給您的會員並公布在社群媒體平台上。我們明白請願並不能解決問題，但只要能透過請願向政府及大眾發出明確的訊息，就足夠了：船員的身心健康極為重要，他們有安全返回家園的權利，政府與雇主則有保證他們享有這份權利的義務。

As you know the ITF, led by the ITF Seafarers’ Section’s Chair and Vice Chairs and supported by the secretariat, has been working tirelessly to ensure that facilitation of crew change returns to some resembles of normal.

Together with our social partners, both the ICS and the JNG, we have published statements and press releases, done interviews with the media, sent letters to the ILO, IMO and other UN agencies, produced a 12-step plan which was issued by the IMO to its 174 Member States – all with the aim to get crew change moving. At the same time many of our affiliates, especially labour-providing affiliates, signatory affiliates and port state affiliates, have been in constant dialogue with their own governments in an effort to get their governments to put action behind their verbal support of seafarers and adopt procedures to make crew change possible.

There is some movement, but not nearly enough after so many weeks of lockdowns and restrictions. Many seafarers have now been several months on board passed their contract expiration, some have even been on board over 12 months while many others are stranded around the world unable to get home. The UN, the IMO and the ILO have all called on governments to facilitate crew change and there is no longer any reason for governments to postpone.

However, we know that it often takes collective external pressure to get governments to react and act, which is why the ITF has decided to back the online petition “Seafarers Matter” https://seafarersmatter.com/ which was launched by a former Bulgarian seafarer Capt. Andriyan Evtimov and we ask all our maritime affiliates to do so as well. Please share the petition link with your members and on your social media platforms. We know a petition alone will not resolve the situation, but it will send a clear message to governments and the general public that enough is enough – seafarers health and wellbeing matters and they have the right to return safely home and governments and employers have the responsibility to ensure they do.