CONTACT THE ITF

SEAFARERS NEEDING ASSISTANCE

There are different ways to contact the ITF. If you are on board a vessel with an ISU-Lanibra agreement and have an urgent problem, you can either contact the nearest ITF Inspector or email the ITF Seafarer Support team at seafsupport@itf.org.uk

ITF inspectors are union officials – many are former seafarers or dock workers – whose job is to inspect ships calling in their ports, to ensure the seafarers have decent pay, working conditions and living conditions. All ITF Inspectors speak English as well as their own native language and – in some cases – other languages.

Our network of 140+ ITF Inspectors and Contacts – based in 120+ ports in 57 countries worldwide – can assist you to recover any unpaid wages, help you to access urgent medical assistance, or help if you’ve been abandoned. We are here to help.

To find your nearest inspector click here or alternatively download the free ITF Seafarers app available from the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

Whether you contact us by email, phone or social media, providing the following information will help us to deal with your issue more effectively:

  • You (name, rank, nationality)
  • Your ship (name, flag, IMO number, ship type)
  • Your location (current port, sail date, next port, ETA)
  • Your problem (brief description)
  • Your contact details (phone number, email address)

If you will not be contactable for some time (e.g. leaving port), please leave details as above and we will try to follow up the problem in the best way possible during that period.

You can be part of ensuring that seafarers are genuinely protected by trade unions that care about you and represent your interests.

CALLING ALL JOURNALISTS

Are you a journalist interested in exposing sham unions and seafarer exploitation? Contact us at media@itf.org.uk for press enquiries and exclusive information.

Together we will expose ISU-Lanibra.

CASES

Belgium – Seafarers on ISU ship left to suffer appalling conditions 

Less than a year after the ITF documented the case of a seafarer aboard the Navi Vega failing to receive wages of more than USD2,000, seafarers on the ship were once again forced to reach out to the ITF for help.  Seafarers on the ISU ship have been forced to endure appalling conditions, including a […]

Netherlands – Dutch MP targets ‘fake unions’ in maritime sector  

A Dutch member of Parliament joined International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) affiliate Nautilus International’s Council meeting to discuss strategies for combating ‘fake’ unions that undermine maritime workers’ rights.  Mariëtte Patijn, a labour parliamentarian with extensive union experience, shared her concerns about “yellow unions” like the International Seafarers’ Union (ISU) – which she describes as commercial […]

Brazil: Petrobras rejects sham union, ISU 

The ISU made an unsolicited approach to Petrobras (Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – the Brazilian Petroleum Corporation) earlier this year, seeking to sell its fake union agreements for use on the Petrobras fleet of ships.  However, the approach was rejected out of hand by Petrobras, which only accepts International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) or ITF-equivalent agreements in […]

BRAZIL: SEAFARERS ABANDONED WITHOUT PAY

An international crew of seafarers on the Eleen Eva were abandoned in Brazil – and subject to wage theft of USD178,000. They reached out to ISU, but no one ever replied. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) stepped in to help: the seafarers were repatriated and received their stolen wages in full. REPORT Brazil – […]

UK: Illegal wages in P&O scandal

On 17 March 2022, 786 seafarers were summarily dismissed by British company P&O Ferries to be replaced by a far cheaper agency crew.

Greece: “Defamation, illegal acquisition, accepting the products of crime”

The Greek union, the Panhellenic Seaman’s Federation, has filed a lawsuit against ISU President Ludvik Jesenicnik.