The meeting of the Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers of the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC) convened by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and concluded yesterday in Geneva led to a New agreement for the global minimum wage for seafarers, agreement which was welcomed with satisfaction by the shipowners by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and by the trade unions by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).

The approved resolution, which will have to be ratified on next November by the ILO, predicts that the value of the minimum wage is $690 from January 1, 2026 to rise to $704 from January 1, 2027 and $715 from January 1, 2028. The new wage structure represents an increase of more than 6% and is builds on the previous three-year agreement concluded in September 2022 which it set the minimum at $673 as of January 1, 2025.

"This agreement - commented on behalf of the employer Pål Tangen of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, responsible for seafarers' contract negotiations and spokesperson for the group of the shipowners during the meeting - strikes a careful balance and weighted between the recognition of the vital contribution of and maintaining trade sustainability of the global shipping industry. Seafarers play a role indispensable in ensuring the fluidity of trade often in difficult and unpredictable conditions. These do not These are normal times and this resolution reflects our respect for their work, while ensuring that shipowners can continue to operate in a highly competitive global market and volatile".

"Seafarers - underlined Mark Dickinson of the Nautilus International trade union, spokesperson for the seafarers' group - are essential for the provision of 90% of goods for people in every nation in the world and the ITF will always demand the right recognition for these workers. Last week we taken an important step forward with the recognition of the status of key workers of seafarers in the Convention on the Maritime Jobs ( of 14 April 2025, ed.). This week we made a further step towards improving their well-being through wage increases that maintain and increase the value of wages minimum for ILO Able Seafarers, taking into account the increase in of the cost of living starting from 2022".