International transport federation , ITF

[John Arton]

I know some are not too happy with trade unions, I myself gave up on NUMAST long before C.P made us all redundant but the ITF usually do a decent job of looking after seafarers, especially those from 3rd world countries or being employees of rogue ship owners.
However they have now been branded undesirable by non other than Russia's president Putin, which is a bit of a blow to some 1 million plus, russian seafarers.
Rgds
JA.
https://gcaptain.com/russia-labels-g...eid=3b737aa316

[j.sabourn]

I never really considered The MNAOA and later NUMAST as a union as such , joined as an apprentice on special rates , and stayed for the attraction of insurance for certificates and legal assistance if required . Which I did call upon once in 50 years. It was more of a gentleman’s club than a union as such. Mind it did hold some weight in joining the Australian Guild out here as was still in when emigrated , and made the difference of being employed or not. To be on Australian ships you had to be a member , the conditions were quiet acceptable and have nothing to complain about . Cheers JS.

[James Curry]

Numast what a joke, in the companies pockets, absolutely toothless.

[j.sabourn]

What’s wrong were you blackballed there as well ? JS

[j.sabourn]

The ITF think this was brought up once before. I worked on FF ships for a good 5 years at one stretch , and another year at another time. No sign of any ITF so they must be choosy of what they take on. I have it on good authority from the personnel departments of those who I worked for , that the salary’s they paid to individuals depended on their nationality , the lowest paid that I saw were the Russians, but was still more than what they got on their own flagged ships. I worked at one time for a Malaysian company and the chief engineer on my ship was getting less than the second engineer on a sister ship , the chief was Russian and the second was Polish . I took his complaint to the owner and he simply said if he doesn’t like it then pay him off. He stayed but very unhappy. JS .

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I went aboard a ship in Sydney which they used to own, traveling the world showing movies down one of the holds. There were some horrendous films, I remember one showing Indian engineers on one ship attending to the engines standing in about a foot of oil, only one handrail on the ladder out. All the films are what they had investigated and stopped. Unfortunately the ship was in a collision I think in South America and sank. I hav pics of the ship and crew but no longer have a printer.
Des

[j.sabourn]

#1 John all Putin has to do is just not recognise the ITF. My time on the stand by boats in the North Sea that’s what the owners did , they just employed non union seamen , union representatives were not allowed on their ships , they were just a nonentity . If a seaman wanted union representation he was no longer employed this in 1988 not so long back . It was a luxury unheard of in my time on such vessels. Every stand by boat company paid a different daily rate , some you paid your own travelling expenses , if it was your fault and arrived at the port at a different time than the ship then you paid your own accomodation and food. If their fault they paid for Missions to seamen accomodation. They paid what they wanted , and no one to complain to . You accepted the job or you didn’t . There was always someone who will. JS

[j.sabourn]

#6 Des I have a printer but no longer a computer. Just an IPad. JS

[James Curry]

What’s wrong were you blackballed there as well ? JS

For a man of your years you really do come out with some rubbish JS

If you happened to think being a member of that association was of any value that is your concern.
I am pretty sure there are many here would agree with my opinion concerning NUMAST

[j.sabourn]

Well it certainly was for a widow of a friend of mine who was drowned in the North Sea in 1989 they got her the maximum money for his death and also saw to his children’s education . Maybe yourself in your bigoted mindset on anything British might be in dire straights one day I won’t say the best of British as that would only make your toes curl. As to some of those years I was in Baghdad when you were in Dadsbag. JS. With a name like Lewis you should know better . JS