The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has stated that at least a thousand sailors will disembark their vessels and return back to their families .
ITF stated that during the Covid-19 pandemic ,it was able to engage affiliate unions to helping and repatriate seafarers across the world – including in Croatia.
It noted that the Sindikat Pomoraca Hrvatske / Seafarers Union of Croatia (SUC) has been working with employer associations and companies on this issue to get hundreds of seafarers home to their families.
The world transport body added that a very significant group of seafarers – 756 – were assisted on 20 May from the vessel the Carnival Magic, a cruise ship that sailed into Dubrovnik for the repatriation of seafarers to their home countries.
“Right now, a second Carnival vessel, the Carnival Breeze, is docked in Dubrovnik, Croatia and more than 1,000 seafarers will disembark and return to their homes and families. Once more, the ITF and SUC will be on hand to provide support and assistance.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic the ITF and our affiliate unions are helping to repatriate seafarers across the world – including in Croatia.
“During the pandemic, the SUC has had several requests from different vessels for repatriation of crew members, who are both from Croatia and other countries.
“On 3 May, the SUC assisted with a crew change of six seafarers on the vessel the LNG Lusail at an anchorage on the western Croatian island of Šolta.
“Given the pandemic, it was complicated to arrange necessary measures for this operation to be successful.
“Another shift of seafarers from the ship LNG Al Thakhira at the anchorage near Šolta was successfully completed on 15 May and three crew members safely got home.
“Besides the Croats, aboard the ship were Ukrainian and Romanian nationals as well as seafarers from Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo.
“They were transported home by planes or buses.
“Romano Peric, the ITF inspector coordinator in Croatia and representative of the Seafarers’ Union of Croatia (SUC), was confident that no one on the ship was infected with Covid-19, given that the ship has been quarantined for a long time. Regardless, all precautions and preventative measures were taken, just in case.”
ITF further assured seafarers’ that “We are in this together!
