From the 1st April this year a new agreement in respect of seafarers' pay and compensation for service in the area off Somalia takes effect.

Discussions between the ITF and the Joint Negotiating Group of employers' associations during the course of March arrived at an agreement to maintain the existing High Risk Area off Somalia and create a new Extended Risk Zone into the Arabian Sea and north Indian Ocean.

The

terms of the new agreement

including a chart illustrating the limits of these zones can be found in our Piracy section in the Knowledge & Development area of this website.

Doubled wages and compensation whilst transiting the original 'High Risk Area' remain as does the seafarer's right not to proceed with the passage and be repatriated at the company's cost.

In the new Extended Risk Zone, each seafarer will be entitled to a double wages / compensation on any day during which the vessel is attacked. However, seafarers will not have the right to ask to be repatriated prior to entering or whilst transiting the Extended Risk Zone.

Proof of entitlement will be subject to confirmed entry in the ship's log book and report of attack being lodged with recognised international reporting authorities such as the UK MTO.

There has been no amendment by the POEA to their Board Resolution No. 4, Series of 2008, dated 7/10/08.

Members should be aware of the requirement that Best Management Practice (BMP3) is the minimum standard of protection and additional measures to protect ships & seafarers adopted where possible.

Members seeking further information should contact either

Tony Nicholson

or

John Turner

at the London office of Thomas Miller P&I.