In a recent article ILO (International Labour Organization) welcomed a joint statement to protect seafearers rights as key workers in the maritime sector. ILO further urrged the member states to support these new measures. In the article, ILO states that "Seafarers have been among the hardest hit from the fall-out of the pandemic, said Corinne Vargha, Director of the ILO’s International Labour Standards Department.
The new measures will allow seafearers, of which many have been confied to their vessels for months, to be repratriated. ILO "has urged governments to recognize seafarers as ‘key workers’ who ensure the flow of trade and the movement of vital medical supplies, safety equipment, food and other critical goods during the pandemic".
