The European Social Partners for Maritime Transport, ETF and ECSA, agree on the need of drawing shipping companies’ and seafarers’ attention to the risks from the Ebola virus and call for providing relevant guidance to stay safe when going into ports of affected countries. In a joint declaration, the employers’ and workers’ organisations ask all relevant maritime stakeholders to take their share of responsibility to ensure that seafarers’ health and safety is sufficiently protected.
The ETF and ECSA acknowledge the right of individual States to adopt own national measures but remind them of their obligations to ensure immediate medical support and advice.
“As any person on board who shows signs of Ebola infection will need urgent medical attention, we strongly recommend individual States not to refuse the entry of ships in their ports when confronted with a possible Ebola case; treatment should be provided at a shore based facility”, the organisations state jointly.
The European Social Partners attach to their declaration the International Guidelines provided by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which they fully endorse.
More information on the Ebola disease can be found on the following websites: • World Health Organisation • ICS
You can download the full joint declaration below.