South Africa: Cosatu Presented Its Submission On the Merchant Shipping Bill to Parliament
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) presented its submission on the Merchant Shipping Bill to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee: Transport on Tuesday. The Federation supports the progressive objectives of the Bill that seeks to overhaul our existing outdated protections for seafarers dating as far back as 1951, to ensure minimum safety standards, protections of workers’ rights at sea and to hold owners of vessels accountable for their actions and compliance with the law.
These will bring badly needed relief for thousands of fishing and merchant shipping workers as well as their families. The painful loss of life of seafarers in several tragic accidents off the Cape in 2024 was a wakeup call for all about the dangerous conditions these workers are subjected to on a daily basis. The Minister for Transport, Ms. Barbara Creecy’s interventions to require inspection of all sea vessels’ safety standards are a welcome step forward.
Whilst welcoming the intentions of the Bill, COSATU is extremely dismayed that the Department of Transport shamefully failed to table this important Bill at Nedlac for engagement with Organised Labour and Business as required by the Nedlac Act. Government is required to table all labour and socio-economic legislation at Nedlac prior to submitting them to Parliament. This helps ensure legislation has been enriched by and enjoys the support and buy in of social partners. It is not acceptable for Departments to undermine Nedlac nor will COSATU tolerate such sloppiness.
COSATU is equally concerned that despite the progressive intentions of the Bill, it maintains existing exemptions for the merchant shipping sector from the Basic Conditions of Employment, Occupational Health and Safety as well as the Labour Relations Acts and also appears to undermine the National Minimum Wage and Credit Acts. These risk exposing seafarers to the continued abuse of their rights. Whilst the Bill delegates the drafting of minimum conditions to the Minister for Transport, this is not acceptable as an alternative to complying with our hard-won labour laws that have been carefully crafted over extensive engagements between government, business and labour at Nedlac.
The Federation trusts that Parliament and government will heed its sober call for Nedlac to be given space to engage and find consensus on the Bill’s provisions affecting workers’ rights and our labour laws. This will enable Parliament to ensure that a progressive Bill is passed and one that protects and enhances the rights of seafarers.
By COSATU.
