Parties okay 3% wage increase for officers and ratings
AMOSUP and the Norwegian shipowners and their maritime unions have concluded a number of pacts in the collective bargaining accord being enforced on ships flying the NIS flag and Model agreement vessels.
A three percent wage increase for officers and ratings for Filipino officers and ratings had also been granted beginning 01 January 2014 to 31 December 2015 for both NIS and Model agreements.
As one of the biggest operators of the world fleet, Norwegian shipowners – through the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association – have been providing a major source of employment for Filipino seafarers.
The three Oslo-based unions that signed the collective agreement with AMOSUP and NSA were the Norwegian Maritime Officers Association (NMOA), the Norwegian Union of Marine Engineers (NUME), and the Norwegian Seafarers Union (NSU).
At the same time, the NIS and Model-agreement amended the provision on Article 4, pertaining to cadet onboard, by allowing them to “be engaged for a longer period but less than 12 months in order to comply with the prequalification scheme for maritime education.”
The parties also agreed to consider proposal from AMOSUP regarding a new Appendix for cadets to be implemented into the CBA. An evaluation meeting is to be held to implement the proposal.
The NIS collective agreement, which began in 1988, has undergone various amendments to be more reflective of workers’ needs and Philippine government rules. As of December 2013, the agreement covered over 9,000 officers and members of the union.