MUMBAI, Aug 18: The wages and conditions of more than 30,000 Indian seamen serving on foreign going vessels have been revised upwards by around 21 per cent as a result of formalising the National Maritime Board (NMB) Agreement.According to Leo Barnes, general secretary, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), the agreement will be effective for two years from April 1, 1998 to March 31, 2000. It was signed by Capt A P Kothurkar, secretary, (on behalf of the shipowners) and M T Joseph, secretary (for the seafarers of the National Maritime Board).
As a result of a 12 per cent hike in basic wages (average Rs 330) per month and substantive improvements in other emoluments, the overall increase secured by NUSI for its members in the revised agreement works out to more than 21 per cent, Barnes added. The average increase works out to Rs 2,600 per month per seaman.
The following is the gist of the revised National Maritime Board (NMB) Agreement:
Basic Wages: up by 12 per cent or Rs 330 per month.
Subsistence Allowance: increased by Rs 45, from Rs 120 to Rs 165 per day.
Ship Keeping Allowance: up by Rs 20, from Rs 60 to Rs 80 per night.
Severance/Redundancy Compensation: revised with the minimum compensation being:
-- Under 55 years -- Rs 1,00,000
-- Between 55 and 58 years -- Rs 40,000
-- Above 58 years -- Rs 20,000
Pension/Annuity: increased by Rs 700, from Rs 450 per month per seaman to Rs 1,150 to be credited to the seamen's provident fund accounts.
Death And Disability Compensation: revised and the minimum compensation now, for death, shall be Rs 8,00,000 and for disability, Rs 10,00,000.
Formation of NMB Welfare Trust: formerly the NMB rehabilitation trust now converted to initiate the social welfare scheme of medical aid to families of seamen. The shipowners contribution to the trust up by Rs 280 to Rs 850 per month per seaman.
Desalinator For Lifeboat: every effort shall be made to provide manually operated desalinator equipment on lifeboats and life rafts in anticipation of mandatory requirement in this regard.
According to Barnes, NUSI has succeeded in bringing the welfare activity directly under the aegis of the National Maritime Board. With the transformation of NMB Rehabilitation Trust into NMB Welfare Trust, other welfare benefits will also be undertaken. Seamen will no longer have to be at the mercy and vagaries of the bureaucratic functioning with regard to their welfare benefits.
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