For many years, employers who use ITF-approved crew contracts have had to satisfy a number of conditions set unilaterally by ITF, including the payment of (currently) $250 per seafarer per year to the ITF Welfare Protection and Indemnity Fund ($240 for JNG members) – the ITF Welfare Fund. Despite its name, this is not a charity, nor is the money used for making grants to seafarers to welfare projects.  The Fund is simply another union asset.

Like other employers, IMEC members object to making such payments to ITF and it has been a major objective during the IBF negotiations that payments to the ITF Welfare Fund should be terminated, or at least brought under control.

In the 2003 IBF negotiations it was agreed that 5% of all payments made to the ITF Fund by JNG members should be “ring-fenced” and used exclusively for the benefit of seafarers employed by companies involved in the IBF process.

An independent bank account has now been opened, jointly controlled by JNG and ITF, and to date  ITF has transferred into this account some $1.3 million, representing the amount due in contributions by JNG members.

The appointed body charged with expenditure from this fund is the IBF Welfare Fund Joint Panel. The members of the Panel are:

JNG

• Mr. Ian Sherwood, Vice Chairman, IMEC
• Mr. David Dearsley, Secretary General, IMEC
• Mr. Nobuo Kayahara, Chairman, ISEG
• Ms. Shoko Doi, ISEG UK Representative

ITF

• Mr. Greg Oca, AMOSUP
• Mr. H Ikeda, ASJU
• Mr. Paddy Crumlin, MUA
• Mr. Sakae Idemoto, AJSU

Joint Secretariat

• Mr. Stephen Cotton, Secretary, SSD
• Mr. Konstantin Makarov, IBF/FOC Policy Advisor
• Mr. David Dearsley, Secretary, JNG
• Ms. Shoko Doi, Assistant Secretary, JNG

For notes on conditions applying to grants and for a grant application form please log in to the 'Members Area' and see members circular (06)37.