Connect with us

News

Labor group pushes due pay, perks for Japan cruise ship crew

Published

on

The Department of Health (DOH) said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) rescheduled the repatriation of Filipinos aboard the cruise ship M/V Diamond Princess to early next week. (File photo by 223keisinkaisokuhimejiyuki/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — A labor group on Saturday called for proper compensation and benefits to hundreds of Filipino workers of the M/V Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan who will be repatriated next week.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) president Raymond Mendoza said the two months paid time off and other perks promised by the cruise ship’s operators to the overseas Filipino workers who were affected by the coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19) are not enough.

“We urge the shipowners, cruise operators, and its local manning agency here in the country to be fair and just with their workers. We call on them to be more transparent and forthright in terms of their obligations to the Filipino crew particularly those who were infected while working onboard and exposed to the deadly virus and with those who were exposed to the risk and subjected to quarantine in Yokohama and in New Clark City,” he said in a statement.

Mendoza also urged the companies to clarify who is covered by these benefits.

“Aside from two-month paid time off, the ship operators promised to provide extra pay if the crew decides to return to work, pay all expenses incurred during the quarantine period onboard, pay for flights returning home and new employment contract. However, there was no mention if these are applicable to those infected and to those uninfected crew,” he added.

Citing general labor standards and occupational safety and health standards for sea-based workers, he said the cruise ship owners should pay the unexpired and unfinished employment contracts of both who were infected and uninfected crew.

He added that all the Filipino crew, both infected and uninfected by Covid-19, are also entitled to the minimum 130-day sick pay compensation, paid quarantine period, and the medicine and hospitalization expenses for performing their jobs under the tension of being exposed to Covid-19.

“The Diamond Princess operators and owners should pay for the expenses for the entire repatriation process of the workers from Yokohama to New Clark City and not just pay for flights returning home,” Mendoza said.

Meanwhile, TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said they will monitor the assistance provided by the Diamond Princess and will provide labor lawyers for the repatriated cruise ship crew in case there is a need to elevate the matter to local and international labor arbitration.

He also called for the immediate creation of a safety and health manual protocols for officers and crew members of passenger cruise and cargo ships confronted by a contagious disease such as Covid-19 in local and international maritime bodies.

“Our maritime officers and crew personnel are well-trained for fire, piracy and storm distresses on board a ship. However, they are not equipped in managing and handling highly contagious viruses offshore such as Covid-19 for that matter. Fighting a virulent virus onboard ships adds another challenge for our seafarers,” Tanjusay said.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) rescheduled the repatriation of Filipinos aboard the cruise ship M/V Diamond Princess to early next week.

The DOH said this is for Japan’s health authorities to complete the laboratory testing of the Filipino crew members to be repatriated and comply with the established Japanese quarantine protocols.

They will undergo a 14-day quarantine at the Athlete’s Village at the New Clark City in Tarlac upon arrival in the country.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle4 weeks ago

We Are The Sum Of Our Choices

Most people tell me I’m lucky. No, darlings. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LUCK. I worked hard for most...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Never Settle For Less Than You Are

Before I became a mother, before I became a wife, before I became a business partner to my husband, I...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Celebrating My Womanhood

The month of March is all about celebrating women and what better way to celebrate it than by enjoying and...

Lifestyle3 months ago

Maria’s Funny Valentine With An Ex!

Maria in Vancouver can’t help but wonder: when will she ever flip her negative thoughts to positive thoughts when it...

Lifestyle3 months ago

The Tea on Vancouver’s Dating Scene

Before Maria in Vancouver met The Last One seven years ago and even long before she eventually married him (three...

Lifestyle4 months ago

How I Got My Groove Back

Life is not life if it’s just plain sailing! Real life is all about the ups and downs and most...

Lifestyle4 months ago

Upgrade Your Life in 2025

It’s a brand new year and a wonderful opportunity to become a brand new you! The word upgrade can mean...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Fantabulous Christmas Party Ideas

It’s that special and merry time of the year when you get to have a wonderful excuse to celebrate amongst...

Lifestyle5 months ago

How To Do Christmas & Hanukkah This Year

Christmas 2024 is literally just around the corner! Here in Vancouver, we just finished celebrating Taylor Swift’s last leg of...

Lifestyle6 months ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...