6,000 Seafarers Risk Their Lives Daily in the Strait of Hormuz - Their Right to Refuse to Sail to the Area

International labor unions have declared the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf as a 'war zone', granting seafarers the right to refuse to sail to the area and receive compensation of two months' salary. About 6,000 seafarers are still stranded in the region, and the UN calls for assistance in their evacuation.

While the world watches oil prices and tensions in the Persian Gulf, thousands of civilian seafarers risk their lives daily in the Strait of Hormuz. Drone attacks, naval mining, attacks by the Revolutionary Guard, and navigation disruptions have made sailing extremely dangerous over the past year. In response, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) declared in March the area a 'war zone'. This designation gives seafarers the right to refuse to sail to the area, in which case the company is obligated to return them to their home country at its own expense and pay compensation of two months' base salary. Workers who choose to enter are entitled to double pay, and agreements double compensation in case of injury, disability, death, or kidnapping. At the peak of the crisis, in March-April, about 20,000 seafarers were stranded on about 2,000 vessels. In June, the organization evacuated about 11,000, and currently about 6,000 seafarers remain on about 500 vessels. Third Officer Clarice Benge told UN News about the uncertainty and daily alerts.

6,000 Seafarers Risk Their Lives Daily in the Strait of Hormuz - Their Right to Refuse to Sail to the Area