By GMM News | 2025-04-23 | International Shipping News |
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has concluded negotiations on a new global minimum wage agreement for seafarers, establishing progressive increases over the next three years.
The agreement was reached during meetings held in Geneva on April 14-15, 2025.
The new agreement, pending approval by the ILO’s Governing Body in November, outlines a structured wage increase that will see the minimum monthly basic wage for able seafarers rise to US $690 by January 2026, $704 in January 2027, and reach $715 by January 2028.
The latest adjustment represents a more than 6% increase from the current rate of $673 per month, which took effect in January 2025. The decision comes at a critical time for the maritime industry, as it faces increasing global trade tensions and economic uncertainties.
Maritime transport holds the distinction as the only industry maintaining a formally recognized global minimum wage system, a practice that has been in place since 1958.
“This agreement strikes a careful and considered balance between recognizing the vital contribution of seafarers and maintaining the commercial sustainability of the global shipping industry,” said Pål Tangen from the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, which represented the shipowners’ group.
The seafarers’ perspective was voiced by Mark Dickinson of the trade union Nautilus International, who highlighted the essential role of maritime workers: “Seafarers are crucial in delivering 90% of all goods for people in every nation of the world”. He also noted recent progress in recognizing seafarers’ status as key workers under the Maritime Labour Convention.
“The outcome of this wholly unique global collective bargaining forum represents more than just a technical adjustment to the minimum wage. It reflects a shared responsibility and commitment to uphold decent work at sea,” added Frank Hagemann, Director of the ILO Sectoral Policies Department.
The negotiations took place against a backdrop of growing concerns about potential global trade conflicts and their impact on the maritime sector. Both parties expressed worry about the possibility of a full-scale trade war that could reshape global trade patterns and affect the nearly two million seafarers worldwide.
This agreement was reached through the ILO Joint Maritime Commission (JMC), which brings together maritime employers coordinated by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and seafarers’ unions coordinated by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The next review of the global ILO Minimum Wage is scheduled for the first half of 2028.
