Saudi Arabian Transport Delegation meet The International Transport Workers’ Federation

On September 29th, H.E. Minister of Transport & Logistics, Saleh Al Jasser led a delegation of senior Saudi transport representatives on a visit to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) at their headquarters in London. The ITF is an international trade union federation of transport workers’ unions, representing over 19 million workers in 149 countries. The meeting facilitated a greater understanding of ITF’s mission and objectives, and provided the opportunity for discussions on potential future cooperation. 

One of ITF’s major priorities is the issue of ship abandonment and the subsequent impact on seafarers. Ship abandonment is understood as the severing of ties between a ship’s owner and their vessel, often with crew onboard without pay or basic necessities and unable to be repatriated. The ITF commended Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the IMO, Essam Al Ammari, for his assistance in acting as a liaison with port authorities to facilitate ITF’s work in tackling ship abandonment. 

The Minister affirmed Saudi Arabia’s belief that workers within the maritime sector are of vital importance and therefore should have their wellbeing and welfare as a top priority. The meeting concluded with a reiteration of shared desires for cooperation and partnership.