The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG), as the social partners of the International Bargaining Forum (IBF), agree to designate the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf as a Warlike Operations Area (WOA) following a review today by the IBF Warlike Operations Area Committee (WOAC).
The designation upgrades the High Risk Area designation applied to the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf on 2 March and reflects the continuing and heightened threat to seafarers and vessels operating in the region. Hundreds of vessels are stranded in the Gulf following the halt of vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the scale of disruption and risk facing civilian crews in the region.
The WOA designation ensures that seafarers on IBF-covered vessels receive enhanced protections and compensation if they are stranded or operating in the area. Seafarers already within the designated area are entitled to additional compensation and to request repatriation, noting the current, significant operational difficulties, while those instructed to enter it have the right to refuse to sail and request repatriation at the company’s expense. (....)