At the Constituent Assembly, which was held on 10 September 2018 in Koper, Slovenia, European Union, founding members, on initiative of Branko Krznaric, who used to be International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Inspector and a former ITF employee, Agreements Development Manager at the ITF Headquarters in London, where he was working for more than 12 years, retired from the ITF in August 2017, established the International Seafarers’ Union, with abbreviation ISU.
The purpose of establishing a BONA FIDE TRADE UNION was to ensure the protection of seafarers’ interests irrespective of nationality, race, gender, language, religion, political or other belief, financial state, place of birth, education, social status, disability or any other personal circumstance with the aim to act for the benefit of seafarers.
Being aware of the concerning problem of the lack of protection of interests of seafarers internationally, the founding members attending the Constituent Assembly figured that they needed to organise a trade union which will offer protection and assistance not only to seafarers which are members of the trade union but to a certain extend also to non-members. Knowing that most trade unions are requiring members to pay a high membership fee, which many seafarers cannot afford to pay, funding members took a decision that ISU membership fee should be low in order any seafarer to be able to join the trade union. The International Seafarers’ Union (ISU) membership fee is specified in the ISU Statute (Constitution) and the annual membership fee is in amount of USD 30, or equivalent in EUR on date of payment. A member can be of any nationality, as the nature of the ISU is international.
Current members of the International Seafarers’ Union (ISU) are seafarers of 31 different nationalities: Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Vietnam. As per the ISU Statute (Constitution), membership is open to any nationality.
The International Seafarers’ Union (ISU) is a bona fide trade union with headquarters in Slovenia, which is a member state of the European Union. The ISU is officially registered with the decision of Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities under the Representativeness of Trade Unions Act (ZRSin) (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 13/93) and the Rules on the Records of the Statutes of Trade Unions (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 18/93). Based on Trade Union Law, which is regulating establishment of trade unions, and with Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities issued decision, the ISU was recognised as a legal person and was therefore formally established as a bona fide trade union which fulfilled legal standards and democratic principles.
The ISU Statute (Constitution) was entered in the register of statutes on the 11 October 2018 under number 236, which was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia. With the decision on the retention of the statute, issued by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, it was recognised the ISU is in line with the Representativeness of Trade Unions Act (ZRSin).
The ISU is internationally recognised, taking into account having members of many different nationalities, and negotiated and signed International – Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), carefully drafted in line with international conventions, including International Labour Organization (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), with many different shipping companies worldwide.
Structure of the ISU:
- Congress;
- Executive Board;
- Trade Union President;
- Trade Union Vice-President;
- Supervisory Board.
Membership in the ISU is voluntary, open to any nationality, based on the principles set out in two basic Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Conventions – No 87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise andNo 98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.