Five of the world's major shipping organisations have joined forces to demand better treatment for seafarers who suffer maritime accidents.
Trade unions, employers and safety at sea organisations say that there is an increasing tendency by politicians to make seafarers scapegoats, which they say is damaging the shipping industry and world commerce.
The number of times when governments have jailed seafarers for lengthy periods following marine accidents, often without charges, has been increasing to the stage where the groups have taken the unprecedented step of joining forces to demand and end to this practice.
The new global initiative involves trade union representing seafarers, the International Transport Federation, and two organisations representing employers - the International Shipping Federation and the International Chamber of Shipping.
It is being led by the United Nations body promoting safety at sea, the International Maritime Organisation, and the International Labour Organization.
The five are setting new guidelines demanding fair treatment of seafarers.
'Knee-jerk scapegoating of seafarers by politicians is causing huge concern in the shipping industry,' according to the General Secretary of the ITF David Cockroft.
