What is a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and what decides what it should contain?
There are many factors and regulations that decide the contents of a CBA. The most imortant factor for the cruise ships in particular is the ITF's Miami Guidelines which sets forth a number of benchmarks for a CBA within the cruise industry.
The Miami Guidelines is an ITF policy adopted by governing bodies in the ITF and sets out minimum standadrds for a Collective Bargaining Agreement within the cruise industry. These standards govern Seafarers employment on a cruise vessel and although many crew members are mostly interested in their wages, there are many other rights contained in the CBA that are equally important to Seafarers.
A Collective Bargaining Agreement should, as a minimum, contain the following subjects/articles: Discrimination, Hiring Partners, expenses related to employement and travelling, medical certificates, length of contract, termination, hours of work and rest, wages and overtime, insurance coverage, medical treatment, sick wages, public holidays, maternity, accommodation, food, work in war zones, health and safety, dispute resolution and annual leave. The list is not exhaustive, there are additional issues in the CBA, but we have listed some of the most important ones.
The Miami Guidelines are based on the objectives of the ITF, which are to promote respect for trade unions and human rights worldwide, to work for social justice and economic progress, to assist its affiliated unions to defend the interests of their members, to provide research and information services to its affiliates and to provide general assistance to transport workers in difficulty. The abovementioned is based on the International Labour Organisations (ILO) core conventions. ILO is a United Nations body that adopts minimum minimum international labour standards. The standards are aimed at promoting equal opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, to ensure freedom, equity, security and dignity. In today's global economy, international labour standards are an essential component in the international framework for ensuring that the growth of the global economy benefits all.
If you have any questions regarding your CBA, whether it is interpreting it ot why it is formulated in such a manner, please contact us at nsumiami@nsu.org.
