WOAC is established to facilitate consideration by the social partners of situations where hostile areas exist or special hazards to merchant ships may arise and to determine whether to recommend that clauses in collective agreements dealing with service in war zones and warlike areas should be invoked.
The constituent organisations of the Committee are the UK Chamber of Shipping (representing UK shipowners) and the maritime unions Nautilus UK and RMT (representing the seafarers).
WOAC agreed on Tuesday to issue a recommendation to operators of ships entered in the Chamber of Shipping that transit the Gulf of Aden between 45°E and 53°E, being the western and eastern extremities respectively of the Maritime Security Patrol Area, for such time as they are north of a straight line connecting Cape Guardafui and the western tip of the Island of Socotra.
The recommendation is that the above section of the Gulf of Aden be deemed to be a ‘high risk’ zone and that all ships transiting the zone should remain within the Maritime Security Patrol Area. Operators of any ships not remaining within this area (other than for reasons purely related to safety of life at sea, weather, navigational safety or military instructions) should allow their seafarers not to proceed to the high risk zone, if that be their choice.
Operators of ships in the zone should make special payments to all crew members of 100% of normal pay, payable in half day increments, in respect of each day or half day during which the ship is in the zone, in recognition of higher risks associated with transiting this area. Such payments are to be in addition to all other remuneration earned.
However, where operators arrange military escorts for their ships, or on board security teams to provide continuous monitoring and protection during the transit of the high risk zone, are deemed to have mitigated the risks such that the special payments need not be paid.
This recommendation applies with effect from 16 October 2008. It will be reviewed by the Warlike Operations Area Committee not later than 28 November 2008.
The Committee also remains gravely concerned at the threat to innocent merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and encourages the international community to respond as urgently as possible in an effort to restore conditions for a safe trading environment upon which world trade and individual national economies depend, as does the safety of seafarers and ships.
The Committee supports the recent resolutions by the United Nations Security Council, the European Council and the European Parliament and urges the UK government to remain seized of the matter, to make use of existing laws on the statute book and to provide an international lead in repressing piracy in the Gulf of Aden and restoring maritime order in this key region as quickly as is possible.
The counter-piracy operation envisaged under the name of EU NAVFOR is a welcome and prompt response. At the same time it recognises that the complete eradication of the piracy threat will take some time to achieve. During this time, political commitment to the cause and provision of the necessary resources is essential.
