TRADE UNION reps will “sweep the seas” next week to root out low pay and unsafe conditions.

In East Asia, teams of International Transport Federation (ITF) inspectors and dockers’ and seafarers’ union members will visit vessels in ports in Japan, Korea, Russia and Taiwan to inspect them for safety and enforce decent pay and working conditions.

In Japan, a rally will also be held at the headquarters of the Kotoku Kaiun company over its refusal to engage in dialogue with unions.

Meanwhile, shockingly dangerous conditions and high casualty rates in the Black Sea — branded “the sea of shame” by the ITF — will be tackled by inspection teams in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Israel, which will be striving to eradicate or reduce the amount of hazardous shipping.

Alongside this, they aim to educate seafarers about their rights and publicise the issue of ageing, unsafe and uninsured ships on the Black Sea.