Ibf Warlike Operations Areas Committee News

The international trades union and professional association representing seafarers and allied workers Nautilus International has welcomed a decision by the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) to designate the Strait of Hormuz as a Temporary Extended Risk Zone, after 12 weeks of increased aggression towards merchant ships in the Gulf of Oman.The IBF's decision, announced on Tuesday 13 August, means that seafarers who are subject to an attack in the zone, are entitled to a bonus and doubled death and disability compensation.It follows discussions by the IBF's Warlike Operations Areas Committee over the past weeks, who have been closely monitoring the situation and the risk to shipping.Nautilus was present at the discussions…

Following an emergency ad hoc meeting of the IBF Warlike Operations Areas Committee in on October 7, the International Bargaining Forum agreed to establish a 'high risk area' covering the major part of the with immediate effect. Reports of recent attacks and developments by naval services to provide protection were discussed at length and it was agreed that the increase in the number of attacks and the number of seafarers currently held hostage was deeply disturbing, although the establishment of the Maritime Security Patrol Area was welcomed as an effort to bring greater security to seafarers serving on ships transiting the Gulf.