Madar (Nouakchott) - Several maritime trade unions have called for a review of the seafarers' collective agreement, which has been stalled for years, demanding better working conditions for sailors and stronger professional and social rights.
In a letter to the new fisheries minister, the unions called for better working conditions, safety equipment, a review of seafarers' pay and a share of profits. They also stressed the need for social security and health insurance for sailors, and for wages to be paid during biological rest periods.
The unions described the situation of seafarers as "difficult", particularly in industrial fishing, pointing to a large pay gap between Mauritanian sailors and their foreign counterparts working in the same conditions, which they called a clear breach of Article 69 of the collective agreement enshrining the principle of "equal pay for equal work". They accused fishing operators of failing to respect it.
The unions said they had already written to the National Fisheries Federation and to maritime and regional authorities to start negotiations on the agreement, without result.
