Cosco Shipping boss urges China to improve benefits for seafarers

Zhu has called for the Chinese government to draft and implement related laws for seafarers to protect and improve their rights and benefits. 

“We need to comprehensively improve the service standards of Chinese seamen’s rights legally, establish market-oriented, attractive and competitive guarantees to improve remunerations of the crew, build a salary and welfare system with dynamic and flexible response mechanism, optimise social security level and enlarge reduction and exemption of personal income tax of seafarers,” Cosco Shipping President Zhu said.

“Regarding to talent cultivation at maritime universities and colleges, we should make a middle or long-term plan for crew training, optimize courses and deepen cooperation between schools and enterprises,” he added.

Zhu said the physical and psychological health care of crew should also be enhanced through the use of IT, as well as expanding the use of remote instruction and guidance for seafarers when they need medical treatment and mental health services. 

China had close to 600,000 registered seafarers in 2020 with up to 120,000 serving on international trading vessels, and is one of the top five supply nations to the global fleet.