The maritime union announced an increase in violations of crew rights. The 10th Congress of the Russian Seafarers Union (RPSM) was held in St. Petersburg, where delegates summarized five years of work and extended the powers of the union's chairman, Yuri Suhorokov, to a second term. During the reporting period the association experienced member departures and a rise in labor disputes. The main causes of this dynamic were the cessation of dialogue by foreign shipping lines due to anti‑Russian sanctions, and attempts by several local shipowners to limit crew participation in the professional union, which led to more violations of workers' rights. Despite external challenges, RPSM continued to expand its presence in the regions. In particular, the Far East branch established two new primary organizations within the shipping company Transoil and the shipping company Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatka. At the federal level, the union focused on protecting crew interests, actively participated in developing updated medical examination regulations with the Russian Federation's Ministry of Health, and requested alignment of standards with the 2006 International Convention on Maritime Labour. The meeting resulted in seven decisions covering maritime education development, employment guarantees under the Russian flag, and safety measures for vessels in war zones. In addition to legal support, the union continued to implement social initiatives. Over the past five years, about 6,000 participants were provided voluntary health insurance policies and accident insurance for the period between flights. Photo: RPSM

The maritime union announced an increase in violations of crew rights. The 10th Congress of the Russian Seafarers Union (RPSM) was held in St. Petersburg, where delegates summarized five years of work and extended the powers of the union's chairman, Yuri Suhorokov, to a second term. During the reporting period the association experienced member departures and a rise in labor disputes. The main causes of this dynamic were the cessation of dialogue by foreign shipping lines due to anti‑Russian sanctions, and attempts by several local shipowners to limit crew participation in the professional union, which led to more violations of workers' rights. Despite external challenges, RPSM continued to expand its presence in the regions. In particular, the Far East branch established two new primary organizations within the shipping company Transoil and the shipping company Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatka. At the federal level, the union focused on protecting crew interests, actively participated in developing updated medical examination regulations with the Russian Federation's Ministry of Health, and requested alignment of standards with the 2006 International Convention on Maritime Labour. The meeting resulted in seven decisions covering maritime education development, employment guarantees under the Russian flag, and safety measures for vessels in war zones. In addition to legal support, the union continued to implement social initiatives. Over the past five years, about 6,000 participants were provided voluntary health insurance policies and accident insurance for the period between flights. Photo: RPSM