FINLANDS SJÖFART ■ SUOMEN MERENKULKU 67 The International Bargaining Forum’s (IBF) Warlike Operations Area Committee (WOAC) has unanimously agreed to designate the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden ‘Warlike’ to emphasise the seriousness of the situation. This decision taken at a meeting on 12 March 2024 followed the Houthi attack on M/V True Confidence which resulted in the death of three seafarers. In a joint statement, the IBF WOAC said: ‘Our first priority is the safety of seafarers.’ Calling for the diversion of vessels – avoiding sailing through the Newly Established Warlike Area – the statement added: ‘Ships transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are Houthi missile targets, putting seafarers’ lives in grave danger. We strongly urge charterers, operators and shipowners to avoid passage through the area until there is no risk to the safety of seafarers from further attacks.’ The IBF will be asking all employers and union affiliates to lobby their respective governments to intervene and act in the safety of seafarers. The IBF Warlike Operations Area had been 12 nautical miles off the mainland Yemeni Coast. The latest decision expands the Warlike area to cover the previous declared High Risk Area, which included the Southern Section of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, stretching across to the Eritrea coast. The Area encompasses the Bab El Mandeb Strait including the Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC) in its entirety within the Gulf of Aden. The US Navy vessel USS Carter Hall conducting flight operations with an unmanned aerial vehicle in the Middle East region. IBF: WARLIKE AREA DESIGNATIONS What is the IBF? The International Bargaining Forum (IBF) was set up as a process in which maritime employers, represented by the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG), and seafarers unions, represented by the International Transport-Workers’ Federation (ITF) could negotiate over the wages and conditions of employment of seafarers serving on ships to which ITF Special Agreements apply.
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