Key maritime unions have submitted a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) proposal to domestic Manning Agencies and Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Agencies (SRPAs), aimed at safeguarding seafarer rights, pension security, and general working conditions.

The presentation marks a pivotal turning point in resolving a multi-year gap in seafarer regulation, updating an outdated national framework from 2008 that had been rendered obsolete by amendments to international maritime law.

The collaborative push for the updated agreement was spearheaded by key labor bodies, including the Ghana Merchant Navy Officers Association (GMNOA), the National Union of Seamen, Port and Allied Workers (NUSPAW), and the Seafarers Centre.

With the draft proposal now in the hands of the SRPAs who act as local representatives for principal vessel owners, the recruitment agencies are expected to evaluate the terms and present their responses or counter-offers.

Obsolete Framework
Speaking on the development during a meeting with the seafarer unions and the SRPAs, the Deputy Director in charge of Training, Education, and Certification at the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Awudu Enusah, emphasized that a standardized CBA is critical for guaranteeing seafarers’ fundamental living and working standards in line with the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).

“Ghana had a CBA signed in 2008, which has since become obsolete and no longer relevant, having been overtaken by amendments and the coming into force of the MLC,” Mr Enusah stated.

To address this gap, Mr Enusah explained that the Director General (DG) of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) earlier this year (2026) constituted a broad stakeholder committee comprising seafarer unions, SRPAs, maritime regulators, the Labour Department, the Petroleum Commission, and industry experts.

The committee’s core objective, he said, was to formulate a modern CBA to protect both Ghanaian seafarers and foreign seafarers’ resident within Ghana. Mr Enusah noted that the newly submitted proposal also caters specifically to offshore sector workers.

Inter-party negotiations, he said, will continue until a final consensus is reached, paving the way for official signing and full regulatory enforcement across Ghana’s maritime and offshore sectors.

“Once fully negotiated and ratified, the agreement will be legally binding across all maritime employers operating in the country,” he said.

To enforce compliance and secure worker welfare, the framework, Mr Enusah said, recommends that all maritime recruitments be routed strictly through registered SRPAs, ensuring a transparent mechanism to track and mandate Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions.

Pension Security
The Acting General Secretary of the Ghana Merchant Navy Officers Association, Capt Etoenyo Bankas, highlighted that closing the pension benefit gap for Ghanaian mariners was the primary catalyst for the joint initiative.

He said that following a consensus reached during the 2025 Day of the Seafarer celebrations to seek GMA intervention, the stakeholder drafting committee was officially inaugurated in March, 2026.

“In drafting the proposal, we carefully aligned conditions of employment and service with the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, Ghana’s local labor laws, and structured pension schemes,” Capt Bankas explained.

He added that the unions are actively interacting with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and broader labor associations to ensure global alignment.
Capt Bankas urged the SRPAs to exercise due diligence and review the document expeditiously so negotiations can proceed smoothly to implementation.

He also called on the Ghana Maritime Authority to maintain strong regulatory oversight over future recruitment drives, ensuring agencies consult the regulator rather than running unverified employment advertisements.

Expanded Opportunities
Expressing optimism about the initiative, the Vice President of the Ghana Maritime Manning Workers Union and representative of the SRPAs, Richard Acquah, commended the GMA for facilitating a process which he described as long overdue.

Mr Acquah pointed out that the previous absence of a unified CBA and strong union representation often discouraged international shipping lines from hiring local crew.
“Most companies do not want to engage Ghanaian seafarers due to the absence of unified agreements. We hope that once this process goes through successfully, it will open up vast new employment opportunities for our local maritime workforce,” Mr Acquah noted.

Social Security
The Adenta Branch Manager of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Harry Ntibreh, addressing the health and financial risks inherent to sea service, underscored the urgency for seafarers to enroll in structured retirement schemes.

Highlighting SSNIT’s Self-Employed Enrollment Drive, Mr Ntibreh urged maritime workers to take full advantage of available retirement provisions given the high-risk nature of their profession.

Mr Ntibreh, however, cautioned that SSNIT enrollment is time-bound, noting that individuals aged 45 and above who have not previously enrolled are legally ineligible to join the scheme.

He requested that the Ghana Maritime Authority provide SSNIT with platforms to conduct comprehensive sensitization sessions on self-employed contributions for seafarers before any formal contract is signed.