Annual Crew Wage Settlement

An annual crew wage settlement is the yearly adjustment to seafarer pay and conditions agreed under the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) between the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the employer-side Joint Negotiating Group (JNG). The IBF framework agreement sets wages for crews on flag-of-convenience ships; a 2024 settlement gave a 3.5% rise for 2026 and a further 1.5% for 2027. It is the world’s largest private-sector collective pay agreement, covering several hundred thousand seafarers.