The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) have extended the financial support for Singaporean seafarers under the Seafarers Relief Package (SRP) by another three months.
The authority and two unions issued a joint release on 9 October 2020.
Singaporean seafarers who are unable to secure shipboard work between 1 May 2020 and 31 December 2020 are eligible for the SRP.
First introduced on 29 April 2020, the SRP pays unemployed seafarers $800 for each month of unemployment.
“Seafarers play a vital role in enabling global seaborne trade and keeping the supply of critical goods flowing.
“To enhance our safety net for Singaporean seafarers, we will extend the Seafarers Relief Package to provide more help to those whose jobs are affected by COVID-19,” said Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat.
NTUC President Mary Liew said that despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19, seafarers still play a vital role in the global supply chain.
“While tripartite partners continue to accelerate efforts to facilitate crew change at the Singapore port, we also want to continue to offer assistance to our Singaporean seafarers who have been affected and are unable to sign on ships during these challenging times,” said Ms Liew, who is also the general secretary of SMOU.
SOS President Kam Soon Huat said: “SOS strongly supports the extension of SRP amidst the ongoing challenges faced by Singaporean seafarers and their dependants. We understand their concerns, and we want to be there for them as much as we can during this difficult phase of their seafaring career.”
