19-05-2026
Disclosure request
We have initiated legal proceedings against Wagenborg one of the larger Dutch shipping companies, to obtain information that is essential for our case.
Specifically, we are requesting access to all collective labour agreements (cao’s and CBA’s) applied to Filipino and Indonesian seafarers, crew lists showing the nationalities and roles of seafarers on board, and information about the corporate structure of the Wagenborg group of companies.
In November 2025, we formally requested this information directly from Wagenborg. They did not respond. We therefore had no choice but to seek access through the courts, using the new Dutch rules on preliminary disclosure (voorlopige bewijsverrichtingen).
Receiving the requested information will make the damages case stronger. This step is a necessary part of building the strongest possible case for fair pay and equal treatment for all seafarers. We will keep you updated as the proceedings develop.
17-04-2026
Objections against the general binding declaration
We are challenging the shipowners’ & labour union’s request to declare the discriminatory Collective Labour Agreement for merchant ships generally binding on all Dutch merchant ships.
On 27 March 2026, the Dutch government published a proposal in the Government Gazette. The proposal: to make the entire 2026 Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) for merchant ships 2026 (CAO Handelsvaart 2026) binding for all Dutch merchant ships.
On 14 April 2026, the Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation filed formal objections. We are targeting one specific provision: Article 3(2). This article excludes seafarers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Ukraine from the standard wages and working conditions that apply to their European colleagues – even when they do the same work on the same ships.
We believe Article 3(2) must be rejected. Here is why:
It is discriminatory. Article 3(2) treats seafarers differently based on their nationality and where they live. This violates Dutch and international law. The Dutch Institute for Human Rights confirmed this in two separate rulings in August 2025.
It creates unfair competition between different groups of seafarers. The whole point of extending a collective agreement sector-wide is that everyone competes on the same terms. Article 3(2) does the opposite: it allows lower wages for a large group of workers.
There is no economic justification for this discrimination. Employers claim that equal pay would hurt the Dutch shipping industry. But independent economic research commissioned by the EJEP Foundation, shows otherwise. Labour costs make up only a small share of what Dutch shipping companies spend. And there are other ways to manage any cost increase.
We are calling on the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment to reject the request to declare the CLA generally binding. It is time to go back to the negotiating table – and come up with an agreement that treats every seafarer fairly.
