On 3 July 2026, the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment declared article 3(2) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for Dutch merchant ships for 2026 generally binding. The decision was published on 9 July 2026.
On 14 April 2026, the Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation filed formal objections against this provision because of the discriminatory nature thereof. What does article 3(2) of the CBA state? That shipowners may pay seafarers from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Ukraine less than other European seafarers for the same work. We argued that this is discrimination, see our update from 17 April 2026. The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights confirmed this in two separate rulings in August 2025.
Unfortunately, the Dutch Ministry was not receptive to our concerns. It dismissed the rulings of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, stating that these are not legally binding. This means that shipowners may continue to discriminate against its Filipino and Indonesian seafarers.
The Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation is disappointed by this decision of the Dutch Ministry and disheartened by the Ministry’s disregard for the decision by the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. The foundation remains determined that this practice is not in line with Dutch and international law and will continue the fight for equal pay for equal work.
