en_US
en_US id_ID tl
Register

The Claim

We have investigated how Indonesian and Filipino crew members on ships under the Dutch flag are paid. We have also examined European and Dutch laws and regulations carefully. The research undertaken by the Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation has revealed that for many years Dutch shipping companies and shipowners have been illegally paying Indonesian and Filipino crew members much smaller wages than seafarers of other nationalities on the same ships for the same work.

Every year, more than 10,000 Indonesian and Filipino seafarers work on Dutch-flagged ships. No matter what job they have on board, their wages are on average 60-65% less than wages for European seafarers performing the exact same job, often on the exact same ships. 

Wage discrimination, or ‘unequal pay,’ is illegal in the Netherlands, in the European Union, and in most countries in the world.

How does it work?

The Claim

We have investigated how Indonesian and Filipino crew members on ships under the Dutch flag are paid. We have also examined European and Dutch laws and regulations carefully. The research undertaken by the Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation has revealed that for many years Dutch shipping companies and shipowners have been illegally paying Indonesian and Filipino crew members much smaller wages than seafarers of other nationalities on the same ships for the same work.

Every year, more than 10,000 Indonesian and Filipino seafarers work on Dutch-flagged ships. No matter what job they have on board, their wages are on average 60-65% less than wages for European seafarers performing the exact same job, often on the exact same ships.

Wage discrimination, or ‘unequal pay’, is illegal in the Netherlands, in the European Union, and in most countries in the world.

How does it work?

01

Register

Complete basic personal details and upload copies of employment contracts, sample assortment of paystubs/payslips, ship employment manuals/guidelines, etc., for us to determine your eligibility to join the case
02

We will review your submission

and include you in our action if you are eligible. We will keep you updated via email and our website.
03

Start claim:

If you are eligible, we will ask you to sign a deed assigning your claim to the Foundation (allowing us to pursue your claim on your behalf)
04

We will institute legal proceedings

in the Netherlands on behalf of the collective group of seafarers who have joined our case, to try to recover as much of your withheld back-pay as possible, represented by specialist law firm, Rubicon Impact & Litigation
05

Winning the case:

If we succeed in recovering any withheld wages, we will send you your share of the award to the bank account of your choice, after deduction of the costs as shown on this website.

Register

If you do not want Dutch shipowners to get away with their actions at the expense of you and your peers
Register
It is now possible for a foundation like the Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation to start legal action in the Netherlands on behalf of an entire group of claimants all at once in order to get their money back.

Once the case is over, your personal claim will be reviewed confidentially by an independent ”claims administrator“ who will calculate the back-pay to which you are entitled. 

The Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation is a powerful and well-funded organization.

Supported by many non-governmental organizations who look out for your interests.

We are the only organization in the world to start a group action in the Netherlands to force Dutch shipowners to pay any and all back-pay and/or other compensation to which Indonesian and Filipino seafarers are legally entitled, on equal footing with their European co-workers under Dutch collective bargaining agreements and non-discrimination laws.

This is a “no-win, no-fee” case

where seafarers do not need to pay any money to join. If the Foundation wins the case, the seafarers who joined will receive their share of the unlawfully withheld pay recovered from the Dutch shipowners, after deduction of the costs as set out on this website. If the Foundation does not succeed, it will cost you nothing.

If you worked on a Dutch ship, when you resided in the Philippines or Indonesia, you are almost certainly a victim of these illegal practices. Please register now so we can determine if you are eligible to join the group. Registration involves providing your basic information, including pay slips or statements, details about the voyages you made on Dutch ships, and the title of your job. When we receive your registration, we will investigate your claim and be in touch as soon as possible about your eligibility. Once you are part of our group, there is nothing further you need to do.
The Equal Justice Equal Pay Foundation has appointed specialist disputes law firm, Rubicon Impact & Litigation, based in Amsterdam, to represent the Foundation in this case. The lawyers focused on the case are:
Frank Peters
a partner at Rubicon Impact & Litigation with 24 years of experience practicing law who has particular expertise in commercial, international and group litigation.
Read more
Maxime Eljon
an associate at Rubicon Impact & Litigation who specializes in dispute resolution, including mass damage cases and international commercial contracts, with a particular expertise in tort law. She is currently involved in a number of group actions involving human rights violations.
Read more
Sarah Stapel
As an associate at Rubicon who specialises in the protection of fundamental rights through
collective redress. She is involved in multiple class actions that seek protection of
fundamental rights and compensation for the violation thereof.
Read more

Register

2024 Seafarersclaim
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Registered with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce under company number: 86307835
This initiative is powered by
crosschevron-down