ITF (International Transport Workers Federation)

This is an organisation which exists for the purpose of looking after the interests of workers in transport jobs. There is a section dealing with seafarers’ pay and working conditions. The ITF  encourages shipowners to enter into an agreement with their crew to pay what the ITF considers are “fair wages”. If the shipowner agrees to do this he is said to have made an “ITF Standard Agreement” with his crew. When he does this he is issued by the ITF with a certificate of compliance with the ITF requirements. This is called an “ITF Blue Certificate” or “ITF Blue Card”, but the name has little to do with the colour.