ILO Approves Seafarer Wage Hike Through to 2028

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has wrapped up its latest round of minimum wage talks for able seafarers during a session of the Joint Maritime Commission’s Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers, held this week in Geneva.

As a result of the agreement, seafarers will see a 6.2% rise in their monthly minimum wage over a three-year period, starting from January 1, 2026. Wages will increase from $673 per month in 2025 to $715 per month by January 1, 2028. The wage hike will be phased in gradually—2.5% in the first year, followed by 2% and then 1.6% in the subsequent years.

Frank Hagemann, director of the ILO’s sectoral policies department, stated: “The outcome of this wholly unique global collective bargaining forum represents more than just a technical adjustment to the minimum wage. It reflects a shared responsibility and commitment to uphold decent work at sea.”