Delegates to the ITF Inland Navigation Conference today adopted a statement calling for urgent action by the Panama Canal Authority, following the death of a Panama Canal tugboat captain yesterday.
The 59-year-old captain died aboard the tug Cerro Santiago while assisting a northbound Neo-Panamax vessel. He was reportedly working an extended midnight watch on his sixth consecutive day of duty.
The Conference sent its deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and union, and declared its solidarity with Panama Canal workers. Delegates said the cause of death must be established through a thorough, independent and transparent investigation. Initial reports had referred to a possible stroke.
Jacques Kerkhof, Chair of the ITF Inland Navigation Section, said: "Our thoughts are with the captain's family, his colleagues and his union. The cause of his death must be established by an independent investigation, but the circumstances reported demand urgent scrutiny of fatigue, hours of work and rest, staffing and crew rotations.
“Workers and unions have long warned that excessive hours and inadequate rest put lives and safe operations at risk in the Panama Canal. The authorities must now act without delay."
In its statement, the Conference called for:
- An independent and transparent investigation, with full union and worker participation, and prompt publication of its findings.
- An urgent, jointly governed review of fatigue risk covering hours, rest, staffing, scheduling and crew rotations.
- Enforceable protections on rest, consecutive duties, working hours and staffing, developed through meaningful engagement with workers and unions.
- Support for the captain's family and colleagues, and progress reports to workers, unions and the ITF within a clear timeframe.
Addressing delegates, ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton thanked the medical team for their efforts and said that, while the cause of death has yet to be established, the circumstances underline the concerns the said the captain's death showed why the Unión de Capitanes y Oficiales de Cubierta (UCOC) has long raising the alarm about safety and fatigue.
"A captain was in charge of a tug on his sixth consecutive day of duty, on an extended midnight watch," Cotton said.
Unions in the canal have been warning about safety risks associated with fatigue for years, and those warnings must now be heard."
"The Panama Canal Authority must sit down with the unions and put real, enforceable protections in place: limits on consecutive duties, proper rest, and safe staffing levels. Every worker deserves to go to work and come home safely. A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental right, recognised by the ILO, and it must be upheld in the Panama Canal."
