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MTWTU · Founded 1992 · Odesa, Ukraine · Ukraine
The Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine (MTWTU) is the primary trade-union representative of Ukrainian seafarers, one of the largest single national seafarer populations in the world (~76,000+ officers pre-2022, plus ratings). Founded 1992 from post-Soviet reorganisation of the former USSR Water Transport Workers' Union, MTWTU is headquartered in Odesa and coordinates closely with the ITF Seafarers section for Ukrainian crew on foreign-flag vessels. Since the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, MTWTU's role has become disproportionately urgent: with Ukrainian airspace closed + martial law preventing military-age males (18-60) from leaving Ukraine, thousands of Ukrainian seafarers found themselves either stranded at sea unable to sign off or unable to sign on for scheduled contracts. MTWTU coordinated with ITF, Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure, and Moldova/Romania/Poland alternate repatriation routes to manage a crisis that would otherwise have been unmanageable. The union also runs advocacy on Ukrainian shipping industry recovery post-war.
https://mtwtu.org.ua/en — Odesa headquarters + regional Ukrainian branches.