Faroese shipping rules encourage cheap foreign labour, says fishermen’s union

All three Eimskip vessels affected by the ongoing strike are registered under the Faroese International Ship Register (FAS), a system that incentivises replacing Faroese or Icelandic crews with cheaper foreign workers, according to Jan Højgaard, chair of the Faroese Fishermen’s Union.

Højgaard told Faroese national broadcaster KVF that the current strike by Iceland’s Seamen’s Union aims to prevent shipowners from hiring low-cost foreign labour—a practice he argues is enabled by the FAS framework. The three struck vessels—Brúarfoss, Dettifoss, and Selfoss—are all enrolled in the register.

Established in 1992, the FAS originally barred Faroese unions from negotiating wages for non-resident seafarers. Though later amendments permit foreign contracts, Højgaard maintains the system still facilitates the use of cheaper overseas crews.