Salaries for oil tanker crews navigating the Strait of Hormuz have significantly increased.
On October 7, the Financial Times reported that shipowners are paying substantial hazard pay to their crews. According to industry sources, captains of oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz are earning $100,000 per month, which is more than six times the typical salary of $15,000. Additionally, a bonus of $50,000 is awarded for each passage through the strait.
Regular crew members are also reported to be receiving higher wages for working in dangerous areas. Large oil tankers, capable of carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, can have up to 35 crew members on board. These crews repeatedly navigate the strait, which is considered a high-risk area due to the potential for Iranian attacks, to transport oil out of the Gulf region.
This increase in pay is seen as a factor attracting crews to perilous routes amid a war that has effectively paralyzed existing shipping networks. Many of the crew members are reported to come from the Philippines, India, and Indonesia, with some taking risks for income that is hard to come by in their home countries.
However, the high wages do not guarantee the safety of the crew. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war on February 28, 93 vessels have been attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of 24 crew members.
Some crew members reportedly have little choice but to undertake these dangerous voyages. Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Indian seafarers' union, told the Financial Times that there have been instances where crew members are pressured to accept assignments by being informed that refusal would result in their repatriation costs being deducted from their wages.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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