International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) secretary general Steve Cotton insists its Welfare Fund is fully transparent and the large amount of money it generates is being used to protect the interests of seafarers.

Cotton says ITF inspectors have been involved in 29,000 ship inspections and 6,396 disputes, which recovered $135m in back pay and unpaid wages for seafarers over a three-year period between 2014 and 2016.