The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has rejected a last-minute plea to renegotiate a 3.5% pay rise due to kick in next month under shipping’s largest collective bargaining agreement.

Francesco Gargiulo, who heads the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC), a key player in the employers’ Joint Negotiating Group (JNG), says the ITF refused to entertain a proposal to look again at the deal at a meeting in Manila this month.

Collective