Starting September 1, 2022, cadets of the Kherson State Maritime Academy from occupied territories and areas of active military operations will have the opportunity to study at the Lithuanian Maritime Academy and obtain two higher education diplomas — Ukrainian and Lithuanian.

The cadets' educational program is designed so that they can combine lectures and practical classes at two educational institutions at once.

An agreement was reached on consolidated efforts to create more favorable conditions for future seafarers, including educational programs and seminars.

This cooperation is an important step in improving the quality of maritime education and providing professional support to cadets at all stages of their training and career.

Ця співпраця стала важливим кроком у покращенні якості морської освіти та забезпеченні професійної підтримки курсантів на всіх етапах їх навчання та кар'єри.

The cooperation opens up new opportunities for partnership between ONMU and MTWTU with the aim of preparing future maritime specialists for current challenges.

This will not only contribute to strengthening the educational process and improving the working conditions of future seafarers, but will also promote the development of Ukraine's maritime industry and its representation at the international level.

With the mediation of the Odessa Office of IMarEST, an important step has been taken towards strengthening friendly ties.

The Memorandum creates new opportunities for our seafarers, promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience at the international level, and helps us maintain high standards of professional training. Cooperation with IMarEST will allow us not only to improve the quality of education, but also to broaden the horizons for our specialists, providing them with access to advanced technologies and methodologies.

The Memorandum of Understanding opens up new opportunities for cooperation between the parties in several areas: maritime education and training, social security and labour standards, maritime policy development and joint research.

Thanks to the memorandum, the Union will also have the opportunity to finance postgraduate internship programmes at WMU for students from Ukraine.

The agreement provides for a comprehensive program of practical and theoretical training for KSMA cadets and its structural units and, after approval of candidates by the Union, their preparation for further work on Unix Line ships through the mediation of the Libra company.

All cadets selected by the Academy for shipping practice on the company's vessels must be MTWTU members, which will represent and protect their labour, socio-economic rights and interests.

The document certifies the joint efforts and cooperation of the parties to create conditions for the protection of the labor and social rights of maritime transport workers in Ukraine.

Within the framework of the Memorandum, the parties undertake to develop opportunities for acquiring professional competencies that meet the current and future requirements of international conventions in the field of merchant shipping.

Special attention is also paid to providing assistance to Ukrainian seafarers who may find themselves in crisis situations while working on merchant ships. This cooperation will contribute not only to the protection of seafarers' rights, but also to ensuring their safety and professional development.

On July 2, 2018, a Memorandum on Expanding Cooperation between the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine was signed.

Thanks to this cooperation, an algorithm was established for the MTWTU and the MFA to provide assistance to Ukrainian seafarers who find themselves in difficult situations abroad as a result of extraordinary circumstances. This is done through the Maritime Information Center (MIC), which is contacted by both seafarers themselves and their relatives. The MIC began its work on June 28, 2018.

Another area of cooperation between the MTWTU and the MFA of Ukraine is the implementation of a joint project aimed at preventing seafarers from being involved in criminal activities at sea, as well as ensuring the protection of their rights to fair treatment during criminal proceedings, in places of pre-trial detention, and in penal institutions.

Given that the coordinated work of the MTWTU and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has repeatedly demonstrated positive results in resolving problematic situations involving Ukrainian seafarers outside the country, a second Memorandum of Cooperation was signed in June 2021 during the “Seafarer's Days in Odesa” conference.

Under the Memorandum signed between the MTWTU and Germany's largest trade union, ver.di, all Ukrainian seafarers working on ships covered by this union's agreements are considered MTWTU members and are entitled to all the social benefits available to MTWTU members.

In 2020, as part of the cooperation between the Ukrainian and German trade unions, a new social project was launched – the UNION DENT Clinic for seafarers. All seafarers working on ships under ver.di CBA, as well as their family members, received access to high-quality dental services free of charge.

Since ver.di unites not only seafarers but also dockers, cooperation with this trade union has also been established in the shore-based sector. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the MTWTU, ver.di, the local trade union organisation “Unity” and the Works Council of the HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder.

In 2014, the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine and the All-Japan Seamen's Union (JSU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding providing that all Ukrainian seafarers working on ships under Japanese union agreements are MTWTU members.

In 2018, the Maritime Professions Competence Enhancement Union Centre was opened in Odesa as part of the first Europe-Asia Maritime Summit. It consists of four rooms, symbolically named after the world's oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and is equipped with modern technology. One of the advantages of the Maritime Union Center is the virtual reality simulator from Optimum Maritime Solutions, where every Union member can receive training completely free of charge.

At the same time, a joint educational project between the MTWTU and JSU was launched, within the framework of which Ukrainians working on ships owned by Japanese shipowners were given the opportunity to improve their English language skills free of charge. Since 2024, cadets of the Danube Institute of the NUOMA who are Union members have also been able to join the project. Courses are held at the Izmail International Seamen’s Club. For the convenience of MTWTU members, English can also be improved online – from anywhere in the world.

In 2017, during the solemn Plenum of the Central Council of the MTWTU dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine, it was possible to take relations with the fraternal Belgian Union of Transport Workers to a new level.

This cooperation allows MTWTU members to receive additional social benefits.

In January 2018, a Memorandum was signed between the Ukrainian and Singaporean trade unions, providing for bilateral cooperation in supporting and assisting seafarers working under the Singapore flag. In 2020, the Memorandum was re-signed, demonstrating the long-term intentions of the parties to cooperate for the benefit of Ukrainian seafarers.

At the end of 2016, the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR), the national trade union Nautilus (NL) and the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which confirmed the shipowners' intention to hire Ukrainian seafarers on more competitive terms on ships operating under the Dutch flag. The Memorandum remains valid to this day. This cooperation has made Ukrainian seafarers more attractive to employers, which has led to the creation of new workplaces for our seafarers.

In 2017, during the solemn Plenum of the Central Council of the MTWTU dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine, it was possible to take relations with the Seafarers International Union of North America (SIUNA) to a new level.

This cooperation allows MTWTU members to receive additional social benefits.

The Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Portuguese trade union FESMAR.

The document provides for cooperation within the Portline company and guarantees that all Ukrainian seafarers working for this company under FESMAR agreements will have access to additional social benefits offered by the MTWTU to its members.

As part of the Marrakech Policy adopted at the 46th ITF Congress in 2024, the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Turkish trade union DAD-DER.

This cooperation is aimed at improving the labour conditions of Ukrainian seafarers working on ships managed or owned by Turkish companies covered by the ITF/DAD-DER agreements.

On the initiative and proposal of the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine (MTWTU), a Memorandum of Cooperation and Collaboration was signed between the MTWTU, the German trade union ver.di, the Kherson State Maritime Academy (KSMA), and the Lithuanian Maritime Academy (LMA).

The document provides for the implementation of a joint social project by the parties aimed at supporting 10 cadets from socially vulnerable groups (orphans; persons deprived of parental care; persons affected by military actions as a result of the temporary occupation of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk regions, etc.), which consists of financing their education at the KSMA and the LMA, as well as accommodation, meals, additional English lessons and uniforms in the Republic of Lithuania with the assistance of the MTWTU.

On 25 March 2025, the Local Employment Partnership Initiative in Odesa Region was implemented as part of the International Labour Organisation's project “Support to Job Creation in Mykolaiv and Odesa and to Social Dialogue Development”.

The project is aimed at supporting the economic development of Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. It involves the participation of local governments by expanding employment opportunities, vocational training and entrepreneurship development. The goal of the initiative is to help war veterans, people with disabilities, internally displaced persons, women, people aged 50+ and other vulnerable groups find jobs, acquire new professional skills or start their own businesses. The project is implemented with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

On 17 April 2025, as part of the Local Employment Partnership Initiative, a multilateral memorandum was signed. Among the partners is the Marine Transport Workers' Trade Union of Ukraine. The parties agreed to coordinate their positions and implement joint initiatives to improve the employment situation in the Odesa region.

On 18 December 2025, the MTWTU took another important step towards strengthening social dialogue by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the MTWTU and the Odesa Regional Employment Centre.

The document was signed by Oleg Grygoriuk, MTWTU Chairman, and Director of the Odesa Regional Employment Centre, Mykyta Koreniev, confirming their joint readiness for systematic and long-term cooperation.

The aim of the Memorandum is to unite the parties' efforts to develop social partnership, increase employment and establish modern standards of social responsibility. The partnership also provides for the implementation of initiatives focused on the economic and social development of the region, including the creation of new workplaces, support for private enterprise, infrastructure development and improvement of citizens' welfare.