July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03
NAUTILUS AT WORK
ITF urged to support young seafarers A
The International Transport Workers’ Federation needs to develop a strategy to ensure that young seafarers are protected from potentially negative effects of new technology in the shipping industry, Croatian seafarers’ union delegate Dorotea Zec told the seafarers’ section conference. She said that there are around 900,000 workers under the age of 35 in the membership of ITF-affiliated unions — including some 150,000 young seafarers. Many of the young seafarers are experiencing additional problems as a result of their inexperience, Ms Zec pointed out, and a survey carried out for the ITF last year had shown that some of the biggest obstacles included difficulties in finding decent employment, limited opportunities
onboard, and narrow prospects after leaving the sea. ‘One of the biggest problems that will probably affect young seafarers in near future is automation,’ she added. ‘The automation will very probably heavily shake the whole seafarer labour market, but especially the part occupied by the young ones — those who will be on market in 20 or 30 years,’ Ms Zec said. ‘Therefore, it is crucial for the seafarers’ section and the ITF in general to develop a strategy to ensure that all seafarers, and especially younger ones, are prepared for all challenges and changes that are going to happen. Young workers are those who will be affected the most.’ ITF seafarers’ section youth rep Dorotea Zec , right, and women ‘ s g Tests condemned — see page 19. section rep Lena Dryling at the ITF conference last month
A green light to ‘Goodship’ call Nautilus wins support for accreditation scheme for seafarers’ conditions
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Nautilus International’s campaign to develop an accreditation scheme to improve seafarers’ living and working conditions was given a further green light at the International Transport Workers’ Federation meeting in South Africa last month. Delegates at the ITF’s fair practices committee unanimously backed a motion tabled by the Union, and supported by the Australian Institute of Marine & Power Engineers, which called for the ITF to build on the findings of the Goodship report which looked into the feasibility of a multi-stakeholder accreditation scheme to promote continuous improvement in seafarers’ living and working conditions. The adopted resolution notes that an accreditation system — along the lines of the fair trade scheme for farmers and workers in developing countries — would help to raise awareness of the contribution made by seafarers in delivering 95% of the world’s goods. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the scheme would build on the achievements of the Maritime Labour Convention, which has been described as a ‘passport for decent work’ for seafarers. Because the MLC is a ‘living’ convention which is regularly updated, it serves as a journey rather than a destination and consequently requires a commitment to continuous improvement in living and working conditions at sea, he argued. The Union, together with the Swedish seafarers’ union SEKO Sjofolk, hosted a fringe event at the start of the ITF seafarers’ sec-
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The Nautilus team at the ITF conference, left to right: deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek, general secretary Mark Dickinson, and international officer Nick Bramley
tion conference and fair practices committee meeting to highlight its work on fair trade in shipping and to promote the findings of the Goodship report. The Goodship study, which was sponsored by the ITF Seafarers Trust, looked at the various
measures undertaken by shipping industry organisations to improve standards and also examined some of the codes of conduct used in other industries to uphold labour conditions. ‘Ports, charterers and insurers can, and in some cases already
do, apply pressure about vessel standards and operational procedures to prevent pollution,’ the report pointed out. ‘Why not apply similar principles to the treatment of seafarers, on the basis that quality employment is more likely to produce quality performance?’ The report recommended further work to develop quality criteria, with input from a wide range of industry stakeholders, and to engage with organisations such as the International Association of Classification Societies, RightShip and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum on the potential for including such criteria within their inspection processes. The Nautilus resolution said that while concern had been expressed on the potential impact of the accreditation scheme and on how to translate its concepts into practical industrial terms, the ITF should further review the merits of the proposals. Such a scheme should include recognition of the importance of national flag shipping for training, jobs and decent work for seafarers, with the aim of empowering all consumers of shipping services to support the continuous improvement of seafarers’ living and working conditions, it added. z The ITF’s work for exploited seafarers has been underlined by figures showing that a total of 10,273 inspections were carried out by ITF inspectors last year, up from 9,597 in 2015. They recovered a total of US$42.2m in unpaid wages for seafarers during 2016, compared with US$33.4m in the previous year.
shortreports BALLAST HOLD-UP: Nautilus has voiced concern over a move by a group of flag states, including the UK, to seek to delay the implementation of the 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention. The proposal from Brazil, the Cook Islands, India, Norway, Liberia and the UK, would delay the requirement for existing ships to retrofit a BWM system by two years, to 8 September 2019. This would extend the date by which all vessels would have to have a system installed from 2022 to 2024. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘It is disappointing that the shipping industry requires yet more time to implement the BWM Convention 2004. The countries involved in seeking this delay seriously damage their environmental credentials in favour of commercial considerations.’ CHINA CALL: shipowners and seafarers need to beware of increasingly strict emission limits being introduced in key Chinese ports, Warsash Maritime Academy lecturer Branimir Pantaleev told a conference in Southampton last month. He said China has designated three emission control areas in which ships will have to use fuel containing no more than 0.5% sulphur and there will be ‘significant fines’ for seafarers who fail to comply with the rules. Mr Pantaleev said the China Maritime Safety Agency is also seeking to encourage ships to use fuel with a 0.1% sulphur content limit when at berth and is considering further regulations to enforce this on all ships entering its ECAs. JOBS PROMISE: increased government support for seafarer training will enable British shipowners to take on ‘at least an extra 1,200 new seafarers each year — perhaps more’, Chamber of Shipping president Dr Grahaeme Henderson promised last month. ‘Many shipowners want UK seafarers and many young people want a career at sea, but the cost of training has become prohibitive to job creation,’ he told a meeting in Edinburgh. In return for improved government assistance, operators will also guarantee cadets their first job as an officer, he added. SWISS LEADER: Peter Küng, the former national president of the Swiss Commercial, Transport and Food Workers’ Union (VHTL/FCTA) died in May at the age of 77. He was appointed as a national secretary by the VHTL/ FCTA in 1973, and after only two years in office he was elected unanimously as national president, a position he held until 1995, after which he served a further three years as national secretary for the transport sector. DUMPING FINE: the Egyptian Tanker Co and Thome Ship Management have agreed to pay a US$1.9m fine after pleading guilty to breaking pollution prevention laws and obstructing justice. The US Justice Department said the two companies had sought to cover up illegal dumping of oil-contaminated bilge water and garbage from the tanker ETC Mena last year. QM2 RESCUE: the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 rescued a lone yachtsman after his boat was severely damaged in an ‘unusually extreme’ North Atlantic storm last month. In an operation coordinated by coastguards in the UK and Canada, the cruiseship launched a fast rescue craft to recover Mervyn Wheatley after his yacht lost power and steering in 60-knot winds. LIVERPOOL LANDING: the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is investing £540,000 to extend the lifespan of a landing stage in Liverpool to ensure its fast craft can continue to operate to the Princes Parade site until the end of 2019, when a new berth will be required. MERSEY TRAINING: Stream Marine has announced plans to open a new maritime and offshore training facility to serve the UK NW region. The £1.5m centre will be based at Tower Quays, with a new fire training ground to be sited in Duke Street. GROUNDING PROBE: the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has begun a probe into the causes of the grounding of the UK-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Prefect while entering the port Umm Al Quwain, in the United Arab Emirates, last month.
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