A 24-year-old crew member reportedly went overboard from the cruise vessel MSC Splendida on Wednesday while the ship was sailing off the Calabria coast located in Italy. The MSC Splendida halted immediately, and a Man Overboard signal was reportedly sounded at almost 4 am.

Per eyewitnesses, crew members lowered a lifeboat kick-starting a thorough search and rescue mission, as the individual in the water could be heard seeking help. The crew members of the MSC

Splendida was able to locate and rescue the young man.

After about an hour, the rescue mission, which the ship’s captain had accompanied with the announcements, was successful.

MSC Cruises
Image for representation purpose only

Italian news outlets report that the 24-year-old crew member is a Brazilian national working as a dancer onboard. They said the crew member intentionally went overboard after arguing with his partner.

The incident was examined at the vessel’s next port of call named Taranto, where the authorities questioned the witnesses and reviewed CCTV footage. After recovery, the member will be sent back to their nation.

Several guests on MSC Splendida were able to record some videos of the rescue and search operation.

Melanie Schwarz mentioned on her Facebook profile that she woke up with three long blasts from the vessel and went to my balcony, observing that the Splendida had stopped immediately. Busy bustle on the bridge was followed since she was on deck 12 at the same height. Searchlights were switched on for almost 30 minutes, and there was silence.

Suddenly, cries for help were heard from the distance, getting louder slowly. Immediately a rescue boat is lowered and sets off. She was an immediate witness of salvation. After 30 minutes, the captain’s life-saving declaration mentioned that the individual could be secured and that there was no danger to his life.

Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/crew-member-of-msc-cruises-successfully-rescued-after-going-overboard/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


Two Nigerians were killed off the shores of Gbanken Beach in Liberia’s Grand Kru while they were on the Ophelia Panana, a ship sailing for Japan.

Per a report, the vessel was cruising to Japan, but the crew members discovered Nigerian stowaways on it as they were closer to some of the coastal towns in the nation. The crew members on the vessel, believed to be from China, reportedly took the lives of the two men and then dumped the bodies into the ocean. However, the others managed to swim on shore and were rescued with severe wounds on their bodies during the night and morning hours of September 11 and 12, respectively.

Japanese Vessel
Image for representation purpose only

In an interview with FrontPageAfrica, the Head of the Joint Security Task Force in Grand Kru, Chris Teah, revealed that the ship departed from Nigeria’s Lagos about five days back and sailed via the area where the unfortunate incident had taken place.

The vessel was less than one mile away from the shore. Six Nigerians managed to swim and reached the shore. They informed that there were 14 from Nigeria and reported that they were on the way to Japan. It is believed that the crew members on the ship could be either Japanese or Chinese as they look almost similar, Teah mentioned.

How they were discovered

He disclosed that the Nigerians were discovered in the ship after they had been pounding on the vessel, demanding food from the crew members. They reportedly spent five days without food or water while on the boat.

Teah added that they were discovered up the deep sea by the crew members. The crew members sprayed hot water on them, and two colleagues lost their lives. Six individuals swam to reach the shore.

Per the Nigerians, they boarded the vessel secretly. When they departed from Nigeria about five days back, they ran out of food. They began hitting the yacht so the crew members could understand that individuals were on board the vessel.

The crew members came and rescued them. The crew members were peaceful for about two days. On the third day, they began maltreating them until they reached Liberia. Teah revealed that a Fanti vessel from Grand Cess went on the ocean to rescue the others who had been thrown off the boat.

Some escaped and were rescued.

Four people were rescued from the vessel directly, and the crew members threw the last two into the ocean. The two that were reported to be killed were not seen, and it is unknown if they were killed in Liberia or the deep sea.

Teah highlighted that the last two Nigerians thrown into the ocean were rescued and safely brought to the shore alive, bringing the number of people saved to 12.

According to what he said, those rescued are in the custody of the Joint Security in the nation. The Nigerians said things were not working their way in Nigeria, so they were going stowaway.

References: Vanguard, FIJ, FleetMon

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


The first crew member from one of the two Greek tankers seized by Iranian authorities in May arrived safely in Athens on Tuesday, Greek officials said.

Iran has agreed to release the crews of the MT Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon, which it seized in May in response to the confiscation of oil by the United States from an Iranian-flagged tanker in Greece.

“The second captain of Delta Poseidon has arrived home, in Athens,” a shipping ministry official told Reuters.

The crew member is the first to return home from the total of about 48 seafarers – Greeks, Filipinos and a Cypriot – who are expected to be gradually released and replaced in the coming days, a second Greek official told Reuters.

The months-long diplomatic impasse has strained relations between Athens and Tehran as tensions grow between Iran and the United States.

Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization said in a statement the crews of the two Greek vessels were not detained and could be rotated, Iranian state media reported.

The release of the tankers is expected to take longer than the replacement of the crews, a Greek coast official said on Monday.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/first-crew-member-greek-tankers-seized-499426

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


A joint database on the abandonment of seafarers maintained by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) has received reports of 74 cases of companies abandoning their seafarers on ships around the world..

“This was only during the first half of 2022, so, we can assume that this year we are heading towards surpassing 2021’s record of 95 cases,” as per Dr Heike Deggim, Director, Maritime Safety Division, IMO..

This is a 28% increase compared to 2021 when 95 cases were reported for the whole of 2021, so the situation could be much worse for seafarers in 2022..

An article from Seatrade Maritime News quoted Dr.Deggim as saying “The joint IMO/ILO tripartite working group has been re-established by ILO and IMO to identify and address seafarer issues, and the human element. It will meet over the next two years in several sessions, and they will address in particular guidelines on how to deal with seafarer abandonment cases.”

The working group will also address other issues related to seafarer welfare including the treatment of those suspected of maritime crimes, and bullying and harassment, including sexual assault.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) recently highlighted the growing number of cases of seafarers reporting the non-payment of wages for two months or longer, which meets the ILO’s definition of abandonment.

It said that seafarers did not always realise that not being paid for a couple of months could be a precursor to abandonment. In 2021 the ITF clawed back some $37m in wages that had been withheld from the crew by shipowners.

If these numbers are true, it is an absolutely despicable act by the guilty companies, including shipowners and ship managers and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.. Seafarers are the backbone of global trade and must be treated as such..!!

Source: https://maritime-professionals.com/shameful-record-for-seafarer-abandonment/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


In late August, a fishing boat, which had spent several days on the south side of Bawean Island, was returning to shore when it met with bad weather.  A strong wave hit the small boat and it capsized.  Sunaryo, the boat captain, and 16 other fishermen were left adrift in the open sea for three nights, 50 miles away from their home in Lamongan, before they were rescued by another passing fishing boat.

The 17 fishermen after being rescued.

Imamur Rosyidin, spokesperson for the 17 fishermen, said after being rescued, they were sent to the Karanganyar Port, Central Java, where they were met by their families, representatives from the fishermen’s association and the police.  Thereafter, the 17 fishermen received medical treatment at a local hospital.

Imamur said the victims had only a buoy among them and they survived on rainwater and a bit of food salvaged from the sinking boat.  He added the government should pay more attention to the safety of fishermen as accidents are getting more common.  There must be more financial assistance for fishermen involved in accidents at sea and officials must make sure that fishermen are equipped with safety knowledge.

Victims’ families waiting at the port.

Yuli Wahyuono, an official from the Lamongan District Government, wanted the fishermen to buy insurance.  “Insurance is very affordable at IDR 16,800 (US$1.13) per month and is helpful in times of a disaster.  We are currently discussing with the regional government to provide free insurance to the 25,000 fishermen in Lamongan Regency.  Right now, free insurance is only available from the central government, which only covers fewer than 1,000 fishermen,” he said.

“The benefits of insurance cannot be seen right now.  But a fisherman’s job is dangerous, risky and accidents are getting common.  Once, I have seen a fisherman died when the boat he was on with two other fishermen was hit by big waves.  We are always raising awareness and educating fishermen on the need for insurance.  Indeed, there is still a lack of awareness which has to be addressed.”

Victims’ family members.

Muhammad Badrus Zaman, marine transportation researcher, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), said fishermen need to receive continuous training on how to operate their boats in bad weather and also there should be safety equipment on the boats.

“The fishermen often do not have proper communications devices on their boats and so they cannot call for help when they are in distress.  The fishermen only care about whether they can start their engines or not.  This is certainly very dangerous,” said Badrus Zaman.

“Fishermen cannot ignore their own safety and they must check the safety standard of their boats regularly.  Accidents are not only caused by bad weather alone.  Accidents are also caused by the rundown conditions of the boats, lack of safety equipment, and the fishermen’s lack of proper training in piloting their boats, among other reasons.”

Badrus Zaman said many, if not all, local fishermen are impoverished and have no savings, they do not have the extra money to repair their boats or buy communications devices for emergency uses.  And they rather use whatever money they earned to provide for their families.  Therefore, the government has to step in to help them financially.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/17-indonesian-fishermen-adrift-in-open-sea-for-three-nights-after-boat-capsizes/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


With some shipping now on the move again out of Ukraine, the northern Black Sea has been designated a Warlike Operations Area for merchant vessels. Sarah Robinson looks at what this means for seafarer safety and how trade unions are involved in providing protection for their members

When people embark on a career in the Merchant Navy, they’re probably not expecting to see military action, but this in fact a persistent safety problem for civilian seafarers around the world.

We might think of the cargoships in the Second World War supply convoys, or the ferries and cruiseships requisitioned as troop carriers (with their usual crews) for the Falklands conflict.

But many Merchant Navy seafarers who find themselves in danger from conflict aren’t engaged in official ‘war work’, but find themselves in a dangerous situation as they go about their usual activities. For example, in the Telegraph we have told the stories of Nautilus International members whose civilian tankers came under fire in the Persian/Arabian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war, and others whose vessels became marooned in the Great Bitter Lake off the Suez Canal as a result of the Six-Day War.

Ukraine: the latest maritime war zone

This year, Merchant Navy seafarers from all over the world have been asked to go through a war zone on an urgent humanitarian mission to bring crops out of Ukraine and on to the countries who rely on this food, which includes wheat, other cereals, and sunflower seeds for cooking oil.

Famously known as ‘the breadbasket of Europe’, Ukraine under normal circumstances is one of the top three grain exporters in the world, but since the Russian invasion in February 2022 has struggled to get its harvests out of mined and blockaded Black Sea ports.

Hopes were not high that this problem would be overcome, but after many false dawns, the involvement of Turkey eventually brought both Ukraine and Russia to the table in Istanbul to sign a United Nations agreement on 27 July – establishing the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Aiming to keep seafarers safe

The Black Sea Grain Initiative specifically allows for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny. Ukrainian vessels guide the cargoships into the international waters of the Black Sea, avoiding mined areas. The vessels then proceed towards the Bosphorus Strait along an agreed corridor. Both the Russian and Ukrainian sides have agreed to withhold attacks on any of the commercial vessels or ports engaged in the initiative to transport vital grain.

For the merchant seafarers on the cargoships, their safety is in the hands of a new UN Joint Coordination Centre, which monitors implementation of the 27 July agreement. It is hosted in Istanbul and includes representatives from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey.

Ships heading to and from the Ukrainian ports are being inspected by teams organised by the Joint Coordination Centre to ensure they are only carrying the agreed food cargoes and not soldiers, weapons or ammunition.

Who are the Merchant Navy seafarers on the grain ships?

Initial reports suggested that maritime employers were struggling to find crew members willing to take part in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and until recently Ukrainian nationals were not usually allowed to leave the country because of military conscription. However, permission has now been given for Ukrainian seafarers to travel for work, and recruitment from other nations seems to have improved, judging by the daily shipping movements being reported by the UN Joint Coordination Centre.

Inevitably for the shipping industry, some of these vessels will be crewed by seafarers from developing countries who are not in a financial position to turn down work and are not supported by a trade union.

However, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) – of which Nautilus is an affiliate – has ensured that some 9,500 vessels and 170,000 seafarers worldwide are covered by Warlike Operations Area agreements instigated by unions. These are either national agreements (of which more below) or international agreements negotiated between the ITF and shipowners at the International Bargaining Forum (IBF).

‘While specific terms of each agreement differ depending on the nature of the risk involved, in general they allow for seafarers to disembark before a vessel enters the affected area,’ says Nautilus head of professional and technical David Appleton. ‘They may also place obligations on companies to underwrite any insurance policies that may be rendered invalid by entering into the area and, in certain instances, agree additional payments for seafarers whilst they are in the area.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson has been regularly involved with negotiations at the IBF, where Warlike Operations Area agreements for the Northern Black Sea Region, the Sea of Azov and All Ports in Ukraine were added in March 2022.

He stresses how important it is that seafarers around the world join a union, particularly one affiliated with the ITF: ‘This is a powerful example of how unions work together internationally to secure protection for their members and help seafarers globally, and we will continue to be part of the movement to uplift everyone in the industry to decent and safe work onboard.’

Enhanced war zone protection for Nautilus members

Nautilus members in the UK and Netherlands are covered by national warlike operations agreements that go beyond the IBF terms.

In the UK, the process of drafting and renewing agreements is done through the Warlike Operations Area Committee (WOAC), at which terms are agreed directly between the maritime unions Nautilus and RMT and the UK Chamber of Shipping. There is a similar process in the Netherlands where Nautilus negotiates agreements with the Dutch shipowner bodies VWH, NEMEA, Neptune and Spliethoff.

The UK WOAC agreement for Ukraine applies to all vessels operated by companies in membership of the UK Chamber of Shipping. It expands on the IBF minimum in a number of ways – for example, by declaring a broader Warlike Operations Area that covers ‘all Ukrainian, Russian and International Waters north of 44°North in the Black Sea.’

The Netherlands war zone agreement for Ukraine applies to Dutch-flagged vessels and is broadly equivalent to the UK WOAC agreement.

‘Both the British and Dutch agreements reflect the importance of regular dialogue between unions and employers,’ says Mr Appleton. ‘We are not currently aware of any Nautilus members on vessels involved in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, but members with any concerns about operating in a warlike or high risk area should contact us and we will be able to advise them of their rights, whether those fall under the national agreements in the UK and Netherlands or they relate to the IBF agreement.’

Source: https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/telegraph/working-in-a-war-zone-how-national-and-international-warlike-operations-area-agreements-protect-merchant-navy-seafarers/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Through a collaboration with the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), KVH now offers customised Greek-focused content to provide connections to home and to enhance the wellbeing of these seafarers.

Content to seafarers is delivered through KVH Link, an innovative service providing an entertaining experience for crew on laptops, personal devices, and TVs on board their vessels. News, movies, music, radio, and more are offered in an array of languages, and selections are refreshed often to offer the most engaging crew content.

Programming through KVH’s new collaboration with ERT includes both video and audio content available to seafarers directly on vessels enjoying KVH Link. Video content includes a one-hour News Bulletin broadcast daily, keeping Greek seafarers up to date with what is happening in Greece and around the world. In addition, ERT provides programming from their “Voice of Greece” radio station with shows including news and current events, culture, music, sports, and features of prominent figures living in Greece and abroad.

“Through this cooperation with KVH, we are now able to provide the news to our audience at sea all around the world,” said Kostas Machairas, ERT’s department of Greeks abroad director. “We are especially happy to provide our radio show “Fair Winds and Following Seas” covering topics like life at sea, stories and testimonies, and live connections with Greek ships. Shipping is so ingrained into the country’s DNA that it is difficult to find a family that doesn’t have members either currently at sea or having worked on a ship in some capacity at one point in their lives.”

“Organisations within the maritime industry worldwide are recognising the importance of crew wellbeing, connections with home, and the ability to stay abreast of current events back on land,” commented Mark Woodhead, KVH’s EVP of sales and marketing. “KVH is proud to partner with ERT to bring this important benefit to Greek seafarers on vessels enjoying our KVH Link service. Greece has one of the longest and richest maritime histories of any nation, and Greek seafarers are a vital component of commercial crews around the world. We’re grateful for the opportunity to meet their needs.”

KVH delivers its KVH Link service with content for seafarers through its TracPhone VSAT systems and TracNet hybrid terminals, providing fast connections, fully integrated belowdecks equipment, support for IoT applications, and built-in, secure network and data management.

Source: https://www.thedigitalship.com/news/maritime-satellite-communications/item/8017-kvh-partners-with-the-hellenic-broadcasting-corporation-to-serve-greek-seafarers

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Many Filipinos dream of becoming seafarers. Hiring companies make it a point to highlight not only the economic benefits but also the chance to travel all over the world. The popular image of a seafarer is one of a healthy, clean-uniformed individual who gets to travel around the world meeting interesting people and being in glamorous locations.

Still, like other employments, working as a seafarer also has its share of problems, among them workplace bullying. Workplace bullying has become a difficult management problem as company turnovers increase when seafarers can no longer cope. Human resource departments ill-equipped to address cases of bullying tend to let incidents go unresolved.

Concerned Seafarers of the Philippines calling for a stop to bullying.

Racial discrimination, Asian seafarers face bullying

A veteran seafarer George Ramirez, 54, told Maritime Fairtrade that he experienced bullying in the early years of his career in the early 1990s. He used to work in the engine room of a cruise ship, but has since moved on to work on industrial freight ships.

“Maritime laws to regulate seafarers’ behavior were not strictly enforced in those days. I experienced bullying on board some of the ships I worked on, and I also heard of different stories from other seamen about how they got into fights when they stood up against bullies,” George said.

“On my first job as a seafarer, there were three of us who were Filipinos, and we were with Indonesians and Burmese. It was a new ship, and the higher officials were all white. We felt that those who were brown-skinned were treated differently, with less respect, compared to those who were white.”

George shared that there were times when Asian seafarers were not allowed to enter the pantry the white staff used, but the latter were allowed to freely enter and use the pantry that the Asians used.

“We also noticed how the ship kitchen staff kept the pantry used by the white seafarers well-stocked with cheese, fruit, and chocolates.  In contrast, our pantry was practically empty – the refrigerator mostly had only water,” he recollected.

The treatment at work was also disheartening for George.

“My white supervisors would have me woken up very early even if I was off duty or during my rest hours, and they would also order me to fix them coffee or fetch something from the refrigerator. I was new on board, so I just went along with it,” he said.

George was also made to run personal errands for supervisors, including the captain and chief engineer, like washing their underwear and uniforms. What was even more difficult for George was not allowed to suggest recommendations at work, and whenever he made the smallest mistake, he was immediately yelled at and even cursed at.

“There were even times when I was slapped or punched,” he said.

Like George, other Asian crew members were subjected to bullying in the form of discrimination. During BBQ parties or other public gatherings, they were not invited to eat at the tables which were occupied mostly by white crew members.

“The rest of us Asians just got food and we took it elsewhere. The gatherings were supposed to be open to everyone, but it was hard to enjoy them when we were being treated like we were second or even third-class people,” George said.

Throughout those first years, George gritted his teeth and took all the bullying in stride. He said all he wanted was to keep his job.

“I considered the bullying as a challenge I just had to overcome,” he said. At the same, however, George prayed and hoped for changes.  Change finally began to happen when a new captain came aboard the ship George was assigned to. The man appeared open to feedback, so George mustered his courage to finally speak out about how he and the other Asian seafarers were treated.

“I told the captain about the bullying and the discrimination we were often subjected to, and I spoke of all these in front of the white crewmen. I didn’t care what the white crewmen would say or do to me afterward, I just spoke out. It was a gamble on my part, but I thought either things could go worse or get better,” he said.

George’s gamble paid off. The new captain wrote a report on everything George said, with recommendations for stronger policies to be enforced against acts of bullying, whether verbal or physical. He sent the report to the manning agency as well as to the shipping company.

“The captain also called for a meeting of all the crew and announced that changes had to be made. He stood up for all of us Asian seafarers and said that the white crewmen should immediately change their behavior towards us or face sanctions,” he said.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/seafarers-face-bullying-working-aboard-ships/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


The Chinese seafarer was on board the Isle of Man-flagged, bulker Berge Rishiri, which left Bluff in New Zealand early on 27 August morning. The crew member was last seen at 8am on the same day and failed to report for duty at 4pm.

Maritime New Zealand said the crew of the bulker had searched the vessel and retraced its route for any signs of the missing seafarer. A search of the Otaga coast was conducted by a rescue helicopter and a nearby vessel.

Local news reports quoted a cold-water survivability expert engaged by Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) as saying they believed there was little chance a person could have survived. All search assets have been stood down.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison said the country needed to do more to protect the welfare of international crews in its waters

“We would like to know how long the seafarer had been at sea and on duty and have assurances they were not kept on the vessel longer than their contracted period, as we have seen huge mental health issues with seafarers basically kept captive on vessels for months and sometimes years,” he said.

Harrison said the New Zealand authorities must carry out a full investigation into the incident.

The 2017-built, 37,152 dwt Bulk Rishiri, is owned and managed by Berge Bulk in Singapore.

Between 2015 – 2019 some 509 crew went missing at sea according to figures published by IHS Markit.

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Over the last two and half years of the pandemic cases of companies abandoning their seafarers on ships around the world have increased sharply with a record 95 cases reported last year to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) joint database on abandonment of seafarers.

Speaking at the International Safety@Sea Conference in Singapore Dr Heike Deggim, Director, Maritime Safety Division, IMO, said that so far this year 74 cases of seafarer abandonment had been reported to the IMO/ILO database.

“This was only during the first half of 2022, so, we can assume that this year we are heading towards surpassing 2021’s record of 95 cases,” she said.

Clearly this not a trend anyone wants to see continuing and it was something Dr Degim said needed to be worked on.

“The joint IMO/ILO tripartite working group has been re-established by ILO and IMO to identify and address seafarer issues, and the human element. It will meet over the next two years in several sessions, and they will address in particular guidelines on how to deal with seafarer abandonment cases,” she said.

IMG20220830164441.jpg

The working group will also address other issues related to seafarer welfare including the treatment of those suspected of maritime crimes, and bullying and harassment, including sexual assault.

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) recently highlighted the growing number of cases seafarers reporting the non-payment of wages for two months or longer, which meets the ILO’s definition of abandonment. It said that seafarers did not always realise that not being paid for a couple of months could be a precursor to abandonment.

In 2021 the ITF clawed back some $37m in wages that had been withheld from crew by shipowners.

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ship-operations/shipping-headed-towards-record-number-seafarer-abandonments-2022

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


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