Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) has announced a partnership with Berlin-based Fintech Kadmos to automate and digitalize its seafarers’ salary payouts.
With a growing demand for better payment options that increase security and transparency, CSM has selected Kadmos’ salary payment platform which is designed for paying workforces that are dispersed worldwide. Kadmos’ technology will drastically improve the way CSM crews receive and manage their salaries, enabling greater self-service opportunities while seafarers obtain more security and flexibility with their salary payouts. This announcement comes soon after Kadmos closed a €29m Series A funding round which will accelerate further technological and product development.
Mark O’Neil, CEO of CSM, said: “Columbia is incredibly excited to have teamed up with Kadmos’ young, dynamic and innovative team of experts who have developed an excellent and secure payment product. We strongly support and encourage new players in the shipping industry to challenge the status quo and to reform and update outdated practices in line with the dynamic expectations of their clients.”
Image for representation purpose only
This partnership will utilize innovative financial technologies, developed by Kadmos’ engineering teams, for paying employees around the world. In choosing Kadmos’ salary payment platform, CSM will help their crews improve the security, speed, and transparency of home remittances while reducing reliance on cash. Former Capt. Roy Machart, Global Key Account Director Marine at Kadmos, explains, “We are excited to start helping the seafarers at CSM get more out of their salaries while making sure that they are keeping their money safe and secure.”
Kadmos has developed its salary payment platform as a response to the outdated and costly ways in which seafarers are being paid. The aim of Kadmos is to help seafarers have more control over their money and improve administrative efficiency for shipping companies.
Mr O’Neil added: “This partnership and the implementation of Kadmos’ secure and digitalized payment solution to our fleet is part of our wider endeavour to increase the welfare of our crew on board whilst also looking at innovative ways we can limit the costs for our clients. Adding services like this to our portfolio underscores CSM’s commitment to be a leader in innovation and performance throughout the fast-paced maritime environment.”
By using the Kadmos app, CSM is able to offer its employees personal EU-based e-wallets and debit cards that can be used worldwide. The reduction of physical cash while simplifying and digitalizing the way cash advancements are paid to crews, constitutes major developments in helping seafarers. Additionally, the e-wallet allows seafarers to hold their money in stable currencies such as US Dollars or Euros. With Kadmos e-wallets, seafarers can transfer money easier than ever before while the debit cards tied to their accounts provide for greater flexibility when withdrawing cash or making purchases.
“CSM has long been at the forefront of innovation in the shipping industry, and we are happy that they chose Kadmos to help make their salary payment processes quicker and more efficient,” adds Kadmos co-founder Sasha Makarovych.
In 2020, the ITF, FNV Havens and Nautilus NL took the case against Marlow Cyprus, Marlow Netherlands and Expert Shipping over their refusal to adhere to the Non-Seafarers’ Work Clause to court in the Netherlands. The companies signed up to the agreement in 2018 and the clause came into force two years later.
The ruling from the Rotterdam District Court means that the companies who employ seafarers on shipowners’ behalf, must ensure that cargo handling must be performed by trained local dock workers where possible, and not given to seafarers as an additional responsibility.
The decision means greater safety for seafarers and also secures jobs for dockers.
The court emphasised the importance of the proper implementation of agreements reached through social dialogue and the binding nature of such agreements. It also reaffirmed the ‘Albany exemption’ which provides that collective bargaining agreements are exempt from certain requirements of EU competition law.
“The court makes clear that the parties are bound to the terms of the agreement. Given the weight attached to social dialogue within the European Union, and in the principle statements of companies – it is of paramount importance that they follow through. That starts with employers doing what they say they will,” said ITF President and Dockers’ Section Chair, Paddy Crumlin.
“Employers like those we’ve won this important case against, have been reminded this week by the court about what it actually means to be a social partner. It means doing what you say you’ll do. It means keeping your word.”
“Seafarers, dockers and our unions have upheld our parts of the agreement, which has delivered these companies stable profits. This case is a big step forward in our campaign, but we won’t be happy until we get all charterers to respect the clause.”
“Now, it is time for these employers, particularly short sea shipping charterers, to return to true social dialogue and restore good faith with unions, this must include working with shipowners to implement the Non-Seafarers’ Work Clause.”
“Our industry has important issues to tackle together, and we will continue to be part of the IBF process that has improved wages and working conditions for seafarers for almost 20 years,” said Crumlin.
ITF Dockers’ Section vice-chair Niek Stam, who is also the leader of Dutch dockers’ union FNV Havens, said the ruling was both a victory for seafarers’ safety and for dockers’ jobs.
“Those who don’t fight will never win. This is the only logical outcome of the lawsuit. Otherwise a signature would no longer be worth anything. A deal is a deal,” said Stam.
“Lashing can be extremely unsafe for seafarers, who are often untrained in port operations, such as the dangers of moving cranes. Automated terminals and supply chain pressures have further increased these dangers to ships’ crew,” he said.
ETF General Secretary Livia Spera said, “This ruling makes clear to shipowners and others that it is a legal requirement to honour the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.”
“This is the result of years of hard work from the union side and this verdict represents a victory for both seafarers and dockers. It is about the safety of our transport workers, it is about the obligation of the charterers to use the specialised workforce of dockers, and to not exploit seafarers’ safety in this way.”
The Vatican is pushing for shipping lines and governments across the globe to allow seafarers to take shore leave in order to enhance their wellbeing and reduce the pressures of being aboard ships for months on end.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said that even after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the rights of seafarers continue to be violated by being denied shore leave.
In a message during Sea Sunday, Cardinal Czerny noted that although the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) requires companies to provide decent and clean accommodation, nourishing food, a safe working environment, proper hours of work and shore leave to seafarers, the significant gains made since MLC came into force in 2013 continue to be seriously undermined.
“Let us take the issue of shore leave. The ability to leave the vessel and go ashore, if only for a short time, is crucial for seafarers’ wellbeing. Most of us take for granted the freedom we have to go outside, enjoy open spaces, place our feet on firm ground or soft grass and see different people. But seafarers have no such freedom. They cannot leave the ship, and every day they walk on metal [decks] and see the same faces. The only way they can share in the freedom we enjoy is to have access to shore leave. They may only have a couple of hours but that can make all the difference,” said Cardinal Czerny.
Shipping companies and ports are facing criticism for preventing shore leave at a time when countries are opening their borders and lifting COVID-19 restrictions. At the height of the pandemic and before the vaccination campaign for seafarers began, governments and companies canceled all shore leave and seafarers were required to stay on board to avoid infections and spreading the virus. Official restrictions still exist in many ports, and even where they do not, seafarers may face pressure to stay on board in order to minimize the chance of bringing COVID back onto the ship.
The Vatican believes that although the situation is improving around the world as countries open their borders and lift restrictions, enabling people to move freely again, seafarers continue to be prohibited from going ashore.
“This is a gross injustice. Even though they are fully vaccinated, seafarers are frequently denied the free movement we enjoy,” observed Cardinal Czerny.
The push by the Vatican for seafarers to be granted shore leave comes when COVID-19 cases are rising globally. The World Health Organization sees Europe as the center of the resurgence with some countries in Asia also witnessing a spike in infections.
South Korea, for instance, has introduced anti-epidemic measures to counter the resurgence that has seen infections rate rise by 86.5 percent in a span of a week, largely due to the BA.5 variant. China is also seeing an increase in infection numbers with the financial capital Shanghai recording 69 new infections Sunday, the most since late May and up from 57 the day before.
The UK Department for Transport and the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have released a new research study on seafarer wellbeing, and it suggests new avenues for improvement in providing care and understanding the scope of the challenges facing mariners today.
Mental health issues are still taboo and are poorly understood in many parts of the industry, “not just by employers but among seafarers themselves,” the study found. The solution could be to integrate mental-health support for seafarers more deeply into onboard life, and new a MCA app for assistance could help in breaking down barriers to access.
“There is – sadly – still a stigma around mental health. The fact seafarers still don’t feel able to talk about it or access services says a lot about how far we still have to go in terms of reducing that taboo,” said Katy Ware, the Director of UK Maritime Services. “This is exactly why we have launched our Wellbeing at Sea Tool. By identifying stressors and issues at an early stage, we hope that the tool will help to reduce stress among seafarers which is a contributory factor to mental health problems.”
In parallel with the tool’s development, MCA hired research firm Ipsos to conduct an interview-based study of seafarer wellbeing, and specifically about suicide. Ipsos’ team drew on the input of chaplains, seafarers’ charities, unions and other stakeholders over a series of 20 interviews in March and April.
The interviewees identified non-reporting as an obstacle to care. Many seafarers are reluctant to discuss mental health due to perceived taboos, especially in certain cultures. This reluctance has a financial aspect as well: The disclosure of mental health issues could affect employment, depending upon the policies of the specific employer.
“If someone wants to admit they have a mental health problem the [captain] would probably not allow that person to go to sea with them. So, again, they would then not be earning a living,” a chaplain explained to the researchers.
The resources available to seafarers include chaplains, union representatives, charities and (for some) employer-provided support benefits. However, access is uneven across the industry.
“I would say all of the majors, the big companies have some fantastic support in place. Conversely, you’ve got other companies where there’s nothing. They don’t talk about it,” one shipowner told the research team.
Reporting challenges
The participants agreed that seafarer suicide is a serious issue and that the industry can do more to address it. They described it as a damaging event for all, including the victim’s crewmates – who are often traumatized by the experience – and for the vessel operator (in terms of disruption and reputational harm).
A thorough understanding of the problem could benefit from better data. Suicide reporting is uneven, and the stakeholders agreed that any published numbers are “likely to be inaccurate and too low.”
They identified multiple barriers to accurate reporting. First, there are significant challenges for determining whether any given incident is a suicide – particularly if the seafarer is lost over the side. With little to no evidence, a definitive classification is often impossible.
Even if there are clear indications that the death is a suicide, the crew may not wish to accurately report it. Interviewees told the researchers that there is a widespread belief that a report of a “suicide” would prevent relatives from collecting life insurance, which would be a large financial loss. Whether or not this belief is accurate, “seafarers circle the wagons to make sure that the family’s looked after,” one manager explained. “Allow for suicide to be an insured risk and the data would clarify itself very quickly.”
Lastly, each company and flag state has its own approach to recording reports, and the interviewees agreed that some flags are more rigorous than others. “There are a lot of cowboy flag states out there that I’m concerned about . . . that don’t have robust reporting in place,” one shipowner said.
Imagine being on the deck of a ship, sunny skies above, the gentle lapping of waves at the hull. It might be attractive to begin with, but then imagine that day stretching into weeks, then months. Add cold, wet and windy weather. Finally, factor in a lack of food, money, internet access and nothing to do all day long, combined with a complete lack of control over when you will see family, friends or loved ones again.
In Crew Welfare Week, we’re pausing to reflect on the fact that over the last 20 years this has been the situation faced by more than 8,800 seafarers around the world, trapped on ships that are no longer sailing anywhere, or literally dumped at the nearest port and left to fend for themselves.
Some of them are anchored near harbours, some of them float way out on the ocean, but none of them can leave. The reasons for abandoned ships – and the abandonment of those seafarers on board – are many and varied. From owners running out of money for a voyage, to bankruptcy, to a ship reaching the end of its shelf-life and costing more to repair than to leave behind, to more extreme or unusual cases like mutiny or pandemic – crew abandonment is a real and frightening issue.
Officially, abandonment is when a shipowner fails to cover the cost of a seafarer’s repatriation, has left seafarers without necessary maintenance and support, or? when they have otherwise unilaterally severed their ties with the crew, including failing to pay contractual wages for a period of at least two months.
But each one of these abandoned seafarers is also an individual, with families and friends worried about where their loved ones are, and when they will see each other again.
Abandonment by number of vessels per year and age group of ships
Abandonment by number of seafarers affected per year
Why does RightShip care?
Seafarers are the lifeblood of the maritime industry and the global economy, with? 90% of goods in the world moved by ships?. There are around 1.6 million seafarers – made up of around 770,000 officers and 870,000 ratings? – and a large proportion of those seafarers are from underdeveloped or developing countries, or island states.
According to a statement from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), “Seafarer abandonment is a serious problem that can blight the lives of those caught up in it. ?
It must be tackled, and it needs continual cooperation, not just between IMO and International Labour Organisation (ILO) and non-governmental organisations devoted to a seaman’s welfare, but with flag and port states and other industry groups too. ?We all have a human duty to protect seafarers.”?
At RightShip, as an organisation focused on zero harm in the maritime industry, we want to play our part in raising awareness, highlighting and acting against the substandard and inhumane social acts that sometimes take place at sea. The data that we are collecting ultimately helps us identify those operators who have little, or no interest, in the welfare of their crew – and enables us to make others aware of their behaviour too.
We believe that change is on the horizon. We think our data will persuade those yet to be convinced that taking up the social responsibility of crew welfare is essential. In a sector facing accusations of neglect and indifference – and potential crew shortfalls running into tens of thousands – some might say that the time has come to start calling out leaders and laggards in the crew welfare stakes.
However, we know that our status as a trusted third party, and our history in managing and analysing data, gives us a strong position of impartiality. We want to act as a key stepping-stone for charterers and ship-owners across the world on a journey towards improved crew welfare. We’re hopeful that tools like our Crew Welfare Assessment – and our background research – can encourage those in the maritime industry to make moves towards ‘doing the right thing’.
The law says – insurance is necessary
On 18 January 2017, important new rules came into force on abandonment.? Since this date, under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), shipowners need to have insurance to assist seafarers on board vessels if they are abandoned. By law, all ships whose flag states have ratified the MLC must have their insurance certificate posted in English, in a place visible to seafarers. The document should provide the name of the insurer or financial provider, and their contact details.
Regretfully, while the convention has been ratified by the equivalent of 95% of world tonnage, less than 60% of IMO’s 175 individual member states have ratified it. This, along with a lack of adequate and competent inspectorates across the world to regularly inspect against MLC requirements and take necessary action means that a two-tier system exists where seafarers can be left subject to abuse and mistreatment. Regulation is difficult to enforce at sea and policing?of vessels even more so – it’s a real case of out of sight, out of reach.
At RightShip, we can’t enforce the rules either. However, we can keep track of who’s breaking them – and what’s being done about it. Back in 2017, David Hutchison, a Marine Assurance Coordinator for RightShip based out of Melbourne, began compiling statistics on abandonment, which continues to the present day.
He uses information provided by the International Labour Organisation – including the vessel name, IMO number, date of abandonment – combined with facts and figures from RightShip databases. This data includes the Document of Compliance (DoC) company, the ship’s Technical Manager, Commercial Manager, Commercial Operator, Registered Owner and Beneficial Owner.
Tracking the beneficial owners and commercial operators is a powerful step in an industry where drawing connections between the origins of a fleet and abandoned vessels can be difficult to discern.
Additionally, we started keeping tabs on those entities that were involved with, or had knowledge of, an abandonment but did not help resolve the issue. David has dedicated himself to tracking back a decade and further in some cases, investigating the causes and resolutions for lost ships and people worldwide.
Where are we now?
This combination of data creates a stark picture of abandonment, spreading across all continents, 104 countries and 82 flag states. And David’s most recent statistics make shocking reading. At 1 June 2022, the total number of seafarers that are or have been abandoned worldwide over the last 20 years, stood at 8,820 people, on 628 vessels.
The greatest number of people abandoned by nationality are from India, with 1,341 seafarers cut adrift, running down through 104 countries, to Armenia, Ecuador, Germany, Malaysia, the Maldives, Sa Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro and Taiwan, all with one apiece. Sadly, given the current conflict, Ukraine and the Russian Federation also both have a high number of abandonments.
The type of vessels abandoned also varies widely – with general cargo ships (33.7%), bulk carriers (9.3%) and chemical products / tankers (7.3%) featuring most highly in a list of 59 vessel descriptions. Incredibly, some of these vessels are abandoned twice. Others cannot be identified even though we know they exist, as no IMO number has been listed.
The most common age for an abandoned vessel is between 26 and 30 years, with 16.9% of the 628 vessels falling into this category, though, shockingly, some 32 vessels were abandoned in their first five years of sailing.
Perhaps most horrifying is the time that it can take to ‘settle’ an abandonment – when a case is satisfactorily resolved, the crew are paid their outstanding wages and repatriated to their home port. But according to David’s statistics, since 2004, there are 30 vessels where abandonments have been in dispute for more than a decade, with more than 400 seafarers still waiting for their cases to be settled. On average, crew remained onboard for seven months before being repatriated, with the longest being a 39-month-long wait to go home.
Most abandonments seem to take between five and ten years to resolve – an incredible length of time for those potentially left trapped and out of pocket, and unnoticed by most of the world.
Abandonments by location
What this means for seafarers – and what can be done?
When a ship is abandoned, seafarers do not receive the pay they are owed. If they leave the vessel, they are potentially saying goodbye to years of unpaid wages, millions of pounds that goes to support their loved ones – and in some cases their entire community.
The standoff begins, and continues, between crew and ship owner, with charities like the Mission to Seafarers supporting the crew, with food, water and other supplies. Many of those on board will face issues with their documentation being held by the ship’s management or these documents expiring while they are at sea. International law also prohibits vessels without crew, known as ‘ghost ships’, as they are a safety hazard.
The waiting takes its toll on mental and physical health, the separation from family and friends seemingly unending. Organisations like the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) intervene where they can, providing phone line support and emergency funding when seafarers absolutely must return home but have no means to do so.
RightShip is hopeful that sharing this data could lead to meaningful change. That we’ll see an uptick in those accessing the Code of Conduct and completing our self-assessment. We’ll encourage our charity partners to share our statistics on seafarer abandonment in the hope that the message starts to get through to owners and operators.
And as we look to the future, we will progress from ‘carrot’ – to more ‘stick’. We already identify vessels linked to a company associated with abandonment in our portal. We don’t recommend them to our customers for voyages, and we mark them as ‘unacceptable’ during the vetting process. Operators who have little regard for the welfare and human rights of their crew must not be allowed to continue to operate, but we know that we can do more. We hope that these stakeholders will begin to understand that if they do not improve their crew welfare, it will start to affect their bottom line, and that the opportunity to be leaders in the sector is a far more attractive prospect.
We want a maritime industry that causes zero harm – and a safe and sustainable future for all who live and work at sea. Protecting and safeguarding seafarers throughout the world is a critical element of having safe crew and safe ships, leading to safe oceans and seas.
Syed Zain Ali Shah, 32, graduated from Pakistan Marine Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Studies and Marine Engineering in 2010. Ali started his seafaring journey in 2011 and is now a Third Engineer. He is currently pursuing his Certificate of Competency (COC) class 2 and 1 combined in Singapore.
Syed Zain Ali Shah
“As seafarers, we live on the ship, it is like our working place and living place, so, it is like a home for us, and we sail through different waters and to different places around the world. In general, a ship is a workplace and a home,” Ali told Maritime Fairtrade in an interview.
The work of a marine engineer
A marine engineer “takes care of the whole mechanical and electrical systems needed to run a ship safely,” said Ali.
According to Ali, every ship has a main engine, generators, purifiers, compressors, freshwater generators and salination plants for drinking purposes, oily water separators to conform to IMO regulations, steam plant for cargo heating and auxiliary machinery like the propulsion plant and powerhouse along with the air conditioning system. The size of certain components like the boiler may differ from ship to ship based on the needs of the ship.
The chief engineer tops the hierarchy as head of the department of engineering. This position is followed by the second engineer who is the head of engine room and machinery on other parts of the ship. The third engineer, which is Ali’s current role, is in charge of the powerhouse, electricity generators, boilers/steam house and sometimes the freshwater generator.
The fourth engineer is responsible for purification, auxiliary system, compressors, pumps and all related pipelines. Along with the chief, second and third engineer, they make up the four officers onboard. Though uncommon nowadays, some ships still have trainee engineers also known as the fifth engineer. After which comes the crew, consisting of an oiler and a qualified electrician known as an electro technological officer, who is also the radio officer in charge of communication between ships and the shore side.
No work-life balance
As a third engineer, Ali starts work at midnight till 4 am in the engine room along with one oiler and two other seamen on deck. The four seafarers run the ship for the shift.
After which, Ali “hands over his watch” to the second engineer, who covers the 4 am to 8 am shift. From 8 am till 12 noon, the fourth engineer takes over the watch. The watch keeping duty is then handed over to Ali at 12 noon where he works another four-hour shift till 4 pm. Chief engineers do not report for watch duties but are on standby 24/7 in case of unexpected events.
During his rest hours, Ali would “go and sleep”.
Ali said that in the early days working on a new ship, seafarers have a “hectic routine to understand how things work on a ship” and to familiarize themselves with the operations. According to Ali, the “experienced guys” get familiarized in about 10 to 15 days. However, “to get settled (and understand) a new environment with new people takes about a month.” Time will be taken to “know how a certain person behaves, who has the expertise and who is lacking somewhere.”
Ali used the first one month to digest handovers from the previous crew to get a “whole clear picture of which machinery requires attention first and which machinery is okay and can run until the next two to three months” because they can wait as they long as they are “under operational condition”.
Ali said an engineer’s responsibility is to “bring back the whole ship and machinery to a good working condition”. As such, during this one month, seafarers will need to clock in extra hours during their break time.
One may think for the rest of his time onboard the ship, Ali is freed from his duties after his two four-hour shifts. When asked whether seafarers have work-life balance on a ship, Ali gives a firm “No”. From his experience, when problems occur, he is unable to take on a stance such that “my four hours are done, I am going to rest.”
The fact that they are in the sea, where “upside there is only God, bottom side there are sharks and we are in the middle” means that “in the open sea, you are your own help,” said Ali. As such, all crew would need to be present when an emergency arises.
From a professional perspective, Ali said that it is discouraged to “leave your work till the next day.” As the third engineer that is in charge of the powerhouse, “there is not just one, but two to three generators”, and these generators need to be ready. One is up and running, another is on standby and the last one is spare.
It is of utmost importance to keep all three in running condition as “we don’t know when we need them.” If there are collisions or major accidents and the power is not ready, it may cost lives.
Ali emphasized that “safety of life at sea (SOLAS) and marine pollution are main focuses with SOLAS being the most important. You can sacrifice the ship, you can sacrifice your cargo, but what about the people onboard?” Therefore, Ali clocked in one or two extra hours to ensure his work is finished.
“In short, I’m 24 by seven available.”
Love for the sea
Like many others, Ali said the greatest joy of working onboard a ship would be the opportunity to travel. Throughout his career, Ali has seen countless picturesque sunrises and sunsets in different countries. According to Ali, these sights were a thousand of times more breath-taking in real life as compared to postcards.
“I like to be on the sea. I like the environment,” Ali said fondly when asked about the joys of being a seafarer. Other than his love for the sea, Ali likes the fact that he gets to meet and learn from new crewmates and to experience new environments and places. Also, the pay is good. “At the end of the day, when I go back home, I have plenty of money for me and my family.”
However, Ali said that “since 2010 onwards, I don’t see a great hike in salaries as much as the workload has been increased.” He is unsure about the situation in Singapore, but he is certain that from the oil majors in the Middle Eastern side, “there is more workload and little increment. Oil trade is getting expensive, the company owners, ship owners, and charterers are earning money but when it comes to crew, operators and people on a ship, they don’t spare an extra penny.”
As a result of the stagnant wages and increased workload, Ali shared that he knows “people who want to switch to the easier side or towards the natural gas trade.” The trade of LNG and LPG consists of “newer ships that means less work” due to “less maintenance” which means “more resting hours”.
There is also the challenge of new regulations, amendments and paperwork are being pushed out all the time. There are different sets of rules and regulations set by IMO and port states that seafarers need to follow when operating certain machinery.
Ali lamented: “You cannot use this kind of fuel or that kind of fuel. In order to use that fuel, we need to have separate machinery.” This means seafarers need to constantly unlearn and relearn in order to keep up with the new updates.
Ali felt that as mariners, “we should be taught human behaviour” because while operating machines, engineers need to interact with different people. Over the course of time and experience, Ali has worked with a variety of different nationalities from Indian, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Scotland, Egypt, Syria, Ukraine and even Russia.
Ali said: “Every nationality has their pros and cons. And there is an attitude for every nationality.” As such, learning how to interact and give one another respect is extremely important when living together on a ship for a long period of time.
Calm in the storm
“Whatever you’ve seen on Google, I’ve experience it,” Ali said with a chuckle when asked about his most unforgettable experience as a seafarer.
“We were in the Indian Ocean, and we were going down towards South Africa. It was monsoon time with strong winds and rain.
“For four days, the ship was running on full propulsion but we did not move an inch due to the wind, currents and forces.”
Ali mimicked the motions like that of a roller coaster, rushing at full speed to its peak before crashing down vertically. Unlike a roller coaster that is enjoyable, the rough sea had waves that were going up to 30 metres high which lasted for three days.
“We could not sleep,” Ali said, “If I sleep on the left, one wave comes and I’m on my right side.” Ali laughed as he recalled that he rolled off the bed and landed on the floor several times. In the end, he resorted to sleeping on the floor.
“You cannot eat, whatever you eat will come out. Everybody including the chief engineer was seasick except me,” Ali said he was doing extra work of a nurse, taking care of his crew mates. “I would be like, ‘okay you go over there’, then I would hold the other guy and put him on a chair or some stretcher. I was pretty much fatigue at that time.”
To Ali, that was a “pretty difficult time” making the experience with rough seas a tale to remember.
Rising up the ranks
A trainee engineer requires nine months of sailing time in order to qualify for the COC class 5, 4 and 3 examinations. After completing the said exams, most countries would require a minimum of 12 months of sea time in order to take the COC class 2 or class 2 and 1 combined. The requirement for COC class 1 would be at least 24 to 36 months of work, depending on the country’s own policies.
According to Ali, the starting pay of a seafarer is dependent on their company, with some “paying very little” while in other cases, the “pay is good enough”. However, as one rises up the ranks, the pay could increase up to US$2,000 at a time. Eventually, when one reaches the top as a chief engineer, the pay would be US$12,000 to US$15, 000 a month on average, up to US$17,000.
The future of seafaring
“I am the first seafarer of my family, and I will be the last. My upbringing and the coming generation’s upbringing are very different,” said Ali. The coming generations are “born with a silver spoon” but not in his case.
Seafaring is definitely not for the faint of heart but for individuals with passion and perseverance. Ali said that “some guys, they don’t like the sea”, and “in the first ten days they say the sea is not for us.”
“There is a shortage of seafarers and there will always be a shortage of seafarers” Ali pointed out. The war between Ukraine and Russia has caused a great gap in the demand and supply of crew as these countries produce the most seafarers along with Philippines. With Ukrainians and Russians no longer in the market, this causes a shortage.
Ali ended off by saying that he has no regrets pursuing seafaring even though he had plenty of options during his studies. He has more exposure working as a marine engineer on a ship as compared to the typical office worker. “I love what I do, and there is peace between me and my work,” Ali commented with a proud grin on his face.
After finishing his COC class 2 and 1 combined, Ali’s company would promote him to second engineer, overall in charge of engine room. Ali said that he would be back in Singapore again next year to get his COC by 2025 to take on the role of a chief engineer.
The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) launches digital Wellbeing at Sea Tool to support seafarer health and wellbeing. It has become increasingly clear over recent years that seafarer mental health and wellbeing needs to be made a high priority for employers. Through discussion with stakeholders, the MCA identified the requirement for a tool to support organizations understand and manage seafarer wellbeing onboard.
Poor mental health at sea is still taboo, and better support for seafarers must be embedded into the maritime industry, according to a new report funded jointly by the Department for Transport and MCA.
The report comes alongside the launch of MCA’s new digital tool designed to support seafarers’ health and wellbeing. Called the Wellbeing at Sea Tool, the new website provides practical advice for seafarers and helps organizations monitor wellbeing and support their employees.
Its launch is supported by the findings of the research which was carried out to gather the views of chaplains, charities, unions and the maritime industry as a whole.
Despite ongoing work, many of those questioned said they still felt mental health issues were poorly understood not just by employers but among seafarers themselves. Many of those questioned said that there needed to be better reporting to understand and act upon the level of suicide rates at sea, but added there were difficulties knowing for certain what the cause of death was in some cases.
Many also claimed that the subject of mental health and suicide was off-limits for some people who are unwilling to discuss it because of cultural or religious reasons.
Maritime Minister Robert Courts said: “I want the maritime sector to be an inviting one, and for it to move with the times and recognize that, while offering incredibly rewarding careers, life at sea can be incredibly lonely and stressful.
“This new report will help us to address this important issue, and with support from the MCA with its new online service, we will continue to challenge the sector to take action to ensure all seafarers are properly supported on land and at sea.”
Katy Ware, Director of UK Maritime Services said: “There is – sadly – still a stigma around mental health. The fact seafarers still don’t feel able to talk about it or access services says a lot about how far we still have to go in terms of reducing that taboo.
“This is exactly why we have launched our Wellbeing at Sea Tool. By identifying stressors and issues at an early stage, we hope that the tool will help to reduce stress among seafarers which is a contributory factor to mental health problems.”
When a seafarer uses the online tool, they are asked to take a digital survey. Once completed, the seafarer is given personalized advice on how to improve their wellbeing at sea. Data captured is anonymized and sent to managers within the company to help them better understand what the priorities are for improvement.
The UK government has published a 30-page report looking into one of shipping’s darkest secrets, suicides at sea, with a number of recommendations to help fix a grimly underreported scourge plaguing the industry.
Calls are growing to make recording suicides mandatory, but confidential, with the report discussing targeting so called “cowboy” states and organisations that hide cases of suicide.
Other suggestions include having a centralised database where all statistics on suicide among seafarers are retained, while another idea is for shipping companies to have a single body that provides guidance for how suicides should be recorded and what is classed as a suicide.
There hasn’t been a single agreed international framework for recording suicides at sea, which has led many to believe that suicides remain underreported
“Better data on the number of suicides – even if imperfect – can help address the prior causes of poor mental health,” states the report which was penned by Ipsos for the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
“There are a lot of cowboy flag states out there that I’m concerned about…that don’t have robust reporting in place,” one shipowner interviewed for the study said.
The variety of approaches to how flags record deaths has led to a particularly “murky picture” and contributed to the “fatalistic view of the near-impossible challenge of accurately collecting data on suicide among seafarers”, the report states.
As well as flag states not reporting suicides correctly, the report points out that crew will often be driven by an unwillingness to create further trauma for a victim’s family, especially in cases where there is religious or societal stigma associated with suicide. The issue of money from a life insurance policy being unlikely to be paid in the event of suicide was also brought up.
“Under the insurance for the ship, if someone dies onboard the family gets about $150,000 in death in service payment. If they commit suicide the family get nothing. So that has to be a factor in it as well, that seafarers circle the wagons to make sure that the family’s looked after,” one shipmanager interviewed by Ipsos said.
Participants in the survey suggested that there are significant discrepancies in how certain terms are applied in individual life insurance and P&I insurance. Addressing this perception, right or wrong, was considered one way to start addressing issues of under-reporting suicide among seafarers.
Underreporting is the plague of shipping
“Allow for suicide to be an insured risk and the data would clarify itself very quickly,” one respondent claimed.
Robert Courts, Britain’s maritime minister, commented: “Despite evidence that mental health and seafarer suicide are serious issues in maritime, the data is patchy. Historically, there hasn’t been a single agreed international framework for recording suicides at sea, which has led many to believe that suicides remain underreported.”
Speaking with Splash today, David Hammond, the CEO of the NGO Human Rights at Sea, said: “We must have a globally accepted positive reporting requirement in international maritime law at best, or regulatory policy at least, for every port, coastal and flag state to record suicides and attempted suicides for centralised collation.”
Hammond said transparency must be at the heart of this process which must include details of the flag state, vessel, owner, manager and surrounding circumstances.
“This data is usually held behind the corporate veil but it is needed in the public domain to affect law and policy change, and act as a deterrent effect,” Hammond said, adding: “Suicide or attempted suicide is a failure in crew management to look after and look out for the individual who is, or may become vulnerable, for whatever reason.”
Captain Kuba Szymanski, secretary-general of shipmanagement association InterManager and chairman of the Seafarers Hospital charity, told Splash: “Underreporting is the plague of shipping.” This was something that was reflected not just in the recording of suicides, but in other accidents such as lifeboat ones or enclosed spaces deaths, Szymanski said.
This month the MCA in the UK is launching a Wellbeing at Sea Tool that provides practical advice for seafarers and helps organisations monitor their employees’ overall wellbeing onboard. The MCA has also published two books on the matter in consultation with unions, shipowners and maritime charities.
UK Chamber of Shipping policy director Tim Springett said: “The creation of an international register of deaths at sea will not be without it challenges, not least in terms of administration. But it will be an important step in information sharing alongside the launch of the Wellbeing at Sea tool to allow everyone to help deliver better mental health at sea.”
Research by Yale University commissioned two years ago by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust found 20% of seafarers surveyed had suicidal ideation.
“While comparative data is limited, this analysis suggests that seafarers have higher rates of depression than other working populations, emphasising the need for appropriate mental health policies and management strategies in this isolated, vulnerable, and globally essential workforce,” the study stated.
The federal government has gotten involved in a dispute onboard a ship anchored in Halifax harbour following complaints from Ukrainian crew members that the company is keeping them from returning home.
The crew has been on board since November, initially for a six-month contract, which was extended. They were then asked to work another extension, which they refused.
“They’ve never been home since [the war]. They want to go home, contact their families, and make sure everybody’s safe,” said Karl Risser, an inspector with the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
MSC Manzanillo departed Portugal in late June and arrived in Halifax on July 5, when it was detained by Transport Canada.
Karl Risser is the ITF inspector for Atlantic Canada. He’s been dealing with complaints from Ukrainian crew members on board this vessel, and others, for several months. (Mark Crosby/CBC)
Risser said Transport Canada “did the right thing” in detaining the ship in Halifax for inspection. Its next port of call is New York, which he worries could complicate things for Ukrainian crew members trying to get home.
Canada is a signatory to the Maritime Labour Convention, which outlines rights for seafarers. Among them is the right to go home at the end of a contract. The U.S. is not a signatory of the convention.
“We’re not sure if the seafarers’ rights will be upheld in the United States, and there could be issues with visas with these guys that aren’t an issue here in Canada,” Risser said.
In an email statement to CBC News, Transport Canada confirmed it briefly detained the MSC Manzanillo.
MSC Manzanillo arrived in Halifax harbour on July 5 and was detained by Transport Canada. (Mark Crosby/CBC)
“To verify the crew members’ seafarer employment agreement, Transport Canada inspectors issued a deficiency notice under the Maritime Labour Convention. The vessel had to remain alongside at the Port of Halifax pending verification of all items to the satisfaction of Transport Canada,” the statement said.
Following verifications by inspectors, the detention was lifted on July 6, the statement said.
No further details were provided.
According to the Atlantic Pilotage Authority, MSC Manzanillo was set to depart Halifax at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Nine Ukrainan crew members on board
There are nine crew members from Ukraine with contracts that have expired.
“These guys are real heroes keeping our supply chain going and we have to respect their rights as seafarers to be repatriated home at the end of their contract,” Risser said.
ITF has been dealing with complaints from Ukrainian crew members on board this vessel, and others, for several months.
“It’s a continuing problem to get these guys home, but it’s important that we live up to our obligation … We’re anxiously awaiting to see the employer’s plan to see these guys repatriated home, and give these seafarers answers,” he said.
On 22 June 2022, the European Parliament adopted a revised proposal for the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Shipping was added to this system as part of the EU’s Fit for 55 package. Under the scheme, Owners are obliged to follow mandatory reporting obligations such as the EU MRV to establish the ship’s emissions. BIMCO has now issued its Emission Trading Scheme Allowances (ETSA) Clause for Time Charter Parties 2022 which provides for the allocation of responsibilities and costs between Owners and Charterers under Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS), including the EU ETS.
The ETSA clause follows the principle that the party providing and paying for the fuel should also provide the emissions allowances to cover the greenhouse gases emitted by that fuel. It establishes Charterers’ responsibility to “provide and pay for” allowances corresponding to the ship’s emissions during the time charter period. Under the EU ETS, each allowance entitles the holder to emit one tonne of CO2. Charterers must receive from Owners the data they need to calculate the allowances required to cover their emissions. Co-operation between Owners and Charterers is therefore essential to ensure the timely sharing of data and information for compliance with the above mandatory obligations. The ETSA clause works on the principle of transferring allowances as opposed to reimbursing owners for the cost of allowances. This is to avoid complications with price fluctuations.
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