
The long-awaited changes to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 have finally come into force. In this blog post, we summarise what they are and what they mean for the seafarers and the industry.
These changes might not seem revolutionary, but once again they highlight the divergence in the ship / shore experience. How many of us go home after a hard day's work and watch television? Not everyone can on a ship!
And even though these might seem insignificant and, quite frankly, so basic that they should already be mandatory, they were not, and thus the owner / operator was not required to comply.
So, what are the main ones? We’ve compiled a list of them below, in the order of what we consider the most important, along with practical suggestions on how to comply if you’re not already, and the benefits to both the seafarer and the organisation based on real data from our maritime data collection platform SeaQ.
Internet connection
Standard A3.1 and Guideline B3.1.11: Recreational facilities onboard should now include (where possible) social connectivity.
What does that mean in practice? Reasonable access to ship-to-shore telephone connection and internet access with reasonable charges.
The availability of WiFi to the crew has been contentious (to say the least) and was considered detrimental to onboard social interaction. It’s not uncommon to hear concerns from owners who consider WiFi to be the main cause of Seafarers ‘hiding away in their cabins speaking to their wives’ (which is considered negative).
It’s time to review connectivity onboard – and the improvements which can be made. Mobile phones and the internet are a human right; let’s encourage our seafarers to take appropriate time to speak to their families and their loved ones in their own (private) time, and look at what is required to get crews ‘offline’ and interacting with each other in different ways than a karaoke Wednesday.
Food & water
Standard A3.2: Food and drinking water should be provided free of charge. Food onboard should be nutritious, of sufficient quality and quantity. Religious and cultural practices now need to be integrated into dietary planning.
What does this mean in practice? Planning and execution of mealtimes should now be the norm. It’s time to factor in where you’re sailing, what’s available and who your crew are.
Get it wrong and it can be chaos: Does your vessel have adequate fresh food and supplies if it got stuck at an anchorage for a prolonged period of time (due to strikes, weather or congestion?) Would your operations department have the authority to book an expensive pilot boat with a delivery of fresh food if required, or would they try and wait it out for the vessel to berth? That’s especially important if you have a blended crew; who doesn’t enjoy food and ingredients that they are familiar with?
SeaQ has seen the power of BBQ Fridays and birthday celebrations bringing together a crew even after the hardest voyage. It can encourage people to come together, discuss their day, recap, share experiences and slow down.
Appropriate PPE
Standard A4.3: Make sure that all seafarers are provided with appropriately sized personal protective equipment (PPE) as a means to prevent occupational accidents, injuries and diseases on board.
What does this mean in practice? One-size-fits-all isn’t workable anymore. PPE should be constantly reviewed, suitable for the task and individual – and repaired / replaced when no longer suitable for purpose. And yes, this also means suitable PPE for women and men of all sizes.
A side note: Average sailing years are falling. The number of vessels is increasing. Poor working conditions have been cited as the main reason why there is a shortage of seafarers. By 2026 it is expected that the industry will be short 80,000 competent, professional seafarers.
These amendments may not be groundbreaking, but what they represent is the appreciation that this is an industry which needs regulation to support betterment and good standards. Shipping is reactive to its environment, and right now the environment is under enormous pressure to improve.
PsyFyi supports these amendments and would like to encourage every owner / operator to really consider their operational and commercial strategy if they are not already compliant with the above. Ask yourself – why not? What are the reasons behind withholding internet connectivity? Why can you not invest in quality, well-fitting PPE? Are your earnings so low that offering free food and water will cause the company financial distress? Or is it simply a strategic decision that the crew sit in the OPEX column, rather than the crew being considered an asset?
Comments