RPS guidelines on employers of seafarers - DGS rules - essential reading

For anybody in the business of commenting on Somali pirates, please do a 360 and read these rules as applicable to employment of seafarers, and try to work out who else are the pirates as far as seafarers are concerned.

It is easy to blame piracy, but let us look within, also?




http://www.dgshipping.com/dgship/final/rules/ms_recruit_placement_seafarers_2005_Cov.htm

http://www.dgshipping.com/dgship/final/rules/ms_recruit_placement_seafarers_2005.doc

Defined - employer, bank guarantee amounts, and much more which the average seafarer just does not know about, to start with . . . consider this - from the day the aspirant seafarer answers her or his first advertisement on the subject of wanting to go to sea, how many pirates do they meet who take them for a ride?

National maritime Day / Delhi / 2011

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vm2827/5594445884/

National Maritime Day was celebrated in Delhi, variously, and as per PTI, here is the official report:-

"National Maritime Day celebrated. New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The week-long celebrations to mark National Maritime day aimed creating awareness about the activities of Indian Shipping industry, also called ''silent service'', culminated today. Every year April 5 is celebrated as the National Maritime day. It was on April 5 in 1919 that the first Indian steamship ''S.S. LOYALTY'' of Scindia Steam Navigation, Mumbai, ventured into international waters on her voyage from Mumbai to London."

Whether that statement repeated every year with minor variations is correct or not is for all of you to judge. All I know is that it is about time something more was done than the usual repeated flag hoisting, badge pinning, one-way seminars and cultural programmes. We have to move with the times, and while it is wonderful that the National Maritime Day Celebrations Committee works hard every year on this, there need to be some fresh inputs. At least, by 2019, and which would mark a hundred years.

Put it this way - sea transport is probably still moving largely at the same speed over water as it was in 1919, most ships even now function best at the 12-18 knot range, barring faster container and similar ships. But the rest of the world, whether in the air, on ground or over the internet - has moved on. By multiples.

So here's what SAILOR TODAY, after talking with some seafarers ashore, would like to see in future National Maritime Day celebrations:-

1) The venue needs to be advertised some more, using social media like facebook and twitter, as well as through the shipping websites. DG Shipping and MMD websites need to carry details in advance on bearing and distance as well as timelines for all events under the NMD celebrations. This is extremely easy, and will cost nothing.

2) The venue itself, atleast in Delhi, needs to be closer to places where public transport is available. IGNOU campus is very pretty, the surroundings are no doubt sylvan, but it takes forever to get there. And once there, the pathetic sight of seeing cadets boarding local "grameen seva" transport to get back is indeed miserable.

3) NMD should also be accompanied by some sort of future job counselling for the young cadets who take the effort to put up the grand show they did. Recruitment seems to be the biggest worry and concern for many of the youngsters heading out to sea, and this event should be used for voluntary work by people who are still at sea to give some frank and cogent as well as practical advice.

4) Efforts by those who volunteered this year should not be trivialised either - but the number of people coming forward should be somehow increased. One way would be to hold regular "open house" functions at
 MMD/NOIDA, where new people can be encouraged to take part in NMD celebrations.

5) Some amount of co-operation and co-ordination can always be sought from the Armed Forces, especially Indian Navy and Coast Guard, to make the bond between our Services stronger. Especially in these days of extremely high piracy in and around Indian waters, we need to be able to offer our thanks to them as well as seek better relationships.

6) There is a lot that needs to be improved at MMD and DGS, if we do not want to see it getting wrong exposure of the DGCA sort. Towards that, occasions like the NMD should also be used to improve matters, with introspection and free and frank debate.

7) And finally, it is time that the whole thing on SS LOYALTY moved ahead. Many great steps have been taken by and in the Indian Merchant Navy - and they need to be brought out, documented and most of all - celebrated.

We hope that the people in power will take these suggestions from our readers in the correct spirit, and we hope to have greater and better NMD celebrations in the near future.

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The biggest worry that young cadets at the NMD celebrations nationwide have is about their future. With the big mess that is education in the ongoing IMU and DGS systems tussle confusing matters in the minds of the young and impressionable, some amount of clarity and direction, sustainable, needs to be declared, and no occasion better than the NMD celebrations to do so.

To ignore this reality would be doing a great dis-service to the youngsters who put in so much effort for a stellar performance.

Quick solution to the problem of fatigue at sea . . .

The issue of seafarer fatigue on board ships gets worse with every passing evolution. Whether it is shorter port turnaround, bigger and more complicated ships or reduction in headcount on board, fact remains, this is the only profession in the world where people have to fudge their time sheets to show that they have worked 98 hours in a week. While the rest of the world moves towards 35-40 hour weeks and quality of life parameters based, seafarers are pushed to the edge, and more.

Take a look here at what the MCA in England did to the Maersk Patras:-

http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=76428

And this is one of the biggest and best, blue of the blue, right?

One solution would be to change the watch-keeping pattern from 4-on 8-off to 3-on 9-off, viz, 4 watch-keepers instead of 3, under normal circumstances. An argument raised against this is that as it is there is shortage of trained manpower, so where will the shipowners get 33% more trained watchkeepers from?

The answer is also here - womenpower may yet solve the problem. The colateral effect of making seafaring a more attractive profession, by addressing the overwork and fatigue issues, will attract more young people, both women and men. We just have to give it a go.

So what can you do, active seafarer, at sea? One option is to start logging woking hour audits honestly, and when you are fatigued, logging it. Or writing in.

Humbly submitted.

Personal communication and information technology access on merchant ships

Just one single aspect of life at sea:- the busiest time for people on board ship is when the ship is either in port or close to a coast. One would expect that is the time when all other issues are set aside, and people concentrate on work, like they do in any other job ashore.

The maximum number of phone calls and emails I get from friends at sea is when they are in port or coasting. This includes Masters going through pilotage waters, Chief Engineers when they are receiving bunkers, and others. It is almost as though the sanctity of "only work" when in port is almost lost on the present generation of seafarers, and this was one of those important aspects drilled into our heads way back when mail came in packets - of paper, not bytes.

But then, fact remains, for a 24x7 connected generation, this is also the only time when seafarers get "connectivity". Both for mobile phones as well as wireless broadband. And as a result what do you have? People on duty in charge of navigation issues, pollution prevention, dealing with shore staff and most of all, snatching a few hours for rest - these very people also have to somehow find time to communicate with family, friends and other beloved ones.

This is being repeated because it is so important now, and there are whispers that accidents were caused because the watchkeepers were busy "doing personal mail". Whether on laptops, netbooks or simply mobile phones. And fishing vessels get run over, amongst other things. For lesser crimes, car drivers go to jail - for long durations.

Likewise, the availability of news, information and other updates, while at sea. Go back to memories of people buying ultra-powerful "world radios", with short-wave capabilities that ensured they managed to receive static infused but audible all the same, music and news from their homelands even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I just received news that a batchmate of mine revived his old Grundig World Radio - and the Customs Officers were amazed at seeing this vintage piece, took photos next to it. Almost as big as a suitcase, but then luckily, he was entitled to 60 kilos of baggage.

Now match this with this big move afoot, keeps ebbing and surging actually, to try and improve matters for seafarers. Especially in "Year of the Seafarer", whatever that may imply to the rest of the world, since many or most outside the orbit of shipping are still to figure out what to do next about it.

Yes, we are repeatedly told that the Maritime Labour Convention 2010 will address and improve matters, but despite that, there will be a shortage of any number of thousands of trained seagoing personnel - especially on deep sea tanker, both liquid and gas.

Would it, then, be asking for too much that ships complement be provided with the facility of something everybody has at home - 24x7 internet, through VSAT on satellite and similar?

To my simple mind, and having headed a technology company where the same generation of youngsters needed full-time connectivity as a given, this is a holistic solution to a lot of issues at sea. It provides a low-cost benefit, it certainly keeps seafarers more in touch with the world and most of all, it is a step that actively promotes safety by freeing the body and mind of the seafarer when the ship needs it the most.

Ship-owners of a slightly more aware nature have already started providing this onboard, some for more than a few years now. Having revalidated my "ticket" with a whole new generation of young seafarers  in their 20s and 30s, I am aware how internet onboard is now one of their major parameters when deciding where and who to sail with.

And most of all, in The Year of the Seafarer, denying them what is almost a basic requirement is like shipowners and managers making an issue of providing air-conditioning and radars on ships in the "old days".

Good luck. And this article typed out on a netbook while riding the Delhi Metro underground, sent out through a small little USB port linked device, which goes through repeaters and boosters on this train. In some trains, the wi-fi is free, too.

About time ships followed what trains provide?