Seafarers' Trust Review

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THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST REVIEW

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REVIEW

THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST:

THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST

SEAFARERHELP

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust was established in 1981 by the executive board of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). It is a charitable trust dedicated to the moral, spiritual and physical welfare of seafarers irrespective of nationality, race or creed. Trust funding comes from the investment income of the ITF Welfare Fund and from its own resources.

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust provides funds for organisations which work for the benefit of seafarers. We aim to make seafarers healthier, less isolated, better represented and better connected with their loved ones and those that care for their welfare, at sea and in port. The Trust has priority areas of spending in seafarers’ health, seafarers’ communications and seafarers’ transport, as well as mitigating the effects of criminalisation and piracy. We provide grants to organisations which are helping seafarers in these areas, and also work to improve the quality of services delivered to seafarers.

In 2012 the ITF Seafarers’ Trust produced a film to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

You can watch it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=klOvJ-5I7jQ

TR UST MA TTERS MATTERS

Many requests are for help with simple problems: for example a lost wallet in port, sickness, contacting families. Others are more sensitive, such as advice on how to cope with bullying onboard ship, or a dispute over pay or terms of employment. These often need to be referred to an ITF inspector.

- The centres provided millions centres have have provided of seafarers away from from seafarers a ‘home away home’ and contact with their their loved loved ones - Trust Trust grants have have provided provided seafarers with better trained welfare welfare workers work rkers ers and improved improved facilities ashore ashore - Trust Trust funds have have helped welfare welfare organisations respond respond appropriately appropriately to changes in the shipping industry, industry ry,, while remaining remaining focused on the needs of the seafarer seafarer CURRENT TRUST TRUST PRIORITIES: - Seafarers’ Seafarers’ Communication - Seafarers’ Seafarers’ Transport Transport - Seafarers’ Health Seafarers’ Health - Seafarers Seafarers and their families dealing with piracy and criminalisation criminalisation

visit: www www.seafar www.seafarerstrust.org .seafarerstrust.org

CELEBRA CELEBRATING TING THE TR TRUST UST A FILM CELEBRA CELEBRATING TING 30 YEARS OF THE TR TRUST UST

DURATION: DURATION: 25MINS

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust has supported the activities of Seafarerhelp for many years, but most recently by reviewing its activities and supporting improvements to the service. As a result Seafarerhelp is now providing an increasingly good service for seafarers, ITF inspectors and others. The service is looking for clients who will help pay for 24 hour telephone services, and the ITF and the Apostleship of the Sea UK have taken out contracts. The ICSW has also commissioned work on its Seafarers’ Centres Directory and moved into the same office. It is anticipated that ISAN and the ICSW (International Committee On Seafarers’ Welfare) will merge in 2013 and provide a superior, merged service to seafarers and to maritime welfare agencies.

For more details of Seafarerhelp please visit www.seafarerhelp.org

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PR PRODUCED ODUCED AND DIRECTED BY DAVID DAVID BROWNE BROWNE PARACHUTE PARACHUTE PICTURES info@parachute.co.uk info@parachute.co.uk www.parachute.co.uk www.parachute.co.uk +44 (0)20 8748 1445 +44 (0)777 178 2128

TRUST MATTERS

IN 30 YEARS, THE ITF SEAFARERS’ SEAFARERS’ TRUST TRUST HAS PROVIDED PROVIDED 2,750 GRANTS GRANTS TO BENEFIT SEAFARERS: SEAFARERS: - 1,180 grants for vehicles vehicles to transport transport seafarers seafarers - 927 grants for refurbishment refurbishment of existing seafarers’ seafarers’ centres, centres, and 200 grants for ne new centres w seafarers’ seafarers’ centres - 150 grants for computers and communication facilities for seafarers seafarers - 100 grants for sports sports and health projects projects for seafarers seafarers - In all, the Trust Trust has donated over over £140 million to 106 countries and 550 ports ports globally, globally, from from Albania to Yemen Yemen WHAT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SEAFARERS? SEAFARERS? - The vehicles have allowed allowed vehicles provided provided have over 15 million seafarers free access to shore shore

Whether it’s dealing with bullying, unpaid wages, poor working/living conditions, or just someone to talk to, Seafarerhelp is a free and confidential service for seafarers and their families around the world. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in all the main languages spoken by seafarers, including Russian, Tagalog and Hindi. Seafarerhelp, which is operated by ISAN (the International Seafarers Assistance Network), also provides assistance to other maritime agencies by working alongside them to resolve problems.

There are serious and complex cases.

Sometimes the service has been called on to help in an emergency – for example by coordinating advice and rescue for a sailor who almost lost a leg in an accident onboard ship.

There have been several cases of ships that have abandoned crews in port, without pay or flights home, and Seafarerhelp has been asked by crew members to contact agencies that could bring practical assistance. And there have been calls from seafarers anxious about whether their terms of employment required them to sail in troubled waters, or who have been traumatised after captivity by pirates.

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REVIEW

THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST:

PIRACY AND ITS VICTIMS Nearly five thousand seafarers have been hijacked in recent years and detained for months in frequently appalling conditions, while thousands of others have been the victims of a pirate attack. Every day of the year more than 100,000 seafarers experience anxiety while sailing in or towards pirate infested waters, while their families share these worries, frequently with a feeling of helplessness. Families, unions and communities are all affected by piracy.

Seafarers naturally play a pivotal role in any piracy incident and the appropriate preparations are vital to their wellbeing and that of their families, as well as to the overall outcome of the incident. Recognising this, organisations representing shipowners, ship managers, manning agents, unions, insurers and welfare associations, together with intergovernmental organisations, joined together to establish the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP).

The programme has been built around: - A taskforce group of multi-disciplinary international experts; - Extensive fact finding and use of feedback gained from firsthand meetings and interviews with seafarers and families worldwide, including many with personal experience of attacks and hijackings; - Advisory groups on industry practices and procedures, pre-deployment piracy training and the skills required of responders, and; - The advice and assistance of a project steering group.

In its first phase the programme is developing: - Good practice guides for use by shipping companies, manning agents and welfare associations to support both seafarers and seafarers’ families through the three phases of a piracy incident: pre-departure, during the crisis, and post release/post incident; - Associated training modules; - An international network of trained firstresponders with appropriate skills within partner and associated organisations; - Access to a network of professional aftercare; and - A 24 hour seafarers’ international telephone helpline.

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Our shared concern for the wellbeing and welfare of seafarers and their families before, during and after a piracy or armed robbery attack underpins the work of the programme and the commitment of the partners.

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust is funding the MPHRP with grants of GBP 900,000 for start-up and continuing work for three years, and TK Foundation and the International Group of Insurers have also funded the work. Dr Peter Swift (previously managing director of Intertanko) is MPHRP chair, ITF seafarers’ section secretary Jon Whitlow is a director, together with Peter Hinchliffe of the International Chamber of Shipping, and Captain Pottengal Mukundan of the International Maritime Bureau. Roy Paul is the programme director and has been seconded from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust for three years to run the programme. He explains: “The MPHRP is there to give information on best practice in piracy cases. If you have any need of information you can contact me by email on paul_roy@itf.org.uk or roypaul@mphrp.org and I will do my best to provide you with some tools which may help in dealing with piracy victims and their families.”

In India, Chirag Bahri on india@mphrp.org, in Ukraine, Alexander Dimitrevich on ukraine@mphrp.org, in the Phillippines, Rancho G. Villavicencio on phillippines@mphrp.org can help with individual cases in those countries.

For more details please visit www.mphrp.org

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REVIEW

THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST:

THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST:

WORKING ON HIV/AIDS

MOBILITY

HIV/AIDS affects transport workers, their families, communities, the enterprise concerned and the economy as a whole. While most attention has been focused on land-based transport workers, evidence shows that seafarers have relatively high rates of HIV infection compared to the population in their community of origin, and that they also have lower levels of knowledge about HIV transmission and risk factors. Studies by UNAIDS and others have also found higher HIV prevalence rates in some port cities than in the national population.

Mobility is one of the main challenges in ports, where walking may be unsafe and places to visit kilometres away. That’s why vehicles are usually at the top of grant requests to the ITF Seafarers’ Trust. Without a vehicle the service provided to seafarers by port chaplains and other welfare workers may be impossible.

The ITF is committed to helping transport workers in their struggle against HIV/AIDS by making it a core union issue, and the number of ITF affiliated seafarers’ unions that have started workplace HIV/AIDS programmes is increasing steadily.

In recent years many seafarers’ centres have shown interest in initiating activities and providing support to the seafarers coming to them. Some are using materials developed through the Seafarers’ Health Information Programme (SHIP) developed by the ICSW (International Committee On Seafarers’ Welfare).

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust and the ICSW have recently initiated a pilot project on HIV/AIDS prevention in selected seafarers’ centres. This is intended to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and the risk of contracting HIV in port, and to promote safer sex. Sixteen centres have been selected to take part in the pilot project.

For more details of SHIP please visit www.seafarershealth.org

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All of these are now distributing materials developed through the SHIP programme and other materials developed at country level. In some seafarers’ centres, like Veracruz, Mombasa, Mumbai and Chennai, ITF ship inspectors also are actively involved in the pilot project.

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust has developed Shore Leave, an application for smartphones specifically for seafarers. It gives seafarers the chance to have all the seafarers’ centres’ contact details available in a few clicks on their phones. Free download for IPhone, Android and Blackberry.

You can’t imagine a ship visitor without a minibus or van. They’re indispensable. Often they are like a moving office, carrying useful publications or Christmas gifts, as well as transporting seafarers. Ship turnaround times are short and seafarers have little chance to go ashore. Without a minibus to take them either to the seafarers’ centre or outside the port seafarers might not be able to make a phone call or buy what they need. We have calculated that in the last 30 years the vehicles provided by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust alone have transported some 15 million seafarers, in hundreds of ports around the world.

These vehicles run for thousands of kilometres every year, and the roads around ports are often badly maintained. In the United Kingdom the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, with support from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, is conducting a replacement programme for all seafarers’ welfare vehicles. This has been carried out in 25 UK ports and has involved 40 vehicles being renewed on a regular basis. This initiative has turned out to be very useful, reducing running costs and improving safety for seafarers and welfare workers.

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REVIEW

THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST:

SEAFARERS’ RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL Seafarers’ rights is a complex area of law. It spans international and national laws and crosses legal disciplines such as maritime, labour, human rights, criminal and environmental law. There can be conflicts of laws. There are unique challenges in the enforcement of laws for seafarers in what is a highly deregulated industry in which there is the functional separation of ownership, operation and regulation.

Shipping, by its nature, is transnational. At any one time a number of different states may have some kind of interest in a particular ship and the seafarers who work on it. The problems were aptly illustrated in a quote that appeared in The Independent newspaper when the stricken tanker Sea Empress was spilling oil into the sea off Milford Haven in the United Kingdom in 1996: “Built in Spain, owned by a Norwegian, registered in Cyprus, managed from Glasgow, chartered by the French, crewed by Russians, flying a Liberian flag, carrying an American cargo and pouring oil on to the Welsh coast. But who takes the blame?”

Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI) was formed to build knowledge and expertise around the subject of seafarers’ rights.

Deirdre Fitzpatrick, SRI Executive Director, explains: “Until now, there has been no established forum for research and the dissemination of ideas and information regarding employment law in the area of international maritime transport. SRI does fill this gap.”

SRI works in three main areas: RESEARcH Conducting legal research and analysis on subjects of importance for seafarers; Monitoring legal developments that affect seafarers; and Developing and coordinating international networks of researchers, research bodies and universities in the fields of seafarers’ rights, remedies and interests.

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EDUcATION Providing education programmes on seafarers’ rights, remedies and interests; and Publishing the results of research in order to stimulate debate on issues concerning seafarers’ rights, remedies and interests.

TRAININg Developing and delivering legal training and consultancy programmes to meet the needs of stakeholders working for the benefit of seafarers.

The work of the SRI was addressed by no less a figure than former IMO secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos. He said: “When 2010 was first proposed as the ‘Year of the Seafarer’, I remarked upon the particular hazards that confront the 1.5 million seafarers in the world.

As well as the natural hazards of the sea and the elements, which they have to deal with as a matter of course, they also face, in our uncertain times, exceptional hazards, such as pirate attacks, unwarranted detention and abandonment. The launch of Seafarers’ Rights International will undoubtedly help those seafarers that are caught up in such circumstances through no fault of their own, by providing a centre dedicated to advancing seafarers’ interests, through research, education and legal training concerning seafarers’ issues.”

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust has funded start up and operating costs for SRI as a major new area of work for the benefit of seafarers.

For more details please visit www.seafarersrights.org

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REVIEW

Wi-Fi

THE ITF SEAFARERS’ TRUST:

WHAT FUTURE FOR WELFARE? Some eighty six seafarers’ centres responded to a recent survey of recipients of ITF Seafarers’ Trust grants. Those surveyed were asked to choose three facilities which were the most important to improve for the future, out of a choice of 10. The chart below shows the results.

Spreading the internet is seen as the biggest challenge. Once a seafarer arrives at the club, his first concern is to get in touch with his relatives.

“As communications continue to improve, and the availability of the internet increases, and combining this with ever decreasing turnaround times, seafarers may be even more reluctant to attempt to come ashore in the future. Our facilities will need to change to become more responsive to seafarers onboard their vessels,” Rev. Stephen Miller, senior chaplain, MtS Hong Kong, told the ITF Seafarers’ Trust.

Jan Oltmanns, DSM Hamburg, Germany said that: “In five years time I hope most of the seafarers will have an internet connection

onboard their ships and the good old pool table will be used as a pool table and not to put the laptop on. It will be the time when the seafarers will have more time for sports, party and excursions to the town and around! The more communications facilities seafarers have on board, the more time for relaxation and fun they will have ashore.”

“Waiting to see if and how the MLC 2006 influences everyday seafarers’ welfare, we must ask ourselves what function a seamen’s club or a ship visitor will have if, thanks to the MLC, a seafarer has free, easy onboard internet and the seafarers’ needs relating to ‘communication with loved ones’ are satisfied,” said Andrea Pesce, director of Stella Maris’ Friends in Venice, Italy.

On the same topic Amos Kuje, of the Seafarers’ Welfare Board, Apapa-Lagos, Nigeria said: “The Maritime Labour Convention has the potential of changing the future business of the maritime industry and indeed the welfare organisations the world over.”

FACILITIES TO IMPROVE 26%

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Providing access to services for seafarers unable to leave their ships is a constant challenge for port-based welfare centres. The ITF Seafarers’ Trust is working on a project to improve access to high speed wireless internet in ports so that seafarers can receive broadband Wi-Fi while on-board a docked ship.

Patrice Caron, ITF Inspector in the Port of Montreal, describes how the internet is available to seafarers there free of charge: “During ships visits I noticed that many seafarers had a laptop which they were taking with them to the Seafarers’ Centre for private communications. I knew too that some Canadian seafarers were using their smartphones to get emails while transiting through the seaway. So the idea of wireless connection on board came into my mind. My first try was during negotiations with a Canadian company. I tried to push the idea to install wireless on ships, but they turned it down due to the high cost. So, thinking about it, my only alternative was to get wireless in the ports. Then at least seafarers would have some signal, which, even if it might be weak sometimes, would be good enough for emails.”

“I was invited to the Port of Montreal for the Montreal Culture Day. I was there to help a colleague and friend with a knotting workshop. During that day, Sylvie Vachon, PDG (managing director) of the Port of Montreal and Jean Luc Bédard, port captain, came to see us at the workshop. I asked if the port

had ever thought about setting up a wireless network for visiting seafarers and mentioned how greatly they would appreciate such a system. I was able to explain how nowadays, mainly due to crew reductions, many seafarers don’t have time to go ashore at all and may not be able to speak to their loved ones for weeks. Ms Vachon said she would check it out.

“Two months later Jean Luc Bedard, of Montreal Port Authority, announced a wireless connection for the use of seafarers coming to the Ports of Montreal and Contrecoeur. This connection is meant only for seafarers. A password is sent to all ships’ agents. When a vessel arrives the agent will inform the crew of the password, which is valid for only one week. So far the feedback I’ve had from seafarers has been good. They understand that wireless reception in a port may not be perfect due to cranes and other structures, but most ports will get enough of a signal to send and receive emails, while some may be good enough for Skype.”

Antwerp is another port that has set up a Wi-Fi system. Since 2008 a signal has been streamed using unidirectional antennae that cover 2000 acres of water surface in one of the biggest ports in Europe. There were two reasons for the Antwerp Port Authority to set up such a service. One was an internal requirement, mainly by port workers working on the dredging and barge fleet employed by the port. They needed 24 hour a day internet coverage. Initially they tried dongles but these were insufficiently durable. Wi-Fi coverage provided by the port itself solved the problem. The second reason the port installed internet was for marketing.

Antwerp is a modern port that aims to provide innovative solutions for their customers.

They do not offer Wi-Fi as a main service to shipping companies,

but instead see it as an additional benefit that helps make the port attractive to customers.

In 2008 few seafarers had personal computers, but the number is constantly increasing.

Today, perhaps the majority of seafarers have a laptop and consider it an indispensable means to communicate with their relatives and friends. In Antwerp a Filipino seafarer told us that: “At home we are used to internet access, therefore it should be normal onboard too.” At present Antwerp is considered a friendly port by seafarers because they can use a Wi-Fi connection provided for free by the port authority. Seafarers’ feedback has been incredibly positive, and they are asking to have internet in other ports.

Currently, internet access is the most requested service by seafarers. Antwerp port chaplain Jorg Pfautsch told us: “Seafarers will choose ships by their standard and equipment in the future; therefore Internet onboard should be normal.” We have also been told by ITF Inspectors that ships’ captains report that crewmembers feel better and become happier when they are able to establish contact with their home. The situation onboard simply becomes easier for all involved, they say, and everyday stress is reduced.

Shore leave is hugely important, however, according to figures given in applications made to the Trust, an average of two seafarers get off a ship in a port. The remaining seafarers, who cannot leave while the ship is there, need internet access. The ITF Seafarers’ Trust has given grants for equipment that can be taken on-board a ship to turn the mess room into an internet café, and these services are always very popular with seafarers. All we now need is to widen internet availability for seafarers by providing Wi-Fi in as many ports as possible.

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The ITF Seafarers’ Trust, ITF House, 49 – 60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DR, UK Telephone: +44 (0)20 7403 2733 Email: trustsec@itf.org.uk Web: www.seafarerstrust.org Blog: www.itfglobal.org/seafarerstrustblog Facebook: www.facebook.com/ITFtrust Twitter: @ITFTrust