Nautilus Telegraph April 2015

Salvage warning Groundings lead to calls to review UK ETV cutbacks 44

Migrant action UN agencies act on ‘tidal wave’ of at-sea rescues 20

NL nieuws Drie pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 32-34

Volume 48 | Number 04 | April 2015 | £3.50 €3.70

The Queen meets officers on Britannia’s bridge Picture: James Morgan

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson with Britannia’s master, Captain Paul Brown Picture: Keiko Dickinson

The 143,730gt P&O Cruises’ vessel Britannia arrives in Southampton to be named by the Queen last month. With a capacity for 3,647 passengers and 1,350 crew, the ship is the largest designed specifically for the UK market and boosts P&O’s capacity by 24% Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

EU ‘must do more on seafarer skills’ Policies need to address shortage of training and employment opportunities, Nautilus warns

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Nautilus has added its voice to calls for the European Commission to do more to protect the EU’s seafarer skills base in its review of its maritime transport strategy.

General secretary Mark Dickinson told the first European Shipping Week conference in Brussels that there have been warnings for more than two decades about the decline in EU seafarer numbers — but little sign of any far-reaching action to reverse the trend.

Numbers coming into the industry are insufficient to replace those retiring, he warned, and the resulting shortage is starting to feed into shore-based industries needing experienced seafarers.

Mr Dickinson said the European Commission should seek to ensure that member states make full use of the recruitment and training aids allowed by the state aid guidelines, and that support measures

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should be more closely tied to the employment of EU seafarers.

‘The real problem is not a shortage of bright and able young EU seafarers but instead a shortage of opportunities for them, and a shortage of committed shipowners providing training, secure employment and on-going careers,’ he pointed out.

‘When you see how much the tonnage tax is worth to shipping companies, we don’t believe it is unreasonable to require that they should provide training and jobs in return,’ Mr Dickinson said. ‘Let’s reward those who demonstrate their commitment to training and employment, rather than giving no-strings handouts to all and sundry.’

Hailed by shipowners as a big success, the first European Shipping Week was staged as the European Commission works on a mid-term review of its maritime policies. In her first major speech on the indus-

try, transport commissioner Violeta Bulc said that her first four months in office had shown her how important shipping is.

‘I am conscious how important other measures are to maintain the competitiveness of European shipping, including tonnage tax systems,’ she told the conference.

‘The Commission has no plans to take away the important benefits that system gives the European shipping industry.

‘But,’ she cautioned, ‘the Commission obviously keeps an eye on how member states implement the state aid guidelines in this area. Our common objective must be to keep the European flag attractive and of a high quality, while making sure that the Internal European shipping market works well.’

Ms Bulc described the ‘constant decrease’ of EU seafarers as worrying, and she said the Commission remains committed to initiatives to support maritime

professions — including better continuity between seagoing and shore-based careers and ‘excellent’ employment conditions for European seafarers.

‘To promote such conditions without compromising the competitiveness of the European fleet, we must enforce working conditions better — for all ships calling at EU ports,’ she stressed.

Owners’ organisations used the event to issue a joint statement setting out their priorities for the policy review. They also published an updated study showing the value of the shipping industry to the EU economy, pointing out that it directly employs almost 600,000 people and contributes €56bn to GDP. The EC’s public consultation on the maritime transport strategy review runs until the last week in April, and resulting reports are expected to be published later this year. g Full reports — see pages 22-23.

Inside F Agency answers

MPs grill the head of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency over safety at sea — page 19 F Super cadets

Charities launch new scheme to support superyacht cadets — page 21 F Argentine aid

Seafaring unions in Argentina hope to see merchant fleet revival — pages 26-27 F GM special

How to take part in the Nautilus General Meeting later this year — pages i-iv

18/03/2015 16:30

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Forums join forces over guidance for members Nautilus project aims to provide first-hand guidance on best ways to begin your career at sea

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The Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals and Women’s Forums held joint discussions after their meetings last month to develop a coordinated campaign to share experiences and lessons learnt at sea.

Both forums had held discussions about how to let members know some of the ‘tricks of the trade’ they wouldn’t be taught at college, helping to support retention. This included basics such as what to pack for the first trip to sea, the challenges of life onboard, and what changes to expect when you sail as a qualified officer for the first time.

The forums agreed that whilst they had different experiences and different backgrounds, there was a common desire to provide joint information and they agreed to work on a campaign under the title of ‘We’re all in the same boat’.

As part of the campaign, members will be asked to share anecdotes or lessons they have learnt ‘the hard way’. These will then

Views can win an iPad Mini

Members of the Nautilus forums for women and young maritime professionals get together last month

be collated and added to a guide, along with other useful information for those starting out in their careers or moving from one phase to another.

The Women’s Forum meeting also elected a new chair, as previous chair Maryanne Adams had completed two terms of two years in the post. Vice chair Jessica

Tyson was duly elected as chair for the next two years and Lisa Jenkins and Sinead Hickey were elected as joint vice-chairs. The Forum also held a discussion on the best ways

Union highlights health and safety issues for women working at sea health and safety issues for F women working in male-dominated

A Nautilus motion highlighting

F

If you’re a Nautilus member and have views on the benefits and services provided by the Union, tell us — and you could win an iPad. Members are being urged to take part in a survey that seeks feedback on how Nautilus is performing. If you complete the online questionnaire before the end of April, your name will go forward into a prize draw.

The lucky winner will be awarded an iPad Mini 2 — a slim ‘space grey’ coloured 7.9inch tablet. Weighing only 331g, the touch-screen device has a 16GB memory capacity, support for multiple languages, access to the iCloud, an inbuilt camera and Bluetooth technology.

Members who have already filled in the survey won’t miss out on the chance to win, as everyone who completes the questionnaire will be entered into the draw.

The new survey is the latest in a long-term series conducted by the Union to give members an opportunity to say what they think of all aspects of the Union’s work, including recruitment and organising, campaigns and communications, and legal and welfare services.

The survey is being conducted and analysed by an independent organisation, and the results will be presented to the Nautilus governing body — the Council. g To access the online survey, log on at www.nautilusint.org. If you want to complete the questionnaire on paper, contact the communications department at head office or email telegraph@nautilusint.org

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of ensuring that information from the Union reaches members at the right time and in the best format.

The Young Maritime Professionals meeting discussed the production of a guide on the maritime industry which could be supplied to school or university leavers to encourage them into the industry and into the Union.

Members added that it was important to highlight to young people the many and varied opportunities that existed when talking about a career at sea.

The next meeting of both forums is scheduled for Monday 5 October, ahead of the General Meeting in Liverpool, with the Young Maritime Professionals Forum meeting at 1200hrs and the Women’s Forum meeting at 1400hrs.

Any members interested in submitting anecdotes and advice based on their experiences at sea should email telegraph@ nautilusint.org

industries was unanimously supported by delegates at this year’s Women’s TUC conference.

Nautilus conference delegate Angela Loveridge was due to present the motion to the meeting but delays caused by speakers on earlier motions meant that she had to leave the before the motion came up, as she was due back on ship.

The Union’s deputy head of campaigns and communications, Debbie Cavaldoro, therefore spoke to the conference in Angela’s place, raising issues that female Nautilus members sometimes experience onboard ships.

She explained that many ailments that can be easily remedied at the chemist can cause serious problems when you are away at sea for long periods of time — particularly if a certain medicine required is not part of the ship’s medical cabinet. And she added that

Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr and Women’s TUC delegate Angela Loveridge Picture: Janina Struk

‘one size fits all’ lifejackets or firefighting equipment onboard can also cause problems for petite females.

The motion was seconded by a ferry hostess from the RMT union who confirmed that it was not always

easy to get ashore and that women sometimes did not want to have to approach men to access items of a personal nature from the medical cabinet.

A delegate from the Fire Brigades Union also spoke in support of the Nautilus motion, stating that the arguments around safety equipment designed for women had been addressed in many occupations and that it was a travesty that these debates still need to be had in the 21st century.

The motion called for a separate shipboard locker containing birth control, sanitary and hygiene products, which female employees would not have to approach a male medical officer to access.

It also called for employers to recognise gender-specific health and safety issues and to undertake a risk assessment of all personal protective and emergency equipment used onboard to ensure that everyone using such equipment is able to do so safely.

Recruit a colleague and win up to £125 colleague’ scheme — offering existing A members a £25 Marks & Spencer gift card for every Nautilus has launched a new ‘recruit a

new member they help to recruit.

Members can email or call the Union with their colleague’s details, or download an application form from the website for the new member to complete, adding their own details in the ‘How did you hear about Nautilus International’ section.

A gift card will be sent to the existing member once three months’ full member subscription payments have cleared for the colleague introduced.

And they’ll also be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win an additional £100 voucher.

In order to claim a £25 voucher the new member must: z be applying for membership at the full subscription rate

z be in continuous membership for three months z not have been a member at any point during the offer period

z not be applying for cadet / trainee membership The member claiming the voucher must have supplied details of their membership (name and membership number) before or at the time that their colleague applied for membership and have been in continuous membership for three months.

Nautilus can help you save of money-saving discounts F exclusively for Nautilus members.

Nautilus Plus is a portfolio

There is a savings calculator which can instantly show you how much you could save. Access is free to all members via the Membership area of the website www.nautilusint.org.

This month’s highlights include: z Best tariffs available from EE via Voice Mobile* Voice Mobile is a principal partner of EE, the UK’s biggest, fastest and most reliable 4G network. They are offering exclusive tariffs with EE not available in store or online. z Independent mortgage advice at preferential rates* Nautilus Plus now offers access to independent mortgage advice from Lighthouse Financial Advice for the preferential fee of £250 per mortgage.

They can find the right mortgage whatever your situation and guide you through the process, helping you secure the mortgage you need at a competitive rate. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up payments on your mortgage. z Free motoring accident cover 24/7* TMA are offering vehicle recovery, repair and replacement, plus driver and passenger cover when a motoring accident isn’t your fault. Nautilus members pay no excess and don’t lose their no claims bonus. *Voice Mobile benefits vary depending on tariff selected. A fee will be payable to Lighthouse Financial Advice for the mortgage service, other mortgage set up costs will apply as normal.

Registered in England no 04795080.

Registered office: 26 Throgmorton Street, London EC2N 2AN. Priority access to mortgage advice facilitated

by Lighthouse Mortgage & Protection Solutions (LMPS). g Terms and conditions apply to all benefits, see website for details. Offers and prices subject to change without notice. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus International by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Courses will sharpen your skills of specialist training courses to F improve skills and knowledge about

Nautilus offers members a range

workplace issues. These include essential and advanced training for lay reps, as well as a programme on the Maritime Labour Convention.

The Union has also confirmed a date for the lay reps’ forum — which is due to run in conjunction with the Nautilus General Meeting in October.

The full list of training dates currently organised for 2015 is: z essential lay reps training: Wallasey, 30 March to 1 April z MLC training: Wallasey, 28 May z essential lay reps training: venue TBC, 17 to 19 June z MLC training: Palma, June TBC z MLC training: Rotterdam, October TBC z lay reps forum: Liverpool, 5 October z advanced lay reps training: Wallasey, 18 to 20 November g For more information contact Lee Moon on +44 (0) 1516398454, email membership@nautilusint.org or visit the website www.nautilusint.org

18/03/2015 17:51

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Cadets in charity liferaft challenge Maritime Academy cadets, A pictured right, put their training to A group of 43 Warsash

the test last month when they spent 24 hours in liferafts on the river Hamble to raise money for a cancer charity.

They braved plunging temperatures, lack of sleep, cramped conditions and — in one case — a liferaft that was taking on water, to collect at least £12,800 for Sail 4 Cancer, a specialist cancer respite charity with a sporting focus.

Warsash cadet liaison officer David Baker said the challenge not only helps charity but also the cadets’ self-confidence, teambuilding skills and endurance. This was the second time it has been staged, he said, and one of the participants this year had taken part in the previous event. ‘It’s a great experience for the cadets and a good opportunity to enhance their training,’ he added.

Princess Cruises’ cadet Daniel Groundsell said the event was one of the hardest experiences of his life — mentally and physically. ‘I really enjoyed it, but I never want to do it again,’ he said.

‘It is an experience I wish upon no one in the real world. I could

not start to imagine how horrible it would be, out at sea, waiting to be rescued, floating away from your sinking ship,’ he added. ‘But the thought of those we will help with the money we raised kept us going.’

His colleague, James Chalu, added: ‘On several occasions over the course of the challenge, as I realised how minor my suffering

was compared to that of a person battling cancer, my resilience and determination to complete the challenge grew stronger.

‘Despite the trials faced, I am delighted to have undergone the challenge, as I feel the experience not only enhanced my resolve, but also deepened my understanding of the fundamentals of survival at sea.’

Fellow Princess cadet Nathaniel Brice said he had been relieved to step out of the liferaft with a smile after 24 hours of ‘the most uncomfortable thing I have ever experienced’. z Readers can donate to the Team Warsash Liferaft Challenge 2015 webpage on the site: www. sail4cancer.org

UK Maritime Growth Study evidence ‘shows need for flow of seafaring skills’

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CONTRABAND CONCERN: a P&I club has warned that crew members could face problems in foreign ports as a result of a tough line being taken by authorities against contraband and other prohibited items in their personal possessions. The Skuld Club said ships visiting Durban and Hong Kong have been subjected to searches for items such as drugs, pornography and weapons, and it warned that seafarers could face criminal investigations if they are caught with banned material.

SPACE DEATHS: Nautilus International has expressed concern about another case in which seafarers have died as a result of entering enclosed spaces. Two officers died in the cargo hold of an Isle of Man-registered general cargoship off the west coast of Africa last month. The Union is representing the interests of members involved in the incident and is also planning new initiatives to highlight the continued large number of enclosed space fatalities.

Minister hints of training targets Nautilus has welcomed a signal from UK shipping minister John Hayes that the government’s proposed strategy for safeguarding Britain’s maritime sector will set targets for recruitment and training.

Speaking at a Parliamentary reception last month, Mr Hayes warned that the UK cannot afford to live on past maritime glories if it is to meet the growing challenge presented by other countries.

‘Our position as a global maritime centre is under threat,’ he said, ‘and we are seeing some signs that we may be losing ground in the ensuing struggle.

Since its high point in 2009, the UK ship register has declined by around 17% in gross tonnage and estimates of gross value added from shipping also show signs of shrinking.’

The minister said the Maritime Growth Study launched by the government in January will seek to establish detailed policies for helping the UK to retain its position as one of the world’s leading maritime centres. He wants the initiative to develop ‘a blueprint for the future’ that sets out a clear plan of action for the next government to provide the support needed by the industry.

Mr Hayes said the maritime sector is of critical importance to

shortreports

General secretary Mark Dickinson and shipping minister John Hayes

the UK’s prosperity. ‘We depend on our docks, our shipping and our seafarers,’ he added. ‘In fact, we are just as reliant on sea trade as we were centuries ago when the East India Company was transforming links across the Empire.’

But, he cautioned, changes in the global economy are posing an increasing challenge to the UK’s status as a leading world maritime centre. ‘We simply cannot afford to stand still while others up their game, or simply undercut us’ he

stressed. ‘Indeed, we have a duty to respond.’

The Maritime Growth Study — which is due to report in the summer — has attracted more than 200 submissions, including one from Nautilus. Evidence submitted to the inquiry has underlined the need for regulatory stability and a continued flow of qualified seafarers, Mr Hayes revealed.

The minister said he wants the study to set a target for the recruitment of new talent into the shipping industry. ‘Without skilled people, our maritime industries will die,’ he stressed. ‘It’s a sad fact that most UK seafarers are nearing retirement age.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson attended the reception and said he was pleased that Mr Hayes had described seafaring skills as being integral to the future of the maritime sector.

‘We have been calling for clear and defined training targets for some time now, so it is good to hear the minister indicating that this will be one of the outcomes of the growth study,’ he added.

‘Seafaring skills are of critical importance to the future of UK maritime services, at sea and ashore, and by defining our needs we will be in a much better place to ensure that we avoid damaging shortages.’

SINGAPORE SUPPORT: Singapore’s government has announced a new package of support to boost maritime training in the island. It has agreed to allocate and extra S$6m (€4.05m) over the next five years to double the number of seafarer scholarships.

And ministers have also agreed to establish two special taskforces to develop new strategies to increase recruitment into shipping and shore-based posts.

CRUISE ALERT: the US Coast Guard has issued a special safety warning as part of its investigation into a cruiseship fire that killed three people in December 2014. The alert urged owners to ensure that all crew members working within machinery spaces understand escape routes and emergency equipment before starting work and that companies have up-to-date service bulletins and letters for critical equipment.

AGENCY CALL: the UK Chamber of Shipping has called for major reform of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Speaking at the organisation’s annual meeting last month, new president Tom Boardley said he hoped changes would come as a result of the government’s Maritime Growth Study. ‘The MCA isn’t just a regulator, it can and should be a customer service arm of UK plc,’ he added.

CRUISE RECORD: the number of Europeans taking a cruise hit an all-time high last year, according to figures released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Europe last month. A total of 6.39m European cruise passengers were carried in 2015, up 0.5% from the previous year and meaning the market has grown by 44% since 2008.

SCRUBBERS SHORTFALL: the shipping industry has placed too much reliance upon exhaust gas scrubbers to deal with its emission problems, the German environmental group NABU has said. It claimed a study conducted by the Dutch institute CE Delft showed that the equipment does not provide a long-term solution to pollution.

REEF ROUTE: new ship routeing measures aimed at protecting sensitive areas in the SW Coral Sea, off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, have been agreed by the International Maritime Organisation.

The recommendatory area to be avoided and two-way shipping routes aim to reduce the risk of collisions and groundings.

POISONING FEARS: one seafarer died and three others fell critically ill after a suspected case of food poisoning on a Russian-flagged cargoship in the Caspian Sea last month. Russian authorities are investigating the incident onboard the 2,607gt Ulus Sky in which the chief officer died.

TANKER BLAZE: 16 seafarers were rescued from a chemical tanker that sank off South Korea following a fire last month. Three crewmen were treated for burns as a result of the blaze onboard the Panama-flagged Sun Wing, some 80 miles NE of Busan.

18/03/2015 18:01

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports CEMEX REVIEW: a pay and conditions review meeting has been organised on behalf of members employed by Cemex UK Marine. The claim, which included a substantial pay rise, was presented to the company on Wednesday 4 March, and a follow-up meeting will take place on Thursday 30 April to discuss the company’s response to the claim.

WESTMINSTER REDUNDANCIES: Nautilus industrial organiser Paul Schroder has confirmed that talks on redundancies at Boskalis Westminster, following the lay-up of WD Mersey, have been concluded. Mr Schroder confirmed that the cuts had mainly been achieved through voluntary redundancy although two positions had been compulsory redundancies.

NORTHLINK UPDATE: Nautilus national secretary Steve Doran and national ferry organiser Micky Smyth will be meeting Serco Northlink liaison officers on Tuesday 31 March and with management on Wednesday 1 April to progress the introduction of MLC-compliant employment agreements for members.

Industrial organisers Paul Schroder (left) and Gary Leech (right) are pictured following their meeting with management at Western Ferries. The meeting was to introduce Mr Schroder, who has taken over responsibility for members employed by Western Ferries.

representing workers in the F European tug sector last month Nautilus joined unions

ANGLO ACCEPTED: members employed by Anglo Eastern serving onboard car carriers have accepted a pay and conditions offer from the company. Although the offer does not include an increase in salary, the company has agreed to changing route planning so that members work six months a year instead of eight.

EUROPEAN ASPIRATIONS: members employed by P&O Maritime Services and serving onboard European Supporter were due to submit their pay and conditions aspirations by the end of March.

Industrial organiser Paul Schroder will then seek a meeting with the company to discuss the claim.

MEDWAY CLAIM: a pay and conditions claim submitted on behalf of members employed by the Port of Sheerness and serving as VTS officers in the Medway Navigation Service has been acknowledged by the company. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder is now waiting for a date to meet the company.

PNTL VISIT: industrial organiser Gary Leech and senior assistant organiser Lee Moon will be visiting members employed by Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited in Barrow. Mr Leech will be onboard from 10am and is looking forward to meeting as many members as possible.

LCT VIEWS: members employed by LCT Support Service (Newhaven) were due to submit their pay and conditions aspirations as the Telegraph went to press.

Once received, industrial organiser Lisa Carr will submit a pay and conditions claim to the employer.

UECC DEAL: members employed by UECC have voted to accept a 1% pay and conditions offer.

complete service for mariners run by certificated ex-officer qualified accountants always available computerised 100% claims and forecast projection will writing service available 26 High Street, Barry CF62 7EB, South Glamorgan, UK Tel. Barry (01446) 739953 MARINETAX@YAHOO.COM Established 1974

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Pictured above are Amanda Williams and Chris Cates, from Smit International, signing an agreement with Nautilus industrial organiser Paul Schroder to set up a lay representative structure for members serving with the company. Anyone interested in taking part should keep a lookout for the nomination bulletin that will be sent out shortly.

To find out about advertising opportunities in the Telegraph contact: Jude Rosset T: 020 7880 6217 E: jude.rosset@ redactive.co.uk

to discuss growing concerns over flagging out and cuts in working conditions.

Representatives from 15 unions affiliated to the European Transport Workers’ Federation are pictured above as they met in Antwerp to reiterate their opposition to the EU’s proposals to deregulate port services and to call for ‘meaningful dialogue’ with owners to safeguard the industry’s future.

Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard, international officer Nick Bramley, and senior national secretary Carl Kraijenoord represented the Union at the meeting. ‘This was a useful initiative that highlighted many worrying developments in this sector and we hope to work closely together with other unions to resist these unwelcome pressures,’ Mr Havard said.

Conference chair Richard Crease commented: ‘Towage operations

FMS pay vote is first online Cunard and P&O Cruise members make Union history

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MARINE TAX SERVICES (CARDIFF) LTD

Unions condemn cuts in tug sector

Nautilus International has launched its first ever online voting option to help members away at sea participate in consultations.

The consultation is for members employed by Fleet Maritime Services and serving as deck and technical officers on Cunard Line & P&O Cruises vessels, to accept or reject the company’s pay and conditions offer.

The initial offer for 1.5% had been rejected and members received a revised offer of a 2% uplift in base pay for all ranks, backdated to 1 January 2015, along with a commitment to a longerterm pay and conditions deal from January 2016.

Industrial organiser Paul Schroder said management had made it clear that this is the final offer. ‘I believe this is the best that can be achieved through negotiation and would therefore recommend it to members on that basis,’

he added. The company agreed to allow the consultation to take place online, and even cleared the link to the survey through its computer security system so that members onboard would not have to pay the usual internet costs to cast their vote.

General secretary Mark Dickinson welcomed the move to online voting — something which the Union has been working on with the TUC, to encourage the government to allow online voting in statutory trade union elections.

‘I am delighted that the Union has taken this step towards helping more members take part in Union democracy,’ said Mr Dickinson.

‘It is vital that seafarers and those who work away from home have an opportunity to vote on issues which directly affect them.

I hope this is the first of many consultations that we conduct online.’

Members had until Thursday 26 March to complete the consultation online at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/CUK_Pay The next round of Partnership at Work meetings and ship visits has also been confirmed.

PAW meetings are proposed to take place on Wednesday 29 April, Thursday 4 June, Tuesday 18 August, Thursday 29 October and Thursday 3 December.

Members are also invited to meet industrial organiser Paul Schroder during a series of ship visits taking place on: z Friday 17 July in Bergen z Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 July in Lisbon z Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October in Lisbon z Saturday 31 October in Gibraltar z Monday 2 November in Gibraltar z Saturday 12 December in Lisbon

require the maximum of skills and competences and are an essential service for ports and maritime safety and security.

‘Discussions on the further opening of competition must coincide with tackling practices that initiate a downward spiral in terms of social and working conditions,’ he added.

The meeting voiced concern at the way in which globalised businesses are joining forces to impose ‘unilateral and unfair’ tariffs and demands on local on towage operators. Members agreed a declaration expressing opposition to moves to switch tugs to flags of convenience and calling for a level playing field in the sector based on fair competition, best practices and respect of collective bargaining agreements.

Delegates also called for a ‘neutral and scientificallymotivated risk assessment tool to be developed in order to determine, on a ship to ship basis, the safe manning level’.

Dutch jobs go as Bore flags out in negotiations on behalf of A Dutch members who are set to lose

Nautilus International has been

their jobs following a decision by the shortsea shipping operator Bore to reflag its Dutch ferries.

The Finnish operator blamed the need to cut costs for a decision to close its Amsterdam office and to re-register the ro-ro ferries Norsky and Norstream. It said a maximum of 24 Dutch staff would be affected by the move. Bore said it had decided to implement a ‘mixed crew model’ on all of its ro-ros this year. ‘This is a logical step towards international manning of vessels and to meet the future availability of crew,’ it added.

Nautilus official Marcel van Dam said the Union has held a series of talks with management following the announcement. ‘Despite the losses of the Finnish parent company, the two Dutch flagged ro-ros have been doing pretty well, and we believe the decision to switch the ships to the Finnish flag is not operational, but a purely strategic (read, political) decision,’ he added.

The Union managed to secure improvements in the company’s draft social plan, which includes redundancy payments and outplacement counselling, and members voted unanimously in favour of the package.

18/03/2015 17:39

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

RFA plan backed by the minister Members urged to give their views on Future Development Programme

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Members serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are being consulted on the final version of the Future Development Programme now that the formal ‘avoidance of disputes’ process has been concluded.

The move comes after the Union received a letter from defence personnel minister Anna Soubry, stating that she believes the programme remains ‘in the best interests of the [Ministry of Defence], the RFA and our people’.

Ms Soubry has therefore instructed the RFA to press ahead with implementation of the plan

and said that whilst she realised that this was not the outcome the Union wished for, she hoped the two parties would continue to work together as the programme develops.

Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard confirmed that this concluded the avoidance of disputes procedure — the first time the Union has ever exhausted all stages of the procedure. ‘It is now for members to guide the Union on whether they wish to accept these proposals or be balloted for some form of industrial action, such as working to rule,’ he confirmed.

‘We were duty-bound to follow the avoidance of disputes procedure, otherwise the offer would have simply been imposed on members from the start,’ he added. ‘There can be no standing still — incremental pay scales are being removed by the government. We have achieved everything possible through negotiation and now we ask members to vote once more.’

Mr Havard stressed that although the ‘protracted negotiations’ had not resulted in some of the changes members were hoping for, some improvements have been made to the original

proposals — including changes to the way some allowances will be incorporated into salaries.

Additionally, there is a financial retention initiative for members who agree to remain with the RFA for three years.

Members are now being consulted on accepting or rejecting the programme — it cannot be accepted or rejected in part. Mr Havard urged all members to ensure they respond to the consultation by Thursday 9 April to give the Union clear guidance. If the result is a rejection, members will be balloted on taking some form of industrial action.

App checks your work schedules

shortreports STENA SEPARATION: Stena Line management has agreed not to link the Union’s acceptance of newstart salaries with the latest pay offer. The company originally stated that the offer of a 3% increase over two years and the introduction of study leave would only be made if Nautilus agreed to the implementation of new start salaries for junior officers. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth confirmed that he will now arrange ship visits to discuss the pay and conditions offer with members before meeting the company again.

CALMAC CALL-BACK: national ferry organiser Micky Smyth and CalMac liaison officers Alex Forrest and James Dunlay attended a further meeting with Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing and representatives from the RMT union to continue talks on call-back leave. The company confirmed that 325 employees had responded to the letter about leave before the 19 December deadline and it is now making best endeavours to fulfil those requests. A further meeting is due to take place on Thursday 9 April.

SHELL SETTLED: Nautilus industrial organiser Derek Byrne and officer representatives have agreed a pay and conditions offer on behalf of members employed by Shell International Shipping Services and QGTC Shipping. The deal includes various increases in pay, bonuses, and share awards. The company also agreed to look into other issues raised during the meeting, including the travel policy and standby pay.

SHETLAND SWITCH: Nautilus International industrial organisers Derek Byrne and Paul Schroder met members employed by Shetland Islands Council to confirm that Mr Schroder had taken over responsibility for the company. As well as meeting members, Mr Schroder and Mr Byrne met representatives from the employer and raised a number of ongoing issues.

whether your working schedules A comply with global regulations — An online system to check

developed following work by Nautilus — is now available to seafarers in a new International Transport Workers’ Federation app.

The new version of the ITF Seafarers’ App includes a roster checker feature that enables users to see whether they are getting enough rest under Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) requirements.

‘This feature is based on some work we did at Nautilus, and we hope that the ITF app will bring it to a wider audience,’ said general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘We all know that excessive working hours and fatigue are among the biggest threats to health and safety at sea, and this checker is a simple way to ensure that your schedules comply with the rules.’ g More information: www. itfseafarers.org/seafarer-apps.cfm

MAERSK MEETING: Nautilus national secretary Steve Doran is due to meet with Maersk management and the Partnership at Work committee to discuss ongoing issues for members serving onboard container vessels. The meeting was due to take place on Wednesday 25 March and Mr Doran will inform members when a formal response to the meeting has been received.

P&O Ferries lay reps in pay agreement across the P&O Ferries fleets F around the UK have held their first

Nautilus liaison officers from

combined meeting with company management. Pictured above are, left to right, back row: Chris Lewis, Karen Wake, Dave O’Neill, Paul Roche, Danny McGowan, senior assistant organiser, Eugene Graffin, and Paul Dilks; front row: Alan

Tweed, Ken Konasik, national ferry organiser Micky Smyth, and Phil Lees.

The meeting resulted in an agreement to accept the company’s 1.6% pay offer, effective from 1 January 2015. Mr Smyth said there had been extensive discussions on the offer, and lay reps had unanimously agreed to accept the deal on the basis that improvements

could not be achieved in the current operational environment.

Mr Smyth said the meeting had been a success, and it also discussed a wide range of other issues, including recruitment and retention, refit travel payments, concerns over the pool relief system, pension arrangements, and the daily rate for temporary officers.

WAGES WARNING: UK wages are ‘stuck in the slow lane of recovery’, the TUC warned last month.

Commenting on the latest labour market statistics, general secretary Frances O’Grady said pay rates are not due to return to their pre-recession levels until the end of the next parliament.

UNPAID OVERTIME: UK workers gave their bosses nearly £32bn worth of unpaid overtime last year — an average of £6,050 each if these hours had been paid — according to new analysis published by the TUC.

Members consulted on new Global offer F

Pictured above are Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech, partnership at work committee chair John Peard, and QSE director Captain Cliff Roberts who met in Cardiff last month to discuss this year’s pay and conditions claim for members serving with James Fisher. The Union’s claim seeks an above-inflation increase and a number of additional elements. Members are now being consulted on a 3% offer, together with a bonus scheme for officers and improvements to sick pay.

04-05_at work.indd 5

Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr and national secretary Jonathan Havard have met Global Marine Services (GMSG) management following members’ rejection of a 1% pay offer and members are now being consulted on whether they wish to be balloted for some form of industrial action.

Members had previously rejected a one-year deal giving a 1.5% increase or a two-year deal giving 2% each year. At a follow-up meeting to discuss the consultation result, the company informed Ms Carr that the original offer had been withdrawn and a new offer worth 1% was being tabled as a result of worsening market conditions.

Members rejected this offer, and during the subsequent talks with management Nautilus provided

comments raised by members, including questions about the financial position of the company and the potential damage to industrial relations during the negotiations.

In a formal response to the meeting the company confirmed that it was unable to enhance the 1% offer, but did agree to a number of demands including: z a commitment to look at reinstating an officers’ conference z a commitment to pay a projectrelated bonus to officers onboard CS Sovereign during the NCCS project z ensuring bonuses are paid to those eligible at the earliest opportunity Ms Carr said the offer is the best that can be achieved through negotiation and the Union is encouraging members to accept it.

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18/03/2015 17:39

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

Offshore workers ‘getting bigger’

DEESIDE LEGAL: Nautilus is to seek legal advice on changes to the pay implementation date introduced

by Deeside which affect members serving onboard vessels owned or operated by Vroon Offshore Services.

Industrial organiser Gary Leech said the move means that the agreed pay increase would be introduced for individual members as they re-join the vessel rather than on the uniform review date of 1 January. He has met the company along with liaison officers, but was unable to persuade the company to revert to the previous system.

STATOIL CONTRACT: Sentinel Marine has secured a contract from Statoil (UK) to provide a new multi-role emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) to support operations on the Mariner field, commencing in July 2016. The 65m vessel, to be named Mariner Sentinel, will be custom-built for Statoil and provide emergency cover, fire-fighting, oil spill response preparedness and tanker-assist capabilities for the field.

TECHNIP LEAVE: Technip has announced that it is suspending all leave liquidation requests made after Friday 13 March, until further notice, as a result of the slump in the oil price. Management said they would honour existing requests for leave, but as current forecasts could lead to a number of vessel lay-ups across the fleet, they wanted to take action now to protect jobs in the future.

SUPPLY MEETING: Nautilus national secretary Steve Doran is due to meet with the Maersk management to discuss the pay and conditions review for members serving onboard offshore supply vessels.

The meeting is due to take place on Wednesday 25 March and Mr Doran will inform members when a formal response to the meeting has been received.

PSV COLLISION: 15 workers had to be evacuated from the Forties Echo platform in the North Sea last month after the Cyprus-flagged PSV Deep Sea Supply collided with the structure while offloading supplies. The platform was shut down as a precaution, but no injuries or hydrocarbon leaks were reported.

SEACOR ASPIRATIONS: details of pay aspirations and increases in member workloads and responsibilities have been sought from members employed by Seacor Mariner and serving onboard BOPS vessels. These will now be submitted to the employer ahead of the 1 June review date.

FARSTAD CLAIM: a pay and conditions claim has been submitted on behalf of members employed by Farstad Singapore. The claim includes a pay rise above RPI, a review of life insurance / disability payments and a review of current sick pay provisions.

19% heavier and 2% taller than F the average 30 years ago, a new study North Sea workers are almost

Researchers at Robert Gordon University used 3D scanning equipment to measure almost 600 offshore workers

has found.

The research, conducted by the Robert Gordon University (RGU) in collaboration with Oil & Gas UK, will help to determine the design of offshore safety equipment, lifesaving appliances, and space and accommodation requirements.

The project examined almost 600 male offshore workers, who underwent seven body scans using 3D scanning technology to record 26 measurements, including shoulder width, chest girth, neck girth, and a series of volumetric measurements of the arm, leg and torso.

Researchers found that the average weight is now 90.5kg in

Sector gets £1.3bn lifeline in Budget Chancellor says tax changes should give 15% boost to production by 2020

P

A £1.3bn package of support for the UK’s oil and gas industry was revealed

by Chancellor George Osborne in last month’s Budget.

Announcing sweeping changes to the North Sea tax system in a bid to boost investment and production in the struggling sector, Mr Osborne warned that falling low oil prices ‘pose a threat to the North Sea’ and that ‘bold and immediate measures’ were needed.

Petroleum Revenue Tax will be cut from 50% to 35% to support continued production in older fields, and the existing supplementary charge for oil companies will also be cut from 30% to 20%, backdated to January. The govern-

ment will also invest in new seismic surveys of under-explored areas of the UKCS. Mr Osborne said the Office for Budget Responsibility’s assessment was that the steps would boost expected North Sea oil production by 15% by the end of the decade.

The announcement was welcomed by operators. Oil & Gas UK said the ‘sensible and far-sighted’ moves would help to sustain the industry and maximise recovery of the remaining reserves.

The Budget came only days after the latest activity survey from Oil & Gas UK blamed tax and regulation for the current plight of the North Sea offshore exploration sector.

SUBSEA ALERT: Subsea 7 has warned that it may reduce its owned and chartered fleet by up to 10 vessels over the next two years in response to market conditions.

The survey 2015 warned that measures to secure new investment and address the collapse in exploration were urgently needed, ‘if the UK is to maximise economic recovery of its still significant untapped resources’.

The survey showed that operating expenditure rose by nearly 8% in 2014 and, combined with falling oil prices, had resulted in the lowest revenues since 1998.

Annual investment in sanctioned projects is forecast to decline rapidly and could collapse to £2.5bn by 2018, it added.

Oil & Gas UK said 6.3bn barrels of oil equivalent are sanctioned or under development and chief executive Malcolm Webb warned that without sustained invest-

ment critical infrastructure will disappear.

‘Even at $110 per barrel, the ability of the industry to realise the full potential of the UK’s oil and gas resources was hamstrung by escalating costs, an unsustainably heavy tax burden and inappropriate regulation,’ he added.

‘At current oil prices, we now see the consequences only too clearly.’

Mr Webb said the survey highlighted the importance of government putting the ‘right measures’ in place to secure its long-term future. ‘This is crucial not only for the energy security that domestic oil and gas production provides but also for hundreds of thousands of highly skilled jobs.’

Courses to tackle deck safety fears

LNG FIRST: Shell and Harvey Gulf International have put the first LNG-powered offshore support vessel into service in the Gulf of Mexico.

has launched two new special F modules on deck safety, aimed at A maritime training company

Nautilus meeting at GulfMark Mike Robb, head of human resources at GulfMark, recently to discuss a A number of issues of concern to members.

Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech is pictured above meeting

06_offshore.indd 6

minimal clothing and 91.7kg in clothing without shoes. The average height is now 178.7cm and the circumferences of different body regions have risen substantially since the last such study was carried out in 1985.

Robert Paterson, of Oil & Gas UK, said the data would inform all aspects of offshore ergonomics and health and safety.

Nautilus and other offshore unions have been consulted on the research and national secretary Steve Doran said the findings are important. ‘We have worked to encourage worker participation in this initiative,’ he added, ‘and we hope that the results will improve safety in the sector thanks to a better understanding of the people who work within it.’

the growing number of seafarers switching to the offshore sector.

Seagull Maritime said its new courses — Deck Safety for Supply Vessels and Deck Safety for Anchor Handlers — have been developed in response to customer demand and concerns about accidents involving crew who have transferred from other parts of the shipping industry.

‘Personnel working on deck must appreciate hazards specific to offshore operations, and the actions required to be safe at all times,’ said Seagull technical advisor and course author Chris Thompson. ‘Increasingly, we have seen seafarers who are trained for deepsea vessels transferring across to the offshore sector; they will be fully trained and certified for cargoship

duties, but neither their education nor their experience at sea will have prepared them for this specialised working environment.

‘These vessels operate in some of the most demanding conditions at sea,’ he pointed out. ‘There have been accidents offshore in the recent past that have had fatal consequences which could have been avoided if simple procedures were followed.

These short courses help owners and managers to focus the minds of those new to offshore operations, while also providing a useful refresher for those familiar with the sector.’

The 45-minute modules draw from a wide range of sources to provide ship type–specific advice on controlling risks. Seagull Maritime says it is planning further deck safety modules for other specialised offshore vessels before the end of 2015.

18/03/2015 17:54

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Suspended jail sentence for Dutch officer in collision case been given a suspended jail F sentence after a court heard that he

A Dutch navigating officer has

Stena Line boosts capacity on Irish Sea route last month to begin year-round operations A on the route to Holyhead is the 30,551gt ferry

Pictured above arriving in the port of Dublin

Stena Superfast X. The UK-flagged vessel — which can carry up to 1,200 passengers and provides more than 2km of vehicle lane capacity — was named in the Irish port after undergoing an extensive refit and upgrade in Gdynia, Poland.

Stena Superfast X will make two return sailings daily between Dublin and Holyhead and will operate alongside the Stena Adventurer to provide a choice of up 56 Stena Line sailings per week on the route.

Stena Line chairman Dan Sten Olsson said the company is confident of further growth on the service. ‘That’s why we have invested in providing increased capacity on this route with

the introduction of Stena Superfast X, a ship which is perfectly appointed to accommodate the mix of freight and tourism traffic which is required to develop the important Dublin-Holyhead gateway in the years ahead,’ he added.

Dublin Port chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly said Stena Line’s investment would be matched by a €200m expansion project in the port, which is due to begin later this year.

‘Missed chance’ to cut door risks Union criticises IMO failure to agree on watertight door safety proposals

P

Nautilus has accused International Maritime Organisation member states of wasting an opportunity to make much-needed improvements to the safety of watertight doors.

The Union said the Organisation’s ship design and construction sub-committee had failed to support proposals to amend SOLAS requirements to make the first major change to watertight door safety in over a century.

The meeting was considering measures tabled in response to the Costa Concordia disaster.

Speaking on behalf of the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations (IFSMA) , senior national secretary Allan Graveson told the meeting that the last change had been in 1914, when lights were added to supplement bells, and new technology offered the chance to prevent ‘lifechanging injuries and the death of seafarers’.

He was speaking in support of a paper tabled by 28 European nations, including the UK and the Netherlands, proposing the use of a safety device on remotelycontrolled watertight doors to prevent crushing injuries to personnel.

‘Unsurprisingly, given that every initiative to improve safety is initially opposed, the proposal was kicked into the short grass,’ he said. ‘Arguments against the use of such a safety device were spurious, as there would be an override mode on the central control if a ship was in danger.’

The meeting agreed draft amendments to SOLAS to clarify when watertight doors may be opened during a voyage, along with revised guidance for passengerships on watertight doors which may be opened during navigation. Mr Graveson said it is hoped that the EU will seek to resubmit the paper to the IMO under a new planned output.

The sub-committee discussed a range of subdivision and damage stability issues, reflecting the findings of latest research.

The meeting heard suggestions that passengerships could be fitted with a double-side skin in the way of the engineroom — an idea welcomed by Nautilus as a ‘significant step’ towards enacting the recommendations made in Lord Mersey’s inquiry into the loss of the Titanic.

‘Such a measure would not only protect against side-raking damage such as ice or rocks, but also as a consequence of an oblique or acute collision with another vessel,’ Mr Graveson pointed out.

The meeting agreed to extend requirements for evacuation analysis to all passengerships, not just ro-pax vessels. Nautilus welcomed this, but also stressed the need for full-scale realistic evacuations to be carried on the first ship of class, in line with other modes

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of transport, such as aviation.

Concerns over the maximum angle of heel were raised during discussions on the revision of the 2008 Intact Stability Code. A representative from the Royal Institution of Naval Architects told the meeting that this was ‘extremely necessary’ — with concern that ‘attention is still being devoted to versions of a formula that takes no account whatsoever of the actual turning radius of the vessel, variations of which certainly exist and strongly affect the angles of heel to be expected’.

‘RINA’s statement underlines the fact that the current formulae are proving inadequate for modern ship design,’ Mr Graveson warned. ‘Masters and officers of large passengerships need to be aware that when applying maximum wheel in order to avoid a collision in an emergency situation, their vessel may take an angle of heel significantly larger than expected.’

failed to keep a proper lookout before his ship was involved in a fatal collision with a yacht off the UK coast in June last year.

Gerardus Chapel, from Papendrecht in the Netherlands, was chief officer of the 5,005gt Boskalis Westminster dredger Shoreway when it collided with the 9m yacht Orca, causing the death of a woman onboard.

Following a hearing at Ipswich Crown Court last month, Mr Chapel was given a six month jail term, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals, under section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

The court heard that the Cyprusregistered dredger was on its way out to sea to dump spoils after dredging in Felixstowe when it left the deepwater channel and entered an area used by leisure craft.

The 8,362dwt dredger struck the yacht head-on, causing a large hole in its starboard side. The yacht’s owner, Peter Ingram, managed to escape from the boat and swim to the surface — but his wife, Bernadine, was trapped in the wreckage and

drowned despite wearing a lifejacket.

Her body was recovered by divers on the following day.

Mark Watson, prosecuting on behalf of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, said the dredger had changed course slightly from the deepwater channel and proceeded south into an area used by yachts, especially at weekends.

Conditions at the time of the collision were fine, he added, and when interviewed by MCA enforcement officers Mr Chapel — a qualified shipmaster — admitted he had not seen the yacht, even though visibility was good and it was shown on the radar.

Ian Lawrie QC, representing Mr Chapel, said the case centred on an omission to do something and came down to human frailty.

Passing sentence, Judge John Devaux commented: ‘Mr Chapel accepted responsibility, cooperated and pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity. However, his failure to keep a proper watch caused Mrs Ingram’s death.’

Following the case, Captain Roger Towner, assistant director of the MCA’s maritime safety and standards branch said it was clearly evident that Mr Chapel had failed to keep a proper lookout by all available means.

Tug master sent to prison for fatal tow tug has been jailed for eight F months after pleading guilty to serious The owner-master of a UK

offences under the Merchant Shipping Act following the death of a crew member in the Channel in February 2013.

Southampton Crown Court heard that Steven Trice died after falling overboard while trying to reattach a tow between the Medway tug Endurance and the 60ft motor cruiser Sirius M during a violent storm.

Passing sentence on skipper Martin Richley, Judge Peter Ralls described the case as ‘a catalogue of disasters’. And Maritime & Coastguard Agency area operations manager Captain Andrew Rudge, commented: ‘This was a tragic incident that should not have happened. Mr Richley should not

have accepted to take on the tow as he was ill equipped, unqualified and his vessel was not suitable.’

The court was told that the tug had sailed from the River Medway to Brighton despite being warned by Medway vessel traffic services that strong winds up to gale force 8 had been forecast.

Mr Richley was not qualified to operate the tug during the coastal sections of the intended voyage, and was not trained or qualified in towing operations, prosecutors said. The tug was also not certified to operate in unfavourable sea conditions.

Mr Richley had been charged with being the captain of a vessel who put his crew at risk of serious injury/death and also as the owner whose operations were unsafe under sections 58 and 100 of the Act.

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07_news.indd 7

18/03/2015 15:15

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Don’t forget to pack a membership card! approaches, many captains F and crew will now be packing for

As the 2015 yachting season

summer voyages. Everyone knows that space — even on the largest of yachts — is at a premium for crew, but there are at least two items that Nautilus International senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan recommends making space for.

‘We provide a free commercial yacht service record book to all members working in the sector,’ he pointed out. ‘This is a really useful tool to officially document your certification — meaning you can leave your certificates at home — and is one of only two recognised by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

‘Another item that I would advise

all seafarers working on yachts to take with them is a Nautilus International membership card. Far more than a simple piece of paper, your membership entitles you to a range of benefits, from expert advice on work-related problems to protection of your certificate of competency,’ he added.

‘With offices and representatives around the world, a global network of lawyers, and a dedicated hotline for yacht members to call, help is never far away,’ Mr McGowan stressed. g Ensure that you and your colleagues join Nautilus International today — contact membership@nautilusint.org or phone +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Phase 1 UKSA superyacht cadets at their awards ceremony in Cowes last month

Bursary boost for New Zealand offers yacht cadetships pilotage exemptions Charities link up to relaunch scheme to support sector training for OOW

by Michael Howorth

H

New Zealand as a cruising destination has long been but a dream of many superyacht owners.

Its location, restrictive customs and immigration regulations, and the need for captains to take pilots in many of the country’s most beautiful cruising locations have all played a part in keeping superyachts at bay.

But the sector has just received a boost with the news that it is now possible to undertake a training course to gain a pilot exemption certificate for cruising in areas such as Fiordland.

Developed over the past two years, in association with Southland’s regional maritime division, the PEC

is available to superyacht captains through Asia Pacific Superyachts New Zealand (APSNZ).

The PEC Structured Training Programme is now available for the masters of superyachts up to 6,000gt, and covers both the Fiordland and Stewart Island pilot areas.

Requirements and documentation for the programme need to be submitted via a superyacht agent well in advance of the yacht’s arrival in New Zealand.

Latest statistics show a marked increase in superyachts visiting New Zealand. A record 57 vessels over 24m operated in the country’s waters this season, up from 37 last year, and tourism and development authorities have a plan to attract more than 70 superyachts a year by 2018.

France is urged to drop ‘catastrophic’ tax plan Professional Yachting (ECPY) F has launched an industry petition

The European Committee for

against what it describes as ‘catastrophic’ French government proposals to impose a new tax on vessels operating in more than 320 zones around the country’s coast.

The proposals — which have gone before the French Senate — would introduce a length-related fee for yachts cruising in 322 managed marine areas, totalling around 24% of French waters.

The plans were rejected by the National Assembly, but have been re-submitted by the government.

P

The maritime training organisation UKSA and the Trinity House Maritime Charity have joined forces to launch a new bursary scheme to help aspiring young seafarers train to become professional superyacht crew.

The Professional Yacht Cadetship Bursary (PYCB) aims to help young people who have the potential but not necessarily the funds to undertake the superyacht officer training course run by UKSA on the Isle of Wight.

The four-year programme is a career path to STCW II/1 Officer of the Watch (Yacht <3,000gt) and onward to STCW II/2 Master (Yacht <3,000gt) qualification, and combines academic study and practical paid work experience on superyachts.

Cadets also have the opportunity to undertake a Plymouth University foundation degree in operational yacht science, leading to a full BSc if required.

Around one-third of each annual intake of cadets has traditionally received sponsorship from Trinity House and Seafarers UK, and the

new bursary has a long-term remit of attracting increased funding, support and awareness from the superyacht and maritime sector.

UKSA industry and cadetship manager Emma Baggett said: ‘We are delighted to launch this new bursary fund. We have consistently shown that there are young people out there who, without financial assistance, would not be able to access careers within the growing superyacht sector.

‘Having a central funding pot like this makes it easier for individuals and organisations within the marine industry to invest in, and offer their support to young people who have the desire and potential to become professional yachtsmen and women, who would not otherwise be able to launch such a rewarding career by themselves.’

Last month saw an awards ceremony for the 29 UKSA cadets graduating from their first phase of training. They were presented with the certificates they have accumulated so far, including their RYA Yachtmaster, and awards were made to: Best Crew: Vertigo - Tory

Under the scheme — which the government wants to introduce in summer 2016 — local administrations would have the power to decide the scope of the charges, with the tax capped at €20 per day per linear metre of the vessel.

‘It is evident that if the bill is passed by the French parliament it will be a disaster for yachting, replicating what happened in Sardinia between 2006 and 2009,’ ECPY warned. ‘The number of yachts cruising in that area dropped by 50% when a similar law came into force.’

ECPY has launched a petition calling for ‘the deletion of this appalling bill’.

Sunseeker engineer trainee helps to promote UK apprenticeships engineer Olivia Richards-Smith, A who was one of the faces of National

Pictured left is apprentice marine

Apprenticeship Week in the UK last month.

Olivia is a trainee at motor yacht builder Sunseeker International, studying an advanced apprenticeship (level 3) in Marine Engineering with Bournemouth & Poole College.

She is currently on a placement with Sunseeker’s test team, testing and commissioning boats before delivery.

HOTLINE FOR YACHT CREW Nautilus has established a dedicated phoneline in Antibes to offer advice and assistance:

+33 (0)9 62 61 61 40 Nautilus International, in strategic partnership with D&B Services, 3 Bd. D’Aguillon, 06600 Antibes, France.

08_yachts.indd 8

Armstrong, Jack Dykes, Charlie Turner, Toby MacDonald and Jamie Guerriero; Captain’s Family Office Top Cadet: Dan Marks; Top Academic Cadet: Daniel Snook; Special Academic Awards: Tory Armstrong, Charlie Turner, Charlie Waltho.

The graduating group included Dan Snook, who first put his name down for the Professional Yacht Cadetship when he was just 15.

His father used to be in the Merchant Navy and Dan started in the Sea Cadets at the age of 12.

Dan was funded by Trinity House to do the cadetship and said the support had taken a lot of strain off his parents. ‘Getting selected for the cadetship was a really proud moment,’ he added.

Two days after graduating, Ashley Redwood flew to Turkey to start work on a 37m motoryacht, thanks to one of the job interviews UKSA lined up for the cadets. ‘My CV was sent to the captain by UKSA so it’s a great service. I put in a lot of hard work on this course, but I’m getting the rewards back,’ he said. g See feature on page 21.

Olivia gained initial work experience as a car mechanic, and once she has completed her apprenticeship she is hoping to stay with Sunseeker, gaining experience of different marine systems and working on different boats.

‘I feel that this would benefit me hugely,’ she said, ‘as eventually I would like to work abroad crewing as an engineer on a Sunseeker, experiencing the vessels on the water and working to maintain somebody’s dream.’

Picture: Richard Tarr

Crew welfare scheme at Porto Montenegro Montenegro — winner of F The Yacht Harbour Association’s The 420-berth Porto

Superyacht Marina of the Year 2015 award — has launched a membership programme for crew staying within the marina.

As a year-round facility, the Porto Montenegro Crew Club ensures crew are catered for, both on and off season, with a calendar of events and activities.

The membership scheme gives crew access to all the marina’s leisure facilities, including a 64m pool, restaurants, nightclub, and sports club, as well as free use of the Porto Montenegro Yacht Club’s facilities, including wi-fi, kitchen, book exchange and poker kits.

For crew over-wintering in the resort, it offers crew a free ski chalet in Kolasin throughout winter, just a 2.5 hour drive from the marina.

18/03/2015 15:15

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Workload risks of ballast tests

Healthy turn-out for Fleetwood maritime careers open day Compliance checks could put crews in breach of rest time rules, report warns chalked up a strong turn-out F for its annual maritime careers day, Fleetwood Nautical Campus

P

Testing for compliance with the forthcoming Ballast Water Management (BWM) convention will create significant additional workloads for crew members and could put them at risk of breaching working time limits, a new study has warned.

Trials conducted for the Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore showed that sampling and analysis of ballast water to check against convention requirements took an average of 6.5 hours.

The tests were conducted for the authority by SGS Testing & Control Services Singapore and aimed to assess the feasibility of undertaking ballast water checks within the time constraints of ships being berthed for one day or less during cargo unloading and loading.

SGS carried out the tests onboard six ships in realistic conditions, and the resulting report identifies a number of practical problems for both port state control and ships’ crew.

The onboard sampling and

analysis was undertaken without major problems and without causing delays to the ships, the report states. However, it notes a number of practical problems with the process — including poor access to sampling points and only single sampling points being available.

With no provision onboard to collect and retain ballast water, testers had to use makeshift drums and portable pumps to collect and transfer samples.

Another problem was high turbidity of the water from the ballast water tanks interfering with indicative and detailed analysis methods.

Crew competence in the understanding of the convention and the expertise in operating and maintaining the equipment is important, the study points out, and there was an additional workload for seafarers during the time the sampling and analysis was being conducted.

‘Apart from the arrival and cargo operations, ship crew were involved in picking up stores, stemming bunkers, attending

to class surveys, etc,’ it notes. ‘As such, there may be a possibility of crew not meeting the rest hours requirement by the time the vessel departs.’

Researchers said the scale of the study does not allow generalised conclusions to be made about the level of compliance of treatment systems. However, the tests showed five of the six ballast water treatment systems to be compliant with the IMO D-2 performance standard, and the one non-compliant system was found to be suffering ‘technical difficulties’ during the sampling.

The report notes that there is no validated protocol for sampling and analysis — with no clearly defined sample volumes and no defined minimum number of samples to be collected.

‘Technical issues with the equipment and the reagents used for indicative analysis need to be understood and taken into consideration,’ it adds.

Overall, however, the report concluded that onboard sampling is possible within the typical time constraints imposed by

ships loading and discharging in ports. z Shipowners have been urged to take swift action to comply with the BWM Convention, with its entry into force described as ‘imminent’. A total of 44 IMO member states, representing 32.86% of world tonnage have ratified the convention — close to the 35% required to bring it into effect.

Jacqueline Tan, senior claims executive with the UK P&I Club, said it is estimated that around 57,000 ships will need to comply. ‘Assuming a maximum of 40 ships can be retrofitted a day, it will take nearly four years for all the retrofitting to be completed,’ she added.

With evidence that some owners have not even begun work to comply with the Convention, there is a real possibility of serious bottlenecks occurring at shipyards, she said.

‘Ships that fail to comply on time will face serious commercial disadvantages, as their trading limits will be severely restricted,’ she warned.

pictured above.

Representatives from 16 shipping companies and organisations took part, including Anglo-Eastern, Bibby, BP, Carnival UK, Chiltern, Clyde Marine, James Fisher, Maersk, Northern Marine, Princess Cruises, the RFA, Serco, SSTG, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Marine Society, and Vroon (Deeside Crewing).

Almost 400 young people attended the event and, in addition

to getting advice and guidance from companies, they were able to experience the hi-tech training facilities at the college which include ship bridge and engine room simulators.

Campus head Neil Atkinson commented: ‘Our open day was yet another successful event with positive feedback from the shipping companies in attendance. It was refreshing to see so many young people interested in a career in the Merchant Navy, many of them from the local area.’

MN Medal names sought invited to submit nominations F for this year’s Merchant Navy Medal Nautilus members have been

awards, which recognise acts of courage at sea of meritorious service within the MN and fishing fleets.

Up to 20 MN Medals may be awarded annually, and the committee responsible for the medal is particularly keen to receive nominations for personnel serving at sea, regardless of rank. These can be put forward by colleagues or employers.

Established in 2005, the award aims to recognise worthy contributions to merchant shipping, including operations, development, personnel, welfare and safety. g Closing date for 2015 nominations is 30 June and further information, including the regulations and a nomination form, can be found on the website: www.merchantnavymedal. org or from the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, 8 Cumberland Place, Southampton SO15 2BH. Tel +(44) 2380 337799.

Paper-free bridge? Take the tablet... get there, perhaps, but something like it has A just come a significant step closer to fruition. Ships The paperless bridge — we’ll never quite

required to carry a small-town library’s worth of hefty tomes, covering all aspects of safe and responsible navigation, now have the opportunity to use a handy e-reader tablet instead.

NaviTab, launched by the Norwegian chart and publications agent Nautisk last month, can store hundreds of navigational publications, in the form of interactive PDFs uploaded onto the hand-held device, which is based on the Lenovo Think Pad 10.

The handheld tablet has a touch-screen interface, comes with a touch-screen stylus pen,

and is enveloped in a rugged rubber shock- and liquid spillage-proof protective case. The package also includes a tablet dock for online connection, through which any e-publications purchased can be routinely updated.

Each NaviTab will cost around £2,000 ($3,000) — Nautisk recommends the purchase of two so you have a back-up — and beyond that you pay for whatever publications you subscribe to. Once you have purchased a book, updates will incur no further charge.

Nautisk is aiming for NaviTab to integrate all the publications needed on the bridge, and says it is about 85% to 90% towards that goal

There are

NO LIMITS to an unlimited certificate!

now. At present, publications accessible via the NaviTab are those issued by IMO Publishing, the Norwegian Hydrographic Service, the UK Hydrographic Office, US Coast Guard Publications and Witherby Publishing.

The device’s powerful search engine enables you to search in seconds the relevant publications for the voyage, and to light on any bookmarked and highlighted essential notes, or handwritten annotations that have previously been inscribed within publications using the stylus pen. The search engine will also search publications you do not have, though you would need to purchase them to be able to open them.

Next available start 27 October 2015 Apply now Contact us: T. +44 (0)23 8201 5015 E. wma.admissions@solent.ac.uk

OOW (Unlimited) experienced seafarer route The fastest and most efficient way for those with sea service gained on yachts to get an unlimited certificate.

Find out more: www.warsashsuperyachtacademy.com/oowunlimited

09_news.indd 9

Join the best trained crew.

18/03/2015 16:30

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

NEWS

Research to tackle UK ‘sea blindness’ Driving ambition: Iona Taylor with the keys to the car provided by the RMNEF to help her complete her university studies

University project aims to find ways to end public ignorance about shipping

MN charity aims for P sevenfold increase in its level of support support for the children of F merchant seafarers, fishing vessel

A charity providing educational

and RNLI crews is launching a major new programme to deliver a sevenfold increase in the number of beneficiaries.

The Royal Merchant Navy Education Foundation (RMNEF), which was founded in 1827, is seeking to significantly expand its support network over the next five years by capitalising some of its property assets.

A wide range of financial and tangible benefits are included within the charity’s goal of ‘enabling education’ and can involve contributions towards school or university fees, living expenses, educational books, visits or equipment, school uniform costs – and even laptops or internet access.

The Foundation recently bought a car for the daughter of a former fisherman to help her complete her education. Iona Taylor’s father suffered a heart attack that left him with a brain injury and the charity provided her with a car to make her travel between home in Fraserburgh and the university in Aberdeen easier.

RMNEF secretary Charles Heron-Watson commented: ‘We’re always delighted to be able to help a young person continue with their education. Ultimately, education is the foundation for us as well as for the young people that we help; and we are always looking for more children and young people of seafaring families so we can also help them obtain a professional, careerentry qualification.

‘It’s not just education for education’s sake; the end goal is always to try to enable each foundationer to obtain training and qualifications to enhance their employability,’ he added. ‘We’re currently in the somewhat unusual position of not needing to raise any additional funds to implement this programme, so we’re concentrating on finding more young people of seafaring families, and helping them build their educational foundation for a successful future.’

The Foundation assesses every applicant individually, taking full account of factors such as domestic environment, geographical location, health and finance. g For more information, visit www. rmnef.org.uk.

Lairdside Maritime Centre

Important research into the extent of ‘sea blindness’ among the public has been launched at Southampton Solent University — and the project team say the findings could help to develop strategies to raise public awareness about shipping and seafaring.

The study is being conducted on a global basis, with key data being collected in the UK and Singapore. Initial results are expected by the end of this year, ahead of the second phase of the project which will investigate the best ways to promote shipping as a career choice for young people.

Project leader Dr Kate Pike, sen-

ior research fellow with the university’s Maritime Technology faculty (MARtec), commented: ‘As an island nation we are absolutely dependant on shipping. It is the lifeblood of the UK’s economy and responsible for 95% of all imports and exports, yet many people know less about the industry today than they did 50 years ago.

‘Despite its importance, there is virtually nothing about the shipping industry included on the national schools’ curriculum, which is significant when you consider that it offers very real employment opportunities,’ she pointed out.

A study carried out for the Sea-

a new sea-going motor launch A which is helping to deliver essential

Pictured right is the Dayspring —

welfare services for seafarers in the port of Hong Kong.

Built in China with funding from local supporters and donors, the vessel continues a long tradition of providing waterborne support to visiting ships started by the Mission to Seafarers in 1891.

The new Dayspring was built to replace the existing vessel, which had been in service for 20 years, and will be used to deliver a range of services including access to communications, as well as operating as a regular shuttle service to and from shore.

Club warns on Indian phone use A

Other Courses Available include:

■ Ship Handling for both Junior and Senior Officers ■ ISPS Designated Security Duties ■ ISPS Prevention of Piracy and Armed Robbery

For further information : t: +44 (0)151 647 0494 f: +44 (0)151 647 0498 w: www.lairdside-maritime.com e: lairdside@ljmu.ac.uk

10-11_news.indd 10

tionally, when the media focuses on shipping, it is generally in a negative light, often highlighting environmental disasters from oil spills and high profile collisions or piracy attacks.’

The research focus is on all age groups, but young people (secondary school to sixth form) are the target audience for the dissemination work to make shipping a more attractive career choice.

‘We will be researching the best way to undertake this phase of the project, but it is likely to involve technology and face-to-face work with young people in schools and colleges,’ Dr Pike explained.

Mission’s new boat delivers in Hong Kong

RFA partnership to support professional development partnership to support the A professional development of engineer Nautilus has welcomed a new

ECDIS COURSES

farers UK charity last year found that only 43% of people know that the vast majority of food imports to the UK come by sea and 27% assumed they come by air.

Dr Pike said the new research will help to establish valuable baseline data on ‘sea blindness’ that can be used to inform the development of a range of tools to raise public awareness about the industry.

‘Many shipping-related organisations are concerned about the public’s lack of awareness surrounding the industry,’ she pointed out. ‘Despite this, there is very little academic research to evidence these concerns. Addi-

Marine insurers have issued a renewed warning about the risks facing seafarers if they are caught making unauthorised use of satellite phones in Indian waters.

In a risk alert issued last month, the Steamship Mutual P&I Club highlighted a recent case in which a ship was identified by shore authorities after crew members were allowed to use the satphone.

Local police and customs carried out an investigation after monitoring the transmissions, the Club said.

Breaches of the regulations are viewed as a state security matter, it stressed, and such investigations can be costly and time-consuming.

Urging its members to instruct masters to ensure the rules are complied with, the Club warned that seafarers can face criminal proceedings, with big fines or up to three years’ imprisonment, and offending vessels can be detained indefinitely while investigations are carried out.

officers and ratings serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).

Under the agreement, the RFA’s internal Career Level Framework for engineer officers and ratings will be accredited by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) — offering the opportunity to gain professional qualifications,

such as Chartered status.

Captain Richard Graham, RFA manpower programme team leader, commented: ‘This is a really important initiative for us and further demonstrates our commitment to provide excellent training and career opportunities for both seagoing and shore-based marine engineers.’

The IMarEST and the RFA will be jointly working on a similar programme for deck officers

and ratings, providing routes to Chartered status for non-engineering professions.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This is a useful development, in that IMarEST is returning to its roots by focusing on marine engineers seeking professional acknowledgement of their qualifications and experience, with the opportunity of becoming Chartered Engineers.’

Can you name a medal winner? has carried out a remarkable F rescue at sea in the past year? The Do you know someone who

Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is urging seafarers across the UK to nominate colleagues for its annual Skill and Gallantry Awards.

The Society, which supports former merchant seafarers, fishermen and their dependants in times of financial hardship, has been presenting

the awards every year since 1851.

They recognise outstanding air/ sea rescues, outstanding feats of seamanship, and individual acts of skill and gallantry.

Chief executive Malcolm Williams commented: ‘The Society’s annual awards are an important event in the maritime calendar and a chance to honour all those unsung heroes who risk their lives to keep seafarers and

members of the public safe. Every year I am struck by the outstanding qualities shown by the men and women who are nominated and the courage they display in helping those in distress at sea.’ g Nominations for this year’s awards are now open and need to be submitted by 8 May. For more information about the awards visit www.shipwreckedmariners.org.uk

18/03/2015 17:40

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

New calls to free detained seafarers and international measures to A protect human rights by continuing to India is breaching national

detain the crew of a piracy protection vessel more than 15 months after the ship was arrested, it was alleged last month.

In a joint call for urgent action to secure the release of the crew of the Seaman Guard Ohio, the Mission to Seafarers and Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) said the men were still being detained despite being found innocent in the Madras High Court in July last year.

The 35 men — 10 seafarers and 25 armed guards from the UK, Ukraine, Estonia and India — have been held ever since the ship was intercepted off the coast of India in October 2013. They were initially accused of being in Indian territorial waters and possessing weapons without a license.

In a report on their plight, HRAS accused India of violating national constitutional provisions and international conventions. ‘The continued detention of the crew in India without release of their travel documents amounts to illegal detention affecting their personal liberties,’ it stated.

The report argues that no lawful justification has been made for the treatment of the crew. It warns that they have been suffering health problems and their families have been facing financial ruin, as they are no longer being paid.

HRAS founder David Hammond said he was very concerned at aspects of the way the case had been handled and said the Indian authorities should bring the case to a swift conclusion in line with Indian law and applicable intentional human rights conventions.

The Revd Canon Ken Peters, MtS director of justice and public affairs, appealed to politicians in the UK and India to get the men home as soon as possible. ‘They have long since had the charges against them completely quashed and they need to get back to their anxious families,’ he added.

10-11_news.indd 11

of world’s largest containership, A the 19,224TEU MSC Oscar, is pictured The latest vessel to hold the title

making its maiden call at the UK port of Felixstowe last month.

Built by Daewoo in South Korea, the 192,237gt vessel, operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), is 395m long, 59m wide and has a draft of 16m. The first in a series of seven to be delivered to MSC this year, the Panama-registered vessel has been deployed on the company’s new East-West routes between Asia and Europe.

Further work is being carried out at the port of Felixstowe to handle the growing number of visiting ultra-large containerships and an extension to Berth 9 will be completed later this year, together with three new ultralarge container cranes.

EU urged to maintain counter-piracy drive New ways must be found to protect ships and seafarers, Nautilus tells Danish owners’ seminar

P

Piracy is probably here to stay — and the shipping industry and flag states need to take appropriate measures to protect seafarers and ships, Nautilus told a European Shipping Week seminar last month.

General secretary Mark Dickinson gave a presentation to the meeting, organised by the Danish Shipowners’ Association, to explain piracy from the seafarers’ perspective — highlighting the case of a member who was abducted from his ship off Nigeria last year.

The master had been held captive in the jungle by trigger-happy, drugged and drunken pirates, Mr Dickinson said, and his ordeal had lasted for two weeks while negotiations over a ransom payment took place.

Mr Dickinson said the master had offered many lessons from his experience, including the need to follow Best Management Practices and to be familiar with onboard security systems and equipment.

Given that modern piracy is, arguably, here to stay as a result of global insecurity and inequalities in the global economy, it would be wise to ensure that improved security systems — including non-violent defensive equipment using light, water and sound — should be designed into vessels at the build stage, he suggested.

Anne Steffensen, president of the Danish Shipowners’ Association, warned that while the rate of Somali piracy attacks has fallen dramatically, it does not mean the problem has gone away.

‘The improved situation is due to the ships that sail through the area taking a number of measures, combined with the military presence and efforts in the country,’ she pointed out. ‘Therefore, it is important to maintain the grip, to take action against the perpetrators, so the problem does not flare up again.’

MEP Bendt Bendtsen said the EU also needs to protect shipping in the Gulf of

Guinea. ‘Experience has shown that European efforts to combat piracy works,’ he added. ‘But we also face new challenges in West Africa, where we cannot use the same methods against piracy, which we have used in Somalia. The circumstances are simply too different. The EU’s new strategy for West Africa and piracy must now be translated into reality and deliver concrete results — in the same way as assistance in East Africa has already done it.’

Mr Dickinson also highlighted the vital role of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) in helping seafarers and family members affected by piracy and he stressed the need for the scheme to be given more support from the industry. z The International Transport Workers’ Federation Seafarers’ Trust has announced a second wave of funding for MPHRP. The Trust provided key funding for core operations when the programme was

launched in September 2011 and this support was due to end in March this year. The Trust has agreed to give further funding to the scheme, although it says it will need to refocus its work to reflect the changing pattern of attacks.

The Trust said it had decided the time is right for MPHRP to become part of an existing charitable structure — such as the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network — by the end of the year.

Kimberly Karlshoej, head of the Seafarers’ Trust, commented: ‘Although the numbers of seafarers being held hostage for long periods of time has fallen, the psychological and physical trauma of seafarers affected by piracy is still a reality.

‘The Trust will continue to ensure the health and welfare of seafarers are prioritised by keeping MPHRP’s knowledge and framework in place for seafarers and their families to receive assistance where and when it is needed.’

18/03/2015 15:16

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

HEALTH & SAFETY

Ship’s delayed distress call ‘made rescue mission more difficult’ a blackout to rescue authorities F ashore has been criticised in a report A ship which delayed reporting

The HHL New York overhangs its berth in the port of Fenit Picture: MCIB

‘Too big’ ship leads to review of safety from its moorings in an Irish port F and struck a fishing vessel, causing A heavylift ship which broke

significant structural damage, was bigger than the published maximum length and beam for the harbour, an investigation has found.

The 17,634gt HHL New York struck the fishing vessel Ocean Dawn in the port of Fenit in November 2013 after the moorings failed during a gale.

The Irish Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) found that the 15-year-old mooring rings being used for the ship had been intended for use only by fishing vessels and leisure craft.

Investigators said there had been a substantial increase in the size of ships using the port in recent years and HHL New York over-hung the quay by more than 18m. As a result, it was impossible for the vessel to deploy its

forward mooring lines to achieve a good lead forward, the MCIB report notes.

Two lines from the vessel were secured to a mooring ring with only a 5t safe working load, it adds. And instead of being bolted to the quay, the mooring rings were held in place by an epoxy-based adhesive.

The MCIB said the harbour authority should have considered the weather forecast and the likely effects on a ship that overhung the berth.

Practices at the port need to be reviewed, it added, and the current bye-laws should be updated to reflect the larger vessels using the port.

The report calls for the harbour authority to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the port and its operations, including roles and responsibilities to ensure the safe berthing of ships.

by French accident investigators.

The 1,485dwt heavylift vessel Just Mariiam took almost six hours to inform a maritime rescue coordination centre that it had lost power in heavy weather off the NW coast of France in February 2014.

The Moldovan-flagged ship drifted to within a mile of land before the French salvage vessel Abeille Bourbon managed to tow it safety.

The 43-year-old ship was sailing from Iceland to Lebanon at the time, and because it had changed flag and company two months earlier, there was no safety management manual onboard.

The blackout was caused by the failure of the controller battery in the central processing unit of the ship’s power management system. With the main electrical switchboard out of service, the ship was steered in emergency mode with main engine auxiliaries running powered by battery sets.

During the six hours before the alert was sent to the MRCC, the ship’s chief engineer unsuccessfully sought to restore power from the generating sets. But when the compressed air supply ran out, he had to give up, and

The French ETV Abeille Bourbon attempts to tow the Just Mariiam to safety in February 2014 Picture: BEAMer

less than an hour later the auxiliaries shut down, the main engine stopped and the vessel began to drift as wind strength rose from force 9 to 10.

The French ETV arrived on scene some nine hours later. The first attempt to tow Just Mariiam to safety failed when a mooring bitt on the ship’s forecastle was torn from the

deck and the line slipped into the sea.

‘The wrenching of the mooring bitt, not designed for towage at sea in severe weather conditions in a critical situation, contributed to the difficulties of the towage operation,’ a report by the French accident investigation body BEAMer notes.

It says the delay in informing the

MRCC of the blackout made the crisis management ‘more delicate’.

The report stresses the need for shore authorities to be immediately notified of any accident or incident onboard a vessel and it recommends the Just Mariiam’s owners to develop a safety management manual for the vessel.

Poor bridge design blamed in inquiry ‘Vulnerable’ steering arrangements resulted in Stena Line ferry accident

The bulker Big Glory following last year’s accident Picture: ATSB

Pilots urged to use electronic navaids of electronic aids to navigation, A an Australian accident report has Pilots need to make more use

concluded.

The Australian Transport Safety Board said a loss of situational awareness by the pilot of the 55,809dwt bulk carrier Big Glory resulted in the ship striking a wharf at Cape Flattery, Queensland, in November last year.

An investigation by Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) — the regulatory agency responsible for pilotage in the port — concluded that the pilot had made an error of judgement.

Although he had taken the ship into the port about 70 times before, he had just returned from six months’ leave and felt that the ship was not decreasing speed as he had expected. ‘The particular combination of the ship’s main

12-13_h+s.indd 12

engine and rudder movements in the prevailing wind and current resulted in a lateral movement towards the wharf,’ the report notes.

MSQ said the incident had prompted a review of the Cape Flattery pilotage plan to include an ‘abort’ position and a more accurate track to the anchor position. Portable pilotage unit (PPU) usage is to be made compulsory for all Cape Flattery berthings.

‘Bridge resource management (BRM) is critical to safely managing risks in a pilotage’ the report says.

‘Key elements of BRM include proper planning, execution and monitoring using all available resources. The use of electronic aids to navigation to support traditional methods of pilotage and navigation can significantly enhance the position monitoring ability and situational awareness of the bridge team.’

P

Badly designed bridge equipment has been blamed for an incident in which a Stena Line ferry was holed while leaving a port last year.

The Swedish-flagged Stena Nautica suffered substantial engineroom flooding and extensive machinery damage when it hit a breakwater in the Danish port of Grenaa following an unintentional hard turn to starboard.

The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) praised the master of the 19,504gt ro-pax ferry — which had 155 passengers and 55 crew onboard at the time — for his quick thinking in immediately returning to the berth while the ship was still manoeuvrable.

‘With the amount of flooding caused by the damage to the underwater hull and the ship’s relatively limited bilge suction capacity, it is likely much more severe consequences would have occurred had the master decided to continue the voyage outside the breakwaters,’ the report says.

Investigators found that the ship had veered from its course soon after steering control was transferred from the bridge wing to the hand steering at the centre console.

When the switch was made, the helmsman assumed the helm was in a neutral, centred, position.

In fact, the vessel was turned to a hard starboard position and by the time the crew realised what

was wrong it was too late to avoid the impact.

The DMAIB report notes that the design and operation of the Stena Nautica’s steering arrangement was ‘vulnerable to erroneous actions’ and allowed the switch from one control station to another without the crew having full knowledge of the helm and rudder positions.

Crew members said the new autopilot and steering systems had been fitted during a refit in 2013. Some officers had preferred using the original equipment — partly because they felt the position of the new unit posed a risk of unintentionally activating the over-ride tiller and partly because the user interface of the old equip-

ment was considered more userfriendly than the new unit.

The report states that the accident had revealed a weakness in the overall design of the bridge layout and there had been little or no analysis of how the crew were actually working on the bridge.

‘Making new equipment available in an operational environment changes the operational process and even though it can optimise the work, it also introduces new risks,’ it adds.

The DMAIB notes that following the accident, Stena had taken a number of measures, including changes to bridge procedures to ensure that the steering wheel is centred before control is switched over.

‘Distracted’ mate caused Thames crash struck Tower Bridge last year A when the mate became distracted A Thames passenger vessel

while trying to replay a VHF radio message.

Ten passengers and crew were injured when the 458gt Millennium Diamond made contact with the south pier of the bridge as the officer attempted to confirm a London VTS broadcast warning of the temporary

closure of Tower Pier because of a gun salute at the Tower of London.

The closure was an hour earlier than the Port of London Authority (PLA) had previously advised — and the Honourable Artillery Company had failed to inform the PLA that the time had changed.

A report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) says that the mate had failed to notice

that the vessel had turned towards the south pier of the bridge while he was replaying the message. The MAIB said this, and a similar accident in 2011 involving the passenger vessel Moon Clipper, had highlighted the way in which ‘experienced boatmen allowed themselves to be distracted for a matter of seconds’ and had failed to appreciate the speed at which their vessels could run into danger.

The report notes that City Cruises and the PLA have both taken measures in response to the accident.

It recommends that the company undertakes a thorough review of the wheelhouse equipment layout on the vessel and calls for the PLA to promote the inclusion of potential holding areas in the port passage plans of commercial vessels operating in the Thames.

18/03/2015 15:18

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Action urged on boxship rules Report on MOL Comfort loss calls for improved classification standards

P

Nautilus has backed the findings of an official report on the loss of the 8,110TEU containership MOL Comfort, which sank in the Indian Ocean in June 2013 after suffering catastrophic structural failure.

The five-year-old ship broke into two while sailing from Singapore to Saudi Arabia with 4,382 boxes onboard. The report from the Japanese government-led committee on large containership safety points to shortcomings in classification society rules for large containerships.

The study calls for class rules for containerships over 8,000TEU to reflect the impact of lateral loads which induce bi-axial stresses in bottom shell plates when overall structural strength is evaluated. And it recommends that the effects of whipping responses are considered in vertical bending strength requirements, along with trade-specific sea conditions and vessel speed being assessed when determining requirements for vertical bending strengths.

Investigations concluded that the hull fracture originated from the bottom shell plates in MOL Comfort’s midship section. Six sister ships had to be reinforced after post-accident inspections found buckling deformations of up to 20mm in the bottom shell plates. As part of the inves-

Conti Peridot and Carla Maersk following the collision Picture: USCG

Collisions close canal one of the busiest waterways F in the United States — was closed The Houston Ship Channel —

MOL Comfort starts to break up in the Indian Ocean in June 2013

tigations, simulations were carried out to assess the structural strength of MOL Comfort at the time of the accident. These concluded that the fracture may have occurred when the load of the vertical bending moment exceeded the ship’s structural strength.

‘Buckling defamation detected in the bottom shell plates of the sister ships could occur by provision of slightly lower loads than the ship structural strength and the amount of deformation could increase by repeated loads,’ the report added.

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) said it would ‘carefully study’ the

report and its recommendations.

IACS has carried out its own review in the aftermath of the MOL Comfort incident and has developed two new unified requirements covering longitudinal strength and loading conditions. It says these should be finalised in the next few months.

‘Class societies’ rules already consider the strength of the ship under specified operating and environmental conditions corresponding to its entire life,’ IACS added.

‘As a matter of clarity, it should be understood that IACS Unified Requirements (URs) are minimum common technical require-

ments to be incorporated into the rules of each individual member,’ it stressed. ‘URs are not intended to address all the strength aspects of hull structures, which remains the function and responsibility of each class society.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson welcomed the report and added: ‘This is further confirmation of the position taken by Nautilus — namely, that whenever extrapolation of the rules of construction takes place there is a point where the assumptions are no longer valid. This equally applies to stability as to structural strength for some ship types.’

Research aims to cut brittle fracture risks society ClassNK has revealed F details of a new research project The Japanese classification

which seeks to improve the safety of ultra-large containerships.

It is working with welding experts, steel manufacturers and shipbuilders to investigate new requirements that will minimise the risk of brittle fractures.

Announcing the study, ClassNK said such preventative measures are increasingly important because of the increased use of thicker steel on large vessels — especially in areas of higher stress, such as the upper deck and hatch side coaming of the cargo holds. Currently, IACS requirements apply only to brittle crack-arrest steel plates with a thickness of up

to 80mm and the introduction of 20,000-plus TEU vessels is expected to make plates exceeding 80mm thick more common.

The joint programme will aim to develop technical standards in order to clarify crack-arrest parameters for steel plates beyond the existing limit, for the safety of ultra-large containerships.

US warns over fuel changes after propulsion loss cases been urged to adopt additional F precautions with the use of lowSeafarers and shipowners have

sulphur fuel following a ‘worrying trend’ of propulsion loss incidents.

US Coast Guard (USCG) statistics show that there were 93 such cases in California alone last year – and 15 of these were directly related to fuel switchovers before entering emission control areas (ECAs).

In a safety alert issued last month, the USCG highlighted an increasing number of incidents involving

12-13_h+s.indd 13

substantial machinery space fuel leaks during changeovers. ‘Although such leakages were contained, fuel leakages of any kind may result in pollution, injury or death of personnel and shipboard engineroom fires,’ it pointed out.

It urged owners and operators to review their procedures, ensure that fuel oil switching is undertaken outside of busy traffic lanes and ECAs and to provide initial and periodic training to help seafarers to carry out safe and effective switchovers.

In a separate warning, Wilhelmsen Ship Service (WSS) also highlighted safety problems arising from the increased use of distillate fuels. ‘What looked good on a spec sheet may in fact end up blocking fuel lines, damaging fuel pumps and injectors, and even contribute to the loss of engine power,’ it said.

WSS stressed the need for careful management and treatment of distillate fuels to improve lubricity and reduce the risks of rapid degradation and microbiological contamination.

The proposed requirements will seek to stop brittle crack propagation in the block-to-block butt joints of the hatch side coaming and upper deck to prevent large scale fracture of the hull girder The study is due to be completed in mid-2016 and ClassNK said it hoped the results will lead to unified IACS requirements.

twice within the space of a week last month following two collisions.

In the first incident the 69,132gt containership Monte Alegre collided with the Singaporeflagged chemical tanker Chembulk Houston, and in the second incident the Danish flagged tanker Carla Maersk was holed in a collision with the Liberian-registered bulk carrier Conti Peridot, partially spilling its cargo of methyl tertiary-butyl ether.

Two of the 44,99dwt tanker’s cargo tanks were ruptured in the

collision and emergency teams used high-density foam to suppress flammable vapours from the damaged tanks.

A 7.2km section of the channel was closed for three days and a queue of 90 vessels built up following the incident, which occurred as Carla Maersk was heading out of the channel for Venezuela and Conti Peridot was inbound.

The cause of the collision, which took place in thick fog, is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the US Coast Guard.

Tight timings ‘put pressure on pilot’ ship that collided with a ferry A in the port of Cuxhaven may have The pilot of a Dutch-owned

taken the vessel in too fast because of time pressures to begin his next assignment, an accident investigation revealed.

The 6,450gt general cargoship Merweborg struck the 10,488gt ro-ro Caroline Russ while trying to berth in thick fog, with a visibility of less than 1,000m, in December 2013.

The ship suffered extensive damage to its forecastle, bridge wing and a rescue boat davit, while the ferry’s bow was holed in two places above the waterline.

The German accident investigation body BSU found that the Merweborg had approached the berth too quickly, too close and at too much of an angle to the Caroline Russ. The

collision occurred as a consequence of hydrodynamic interactions between the two ships.

The report notes that the port pilot had to complete two assignments immediately after the Merweborg job and had a ‘relatively tight’ timeframe of less than an hour before the next pilotage. ‘Consequently, time was against him and he may have been less cautious than usual,’ it adds.

BSU said the incident also showed the need for shipmasters and officers to be more involved in the operation of their vessels during pilotage, and the Merweborg’s bridge team should have intervened when the low passing distance to the ferry was apparent.

‘Responsibility for the crew and ship remains with the master or officer on watch, respectively,’ the report points out.

STCW Training Courses Proficiency in Fire Prevention and Firefighting £450.00 Proficiency in Advanced Fire Prevention and Firefighting £550.00 Updated Proficiency in Fire Prevention and Firefighting £195.00 Updated Proficiency in Advanced Firefighting (Route 1 & 2) £175.00 To discuss training dates for individual or group bookings contact:

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18/03/2015 15:18

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports WAGES WIN: the International Transport Workers’ Federation has secured an agreement with Taiwanese shipping operator Shih Wei Navigation for the payment of US$404,000 in owed wages for 48 Chinese seafarers who had served on the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Blessing SW last year. A further US$33,000 due to the crew was also paid in order to clear a port, as the owners feared the Australian Maritime Safety Authority might detain the vessel.

TAX SAVED: the Maritime Union of Australia has claimed victory in a campaign to retain the country’s Seafarer Tax Offset, which was set to be repealed by the national government. The union said the ‘modest’ concession — which was introduced as part of a shipping reform package in 2012 — is essential for the increased employment and training of Australian seafarers.

AGENCY ALERT: the French officers’ union FOMM-CGT has expressed concern over proposals to allow companies operating ships under the national flag to use private crewing agencies. General secretary JeanPhilippe Chateil described the agencies as ‘nothing more than traders of human beings that remove the direct relationship between the operator and seafarers’.

PILOT PROSECUTED: a river ferry pilot could be sentenced to up to three years in prison for a collision on the River Seine that caused two deaths. The Paris court prosecutor stated that the accident, which occurred in 2008, was caused by the pilot’s ‘lack of attention’ as a result of consuming cannabis on duty.

Seafarers fight to save French firms Unions stage protests over threats to the future of two major ferry operators

by Jeff Apter

P

French seafarers working onboard the MyFerryLink (MFL) cross-Channel service staged strike action last month to protest at the continuing uncertainty over the company’s future.

The held a blockade in the port of Calais ahead of a UK appeal court challenge to a competition authority ruling to ban MFL from operating out of Dover with effect from June.

Members of the Scop cooperative — which was set up by former SeaFrance seafarers to crew the three MFL ships — dispute the competition authority’s claim

that there is too much competition on the Dover-Calais route.

Scop member Eric Vercoutre commented: ‘Over the last three years we have proved we are able to operate successfully. We have attracted 11% of the market and with the necessary finance could continue operating cross-Channel services under the French flag with French officers and ratings and prevent our ferries from falling into the hands of low-cost operators.’

He indicated that Eurotunnel and northern French local and district authorities could have a role in getting a financial package together.

Eurotunnel — which acquired

the three former SeaFrance ships in June 2012 — is selling MFL in the wake of the competition authority judgement.

Scop is seeking finance to buy the ships and the CFDT seafaring union has made an official request for talks with the transport and development ministers, the northern region council and Eurotunnel. z Unions representing seafarers serving with the French ferry firm SNCM have expressed renewed concern at the threat of mass redundancies when the troubled company changes ownership.

Three companies are now in the running to take over SNCM, which runs services between the

Fpowered ro-pax ferry ordered by

ITALIAN ALARM: Italy’s leading maritime union has urged the country’s government to maintain support for jobs and conditions in the Tirrenia ferry fleet following privatisation. The Filt-Cgil union argues that the government retains a responsibility for the conditions of the crews even though the company changed hands in 2012.

Pictured left is a new LNG-

the Estonian operator Tallink from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

Due to enter service in 2017, the 49,000gt vessel will carry up to 2,800 passengers and will be powered by Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines running primarily on LNG, enabling it to comply with Baltic emissions limits.

Wärtsilä says that in gas mode, the ship’s SOx and particle emissions will be almost zero, while NOx emissions will be at least 85% below current IMO limits. CO2 emissions will be around 25% less than those of a conventional vessel using diesel fuel.

GROUNDING PROBE: the Australian Transport Safety Board launched an investigation last month into the grounding of the Danish-flagged containership Maersk Garonne in the port of Freemantle. The 50,757gt vessel missed a turn while entering the inner harbour, but was refloated with the help of local tugs.

BRITTANY STOPPAGES: seafarers serving on Brittany Ferries’ Ouistreham-Portsmouth route staged two strikes last month in protest at bonus payment arrangements. The CGT union said there could be further stoppages if a meeting organised with management is unsatisfactory.

VIKING CRUISE: Viking River Cruises has put its new ocean-going cruiseship under the Norwegian register. Due to be delivered in May, the 930-passenger vessel Viking Star will be the first cruiseship to fly the Norwegian flag for a decade.

RUSSIAN ROUTE: Rotterdam-based Famous Pacific Shipping has launched a new weekly general cargo service between Rotterdam and St Petersburg.

Engineer sent to prison in US has been sentenced to eight A months in a US prison after being A Filipino chief engineer

found guilty of illegally dumping oily waste from a Panama-flagged car carrier.

Noly Torato Vidad was also convicted of obstructing justice by falsifying the oil record book and destroying documents onboard the 59,637gt Selene Leader in January 2014.

As well as being jailed for eight months, followed by a year of supervised release, Mr Vidad was also sentenced to three years’ probation.

ITF backs proposals to Master and safeguard shore leave owner pay for spillage A The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has backed proposals to improve seafarers’ rights to shore leave in US ports.

It has joined other organisations — including Nautilus and US maritime unions — in making an official response to a US Coast Guard (USCG) consultation on new rules to safeguard seafarers’ access to shorebased facilities.

The ITF submission welcomes the ‘long overdue’ proposals to tackle problems which have had a hugely detrimental effect on seafarers and,

in many cases, have ‘hampered continued efficient vessel operations’.

The USCG is proposing new rules which will require port owners and operators to implement systems to ensure that seafarers can get access between their ship and facilities ashore ‘in a timely manner and at no cost to the seafarer or other individuals’.

While welcoming the proposals, the ITF proposes a number of wording changes to prevent ‘undesirable’ interpretation of the rules to deny seafarers timely access based on security or safety concerns.

Officer appeals jail sentence jailed for four years on charges F arising from his role in a fatal sinking A former ferry officer who was

off the British Columbia coast has appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada to review his case.

Karl Lilgert is presently in prison after being convicted in 2013 on two counts of criminal negligence causing death when the Queen of the North ferry ran aground and sank after missing a turn during a voyage

14-15_int.indd 14

French mainland, Corsica and North Africa. Unions fear that hundreds of jobs may go and ships will be flagged out following the sale.

The Attica Group of Greece has withdrawn from the bidding, but the SNCM works council met the three other companies in the running last month and discussed proposed redundancy arrangements which would affect around half the company’s employees.

The Marseilles branch of the CGT maritime union has criticised one bidder’s plan to use an undisclosed ‘European flag’ for the North African services, which would enable the use of nonFrench passenger services staff.

from northern British Columbia to Vancouver Island.

He lost an earlier appeal against his conviction, but his lawyers want the Supreme Court to reconsider claims that the trial judge gave incorrect instructions to the jury when explaining the offence of criminal negligence and that jurors should have been asked to consider whether the officer’s actions were the result of a reasonable but mistaken

understanding of the facts.

Prosecutors said the accident had been caused because Mr Lilgert had been distracted by his former lover, who was on the bridge at the time.

Mr Lilgert denied this, explaining that he had been trying to navigate the vessel in difficult conditions, seeking to avoid small boats and to decipher ‘clutter’ on the radar, although he was unable to explain why the grounding occurred.

A

The owner and master of a Turkish-flagged chemical tanker have been fined a total of €150,000 for causing pollution off the French coast in January last year.

A court in Le Havre ordered Denizcilik —the Istanbul-based owner of the 5,850dwt Deniz-S — to pay €100,000 and fined the master of the vessel €50,000, half of which has to be paid by the company The court also awarded €27,500 in damages to be paid to eight environmental associations.

Prosecutors said a customs helicopter had spotted a 15km long trail of leaking oil coming from the ship after it had left Port-Jérôme bound for Ghent last January.

Defence lawyers said the spill was accidental as a result of an equipment malfunction. There was also a disagreement over the nature of the discharge, with the defence arguing that the spillage was of plant origin.

Carole Leroy, from one of the eight green groups, said the fines were ‘insignificant’ compared with the scale of the pollution.

18/03/2015 16:31

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports INDIAN AID: the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) has welcomed government moves to extend its seafarer income tax concession scheme to crews serving on Indian-flagged ships in the country’s coastal trades. General secretary Abdulgani Serang described the decision as a ‘big victory’ and said the union had campaigned for more than 20 years to bring the tax relief criteria for domestic trades into line with the ‘182-day’ rule for deepsea service. Indian shipping companies have long complained that the current rules create ‘immense hardship’ for owners seeking to retain Indian crews.

UAE cableship firm to expand its fleet cableship Maram — the first in a series of A vessels being taken into the expanding fleet of Pictured above is the new custom-built

the UAE-based submarine cable Installation, maintenance and repair firm E-marine.

Built in Abu Dhabi, CS Maram has been designed to undertake the installation and maintenance of all types of submarine cables, including fibre-optic telecommunications cables and energy cables. The vessel will be equipped with an ROV to enable it to carry out

pre-inspections and seabed surveys, and to cut trenches to bury cables.

CS Maram is expected to successfully complete dock trials and be ready for launch within the coming months. E-Marine says it is planning further additions to its fleet this year, with other multi-purpose vessels to expand its operations in the Middle East, East Africa and the wider region.

The company — whose workforce includes more than 20 different nationalities — says the fleet expansion will also create more jobs for

seafarers and technicians and it will be seeking to fill these vacancies.

Managing director Omar Jassim Bin Kalban said: ‘Our commitment to increasing market share in the region will see a significant expansion to our fleet.

‘By increasing our number of vessels, we are positioning E-marine to provide a faster, wider and far-reaching service to cable owners through reduced transit times and closer proximity to cable systems.’

Nordic policy plans to protect shipping Unions seek long-awaited action to help Swedish and Norwegian fleets

by Andrew Draper

P

Seafaring unions in Norway and Sweden are backing new government plans to protect the maritime industries in both countries.

The Swedish government has received an official working group’s proposals on tonnage tax. Owners and unions alike have been pushing hard for years to get the tax introduced to bring Sweden into line with other EU maritime states.

The SBL union says it would mean more investment in the country’s high-tech shipping sector. The owners reckon it would add 400 ships to the fleet (five times as many as now) and end years of decline.

SBL director Christer Themnér welcomed the report, describing it as a prerequisite for Swedish shipping. ‘But there is added value

in the form of research and development generated by Swedish shipping,’ he pointed out. ‘Many companies will invest in Sweden’s world-leading and high-tech maritime industry once we’ve brought tonnage tax in.’

The 600-page report gives technical detail on how the tonnage tax scheme could work. It is estimated that the system would cover 23 companies with 84 vessels, and would cost the government around SEK84m (€9.2m).

Norway’s government is also considering recommendations from an expert working group (Fartsområdeutvalget) — formed partly at the behest of the unions — which has been considering measures to safeguard the future of the Norwegian maritime industry, which has been declining as a result of owners flagging out.

The government will consider the long-awaited report, pre-

sented in January, in formulating its own new maritime strategy later this year.

The unions are pushing for Norwegian jobs under the Norwegian International Register NIS, and for administrative changes to make the flag more attractive.

‘By considerably strengthening the net salary scheme, I hope the negative trend will stop, said Hans Sande, director of the officers’ union NSOF. ‘The politicians must act right away and set NOK100m (€11.6m) aside, as the committee suggests,’ Capt Sande said. If they don’t, we risk that there soon won’t be any Norwegian seafarers left in the NIS fleet.’

The working group has stated that the current net salary funding of NOK30m (€3.5m) is insufficient to ensure the present number of Norwegian jobs. Several other measures were recom-

mended to strengthen Norwegian shipping.

Norwegian shipping minister Monica Mæland said the emphasis of the new maritime strategy would be on sector growth, international competitiveness, skills and training, R&D and innovation, and administration.

The unions fear the government may decide to liberalise use of the NIS second register along the Norwegian coast, which could lead to a loss of local jobs and a worsening of national pay levels.

Johnny Hansen of the Seamen’s Union said: ‘I’m worried that the emphasis is on getting as many ships as possible into NIS without a clear signal that real skills should be ensured. It’s therefore important that there’s not more opening of NIS in Norwegian waters and along the coast than what was agreed in the Fartsområdeutvalget.’

Ferry tendering ‘cutting safety levels’ A

Norwegian seafaring unions have expressed concern over the tendering of ferry services around the country’s coast after a university research project concluded that the process is compromising safety by forcing minimum crewing levels as companies attempt to cut costs.

The report was authored by Professor Trond Kongsvik of the NTNU

14-15_int.indd 15

university in Trondheim as part of the RESCUE project, supported by the Norwegian Research Council, and examined safety culture in the transport sector, including passenger and freight ferries.

The findings were immediately seized upon by the Norwegian maritime unions. They point to conclusions that main factors

considered in tendering are minimal crewing levels, price and sailing frequency, not safety measures.

Morten Kveim of officers’ union NSOF said: ‘The researchers point out what we’ve been saying ad nauseam.

It’s also important to emphasise that the issue is exactly the same for ferries. The seamen’s unions have appealed against over 50 crewing

arrangements and lost them all.’

Between 2006 and 2012 the number of reported accidents along the Norwegian coast more than trebled, according to the report. There were 48 accidents per 1,000 vessels in 2006, but in 2012 the figure had risen to 150. The biggest increase in accidents was onboard fast ferries carrying passengers.

CANAL CALL: Nicaragua is seeking support from European Union member states for its ambitious project to build a new 172-mile canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Officials say they are particularly interested in canal building expertise from the Netherlands and Denmark. Tenders for major infrastructure projects are expected to be launched in September and the $50bn canal is earmarked for completion by 2020.

BIG ORDERS: the Japanese operator Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has placed an order with Samsung Heavy Industries for four 20,150TEU containerships, claimed to be the biggest to be built so far. MOL will also enter into a long-term charter for two other 20,150TEU vessels to be built by Imabari Shipbuilding in Japan. All six ships will be delivered in 2017 and will operate in the Asia-Europe service.

TANKER TIE-UP: tanker firms Genmar and Navig8 Crude Tankers are to merge and form a new company, Gener8 Maritime, which will be one of the world’s largest VLCC operators. The new entity, incorporated in the Marshall Islands with headquarters in New York, will have a combined fleet of 46 vessels, including 28 VLCCs, and an average age of less than 5.5 years.

CREW BLAMED: the crew of a Taiwanese research vessel have been blamed for the ship’s loss in October last year. An investigation said failure to make correct use of nautical charts and to correct the course of the Ocean Researcher V were the key factors leading to it grounding on a reef and sinking off the SW coast of Taiwan with the loss of two lives.

PORT SALE: Greece’s left-wing government appears to have abandoned plans to privatise the port of Piraeus despite European Union pressure on the country to proceed with the sale. China’s Cosco, which manages two of Piraeus’s cargo piers, had been shortlisted along with another four potential buyers of a 67% stake in the port.

DUES DISPUTE: Finland has been ordered to pay more than €90m to 52 shipping companies including Finnlines, Tallink, Viking Line and ESL Shipping following a court case claiming the over-payment of fairway dues.

The operators had complained that they had been overcharged as a result of regulations which did not conform to EU law.

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18/03/2015 17:56

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

YOUR LETTERS

What’s on onyour yourmind? mind?

Tell your colleagues shipping.

Keep yourTelegraph letter to ahave your name, address colleaguesin inNautilus NautilusInternational International— —and andthe thewider world of but you must let the maximum words if you canyour — though contributions will beand considered.

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Keep letter tolonger a maximum membership just membership number you don’t want to be identifi in anyour accompanying —Telegraph, Nautilus 300your words if you can — thoughif longer contributions will ed — say soSend letter to thenote Editor, but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send yourShrubberies, letter to the George Lane, be considered.

International, 1&2 The Editor, International, 1&2number The Shrubberies, George Lane,Woodford, South Woodford, Use aTelegraph, pen nameNautilus or just your membership if you South London E18 1BD, or use head office fax London E18to 1BD, use head ceso faxin+44 (0)20 8530 1015, or— email+44 telegraph@nautilusint.org don’t want beor identifi ed —offi say an accompanying note (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Why do marine employers use the PI selection test these days?

F

While I was waiting for my next contract, and since it wasn’t fully confirmed, I started to look around for some vacancies.

I noted then that some shipping companies and crew manning agencies are selecting candidates through the Predictive Index test (sometimes called the ‘PI test’) as a first step in the path of the selection process.

Two shipping companies called me and required me to perform this test online: so far, no news. I began to investigate, since this test was new to me, and I came to realise that this system is well-established in northern Europe, Canada and the USA, though not at all in southern Europe and I don’t know about the rest of the world.

The test is clear: it is a skill and behaviour assessment to understand how candidates will most likely deal with situations and management types. It pivots on behaviour, determination, patience, altruism and performances.

As I proceeded with my investigation, someone stated that the test is used to search the correct

people for particular job situations and to avoid future conflicts, but someone else stated that it is a test to find candidates in order to build a weak vessel management team.

In Italy, this test was introduced in 2011 and, at present, is considered unsuccessful because top management prefer to select candidates on their technical knowhow and experience instead of their personality traits.

All this was new to me, and it made me wonder if this is common practice in the UK or in the shipping sector in general? Is it possible to choose seafarers on the grounds that they match each other and the shipping company’s aims, skipping their experience and technical knowledge? Or maybe the main issue is to find seafarers which most likely will form a weak vessel management team because of a lack of skills and experience?

I believe that this path may lead to other ship accidents: skills, technical knowledge and sense of responsibility taught in our nautical colleges are the very foundations of our profession.

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Have your say online Last month we asked: Do you think Captain Schettino deserved to go to jail as a result of the Costa Concordia disaster?

Answer the questions and win an iPad!

Telegraph, I thought some P anecdotes of my time at sea

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(pre-1993!) might provide some balance.

We want your views on how the Union is doing — and one lucky member who completes the questionnaire will receive the touch-screen device with a 16GB memory capacity, support for multiple languages, access to the ICloud, an inbuilt camera and Bluetooth technology. g Complete the survey online at www.nautilusint.org; or if you’d prefer a paper copy, call +44 (0)20 8989 6677 and ask for the Communications department.

Having read this month’s

1. Entering the Bosphorus from the Black Sea fully laden with crude oil and carrying out my own pilotage, I instructed the third mate to put a position on the chart every two minutes.

Meanwhile, I was using known ranges to monitor the ship’s position. It became clear to me that we were drifting off the course line but the third mate hadn’t reported any problem. I corrected the problem and then went to the chart table to check the positions. Sure enough, there were perfect little fixes every two minutes. We were heading inexorably for a shoal patch that would have grounded the ship. I asked the third mate why he had not informed me. His reply? ‘You didn’t ask me to inform you, only to put a position on the chart every two minutes.’

2. Crossing the Indian Ocean in command of an OBO, I left the standard night orders at the time which included the phrase ‘if in any doubt, at any time, call me’. I was not called during the night and woke to found the ship listed to port and slightly by the head. I went to the bridge and asked the second mate if he had noticed the situation. He told me that he had.

He said that it had been getting worse all night. I asked him why he hadn’t called me. ‘Because I was not in any doubt,’ he said. ‘We were definitely listing to port and going down by the head.’ It

Take part in the 2015 Nautilus

Celestial navigation — the only constant!

transpired that cargo had migrated from the hold into the topside tank at No 1 port through a failed sounding pipe.

3. One fine morning in the deep water route in the southern North Sea, the third mate called me to the bridge. Arriving on the bridge he told me he was lost. I looked at the chart and he had positions plotted up to 20 minutes before but couldn’t now fix the ship’s position. I satisfied myself that the ship was on course and in the channel and then took him to the bridge wing with the chart. I got him to identify visible gas rigs and then showed them how they were marked. I then got him to take bearings and radar distances and the position was fixed. He thanked me and I explained to him that he wasn’t lost, he was just not sure of his position and therefore was correct in calling

me. To lighten his mood I then said to him that if he called me, he must put the kettle on so I could have a coffee when I arrived on the bridge. A few months later we were in the Gulf of Mexico when he telephoned me to say he was not sure of his position. I went to the bridge. Unfortunately, he was lost — but at least the kettle was on!

Much has been done since then to improve the human element at sea, but humans don’t really change. Safety at sea is down to good seamanship, perhaps better communication than I displayed at the time, and an ability to get the ship from A to B with helm and engine only should all else fail. And in order to do that deepsea, celestial navigation is the only guaranteed constant.

GRAHAME HICKS mem no 131205

Book now for MN history day with Prof Tony Lane Professor Tony Lane, who recently retired as director of the Seafarers International Research Centre and who started adult life with the New Zealand Shipping Company, is providing a WEA one-day school entitled ‘The Role of the Merchant Navy in the two world wars’. g The school takes place on Saturday 25 April 2015 at Feering (mid-Essex) and runs from 1100-1530hrs, with a break for lunch. The charge of £10 covers the lectures, plus coffee and biscuits. Advance booking is advised, details at www.wea-essex.org.uk/ fedevents .

Any alerting of seafarers in London and East Anglia will be much appreciated.

JACK ISBESTER mem no 052732

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No 25%

This month’s poll asks: Do you think more use should be made of simulators to reduce seatime requirements for cadets? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

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Tales of the all too human element

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18/03/2015 15:20

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

‘Failing’crews need improved management and resources With full deference to Mr R. J. Harrop’s position and first-hand experience (Owners should not have to take the blame for the failings of crew, January letters) — as a retired fellow chief engineer, and project manager in a ship repair yard — I feel he is perhaps judging only what he sees and not looking beyond to the reasons for it.

You only have to read a few editions of the Telegraph to become starkly reminded that most of the drop in standards onboard is due to too few crew members (to cover additional tasks or sickness), doing too many hours (by acceptable shoreside practice) with too few personal resources (adequate training, experience and rest periods).

As a ex dockyard ship manager, I can also throw accurately into that mix: ships that were substandard before the current crew even boarded them; lack of spares, tools and equipment; lack of a common language (including most of the manuals and technical information); lack of a common culture, or at least an ethos to bond with; lack of communication with anyone ashore with the power or, indeed, willingness to help, and lack of decent food and cleaning materials. You thus have a recipe that would drain the best of us of the will to live, let alone fire up our motivation to do better.

As a cruiseship engineer in charge of engineroom maintenance, I came to realise that with the provision of adequate resources, the difference in what could be achieved with the crew onboard if they were properly motivated was the difference between night and day — motivation really could be everything!

Sometimes all it took was some petty grievances to be addressed, leading hands given some respect and some gentle and sincere appreciation offered when good work was carried out. Sometimes a single more difficult issue had to be resolved, sometimes a bad apple had to be stopped from contaminating the others or otherwise eased out of the barrel, but the end result was the same, most

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people wanted to work and do a good job and even be proud of it.

I do believe most human beings thrust into difficult circumstances want to do well and work to improve their lot, but they need the resources and leadership; being trapped on an unfamiliar ship with no one listening, with only the minimum of the (metaphorical) tools to do the job and barely any time to do it in, is a scary and de-motivating prospect.

As Mr Harrop states, leadership is lacking and nobody appears to give a toss, but the onus is on the shipowners to provide that leadership with properly trained and experienced personnel. Without that leadership and guidance individuals retreat into themselves and, naturally, try to look after number one, with disregard for everything else that doesn’t directly affect them.

How you encourage or even force shipping companies to supply what is needed is a much bigger conundrum. To make it more complex, it’s not just the owners, shipping companies and managing agencies that have a stake in this; governments, flag states, naval architects, classification societies and licensing authorities are all responsible in their way and all constrained by their own concerns.

IAN BIGGAR mem no 120340

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Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

ISSN 0040 2575 Published by Nautilus International Printed by William Gibbons.

Cruiseship safety update the article on the back of P the March Telegraph (Costa trial

I have just finished reading

obscured debate over safety) and have to say I am quite shocked at the comments of Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson: ‘This case may satisfy those with a blood lust, but the outcome deflects from the real issues and has obscured a muchneeded debate about the design, construction and operations of large passenger ships. There has been an absence of meaningful action to improve safety in response to the Costa Concordia

accident, and this trial has simply served as a distraction from the underlying issues.’

Let me start by stating that I completely agree with Mr Graveson’s comment about the satisfaction of blood lust. If we cast our minds back to the master of the stricken oil tanker Prestige who spent decades clearing his name in the Spanish courts, after some rather valiant efforts to save his crew and his ship we, as an industry, should be all too aware of society’s desperate need to have someone to blame.

Unfortunately in this case Captain Schettino did all too good a job of making himself a scapegoat and really his actions are unforgivable. However, how can any of us possibly know how each and every one of today’s passengership captains would react in such a terrible situation?

Although I am sure most, and after the Concordia, probably all, would never put their ship into such a position in the first place, I do believe no amount of training or experience can ever prepare you for what happened that night.

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Giving you a v oice on

your future

1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD t +44 (0)20 8989 6677 npa@nautilusint.org www.nautilusint.org

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

telegraph

What I was shocked about is Mr Graveson’s comments that very little is being done to improve cruiseship safety. I work for Carnival UK and can simply state that this is not the case.

Since 2012 Carnival Corporation has invested millions into training of its officers and crew and increasing the number of officers on many of its operating lines.

Currently the corporation boasts a very advanced training centre in Holland, where all officers from corporate operating lines are being sent for several simulator courses a year dealing with bridge/engine resource management, HELM operational and management courses and extensive ECDIS training.

Not only is this centre a place where officers are immersed into very realistic scenarios and are having their abilities tested, but it is also continually being used to improve the corporation’s voyage planning and BRM/ERM procedures to further improve safety. Furthermore, not satisfied with this, the largest centre for simulator training in the world is now under construction and will incorporate full integrated bridge and engine simulators to be run simultaneously. This is a huge investment in the future and I really don’t think these efforts should be cast aside.

Not only are our officers being trained extensively in Holland, but onboard the increase in training and drills since the Concordia accident is

immeasurable. The crew’s knowledge and abilities are continually being tested and bettered with various training courses and modules in place.

This is only a small extract of what I have seen being done, but the improvement continues and at a marked rate. No one is saying the industry is perfect, clearly it isn’t and some companies are further behind than others.

However, some positive acknowledgement of what is being done instead of continual chastising I think would be appreciated by many, including the corporation that has been most greatly affected and its employees.

Therefore I put it to Mr Graveson that simply suggesting that the debate is not being carried out is not quite accurate and, as ever, the industry is reacting. It may not be visible to those on the sidelines, but those on the front line are seeing the changes and they are continuous.

NAME & NO SUPPLIED Senior national secretary Allan Graveson replies: I greatly appreciate this letter and note that operational improvements have taken place since 2012. However, it is important that future generations of cruiseships are designed with improved watertight integrity and stability in mind. Similarly, we require improvements to evacuation procedures and life-saving appliances — including a lifeboat seat for every person onboard.

GENERAL SECRETARY Mark Dickinson MSc (Econ) HEAD OFFICE 1&2 The Shrubberies George Lane, South Woodford London E18 1BD tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 www.nautilusint.org NETHERLANDS OFFICE Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Postbus 8575, 3009 AN Rotterdam tel: +31 (0)10 4771188 fax: +31 (0)10 4773846 NORTHERN OFFICE Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 SWITZERLAND OFFICE Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 DEPARTMENT EMAILS general: enquiries@nautilusint.org membership: membership@nautilusint.org legal: legal@nautilusint.org telegraph: telegraph@nautilusint.org industrial: industrial@nautilusint.org youth: ymp@nautilusint.org welfare: welfare@nautilusint.org professional and technical: protech@nautilusint.org Nautilus International also administers the Nautilus Welfare Fund and the J W Slater Fund, which are registered charities.

18/03/2015 15:21

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

YOUR NEWS

Nautical knitters show off woolly hat wonders entries in the UK-based Nautical A Knit competition held to celebrate Pictured right are the winning

this year’s Woolly Hat Week.

Organised by the maritime welfare charity Sailors’ Society in partnership with Let’s Knit magazine, the competition asked knitters to design a hat with a maritime theme — and there was some impressive craftsmanship on show. The overall winning entry was submitted by

Sue Spencer, and the runner-up was Christine O’Neill. Their prizes were knitting magazine subscriptions.

Woolly Hat Week also prompted a surge in the production of conventional hats knitted by volunteers as a gift to visiting seafarers. Since the start of the event on 8 February, over 1,100 handknitted hats have been donated to the Sailors’ Society for distribution to seafarers’ centres in UK ports.

Runner-up design Depths of the Sea

Winning design Tropical Reef

MN family support group goes online organisation founded more P than 80 years ago to provide The Watch Ashore — an

support for wives and partners of UK Merchant Navy officers — has turned to social media to reach out to a new generation of members.

Established in 1933, the organisation has now moved into the 21st century, with a new website, a forum for its members and a programme to use social media to increase its outreach.

Thanks to help from the UK Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB), using a grant from the Merchant Navy Fund, key personnel have been given short training courses to enhance their online skills to support the programme.

MNWB chief executive Captain David Parsons commented: ‘Seafaring is a unique way of life and that applies no less to their wives and partners who manage all the affairs of the home and often a

Watch Ashore members from around the UK gather for a national event

family during lengthy, sometimes lonely, periods of absence. The Watch Ashore has long provided an opportunity for mutual support and companionship through a limited number of branches. Now its network can be extended nationwide through social networking and modern

communications.’

Watch Ashore chair Chris Rankin added: ‘The Watch Ashore is a valuable support network for all those whose loved ones are serving at sea, but we would greatly welcome more members who might benefit from belonging to our organisation. A

busy social programme, soon to be backed up with the new website and forum, will hopefully attract new members.’

The Watch Ashore was formed to lobby for reforms in the Merchant Navy, and important changes are still required to make life better for serving seafarers and their families, Mrs Rankin stressed. Families, for instance, are experiencing difficulty with the hard line taken by head teachers over children being taken out of school when seafaring parents are on leave in term time, she pointed out.

At its peak, the Watch Ashore had 16 branches around the UK. It now has branches in six UK ports — Plymouth, Southampton, Glasgow, London, Edinburgh and the Humber — and members all around the country, providing mutual support and friendship for those whose loved ones are away at sea. g The new website can be found at: www.watchashore.org

Help to build your career with the Slater Fund…

If you’re working at sea and want to train as a ship’s officer, the Nautilus Slater Fund is just the ticket.

There’s even a discretionary £1,500 bonus payment when you make it through the course and gain your OOW certificate.

The bursary scheme offers financial support to Merchant Navy ratings, electrotechnical officers and yacht crew to study for the STCW officer of the watch qualification (either deck or engineer).

The support is provided through the JW Slater Fund, named in honour of a former Nautilus general secretary. Slater Fund awards have been made to over 1,400 seafarers since the scheme was launched in 1997, and these recipients are now enjoying the enhanced salaries and job satisfaction that come from rising through the ranks.

Up to £17,500 per applicant is available to help with the costs of gaining your first certificate of competency.

Maybe you need a hand with tuition fees or buying books — or would welcome a boost to your income if you’re off pay during college phases.

18_your news_SR edit.indd 18

g So if you’r e looking to become an officer of the watch, don’t leave things to chance.

Fill in the form now or apply via the Nautilus website: www.nautilusint.org

Cunard celebration mark the 175th anniversary C of the first departure of a Cunard Commemorative events to

ship from Liverpool kicked off last month with Mayor Joe Anderson and Cunard director Angus Struthers hoisting a specially-commissioned 175 Flag above the Cunard Building at the Pier Head.

The Cunard Building — which served as the Company’s headquarters from 1916 to

1967 — will play a key role in the celebrations. The building, one of the famous Three Graces on the Pier Head Waterfront — a UNESCO World Heritage site — will mark its own 100th anniversary in June 2016.

The celebrations will climax on 25 May when Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth will arrive in the Mersey for a special one-off event on the Liverpool waterfront.

Dementia developments Museum’s Merchant Navy A memory box, which has been

Pictured above is Liverpool

Complete this form and send it to: Slater Fund, The Marine Society, 202 Lambeth Road, London SE1 7JW. I am over 20 years of age and normally resident in the UK. Please send me details of the John Slater Award.

Name: _________________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________

Email:

_________________________________________________________________________________

This form is also available online at: www.nautilusint.org or email your name, address and request for Slater Fund details to: slater@ms-sc.org

produced with input from staff and residents at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park estate in Wallasey.

The memory box is part of the UK-wide House of Memories scheme, in which museums and libraries provide materials and training for carers supporting older people with dementia.

In the Merseyside area, it is fairly common for these carers to be working with retired seafarers, so the Liverpool Museum spotted a need for a Merchant Navy box.

And who better to advise on the contents of the box than the residents of nearby Mariners’ Park? ‘Our expert career-long seafarers were on hand to help, and gave the museum lots of their maritime memories and knowledge,’ said Jane Davies, the Park’s registered manager for care services. ‘The House of Memories were able to get some first-hand

advice and listened to some of our seafarers’ most cherished memories.’

The box has already been used in at least one local care home to help an elderly seafarer with dementia talk and reminisce about his time at sea.

‘The carer found the memory box to be an invaluable tool for this seafarer,’ noted Ms Davies, ‘and it gave them a real opportunity to get to know the person as an individual, as a seaman.’

As well as helping with the House of Memories scheme, the Nautilus Welfare Fund is now offering its own dementia care services — both in the Mariners’ Park Care Home and in the estate’s independent housing. Recent developments have seen dementia champion Nicola Burns recruiting and training Dementia Friends, volunteers who help others with dementia in their community. There are also plans to start a regular dementia café in the hobbies room of the Trinity House Hub, and to host a performance of Let Me Stay, a play by Julie McNamara about living with Alzheimer’s disease.

18/03/2015 16:31

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

All OK at MCA, says chief After hearing Sir Alan Massey’s bland responses to questioning by the House of Commons Transport Committee last month, Nautilus is planning to continue campaigning against staffing cuts and budget shortfalls at the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency…

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Concerns raised by Nautilus and the RMT union over staffing and resources for the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency were at the heart of a special meeting staged by the House of Commons transport committee last month.

MCA chief executive Sir Alan Massey and Ian Woodman, head of the Department for Transport’s maritime directorate, were questioned by MPs for an hour in a one-off evidence session as part of the committee’s inquiry into the work of the MCA. Committee chairwoman Louise Ellman said the hearing had been called in response to serious concerns about the potential impact on safety of the government’s reforms to the Coastguard service. ‘I am increasingly disturbed by reports of low staff morale and am alarmed by reports of the breakdown in the national system at Fareham on Sunday 8 February,’ she added.

Ms Ellman suggested that a statement prepared by the MCA in response to these concerns ‘could be seen as rather complacent’. The seven-page document rejected criticism of the changes and argued that there is ‘no evidence to suggest that there has been any loss of search and rescue capability or responsiveness, either within or outside the new national network’.

‘Complacent is the last thing we are,’ Sir Alan told the meeting.

‘This has always been an ambitious programme and not without risks, but I am very pleased with the progress that we have made.’

The MCA plans to complete the four-year Future Coastguard Programme transition by the end of this year, he added. The new National Maritime Operations Centre started up in September last year, and an associated programme of closures of maritime rescue and coordination centres at Forth, Clyde, Great Yarmouth, Solent, Portland, Brixham, Liverpool, Swansea and Thames is well underway.

Sir Alan said core ‘performance indicators’ — such as 30 minutes to muster a Coastguard rescue team and helicopter readiness standards — have been maintained. But Ms Ellman said the committee had been given evidence showing that staffing levels at some Coastguard stations have been falling below risk-assessed minimums.

The MCA leader described the watch manning standards as ‘old fashioned’ and argued that the criteria used to define the worst-case requirements are ‘irrelevant’ now that there are pairing arrangements to enable Coastguard stations to share resources in the event of a major incident.

Sir Alan said the MCA has made ‘excellent progress’ in recruiting new Coastguards,

and there are also plans to update the Code by the end of this year.

Asked about the way in which the Agency maintains standards on flags within the Red Ensign Group, Sir Alan said periodic audits are undertaken. If shortcomings are found, the MCA works with the flag authorities to bring them up to the required standards — and sanctions can be imposed as a last resort, he added.

Committee members also raised concerns about the loss of emergency towing vessels (ETVs) at key locations around the UK

MCA chief executive Sir Alan Massey

and more than 175 existing staff have been promoted as part of an improved career structure, delivering better pay and conditions and higher standards of training.

The enhanced responsibilities of the new roles go well beyond search and rescue, he explained, and include vessel traffic management, maritime surveillance and the provision of safety warnings.

Questioned about the communication problems on 8 February, Sir Alan admitted that the MCA had been unable to broadcast on VHF Channel 16 for about two hours because of a ‘software glitch’. However, he said, contingency plans had worked, the 999 service and digital alerting options were unaffected, and

SAR capability had been maintained by deploying Coastguard officers to remote radio sites.

‘It was a timely and d salutary reminder that we must not let go of some of the old-fashioned back-up methods if things go wrong,’ he told the MPs. ‘I am very conscious that we provide a life or death emergency service and confident that we are doing that well.’

Ms Ellman said the committee had also raised concerns over pilotage and the role of competent harbour authorities in some ports. Mr Woodman said the frequency of Port Marine Safety Code checks has been increased from four a year to eight a year

The MCA has launched a recruitment campaign in a bid to fill more 300 vacancies for volunteer Coastguard rescue officers across the UK

coast as a result of spending cuts in 2011. Sir Alan said the government had taken the view that it was for the shipping industry to manage and mitigate the risks posed by its operations.

He said he was satisfied that commercial tugs, French tugs and the RNLI had been able to provide appropriate support — although a single ETV had been

reinstated in the Orkney Islands to respond to ships in difficulty in Scottish waters, and funding for this will remain in place until April 2016.

‘No ship has grounded or sunk, nor has any pollution arisen, because of the lack of an available tow,’ the MCA briefing stated.

Nautilus has raised particular concerns over shortfalls in MCA surveyor numbers, and Sir Alan admitted that the Agency is under-staffed by around 20 full-time equivalent posts. A bid for additional funding for some extra positions ‘in some aspects of survey and inspection’ is being made, he told the MPs. Mr Woodman said the DfT is also planning to update work showing the value of the Support for Maritime Training scheme.

‘We have just seen a small increase in the number of UK seafarers active at sea for the first time in many years,’ he added.

‘This reverses a trend which had been downhill for a very long time and is a sign that we have begun to turn the corner and will do better in future.

‘We have made progress, but we are very conscious that training remains a tremendous challenge,’ Mr Woodman told the committee. ‘Skilled seafarers are very important for the UK’s ability to maintain its position as a world maritime centre and we remain concerned that we could fall behind.’

Mr Woodman said the government had launched the Maritime Growth Study to examine ways in which the UK can continue to be a global leader in key shipping services. ‘Although the UK is still a major maritime centre, it is clearly under threat from places like Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong,’ he warned. ‘There is evidence, such as a recent decline in the UK flag, that our position is beginning to deteriorate and others have caught up with us. So we are looking to improve our game.’

MCA cuts are making UK a third-rate nation at IMO, warns Union secretary Allan Graveson A said he had been disappointed by Nautilus senior national

last month’s House of Commons transport committee hearing. ‘I think a great deal of complacency was demonstrated in answering what were relatively light questions posed by the MPs,’ he added.

‘Serious questions concerning the capability and the capacity of the MCA were not really addressed by the committee in any depth,’ he argued.

‘There was a total absence of any future thinking about the provision of maritime search and rescue aircraft, including long-range capability beyond helicopter range, and provision for the rescue of significant numbers of survivors in the event of

19_mca.indd Sec1:19

a major passengership or ferry incident.’

Mr Graveson said there is clear evidence of gross under-staffing at the Agency, and the Union is concerned that this threatens the UK’s obligations under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on port state control.

‘The ability of the MCA to adequately represent the UK at the International Maritime Organisation must also be questioned, given the current lack of experienced personnel,’ he added.

‘Increasingly, the UK is becoming a third-rate nation amongst the member states at the IMO in terms of both the quantity and quality of its participation.’

Picture: Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Coastguard helicopters take over SAR providing the new civilian UK search and F rescue (SAR) helicopter service, which was launched Pictured above is one of the helicopters

from a base at Humberside Airport last month.

The service is being operated for HM Coastguard by Bristow Helicopters, under a 10-year contract awarded by the Department for Transport. The company is

running the helicopters from 10 bases located close to areas of high SAR incident rates, which are going live in a phased approach from 1 April this year.

The first bases to open will be at Humberside and Inverness. Other bases at Caernarfon and Kent will go live on 1 July 2015, followed by St Athan on 1 October 2015. Prestwick and Newquay will become

operational on 1 January 2016 and the remaining three bases at Lee-on-Solent, Sumburgh and Stornoway will follow in 2017.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the Union remains concerned about the location of bases and the lift and range of the helicopters used to operate the service.

18/03/2015 17:41

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

MARITIME RESCUE

Helping us do our duty United Nations agencies have agreed an action plan to address concerns about the risks to merchant ships and seafarers posed by the growing problem of unsafe migrant boats. DEBBIE CAVALDORO reports...

K

One of the most fiercely observed laws of the sea is the obligation for seafarers to go to the aid of others in danger at sea: ‘There, but for the grace of God, go I’.

But this obligation has been placed under huge strain in the last couple of years as the sheer number of migrants taking to the water in unseaworthy vessels comes into conflict with another key concern for seafarers — those onboard their own vessel.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) hosted a meeting in London last month, with other UN agencies involved in migration, to develop ways to tackle the sharp rise in unsafe migration at sea, and support the maritime industry, which is currently dealing with the problem in isolation.

‘It is a fact, undisputed and clearly understood, that migration has been part of history since the beginning of mankind,’ said IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu, opening the conference.

‘History has shown that migrants contribute to economic growth and human development in both home and host countries and can enrich societies by bringing cultural diversity,’ he added.

‘But with rights come responsibilities; and it is the responsibility of all those seeking a better life in another country to do so within a proper legal framework.

‘Sadly for all concerned, what we see in the Mediterranean today, and in other parts of the world, is a large increase of irregular migration, in which not only are such procedures completely ignored but huge numbers of people take to the sea in craft that are clearly not fit for the purpose, placing their own lives and those of their rescuers in danger, and putting unacceptable strain on those who have to cope with them.’

Last year more than 200,000 people were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea after getting into difficulties undertaking unsafe, irregular and illegal sea passages, and more than 650 merchant ships were diverted from their routes to rescue those in peril.

Mr Sekimizu warned that the sheer size and scale of unsafe migration across the Mediterranean is at breaking point, and the knock-on effect on trade, the economy and the global supply chain could not be underestimated.

‘Merchant ships generally have small crews and are not configured to carry, feed and care for large numbers of people, many of whom are desperate, under stress and potentially violent,’ he added.

‘Ships are inherently dangerous places for those not used to them, and threats of disease, terrorists and criminals will play on the minds of the seafarers.’

Learn MCA theory at sea or at home MCA Master 200 MCA OOW < 3000 GT MCA Celestial Navigation MCA/RYA Yachtmaster www.oceantraining.com enquiries@oceantraining.com

20_migration.indd Sec2:20

An Italian navy boat rescues 186 people from countries including Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal, Ethiopia, Sudan, Malaysia and Syria Picture: UNHCR

Mr Sekimizu said he had invited other UN agencies concerned with human rights, asylum-seekers, refugees, and people–trafficking to come together, as solutions could only be found through inter-agency working and the involvement of governments and industry.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided more background on the numbers and locations of people undertaking these unsafe passages. The past five years have seen nearly 3m people fleeing the war in Syrian and entering neighbouring countries. As the pressure on neighbouring countries increases, large numbers are now looking to Europe.

‘Many of those seeking to reach Europe by sea depart from Libya, [a country itself affected by] deep political divisions, failing state institutions, heavy fighting, rising insecurity and criminality,’ said Volker Türk, assistant high commissioner at the UNHCR. ‘Syrian refugees are afraid to remain in Libya and try to seek safety elsewhere. Criminal smugglers have taken advantage of this situation as a business opportunity.’

Mr Türk added that desperate people would continue to take to the sea as they simply do not see safer options available to them.

‘And when they do, their lives, safety and human dignity must be protected,’ he said. ‘International law must be upheld, and anyone in distress must be rescued and brought to a safe place.’

He called on port states to provide better and more predictable arrangements for disembarking rescued people, and for shipping companies to be compensated, or port fees to be waived, when ships are involved in rescue operations.

Yury Fedotov, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), agreed that migration by sea had become so dangerous because smuggling operations were organised by ‘cold-blooded criminals with no regard for human life’.

‘In a recent incident involving some 700 migrants, it was reported that people had paid up to US$5,000 each for the journey from Turkey to Italy,’ he said. ‘That would equal some $3.5m made from the desperation of migrants.’

He proposed a five-point plan to address the issue, which covered: z research and analysis to identify trends and flows, and gaps in responses z strengthening national capacities to bring legislation in line and develop an effective criminal justice response z promoting regional and interregional cooperation z ensuring alignment and synergies with coordination mechanisms to address challenges at the global level z enhancing capacities to protect the rights of smuggled migrants ‘There are no simple solutions to this crisis,’ Mr Fedotov added.

‘Long-term, continuous and comprehensive effort, sustained by adequate resources, is needed.’

Gilbert Houngbo, deputy director-general of the International Labour Organisation (ILO),

said he was concerned in the short-term about the effect the rise in unsafe migration is having on the seafarers who bear the burden of rescuing them.

‘Although seafarers are not trained for such large-magnitude rescue operations and their ships do not always have such additional capacity, they rescue lives because of their humanitarian concern and historic duty,’ he pointed out. ‘Yet the challenges posed by the tens of thousands needing rescue are compounded by the lack of adequate official response, which has clearly shifted the burden onto seafarers and the shipping industry for these operations. This is neither fair nor sustainable.

‘The inability to disembark rescued and unscheduled passengers in a timely fashion affects seafarers’ living quarters and their provisioning of food. [It also has] implications for their rest hours, nutrition and health.’

K

As well as UN representatives, the meeting was also attended by IMO member states and maritime representative bodies.

IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu addresses the special UN agency conference last month

Laurent Muschel, from the European Commission’s directorate for maritime affairs, said that migrants need to be made aware that it was ‘suicide to go to sea in a small rubber dinghy in the middle of winter, not knowing how to swim and with no lifejackets’.

International Chamber of Shipping secretary-general Peter Hinchliffe likened the situation to that faced by the maritime industry following the sharp rise in piracy off the coast of Somalia from 2008. He said he hoped lessons had been learned so that it wouldn’t take the international community two years to agree to work together to tackle the issue.

Following two days of discussions, a series of action points were agreed, including interim measures to improve communications and establish a database to gather statistical information on the extent of the problem. The meeting also agreed to produce campaign materials for migrants to raise awareness of the danger and the inherent risk of unseaworthy sea crossings arranged by people smugglers.

In the longer term, the organisations agreed that capacitybuilding in the countries of departure would be essential to reduce the flow of migrants.

In his closing remarks Mr Sekimizu agreed that the situation is similar to that which had arisen around piracy and the collective will of governments and the international community to take action is essential.

‘The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia generated the interest of governments and maintained the willingness and determination of international community to take action against Somali piracy,’ he pointed out. ‘In order to take effective concerted action to the problem at hand in the Mediterranean, we also need a forum of governments, UN agencies and industry.

‘The agreement among UN agencies is really just the first step and, in my view, this is a small but important step forward.’

18/03/2015 17:42

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

SEAFARER TRAINING

Yacht crew need funds too M

The superyacht sector is often seen as glamorous and awash with money. But many seafarers seeking to pursue a career in this part of the maritime industry have faced a financial struggle because of the lack of traditional cadetships or training support schemes.

Happily, this situation is now changing. Over the past decade, charities and training bodies have worked to develop a structured training programme for young people seeking to become professional superyacht crew.

And last month the Isle of Wight-based youth charity and training provider UKSA joined forces with Trinity House to launch a new scheme to help with the costs of securing qualifications — the Professional Yacht Cadetship Bursary (PYCB).

Speaking at the launch event, UKSA maritime training ambassador Commodore David Squire stressed the growing demand for well-trained maritime professionals in the superyacht sector. There are already 5,000 vessels between 30m and 90m, with a maximum tonnage of 3,000gt, and a further 367 due to be delivered over the next two years, he pointed out.

The MLC and the STCW convention requirements have generated further demand for properly qualified and competent crew, Cmdre Squire added.

‘Traditionally, crew would have to follow their own paths to qualification, with little financial or advisory support available,’ he noted.

However, in 2005 UKSA had recognised the need to create a dedicated training route for individuals wanting to become deck officers in the superyacht fleet. The four year programme is a career path to STCW II/1 Officer of the Watch (Yacht <3,000GT) and onward to STCW II/2 Master (Yacht <3,000GT) qualification, and was designed in consultation with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Cadets also have the opportunity to undertake a Plymouth University foundation degree in operational yacht science, leading to a full BSc if required.

As a result of partnerships with a wide range of industry organisations, UKSA now has more than 140 cadets at various stages of training — and many graduates are now forging successful careers.

Superyacht cadets are typically aged between 18 and 25, and many have experience in watersports or yachting, Sea Cadets or Sea Scouts, or have completed the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. ‘Others, having never had access to these opportunities, simply have the drive and determination to succeed,’ Cmdre Squire said.

A new scheme has been launched to help young people with the costs of qualifying as a superyacht deck officer.

ANDREW LININGTON heard how the project aims to deliver a new generation of skilled professionals for the sector…

Former MN officer Captain Richard Bridge described the transition into the superyacht sector

Phase 1 UKSA cadets at the Professional Yacht Cadetship Bursary launch at Trinity House

UKSA maritime training ambassador Commodore David Squire speaks at the launch event

inevitably cannot always help everyone that we would like to,’ he added.

‘We wish to collaborate to develop capacity and funding for the PYCB in supporting young people into careers in professional yachting,’ he said. ‘The training is not cheap, and we do not benefit from any government support for maritime training similar to that provided for the training of Merchant Navy officers and ratings.’

Cmdre Squire said UKSA is also working hard to raise awareness of the career route among young people — visiting schools and colleges and forging partnerships with organisations such as the Sea Cadets to encourage school leavers to consider training for the superyacht sector. It is also work-

Around one-third of each year’s intake of UKSA cadets receives funding from Trinity House and Seafarers UK, and the new bursary scheme is a refinement of the Trinity House Leisure Industry Nautical Cadet Scheme, first launched in 2008, introducing the term ‘professional’ and underpinning it with a dedicated fund.

The original Trinity House bursary covered all training and associated costs until the cadet secured their first OOW certificate. The new scheme reflects

the fact that cadets ‘earn while they learn’ when serving as deck crew during sea phases, and it now covers the funding for the first phase at UKSA only — offering what Cmdre Squire described as a ‘financial starter for those who would not otherwise have been able to afford the £15,000 needed to pay for this course.

‘The shortage of funding available for the individuals that apply to us each year is a big issue, and although we work with them to find solutions we

ing to develop mentoring programmes to support cadets during their training.

Captain Richard Bridge, who served in the Merchant Navy before switching to the superyacht sector, told the launch event that the professional yacht cadetship scheme should improve the perception of the sector. ‘Everybody thinks it is just a lot of fun,’ he added. ‘It is fun, but it is also a lot of hard work and it is no longer a leisure industry. Vessels today are fitted with DP systems, submarines, helicopters and tenders — they need specialist training and qualified people to look after them.’

Capt Bridge said he had followed a traditional MN cadetship and worked on vessels including containerships, gas tankers and cruiseships before he moved into superyachts. ‘It is a very different job,’ he pointed out. ‘It is exciting and fun, but it has a lot of challenges and it makes a big difference if you understand the needs of the owners.’

However, he added, the opportunity for yacht cadets to gain experience onboard merchant ships would be useful. ‘I would also like to see a more defined pathway beyond the 3,000gt limit,’ he said.

UKSA industry and cadetship manager Emma Baggett said she had spent 12 years at sea before moving into training. ‘It is an extraordinary industry which offers remarkable opportunities,’ she added. ‘People can get an enormous amount of responsibility at a young age, but the barrier remains of the cost of training.’

f For more details, visit the website: www.uksa.org

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18/03/2015 15:22

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

EUROPEAN SHIPPING WEEK

Flying the flag for high standards EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc

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Industry leaders and unions join EU policymakers for a series of events seeking to secure the future of European shipping as a leader in quality and innovation...

Europe has launched a top-level review of its maritime policies — and shipping industry organisations staged a week of events last month to press the case for action to head off growing competition from other parts of the world.

The inaugural European Shipping Week (ESW) aimed to bring a broad spread of the maritime sector together to give MEPs and Commission officials a united message about the importance of supporting shipping and seafarers.

A joint statement was issued by the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), the European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA), the Cruise Lines International Association, the European Tugowners’ Association, the European Dredging Association, Interferry, and the World Shipping Council. The statement stressed the need for Brussels to deliver a ‘stable and predictable’ fiscal and regulatory regime for the industry.

The seven organisations called for the European Commission to re-evaluate the industry’s sustainability and recognise the environmental benefits that shipping can offer by shifting more cargo and passengers to water transport.

They also highlighted the need to invest in maritime skills to support shipboard and shore-based needs. ‘Without a new generation of seafarers and shore-based shipping personnel, the whole maritime cluster stands to lose its know-how,’ the statement warned. ‘The key objective must be the improvement of the attractiveness of the seafaring profession,

“

To make the profession more attractive, we must tackle shore leave restrictions and criminalisation

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which can be achieved, among others, through the reduction and streamlining of administrative formalities and the fight against the risk of criminalisation of seafarers following maritime accidents or discriminatory restrictions on shore leave.’

At the ESW conference, Greek shipowner John Lyras said there is a strong need for closer cooperation between the industry and those who regulate it. And Royal Caribbean Cruise Line president Adam Goldstein argued that regulators need to have a better understanding of how their decisions affect ships.

DFDS chief executive Niels Smedegaard said the industry needs to be more politically proactive within Europe. ‘We know exactly what we want and what we

don’t want. There is a whole string of things coming in, but because we don’t engage enough we are at the end of the stick all the time,’ he added.

Esben Poulsson, from the Singapore Shipping Association, said Singapore’s successful development as an international maritime centre owes much to a close relationship between government and industry.

ECSA president Thomas Rehder said few industries could match shipping’s economic contribution, and the tonnage tax had been hugely successful in safeguard merchant shipping within the EU. But Carnival UK chairman David Dingle warned that introducing stricter tonnage tax rules could ‘tip it over the edge’ and push owners to other parts of the world. ‘We have to be careful about the connection between tonnage tax and flag links or employment links, and that we don’t move into the world of protectionism,’ he stressed. ‘We should not make the conditions too tight or too easy for our competitors to outdo.’

The owners also urged the European Commission to open up global markets — including the US trades protected by the Jones Act. ‘A US-flag ship can come to Europe and ply its trade between and within member states here, but it is not reciprocal,’ Mr Lyras complained.

The ESW conference was addressed by several leading EU policymakers, who all acknowledged the importance of the maritime sector. Joao Aguiar Machado, director-general of the European Commission’s mobility and transport directorate (DG Move),

said the industry is ‘key to growth and employment’.

But, he cautioned, there are significant challenges — including continuing concerns over safety, crewing issues, and technological innovation.

Fotis Karamitsos, DG Move’s acting deputy director, said Europe is committed to high standards, with the state aid guidelines helping to preserve competitiveness and employment. However, he admitted, the EU lacks the ‘appropriate’ level of coordination at the IMO and member states need to work more closely to promote quality shipping.

The industry statement also appealed for further action to create a ‘European maritime transport space without barriers’ — removing ‘burdensome’ red tape and customs procedures which place shipping at a disadvantage when compared with other modes of transport, resulting in huge productivity losses and placing unnecessary stress on maritime professionals.

Transport commissioner Violeta Bulc said the Commission is working on ways to better integrate shipping into the wider transport chain, and it wants to deliver the ‘space without barriers’ by 2020.

The Commission recognises the importance of tonnage tax, she added, and is determined to ensure that Europe retains a highly qualified seafaring workforce. ‘The constant decrease in EU seafarer numbers is worrying,’ Ms Bluc told the conference. ‘Seafarers are the foundation of the maritime industry and without them we lack critical know-how — not only at sea, but also in maritime businesses on shore.’

Europe ‘still leads world onsafety’ want to see cheapness K prevail at the expense

European citizens do not

of shipping safety, a top Commission official told the ESW conference.

Joao Aguiar Machado is head of the mobility and transport directorate (DG Move). He said the Commission plans to continue leading the world on maritime safety and will be seeking further improvements to safety in the wake of the fire onboard the ferry Norman Atlantic at the end of last year (pictured left).

The accident — in which as many as 30 people died — demonstrated the importance of strict rules for damage stability, he argued.

Mr Machado pointed to the results of a new EU-wide survey of public perceptions about maritime safety. Feedback from almost 28,000 people in all the EU member states showed that the industry is generally regarded as safe, he noted.

‘Nobody is prepared to pay less for their ticket price at the

22-23_spread_SR edit.indd 22

expense of safety,’ he added. ‘We have suffered enough shipping accidents to appreciate that.’

The Eurobarometer survey showed that 68% of Europeans citizens think that cruiseships and passenger ferries are safe.

Competence of the captain and crew and availability of lifesaving appliances were seen as the two most important factors in increasing confidence about safety, followed by the quality and age of the vessel.

Just under one in five respondents (18%) said the quality of sea or river transport in their country had stayed the same over the last five years, while 14% said it had improved, and 6% said it had deteriorated.

Researchers found that only 25% of those questioned had been a passenger on a commercial ship or boat in the past 12 months. Maltese nationals were the most likely to have travelled by sea (78%) and Bulgarians the least likely (6%).

Just over 40% of Dutch people had travelled by ship or boat, but only 29% of UK residents.

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18/03/2015 16:32

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

EUROPEAN SHIPPING WEEK

Europe ‘can radically cut pollution and deaths at sea’ cut deaths at sea by 90% and L emissions from shipping by between An ambitious programme to

Economic contribution ofshipping ‘is often overlooked’ and contributes around €147bn a year to the EU economy, K according to a research report published during European European shipping supports more than two million jobs

Shipping Week.

An updated study produced by Oxford Economics for the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) found that for every €1m the European shipping industry contributes to GDP itself, it creates another €1.6m elsewhere in the EU economy.

Researchers said that EU shipping supports some 2.2m jobs

at sea and ashore in the wider maritime cluster. The industry directly employs more workers than the aviation sector and of the 501,000 seafaring jobs it creates, 42% are officer positions and 44% are filled by EU or EEA nationals.

Of the 615,000 people directly employed in the EU shipping industry, the report estimates that 62% are involved in freight transport (including towing and dredging), 26% in passenger transport, and 11% in service and offshore support activities.

While the EU-controlled fleet grew by 74% in gross tonnage

terms between 2005 and 2014, the number of jobs increased by just 25% over the same period. The study suggests the different rates reflect increases in productivity and automation within the fleet.

Commenting on the report, ECSA secretary-general Patrick Verhoeven said: ‘Europe controls the world’s largest and most innovative fleet of ships. This very important fact is often overlooked, despite the fact that it plays a key role in the economic impact of our industry on the European economy.’

80% to 100% has been launched by a coalition of more than 50 companies, research institutes and industry organisations.

The Vessels for the Future programme seeks to make innovation the key to the future for European shipping and to cement the region as the ‘know-how hub of the world’ for maritime technology.

Launched during European Shipping Week, the initiative aims to develop a coordinated approach to research and development for shipping and inland waterways, and to harness new technologies to improve the competitiveness of both sectors.

Tor Egil Svensen, CEO of the classification society DNV-GL, said Europe still controls the majority of the world merchant fleet — but it needs to become ‘an innovative motor’ to retain its global lead.

Vessels for the Future is looking at ways of using new materials and processes, fuels and propulsion systems, information and communication technology, energy management and novel ship design concepts to boost industrial competitiveness and job creation.

Mr Svensen said the programme is also a positive response to the public’s ‘zero-tolerance’ to shipping accidents and pollution.

Although the industry has dramatically improved its record since losses such as the Erika and Prestige, around 900 people are killed working at sea each year, and he suggested that there is potential to cut this by around 90%.

The initiative also aims to cut CO2 emissions by 80% and SOx and NOx by 100% by 2050, he added.

Tonnage tax ‘should not be a no-strings handout’ supply of seafaring skills and experience for I the future, Nautilus told the European Shipping Europe must do more if it is to safeguard its

Week conference.

Almost 20 years after former EU transport commissioner Neil Kinnock warned that the European seafarer was an endangered species, recruitment and training numbers are still struggling to come anywhere near the levels required to plug the growing gap between supply and demand, said general secretary Mark Dickinson.

‘Let’s face it, we don’t even know for sure how many seafarers there are in the EU,’ he pointed out. ‘But what we do know is that their share of the global maritime labour market is diminishing, that their numbers — even on EU-owned or flagged vessels — are declining.’

Cut-price competition is undermining long traditions of maritime expertise across Europe, Mr Dickinson said. ‘The shortages of EU seafarers are feeding through to the wider maritime cluster, which depends on seafaring skills and expertise for its future sustainability,’ he added. ‘As shorebased services — many of them safety-critical — struggle to get the qualified personnel they need, a wages race develops which in turn fuels the drift from sea to shore.’

Too many member states are failing to take full advantage of the state aid guidelines, Mr Dickinson told the conference, and it is important to shatter the myth that young people are not interested in seafaring.

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Mark Dickinson addresses the ESW conference

‘The real problem is not a shortage of bright and able young EU seafarers but instead a shortage of opportunities for them and a

shortage of committed shipowners providing training, secure employment and on-going careers,’ he argued.

Mr Dickinson said it is time to end the obsession with making EU seafarers globally competitive by asking them to take lower wages.

Instead, the concept of the internal market should be applied to ensure that European manning standards are enforced on all ships operating between EU member states.

EU state aid guidelines should also be linked to rules that require the training and employment of EU seafarers in return for fiscal support, Mr Dickinson said. ‘When you see how much the tonnage tax is worth to shipping companies, we don’t believe it is unreasonable to require that they should provide training and jobs in return. Let’s reward those who demonstrate their commitment to training and employment, rather than giving no-strings handouts to all and sundry.’

Stena Sphere chief executive Dan Sten Olsson said owners are concerned about the need to attract new talent into the industry, and his company had invested €80m in a new training centre in Glasgow. ‘It is essential that we keep a certain level of EU seafarers,’ he added, ‘but that has to be balanced against costs.’

Pia Voss, from the Danish owners’ association, echoed this point — stressing that EU owners are operating in global markets. ‘That’s why it is so important that there is a flexible regulatory framework,’ she argued. ‘Shipowners’ ability to

compete is very much linked to vessel operating costs and labour costs are a big factor in that.

We need to be realistic. It is a highly competitive business.’

It is also important to note that Europe does not have a monopoly on seafaring skills, Ms Voss stated. ‘The EU can help to make seafaring careers more attractive and guarantee that maritime education in Europe is at the highest possible levels.’

French shipowner Philippe Louis–Dreyfus suggested that the future for EU shipping lies with highly skilled crews and high-tech sophisticated new tonnage. His company had managed to double the number of jobs for officers by switching from bulk trades to specialist vessels such as cable-layers and seismic survey ships.

Tineke Netelenbos, president of the Dutch owners’ association KVNR, spoke of the Nautilusbacked Sea Legs scheme in the Netherlands to promote seafaring careers among young people.

This had helped to deliver a 25% increase in the number of students at maritime colleges, she added, supported by a promise of cadetships on Dutch ships and a guarantee of employment.

‘It’s not always an easy promise,’ she admitted, ‘but it works. However, we need to think about innovation in training and a greater use of simulators instead of seatime because of the difficulties in finding berths on ships for cadets.’

Thomas Abrahamsson, from the Swedish union SEKO, warned that the very existence of maritime clusters within Europe would be at risk if

Tineke Netelenbos, president of the Dutch owners’ association KVNR

seafarer numbers continue to decline. He said the EU should redefine the concept of voyages within Europe to end the unfair competition arising from opening up intra-EU services to international competition.

18/03/2015 16:32

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | i

NAUTILUS GM 2015

We speak, the industry listens A

The 2015 Nautilus International General Meeting (GM) is due to be held in Liverpool in October — taking place under the banner ‘jobs, skills and the future’ — and we want you to be there!

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Held every four years, the General Meeting is where the future agenda of the Union is determined. It is the place where full members get the chance to determine what policies and priorities Nautilus should pursue.

The GM is a conference where

General secretary Mark Dickinson is looking forward to a lively conference you can share your views on the shipping industry and the issues that directly affect you at work, network with fellow seafarers and meet influential figures from the world of shipping and beyond.

The 2015 GM will be held at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool — with members assembling on Monday 5 October and departing on the morning of Thursday 8 October. Following feedback

from members attending previous events, the conference will feature a lively programme of presentations and debates, and speeches from a few leading industry figures.

These pages give you the chance to make sure that the issues which really matter will be discussed, debated and decided upon — setting an agenda for action on anything from pay and conditions to

criminalisation, or fatigue to piracy. Please use the forms here to submit a motion to the conference or to confirm your attendance. You can even bring a guest for £10.

Attending the GM needn’t put you out of pocket. Nautilus can provide assistance with travel and accommodation costs, to ensure that the meeting is attended by a representative cross-section of full members from throughout the industry.

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GM 2015: it’s influential, it’s interesting and it’s enjoyable. Join us there.

Notice — 2015 Rules General Meeting Rule 28 that Council has K determined that the 2015 Nautilus Notice is hereby given under

Rules General Meeting will be held at the Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN on Wednesday 7 October 2015 commencing at 17.00hrs (or to follow the General Meeting).

Under Regulation 10.3 full members may submit proposals for changes. Such proposals from full members must be submitted in writing, signed by at least four full members in benefit and reach the General Secretary at head office by no later than 17:00hrs Friday 3 July 2015.

Attendance at GM 2015

Voor aanwezigheid AV 2015

Teilnahme an GM 2015

This form should be completed and returned to Adele McDonald, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. Email: conference@nautilusint.org .

Dit formulier moet worden ingevuld en verzonden naar Adele McDonald, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. Email: conference@nautilusint.org .

Dieses Formular bitte ausfüllen und schicken an: Adele McDonald, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. Email: conference@nautilusint.org .

A limited amount of financial assistance is available for those full members wishing to attend and who otherwise would not be able to make the journey.

Please indicate below if you wish to be considered for financial aid.

Er is een beperkt bedrag beschikbaar voor financiële steun voor reguliere leden ( full members ) die graag willen komen , maar die zonder deze steun niet in staat zijn om deze reis te maken. Indien u meent dat u voor financiële steun in aanmerking komt kunt u dat hieronder aangeven.

Es steht ein begrenzter finanzieller Betrag zur Verfügung für jene Vollmitglieder, die gerne die Generalversammlung besuchen möchten jedoch nicht die Reisekosten aufbringen können. Bitte mache in diesem Falle unten ein Kreuz im entsprechenden Feld.

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

Bitte in GROSSBUCHSTABEN ausfüllen

Ik wil me hierbij aanmelden om bij de General Meeting 2015 aanwezig te zijn en bevestig hierbij dat ik een regulier lid (full member) ben.

Ich beantrage hiermit, die Generalsversammlung 2015 zu besuchen und bestätige ein Vollmitglied von Nautilus International zu sein.

Naam

Name

Adres (voor alle AV correspondentie)

Adresse (für die Kongressunterlagen)

Postcode en woonplaats

Postleitzahl

Telefoonnummer

Tel.

Lidmaatschapnummer

Mitgliedsnummer

Rederij

Arbeitgeber

Functie

Funktion

Huidig schip

Derzeitiges Schiff

U wordt vriendelijk verzocht hieronder aan te geven wat uw betrokkenheid bij Nautilus is. Bijvoorbeeld dat u kaderlid of erelid bent of dat u eerder een AV heeft bijgewoond.

Mache eine Angabe darüber, ob du bereits eine Funktion bei Nautilus innehattest (z.B. Mitglied im Nationalkomitee) oder über ein entsprechendes Engagement nachdenkst

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS I wish to apply to attend the 2015 General Meeting and confirm that I am a full member of Nautilus International.

Name Address (for all GM correspondence)

Postcode Tel No. Membership No. Company Rank Present ship Please give details of involvement with Nautilus, eg. as a liaison officer or honorary delegate, or if you have attended a Nautilus education course or a previous GM.

If you wish to apply for financial assistance please tick this box

i_gm15_SR edit.indd i

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Vink dit vakje aan indien u financiële steun wenst aan te vragen

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Falls du finanzielle Unterstützung für die Reisekosten möchtest, mache hier ein Kreuz

T

18/03/2015 15:28

ii | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

NAUTILUS ALV 2015

Wij spreken, de industrie luistert General secretary Mark Dickinson kijkt uit naar een levendige conferentie…

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De ALV 2015 van Nautilus International zal in oktober in Liverpool worden gehouden. Het overkoepelende thema is ‘Banen, kennis en de toekomst’ — en we willen dat u erbij bent!

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De Algemene ledenvergadering vindt elke vier jaar plaats, en is het forum waarop de toekomstige agenda van de vakbond wordt bepaald.

Hier krijgen gewone leden de kans om mee te beslissen over het beleid en de prioriteiten van Nautilus.

De ALV is een ledencongres waarin u uw visie op de scheepvaartindustrie kunt geven, kwesties die u in het dagelijkse werk tegenkomt kunt bespreken,

kunt netwerken met andere zeevarenden en invloedrijke mensen uit de scheepvaartwereld en daarbuiten kunt ontmoeten.

De ALV 2015 wordt gehouden in het Titanic Hotel in Liverpool — de leden komen op maandag 5 oktober samen en vertrekken weer op donderdag 8 oktober in de ochtend. Mede op basis van feedback van leden die eerdere vergaderingen hebben bijgewoond, is er een levendig programma van presentaties en debatten, en zijn er een aantal invloedrijke spre-kers binnen de scheepvaartindustrie.

Met deze pagina’s kunt u zorgen dat de kwesties die er echt toe doen, aan de orde worden gesteld, erover wordt gedebatteerd en besluiten worden genomen —

zodat de vakbond op alle punten, van salarissen en arbeidsvoorwaarden tot criminalisering, vermoeidheid of piraterij, actie onderneemt.

Gebruik deze formulieren om een motie in te dienen om het beleid van Nautilus te bepalen voor zaken die voor u en uw collega’s van belang zijn.

Er is een extra voordeel: het bijwonen van de ALV hoeft u de kop niet te kosten. Nautilus kan u ondersteunen met de reis- en verblijfskosten, zodat de vergadering wordt bijgewoond door een representatieve doorsnede van het ledenbestand en de gehele sector.

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ALV 2015: van u, voor u, door u! We kijken ernaar uit u daar te ontmoeten.

Motions important policy-making forum — a conference F where members can debate the developments that

From pay and conditions to skill shortages and training, criminalisation to piracy, health and safety to shore leave, there is no shortage of subject matter!

affect them at work and decide on the policies and priorities that Nautilus should follow to address these.

Make sure the things that matter to you are discussed at the 2015 GM in October. It is essential that the conference considers the critical issues that face the industry and the maritime professionals that work within it.

z Submitting a motion is simple: just fill out the form below and make sure it is signed by at least four full members of the Union.

This is your chance to help set the agenda for Nautilus over the years ahead.

Please use it.

The Nautilus General Meeting is the Union’s most

GM Motion proposal form

To General Secretary, Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD (to arrive not later than 1700 Friday 3 July 2015).

We, as full members, wish to submit the following motion for discussion at the 2015 General Meeting of Nautilus International: This GM

BEKENDMAKING — 2015 Regelgevende Algemene Ledenvergadering in overeenstemming met artikel 28, heeft K besloten dat de 2015 Nautilus Regelgevende Algemene Hierbij wordt bekend gemaakt dat de Council,

Ledenvergadering zal worden gehouden in het Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN op woensdag 7 oktober 2015, aanvang 17.00 uur (of aansluitend op de Algemene Ledenvergadering).

Volgens bepaling 10.3 hebben gewone leden (full members) het recht om wijzigingsvoorstellen in te dienen. Zulke voorstellen van gewone leden moeten schriftelijk worden ingediend, ondertekend door minimaal 4 gewone leden en dienen voor 17.00 uur op vrijdag 3 juli 2015 ontvangen te zijn op het hoofdkantoor door de General Secretary. (continue on a separate sheet if necessary)

Wir sprechen, die Industrie hört zu Generalsekretär Mark Dickinson freut sich auf eine lebendige Konferenz…

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Die Generalversammlung 2015 von Nautilus International ist diesen Oktober in Liverpool angesetzt — und findet unter dem Titel «Jobs, Fähigkeiten und die Zukunft» statt — und wir wünschen uns, dass Du mit dabei bist!

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An der alle vier Jahre durchgeführten Generalversammlung wird jeweils die zukünftige Agenda der Gewerkschaft festgelegt. Es ist jener Ort, wo Vollmitglieder die Gelegenheit haben, mitzubestimmen, welche Politik Nautilus verfolgen und welche Prioritäten die Gewerkschaft setzen sollte.

Die Generalversammlung ist eine Konferenz, bei der Du Deine Meinung zur Schifffahrtsindustrie und zu jenen Themen äussern kannst, die Dich bei der Arbeit direkt betreffen; ausserdem kannst Du mit Deinen Kollegen aus der Seefahrtsbranche

austauschen und einflussreiche Figuren aus der Welt der Schifffahrt — und darüber hinaus — treffen.

Die Generalversammlung 2015 findet im Titanic Hotel in Liverpool statt. Die Mitglieder treffen am Montag, 5. Oktober, ein und Abreisedatum ist Donnerstagmorgen, 8. Oktober.

Die Konferenz, die an das Feedback von Mitgliedern früherer Veranstaltungen anschliesst, umfasst ein lebhaftes Programm, das Präsentationen, Diskussionsrunden und auch Ansprachen einiger namhafter Persönlichkeiten aus der Branche umfasst.

Diese Seiten geben Dir Gelegenheit, Dich zu vergewissern, dass die wirklich wichtigen Themen besprochen und debattiert und Beschlüsse gefällt werden.

Mit anderen Worten: Es wird ein Aktionsplan erstellt — und zwar zu Themen wie Gehaltsfragen und Arbeitsbedingungen, Krimi-

nalisierung, Übermüdung oder Piraterie.

Bitte benütze diese Formulare, um einen Antrag an die Konferenz zu stellen. So kannst Du die politischen Richtlinien von Nautilus in jenen Bereichen mit zu gestalten helfen, die Dir und Deinen Kollegen wichtig sind.

Und es gibt noch einen zusätzlichen Nutzen: Wer an der Generalversammlung teilnimmt, muss nicht unbedingt alles aus eigener Tasche bezahlen. Um sicherzustellen, dass am Treffen ein möglichst repräsentativer Querschnitt an Vollmitgliedern aus der ganze Branche teilnimmt, kann Nautilus einen Beitrag an die Reise- und Unterkunftskosten leisten.

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Generalversammlung 2015: sie ist massgebend, sie ist interessant und sie ist unterhaltsam. Wir freuen uns, Dich in Liverpool begrüssen zu dürfen.

Hinweis — 2015 Statuten-Generalversamlung

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Hiermit wird darauf hingewiesen, dass der Rat gemäss Statuten 28 beschlossen hat, dass die Statuten-Generalversammlung von Nautilus am Mittwoch, den 7. Oktober 2015 im Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN um 17.00 (bzw. im Anschluss an die Generalversammlung) abgehalten wird.

ii-iii_spread.indd ii

Gemäss Reglement 10.3 können Vollmitglieder Änderungsvorschläge unterbreiten. Solche Vorschläge müssen schriftlich verfasst und von mindestens vier Vollmitgliedern unterschrieben sein und sollen den Generalsekretär im Hauptsitz bis spätestens Freitag, 3. Juli 2015 um 17.00 Uhr erreichen.

1. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

2. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

3. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

4. Name

Mem. No.

Company Address Postcode Signature

Date

18/03/2015 17:46

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | iii

NAUTILUS ALV 2015

Moties belangrijkste forum voor de beleidsvorming binnen F de vakbond. Tijdens deze conferentie kunnen leden De Algemene Ledenvergadering van Nautilus is het

to

rm

debatteren over de ontwikkelingen waarmee zij in hun werk te maken hebben en meebeslissen over het beleid en de prioriteiten waarop Nautilus zich zou moeten richten.

Zorg dat de onderwerpen die u belangrijk vindt, tijdens de ALV 2015 in oktober aan de orde komen. Het is van groot belang dat tijdens de conferentie de belangrijkste kwesties worden besproken voor de bedrijfstak en de maritieme professionals die hierin werkzaam zijn.

Anträge Van salarissen en secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden tot gebrek aan ervaring en training, criminalisering tot piraterij, gezondheid en veiligheid tot walverlof, er zijn genoeg belangrijke onderwerpen!

z Het indienen van een motie is eenvoudig: vul gewoon het onderstaande formulier in en laat het door ten minste vier volledig betalende leden van de vakbond ondertekenen.

Dit is uw kans om punten op de agenda voor de toekomst van Nautilus te zetten.

Grijp deze kans aan.

Motie voor Algemene Ledenvergadering

wichtigste Forum der Gewerkschaft hinsichtlich der F Gestaltung der Politik. Es ist eine Konferenz, an der MitDie Generalversammlung von Nautilus ist das

glieder jene Entwicklungen diskutieren können, von denen sie bei der Arbeit direkt betroffen sind. Und auch ein Ort, wo die Politik entschieden und die Prioritäten gesetzt werden, die Nautilus in der Folge ansprechen sollte.

Vergewissere Dich, dass die Themen, die Dir wichtig sind, an der im Oktober stattfindenden Generalversammlung 2015 diskutiert werden. Es ist zentral, dass die Konferenz die kritischen Themen erörtert, mit der sich die Branche und die maritimen Fachkräfte, die in dieser tätig

sind, konfrontiert sehen.

Es gibt keinen Mangel an Diskussionsstoff! Dieser reicht von Gehaltsfragen und Arbeitsbedingungen, über fehlende Fachkräfte, Weiterbildung, Kriminalisierung, Piraterie, bis hin zu Landurlaub sowie Gesund- und Sicherheitsthemen. z Das Stellen eines Antrages ist einfach: Fülle einfach das untenstehende Formular aus und vergewissere dich, dass dieses von mindestens vier Vollmitgliedern der Gewerkschaft unterzeichnet ist.

Das ist Deine Chance, die Agenda von Nautilus für die kommenden Jahre mitzubestimmen.

Bitte mache Gebrauch von dieser Gelegenheit!

GM Motion

antragsformular

formulier Aan de General Secretary, p/a Nautilus International Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. (Dit formulier moet uiterlijk vrijdag 3 juli 2015 retour ontvangen zijn).

Um Generalsekretär Nautilus Internationale Head Office, 1 & 2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD (um anzukommen spätestens 1700 Freitag, 3. Juli 2015).

Wij als gewone leden wensen onderstaande motie in te dienen ter bespreking in de Algemene Ledenvergadering in oktober 2015:

Wir, als Vollmitglieder wollen den folgenden Antrag zur Diskussion auf der 2015 Generalversammlung einreichen Nautilus International:

Deze Algemene Ledenvergadering

Diese GM

(indien nodig doorgaan op apart vel)

(weiter auf einem separaten Blatt, falls erforderlich)

1. Naam

Lidnr.

1. Name

Rederij

Unternehmen

Adres

Anschrift

Mem. Nein.

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Lidnr.

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Mem. Nein.

Rederij

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PLZ

Handtekening

Datum

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Mem. Nein.

Rederij

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18/03/2015 17:46

iv | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

PHOTO COMPETITION

Work, play, drama… life at sea!

Win up to £1,000 with a well-chosen shot of your world...

Wire act Picture: Captain Kawsar Mostafa, master of the Intrepid Harvester

A

There’s been a steady flow of entries to this year’s Nautilus/ Inmarsat photo competition, and some of the most striking pictures submitted so far can be seen on this page.

The theme of the competition is ‘Life at sea’, and it’s really worth bearing this in mind if you want to catch the eye of the judges. They’re interested in seeing arresting and thought-provoking images of your life as a maritime professional, so please send us pictures of your work and how you and your

colleagues spend your leisure time onboard ship. Show us something that the wider public don’t usually see.

In the entries received to date, we’ve had some highly-accomplished images with beautiful colours and skilled use of focus and contrast. Like these, your picture should be of a decent quality, but you don’t need to have professional-standard kit to join in.

Even with a fairly basic camera or a smartphone, you can demonstrate an eye for good composition and capture a powerful story in pictures.

And that story is really what counts in this competition. Get the theme of your photo right as well as the technique, and you could be in line for a great cash prize. First prize is £1,000, second prize is £750 and there is £400 for the third-placed entry.

You can submit your shots of life at sea in colour or black and white, and as prints or e-mailed high-resolution JPEG electronic images (300dpi is preferred).

There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. The closing date is Monday 1 August 2015 and the prizes

will be presented at the Nautilus International General Meeting in October, where an exhibition of the best entries will be on show.

To enter with hard copies, please cut out and complete the form on this page and send your pictures to: Nautilus/ Inmarsat Photo Competition, Nautilus Telegraph, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD. Make sure you state on the form whether you want us to return your photographs.

To enter with digital photos, please

email them to telegraph@nautilusint.org with Nautilus/Inmarsat photo competition 2015 in the subject line. In your email, you must supply your contact information in the same way as on the printed entry form, and don’t send file attachments totalling more than 10MB at a time, as this will exceed the server limit.

Please note that by entering the Nautilus/Inmarsat photo competition 2015, you are giving Nautilus International permission to use your submitted images.

A message from our sponsors K Today, always-available connectivity can be a prerequisite for attracting high calibre candidates to a seafaring career. Staying in touch with family, friends and world events, and enjoying leisure time, are essential for the modern seafarer.

A happy crew is also a productive crew.

Through its 99.9% global network coverage, Inmarsat Maritime is meeting rising expectations, via FleetBroadband, XpressLink, and now Inmarsat Gateway.

Using Ku-band, L-Band and now groundbreaking Ka-band connectivity, crew can call home and access broadband internet from anywhere at any time without compromising operational communications.

In addition, life at sea just got better, following the 2014 launch of Inmarsat Fleet Media — delivering blockbuster movies, sport and news direct to PCs and tablets at sea.

An owl onboard the Grampian Prince at Gannet Field Picture: chief officer Michael David Stephenson

Photo competition 2015 Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address: There’s gold on that there ship!

Picture: Pat G McCardle

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Home tel: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Email:

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Mem no.: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .........................................................................................

Orange overall worker Picture: Nigel Prosser

iv_photo_SR edit.indd iv

Sextant Picture: Nigel Prosser

Photos to be returned: YES / NO

18/03/2015 17:47

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

UK DEMOCRACY

Your vote counts, wherever you are K

It is more vital than ever to take the time to register and vote in the UK. The next government could make some momentous decisions — including whether the UK remains in the European Union — and will have some major maritime policy proposals before it.

Registering to vote is quicker and easier than ever before, with a new system of online registration, and there are many ways to cast your vote on the day, even if you are away at sea. Your vote matters — make sure you’re in.

Registering to vote You can register to vote online in England, Scotland and Wales by visiting www.gov.uk/register-tovote — it only takes about five minutes. Residents of Northern Ireland should go to www.eoni. org.uk as they require an electoral ID card.

Local authorities will also deliver voter registration letters to all addresses in their area. Once you are registered you won’t need to register again unless you change address. A form will be sent out every year to confirm

Being away at sea does not stop you from having a voice in the UK general election on 7 May. However, not registering to vote before the deadline on 20 April will mean you lose your vote. Debbie Cavaldoro explains what you need to do… who is living in your household; simply tick the box to confirm your details have not changed.

You can register to vote if you are: z 17 or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18) z a UK, Republic of Ireland or qualifying Commonwealth citizen z a citizen of a European Union country living in the UK z a citizen of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British Overseas Territory living in the UK You do not have to be currently residing in the UK to register to vote, as long as you have lived in the UK in the last 15 years.

You will need to register with the local electoral registration office of your former address. British citizens living abroad can vote in

the UK parliamentary election but cannot vote in local elections.

How to vote On 7 May this year a number of elections will take place. There will be a ballot paper for the UK parliamentary election, one for local government elections and one for mayoral elections if there is an elected mayor in your area.

If you are going to be in the local area where you are registered to vote on 7 May, you can vote in person. The location of your polling station will be on the poll card that will be delivered to you before polling day, but you do not need to have your polling card with you to cast your votes.

Polling stations are open between 7am and 10pm and are usually

based in local schools or community centres.

If you are going to be away at sea, or simply not in your local area, on election day, you can either choose to vote by post or vote by proxy.

You will need to register for a postal vote, and you can do this once you are registered to vote.

The deadline to register for a postal vote is Tuesday 21 April (one day after the deadline to register). This form cannot be submitted online, as you need to sign your application form personally because the electoral registration office needs a copy of your signature for voting security reasons.

This will be matched to your voting paper when it is returned.

Some local authorities will allow you to print out the form, scan it, and email it back, but this varies by authority.

Postal ballots will be sent to your registered address after Thursday 9 April. Once you have received it, you can mark your vote on the ballot paper and send it back. It can be posted any time, but must arrive by 10pm on the day of the election.

Voting by proxy is another

Picture: Electoral Commission

convenient way of making your vote count. It allows you to nominate someone you trust to vote on your behalf, and is particularly useful if you are overseas in a country too far away to send back a postal vote in time for the election. The deadline to register for a proxy vote is Tuesday 28 April, and the person you nominate must also be registered to vote.

You can register to vote by proxy for just one election, or you can vote to use a proxy on a longterm basis. This form cannot be

submitted online, as you need to sign your application form. You need to give a reason for requesting a proxy vote, but employment meaning you cannot attend the polling station is a valid reason. If you apply for a long-term proxy vote, you will need to complete the form specifically for voting by proxy due to employment.

Don’t miss out — wherever you are in the world. g For more information visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

MERCHANT NAVY

OFFICER TRAINING Rating to OOW

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Rating to Engineer OOW

21 Sep 2015 11 Jan 2016 18 Apr 2016 30 May 2016

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Six week course You can start anytime within the date range below: 7 Sep 2015 - 26 Oct 2015 4 Jan 2016 - 8 Feb 2016 18 Apr 2016 - 6 Jun 2016

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21 Sep 2015 11 Jan 2016 18 Apr 2016

12 Oct 2015 7 Dec 2015 8 Feb 2016 14 Mar 2016 16 May 2016 11 Jul 2016

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21 Sep 2015 18 Jan 2016 29 Feb 2016 3 May 2016 20 Jun 2016

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24-25_vote+retirement_SR edit.indd 24

25 Jan 2016 11 Apr 2016 6 Jun 2016

Second Engineer EK only

W: www.stc.ac.uk

14 Sep 2015 4 Jan 2016 18 Apr 2016

E: marine@stc.ac.uk

18/03/2015 17:43

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

UK PENSIONS

Retiring? Don’t be caught out by new UK law Early this month, changes to British pensions come into force that are claimed to be the most radical shake-up for almost a century. MILES COWLEY, manager of SAIL, the Seafarers’ Advice & Information Line, offers an overview of the new rules and what they mean for you…

O

I’ve heard a lot of talk about changes in the pension laws.

What’s happening?

The rules on what you can do with money from your personal pension are changing and they could affect you.

Starting from 6 April 2015, many seafarers will have flexible access to their defined contribution pensions from age 55. In the past you had to buy an annuity with pension money, but that is no longer the case. Now if you have money in your pension pot you can chose to take out all or part of your pension as cash.

But it’s not as straightforward as it sounds and there are potential pitfalls you need to be aware of.

How do I know if it applies to me and my pension?

There are two main types of personal pension: defined contribution and defined benefit.

This new flexibility is limited to those with a defined contribution pension, where the amount of income you get depends on the money paid in to the fund together with the investment returns, usually over many years.

The new rules do not generally apply to defined benefit pensions, sometimes called final salary pensions. Income from these is calculated from a formula involving how long a person has been in a scheme and their pensionable salary. Defined benefit pensions are often viewed as being better than defined contribution pensions and are becoming increasingly rare for active employees.

The Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund (MNRPF) and Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund (MNOPF) schemes are both defined benefit pensions.

If you have a defined benefit pension, then you can only take advantage of this new flexibility

24-25_vote+retirement_SR edit.indd 25

by first transferring the value of your defined benefit pension to a defined contribution scheme.

This transfer can result in a large financial loss, so make sure you get independent financial advice first. In fact, if the transfer value from your defined benefit scheme is over £30,000, then the law says you must get advice from a regulated adviser before being able to complete the transfer.

If your pension is already being paid, then you will not be able to take out a cash lump sum.

What options do I have?

From April, pension investors who are 55 or older have flexible options with their defined benefit pension.

For example, if your pension pot is worth £100,000 you could take 25% out tax-free and then have the following options: z take out the remaining £75,000 as a lump sum taxed at you marginal rate z buy an annuity with the £75,000 to get an income z draw down payments from the £75,000 as income leaving the pension pot invested z a combination of the above options There is still the option to buy an annuity with the full £100,000 if you want.

This sounds too good to be true — is it?

The option to get significant amounts of cash out of your defined pension sounds great, but there are some real financial dangers. Indeed, several charities have expressed concern that pensioners will have a reduced future income as a result of taking out cash from their pensions.

In addition, some people are being approached by unregulated providers, suggest-

ing that they transfer their pension scheme benefits in exchange for tempting investment opportunities or cash. This could be a scam and could cost you a large part of your pension savings. There’s more information on this on the website www.thepensionsregulator. gov.uk There is another potential issue. For pensioners who claim means-tested benefits there are strict rules about both declaring a lump sum and also about how a lump sum is spent. For example, if money is used to buy nonessential items or given to family members, any future claim for a means-tested benefit will probably be refused. There may also be an impact on how much you have to pay if you ever go in to a care home.

Picture: Thinkstock

Unions and MPs highlight danger of pension ‘rip-offs’ ripped off when the new K rules on cashing in pension pots are

Pensioners are at risk of being

introduced, the TUC has warned.

General secretary Frances O’Grady said research published by the consumer organisation Which? last month had highlighted the dangers of savers becoming the victims of frauds or scams when they get access to their retirement funds.

The Which? report warned that some savers would be

charged thousands of pounds to treat their pensions like bank accounts. ‘Millions of people could lose thousands of pounds due to excessive charges in retirement at the very time they should be enjoying the fruits of their savings,’ Ms O’Grady added.

‘Consumers do not want the freedom to be ripped off,’ she added, ‘and there is no better way of deterring a generation from saving for their old age than another

pensions scandal.’

MPs have also called for better protections to prevent scams and mis-selling. The House of Commons work and pensions committee said the changes pose ‘significant risks for individuals’. Committee chair Dame Anne Begg said: ‘Savers need to be properly protected from being ripped off in frauds or scams, or suffering financial loss from making the wrong decision about how to use their pension pots.’

What are the options with MNRPF and MNOPF pensions?

If you are a member of the MNRPF or the MNOPF and you want to consider taking advantage of this new flexibility, you will need to first transfer to a defined contribution scheme.

Any transfer from a defined benefit scheme should be considered in detail. You will be giving up, as the name suggests, a defined benefit payable for your entire lifetime, and your spouse’s lifetime in the event of your death.

Your individual circumstances could mean that a transfer to take advantage of the flexibilities may be in your best interests, but giving up a known income for the rest of your life should be considered at length and with advice.

Where can I get more information?

There have been several reports pointing to the dangers of making pension decisions without getting independent advice. g The government has launched its Pension Wise website to provide details on all the changes for defined benefit pensions — www.pensionwise.gov.uk g For more help on the different options you have with your pension, about tracing lost pension pots or about pension scams, call Seafarers’ Advice and Information Line (SAIL) on +44 (0)8457 413 318. SAIL is a free advice service for all seafarers and their families across the UK. specific information g For on your MNRPF, MNOPF and MNOPP pensions, call the scheme administrators, JLT Employee Benefits on +44 (0)1372 386 000.

18/03/2015 17:43

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

MARITIME POLICY

Export free-for-all rejected as nation goes against the grain While US maritime unions fight to keep their cabotage laws in place, Argentina is on the brink of introducing its own version of the Jones Act. JEREMY DEAR reports on the long-awaited new legislation…

I

In the headquarters of Argentina’s maritime unions, plans are being drawn up for ‘one final heave’.

The unions stand on the brink of a historic victory — an achievement which has been more than a decade in the making.

In the coming months, Argentina’s legislators will be asked to approve a government-backed Bill which would comprehensively rebuild the merchant fleet and shipbuilding sector that was

dismantled and decimated by the former regime.

Argentina is an exporting country and once boasted the world’s seventh largest merchant fleet. But for more than 20 years it has had no deepsea ships and no shipping registry.

Today, despite its position as one of the world’s largest food exporters, with more than 3,000 bulk carriers entering the ports of the Parana River, Bahía Blanca and Quequén each year, not one

flies the Argentine flag.

The new law on the Promotion of the Merchant Navy and Shipbuilding — tabled by Gastón Harispe, a government deputy and vice-chairman of parliament’s maritime, fluvial, ports and fishing affairs committee, and supported by president Cristina Kirchner — aims to redress this. Among the measures it proposes are: z the rejuvenation and sustainable growth of the Argentine

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26-27_argentina_SR edit.indd 26

merchant fleet and shipbuilding industry, including measures to facilitate the incorporation of ships from abroad z consolidation of national cabotage traffic and increased access to cargo through new bilateral and multilateral agreements z increased participation of Argentina’s merchant fleet in the freight generated by multilateral national cabotage traffic z the reservation of strategic cargoes for national flag ships z tax breaks for domestic shipbuilders and maritime transport companies z the creation of new jobs, ensuring the employment of Argentine captains, officers, crew, staff and others involved in ports, waterways, shipbuilding and related activities — all under Argentine collective agreements for terms and conditions z permanent and continuous improvement of standards of maritime education and training z the creation of a special fund, amounting to 0.125% of the national budget, to promote the activities of the industry and to support education, training and technological development at national maritime training schools In essence, the law seeks to ensure that Argentinian exports are carried on ships built, flagged and crewed from within the country.

Capitán Marcos Ricardo Castro is president of International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) affiliate union Centro de Capitanes de Ultramar y Oficiales de la Marina Mercante (CCUOMM). He believes the draft law would secure well-paid longterm employment, enshrine collective bargaining for seafarers in law, and, crucially, give a massive boost to the country’s struggling economy.

He claims the case for such a law is overwhelming, creating new jobs for thousands of highly skilled and highly paid workers, making a significant contribution to the trade balance, providing a strategic reserve for national emergencies and contributing to the strategic development of the country.

‘It is essential to have a law that not only regulates the sector but also builds the industry, especially in response to current global market conditions,’ he adds.

Capt Castro says the new law aims to improve skills and secure new opportunities for the country’s seafarers. ‘With the enactment of the law, workers in the sector would be covered by a standard that ensures continu-

Ships loading grain at the San Lorenzo-Puerto General San Martín port complex. Unions complain that all the country’s grain exports are carried by foreign flag ships

The British-built passengership Libertad was part of Argentina’s state fleet ELMA

Built in Sunderland in 1961, the cargoship Rio Tercero was operated by the state-owned company Empresa Lineas Maritimas Argentinas

ity in future work, the training of captains, officers, crew, engineers and technicians would be incentivised, and we would have greater access to modern technologies,’ he points out.

‘In particular for our members, the law would provide stronger mechanisms to enforce our rights as seafarers and ensure full compliance with the collective labour agreements in force, and greatly improve job security.’

To achieve such benefits, Capt Castro believes it is important not just to build new ships but also to recover the cabotage trade lost to foreign operators.

Horacio Guillermo Vázquez Rivarola, a former radio officer and author of several books on Argentina’s maritime sector,

claims the country badly needs such a law as it is currently losing out by paying foreign fleets to import goods for its development and to export its production.

‘For more than 20 years since the merchant shipping fleet was dismantled, the country has been losing about US$5bn a year in freight, which means more than US$100bn in total,’ he notes.

‘Many countries already have a national flag fleet. Argentina, which exports more than 100 million tons of grain requiring more than 2,000 ship loads, does not have a single flagged bulk carrier,’ he stresses. ‘Instead the cargo is carried on foreign ships built in foreign shipyards and manned by foreign workers.

18/03/2015 17:07

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME POLICY

Capitán Marcos Ricardo Castro, president of the masters’ and officers’ union CCUOMM

Former radio officer Horacio Guillermo Vázquez Rivarola has written several books about Argentina’s merchant fleet

The fleet’s glorious past K

Whilst much of the recent history of Argentina’s merchant navy reads like a tragedy, the former merchant fleet was once the pride of the nation.

Nearly 100 years ago Admiral Segundo Storni foresaw the huge potential gains from the development of a merchant shipping fleet for a naturally exporting country, with opportunities for upward social mobility for workers who join the merchant marine, as well as tax revenue for the state.

A merchant ship sails up the Parana river to load a cargo of soyabeans Picture: Alfredo Celoria / Reuters

‘The commercial benefit also goes to foreign shipowners and the states of the flags those vessels fly, the taxes also go to other nations,’ he argues.

The government agrees: ‘Argentina has to make up the US$5bn in lost freight,’ says Mr Harispe. ‘Reviving the shipbuilding industry is important, but we need to recover the cargo.’

Capt Castro claims that even a 10% increase in the amount of cargo carried on Argentineflagged vessels, employing Argentine crew, would have major benefits for the economy and workers.

‘One of the aims of the law is to encourage the participation of a national fleet in transporting grains,’ he explains. ‘Attracting only 10% of this traffic would mean a considerable number of bulk carriers flying the Argentine flag and the employment of over 3,000 seafarers on proper contracts, with the full coverage of our collective agreements.

And such a move is just the tip of the iceberg — there is much more that can be done.’

In the last five years, the number of exemptions made to national cabotage regulations has doubled. Of the waivers, 69% were for tankers and containerships.

A massive 99% percent of the cargo sailing along the ParanáParaguay waterway, which links Argentina and Paraguay, does so under the Paraguayan flag while just 1% is left for Argentina, despite the fact that the country controls 48% of the waterway.

Talks are now underway to share this trade in a fairer way.

CCUOMM has repeatedly called for the establishment of a state shipping company and has urged lawmakers and industry chiefs to act to improve ports and waterways, and to be more proactive in brokering new agreements with other Mercosur countries to increase Argentina’s access to regional trade. The union has also called for the introduction of reciprocity conditions in Argentina’s international trade, to provide a much-needed boost to the industry.

26-27_argentina_SR edit.indd 27

I

Currently all strategic sectors, with the exception of shipping, have special fuel rates — a situation the union wants to see addressed.

Employing more captains, officers and crew is not just good for the industry and the workers, but for the economy as a whole, says Mr Rivarola, who predicts a four-fold increase in the numbers employed.

‘What’s important is not just the number of people employed, but the quality of the labour — high skills are required,’ he adds.

‘With comparatively few qualified people, the country and businesses gain significant benefits.

‘In Argentina, just over 5,000 seafarers transport nearly 90% of the international trade of 40 million Argentines,’ he points out. ‘The sector is so productive that even without national flag vessels, professionals continue to make a significant contribution to the development of the country.’

About 2,000 Argentine merchant officers who work on foreign flag vessels earn a minimum monthly average of US$3,000 in hard cash. Through taxes they contribute between US$30m to $40m annually to the Treasury.

‘Imagine how much more substantial the sum would be if we had a national fleet and what an important foreign exchange earner for the state that would be,’ Mr Rivarola adds.

Cayo Ayala is chairman of FEMPINRA, a federation of 16 seafaring and shipbuilding unions that was instrumental in drawing up the Bill. He feels such a move would enhance environmental protection and improve the training of seafarers. With all ships sailing in Argentine waters being required to meet strict safety criteria under the new law, he also believes it would improve the safety standards of vessels and navigation.

But it is not all plain sailing — there is strong opposition to the draft law from private companies, foreign operators and opposition politicians who believe the operation of the merchant fleet should be left entirely to the market.

Mr Ayala believes ‘those who oppose this project are the same

people who in the early 1990s broke the system, destroyed our jobs, axed the national shipping line, savaged our shipbuilding capacity and benefited from the system of flags of convenience’.

Capt Castro adds that the next few months are crucial — especially with a presidential election looming. ‘The Argentine merchant navy has suffered continuous attacks from home and abroad, from those who see the development of a strong, regulated merchant fleet as a threat to their business interests,’ he says. ‘Keeping, and building on, the improvements implemented over the past decade depends cru-

cially on the passage of this Bill.

‘If the law is agreed, the industry will have a more stable future, protected from short-term political vicissitudes.’

The unions know they have a battle and that to win the day they must secure public and political support.

‘Wider society needs to know what the merchant navy is, what it does and its beneficial impact on everyone’s daily life,’ adds Capt Castro. ‘It is vital unions, maritime businesses, professional centres, training schools and naval academies take their case to the public in one big heave to win this law.’

A poster for the state-owned Argentinian shipping line FME

After years of struggle against vested interests, the State Merchant Fleet (FME) was created in 1941. In its golden age in the 1950s, Argentina had several state fleets which, added to the privately-owned ones, incorporated 204 seagoing vessels of over 1,000 tons, among them 17 transatlantic cruisers. It was the seventh largest merchant fleet in the world and the second in the Americas, after that of the United States.

By the 1990s the right wing, neo-liberal government dismantled the state fleets, more than halving tonnage under the national flag.

In 1992 the Merchant Fleet Law and Merchant Fleet Fund were scrapped, leading to fewer jobs, precarious employment and worse conditions for a dwindling number of seafarers.

As a result of Presidential Decree 1010 — a temporary measure adopted in 2004 for a two-year period — things began to improve, with the reinstatement of dozens of national flag vessels totalling 433,000gt, creating jobs both onboard and ashore.

In 2015 seafarers hope that the spirit of that Decree, and much more, will now become enshrined in law.

WERE YOU AWARE that following the successul outcome of a judicial review in respect of two Seatax clients, (brought before the Courts by Nautilus in collaboration with Seatax Ltd as expert advisors on the Seafarers Earnings Deduction), it was deemed that the two Seatax clients did have a legitimate expectation in applying the only published Revenue Practice with regard to the application of a day of absence in relation to a vessel sailing between UK ports. HMRC did not want to accept this practice (although referred to in their very own publications) but have now accepted that expectations of a claim based on such practice would be valid until the published practice is withdrawn.

Following on from this, HMRC have now confirmed that this Practice is withdrawn as of the 14 February 2014. Seatax was the only Advisory Service that challenged HMRC on this point.

WHY TAKE CHANCES WITH YOUR TAX AFFAIRS? Let Seatax use their knowledge and 35 years experience to ensure you do not fall foul of the rules Please visit our website for full details of the case.

OUR FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Annual Return ...................................................................................................... £215.00 inclusive of VAT at 20% NAUTILUS members in the UK sailing under a foreign flag agreement on gross remuneration can obtain a 10% reduction on the above enrolment fee by quoting their NAUTILUS membership number and a 5% reduction on re-enrolment.

or ite, e now r W on re ph r mo : fo tails de Elgin House, 83 Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2ES. Tel: (01302) 364673 - Fax No: (01302) 738526 - E-mail: info@seatax.ltd.uk www.seatax.ltd.uk

18/03/2015 17:08

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

MARITIME CAREERS

How the sea shaped a life Most people who meet Simon Hall today know him as an insurance broker. But he has quite a past, and a great way with words, finds SARAH ROBINSON...

anchor completely, and moved into commercial insurance.’

In 1991, he joined a management buyout of the insurance and investment brokerage where he worked, Morgan Financial Group. He is now chief executive of the company, and employs 100 people.

It might seem a far cry from seafaring, but he feels that the training and experience he gained at sea set him up nicely for a career in business. ‘You get a really strong work ethic at sea, and I found I was prepared to work much longer hours than most office workers,’ he explains. ‘Seafaring also makes you brave, and not overwhelmed by new things.’

Another thing seafarers have going for them is their culture of professional development; people are used to studying so they can rise up through the ranks. ‘Although people left school at 16,’ Simon explains, ‘they continued their education in their cadetship. I went on to get all my higher certificates up to master’s level.’

Work these days is all about transferable skills, and Simon has become adept at this. Having put much of what he learned at sea to good use in business, he then realised that some of his business skills could be used to become an author. ‘I write all the time in my job,’ he says. ‘To put together 40-page company reports, I have to organise my thoughts and put them down on paper with confidence.’

The question remains — as with any memoir — of who should read Under a Yellow Sky or Chasing Conrad and why. One answer to this should be obvious from the extracts published on this page: the books are entertaining and well written. But Simon also thinks his stories will strike a chord with anyone who has worked at sea, and with those who have wrestled their own demons. ‘For people who were there in the 1960s and 1970s, I hope to stir their memories of that era, which in some ways seems like a lost time. I hope younger readers will enjoy it too; whatever may have changed, it’s still seafaring, still their world.’

K K

The thing about life at sea is that it’s incredibly difficult to know what it’s like until you try it. Are the challenges of shipboard work going to be exciting or gruelling? Is the travel going to make you feel adventurous or lonely? Are you going to form close bonds with fellow crew members or wish you weren’t stuck with them in that big tin can?

For Simon Hall, his expectations of seafaring as a young man were strongly coloured by his love of reading. ‘I wanted the life I’d read about in W. Somerset Maugham, Jack London and Joseph Conrad,’ he muses. ‘It was a bit of a shock when I found out how much hard work was expected of cadets!’ However, he still found glimpses of his romantic dream in the maritime world of the 1970s, and the title of his new memoir, Chasing Conrad, acknowledges his quest throughout that period to reconcile imagination with reality.

Following on from his well-received debut Under a Yellow Sky, Chasing Conrad is the second volume of Simon’s autobiography, and covers the years 1975-1980, when he was a junior officer with Shell Tankers, Ben Line, and the China Navigation Co. ‘It was a bit of a difficult time for me personally, struggling with alcohol and with my own bad behaviour,’ he admits. ‘But it was also a time of great

upheaval in the industry, and I thought it would be interesting to juxtapose those two different kinds of turbulence in the book.’

Simon chronicles how he attempted to continue working on traditional general cargo ships during the last stages of the transition to containers. ‘I wanted to hang on to the old slower pace of life,’ he explains, ‘with the chance it offered to see the countries we were visiting. And I was still a big reader; offwatch, I used to lie in the sun on deck and read and dream.’

The author’s love of literature shows in the way he writes, skilfully using descriptive language to evoke time and place. Has he considered moving into fiction like his literary heroes? ‘It might happen one day,’ he says, ‘but I want to finish my memoirs first, and I’m very busy running my business.’

As that comment indicates, Simon is no longer working in the shipping industry. He came ashore in 1984, having married and started a family. ‘I didn’t want to do nine-month deepsea tours any more, and I had a broad assumption that it would be easy to find a maritime job ashore, but the decline in the British flag meant that loads of people were being thrown on the beach.

‘I did find some bits of maritime work here and there, but eventually I decided to swallow the

Given that he came ashore some 30 years ago, though, what spurred him to look back in such detail at his time at sea? ‘It had a lot to do with my father’s death,’ he explains. ‘I discovered a well-hidden family secret then: I had a half-brother who I never knew, from my father’s first marriage. It made me realise I knew hardly anything about his early life, and I didn’t want that for my own four children, so I started to put memories down on paper. I also value and maintain my links to the sea; I have regular reunions in Plymouth with friends I made at nautical college and onboard ship.’

The writing project went well, and he eventually found himself with a book-length manuscript on his desk. The memoir was accepted by a publisher, but there was still one more hurdle to overcome.

‘I thought I’d better go away for a couple of weeks while my wife digested the contents,’ he says ruefully, ‘but thankfully she was OK with it.’

Simon Hall as a second officer in the late 1970s, during the period covered by Chasing Conrad

Chasing Conrad: a preview of Simon Hall’s latest memoir Chasing Conrad

By Simon J Hall Whittles Publishing, £16.99 ISBN: 978 18499 51555 fwww.whittlespublishing.com

K

From Chapter 4 As we wound our way up the river it was as if we were disappearing into a world remote from the twentieth century, a timeless land where the dark jungle crowded us ever closer from the banks, and monkeys whooped and flung themselves around the treeline as we thumped gently round a green bend, to see another green bend ahead. The water became thicker and browner as we moved upstream. When we came round the Kampong Banyok and neared the city of Sibu, the jungle fell away and we found ourselves in the company of other deep sea ships that had made the long journey inland.

Once the Benreoch was securely moored, we loaded more rubber, some timber and coffee and a few other raw goods; the shore gangs worked the derricks at a speed that was impossible to diminish. The whole pace of life slowed, it felt as torpid as the idle Rajang river itself, we all slowed with it. I spent a lot of time leaning on the rails and looking out at the quiet. Everything was so still, so

unmoving, as if the whole world had lain down and gone to sleep.

From Chapter 9 I looked at my reflection in the mirror behind the bar and was disgusted, it seemed to be leering back at me.

The bags under my eyes looked big enough to carry my meagre life’s possessions. I ordered another cold beer and lit another cigarette, then sat with the ghost of my past dreams while the afternoon died around us, and together we surveyed the wreckage of all my hopes.

From Chapter 10 Fr Mike the midshipman was leaving at M the same time as me, and we had a th joint paying-off party that went on into jo the night. All the officers were there, th together with half a dozen local friends. to The following day was a Sunday, a Th non-working day, which meant that no the party could rage all night: it did. th It started in a good-humoured way with toasts and well-wishing all round, w then deteriorated into wildness after a th couple of hours, as more alcohol was co consumed. We had piggy-back jousts co on each other’s shoulders, armed with mops, striving to paste our opponent m in the face with the wet mop-head.

We fought Star Wars duels on the W boat deck holding four-foot neon bo light tubes as our light sabres, which lig burst spectacularly as we battled. We played dambusters, rushing around the bar in fleets, singing. We drank Hammers competitively. Later the mood turned maudlin as we swore undying friendship to each other; even the chief wished me well. Later still, we sat on the poop deck while Mike played his accordion and we sung along in murmured dirge, watching the sun come up over the harbour heads.

Chasing Conrad is scheduled for publication on 30 April 2015, and will be reviewed in a future edition of the Telegraph.

Simon Hall (centre, with tilted head) with classmates at Plymouth School of Maritime Studies in the late 1960s

28_hall_SR edit.indd 28

18/03/2015 15:24

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME HISTORY

Murderers or comrades?

K

The machine-gunning of survivors by a U-boat crew of ‘Nazi butchers’ is described by former merchant seaman Brian Callison in his successful adventure novel of 1970, A Flock of Ships.

This characterisation of U-boat crews as murderous, first appearing in the First World War, was repeated in the Second. In March 1940 The Times naval correspondent wrote that the ‘Germans have already plumbed the depths of barbarity in their conduct at sea’, and in an editorial of July 1941 The Times spoke of a ‘savage enemy’s campaign of murder on the high seas’.

Later in the war screenwriter Norman Lee, telling of his wartime voyage to India, said that his ship’s doctor had told him that ‘The Jerries get up to all sorts of tricks. I’ve seen dead bodies in a lifeboat turn out to be live Jerries with a machine-gun, camouflaging a periscope.’

Charles Jarman, then general secretary of the National Union of Seamen, was quoted as saying in 1944: ‘There were cases in which U-boat commanders had machine-gunned seamen after they had taken to their boats … and had chopped off the fingers of men clinging to rafts.’

These allegations were repeated in the extensive parliamentary briefing prepared for the Minister of War Transport in July 1942: ‘The enemy has throughout shown an utter lack of any humane consideration and has pressed his onslaught to the point of attacking defenceless men in their lifeboats or even when hanging to wreckage’.

The origins of these and many similar stories lay in the German declaration of unrestricted submarine war in February 1915, the year in which submarine warfare was first employed extensively.

Germany had announced that ‘every hostile merchant ship in [British waters] will be destroyed, even if it is not always possible to avoid thereby the dangers which threaten the crews and passengers’.

The formal British reply had said: ‘To destroy ship, noncombatant crew and cargo, as Germany has announced her intention of doing, is nothing less than an act of piracy’. Piracy could be read as entailing murder, bar-

altogether, as any excess of this would have upset the boat’s trim...

We were told that on one occasion before this they had seven men onboard from an enemy ship.’

Ten hours later the submarine stopped an Italian ship bound up Channel. The survivors were put aboard and landed at Ramsgate.

Half of the crew of the Seatonia had had a similar experience in November 1916 when, after a week-long stay aboard a German submarine, they were landed in a neutral port.

A century on from the first U-boat attacks on merchant shipping, former deck officer, author and academic PROFESSOR TONY LANE questions the way in which German submarine crews have often been portrayed…

A Second World War German U-boat crew

barity and atrocity, and these associated words came to be routinely used in describing the actions of U-boat crews.

P&O’s war historian, for example, said that ‘Germany’s unlimited power of evil [was] received with some incredulity. To sink a ship and fire on the survivors in their boats or leave them at the mercy of the elements to starve or drown hundreds of miles from land soon became a common atrocity’.

In his comprehensive description of events in the sinking of P&O group ships, the author wrote of officers and gunners being taken as prisoners by submarines and of the deaths of crew members when their ships were sunk, but did not cite any instances of deliberate brutality.

Cunard’s war historian reported similarly in his survey of the company’s lost ships and crews. So also did the journalist Cope Cornford. In his analysis of 50 meetings between U-boat crews and survivors, he found one case of apparently deliberate cruelty — a U-boat when submerging left 43 survivors stand-

ing on its deck, of whom only three eventually survived.

The Second World War yielded one documented case heard at the Nuremberg trials. Survivors of a Greek ship, the Peleus, had been deliberately killed. Three U-boat officers were executed.

In the Second World War, as in the First, contemporary examination of survivors’ experiences showed that face-to-face meetings with the enemy were marked mainly by the degree of consideration shown to the victims.

In a sample of Admiralty intelligence officers’ interviews with survivors of 56 ships sunk between 1939 and 1944 involving meetings with German U-boats, there were no allegations of violence and many examples of help.

Typical encounters found German submariners offering their apologies — ‘it is war’ — and then providing variously navigational advice, first aid, food, drink and tobacco. After the Langleford had been torpedoed 70 miles off the Irish coast in February 1940, the U-boat commander had exchanged customary greetings and apologies and ‘hauled a sack

out of the conning tower and told me they were giving me some cigarettes. When we opened the sack afterwards we found that it contained two bottles of rum, 200 cigarettes, six boxes of matches, a large package of bandages and a 10lb box of ship’s biscuits’.

Less standard was the rescue of 11 survivors from the Darino in November 1939. Bound homeward from Oporto, survivors were pulled aboard the submarine an hour or so after their ship had been torpedoed: ‘We were taken below, our clothes were taken and we were put into bunks … Whilst onboard … we were allowed to walk about and do what we liked and we talked to all the officers and a number of the crew … When he picked us up, the Captain said he could only take 12 survivors

K

An incident typical of the general tenor of German practice as reported by survivors appeared in a slim book published in 1943. Atlantic Torpedo, written by a nurse who had survived the sinking of the Laconia in November, acknowledged ‘the humanity shown to us survivors by the personnel of the German submarine which picked us up’.

An unravelling of the ‘Laconia incident’ involving three German and two Italian submarines and Vichy-French warships was first published in France in 1961. The story resurfaced in a three-hour British film made for BBC TV and released in 2011. The film confirmed the book of 1961 which had confirmed the nurse-author.

In September 1942 the Quebec

City, homeward bound from Alexandria via the Cape of Good Hope with a cargo of cotton, was torpedoed SW of the Liberian coast by the same U-boat which only days earlier had sunk the Laconia survivors. The submarine’s captain was helpful — the ship’s master was invited aboard the submarine to look at the charts for the area and confirm the bearing and distance from Cape Palmas. ‘There had been no sign of hatred or bigotry’, said David Jones many years later, ‘only that mutual respect and comradeship which is normal between true seamen’.

After 15 days they were met off the Liberian coast by six canoes.

Five fishermen climbed into the lifeboat to row it ashore through the surf. Eighteen-year old cadet David Jones was the first ashore. ‘I jumped into the water and fell flat on my face as my weakened legs gave way under me. Two smiling villagers seized my arms where I was immediately surrounded by friendly faces … they handed us fresh bananas, our first solid food for a fortnight, half coconuts full of exquisitely refreshing milk and gallon cans of fresh water’.

After a week in the poor, subsistence-level fishing village, an SOS carved out of the sand by the Quebec City crew was seen by an RAF patrol.

Are you serving or retired

MERCHANT NAVY FISHING FLEET ROYAL NAVY ROYAL MARINE or a dependant or do you know someone who is and needs help?

Seafarer Support is a free confidential telephone and award winning online referral service helping you find support for serving and former UK seafarers and their families in times of need

www.seafarersupport.org Freephone 0800 121 4765 U-boat U-156 rescues survivors from the torpedoed Cunard liner Laconia in 1942

29_u-boats.indd 29

18/03/2015 16:34

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult Lloyd’s List stated: ‘Stanley, F Falkland Islands. March 5, 1870.

In May 1870 a report in

Maid of Athens, Wooldridge.

London to Callao, burnt...

Ashore Staten Island. Master, wife and 5 men arrived Stanley.’

At that time such laconic reports of shipwreck were to be read all too frequently in the columns of Lloyd’s List; each was only a brief précis of disaster, of human suffering and endurance, and often of grievous loss of life and treasure. However, few were ever augmented in such arresting detail as the wreck of Maid of Athens. This fine ship was not overwhelmed by the elements, but by fire generated in the merchandise she carried.

Captain Richard Wooldridge was the owner-master of Maid of Athens, a well-found brigantine. On this particular voyage he was accompanied by his young wife, who at once both fulfilled and confounded the superstitions of seamen.

Although the voyage ended in disaster, the crew and to some degree her husband owed their lives to her indomitable courage and resourcefulness.

It was said that the journal of Mrs Wooldridge provided ‘irrefutable evidence of the ability of a woman to face the perils of shipwreck, and to exert over a number of feckless and recalcitrant men an authority and discipline which proves their salvation and provides a perfect example of command exercised by force of character, unsupported by ordinances of war, or regulations’.

Scribbled in a damp and tattered account book, the journal was also described thus: ‘The terms in which she describes the handling of vessels large and small are terse and accurate; her observations on the weather or on conditions of sea and tide are those of an

The resourceful Mrs Wooldridge experienced seafarer. On the island [after the wreck] she assembles the sparse wreckage on which the lives of the whole party depend with the method and practicality of an able housewife settling into a suburban villa ... shaming them into working towards their own salvation by being the first to take up tasks which would be beyond the strength of many women.’

Maid of Athens was bound for the Pacific coast of South America with a mixed cargo which included camphor and iron boilers. She left London in November 1869 with 12 souls onboard. Some two months later, in a violent storm off the

River Plate, the mate was lost overboard. ‘But now there was no one whom the Captain could leave in charge of the deck, so he was unable ever to undress and go properly to bed for one night’s rest. We were daily getting nearer Cape Horn.’

Staten Island lies some 100 miles east of Cape Horn. It is a wild, desolate place. On the evening before the intended passage between the island and the mainland, fire had broken out. From the outset the captain had steered for the island, hoping to save the ship and cargo. ‘At last an open bay was before us with rocks running out, but inside a sandy beach.’

The ship struck rocks close

offshore; her final resting place.

It was a lengthy and difficult process to save and secure all that they could to aid survival.

Necessity, invention and improvisation became second nature. The party encamped on the island for six weeks, the intention always to sail in the repaired and modified longboat to the Falklands, unless rescued by a passing ship. They were victims to dashed hopes, as several ships were indeed sighted.

Three men elected to stay behind, not wishing to partake in such a perilous boat voyage. Of Mrs Wooldridge’s preparations: ‘I dried the chart by the fire ... I put in my small handbag the matches, the compass, a lead pencil, some note-paper, part of the only Bible.’

The boat passage took a week. They experienced the full gamut of conditions that such an undertaking inevitably attracts, necessitating the rationing of provisions, water and rum ‘for greater need’; and to overcome stupor, cramps, cold and wet, and raising of plunging morale.

To those who eventually gave them succour on the Falklands ‘the men’s gaunt faces, their staring eyes and utter weariness showed how much they had suffered ... The Governor could hardly credit we had come across the 500 miles in such a boat and such a sea; her keel, patched with soup tins, copper and in some places canvas.’ The three remaining men were subsequently rescued.

‘We left the Falklands after receiving the greatest kindnesses from everyone about May 6 1870, going to Monte Video, thence by steamer to Falmouth.’ f Source: The Wreck of the Maid of Athens by Emily Wooldridge. (MacMillan, 1953) f Picture: by Laurence Irving

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book The Unseen Lusitania by Eric Sauder (reviewed on the facing page).

To enter, simply complete the form right and send it, along with your completed crossword, to: Nautilus International, Telegraph Crossword Competition, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,

South Woodford, London E18 1BD, or fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015.

You can also enter by email, by sending your list of answers and your contact details to: telegraph@nautilusint.org.

A coordinated international scheme designed to improve the health and medical treatment of the world’s 1m seafarers has been adopted by a joint committee of the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation.

It follows a WHO report which stated that treatment on ships not carrying a doctor was often not satisfactory, that inspection of ships’ medicine chests was inadequate, and that medical guides were often out of date. The MNAOA was represented on the joint committee that agreed the new scheme, which also includes a revised international ships’ medical guide covering the most recent advances in medical treatment and a revised medical section of the International Code of Signals to enable a master to get accurate instructions by radio MN Journal, April 1965

25 YEARS AGO British shipowners last month moved to scrap the National Maritime Board, the joint union-employer body which has set pay and conditions in the merchant fleet for more than 70 years. NUMAST has criticised the decision. General secretary John Newman described it as ‘a deplorable short-term measure devoid of any long-term logic’. The British Shipping Federation’s decision to withdraw from the NMB, with effect from 30 September, will mean the end of the Merchant Navy Establishment, set up in 1947 to supply seafarers to all ships operating on NMB agreements. NUMAST is entering into negotiations with the owners and is seeking guarantees on key employment conditions, including the continued recognition of previous shipping industry service in redundancy situations and arrangements to ensure continued consultation on issues such as training, occupational health and safety, discipline, and crew agreements and manning levels The Telegraph, April 1990

10 YEARS AGO NUMAST has voiced concern after Euro-MPs backed controversial plans to criminalise marine pollution incidents, despite united opposition from seafaring unions and shipowners. The European Parliament backed the new EU directive on ship-source pollution, under which seafarers could face the prospect of criminal sanctions even for accidental spills. The regulations — drawn up in response to the Erika and Prestige tanker disasters — will mean that any cases in which ships discharge polluting substances into EU territorial waters ‘with intent, recklessly or by serious negligence’ will be regarded as criminal offences. MEPs rejected last-minute amendments that would have brought the directive into line with the international MARPOL Convention, under which accidental pollution cannot be deemed to be a criminal offence, although they did introduce some safeguards for seafarers — including measures to ensure that penalties are kept in line with the offence The Telegraph, April 2005

THEQUIZ

4

Roughly how many passengers embarked from European ports on cruises last year?

1

Which EU member state has the largest number of seafarers?

5

2

How many ultra-large containerships are presently in service in the world fleet?

What proportion of European cruise passengers come from the UK and Ireland?

6

There are 22 owned and 37 chartered car carriers in the Glovis fleet. Which group is the parent company?

3

And how many ultra-large containerships are presently on order?

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 17 April 2014.

QUICK CLUES

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

50 YEARS AGO

1.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

16.

19.

21.

22.

24.

25.

26.

Across Ordinary (11) Bullfighter (7) Lewd (7) Shut (5,4) Estimated (5) Cleaning bar (4) Garden chemical (10) Opposition (10) Booty (4) Woman (5) Delayed debt (4,5) Bit (7) Plaintiff (7) Unrehearsed (11)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Down Military duty (8,7) Prod (5) For piercing (7) Made monarch (7) Decoration (8) Tour de France prize (3,6,6) Corporal punishment (6)

8.

15.

16.

17.

18.

20.

23.

Well again (6) Snails (8) Thoughtless (6) Abbreviation (7) Mexican-born American (7) Wheeled racer (2-4) Beverage (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Across I run fund she diverted into renting property, but that’s all (11) Ivorian key player (7) Most populous country but without a joker to chat to (7) New moon and changes in USA around the Big Apple will remains nameless (9) Nearby pub (5) Eden shakeup a requirement (4) One may detect new star and moon to the east, right (10)

16. Learner is alas they say in Scotland, following marine group (10) 19. What remains after tearing off but to knock toe (4) 21. Bird is domesticated creature around West Indies (5) 22. Shooter gets smell of deer by estate’s first twisted tree (9) 24. It illustrates plots between articles considered holy sayings (7) 25. ‘I have had my labour for my ---’ (Troilus and Cressida) (7) 26. Oppressed class trampled underfoot (11)

Down It’s the location of little star I wonder about (2,5,3,5) 2. Magical being, half earth, half air, yonder is where it hides (5) 3. Austerity measures in wartime books (7) 4. Coin, sir, reshaped by tooth (7) 1.

5. Fracture of the forehead (8) 6. Precipitated thus was eviction of incy wincy arachnid from guttering … (4,4,3,4) 7. … odds on it getting a twisted wrist or ankle (6) 8. Leg Reg shattered as dealer with shells and their contents (6) 15. Polecat’s foot left in the ring (8) 16. Tree excretion on cooking container (6) 17. Great many turned out on the street to see acrobat (7) 18. Returned British title before von Bismarck could make a meal of it (7) 20. Break in leg, rub all over (6) 23. I left Daniel wrestling African beast (5)

J Crossword answers are on page 42.

18/03/2015 15:25

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

High-class images help human story hit home The Unseen Lusitania

By Eric Sauder History Press, £25 ISBN: 978 07524 97051 fwww.thehistorypress.co.uk of a coffee table book, and contains the highK quality images you would expect from the genre.

The Unseen Lusitania has the appearance

Indeed, the large hardback is exceptionally well presented, with attention paid to details such as typeface and spacing of photos.

This approach could have resulted in a glossy, superficial retelling of the Lusitania story, but surprisingly, the book has real heart: the clarity of the presentation allows readers to relate to the people in the 100-year-old images.

The author also avoids the temptation to

pack the work with pictures of first class cabins and staterooms — a dreary feature of so many cruiseship and liner histories. The Unseen Lusitania offers a more balanced selection of images, covering second and third class passenger accommodation as well as first class, and even showing some of the crew spaces.

There is interesting use of before-and-after pictures: one pair of images, for example, shows a staircase that had to be ‘stiffened’ with pillars and arches to cut down on the vessel’s notorious vibration. And there are some quite shocking juxtapositions where the author compares a picture from the Lusitania’s glory days to the same section of the ship as seen today, rotting at the bottom of the ocean.

Although the pictures are the book’s main attraction, the text is also a good read, and the

training and career development.

There’s some particularly good advice on how to set up a company and, for those who are successful, how to be an employer. It’s also hard to think of any element of the operational aspects of marine surveying that is neglected in the book, with sections on such issues as quality assurance, risk assessment, time management, filing and archiving systems, marketing, client relations, ethics and codes of conduct, invoicing and debt collection.

Mr Wall has produced what is sure to serve as the essential guide for seafarers looking to move into surveying. And, in fact, there’s so much of value in his book that it would also serve as a useful general guide for anyone thinking of setting up in business.

Indispensible guide makes sure all bases When whales are covered fought back...

Running a Marine Survey Company

By Mike Wall Published by Petrospot, £75 ISBN: 978 19086 63207 fwww.petrospot.com

K

Setting up a marine survey company is a very popular career choice for seafarers looking to work ashore. There are many who have made the move successfully — but there are also many who can tell you that it is not an easy transition.

Mike Wall made the move after a seagoing career that took him to the rank of chief engineer, as well as time as a senior lecturer at Warsash and as a superintendent with a UK coastal shipping company.

He now has almost 30 years of survey experience, and as well as developing ship survey training courses, he wrote the excellent book Report Writing for Marine Surveyors, published by Petrospot in 2011. With his new title, he starts from the basics – explaining the role of the marine surveyor, the different types of survey work, and the ways to achieve professional standing in an occupation which presently lacks any requirements for formal qualification.

Well structured, the book is written with admirable clarity and has high presentational standards, with lots of handy charts and tables, as well as specimen forms. Mr Wall explains the differences between being a ‘generalist’ and specialist surveyor, and the different routes for

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex

By Owen Chase Zenith Press, £23 ISBN: 978 07603 48123

KMoby-Dick is set to get

The classic seafaring tale

theHollywood treatment this year, with the release of In the Heart of the Sea — a major new movie directed by Ron Howard.

This superbly produced book contains the first-hand account of the incident that inspired the author Herman Melville to write his novel in 1851. The remarkable story of the 1820 sinking of the Nantucket whaleship Essex was written by the chief mate, Owen Chase, who was one of only eight survivors.

The Essex had been rammed by a sperm whale in the southern Pacific, and the 20 crew spent three months adrift in leaking lifeboats and resorting to cannibalism before the eight remaining crew were rescued.

Owen Chase’s horrifying account is given added depth and context in this book, which sandwiches his story between a rich variety of other material.

In the foreword, US writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Gilbert King explains how the story of the Essex inspired Melville — who never wrote another novel because of the initially tepid sales of Moby-Dick.

With the aid of many other contemporary accounts of whaling (and of other ships lost to whale attacks), together with some splendid paintings and photographs, Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex

narrative follows the tale of the Lusitania all the way from the vessel’s early days to the U-boat attack and its aftermath. The author is keen to stress the ship’s achievements, such as winning the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing, and points out that it is unfortunate for a fine vessel to be remembered only for its sinking.

Inevitably, though, the sinking king is the crux of the Lusitania story, and the book succeeds in reminding us what this meant for those onboard.

There are witness accounts of the attack, and pictures of some of the survivors in their hospital beds.

Orphaned children are shown with the Irish families who took care of them after the disaster, and the book ends with photos of individual crew members and passengers — each simply annotated with the person’s name and the word ‘saved’ or ‘lost’.

Special offer on ‘yachting bible’ for Telegraph readers Reeds Nautical Almanac Published by Adlard Coles ISBN: 978 14729 06991 and totalling more than 1,000 K pages, Reeds Nautical Almanac — Weighing in at well over a kilo

vividly portrays the scale and spectacle of the whaling industry and the rigours and the perils faced by those who worked within it.

This book has been produced to extremely high standards and the accompanying images are extremely evocative. It provides an understanding of not only the ordeal suffered by the crew of the Essex but also of the deep mythology that it taps into and, in turn, the reasons for the slow-burning success of Herman Melville’s novel — and, perhaps, the forthcoming film.

now sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management — is often described as the bible for the yachting community.

The book brings together a wealth of navigational data, including full colour plans of more than 700 harbours and over 7,500 waypoints. It provides all the information required to navigate Atlantic coastal waters around the whole of the UK, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, and the entire European coastline from the tip of Denmark right down to Gibraltar, northern Morocco, the Azores and Madeira.

Attractive, interesting... what’s not to like?

175 years of Cunard

By Chris Frame and Rachelle Cross The History Press, £20 ISBN: 978 07524 89261 cruiseship Britannia sailed out K of Southampton, 175 years after This month the new P&O

Cunard’s Britannia sailed out of Liverpool bound for Boston, marking the company’s inaugural service.

This new history beautifully and concisely tells the story of one of the most successful and wellknown cruise companies in the world. It combines an insight into all the vessels and information on the fortunes of the company, with interesting lesser-known facts and, most importantly, real-life stories from those who have worked onboard the company’s many vessels.

Captain Ian McNaught, the last master of the QE2, says that his relationship with the ship was like a

marriage. ‘It had its but she it ups andd downs, d b t you knew k h was something special, and yes, I loved her to bits,’ he said.

But B t the th stories t i don’t d ’t just j t come from captains and officers; there are stories from all around the decks

which give a real sense that all who w hhave sailed on a Cunard vessel have ttreasured the experience.

Gaynor van Deventer, who worked in ships’ bookshops, describes w hher work as a dream come true; and EElaine MacKay says she went onboard iin 1980 for a short arts and crafts ccourse and ended up changing career tto remain on the ships for than 20 yyears.

There are great pictures tthroughout, with the colour and qquality improving as you travel tthrough the years. The book is also rright up to date, with the closing cchapter covering events between 22010 and 2015 as Cunard, now under tthe guardianship of the Carnival CCorporation, plans to bring about ‘‘the second Golden Age of Cruising ffor those who missed it the first time rround’.

This book cannot be praised highly enough and, at just £20, it is hard to think of a reason not to buy it.

Published annually for more than 80 years, the almanac incorporates 45,000 updates every year — including revised tidal data — and also features details on harbour facilities, area planning charts and distance tables, international codes and flags, together with passage advice, and safety and communications information. g For the forthcoming Reeds Nautical Almanac 2016 (which will be published in August), Telegraph readers can obtain a pre-order discount — making the book £34 instead of £45. Readers can also obtain the 2015 edition (published in August 2014) for a 50% discount, making it £22.50. Postage and packing is free in the UK on orders over £25, and the offer runs until 1 May. g Visit www.bloomsbury.com/ uk and search for Reeds Nautical Almanac 2016 or Reeds Nautical Almanac 2015, then use discount code NAUTILUS at checkout.

BOOK SAVINGS Telegraph readers can buy the books reviewed on these pages at a whopping 25% discount on publisher’s price through the Marine Society’s online shop. g To qualify for this offer, readers

need to make their purchase at www.marinesocietyshop.org.

Click on the ‘Books of the month’ button with the Nautilus logo to see the books featured in the Telegraph, and use the promotional code Nautilus when buying your book.

18/03/2015 17:44

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

NL NEWS

Het doek valt voor Bore NL Branch: De Nederlandse vlag wordt gestreken A Vroon Offshore Services: Voorstellen nieuwe CAO zijn geformuleerd ledenvergadering plaats C met de leden in dienst van Vroon Op 5 februari jl. vond de

Offshore Services B.V. om te praten over de nieuwe CAO. Het was een positieve bijeenkomst met goede discussies en veel inbreng van de leden. Tijdens de ledenvergadering zijn tevens de voorstellen voor de nieuwe CAO geformuleerd.

De nieuwe CAO borduurt voort op de huidige CAO die op 30 april 2015 afloopt. Er wordt uitgegaan van een looptijd van één jaar, maar een langere looptijd is bespreekbaar, mede afhankelijk van de resultaten. Er wordt een gageverhoging voorgesteld van 3%, conform het FNV loon- en arbeidsvoorwaardenbeleid.

Aanpassingen loongebouw

Verder bestaat al geruime tijd de wens bij de leden om het loongebouw aan te passen en zij willen dat dit nu echt opgepakt gaat worden. Wijzigingen waaraan gedacht moet worden zijn: verwerking van de DP bonus in het vaste loon en overwerkvergoeding voor overwerk verwerken in het

vaste loon voor de loongroepen waar dit nog niet van toepassing is. Ook bestaat de wens dat gelijk(waardig) werk gelijk beloond moet worden. In dat kader stelt Nautilus voor dat de loonschalen voor de werknemers ERRV NOGEPA gelijkgesteld worden met de loonschalen ERRV UKOOA en dat de loonschalen van PSV gelijkgesteld worden met de loonschalen van DSV. Overschrijding uitzendtermijn

Ander punt van aandacht is het vaar-/verlofschema. Er blijven namelijk klachten binnenkomen van leden over de uitzendtermijn en de overschrijding hiervan.

Nautilus stelt de werkgever daarom — wederom — voor om bij overschrijding van de uitzendtermijn met één dag voor of na de vaste aflosdag te belonen tegen 200%.

De voorstellenbrief is inmiddels naar de werkgever gestuurd.

Tijdens het ter perse gaan van dit nummer was hier nog geen reactie op, maar we houden u natuurlijk op de hoogte van de voortgang.

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Vindt u dat kapitein Schettino een verdiende gevangenisstraf heeft gekregen als gevolg van de ramp met de Costa Concordia?

Bore Ltd. heeft besloten de Nederlandse ferry’s om te vlaggen naar de Finse vlag en de nevenvestiging van Bore NL Branch in Amsterdam te sluiten. Een strategische beslissing die vergaande gevolgen heeft voor de Nederlandse werknemers, want binnen afzienbare tijd worden de Nederlandse officieren op de Norsky en Norstream vervangen door voornamelijk Finse officieren.

Het Finse bedrijf dat onderdeel uitmaakt van de Rettig Groep lijdt al jarenlang verlies.

Al eerder werd afscheid genomen van de vrachtschepen en nu bezit Bore Ltd. nog maar 9 roll-on-roll-offschepen ( ro-ro’s) en 3 car carriers. Tien keer per week varen de Norsky en Norstream de route Zeebrugge (België)Tilbury (UK). In tegenstelling tot het Finse moederconcern, doen de twee Nederlands gevlagde ro-ro’s het behoorlijk goed, waarbij de medewerkers altijd met creatieve oplossingen weten te komen om kosten te besparen. De beslissing om de Nederlandse schepen om te vlaggen naar de Finse vlag is dan ook tot grote frustratie van de Nederlandse bemanningsleden niet een operationele (lees: rationele), maar een puur strategische (lees: politieke) beslissing geweest.

gelegd. Hierin wordt een drietal zaken aangeboden: een kantonrechtersformule van 0,5, een opzegtermijn van twee maanden met loondoorbetaling (vrijgesteld van werkzaamheden) en een outplacement traject.

Sociaal plan

Dat neemt niet weg dat het voor de 24 Nederlandse medewerkers (waarvan 22 officieren, 1 gezel en 1 kantoormedewerkster) een zeer zwaar gelag is en dat ze, binnenkort zonder werk komen te zitten. Op 17 februari jl. stelde CEO Håkan Modig de zeevarenden die toen toevallig aan boord zaten persoonlijk op de hoogte van het omvlaggen van de schepen en de sluiting van Bore NL Branch. Voor allen kwam dit als een donderslag bij heldere hemel. Inmiddels is er door Bore een melding voornemen collectief ontslag gedaan bij het UWV. Tevens heeft de (advocaat van de) werkgever een concept sociaal plan op tafel

Actiebereidheid

Op 3 maart jl. heeft Nautilus overleg gehad met de werkgever over het sociaal plan, waarin de vakbond (na overleg met de aanwezige kaderleden) te kennen heeft gegeven dat een kantonrechtersformule van 0,5 echt te weinig is en dat Bore met een fatsoenlijk en degelijk sociaal plan moet komen.

Hierbij moet ook in aanmerking worden genomen dat een soortgelijke functie (Nederlandse ploeg officieren, vaar-verlofschema van 2 weken op 2 weken af, goede loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden onder

Nederlands contract) zo goed als uitgesloten is. De advocaat van de werkgever zou op 9 maart een schriftelijke reactie geven, maar de inhoud hiervan was tijdens het ter perse gaan van dit nummer nog niet bekend. Op 11 en 17 maart praten Nautilus en Bore verder over (de uitwerking van) het sociaal plan.

Duidelijk is wel dat, indien de werkgever niet met een beter voorstel komt, de kans op acties groot is.

We houden u vanzelfsprekend op de hoogte van de voortgang van deze trieste zaak.

Net voordat de Telegraph naar de drukker zou worden verstuurd, bereikte ons het bericht dat partijen een principe-akkoord op hoofdlijnen hebben bereikt over het Sociaal Plan. Nautilus en Bore waren nog in gesprek met elkaar over de laatste details van het Sociaal Plan. In de volgende editie van de Telegraph kunnen we u meer vertellen.

Afspraken Uitzendvoorwaarden Tewerkstelling buiten Nederland F

Ja 100%

De poll van deze maand is: Vindt u dat meer van simulatoren gebruik moet worden gemaakt ter reductie van vaartijdsvereisten stagiairs? Geef ons uw mening online, op www.nautilusint.org/nl

32-34_nl_16.3jcw.indd 32

Wachtgeld en uitzendperiodes

FNV Waterbouw leden hebben gesproken en stemmen in meerderheid in met het principeakkoord dat op 23 februari tot stand kwam. Het akkoord geldt voor alle werknemers van Van Oord en Boskalis die worden tewerkgesteld buiten Nederland. Op hoofdlijnen zijn de volgende afspraken gemaakt.

Loonstijging

De onderhandelingen hebben geresulteerd in drie loonrondes: per 1 juli 2014 2,5% per 1juli 2015 2% en per 1 juli 2016 2%.

Daarnaast is er in de sfeer van de inkomensverbetering afgesproken dat de structurele eindejaarsuitkering in 3 rondes wordt verhoogd: In 2014 met 0,5% in 2015 met 0,25% in 2016 met 0,25%.

De gemiddelde loonstijging in Nederland kwam in 2014 neer op 1,6%.

Voor 2015 wordt een gemiddelde stijging van 2% verwacht en voor 2016 is de verwachting nog niet bekend.

We kunnen derhalve vaststellen dat de afspraken over het loon en de

eindejaarsuitkering bijdragen aan een inkomensverbetering.

Reisdagen

De afspraak rond de reisdagen leidt tot het vergoeden van de reistijd als er meer dan 24 uur wordt gereisd met als uitgangspunt dat de reistijd begint op

het woonadres en stopt bij aankomst op het werk of vice versa.

Daar waar werkgevers nooit eerder hierover afspraken wensten te maken, hebben we nu in ieder geval een basis gelegd waar in de toekomst voorstellen tot aanpassingen kunnen worden gedaan.

Ook is vanwege de vele problemen omtrent de aanvang van het wachtgeld afgesproken dat in de tekst specifiek omschreven wordt wanneer het wachtgeld ingaat. Over lopende problemen met het wachtgeld werken we op dit moment met de werkgever aan een oplossing.

Verder is er afgesproken een onderzoek te doen naar de mogelijkheden om in de toekomst te besluiten om buiten Nederland overal met eenzelfde minimaal aaneengesloten uitzendperiode te werken.

Omdat andere uitzendperiodes mogelijk consequenties kunnen hebben voor het reizen, wordt in hetzelfde onderzoek meegenomen om bij vluchten van 6 uur en langer met Economy Comfort te vliegen.

De afspraken zijn aan de leden voorgelegd en een overgrote meerderheid heeft daarmee ingestemd. In lijn met deze uitkomst heeft de Raad van Advies van Waterbouw de afspraken geaccordeerd.

18/03/2015 15:25

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Viking verandert eenzijdig de arbeidsvoorwaarden van haar werknemers in Europa! dat twee soorten cruises kan C aanbieden, namelijk zogenaamde Viking Cruises is een bedrijf

River Cruises en Ocean Cruises.

Het is een wereldwijd opererend bedrijf waarbij de top, kantoor houdt in de United States maar voor haar divisie Viking River Cruise een hoofdkantoor heeft in Basel Zwitserland.

Het bedrijf wordt geleid door de heer Torstein Hagen, een van de originele oprichters van Viking en van Noorse komaf. Dit verklaart de bedrijfsnaam. Viking River Cruise vaart met 40 schepen en ongeveer 2000 werknemers op de rivieren in Europa. Het is een bedrijf dat een enorme groei doormaakt en flink investeert in capaciteit door het bouwen van nieuwe schepen.

Voor 2015 alleen al, verwacht het bedrijf met 11 nieuwe schepen en 800 extra personeelsleden te gaan varen. Dit staat in schril contrast met het personeelsbeleid.

Daar wordt helemaal niet in geïnvesteerd! Sterker nog, het personeel moet inleveren. Wat is er gebeurd?

Op 15 januari van dit jaar, op dezelfde dag dat de Zwitserse Nationale Bank de koppeling van de Zwitserse Franc aan de Euro losliet, heeft het bedrijf haar werknemers via een mailbericht ingelicht voortaan het loon uit te betalen in Euro’s. Dit is een eenzijdige ingreep en geldt voor alle werknemers op de schepen die varen onder Zwitserse vlag. Volgens de directie was dit noodzakelijk om meer transparantie te bevorderen als gevolg van een wetswijziging in Duitsland waardoor alle werknemers die werkzaam zijn op Duits grondgebied tenminste het geldende minimumloon moeten ontvangen. Natuurlijk

heeft Nautilus namens haar leden geprotesteerd bij Viking en aangegeven dat een werkgever niet eenzijdig de overeengekomen arbeidsvoorwaarden kan wijzigen. Wat ons betreft, is er ook helemaal geen valuta probleem aangezien de meeste toeristen aan boord betalen met US-dollars of UK-ponden. Dat was zo en blijft zo! Verder heeft het bedrijf heel bewust gekozen voor een Europees hoofdkantoor in Zwitserland vanwege het belastingklimaat en de geldende sociale zekerheid, welke beide in Zwitserse Francs worden afgedragen. Wat is het gevolg voor de werknemers? Nu bepaalt de werkgever zelf iedere periode tegen welke valutakoers de lonen worden betaald. Zelfs al zou Viking de lonen op hetzelfde niveau in Euro’s houden dan heeft deze ingreep toch een verlagende uitwerking op andere (secundaire) loonelementen zoals bijvoorbeeld de pensioenopbouw en sociale zekerheid in Zwitserland. Alles bij elkaar een ontoelaatbare situatie!

Wij gaan verder met ons protest en hebben onze Europese collega’s opgeroepen ons hierin bij te staan.

Dit betekent op korte termijn dat wij onze mening nogmaals onder de aandacht willen brengen bij Viking door een gezamenlijk protest in Amsterdam. Op 24 maart 2015 vindt daar een ceremonie plaats om 7 nieuwe schepen in de vaart te nemen. Hiervoor heeft Viking allerlei internationale gasten uitgenodigd. Onze bedoeling is om dit feestje te benutten om ons standpunt (nogmaals) kracht bij te zetten. Hiervoor kunnen wij alle handen gebruiken die beschikbaar zijn. Mocht u interesse hebben om hieraan deel te nemen, meld u aan op infonl@nautilusint.org

Geslaagde vakbondsacties voor bescherming stakingsrecht!

A

Op 18 februari heeft Nautilus in FNV-verband actie gevoerd voor bescherming van het internationale stakingsrecht. Tegelijkertijd zijn door vele duizenden vakbondsmensen wereldwijd, allerlei vakbondsacties op touw gezet met hetzelfde doel.

Gecoördineerd door de internationale vakcentrale ITUC en de Global Union Federations, waaronder onze eigen internationale vervoerskoepel ITF. Dat dit indrukwekkende stukje internationale samenwerking zin heeft gehad bleek een week later. In de ILO, de Internationale Arbeidsorganisatie van de Verenigde Naties, draaiden de werkgevers bij. Hiermee zijn we het binnen de ILO als vakbonden, werkgevers en overheden weer eens over de status van het stakingsrecht. En over de waarde van meer dan 60 jaar erkenning en bescherming van het stakingsrecht door de ILO. De afgelopen twee jaar lag dit stakingsrecht onder vuur.

Vakbondsvijandige regimes ontkenden ineens de status van het stakingsrecht als een in ILO verdrag 87 vastgelegd grond-

recht. Werkgeversorganisaties wereldwijd gingen hierin mee.

Ook de Nederlandse werkgevers distantieerden zich naar de mening van de FNV niet voldoende van deze klap in het gezicht van een ieder die internationaal recht en vakbondswerk serieus neemt. Immers, staken is een mensenrecht en mensenrechten, daar kom je niet aan!

Reden dus voor stevige discussies aan de wereldwijde en Nederlandse overlegtafels. En voor actie. Op 18 februari stonden wij op de stoep bij VNO NCW en vroegen de Nederlandse werkgevers expliciet om kleur te bekennen.

Door de discussie van de afgelopen twee jaar kon de ILO haar werk niet goed doen. Om vakbondsleiders in Cambodja te beschermen tegen ontslag en bruut geweld. Om een einde te maken aan kinderarbeid in India.

En aan dwangarbeid in Wit Rusland. Tegen dit soort wantoestanden kan de ILO nu weer stelling nemen. Met gezag, want gedragen door de wereldwijde vakbeweging en de fatsoenlijke werkgevers en overheden

gezamenlijk.

De angel is nu dus uit de discussie. Maar vakbonden moeten wel waakzaam blijven.

Het stakingsrecht is een grondrecht dat op gezette tijden onder druk staat. Vanuit Brussel, vanuit dictatoriale regimes, maar dus zelfs vanuit werkgevers, ook in eigen land, die zeggen dat ze maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen hoog in het vaandel hebben staan.

Het aanpakken van bijvoorbeeld kinderarbeid of veilige arbeidsomstandigheden is voor werkgevers veel makkelijker dan het in de praktijk respecteren van vakbondsrechten zoals het stakingsrecht. Want collectieve acties kosten werkgevers geld. En dat moet ook. Bijvoorbeeld omdat vakbonden tot een leefbaar loon voor iedere werknemer willen komen. Zowel in Nederland als in de internationale productieketens.

In vakbondsvijandige landen worden vakbondsleiders nog steeds vermoord of gevangen gezet. Denk aan Colombia, aan Nigeria en, dichterbij huis, aan Turkije. En ook in Europa komt het nog steeds voor dat je op een

Nautilus brengt vlootbezoek aan Pride of Bruges en Pride of Rotterdam: bemanningsleden P&O NSF uitgebreid voorgelicht en geconsulteerd Nautilus een vlootbezoek aan de Pride of F Bruges te Hull (UK) en de Pride of Rotterdam te Op 5 en 6 maart jongstleden bracht

Europoort (NL). De vakbond heeft uitgebreid met de leden in dienst van P&O North Sea Ferries B.V. gesproken over het nieuwe concept-reglement.

De afgelopen maanden is een speciale werkgroep druk bezig geweest om tot een nieuw reglement te komen waarbij de meeste toeslagen zijn verwerkt in het basisloon.

De werkgroep Nieuw Reglement bestond uit afgevaardigden van de werkgever, vakbond Nautilus International en kaderleden vanuit de drie verschillende disciplines dek, machinekamer en OBS. Vanaf oktober 2014 heeft deze reglementscommissie overleg gehad over de modernisering van het oude reglement.

Modernisering was enerzijds nodig vanwege gewijzigde wet- en regelgeving, anderzijds wilde de commissie een vereenvoudigd en beter leesbaar reglement waarin de meeste toeslagen zijn verwerkt in het basisloon. Dit heeft geresulteerd in het concept-reglement versie 2.10. Begin maart heeft Nautilus aan boord van de Pride of Bruges en de Pride of Rotterdam het

32-34_nl_16.3jcw.indd 33

concept-reglement aan de leden gepresenteerd en nader toegelicht. Geconcludeerd kan worden dat de werkgroep een solide basisdocument heeft afgeleverd. Wel is het zo dat de leden op enkele onderdelen een aanpassing willen zien.

Extra verlofdagen

Toeslagen basisloon

Opmerkingen leden

Groot verschil met het oude reglement is dat nu bijna alle toeslagen in het basisloon zijn verwerkt. Voor de gezellen betekent dit onder meer dat de verblijfstoelage in hun basisloon is opgenomen. Hetzelfde geldt voor de EHBOtoeslag en de vergoeding voor de verfspuituren.

Voor de chef-kok is de toeslag per zeedag in het basisloon verwerkt. Ook voor de officieren is een aantal toeslagen opgenomen in hun basisloon, waaronder de verblijfstoelage, surveyvergoeding en de EHBO-toeslag. Bij alle omzettingen (van toeslagen naar basisloon) is het uitgangspunt steeds geweest dat toerekening plaatsvindt aan de werknemersgroep die de toeslag verdient en op basis van kostenneutraliteit. Enkele toeslagen blijven vooralsnog bestaan. Deze toeslagen zijn, ten behoeve van de duidelijkheid, expliciet opgenomen in een aparte bijlage (= appendix).

Zoals gezegd, zijn er enkele zaken die de leden graag aangepast zouden zien, zoals bijvoorbeeld het extra verlof voor ouderen. Nieuwe werknemers hoeven nu geen verlof bij te kopen en de huidige werknemers kunnen hiervoor opteren op basis van vrijwilligheid. Om eventuele tweedracht in de toekomst te voorkomen, willen de leden dat dit onderscheid gelijkgetrokken wordt.

Ander punt betreft de reiskostenvergoeding.

De Nederlandse schepen van P&O NSF (Norbank, Pride of Bruges en Pride of Rotterdam) varen op drie verschillende routes (Liverpool — Dublin, Zeebrugge — Hull en Hull — Europoort) waardoor er niet een centrale op- en afstapplaats is. De leden komen daarnaast uit diverse landen en de ene werknemer ontvangt een andere vergoeding (in geld en tijd)

Een uitzondering vormt de stille wacht vergoeding. Deze is niet in het basisloon maar in extra verlofdagen omgezet: vier dagen voor de officieren en één dag voor de gezellen.

dan de ander. Tijdens de vlootbezoeken hebben de leden aangegeven ook hier meer gelijkheid te willen.

CAO-overleg

Inmiddels zijn de opmerkingen van de bemanningsleden teruggekoppeld aan de werkgever. Het nieuwe reglement maakt onderdeel uit van een totaal pakket, bestaande uit: nieuwe CAO-afspraken voor de komende jaren (2014, 2015, 2016), een werkgelegenheidsovereenkomst (a la kade) en het nieuwe reglement.

De komende tijd gaat Nautilus, samen met haar kaderleden, met P&O NSF Europoort om de tafel zitten om te komen tot een nieuwe CAO (= resultatenlijst).

De eerstvolgende CAO-ronde vindt plaats op 26 maart in Europoort.

Nautilus hoopt er in goed overleg met deze werkgever uit te komen. Wel is het zo dat onze achterban heeft aangegeven dat het totale pakket door hen zeer kritisch beoordeeld zal worden.

zwarte lijst wordt geplaatst en geen werk meer vindt als je te actief bent voor een bond.

Vakbondsrechten en internationaal toezicht daarop zijn dus geen overbodige luxe.

Het stakingsrecht is door de jaren heen ook in ons land hard nodig geweest. Zaken die wij doodgewoon vinden zijn ooit met stakingen afgedwongen. Het recht op vakantie. Op een achturige werkdag. Op weekends!

Internationaal wordt vaak nog steeds gestaakt voor dit soort basisrechten.

En ook bij ons blijft het stakingsrecht hard nodig. Om bedrijven open te houden. Voor goede sociaal plannen. Voor veilig en gezond werk. Voor koopkracht en echte banen.

Nautilus, de FNV en de internationale vakbeweging blijven dan ook waakzaam.

Staken is een grondrecht en moet gekoesterd en verdedigd worden!

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www. nautilusint.org WILT U EEN ADVERTENTIE PLAATSEN IN DE TELEGRAPH NEEMT U DAN CONTACT OP MET: Tom Poole at Redactive Media Sales

T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 F: +44 (0)20 7880 7691

E: tom.poole@ redactive.co.uk

18/03/2015 15:25

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

NL NEWS

Volg ons op Twitter Enquête Nieuwsvoorziening O&O fonds Zeescheepvaart van jaren verzorgt het O&O C fonds Zeescheepvaart een vorm Al gedurende een reeks

van nieuwsvoorziening voor de Nederlandstalige bemanning aan boord van zeeschepen die varen onder Nederlandse vlag.

Deze nieuwsvoorziening bestaat uit het aanleveren van het Weekblad Schuttevaer en de internationale editie van NRC Handelsblad, NRC De Week.

Wekelijks worden deze periodieken bezorgd op het

walkantoor van de werkgever die voor verspreiding over het schip/de schepen zorgt.

Het O&O fonds Zeescheepvaart verneemt graag van de zeevarenden hoe zij de huidige wijze van nieuwsvoorziening ervaren en zou het bijzonder op prijs stellen als de zeevarenden een speciaal daartoe ontwikkelde korte enquête zouden willen invullen. De enquête is te vinden onder www.scheepvaartnet. nl Nautilus ondersteunt dit initiatief van harte.

Leden onder voorwaarden akkoord met CAO Vroon Ship Management B.V. A

In augustus 2014 kregen de leden in dienst van Vroon Ship Management B.V. (VSM) te horen dat de Nederlands gevlagde schepen definitief omgevlagd worden. Gevolg is dat de werkzaamheden voor de Nederlandse officieren zullen stoppen. Vlak na dit vervelende bericht legde de werkgever een eindbod op tafel voor een nieuwe CAO. Mede gezien de ontwikkelingen werd dit door de leden afgewezen.

Vervolgens is Nautilus met een beperkt mandaat eind oktober opnieuw met de werkgever in gesprek gegaan. Inmiddels ligt er een nieuw voorstel op tafel waarin ook een stukje sociaal plan is opgenomen.

Het heeft wat voeten in de aarde gehad, maar in januari kwam de werkgever dan toch met een nieuw eindbod. Ook had hij een aantal maatregelen op papier gezet om de overgang voor het personeel zo soepel mogelijk te laten verlopen, waaronder begeleiding naar ander werk, studie en training en een eventuele suppletie van het inkomen.

Gageverhoging

De CAO heeft een looptijd van twee jaar en loopt van 1 januari 2014 tot en met 31 december 2015. De gages worden zowel per 1 januari 2014 als per 1 januari 2015 verhoogd met 0,75%. Tevens zullen de kapiteins worden opgenomen in de CAO. Zorgverzekering

Verder is afgesproken dat het eigen risico van de zorgverzekering van de zeevarende voor rekening van de werkgever komt. Dit is overigens niet van toepassing op een eventuele partner en/of kinderen. Ook heeft de werkgever een declaratieprocedure

ontwikkeld, waarbij de privacy van de zeevarenden wordt gewaarborgd en er geen medische gegevens zullen worden verstrekt.

Aanpassen sociaal plan

vinden de voorgestelde maatregelen in het sociaal plan onvoldoende en willen dat dit alsnog wordt aangepast. De werkgever heeft hiermee ingestemd, mits het sociaal plan als addendum aan de CAO wordt toegevoegd. De onderhandelingspartijen gaan het plan nu nader uitwerken.

Even voorstellen…

Sascha Meijer Terugblik op geslaagde dag: 8ste Sinds 1 maart 2015 ben ik bestuurder bij Nautilus. Een mooie nieuwe stap in mijn vakbondsloopbaan, waar ik veel zin in heb!

C

Ik ben in 1998 als uitzendjurist gaan werken bij de Bouw- en Houtbond FNV in Diemen. Al gauw had ik door dat ik zowel met mijn idealisme als met mijn juridische vakkennis als een vis in het water ben bij de vakbeweging. Met een kleine onderbreking bij Achmea Rechtsbijstand heb ik jarenlang bij FNV Bouw, AbvaKabo, FNV Ledenservice en FNV Bondgenoten in juridische functies gewerkt. De eerste jaren heb ik veel voor leden geprocedeerd en onderhandeld in het arbeidsrecht. Daarna bestuurders geadviseerd over collectief arbeidsrecht. Is een staking rechtmatig of kan onze bond er failliet aan gaan? Wat spreek je wel en niet af bij een overgang van onderneming? Is een CAO-tekst juridisch waterdicht? Dat soort vraagstukken.

In 2011 ging ik een nieuwe kant op, die van het internationale vakbondswerk bij FNV Bondgenoten en de FNV vakcentrale, zoals we dat toen nog noemden. Een heerlijke dynamische baan met veel variatie. De ene dag lobbyen in Brussel, dan weer bestuurders adviseren over hun internationale werk. Ook heb ik onderhandeld in Den Haag over maatschappelijk

32-34_nl_16.3jcw.indd 34

verantwoord ondernemen. Veel tijd heb ik ook besteed aan het scholing ontwikkelen en geven, aan bestuurders en kaderleden, over Europees lobbywerk en internationaal vakbondswerk.

Alles met één missie: dat de internationale dimensie gewoon vakbondswerk wordt, met bestuurders en kaderleden in de lead. Want de arbeidsmarkt is niet meer nationaal, dus wij vakbonden moeten ook internationaal werken!

Dat laatste is Nautilus natuurlijk op het lijf geschreven. Ik ben dan ook erg blij om bestuurder te mogen zijn bij deze mooie bond met een lange traditie en een stevige internationale inbedding.

Ik kijk uit naar het dragen van nationale en internationale verantwoordelijkheden voor Nautilus.

Dan even privé, het allerbelangrijkste tenslotte, ook als je veel van je werk houdt! Ik ben getrouwd met Udo Meijer en trotse (adoptie)moeder van onze zoon Lesedi van 9. Wij wonen met zijn drieën in Houten en zijn ook vaak te vinden in ons vakantiehuisje vlakbij zee in mooi Rockanje. Ik houd erg van koken en van lange wandelingen maken.

De leden zijn akkoord met het eindbod, maar

OR-contactdag biedt nieuwe inzichten Overlegcultuur

F

Op 10 februari 2015 organiseerde Nautilus International met Advocatenkantoor Wybenga alweer voor de achtste keer de OR-contactdag, waarbij vele actuele thema’s de revue passeerden. We blikken terug op een geslaagde bijeenkomst, mede te danken aan de gevleugelde leiding van Gaia Son (GITP) in de rol van dagvoorzitter.

Advies- / Instemmingsrecht

De bijeenkomst werd bijgewoond door OR-vertegenwoordigers van Wagenborg, Maersk, Heerema, Chemgas, Fugro, Stena Line, P&O NSF, ThyssenKrupp Veerhaven en het Scheepvaart & Transport college. In de ochtend gingen de juristen Ratna Vromans, Kirsten Boele en Jeroen Brouwer met de OR-vertegenwoordigers dieper in op de actualiteiten betreffende de Wet op de Ondernemingsraden (WOR) en herstructureringen bij bedrijven. Ook werd gesproken over wat nu gezien mag worden

als een redelijke termijn bij een advies-/ of instemmingaanvraag. Volgens de juristen is een termijn van 4 weken of 7 weken redelijk.

Aan de hand van uitspraken van kantonrechters ontstond vervolgens een levendige discussie over dit onderwerp gevolgd door een discussie over herstructureringen bij diverse zeevaart en binnenvaart rederijen, een verschijnsel dat momenteel zeer actueel is.

Ook bieden rederijen werknemers steeds vaker een buitenlands contract aan of de voltallige crewing bv verhuist bijvoorbeeld naar Cyprus of Luxemburg. De vraag is hoe de OR hiermee om moet gaan. Kunnen zij hier wat aan doen of moeten zij alles maar lijdzaam op zich af laten komen? Het antwoord op dit laatste is natuurlijk een volmondig nee! De OR heeft namelijk bevoegdheden in het advies en instemmingsrecht. Duidelijk is dat in dit soort situaties OR en vakbond samen optrekken.

‘s Middags werd er gesproken over wat de punten van aandacht zijn wanneer je te maken krijgt met onderhandelaars die niet gewend zijn aan de Nederlandse procedures. Gaia Son gaf een leuke presentatie over de verschillende manieren van overleg voeren. Aan de hand van de theorie van Geert Hofstede, een organisatiepsycholoog die bekendheid geniet op het gebied van interculturele studies vertelde zij over factoren die van invloed zijn op communicatie. Ook zei zij dat ‘polderen’ met andere culturen, bijvoorbeeld met een Engelse- of Duitse overlegpartner, in de praktijk niet veel zin heeft; een OR moet derhalve voorbereid zijn op (zo nodig) harde onderhandelingen. Juriste Karina Rongen gaf uitleg over hetgeen gedaan kan worden wanneer een toezichthouder (politie/justitie) aan boord komt. Een werknemer is tegenover een ambtenaar niet tot antwoorden verplicht. Door middel van een cautie zal een ambtenaar aan boord duidelijk moeten maken dat het niet de bedoeling is dat een werknemer ongewild meewerkt aan zijn eigen veroordeling.

9e OR-contactdag

Na afloop was er nog gelegenheid tot napraten, netwerken en het uitwisselen van ervaringen onder het genot van een drankje. Heeft u de OR-contactdag gemist? Geen nood; in februari 2016 organiseren wij de volgende OR-Contactdag.

Houd onze berichtgevingen dus in de gaten!

18/03/2015 15:26

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

APPOINTMENTS 16 April 2015 is the closing date for May 2015.

You can still advertise online at any time.

NOTICE TO READERS

Nautilus International advises members that some crewing agencies may not be advertising specific positions, but instead may be seeking to develop their databases of job hunters.

%

96 Your future, our future.

At Northern Marine we value people above all else. That’s why we go to great lengths to create an environment where bonds and connections are paramount.

We don’t just manage Stena vessels. The Northern Marine Group works with a range of first class clients across the globe. This means that working for us ashore allows you to experience real diversity in your job.

employee satisfaction (We’re working on the other 4%!)

Our on-going growth has created immediate needs in our Glasgow office for the following positions: >> LNG Technical Superintendents

>> LPG Technical Superintendents

>> Tanker Technical Superintendents

>> Chemical Technical Superintendents

If you’re an experienced Superintendent or looking for your first job ashore, plot a new future and apply today.

Call: +44 (0) 2380 208840. Email: NMM@faststream.com

Recruitment Partner

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL? Join now on our website

Fill out the online application at:

www.nautilusint.org CV Professionals Fishing Certs Class 1 & 2, Bridge and Engine Room CeC Required for ERRV’s North Sea, 28 days on/off. Bridge and Engine Room Officers Merchant, to register, send your CV to

Email: charles@foylemarinerecruitment.com foylemarinerecruitment.com Mobile: +44 (0)7872 070727 - Mobile ROI: +353 (0)863 175972 Masters Chief Officers 2nd Officers Chief Engineer 2nd Engineer www.stork-energyresourcing.com 01224 302300

Required for permanent contracts on client ERRV vessels.

CVs to martin.hunter@stork.com

35-41_rec.indd 35

3rd Engineer Able Seaman Bosuns Ratings Cooks

Maritime & oσshore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

ANGLIAN MARINE RECRUITMENT LTD Marine Placement Agency

Ongoing vacancies for all officers and ratings deep sea, coastal, st.by, supply, ahts, etc.

To register send cv and copies of all certificates to: 6 Birch Court, Sprowston, Norwich NR7 8LJ Tel/Fax: 01603 478938 Email: malcolm@anglianmarine.co.uk www.anglianmarine.co.uk

Advertise here & reach over 110,000 readers.

Contact Paul Wade on +44 (0)20 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@redactive.co.uk to find out how.

RYAN OFFSHORE LTD RYAN SHIP MANAGEMENT LTD V SHIPPING

CONNECTIONS

MARITIME RECRUITMENT FOR - DP3 / DP2- DSV / DP- AHTS / DP- PSV / DP3 PIPELAYER / DP2 CLV

FOR - SHORE BASED OFFSHORE FLEET

REQUIRE TECH MANAGER, TECH SUPT, ENGINEERING SUPT, ELECTRICAL SUPT, PORT CAPTAIN, PORT ENG, QHSE

REQUIRE MASTER-DPOs, CHOFF-SDPOs, 1ST OFF-DPO, 2ND OFF-DPOs, CHENGs, 2ND ENGs, 3RD ENG, ETOs, CRANE OPTRs - STG 2 / 3

DIVING REQUIREMENT DP2-DSV (SAT DIVE SYSTEM)

FOR - 4-PT MOORING DSV / AHTS/ PSV/ MRV/ ERRV

REQUIRE SR.ELECTRICAL DIVE TECH DIVE SUPT (OFFICE BASED)

REQUIRE MASTERs, CHOFF, 2ND OFF, CHENG, 2ND ENG, 3RD ENG, DP ENG, ETO

CONTACT DETAILS

T E L: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 8 8 8 5 9 FAX: +44 (0) 1 9 1 5 4 88 425

EMAIL: office@ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk, office@ryanoffshore.net, office@shipping-connections.com WEBSITE: www.ryan-shipmanagement.co.uk , www.shipping-connections.com, www.ryanoffshore.net

RYANSHIP, P.O.BOX–1282, SUNDERLAND, SR5 9HX, UNITED KINGDOM

18/03/2015 15:11

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

APPOINTMENTS

&O\GH 0DULQH 5HFUXLWPHQW LV D OHDGLQJ SURYLGHU RI PDULQH UHFUXLWPHQW DQG EHVSRNH FUHZ PDQDJHPHQW VHUYLFHV :LWK RI¼FHV ORFDWHG LQ 8. /DWYLD 3RODQG DQG 6LQJDSRUH LW DOORZV XV WR SURYLGH RXU FOLHQWV ZLWK HDV\ DFFHVV WR D PXOWL QDWLRQDO SRRO RI FDQGLGDWHV IURP D VLQJOH SRLQW RI FRQWDFW *SV WIE KSMRK NSFW ETTP] EX ZZZ FO\GHUHFUXLW FRP

Fleetwood - a top UK Nautical College with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

OFFSHORE BOSIET (3 days) - Every Mon and Wed from W/C 23 Mar | MIST (2 days) - Every Mon and Thurs from W/C 23 Mar | FOET (1 day) - Every Tues from W/C 23 Mar | EURO (3 days) - Every other week starting W/C 13 Apr | EUROREFRESHER (1 day) 7 Apr, 5 May | TEMPSC COXSWAIN (3.5 days 20 Apr, 18 May, 15 Jun TEMPSC COXSWAIN REFRESHER (1.5 days) 23 Apr, 7 May | GWO BASIC SAFETY PACKAGE (7 days) - W/C 23 Mar, 13 Apr, 11 May | MST (RUK) (2 days) - W/C 23 Mar, 13 Apr | RUK/GWO Working at Height (2 days) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9, 23 Apr, 7, 21 May | NEBOSH General - W/C (13 days) 7 Apr | IOSH Managing Safely - on request | IOSH Working Safely - on request For more information E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore Facebook /FleetwoodNauticalCampusOffshoreOperations

MARITIME BLENDED LEARNING COURSES (all STCW short courses are offered at Fleetwood Nautical Campus) HNC in Nautical Science leading to OOW (Unlimited) | HND in Nautical Science leading to Chief Mate (Unlimited) | Royal Navy to Merchant Navy Conversion | Yacht master <3000gt to Merchant Navy OOW Unlimited | VTS Nautical Knowledge: Non Marinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Access to VTS Operators, IALA V/103 Module 4 - Nautical Knowledge for VTS Operators For flexible enrolment and more information E blearning@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

OFFSHORE

TANKERS

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CONTAINER &KLHI QG (QJLQHHU required for Container ZIWWIPW QSRXL XVMTW MQQIHMEXI WXEVX TIVQERIRX TSWMXMSRW EZEMPEFPI 4VIZMSYW 'SRXEMRIV I\TIVMIRGI MW RSX IWWIRXMEP 'ERHMHEXIW WLSYPH LEZI 9RPMQMXIH ') ) 'S'

PASSENGER UG (QJLQHHUV [LS LSPH 9RPMQMXIH RH )RKMRIIV 'S' VIUYMVIH JSV 1ENSV *IVV] 3TIVEXSV FEWIH MR XLI -VMWL 7IE [IIO SR SJJ XVEZIP MW RSX TEMH ERH XIQTSVEV] SRKSMRK TSWMXMSRW EZEMPEFPI 'ERHMHEXIW QYWX LEZI E 9/ 'S' ')'

-XQLRU &KLHI 2I¼FHU VIUYMVIH JSV (4 7LYXXPI 8EROIV 'LMIJ 3J½GIV YRPMQMXIH 'S' SV EFSZI [MXL E *YPP (4 GIVXM½GEXI ERH 3MP (') 8VMTW EVI [IIOW 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSR 4VIZMSYW 7LYXXPI 8EROIV SV 3MP 8EROIV I\TIVMIRGI EW (IGO 3J½GIV UG (QJLQHHUV VIUYMVIH XS NSMR 3MP 8EROIVW 33; )RKMRIIV 'S' ERH 3MP (') VIUYMVIH )\TIVMIRGI SR 3MP 8EROIVW ERH I\TIVMIRGI EW VH )RKMRIIV 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSRW 8VMTW EVI QSRXLW *DV (QJLQHHUV VIUYMVIH XS NSMR 02+ 8EROIVW 33; )RKMRIIV 'S' ERH +EW (') VIUYMVIH 02+ I\TIVMIRGI EW +EW )RKMRIIV VIUYMVIH 4IVQERIRX TSWMXMSRW 8VMTW EVI QSRXLW 2XU SDUWQHU 5HG LV FXUUHQWO\ UHFUXLWLQJ Â&#x2C6; 7LMTTMRK 3TIVEXMSRW 1EREKIV Â&#x2C6; 8IGLRMGEP 7YTIVMRXIRHIRX Â&#x2C6; 1EVMRI )PIGXVMGEP )RKMRIIV *SV QSVI MRJSVQEXMSR TPIEWI ZMWMX

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If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

WWW. BLACKPOOL. AC.UK

35-41_rec.indd 36

*SV 7IE KSMRK .SFW ZMWMX 'P]HI 1EVMRI 6IGVYMXQIRX

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17/03/2015 12:00

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

APPOINTMENTS

Visit vikingrecruitment.com

Choose from a world of career opportunities Embark and expand your career in 2015 with Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruises

&SXL GSQTERMIW EVI TEWWMSREXI EFSYX XVEZIP ,SPPERH %QIVMGE 0MRI SJJIVW XLEX FMK WLMT ]IX PY\YV] I\TIVMIRGI [MXL ZIWWIPW ZMWMXMRK WSQI SJ XLI QSWX HIWMVEFPI HIWXMREXMSRW EVSYRH XLI [SVPH 7IEFSYVR MW YRPMOI ER] SXLIV JSVQ SJ XVEZIP 8LIMV MRXMQEXI ERH IPIKERX WLMTW ZMWMX XLI LMHHIR KIQW [LIVI PEVKIV ZIWWIPW GERRSX JSPPS[ &SXL GSQTERMIW LEZI [SR RYQIVSYW MRXIVREXMSREP E[EVHW ]IEV EJXIV ]IEV We are currently recruiting for the following positions:

Benefits package includes:

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SV VSXEXMSR JSV 7IRMSV 3J½GIVW

Candidates need to complete our online database via our website or email us at applicants@vikingrecruitment.com quoting reference VRL04/15

Viking Recruitment Limited Viking House, Beechwood Business Park, Menzies Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 2FG T +44 (0) 300 303 8191 (option 2)

35-41_rec.indd 37

ISO 9001

17/03/2015 12:01

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

APPOINTMENTS

VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICE OPERATOR (VTSO) Starting Salary: £26,054 rising to £32,334 after 4 years.

Harwich Haven Authority has the vitally important task of ensuring the safety of navigation for some of the world’s largest container vessels and cruise liners accessing the Haven Ports, while simultaneously safeguarding the sizeable leisure vessel community sharing the same waters.

VTSO’s are part of a 3 person team on a rotating five team, 12 hour watch system within the VTS Operations Centre delivering a service 365 days a year. The team is responsible for the management of all vessel movements ensuring that the safety of navigation and the protection of the environment are paramount to daily routine.

An excellent communicator and co-ordinator you will be accustomed to working effectively under pressure. Ideally you will hold a current V-103/1 Certificate, however full training will be provided for the right applicant.

We offer an excellent employment package including pension, private health care arrangements and the opportunity for ongoing training and development. If you feel you have the required qualifications, skills and abilities to undertake this key role, go to the website, ‘library’, then ‘vacancies’ select VTSO1/2015.

The closing date and time for the receipt of applications is Friday 30 April 2015, 1200hrs.

Expand your horizons with Princess Cruises Marine & Technical Roles – Worldwide Princess Cruises has now grown to one of the largest luxury fleets in the cruising industry, offering excellent opportunities to develop and progress your career in a variety of roles.

Each of the positions are rewarded with an excellent benefits package offering the opportunity to join a professional team onboard our fleet of modern cruise liners.

Self-motivated professionals are currently sought for the following positions:

To apply, please forward your CV/resume quoting the reference NAUMAR15 to:

Engineer Officer

MT@princesscruises.co.uk

(with unrestricted 2nd Engineer Officer Certification)

Electrotechnical Officer Electronics Officer Hotel Services Engineer Environmental Officer Security Officer

or post to: Princess Cruises Recruitment, Carnival House, 100 Harbour Parade, Southampton SO15 1ST, UK. www.princess.com

Harwich Haven Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer

35-41_rec.indd 38

17/03/2015 12:01

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS

/calmacferries

@calmacferries

@calmac_updates

@calmacferries

Exciting opportunities exist within CalMac Ferries Limited for various positions including: SHORE BASED • Marine, Technical and HSEQ Management positions • Project Management SEA GOING • All deck, engine and retail positions • Permanent, seasonal and temporary positions CalMac Ferries Limited is a multi-award winning business serving some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland with over 30 ferries providing lifeline services to the islands and peninsulas on Scotland’s west coast.

Our excellent benefits package includes a competitive salary plus generous annual leave entitlement programme. You could also take advantage of free CalMac staff travel for you and your family.

We provide extensive structured training programmes for both marine and shore staff, encouraging all employees to continuously update their skills and knowledge.

To view all details of our current vacancies and for further information, please visit our website at www.calmac.co.uk or email to: recruitment@davidmacbrayneHR.co.uk.

www.calmac.co.uk

The Bristol Port Company has been successfully running the Port of Bristol since privatisation in 1991, increasing throughput from 4m tonnes to 11m tonnes, and revenue from £22m to £80m. The Company is both Statutory and Competent Harbour Authority, and provides VTS for the harbour area. A vacancy has arisen for the Deputy Haven Master (Shipping Operations) position, and applications are sought to fill this role.

D E P U T Y H AV E N M A S T E R ( S H I P P I N G O P E R AT I O N S ) UP TO £50,000 PER ANNUM PLUS BENEFITS As well as acting as Deputy to the Haven Master, your key responsibilities will be: • • • • • •

Management and Regulation of Shipping Operations Management of Bristol VTS Management of DAHMs and VTSOs Management of Pilotage Safety of Navigation within Harbour limits Departmental Quality Management

Technical Adviser – Marine IMCA, the international trade association committed to improving performance in the marine contracting industry, is seeking a Technical Adviser to join its specialist team based in London.

The role will focus on assisting IMCA’s Technical Director and Technical Manager in delivering the Association’s work programme, especially that of the Marine Committee.

You will be required to work normal office hours Monday to Friday, and will be expected to extend these hours on occasion, which may include weekend working. On alternate weeks, you will act as the on-call Haven Master outside of office hours, and will stand-in for the Haven Master during the latter’s absence on duty, leave or sickness.

Applicants must possess appropriate technical qualifications. The ideal candidate would be a Chartered Engineer (or equivalent) with seagoing experience, who has significant experience of shipping and international offshore construction – technology, operations, projects and companies.

The successful applicant will have a STCW11/2 Masters unlimited Certificate of Competency, Royal Navy

The role will be to provide input on marine issues (including DP and lifting) as well as safety, environmental and legislative matters. It will also be to support IMCA’s renewable energy activity and its work at the IMO.

equivalent, or a Harbour Masters or Port Management Diploma. Relevant marine experience, which will ideally include time in command or a senior port management post, is essential.

To apply, please write with supporting CV, to the Director of Personnel, The Bristol Port Company, St Andrew’s House, St Andrew’s Road, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 9DQ, or via e-mail personnel@bristolport.co.uk. The closing date is Friday 17 April 2015, with interviews scheduled for early May.

Based at IMCA’s London office, the role will involve international and national travel to meetings and events.

IMCA offers a competitive salary, private medical, income protection and generous pension.

www.bristolport.co.uk

See the full job specification and apply online at: www.imca-int.com/vacancies

35-41_rec.indd 39

17/03/2015 12:01

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

APPOINTMENTS VIKING CREW MANAGEMENT

We have excellent career opportunities with some of the most prestigious names in the cruise and super yacht market.

Positions include:

• 2nd Officers

• Y3 Engineers

• Chief Officers

• Y1 Engineers

• OOW Deck & Engine

• Chief Engineers

• 2nd Engineers

• ETO’s

For a full list of career opportunities visit us at vikingrecruitment.com or give us a call.

MARITIME SKILLS ACADEMY

www.vikingrecruitment.com +44 (0)300 303 8191 info@vikingrecruitment.com

ISO 9001

To advertise your vacancy contact Paul Wade on +44 20 7880 6212 or paul.wade@redactive.co.uk

Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists

Applications are invited from experienced, motivated and knowledgeable seafarers with tanker experience to work on coastal oil tankers operated by John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Limited nd

We are seeking all ranks of seafarers, offshore and shore based personnel and in particular:

nd

Masters, Chief Officers, 2 Officers, Chief Engineers & 2 Engineers who hold: Advanced Tanker Training/DCE (Oil)

Your first port of call

Type - Permanent/Temporary Address: First Floor Unit 7, Hythe Marine Park, Shore Road, Southampton, SO45 6HE UK Telephone: +44(0)23 8084 0374 Email: recruitment@seamariner.com

Leave/Work - Variable Salaries - will be discussed at Interview stage Please forward all applications to: Mrs Elaine Wilson, Personnel Officer, Crown Crewing (UK) Ltd, Crown Dry Dock, Tower Street, HULL HU9 1TY Email: eb@whitaker-tankers.co.uk

Senior Deck and Engineering Of½cers - All vessels All Of½cers and Crew - ERRV Tug/Multicat Crew - All ranks Various offshore personnel - Drill ships, Jack-ups and Rigs All Crew for temporary assignments If you would like further information in registering with Seamariner or you would like to discuss your crewing requirements, please contact one of our experienced consultants.

www.seamariner.com

ISO9001:2008 accredited and KvK and MLC compliant Reg Co number: 2745210

JOB VACANCIES

Angola (South West Africa) Curriculum Leader – Engineering Curriculum Leader – Deck Lecturer – Deck All posts are for a maximum of 12 months Attractive salary and expatriate benefits package Location: The Angolan Maritime Training Centre, Angola - South West Africa Hours: The normal working hours are 40 hours per week, however you would be required to work hours that are necessary for the proper and effective performance of your duties.

For all posts, fluent English-speakers (knowledge of Portuguese would be advantageous), well organised and with the ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines with little supervision, you will be pro-active and able to deal with unexpected situations and to work well under pressure.

Successful applicants will be employed by Austen Maritime and will be subject to a satisfactory PVG check.

For a detailed post description and to apply for the above vacancies, please visit our website at:

www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk/work-for-us Closing Date:

Friday 3rd April 2015 at 5pm Scottish Charity number SC036198

35-41_rec.indd 40

17/03/2015 12:01

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

APPOINTMENTS

FLEETWOOD - A TOP UK NAUTICAL COLLEGE

WITH A LONG ESTABLISHED REPUTATION FOR BEING A LEADING PROVIDER OF TRAINING TO THE MARITIME INDUSTRY.

BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COLLEGE - LECTURER MARINE ENGINEERING Blackpool and The Fylde College is a Grade 1 Ofsted Outstanding College with commendations from the Quality Assurance Agency for its higher education

Our comprehensive induction programme welcomes you from day one, including your own one to one mentor who will be on hand throughout your career, underpinning our key recruitment message “An Employer of Choice”.

programmes. More recently it was named as the National College Hub for Onshore Oil and Gas, sealing its reputation as a centre of excellence for engineering and energy sectors.

Our commitment to continuous investment in staff, accommodation and employer relations ensures a superlative learning experience for students. We reward our team with excellent annual leave entitlement (42 days plus bank holidays), full use of cross campus facilities including subsidised on-sight restaurants and free parking.

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An excellent opportunity has now arisen for the post of Lecturer in Marine Engineering, the School provides a high quality learning environment reflecting advanced industry facilities with programmes endorsed and supported by employers. The school enjoys a reputation for curriculum innovations which is delivered by staff committed to learning, teaching and assessment as our core business.

As a result the School is one of the top Merchant Navy Training establishments, attracting students from all over the world.

The successful candidate will be working within an expanding team of seagoing and nonseagoing staff to deliver mechanical, electrical and marine engineering topics to a range of learners.

Experience in the Maritime related industry would be desirable although not essential; engineering experience and qualifications of at least level 5 are however, essential for this position.

Marine Engineering is a growing provision; started in 2011 there are now several programmes delivered each year with even more on the horizon. This is supported with the development and expansion of staff and resources. You will deliver courses part of our robust and expanding curriculum, helping to achieve our key objectives. Being part of a team, you will be supported throughout your career at the Fleetwood Nautical Campus, rewarded and recognised for your achievements.

With proven experience in an appropriate discipline, you will ideally have experience of practical or theoretical training, teaching, knowledge of effectively tutoring and supporting individuals and successfully delivering lessons to a high standard.

Closing date: 12 noon 3rd April 2015 Salary: £24,162 - £28,843 To apply Please visit www.blackpool.ac.uk/jobs or call 01253 504173 for more information Email jobs@blackpool.ac.uk

17/03/2015 12:01

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MSN 1854 (M) — The carriage of dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form: Amendment 37-14 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code Amendment 37-14 to the IMDG Code has been approved and adopted by the International Maritime Organisation and entered into force internationally on 1 January 2015, with a 12 month transitional period until 31 December 2015. MSN 1854 is part of the process for implementing the IMDG Code amendment into UK law. It states that, during the transitional period, dangerous goods and marine pollutants in packaged form may still be carried in accordance with the mandatory IMDG Code 2012 edition incorporating Amendment 36-12. However, from 1 January 2016 these items must be shipped only in accordance with the IMDG Code 2014 edition incorporating Amendment 37-14.

MGN 531 (M) — Cargo stowage and securing This note is advises industry of the minimum requirements for existing containerships to comply with Section 6 (Design) of Annex 14 of the CSS Code. These requirements apply to seagoing UK ships wherever they may be, and seagoing ships which are not UK ships while they are within UK waters.

Injuries to dockworkers onboard visiting ships account for the majority of accidents that occur within container ports, with the most common activity that causes such injuries being the lashing/unlashing of deck containers. Ships’ crew engaged in securing operations face similar dangers.

The new Annex 14 aims to ensure that persons engaged in carrying out container securing operations on deck have safe working conditions and in particular, safe access, appropriate securing equipment and safe places of work. The requirements apply both to purpose-built containerships and to multi-use vessels set up for carrying containers on deck.

MGN 532 (M) — Safe movement onboard ship MGN 532 (M) (Corrigendum) — Safe movement onboard ship This note gives guidance on the measures that shipowners and employers are expected to take in order to provide for safe movement onboard UK ships. The Merchant

Shipping (Safe Movement on Board Ship) Regulations 1988 have been revoked, and this notice replaces the statutory duties in those Regulations.

The key points highlighted in MGN 532 are include: z all deck surfaces used for transit about the ship, and all passageways, walkways and stairs should be properly maintained and kept free from material or substances liable to cause a person to slip or fall z all transit areas and working areas, including areas used for loading and unloading of cargo, should be adequately and appropriately lit z safety signs should be used where appropriate to give health and safety information z secure guards or fencing should be fitted around any opening, open hatchway or dangerous edge into, through or over which a person may fall z all ship’s ladders should be of good construction and sound material, of adequate strength for the purpose they are to be used, free from patent defect and properly maintained A corrigendum (i.e. list of corrections) to MGN 532 was issued shortly after the original note.

MGN 533 (M) — Means of access MGN 533 (M) (Corrigendum) — Means of access This note gives guidance on the measures that shipowners and employers are expected to take in order to provide a safe means of access on UK ships. The Merchant Shipping (Means of Access) Regulations 1988 have been revoked, and this notice replaces the statutory duties in those Regulations.

The key points highlighted in MGN 533 include: z a safe means of access is required between the ship and any quay, pontoon, other structure, or another ship alongside which the ship is secured. The master is responsible for this, even if the equipment is provided from the shore-side z the equipment used to provide a safe means of access should be placed in position promptly after the ship has been secured and should remain in position for as long as the ship remains alongside z access equipment should be properly rigged, secured, deployed and safe to use z the means of access and immediate approaches should be adequately illuminated z equipment used for access, and any safety net, should be of good construction, of sound material, of adequate strength for the purposes for which it is used, free from patent

Member meetings and seminars Nautilus International organises regular meetings, forums and seminars for members to discuss pensions, technical matters, maritime policies and legal issues. Coming up in the next few months are:

defect and properly maintained

z a lifebuoy with a self-activating

light and safety line attached to a quoit or similar device should be provided ready for use at the point of access to the ship z a gangway should be carried on every ship of 30m of more registered length (or overall length, if the ship is not registered). The gangway should be appropriate to the deck layout, size, shape and maximum freeboard of the ship z an accommodation ladder should be carried on every ship of 120m of more registered length (or overall length, if the ship is not registered).

The accommodation ladder should be appropriate to the deck layout, size, shape and maximum freeboard of the ship z portable ladders should only be used as a last resort, where no safer means of access is reasonably practicable z a rope ladder should only be used for the purpose of access between a ship with high freeboard and a ship with low freeboard or between a ship and a boat, and only if no safer means of access is reasonably practicable z an adequate number of safety nets should be carried onboard the ship, or otherwise be readily available for use. When access equipment is in use, and there is a risk of a person falling from that equipment, or from the ship or from the quayside, a safety net should be mounted in order to minimise the risk of injury z workers are required to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others onboard the ship who may be affected by their acts and omissions z a worker must therefore make use of any means of access provided for their use in accordance with these regulations, and any instructions or guidance as to its safe use A corrigendum (i.e. list of corrections) to MGN 533 was issued shortly after the original note.

g Professional & Technical Forum Wednesday 6 May 2015 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs at the FNV Bondgenoten, Pegasusweg 200, 3067 KX, Rotterdam, Netherlands The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification. The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH) Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world.

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.

Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.

electronic documents or as a set of bound volumes. z A consolidated set of M-Notices is published by The Stationery Office. This contains all M-Notices current on 31 July 2009 (ISBN 9780115530555) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be electronically subscribed to by emailing a request to mnotices@ecgroup.co.uk or downloaded from the MCA website.

Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices.

Offshore sector contact point Members working for companies based in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil and gas sector can call: +44 (0)1224 638882 THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org

FRANCE Yacht sector office in partnership with D&B Services 3 Bd. d’Aguillon 06600 Antibes, France Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 nautilus@dandbservices.com www.dandbservices.com SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with dovaston C/Joan de Saridakis 2, Edificion Goya Local 1A, Marivent 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovaston.com

Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team.

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges.

In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing trainee officers in line with all

members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company.

The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals’ Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession.

For further information members should contact Paul Schroder at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Monday 5 October 2015 1200hrs to 1400hrs Titanic Hotel, Stanley Dock, Regent Road, Liverpool L3 0AN, UK The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people in the shipping industry and on the issues that matter to them. Open to all young members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Paul Schroder: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

Quiz and crossword answersACDB Quiz answers 1. Bulgaria is the EU member state with the largest number of seafarers — a total of 33,269, according to BIMCO/ISF. 2. There are 255 ultra-large containerships presently in service in the world fleet.

3. In January this year there were 133 ultra-large containerships on order.

4. Just over 6m passengers embarked from European ports on cruises last year.

5. Just over 27% of European cruise passengers come from the UK and Ireland.

6. Glovis is part of the Hyundai Motor Group of South Korea and is now expanding into VLCCs and bulk carriers.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Nondescript; 9. Matador; 10. Obscene; 11. Close down; 12. Guessed; 13. Soap; 14. Weedkiller; 16. Resistance; 19. Swag; 21. Maria; 22. Rain check; 24. Smidgen; 25. Accuser; 26. Extemporary.

Down: 1. National service; 2. Nudge; 3. Earlobe; 4. Crowned; 5. Insignia; 6. The yellow jersey; 7. Smacks; 8. Better; 15. Escargot; 16. Remiss; 17. Acronym; 18. Chicano; 20. Go-kart; 23. Cocoa.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Cess Smylie, who has won the prize draw for the March cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from March Across: 1. Chaplin; 5. Succumb; 9. Early; 10. Underling; 11. Supervise; 12. Hyena; 13. Tulip; 15. Hibernate; 18. Discredit; 19. Elbow; 21. Staff; 23. Scoundrel; 25. Embellish; 26. Toric; 27. Tetrode; 28. Deposit.

Down: 1. Cresset; 2. Acropolis; 3. Layer; 4. Nourished; 5. Sedge; 6. Carthorse; 7. Unite; 8. Baggage; 14. Portfolio; 16. Betrothed; 17. Ambergris; 18. Descent; 20. Wildcat; 22. Ambit; 23 Spite; 24. Not up.

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Maritime & Coastguard Agency +44 (0)23 8032 9100 www.gov.uk/mca Implements the UK government’s maritime safety policy and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea.

International Transport Workers’ Federation +44 (0)20 7403 2733 www.itfglobal.org A federation of over 700 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries.

Merchant Navy Welfare Board www.mnwb.org Umbrella body for the UK maritime charity sector, promoting cooperation between organisations that provide welfare services to merchant seafarers and their dependants within the UK.

Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport + 31 88 489 00 00 www.ilent.nl Dutch maritime authority (separate from Dutch coastguard).

Merchant Navy Training Board www.mntb.org.uk UK organisation promoting maritime education and training, and providing careers guidance.

Administers the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, under which serving seafarers can volunteer to give careers talks in UK schools.

Seafarers UK (formerly the King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers.uk Supports and promotes UK charities helping seafarers from the Merchant Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets.

Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

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SINGAPORE Nautilus International 10a Braddell Hill #05-03 Singapore, 579720 Tel: +65 (0)625 61933 Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154 singapore@nautilusint.org

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org

Useful organisations

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

College contacts z M-Notices are available as

g Women’s Forum Monday 5 October 2015 1400hrs to 1600hrs Titanic Hotel Stanley Dock, Regent Road Liverpool L3 0AN, UK The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing women in the industry and encourages female participation in Union activity.

Open to all female members.

Contact Lisa Carr: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 women@nautilusint.org

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund.

SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships.

Seamen’s Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.org.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers.

Includes the Dreadnought health service.

Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)1752 812674 www.communitynetworkprojects.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

Seatax Ltd +44 (0)1302 364673 www.seatax.ltd.uk Company providing specialist tax advice for merchant seafarers.

Marine Society +44 (0)20 7654 7050 www.marine-society.org UK charity dedicated to the learning and professional development of seafarers.

Offers 120,000 books to ships through its library service, plus distance-learning programmes and scholarship schemes including the Nautilus-administered Slater Fund.

18/03/2015 17:45

April 2015 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus David Appleton, professional and technical assistant

g

David Appleton grew up in North Woolwich – close to London’s docklands – but, he says, there are no nostalgic memories of his career being sparked by the sights and sounds of shipping coming up and down the Thames.

Instead, at the age of 21, he was working in a betting shop when he decided there was more to life – and chose to begin a cadetship with P&O Nedlloyd, studying at the University of Plymouth.

‘I hadn’t known much about shipping, but knew that I didn’t want to work in a betting shop for the rest of my life,’ he recalls. ‘I came across careers at sea when I was Googling different job choices, and I reckoned the travel, the opportunity to

get your training paid for, and the career opportunities all looked really good.’

However, his change of course wasn’t entirely plain sailing. ‘I went away for my first phase of seatime with P&O Nedlloyd and when I came back the company had been taken over by Maersk,’ he explains.

Unfortunately, his cadetship ended in 2009 – the same year that Maersk decided not to keep on any of its cadets as officers because of the downturn in shipping.

‘I qualified in the January of that year and I didn’t join a ship until the August,’ David says. ‘I decided to give it a finite amount of time, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could have waited. I was going to go to the south of France to try and find work on

a superyacht, and had the flights booked, when Princess Cruises told me they had found a ship for me.’

However, after serving at sea David decided that it wasn’t the life he wanted – especially as he had then met the woman who is set to become his wife – and he moved ashore, to work for the marine catering management firm Garrets. ‘It got me on to lots of ships, as we would be inspecting stores or helping captains with their orders,’ he adds.

But in autumn 2013 he saw an advertisement for the role of professional and technical assistant at Nautilus, applied and was successful. Working with senior national secretary Allan Graveson, he is

responsible for a wide range of health, safety and training issues and represents members at national and international meetings, as well as serving as a technical adviser to the Union’s industrial department.

‘It’s much more involved than I ever imagined,’ he admits. ‘I never imagined that I would have been speaking at the International Maritime Organisation within a few months of starting. Within the space of a few days I can be doing something like the review of the Code of Safe Working Practices, attending the IMO and meeting the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. It’s certainly varied!’

When he does get some spare time, David enjoys playing guitar – ‘badly’ – and running ‘when I am not injured’…

Wherev er you are , so are we

CALL NOW TO JOIN NAUTILUS ON: UK: +44 (0)151 639 8454 NL: +31 (0)10 477 11 88 CH: +41 (0)61 262 24 24

Join today so we can be there for you too!

Pay and conditions Nautilus International is the first truly trans-boundary trade union for maritime professionals, reflecting the global nature of the industry. We negotiate with employers on issues including pay, working conditions, working hours and pensions to secure agreements which recognise members’ skills and experience, and the need for safety for the maritime sector.

Legal services Nautilus Legal offers members a range of legal services free of charge. There are specialist lawyers to support members in work related issues and a number of non-work related issues. The Union also has a network of lawyers in 54 countries to provide support where members need it most.

Workplace support Nautilus International officials provide expert advice on work-related problems such as contracts, redundancy, bullying or discrimination, non-payment of wages, and pensions.

Certificate protection Members are entitled to free financial protection, worth up to £118,500, against the loss

42-43_infosprd.indd 43

of income if their certificate of competency is cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a formal inquiry.

training. The Union is affiliated to the TUC in the UK, FNV in the Netherlands and SGB/USS in Switzerland.

Extra savings Members can take advantage of many additional discounts and benefits organised at a local level. These include tax advice, insurance discounts and advice on pension matters. In the Netherlands, discounts are organised through FNV, and trade union contributions are mostly tax-friendly, entitling members to receive a significant part of their contributions back.

In touch As a Nautilus International member, help is never far away — wherever in the world you are.

Officials regularly see members onboard their ships and visit cadets at college. Further support and advice is available at regular ‘surgeries’ and conferences. The Union has offices in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel.

There are also representatives based in France, Spain and Singapore.

International representation Nautilus International represents members’ views on a wide range of national and international bodies including the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).

We work at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on key global regulations covering working conditions, health and safety and

Join us today…

Call +44 (0)151 639 8454 Visit www.nautilusint.org Email membership@nautilusint.org g For the full range of member benefits visit www.nautilusint.org

OR g Speak with our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454

Your union, your voice The Union represents the voice of more than 22,000 maritime professionals working in all sectors of the industry at sea and ashore — including inland navigation, large yachts, deepsea and offshore.

For members, by members Nautilus International is a dynamic and democratic trade union offering members many opportunities to become actively involved and have your say — at a local, national and international level.

18/03/2015 15:27

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | April 2015

NEWS

Groundings prompt new ETV warnings

UN action on ‘tidal wave’ of migrants agencies have agreed to work F together to tackle a predicted ‘tidal A group of United Nations

wave’ of unsafe migration by sea.

The agencies — including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) — have decided to establish the same mechanisms that were developed to tackle piracy to support the shipping industry in dealing with the massive increase migrant rescue cases.

‘The issue of mixed migration by sea, including irregular migration, has been a serious concern for decades , but, in recent years, it has reached epidemic proportions,’ said IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu. ‘[It has reached] the extent where the whole system for coping with such migrants is being stretched up to, and sometimes beyond, its breaking point,’ he warned.

‘What we see in the Mediterranean today, and in other parts of the world, is a large increase in irregular migration, in which huge numbers of people take to the sea in craft that are clearly not fit for the purpose, placing their own lives and those of their rescuers in danger and putting unacceptable strain on those who have to cope with them.’

Mr Sekimizu revealed that last year more than 200,000 people were rescued and over 3,000 people died in the Mediterranean alone, due to irregular and illegal sea passages.

He added that the current situation presented a real challenge for the shipping industry, and if it continues to grow at the same rate, 2015 could see as many as 450,000 people needing to be rescued at sea.

‘According to my calculation, we may see, every day, six merchant vessels being called upon to act, with each rescuing some 200 migrants,’ the IMO leader said. ‘We are just beginning to feel the potential magnitude and scale of these huge challenges the shipping industry is currently facing.’

Mr Sekimizu called on governments, UN agencies and industry to work together to take effective and concerted action to deal with the problem.

Among the short-term objectives agreed at the meeting was the creation of a migrants/smugglers database and an information sharing and communication system for sea migration incidents in the Mediterranean. g Full report, see page 20.

Scottish politicians call for government review of salvage tug provision following accidents

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Renewed calls to reverse cuts in emergency towing vessel cover around the UK coast have come from Scottish politicians following two groundings over the past month.

Concerns over salvage capabilities have been raised after the DFDS cargoship Lysblink Seaways ran aground while sailing through the Sound of Mull in February and the Bahamasflagged general cargoship Fri Sea grounded during docking manoeuvres at Corpach last month.

The 7,409gt Lysblink Seaways hit rocks on the Ardnamurchan peninsula while carrying a cargo of paper from Belfast to Norway.

It was towed to a repair yard at Greenock by the tugs Luca, Afon Menai and Forth Jouster, under the supervision of the secretary of state’s representative for maritime salvage and intervention.

The 2,601gt Fri Sea was refloated with the aid of the tug SD Kyle of Lochalsh.

Scotland’s environment secretary Richard Lochhead said he was writing to the UK government ‘in the strongest possible terms’ to call for a review of the current arrangements and a guarantee of continued funding for ‘appropriate’ ETV support in Scottish waters. ‘There have now been three significant incidents in our waters involving large vessels in the past few months alone, reminding us all of the need to protect not only human life but our precious marine environment, yet we still have the unacceptable situation that sees some of Europe’s largest and busiest waters only protected with one emergency towing vessel berthed in our northern isles, potentially leaving our waters, on the west coast in particular, severely exposed,’ he added.

‘Given their economic and environmental importance, we simply can’t afford to gamble with our seas, so the UK government needs to recognise the potential cost of leaving our seas vulnerable rather than be obsessed with the cost of maintaining adequate emergency tug provision,’ Mr Lochhead said.

The UK-flagged general cargoship Lysblink Seaways is towed to Greenock for repairs by the tugs Luca and Svtizer Milford Picture: MCA

The Bahamas-flagged general cargoship Fri Sea is inspected before refloating in the port of Corpach Picture: Iain Ferguson

Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil MP said the groundings had illustrated the vulnerability of the Scottish west coast without an ETV, with no rapid response to incidents. ‘We had a lucky escape this time,’ he added, ‘but next time it could be much more serious. Despite the sophisticated navigation equipment onboard

ships, accidents will happen and an emergency towing vessel is an insurance policy. We need to protect the environment and our fishing industry.’

Questioned in the House of Commons, shipping minister John Hayes said there have been seven incidents across the western region of Scotland, from Cape

Wrath to the North Channel, which have resulted in a tow being required to recover, or potentially recover casualty vessels during the past year.

Towing has been provided by RNLI lifeboats, fishing boats, commercial tugs and, on one occasion, the government-funded ETV, he told MPs. ‘Response times have

varied from 32 minutes, when the Tobermory Lifeboat aided the fishing vessel Diamond D, to four days and five hours when the tug Pacific Champion was deployed to assist the bulk carrier Eleanor D, some 85 nautical miles west of St Kilda,’ the minister added. g MCA quizzed by MPs — see page 19.

Training courses for the maritime and offshore industries

Merchant Navy Operations (Deck) Certificate of Competency Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) Jan, May & Sept intakes Chief Mate/Masters (Unlimited) May Jan &&Sep Septintakes intakes Master Mariner (Unlimited) Orals Prep Mar & Oct intakes Shipboard Safety Officer Master Mariner (200Gt) Orals Prep (2 weeks) Shipboard Security Officer STCW Safety 5 day STCW Basic Safety Training Personal Survival Techniques Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities Elementary First Aid Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Advanced Fire Fighting Efficient Deck Hand Man Over Board / Rib Capsize Drills IMDG awareness

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Navigation NAEST (O) & (M) ECDIS generic and type specific Medical and First Aid Bridge Team Management Medical First Aid Onboard Ship Pre ARPA and ARPA Medical Care Onboard Ship (and Refresher) SVNR HSE Offshore First Aid (and Refresher) Tanker HSE First Aid at Work (and Refresher) Tanker Familiarisation HSE Emergency First Aid at Work Specialist Tanker Training (Oil) Radio Dynamic Positioning GMDSS GOC/ROC/LRC/CAA DP Induction VHF Short Range Certificate DP Simulator DP Introduction

Offshore Oil & Gas OIM Management of Major Emergencies CRO Controlling Emergencies Command & Control for ERRVs Masters & Mates Oil Spill Crisis Management (OPRC) COMPEX EX01 to EX04 Offshore Wind 5 day Wind Energy Safety Training Working at Height & Rescue (RUK) Advanced Rescue Climbing Awareness Marine Transfer Confined Space Entry & Rescue

Facilities for Hire Environmental Pool (wave, wind, rain) Marine Transfer Ladder Full Mission Ship’s Bridge Simulator Dynamic Positioning Simulator Offshore Control Room Simulator

Lowestoft College, St Peters Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 2NB United Kingdom

Tel:

00 44 1502 525025

Email: maritime@lowestoft.ac.uk Web: www.lowestoft.ac.uk/maritime.asp

Accredited by

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