Nautilus Telegraph August 2016

Future perfect?

Nautilus meeting considers impact of ‘smart’ ships 19

Out and about Shipping calls for calm after Britain votes for EU exit 22-23

NL nieuws Vier pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 32-35

Volume 49 | Number 08 | August 2016 | £3.50 €3.70

Olympic sailor names two new hovercraft medallist sailor Sir Ben Ainslie F is pictured left with hovercraft Four-times Olympic gold

captain Martin Groves after naming the world’s newest commercial passenger carrying hovercraft— Solent Flyer and Island Flyer — which are being deployed on Hovertravel’s service between Southsea and the Isle of Wight.

Specially designed and built

by Griffon Hoverwork in Gosport at a cost of £10m, the two 22.4m hovercraft are powered by two diesel engines, have a top speed of 43 knots and can carry up to 88 passengers.

The first new passenger hovercraft to be built in the UK for more than a decade, they are expected to be in service for the next 10 years — and are quicker, greener, quieter and more comfortable than the craft they are replacing, which

Inspections reveal rise in MLC defects Union expresses concern at ‘disturbing’ level of problems with seafarers’ working conditions

P

Port state control inspections have revealed a marked increase in the number of ships with deficiencies related to Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) requirements.

Problems related to seafarers’ working and living conditions accounted for almost 15% of all 41,436 deficiencies discovered during checks in the 27 Paris MOU member states last year.

2015 was the second full year in which the MLC has been in force, and the total number of deficiencies linked to the convention recorded during the year was 6,404 — up from 5,502 in 2014. The number of detainable MLC deficiencies also rose sharply — from 259 to 362.

Health and safety and accident prevention together accounted for 41% of all the MLC deficiencies, followed by food and catering (17%), hours of work and rest (12%), accommodation (9%) and seafarers’ employment agreements (6%).

The most common detainable MLC deficiencies were wages, seafarers’ employ-

01_front.indd 1

ment agreements, dirty enginerooms, sanitary facilities, and minimum safe manning.

Despite the increase in MLC deficiencies, the Paris MOU port state control authorities reported a significant decline in the total number of defects — almost 10% — and in the number of unseaworthy ships having to be detained last year.

The most common deficiencies were linked to ISM, fire doors, nautical publications, charts and oil record books. Inspectors said there had been particularly marked decreases in the number of defects related to certificates and documentation (down 19% from the previous year) and in safety of navigation (down 17%).

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘It is good to see evidence that the MLC is being enforced by port state control authorities and that a substantial number of ships have been detained because of deficiencies related to the convention.

‘It is disturbing, however, to see the scale

of the problems being uncovered in the inspections — not least some of the all-too familiar issues like non-payment of wages, hours of work and rest records and issues with seafarers’ employment agreements,’ he added. ‘In the current industrial climate, the marked increase in MLC deficiencies is disturbing and we hope that port state control authorities continue to focus their efforts in this area.’

Reflecting the move towards a more targeted inspection regime, the number of checks carried out fell by just over 3% last year. The number of detentions declined from 612 to 595 and the number of ‘repeat offender’ ships being banned from Paris MOU waters fell from 20 to 11.

Paris MOU secretary-general Richard Schiferli said the decline in the number of banned ships over the past two years may indicate that such vessels may have moved to other parts of the world or have been scrapped. It is ‘imperative that other regions intensify their port state control activities’, he added.

‘Unfortunately sub-standard ships are still a reality of today’s world. Unscrupulous owners even use them to smuggle refugees and send ships on a course towards the European coastline,’ Mr Schiferli pointed out. ‘Equally concerning is that there are still a few flags and recognised organisations around that are willing to provide a “legal shelter” to these ships by providing them with a registry and certificates. This practice needs our attention and Paris and Tokyo MoU have submitted papers to the IMO to expose these poor performing flags and the ROs that serve them.’

The inspection-detention rate has fallen from more than 10% in 1996 to 3.32% last year — although the rate for ships under the 11 ‘black list’ flags was 11.24% and for those flying ‘grey’ flags, the detention rate was 8.58%, compared with 2.5% for ‘white list’ registers. Sweden was the flag with the best PSC record, with the UK rising to second place from sixth in 2014. The worst performing flags were Tanzania, Moldova, Togo, Comoros and the Cook Islands.

operated on the route for more than 30 years.

‘The hovercraft was a revolution in sea travel and has become a real iconic British invention,’ Sir Ben said. ‘It’s great to see these two new innovative vessels continue to show off the strength of the British marine industry right now.’

Hovertravel runs 70 services a day across the Solent and the new hovercraft are being brought into service on a phased basis, to enable staff to gradually introduce new procedures and policies without disrupting the daily operation.

The company is involved in talks with local councils over plans to launch a hovercraft commuter service linking Southampton and Portsmouth which could cut motorway traffic in the area by 20%, according to one report.

Inside

F Sleepy study

New research looks at the long-term effects of fatigue on seafarers — page 21 F It’s a shore thing

Merchant Navy Training Board event spotlights the role of the ‘hidden seafarers’ — page 25 F Stand for Council

Could you be a candidate in the elections to the Union’s ruling body?— pages 36-37

20/07/2016 13:12

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Report warns of salaries squeeze Poor shipping markets are easing the global officer shortage, study says

P

Seafarers should not expect any significant pay increases over the next few years, according to a new study of global crewing trends.

Poor freight markets are creating cost-cutting pressures in the industry, and reduced growth of the world fleet has eased the gap between supply and demand for officers, says the latest manning report from the maritime consultancy Drewry.

‘Most shipowners regard wage increases as unaffordable in the current climate,’ the report says.

‘Wage levels are generally static and in some of the hardest-hit sectors, such as offshore, they are declining.’

Drewry says ‘dire’ conditions in almost all sectors and uncertainties over the future state of the world economy have reduced demand for shipping.

A slump in orders means the world fleet is likely to grow by a mere 300 vessels between now

and the end of the decade, the study adds.

As a result, it forecasts that the global shortage in officer supply will reduce from 20,900 at the end of 2015 to 7,700 by the end of 2020. ‘In the meantime, the apparent shortage that has been a feature of the market for some time continues to be met by officers working longer hours than standard contract terms dictate,’ the report suggests.

‘With the growth in the size of the cargo carrying fleet tapering off, we expect the ongoing officer shortage to ease and for wage costs to increase modestly over the next five years,’ said Nikhil Jain, senior analyst at Drewry.

Analysis of seafarer salaries in 11 major supply countries — including the UK — shows that pay rates have been fairly flat since 2014, the consultancy firm concluded. ‘Downward pressure on wage levels will prevail through the remainder of 2016

and into 2017,’ the report warned.

‘In some sectors, such as offshore, this trend will prevail until the oil price recovers and there is renewed activity in the offshore sector as a whole.’

Drewry estimates that total global seafarer numbers rose 17% over the last five years and that officer numbers have increased by 51% between 2000 and 2016.

At the start of the year there were 610,000 officers and just under 904,000 ratings, it says.

Between 2004 and 2015, the number of cargo-carrying vessels grew by 60%, the report adds, although last year the growth totalled just 2.8%. Further reductions in the rate of new orders and increased scrapping of older ships have ‘undoubtedly relaxed some of the pressure on officer requirements that was evident in the years of rapid fleet expansion’.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This is an interesting report,

which confirms the Union’s concerns about the impact of the current state of the shipping industry upon our members. It demonstrates the scale of the challenge ahead in fighting for the pay and conditions that maritime professionals deserve, but owners need to recognise that recruitment and retention of the skilled personnel they need for safe and efficient operations will not be maintained if they pursue regressive employment policies.

‘While the shortage of competent personnel may have eased because of market conditions, operators should not be complacent because there is clear evidence that the age profile of the current workforce means that supply will be severely diminished over the decade ahead,’ he added. g Mr Dickinson said the analysis underlined the importance of new industrial priorities agreed

by Nautilus Council — see page 5.

Unions campaign over river cruise conditions Nick Bramley is pictured above F with Hans Van der Werf, secretary-

Nautilus’s international officer

general of the Central Commission for Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) at last month’s International Transport Workers’ Federation inland navigation section conference.

The meeting — which was attended by delegates from countries including the Netherlands, the UK, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Russia, Germany, Panama, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil — discussed a wide range of issues affecting members in the sector.

Nautilus senior national secretary Carl Kraijenoord told the meeting of the ‘river cruise action week’ staged in April to support efforts to improve working conditions in the sector.

He warned that while there has been spectacular growth in the

European river cruise industry, there has also been a dramatic increase in competition between the operators — resulting in increased workloads and longer hours for crew, and different wages for the same work depending on the nationality or country of residence of crew.

The campaign is seeking to achieve clear and legally enforceable employment contracts for all crew, fair wages, social security and health cover, travel expenses, decent food and accommodation, and adherence to work and rest time rules.

The conference also discussed membership development in the inland navigation sector — with particular emphasis on key corridors such as the Rhine, Volga-Don and the Paraguay-Parana river systems, following a presentation by Mr Bramley, who is ITF inland navigation section chair.

Crew connectivity: give your views and win a computer... have completed Nautilus A International’s crew communications More than 500 seafarers

A forum first for Union’s Dutch young members F

Pictured above is the inaugural meeting of Nautilus International’s Young Maritime Professionals Forum for members in the Netherlands branch.

The event was held following a symposium on ‘smart ships’, which was part-delivered by young members of the Union.

Members were joined by Danny McGowan, senior assistant organiser and secretary to the YMP, and Maarten Keuss, the industrial organiser responsible for meetings and activities for the YMP in the Netherlands.

The meeting discussed the importance of the Union’s branches working together to support young maritime professionals on an international basis, and the need for people aged 35 and under — of all

02-03_at work.indd 2

ranks — to support the growth of the forum.

Guest speaker Biedjai Oepasie, from the FNV Netwerk, discussed developments in the FNV’s representation of young people across trade unions in the Netherlands.

A standing item on the agenda of all YMP forums is ‘equality, bullying and harassment’. This was a very interesting topic for the attendees, as they spoke about the Union’s attendance at LGBT+ Pride event in London and about so-called ‘hazing’ practices when people cross the Equator for the first time.

‘The Young Maritime Professionals Forum in the UK has gone from strength to strength, and it was great to see so many young people attending the first gathering in

Rotterdam,’ said Mr McGowan. ‘The next meeting in the UK will be pleased to hear about the success of the meeting, and I am sure they will send their support for the next event.’ f Further meetings of the YMP in the UK/NL branches will be advertised on the Nautilus website, Twitter and Facebook, or contact YMP@ nautilusint.org. z The annual meeting of the Nautilus International Dutch branch included a debate on attracting young people into the industry, as well as discussions on the problems in finding sufficient berths for cadets. Deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek and executive officer Charley Ramdas were both re-elected to the national committee and the advisory board. g Smart ships — see page 19.

survey — sharing their views on the state of connectivity at sea.

The survey is a key part of the Union’s crew comms campaign and asks seafarers about the quality of their connections onboard or in ports and what they want to see in the future.

The results already make interesting reading — with most respondents saying that the lack of a common language between crew is the biggest barrier to social

interaction, not seafarers spending time alone in their cabins on social media, as some claim.

Almost one-third of respondents believe that better connectivity onboard will make a positive difference to social interaction, with crew members able to watch films or sporting events together.

One respondent said that good connectivity onboard was the ‘single most important item in crew members’ interest after food’. And many respondents agreed — 78% stating that they really want to be connected when at sea and over

70% saying that they would consider moving to another company if they offered better connections at sea. g To complete the survey visit www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CrewComms.

Leave your name and email address and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win one of five tablet computers. As a bonus, any member who uses social media (such as Facebook or Twitter) to tell others about the survey will be sent a mobile phone card holder to keep their mobile phone or camera cards safe. Simply email campaigns@ nautilusint.org with your name and address to receive yours.

Nautilus speaks at cruise jobs event organising team members F Danny McGowan, Samantha Udall Nautilus industrial and

and Paul Schroder are pictured at the Cruise Job Fair in London last month.

The event was attended by more than 850 job seekers — some looking for their first positions within the sector and others seeking opportunities for promotion or to change course in their careers.

Other exhibitors included Cunard, Holland America Line, and Viking Recruitment.

Senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan delivered a presentation on the Maritime Labour Convention, informing delegates of their

employment rights when working on a cruiseship.

‘It is essential that job seekers, whether new to the industry or not, are aware of the importance of union membership,’ he said.

‘Nautilus has a number of collective bargaining agreements with some of the world’s biggest cruise lines, meaning that members can have a real influence on essential aspects of their working lives.’

20/07/2016 16:17

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Foundation sets out strategy to support careers of UK seafarers launch of a strategic plan for A the UK’s Maritime Educational Nautilus has welcomed the

Foundation (MEF) — highlighting the importance of the funding the charity provides to support seafarer training.

Overseen by a board of trustees that represents Nautilus, the RMT and shipping companies, the MEF distributes funds collected by the Maritime Training Trust from ship operators in the tonnage tax scheme who are unable to train the numbers of cadets and ratings required by the scheme.

At present, the MEF sponsors around 50 cadets each year, backing well over 100 cadets in training at any one time. And with the new rating apprenticeships that are coming in, the MEF will give a £4,000 bursary to companies for every apprentice they take on.

The Foundation also contributes towards projects that enhance UK seafarer training — including the Nautilus Slater Fund, which supports ratings, electro-technical officers or yacht crew studying for their first officer of the watch certificates.

Additionally, the MEF is poised to provide funds to help unemployed seafarers with the costs of updating their STCW certification. ‘If you know any officers that are unemployed,

MEF trainees and trustees at the launch of the charity’s strategic plan last month Picture: Fena Boyle

who could do with updated STCW certificates to get back into employment, please let me know,’ said trustee Cliff Roberts, who is quality, safety and environment director at James Fisher Everard.

Mary College, a deck cadet from Lowestoft who is supported by the MEF, said the Foundation offered an excellent pathway into the industry because of the variety of training.

‘So far, in my last sea phase, I was on a cruiseship for four months and

an offshore vessel for a month after that.’

MEF strategy manager Kate Gillespie said the Foundation aims to be a centre of excellence for supporting seafarer training and also provides best practice guidance for industry organisations in their work, activities and projects.

MEF chair, RCL Cruises compliance and marine administration manager Kathryn Neilson, added: ‘The MEF is committed to supporting UK officer

and rating training, both for new entrants and for those who need support to stay in the industry. If a seafarer finds themselves in a position where funding assistance would facilitate their remaining, and progressing, in a career at sea, I encourage them to visit our website to see what is available.

‘The process is quick and easy for applicants, and UK shipping benefits by keeping experience and talent onboard,’ she added.

Council hears call for training ship to be used to tackle seatime problems

P

02-03_at work.indd 3

NEW MINISTER: the UK has a new shipping minister following last month’s government reshuffle.

South Holland & the Deepings MP John Hayes has returned to the post, which he previously held between 2014 and 2015, after Robert Goodwill was moved to the Home Office. Nautilus has written to Mr Hayes seeking an urgent meeting to discuss issues including progress on the Maritime Growth Study and industry calls for improved support for maritime training.

HORROR FILM: Seafarers Rights International has released a hard-hitting film to raise awareness of the continued problem of abandoned seafarers. The 11-minute video — which can be seen via the website www.seafarersrights.org — highlights a number of cases and offers advice to seafarers on how to avoid being abandoned and what to do if they are stranded in a foreign port.

Concern at lack of cadet berths A training ship should be brought into action to provide seatime for trainees and newly-qualified officers, Nautilus Council heard last month.

Council members discussed the growing challenge of finding berths for British and Dutch cadets — with concerns being raised about the long-term damage posed by the shortage of opportunities.

Deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek said cadet numbers in the Netherlands had hit a record high last year – and had forced Dutch shipowners to withdraw the guarantee of cadet berths, which had been in place for many years.

‘This year we had 97 more cadets in the Netherlands than last year — and 23 of last year’s cadets could not be placed,’ he explained. ‘We need to go all the way to look for a solution and work with the industry partners to find creative ways to give sea

shortreports

time to young people.

‘We have worked for many years to get interest in the industry from young people, and have had positive results, but the confidence we have built up over the years could be lost very quickly,’ Mr van den Broek warned.

Council member Mike Lloyd said it was time to revive the concept of a training ship. ‘The more we encourage young people to go to sea, the more the problem will increase,’ he pointed out. ‘To me, it is a disgrace that in Europe we don’t have a training ship when many other countries do have them.’

Council chairman Ulrich Jurgens said the dream of a training ship had been lost when the former ITF campaign ship Global Mariner sank following a collision in the Orinoco river in 2000. ‘The idea of having a training ship is fantastic, but if shipowners and banks are not putting the money up and don’t have the foresight to provide training places, we as a

Nederland Maritiem Land MD Arjen Uytendaal speaks to Council

union will not be able to solve the problem,’ he warned.

‘But this is not a national issue — it is an international issue,’ he added. ‘We need to push as hard as we can at every level to save the jobs of those who are entering the industry now.’

Iain MacKenzie said the tonnage tax rules should be tight-

ened so that companies had to provide seatime opportunities to newly-qualified officers. And Phil Lees said the need to bring in a new generation of seafarers is more important than ever, because of the large numbers due to retire in the next decade.

The meeting heard from Arjen Uytendaal, managing director of the Dutch organisation Nederland Maritiem Land, who described the work done to develop the concept of the ‘maritime cluster’ over the past 20 years and its success in providing around 253,000 jobs — almost 3% of total employment in the Netherlands.

Maritime colleges are now full, he said, and it has become ‘an enormous challenge’ to find sufficient berths for trainees — especially as the Dutch-flagged fleet has declined for the second year in a row. ‘We need to find some solutions to this, because otherwise we will have a big problem,’ he warned.

LNG DRIVE: Shell, Carnival, Lloyd’s Register and the Port of Rotterdam are among the members of a new shipping industry initiative to promote the use of LNG as a marine fuel. The SEA\LNG campaign aims to address barriers such as the lack of LNG bunkering infrastructure in ports around the world, the price premium for LNG-fuelled vessels and the lack of globally consistent regulation.

CORSICAN VISIT: several members of the Corsican Assembly executive visited Scotland last month to see how the Scottish government administers its lifeline ferry operations. The trip was organised ahead of a forthcoming announcement about the future of services between the French mainland and Corsica following the collapse of the Marseilles-based operator SNCM. KILLER INDUSTRY: shipping has been blamed for causing as many as 37,500 premature deaths a year in China and SE Asia, according to a new study. Scientists at Duke University in the US say ship traffic has doubled in the region since 2005, and sulphur dioxide and other pollutants are causing health problems such as lung disease, cancer and heart conditions.

PIRATES CONVICTED: the European Union Naval Force has welcomed the conviction by court in Mauritius of 12 men accused of a pirate attack on the Cyprus-flagged containership MSC Jasmine in the Indian Ocean in January 2014. The judgment followed a prosecution challenge to a court ruling in November 2014 which found the men not guilty.

FRIENDLY WARNING: the environmental group Friends of the Earth has accused the cruise shipping industry of dragging its heels on measures to cut the sector’s impact on air and water pollution. In a new report, the organisation is particularly critical of the ageing sewage treatment technology used by around 40% of the world fleet.

ENERGY DEFICIENT: a total of 24 ships have been detected with energy efficiency deficiencies during UK port state control inspections since 1 January 2013, the House of Commons heard last month. MPs were told that no additional penalties had been imposed on any of the ships.

STOLT BUY-OUT: Stolt-Nielsen has agreed a US$575m deal to buy out Jo Tankers’ chemical tanker operations. The purchase includes 13 tankers and a 50% stake in a joint venture with eight 33,000dwt newbuildings.

MASTER ARRESTED: the master of the Panama-flagged containership MSC Poh Lin was among 12 people arrested after authorities in the Italian port of Gioia Tauro discovered 83kg of cocaine onboard the vessel.

DAMAGES AWARD: a US court has awarded more than $1m in damages to a ship master who lost his job after reporting safety violations to the US Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping.

20/07/2016 18:14

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports INFLATION ALERT: latest UK inflation figures showing the CPI rate to be 0.5% show the need for the government to do more to boost growth, said TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady last month. She urged ministers to give the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow, bring forward major new infrastructure projects like high-speed rail and announce a big expansion in house building.

OXFORD ADDRESS: Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard made a presentation to a seminar at Ruskin College, Oxford, explaining the Union’s pioneering work to create a trans-boundary organisation for maritime professionals. Mr Havard told delegates that such cooperation was vital to avoid ‘divide and rule’ management strategies in multinational industries like shipping.

FUTURE TALKS: Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard attended a meeting at the House of Commons last month to discuss the future of trade unions in the 21st century. Hosted by shadow solicitor general and Cardiff MP Jo Stevens, the event was organised by the New Economics Foundation in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the TUC. CROWN CREWING: members employed by Crown Crewing (Jersey) are being consulted on a pay offer which would see a a general increase in all items — including food allowance — of 1.1%, a lump sum increase of £1,000 to Whitehaven masters, and for mates holding PECs to be paid the weekly amount of 25% of the masters’ rates.

SMIT REJECTION: members employed by Smit International (Scotland) have voted to reject a 1.5% pay offer. The increase would have been backdated to 1 April 2016, but was turned down by 70% of members who voted. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder has written to the company to inform it of the members’ decision.

SHEERNESS SETTLEMENT: a 2% pay offer has been accepted by members employed by the Port of Sheerness and serving in Medway Navigation Service as VTS officers. The deal will be backdated to 1 April 2016 and it was also agreed that the pay year will be moved from 1 April to 1 June.

CALMAC CLAIM: members employed by Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) are being asked for their views on the contents of the forthcoming pay and conditions claim. Information needs to be sent to the Union by midday on 5 August.

TRINITY TALKS: Nautilus has asked members employed by Trinity House to submit their views on the contents of this year’s pay and conditions claim.

Members have also been advised that the 2015 pay review remains ongoing.

Ex Tax Inspector at Cardiff Marine - 30 years experience with seafarers’ tax

£195.00 FLAT FEE PER TAX RETURN

01908 583 738

www.taxaidforseafarers.co.uk

04-05_at work.indd 4

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

Assurances on security

by GMSG assurances from Global Marine A Systems (GMSG) after members Nautilus has received

raised safety concerns whilst undertaking a project — known as G2A — in a high-risk zone.

The company has told the Union it had the highest levels of security in place — well beyond minimum requirements — and there had been no attacks on vessels complying with those standards since 2011.

While individuals have the right to choose not to proceed to the high-risk zone, management said they hoped members would see that sufficient steps have been taken to mitigate security risks.

Anyone not wishing to serve in the high-risk area will be deployed to other vessels where possible, the company added. Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr said any members who still require clarification should contact her directly.

Pictured, left to right, are: RFA liaison officer Russell Downs; RFA personnel strategy officer Liza Buckingham; personnel operations officer Captain David Eagles; Nautilus national secretary Steve Doran; RFA Commodore Duncan Lamb; and Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard during a visit to HMS Excellent at Whale Island.

The visit provide an opportunity for to meet key RFA personnel ‒ which also included Mark Bartlett and Alison Woodgate from personnel operations and RFA capability manager Colin Grylls ‒ as part of the handover of responsibilities from Mr Havard to Mr Doran.

Final consultation at RFA the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) F have been urged to take part in a final Nautilus members serving with

consultation on the 2015 pay and conditions review.

The Union has moved to seek members’ views after national secretaries Jonathan Havard and Garry Elliott and liaison officer Russell

Downs met RFA management representatives to discuss the package.

Mr Havard said it was clear that the RFA was unable to move beyond the government’s tough public sector pay remit and no improvements to the across-the-board 1% offer could be achieved through negotiations.

The package does include an extension of the fully-paid study leave programme for a further 12 months through to April 2017, he pointed out, and the Union is recommending that the review should now be concluded.

Members are being asked to submit their views by Monday 8 August.

Concern at Boskalis bid to axe 650 jobs Union begins negotiations as company seeks to cut 24 ships from its fleet

P

Nautilus International has begun discussions with the Dutch dredging and marine construction firm Royal Boskalis Westminster after it announced plans to cut 24 vessels from its fleet over the next two years, with the loss of 650 jobs worldwide — including 150 Dutch personnel.

The company said the decision had been made following a fleet rationalisation study initiated in response to deteriorating market conditions. The ships to go have an average age of over 30 years and will include 10 from the dredging division, 14 from the offshore energy division. They will be scrapped, sold or laid-up.

Boskalis chief executive Peter Berdowski said: ‘After a few very busy years the market outlook for Boskalis has changed drasti-

cally as a result of continuing low energy and commodity prices.

The volume of work in the market has fallen sharply and this is putting pressure on the utilisation rate of our vessels.

‘Because we expect these market conditions to persist in the coming years, it is essential that we adapt the size and composition of our fleet to this new reality,’ he added.

‘We are fully aware that this intended decision is drastic and that it will have a major social impact, Mr Berdowski added.

‘While we will try to absorb the workforce reduction through attrition and redeployment wherever possible, compulsory redundancies unfortunately look to be unavoidable.’

The company said the job losses will affect a ‘cross-section

of nationalities’. It has sought the formal opinion of the Dutch works council and has invited unions to consult on a social plan in the short term.

The firm said that it still expects strong long-term demand from a growing global economy, a growing population and from challenges associated with climate change.

Nautilus and its members are shocked by the scale of the job losses. Senior national secretary Sascha Meijer said: ‘The impact on seafarers and dredgers is large. All these people have worked hard for Boskalis in the recent good years and have contributed to the company’s high profits.

‘We want to see real efforts by the company to redeploy as many employees as possible,’ she added.

‘Within a company of the size and

diversity of Boskalis this should be possible. Many employees will be happy and able to change their division within the company and growth is still expected in such sectors such as offshore wind.’

Ms Meijer said Nautilus was critical of the company’s proposals to outsource the entire ship management and crewing of its Fairmount fleet after the planned lay-off of all 34 Dutch seafarers.

Nautilus organised meetings with members in the dredging and Fairmount offshore divisions last month to discuss the proposals. Initial talks have also been held with the company and negotiations about a social plan will take place in late August or in September, Ms Meijer said. The works council is also likely to take until at least September to provide its advice to the employer.

Many thanks, Mike Dickinson led the vote of thanks F last month as Council members said

Nautilus general secretary Mark

farewell to retiring assistant general secretary Mike Jess, pictured left.

Mr Dickinson paid tribute to the varied roles Mr Jess had undertaken for the Union since he joined in 2002 after having worked on a consultancy basis to help Nautilus with its aim of becoming the first union to achieve the Investors in People award.

‘We got it, of course, and have proudly maintained it ever since

— and that track record stands as a marvellous tribute to the contribution made by Mike to our Union,’ Mr Dickinson said.

He told how Mr Jess had transformed the Union’s personnel policies and had spearheaded welfare, training and pensions work, by taking on roles including trustee director of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and the Maritime Charities Group, chair of the Maritime Education Trust, and membernominated trustee of the MNOPF.

20/07/2016 17:44

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Targets for pay talks updated Council agrees nine-point list of priorities for Nautilus industrial organisers

P

Nautilus International Council members have approved a revised set of negotiating priorities for the Union’s industrial organisers — with a new emphasis on seeking to recover cuts in pay and conditions when the oil price slump starts to recede.

The nine-point plan was given the go-ahead by Council members at their meeting last month and aims to give the Union’s officials key targets to aim for in negotiations with employers over the next year.

Senior national secretary Garry Elliott said the objectives play an integral part in the dayto-day activity of the organising department.

‘Of particular importance in these pressing times is the need to resist all redundancies and try to

protect existing pay rates, terms and conditions,’ he pointed out.

Mr Elliott said pay increases in the January 2016 pay round averaged 1.5% for UK members — with the exception of the oil and gas sector, where pay freezes and even cuts of between 10% and 20% have been imposed. This has resulted in an overall 4% decline in pay levels in the sector, he added.

In the Netherlands, a number of companies have proposed pay freezes and extended tour lengths, he added, and there have also been redundancies at companies such as the containership operator Flinter.

‘It has been particularly difficult to maintain our objectives in the oil and gas sector over the past year because of the significant number of members who have been facing redundancies and

cuts to pay, terms and conditions,’ Mr Elliott admitted.

‘Particular attention will need to be given in 2017 to develop strategies to recover pay, terms and conditions within this sector as and when the upturn in oil prices materialises and drives the recovery.’

The revised guidelines reflect this aim and seek to ensure that members receive ‘realistic’ pay increases. The document also aims to encourage longer-term agreements and ‘partnership’ relationships with employers in the best interests of members.

They also commit the Union to protecting members’ jobs, fighting social dumping and resisting redundancies — especially compulsory job losses or where members are in danger of being replaced by cheaper crews.

Mr Elliott said the guidelines will ensure that Nautilus will also seek a high standard of elements such as death in service payments, training costs (STCW revalidation), and pension provisions.

Where appropriate, the Union will continue to press for companies to provide members with business class travel if they are on long-haul flights to and from their ships.

The guidelines also stress the need for the Union to continue developing the role of lay representatives and to encourage members’ participation in consultation exercises.

They also reiterate the commitment to ensure that members work in an environment free from harassment and bullying and seek to ensure that all companies have equal opportunities policies.

PNTL PAY: members employed by Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited (INS) have been advised of a change in their 2016 pay and conditions agreement. Members had voted to accept a one-year deal of 2% to take effect from 1 April 2016. However, after RMT members agreed a different increase, the company said it would not do two separate deals. Following a further meeting involving partnership delegates from both unions, a revised deal of 2% for 2016 with a minimum of 2% for 2017 was tabled, and it was also agreed that all parties would reconvene in early 2017.

ORKNEY TERMS: Nautilus, Unite and RMT will prepare a ‘terms of reference’ document and develop a working group to help tackle the issue of comparably low pay rates for members serving with Orkney Ferries. In a meeting with management last month, the unions also argued for an additional seven days of annual leave to be established to bring Orkney Ferries into line with the 28 days provided by other ferry operators.

SERCO CONSULT: members employed by Serco Ferries (Guernsey) Crewing are being consulted on proposed changes to their terms and conditions.

The consultation follows talks between Nautilus and management which have been running since 2013.

Negotiations have now been exhausted and members have until midday on Wednesday 3 August to submit their views.

HANSON DEAL: members employed by Hanson Ship Management have voted by an overwhelming majority to accept a 2% pay offer. Backdated to 1 January, the package will also be applied to the day rate and includes a review of pilotage payments and the installation of Sky on all ships by the end of the year.

HEYN DATE: a meeting has been set for the start of this year’s pay and conditions negotiations for members employed by Heyn Engineering Solutions onboard RV Corststes. Talks will take place on 5 August and industrial organiser Lisa Carr was set to visit the ship last month to discuss issues with members.

Are you one in a million?

F

Nautilus members are being urged to add their names to a European petition to highlight the case for decent working conditions in EU transport industries, including shipping and inland waterways.

Organised by the European Transport Workers’ Federation, the Fair Transport Europe petition aims to secure one million signatures to highlight the ‘deplorable working and living conditions’ facing many workers in the transport sector and to call for tougher controls on social dumping.

The deadline for collecting signatures within the frame of the European Citizens’ Initiative is 14 September and members are being urged to add their names as soon as possible. g Full details can be found on the campaign website: www.FairTransportEurope.eu

shortreports

INTRADA INCREASE: a 2% pay offer has been accepted by members employed on vessels managed

by Intrada Ships Management. The offer concludes the 2016 pay and conditions review and industrial organiser Lisa Carr has written to the company to accept on members’ behalf.

SACKING CHALLENGE: Tory MP John Glen has introduced a Private Member’s Bill to end the right of shipowners to sack seafarers for homosexual acts on UK merchant ships.

Pictured above is Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth (sixth from left) and membership and research administrator Samantha Udall (seventh from left) with liaison officers and representatives from P&O management at Channel House, Dover, during the latest joint consultative committee meeting. Held in June, the meeting discussed issues including sickness reporting, officer dining facilities, the promotion pool, monthly time sheets and Irish Sea collective bargaining agreement revisions and harmonisation. The next JCC meeting has been arranged for 18 and 19 October at Channel House.

MERSEY RISE: members employed by Mersey Docks & Harbour Company VTS have voted to accept a 2% pay increase. The uplift will be paid from 1 July 2016.

£8.7m P&O investment in Hull ferries is welcomed decision by P&O Ferries to invest F almost £9m to extend the life of its Nautilus has welcomed a

Pictured above are chief officer Tom Hackford, liaison officer Ken Konasik, Captain Angus Morrison and national ferry organiser Micky Smyth onboard European Seaway during a Nautilus ship visit last month. During his time onboard the vessel, Mr Smyth spoke with members about pension issues, manning, recruitment and retention of employees, and the possible implications of Brexit.

04-05_at work.indd 5

two Hull-Zeebrugge ships for a further five years.

Company chief executive Helen Deeble told the Union that £8.7m will be spent on Pride of Bruges and Pride of York to deliver improvements to the infrastructure of the ships — including the machinery and passenger areas.

She said the investment is a sign of improvements in P&O’s North Sea business. ‘These changes will help us to generate more revenue, more profit and secures the medium-term future of the route,’ she added.

Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth said the decision

was welcome. ‘First of all, this is a positive sign for the ferry sector,’ he added. ‘This significant investment in two of the existing fleet secures the immediate future of the routes between Hull and Zeebrugge.

‘What we need to ensure is that our members also witness the benefits of these investments and we as a Union will work hard to make our members’ aspirations heard and acted upon,’ he added.

P&O Ferries is doubling freight capacity at its Zeebrugge hub to meet increased demand from exporters to Britain. The P&O terminal in the port will be extended by 14 hectares and will incorporate a fourth berth and enhanced rail infrastructure.

The Tube, 86 North Street Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 8RA

DELIVERY WORLDWIDE

Q Braids Q Work Wear Q Tropical Wear Q Cadet Uniforms Q Officers Uniforms

20/07/2016 18:01

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports SCHEME SLAMMED: offshore unions have criticised UK government plans to encourage redundant workers into new roles in the energy and engineering sectors — including a new website highlighting jobs in projects such as nuclear newbuilds, renewable energy and oil platform decommissioning. Oil and Gas UK warns that the total number of job losses will rise to more than 120,000 by the end of this year. Unions say the government’s attempts to offer alternative employment are ‘woefully inadequate’.

DP INCIDENTS: thruster and propulsion issues are the main cause of DP incidents, according to a new report from the International Marine Contractors’ Association (IMCA). In an analysis of 71 station-keeping incidents, IMCA found that 36% had thruster and propulsion problems as the main cause, followed by 18% arising from computer issues, 13% from power and reference issues, and 10% from human error. IMCA said it was concerned that a significant number of incidents are still not being reported.

VROON VOTE: Nautilus International members serving with Vroon Offshore Services BV have been asked to vote on revised company proposals for flexible working schedules. The company had originally sought to move from four-on/four-off rotas to eight-on/eight-off, but after talks with the Union it is now proposing to shift to a schedule which allows the possibility of working one week more or one week less.

TECHNIP CALL : Nautilus is urging Technip (Singapore) to make a response on a range of issues affecting members following a meeting in May. ‘We remain frustrated at the delayed response from the company following the meeting and continue to press them in order that progress can be made on matters such as redundancy terms and liquidated leave arrangements,’ said national secretary Steve Doran.

MORE CLOSURES: the pace of North Sea oil field shutdowns is accelerating as the impact of the oil price slump is compounded by the uncertain investment environment created by Brexit, a new report has warned.

Projected spending on decommissioning in the UK sector in the decade to 2024 has risen to £16.9bn, according to Oil & Gas UK, some 16% higher than forecast in 2014.

OCEAN SAVINGS: members employed by Ocean Supply (Guernsey) have been consulted on proposed cost-saving changes, including a 3% salary reduction for all ranks — excluding masters — as well as a 3% reduction in employer pension contributions.

MAERSK FREEZE: a pay freeze has been accepted by members serving with Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) on supply vessels after a consultation showed almost threequarters of members in favour of the offer.

DEEP REJECTION: a 5.5% 12-month salary reduction has been rejected by members employed

by Deep Ocean (Guernsey) following consultations.

Industrial organiser Derek Byrne has written to the company to request further discussions.

ROV training partnership

D&A policy ‘falls short’

facility has linked up with Bibby F Offshore to provide ROV apprentices A Scottish subsea training

disappointment with updated F drug and alcohol policies published by

with a unique opportunity to get practical hands-on experience.

The apprentices, who are employed by Bibby Offshore, are too young to go to sea but have been given the chance through the partnership with the Underwater Centre to get operational experience in the field with live ROVs and to undertake tasks including the mobilisation/demobilisation of the work class ROV. The first two apprentices have completed three weeks of training where they gained experience in the Centre’s mechanical workshop and also onboard the work class ROV vessel Loch Sunart. They, and other Bibby Offshore apprentices, will continue to train part-time at the Centre until they are fully qualified and ready to go offshore.

the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) last month.

The 28-page document covers issues including reasons for testing, testing procedures and processes, record keeping, problems with testing, and cut-off levels.

Nautilus professional and technical assistant David Appleton said: ‘The consumption of alcohol onboard ships is a complex issue which requires careful consideration of a number of questions related to safety, health and crew welfare.

‘It is disappointing that this new guidance ignores many of these issues and seems to be focused solely on limiting the liability of the company.

Anyone seeking practical guidance should consult the guidelines jointly produced by the UK Chamber of Shipping, RMT and Nautilus.’

Nautilus has expressed its

The first two Bibby Offshore ROV apprentices — Ed Beattie and Alan Mackintosh

Strike-break safety alarm Unions warn over threat to use agency staff in dispute

P

Nautilus is urging members serving on offshore support vessels in the North Sea to beware of attempts to use agency staff to undermine planned strike action.

The call comes after the Offshore Co-ordinating Group (OCG) of unions expressed concern that safety could be put at risk if temporary agency personnel were deployed during the dispute.

The issue stems from a breakdown in talks between the Unite and RMT unions and the Wood Group, which provides maintenance services for eight Shell platforms, after the company sought to cut pay and conditions by between 10% and 30%..

More than 200 workers were then balloted on whether to take action, with 99.1% of Unite members and 98.5% of RMT members in favour of industrial action.

The OCG expressed concern after it emerged that Shell was looking for back-up staff on its in eight platforms in preparation for strike action — warning that this presented potential safety risks

for remaining workers and supply vessel crews.

OCG chair Tommy Campbell said: ‘The Offshore Co-ordinating Group strongly supports this organised fightback against swingeing wage cuts imposed by the Wood Group.

‘The OCG is also extremely concerned to hear that Shell is considering using strike-breaking employment agency staff to work on platform helicopter decks. We would remind Shell that serious safety issues are involved in the use of temporary staff offshore.

‘In addition, we understand that employment agencies may also be used to deploy deck crew with banksman slinger tickets so we will be asking Nautilus International to alert all supply vessel masters to be vigilant too,’ he added.

‘Instead of misusing employment agencies, Shell should be using their considerable influence to persuade Wood Group to back off with their wage cuts and help bring an end to this dispute,’ Mr Campbell said.

Nautilus national secretary Steve Doran reiterated the OCG’s concerns and called for masters on supply ships in the area to take extra care when operating around the affected rigs.

‘Using agency staff in place of fully trained and experienced banksmen is an accident waiting to happen,’ he said. ‘Masters operating in the area need to be aware of this ongoing situation and take extra precautions when they are conducting their normal roles.

‘Safety is a huge concern and it’s imperative that people carrying out these critical jobs are suitable for the roles and not just making up the numbers whilst the company tries to shoehorn its way around legitimate industrial action.’

A Shell spokesman said: ‘Following the announcement by Unite and the RMT, we have been exploring options to ensure we can continue to provide coverage for safety critical roles should that be necessary to ensure the safety of personnel and the installations.’

Subsea 7 in fresh round of job cuts jobs at offshore oil and gas F firm Subsea 7 are to be axed as the More than 400 UK-based

company looks at fresh cost-cutting measures.

Subsea 7 says a total of 430 UK jobs — most of them in Aberdeen — will be cut as it plans to reduce its 9,200 worldwide workforce by 1,200 by early 2017. The company is planning to save around £200m with measures such as the withdrawal of up to five ships from its fleet.

The global subsea engineering company said the move was in response to ‘continued difficult business and economic conditions’ in the oil and gas market. The latest round of cuts mean that more than 800 UK posts will have disappeared from Subsea 7 in the past two years, after 410 jobs were shed during 2015.

Phil Simons, Subsea 7 vice president for UK & Canada, said: ‘This difficult decision is a regrettable consequence of the prolonged and challenging environment the oil and gas supply chain is now experiencing, particularly in the NE of Scotland,’ he added.

Nautilus industrial organiser Gary Leech said the Union will give full support to its members. ‘The oil and gas sector has been in decline for a number of years now, but these levels of cuts are extremely hard to come to terms with,’ he added. ‘As always, we will work closely with any members affected or concerned about their positions, and I’d urge members to make contact with us to discuss how best to proceed.’

X-Stern ship for windfarm ops first X-Stern vessel — a 5,897gt A windfarm service ship built for Pictured right is the world’s

Bernhard Schulte Offshore by the Norwegian yard Ulstein Verft.

Delivered last month, the Germanflagged Windea La Cour has been specially designed for tasks including the transport of service technicians to the Gemini Offshore Wind Park, off the Dutch coast.

06_offshore.indd 1

The vessel is equipped with two turbine transfer methods — an integrated Uptime heavecompensated gangway system and a daughter craft with a capacity of 10 people. Spare parts and equipment can be transported in containers, of which six can be placed on deck and six under deck.

There is accommodation for up to 60 technicians and crew.

20/07/2016 17:25

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Pensions quality call to UK operators

HAL rescuers win award der Wal and other officers and A crew of the Holland America Line

Pictured left is Captain Eric van

vessel Veendam who have won an award for the ‘skills, bravery and professionalism’ in rescuing a pilot whose aircraft was forced to ditch in the Pacific after mechanical problems.

They were presented with the Seafarer of the Year award at the 2016 Lloyd’s List North American Maritime Awards last month in tribute to their work in safely recovering the pilot — Louis Morton, fourth from left in the picture — after he deployed the Cirrus SR-22 aircraft’s airframe parachute system and escaped into a liferaft,

of the Ensign Retirement Plan F (ERP) — an industry-wide defined Following last year’s launch

contribution pension scheme for the maritime sector — two of the founding employers have now achieved the Pensions Quality Mark (PQM) Plus accreditation.

Administered by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, the PQM is awarded to employers who provide a pension arrangement that has demonstrated appropriate levels of quality in contribution rates, governance and member communications.

The ERP has proved very successful, with almost 80 participating employers, more than 2,000 members, £38m of funds under management and annual contributions of approximately £12m.

The Plan applied for, and was granted, PQM Ready status shortly after launch — allowing participating employers to gain individual accreditation for PQM (where overall contribution rates must be 10%, with at least 6% coming from the employer) or PQM Plus (with overall contribution rates of 15% or more including employer contribution rates of at least 10%).

All employers in the Plan are contributing at levels that will enable them to achieve PQM accreditation and several would qualify for PQM Plus accreditation.

Two of the founding employers — Nautilus International and Ensign Pensions Limited — have recently been granted the PQM Plus accreditation. Ensign Pensions operations director Phil Boyle said it is hoped that this will pave the way for other employers to seek the award.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘Our PQM Plus accreditation demonstrates to our employees our commitment to providing a high quality pension provision, and we hope that we will inspire other maritime employers to make a similar commitment to their staff.’

Alarm at MCA’s office closures Union warns as Agency moves to shut four centres to save £300,000 a year

P

Nautilus has voiced its concern over the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s plan to press ahead with an amended package of cuts to its marine offices.

Announcing the results of a consultation on the changes, the MCA said it had decided to keep open two of the offices that were originally earmarked for closure — but four offices will be shut to save around £300,000 a year.

The MCA will go ahead with the closure of the Tyne, Harwich, Norwich and Orpington marine offices, and three others — Dover, Falmouth and Milford Haven — will be downgraded and become satellite bases.

Belfast, Liverpool, Cardiff, Aberdeen, Plymouth, Southampton,

Beverley (Hull) and Glasgow marine offices will remain open and a new office will be opened in the Colchester/Ipswich area.

Nautilus professional and technical assistant David Appleton said the Union was disappointed by the decision.

‘While we understand the necessity for cost reduction measures, we are not convinced that the relatively small savings that will be made by these proposals justify the potential negative impacts on seafarers and the safety of shipping,’ he added.

‘Nautilus is very disappointed with the way this process has been conducted — from start to finish,’ Mr Appleton said. ‘The lack of any real information into how these changes will work in practice,

combined with the extremely limited timeframe given for organisations to comment on the proposals, further confirms our belief expressed at the time that the majority of these decisions had already been taken.

‘We are particularly disappointed that concerns expressed by several organisations, ourselves included over the proposed closure of the Tyne office have been completely ignored,’ he said.

‘We now call on the MCA to provide detailed information on how it plans to implement these changes and minimise the detrimental effects on seafarers.’

The marine office changes form part of a wider review of the MCA’s survey and inspection work, which aims to ‘improve

customer service and efficiency’ by ensuring a full team is in place covering the whole UK, with more remote working.

MCA chief executive Sir Alan Massey said the programme was vital to modernise the way the Agency works. ‘The maritime world is changing, and we have to move with the times,’ he added.

‘For example, we’ve had great difficulty in recruiting and retaining marine surveyors; and our customers are also — and rightly — demanding more responsive services that are fit for a competitive world market in the digital age.

‘Modernising our approach, in terms of both the geographical location of our offices and the way our surveyors work, offers us a positive, efficient way forward.’

some 225 miles off the coast of Hawaii in January 2015.

Working in 9 to 12ft seas, with winds of 25 to 28 mph, Veendam crew members managed to recover Mr Morton within 20 minutes of the aircraft ditching.

Keith Taylor, Holland America Line’s executive vice president of fleet operations, said the rescue was a ‘great reminder’ of the industry’s commitment to help safeguard life at sea.

‘The officers and crew performed exceptionally well and made a dramatic rescue — I am very proud of the Veendam team,’ he added.

MP warns of shortfalls in ferry safety concern over the Maritime & F Coastguard Agency’s failure to take An MP has expressed

enforcement action against a ferry company that was accused of being ‘reckless’ in its approach to safety.

Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner has met the head of the Agency to discuss the findings of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the collapse of a mezzanine deck on the ro-ro ferry St Helen in July 2014.

Investigators found poor standards of safety management within the Wightlink fleet and said management had failed to act on safety concerns raised by masters.

Mr Turner said he was concerned by the apparent failure of the MCA to hold the owners of the vessel to account for repeated safety failings but he had received assurances that such poor attention to safety standards would not happen again.

The MP said he was considering whether changes are needed ‘to enable punitive action to be taken against any ferry owner who knowingly breaches safety rules.

‘Safety of passengers, staff and the public should be a key priority for any public transport system,’ he stressed.

Irish certificate threat sorted announcement that Ireland’s F Department of Transport has agreed Nautilus has welcomed an

Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 is pictured arriving in Southampton last month following a £90m 25-day ‘remastering’ project at the Blohm + Voss Shipyard, in Hamburg Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

A COMPLETE TRAVEL SERVICE FLIGHTS - HOTELS - TRANSFERS - RAIL

to give formal recognition to STCW refresher training courses being carried out at the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI).

Transport minister Shane Ross had been facing calls to intervene to end an impasse which had delayed Marine Survey Office (MSO) accreditation for

the courses – amid warnings that it could affect more than 400 seafarers and lead to job losses at the Cork college.

NMCI said it had gained UK Maritime & Coastguard agency recognition for the certificates in August last year, but the MSO had spent more than 18 months processing the application for approval.

Donegal TD Thomas Pringle

welcomed the announcement, but said it should not have taken so long to resolve the matter.

Nautilus professional and technical assistant David Appleton said he was pleased to hear the minister’s assurances. However, he added, if any members are experiencing problems they should contact the Union’s professional and technical department at head office.

Contact us today for a quote vikingrecruitment.com/travel +44 (0) 300 303 8191 travel@vikingrecruitment.com

With our modern travel management platform we can book the most competitive rates with major airlines and low cost carriers as well as marine fares. This service also includes hotels, transfers, car rentals and rail from any location around the globe.

07_news.indd 7

20/07/2016 16:43

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

LARGE YACHT NEWS

First forum for Nautilus partners strategic yachting partners met last month for A the first of what will be a regular event within the Representatives from some of the Union’s

sector.

Attendees came to the Nautilus office in Antibes — operated in conjunction with partners D&B Services — and received a presentation from professional and technical assistant David Appleton.

He explained the Union’s role as the voice of maritime professionals at bodies such as the International Maritime Organisation and the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

The meeting included some interesting debate on the importance of hours of work and rest, as well as safe manning numbers within the large yacht sector.

Partners also discussed the issue of criminalisation, as well as the Union’s industryleading service record book — verified in the office in Antibes and considered acceptable proof of service for verification of sea time by the UK MCA. Senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan said: ‘Maintaining a meaningful network of strategic partners is essential for our members in the large yacht sector.

‘Members need to know where they can go for friendly advice and assistance in all aspects of their careers, and having these voluntary agreements with partners such as Hemisphere and UKSA is a practical example of this.

‘Since Nautilus doesn’t operate a corporate membership scheme, the impartiality of the Union’s representation for officers and crew and

our intentions within the large yacht sector are transparent.’

The Union partners with organisations that share an ethos of crew safety and welfare, and a commitment to the professionalism in all aspects of the industry. Current partners are: D&B Services; Dovaston Crew; Hemisphere Crew Solutions; International Crew Training; UKSA; and West Nautical.

Nautilus officials will be attending the Monaco Yacht Show on 28 and 29 September to meet representatives from the large yacht sector and to hold further discussions with partners about the work started at the first partners’ forum. g If you would like to arrange a time for Nautilus to visit you at or around the show, please email Pictured, left to right, are Nautilus partners Jerry Bayliss, Nicky Andre, yachts@nautilusint.org and Jorg Wendt, with David Appleton and Danny McGowan

Trek appeal for injured friend Honours for designer F

Pictured above is the internationally renowned superyacht designer Bill Dixon, who was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Technology by Southampton Solent University last month.

Mr Dixon — who graduated from the university in 1978 following a three-year course in yacht and boat design — went on to establish Swanick-based Dixon Yacht Design, which works for some of the world’s leading production boat manufacturers and has also designed

custom superyachts for leading shipyards.

His work has included production designs, such as the Moody sailing yacht range, of which more than 4,000 yachts have been built, as well as many power and sail yachts. In 2010 he won the Yacht Designer of the Year in Asia award.

Mr Dixon said he was delighted to receive the ‘prestigious honour’ from the university. ‘Since my early teenage years, my ambition was always to be a yacht designer,’ he added.

Yacht crew join now! email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call +44 (0)151 639 8454

As part of our growing support for seafarers serving in the large yacht sector, all members are entitled to a free copy of the Nautilus service record book, which has been produced to assist in the recording and calculation of qualifying sea service for the purpose of certification.

Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this SRB is one of only two that the MCA recognises worldwide as evidence of acceptable service. serv Once your yacht service is verified O in our office in Antibes, then the MCA accepts the Nautilus SRB as M ssufficient proof of onboard and sea sservice and no further supporting ddocumentation is required. zContact the membership ddepartment either via email or te telephone to receive your free SRB.

08_yachts.indd 8

Colleague raises funds for care of brain-damaged superyacht engineer

P

A superyacht crew member is planning a gruelling trek through Peru to raise money for the medical care of a colleague who suffered severe brain damage in an accident on his vessel last year.

Third assistant engineer Jacob Nicol has needed constant medical support since falling from the Russian-owned superyacht Kibo during cleaning work in the Mallorcan resort of Puerto Portals in May last year.

Mr Nicol was struck on the head by a 20kg fender hook and spent several minutes underwater before being rescued by the yacht’s captain. He was given CPR by the captain and paramedics, before being taken to a local hospital.

Mr Nicol was in a coma for 10 days before being repatriated back to the UK, where he continues to require extensive medical support and remains connected to a ventilator via a tracheostomy.

A flag investigation into the incident by the Cayman Islands is still underway, but family members say no compensation has been paid.

Jacob Nicol in hospital following his fall from the superyacht Kibo

Now one of his crew mates, Courtney Shore, who has known him since studying at college, is raising money to help pay for new equipment to help him communicate with his carers.

She is aiming to raise £8,000 by trekking the Salkantay route to Machu Picchu in Peru. The demanding five-day, 60km route reaches 4,600m at its highest point, starting in glaciers and finishing in jungle.

‘Jacob is now living his life in

hospital with severe brain damage — unable to enjoy the simple things we all take for granted: being able to eat, care for himself, communicate or move his body how he wants,’ Ms Shore said.

‘A year on, there is hope and positive progression — but so much still to be done to help,’ she added. ‘From day one we were told Jacob would never make the progression which he has today. He is now able to answer questions correctly by using a clicker, com-

municate with his eyes, move parts of his body very slowly and make noises. It is truly amazing to see how far he has come against all the odds.

‘He is currently in a slow stream rehab unit but has only been given funding for 90 days.

They have been renting “eye gaze” equipment for Jacob, which has been very effective and allows him the opportunity to communicate what he needs and when he is in pain.’

Ms Stone said she wants to raise money to buy the ‘eye gaze’ communication equipment. ‘The system costs around £7,000 and would be such a life-changing tool for Jacob and his family,’ she added. ‘It would really mean the world to be able to raise this much and purchase the equipment for them. Giving Jacob the ability to communicate with friends and family is so very special.’

Ms Shore will be paying for the trek and the flights herself, and all the money she raises will go directly towards the eye gaze system. g For more information, visit www.gofundme.com/trekfornicol

Yacht ran aground after passenger asked captain to sail close to shore management firm has been F urged to stress the importance of A commercial yacht

voyage planning to its crews after one of its vessels ran aground off Sicily when a passenger asked if it could sail close to the coast.

The 32m Maltese-flagged sailing yacht Akalam suffered extensive damage to the hull, superstructure and fittings in the incident, while the chief engineer broke his leg, the chief cook injured his hand and the

stewardess suffered face and elbow injuries.

Accident investigators said a passenger had asked the captain to sail as close to the shore as possible while Akalam was on passage between Giardini Naxos to Messina in July last year.

The captain decided to deviate from the original passage plan and was seeking to sail in water depths of not less than 20m. However, the yacht was using a chart with a scale of

1:300,000 and the coastal features and navigation marks it showed were not exhaustive.

Investigators said there was no evidence of the use of navigational instruments before the accident.

‘It would appear that navigation was primarily conducted by eye and following water depth readings on the echo sounder,’ the report notes.

‘It was also likely that the master was unaware of small rocks and shoals that abound Capo San Alessio.’

20/07/2016 13:13

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Red Funnel’s newbuild is named in Cowes Owners oppose EU ship recycling fees A Pictured left is Red Funnel’s new high-speed passenger vessel Red Jet 8, which was named by the Princess Royal in Cowes last month.

Built on the Isle of Wight at a cost of £6m, the 41m UK-registered vessel is the largest fast craft in the Red Funnel fleet — with a capacity for 275 passengers and up to four crew.

Powered by four 900kW MTU 2000 diesel engines, Red Jet 6 also incorporates a range of features to reduce fuel consumption and cut emissions. The vessel has a top speed of 38 knots and can make the 9.9nm crossing between Southampton and the Isle of Wight in 23 minutes.

Jobs boost in PLA expansion plan Twelve marine pilots are recruited in programme to expand Thames traffic

P

Nautilus has welcomed the launch of a blueprint to boost shipping on the river Thames — including ambitious plans to increase freight volumes handled by the Port of London from 45m tonnes to as much as 80m tonnes and to double passenger traffic over the next 20 years.

The Thames Vision project, developed by the Port of London Authority (PLA) over the last 18 months sets out a programme to expand the use of the tidal Thames between now and 2035.

Announcing details of the package at the formal launch last month, PLA chief executive Robin Mortimer said work to deliver the aims is already underway and has included the recruitment of 12 new marine pilots to cope with growing vessel movements.

‘The river is very often taken for granted,’ he said. ‘However, London is the second biggest port in the UK with regular shipping services to more than 80 countries, and more than 40,000 jobs are tied in to the river.’

Mr Mortimer said the PLA

Deputy mayor Val Shawcross, centre, with Thames Clippers captain Joy McGlinchey and Cory Environmental apprentice lighterman Shane Pink

is also seeking to double the amount of inland freight being carried on the Thames from the current level of 4m tonnes — which takes more than 400,000 lorry trips off the region’s roads.

Val Shawcross, London’s deputy mayor for transport, described the plans as ‘ground-

breaking’ and said greater use of the river for freight as well as passenger traffic could help to cut congestion in the city. ‘The need for this will become even more important as London’s population grows,’ she pointed out. ‘Over the next five years even more freight will be added to the river

as a consequence of major developments.’

Chief harbour master Bob Baker said the PLA has adopted a proactive approach to its pilot recruitment programmes to ensure it not only responds to the increased vessel traffic but also addresses the challenges posed by the current ageing workforce.

‘We may well see an increasing demand for pilots at the upper end of the qualification scale,’ he added, ‘because the largest vessels carry two for safety reasons.’

Several speakers at the launch event stressed the need for investment in training to match the growth plans, and the theme was emphasised by the presence of 23-year-old MBNA Thames Clippers master Joy McGlinchey and Cory Environmental apprentice lighterman Shane Pink, aged 20.

‘Skills are very important,’ said Colin Stanbridge, from the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry. ‘We need to ensure the right investment is made in skills, as safety is paramount and one big accident could set us back years.’

fight European Union plans to F introduce a ship recycling licence fee Shipowners have pledged to

in a bid to promote responsible vessel breaking practices.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) claim that the idea of forcing visiting vessels to pay the fee — regardless of their flag — would prove ‘unduly complex and widely impractical’.

The proposed new recycling regulations would require ships to pay fees that would be refunded at the end of their trading life if they are recycled at a facility approved by the European Union.

The plans have been tabled after a report pointed out that owners can circumvent EU recycling regulations by flagging out to non-EU registers.

European owners presently account for around one-third of the end-of-life tonnage beached in substandard yards in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

ECSA secretary general Patrick Verhoeven said the scheme would be very difficult for the EU to administer and the creation of such a fund would be ‘an affront to the international community which has adopted the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling, whose standards have already been incorporated into a similar EU regulation’.

ICS secretary general Peter Hinchliffe said the ‘draconian’ plans could cause serious problems with the EU’s trading partners, including China, India, Japan, and the United States. ICS and ECSA also argue that the fee fails to account for different ownership of a vessel over its lifetime.

Call to fly the flag urged to back a campaign to A persuade local councils throughout Nautilus members are being

the UK to raise public awareness of the nation’s dependence on merchant seafarers.

The charity Seafarers UK is asking councils to fly a Red Ensign on Merchant Navy Day, 3 September.

Suggested sites include flagpoles in public places, on civic buildings, museums, libraries, schools and churches, and free ensigns are on offer to councils that would otherwise not be able to participate.

Merchant Navy Day has been observed in the UK since 2000, and the campaign to ‘Fly the Red Ensign’

was started last year to remind British people — none of whom live more than 70 miles from the sea — that they depend on seafarers for 95% of all imports, including half the food they eat. g Councils are encouraged to organise flag-hoisting ceremonies on 3 September, or the preceding Friday.

A guide to taking part — including a message of support from The Earl of Wessex — is available to download at www.merchantnavyday.uk g That website also includes a ‘Roll of Honour’, to which all participating councils will be added when they register online, or by emailing mnfund@seafarers-uk.org

Top sea shots sought F

Nautilus members are being reminded to enter a charitybacked competition to find the best photograph of a UK sea view.

Launched to mark national Seafarers Awareness Week, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society competition encourages amateur and professional photographers to enter pictures which best encapsulate Britain’s reliance on, and relationship with, the sea.

The Society, now in its 177th year, is on the lookout for images of ships,

seafarers, harbours, ports, wrecks, seafarers and seascapes. Winners will be chosen in a number of categories including ships and wrecks, seascapes, industry and leisure. The first prize will be a seven-night MSC Cruise for two. g To enter the competition, for full terms and condition and for more information about the work of the Society, visit www. shipwreckedmariners.org.uk or the Society’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

The deadline for entries is 5 August 2016.

MBA International Maritime Management Delivering the highest level of maritime business excellence • An international maritime focused MBA. • Preparation for senior management responsibility.

• 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.

• Study all aspects of shipping and maritime business.

• Delivered by maritime academics and professionals.

Enrol now for September 2016 entry Please contact our admissions team Email: admissions@solent.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)23 8201 5066

Find out more www.solent.ac.uk/maritimemba

09_news.indd 9

20/07/2016 13:13

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NEWS

Industry protest at jail sentence EU owners and unions visit Prestige master to highlight criminalisation fears

IMO award for India’s first female master A

Pictured above is Captain Radhika Menon — the first female ship master in the Indian Merchant Navy — who has been named as this year’s winner of the International Maritime Organisation’s annual award for exceptional bravery at sea.

Capt Menon, master of the 32,950dwt oil products tanker Sampurna Swarajya, is to receive the award for her role in the dramatic rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in heavy weather off the coast of India in June last year.

Announcing the decision, the

IMO Council said Capt Menon had displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal after the tanker’s second officer spotted the fishing vessel adrift following engine failure.

Battling in 25ft waves and 60-knot winds, it took three attempts by the tanker’s crew to bring the fishermen to safety using the ship’s pilot ladder.

A total of 23 nominations were submitted for the award, which will be presented to Capt Menon during a ceremony at the IMO headquarters in November.

WMU offers course in energy management (WMU) is launching a A new course in maritime energy

The World Maritime University

management to support the shipping industry’s drive to become more environmentally friendly.

Due to begin in September, the course is the first Masters-level package in the world and is one of two new specialisations being offered by the Malmö-based centre as part of its MSc in maritime affairs. The other one covers ocean sustainability, governance and management.

WMU president Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry said the courses would help to underpin United Nations’ millennium development goals for sustainable use of the oceans.

The maritime energy management course has been designed for professionals from the energy and environmental sectors, and offers a comprehensive understanding of different aspects of the subject, from ships to maritime onshore facilities.

The university is planning to stage a special conference on maritime energy management early next year.

The MARENER 2017 event will consider issues including the regulatory framework; economics and the human element; energy-efficient ship design and operation; energy management in ports and shipyards; and alternative fuels. g For further information, visit www.wmu.se

Marine Society package to aid communications at sea is seeking to improve F communications between seafarers The Marine Society College

by launching an English@Sea package as part of its suite of @Sea online programmes.

English@Sea aims to develop seafarers’ English language skills, through teaching key phrases and vocabulary, times of the day and numbers. The programme — and associated phone app — uses nautical-themed examples, quizzes, imagery and language.

The course is authored by specialist tutors with a wealth of experience in maritime education. For seafarers

10-11_news.indd 10

studying with a limited internet connection, the app can be used to learn while offline.

Mark Windsor, director of lifelong learning at the Marine Society College, commented: ‘We are very proud to add to our award-winning suite of @Sea programmes with English@Sea. Being at sea can be lonely place, especially if you don’t understand the common language and we hope this online programme will bring seafarers together to work safely.’ g The course costs just £15 and can be purchased via: www.marinesocietyshop.org

P

Representatives from European seafaring unions and shipping companies marked this year’s International Day of the Seafarer, on 24 June, with an event to highlight the criminalisation of the maritime profession.

Officials from the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) travelled to Greece to meet Captain Apostolos Mangouras, the master of the tanker Prestige, who was sentenced to two years in prison by the Spanish supreme court earlier this year.

The court ruled that Capt Mangouras was guilty of ‘recklessness resulting in catastrophic environmental damage’ when the tanker broke up and sank off the northern coast of Spain, leading to the spillage of some 63,000 tonnes of fuel oil.

The sentence, which came 14 years after the disaster, overturned a previous judgment by a provincial court which had cleared Capt Mangouras of blame for the accident — on the grounds that it was impossible to establish criminal responsibility, and that the disaster was partly

Captain Apostolos Mangouras, centre, meets union and owner reps

due to the 26-year-old tanker’s poor condition.

The EU shipping industry social partners visited Capt Mangouras in Athens to express their support following his conviction and to demonstrate their firm stand against the trend of criminalising seafarers.

The joint delegation consisting of ECSA’s sectoral social dialogue spokesperson Tim Springett (UK Chamber of Shipping), Eirini Tsakona (ECSA secretariat), ETF political secretary Philippe Alfonso, and Cristian

Castaño from the Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras, said they condemned the Spanish court’s ruling in the strongest terms possible.

‘On the eve of this symbolic day, it is fundamental to pay tribute to people working in difficult conditions onboard ships, and to condemn the trend of seafarers being used too often as easy scapegoats upon whom to shift all responsibility for accidents at sea,’ said Mr Alfonso.

‘Captain Mangouras’s situation demonstrates that there

Cruiseship master is cleared of charges of assault ‘cover-up’ A

An Italian cruiseship master has been cleared of charges that he sought to cover-up an incident in which a crew member sexually assaulted a passenger onboard his vessel.

Captain Ignatius Giardinia had been accused of ‘fraudulent misrepresentation’ and failure to inform the Italian Coast Guard that the 17-year-old passenger had reported the attempted rape.

The incident took place onboard

the Italian-flagged Costa Fascinosa during a voyage between Istanbul and Dubrovnik in 2013. The crew member assaulted the girl in a bathroom, but she fought him off and reported the attack.

Last month the crew member, Floriano Fernandes, was convicted of the attempted rape, and sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.

Prosecutors had also alleged that Capt Giardinia had misled authorities

by reporting that there had been no ‘extraordinary events’ during the cruise when his ship docked in Venice. But he was acquitted after the defence team argued that the ‘extraordinary event’ in the Coast Guard report referred to a marine casualty in the traditional sense — a collision, allision, fire or other reportable incident — and that he had not intended to omit the complaint of sexual assault.

is a strong case for the implementation and observance of the joint ILO/IMO guidelines on fair treatment of seafarers following a maritime accident, so we can finally remove what has become a significant obstacle to the recruitment of the future generations of seafarers on which an overwhelming proportion of trade depends,’ added Mr Springett.

The unions and the owners said they were concerned that such rulings will have a negative impact on the attractiveness of the seafaring profession and will damage the industry’s recruitment efforts.

ETF and ECSA said they hoped the ‘wholly unjustified sentence will not be served, as logic suggests a man who is past 80 and deeply marked by injustice cannot again be pointlessly sent to jail’.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson backed the joint calls for seafarers’ rights to fair treatment to be respected.

‘The case of Captain Mangouras is just one of many in which masters and officers have shouldered the blame that lies elsewhere,’ he added.

Tug was used to ship drugs of an ocean-going tug have F been found guilty of drug trafficking The master and chief officer

following the biggest ever UK seizure of class A drugs.

The cocaine, with an estimated potential street value of £512m, was found hidden onboard the Tanzanian-flagged Hamal when the vessel was intercepted by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Somerset and the Border Force cutter HMC Valiant in the North Sea in April last year.

Tyneside charity donation now chairman of South ShieldsA based Solar Solve Marine, is pictured Former seafarer John Lightfoot,

left making a donation to a new charitable fund which has been set up to mark the 250th anniversary of the founder of South Shields Marine School.

Philanthropist and physician Dr Thomas Masterman Winterbottom established the Winterbottom Foundation in 1837 to fund the establishment of a marine college.

The South Shields Marine School eventually opened in April 1861, two years after his death.

The Dr Winterbottom Charitable Fund has been set up by South

Tyneside College to help students in the UK and abroad by providing small grants to aid their education progression and to support issues including health, wellbeing and business start-ups.

Mr Lightfoot, a Fellow of the Marine School, was invited to a celebratory fund-raising lunch to publicise the launch of the new fund. He is pictured making the donation on behalf of the company to the college Students’ Union committee members Kennedy Coulson and Calum George, along with college chief executive Lindsey Whiterod and Leslie Watson, chairman of the Fund committee.

20/07/2016 13:14

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

Downing St protest marks 1,000th day of detention for counter-piracy crew release of the crew of a counter-piracy ship F was handed into the UK prime minister’s office at

A 370,000-signature petition calling for the

Revd Ken Peters and family members at Downing Street last month

10 Downing Street in London last month as part of protests to mark the 1,000th day of their detention in India. The 35 armed guards and seafarers from the Seaman Guard Ohio have been held since the ship was detained in the port of Tuticorin in October 2013.

Indian authorities said the vessel had carried out an illegal transfer of bunker fuel and was also illegally carrying arms in the country’s waters.

The men — who include six British nationals

— were sentenced to five years in prison in January after being found guilty of weapons charges. An appeal has been filed.

Family members, MPs and maritime welfare organisations staged a lobby of Parliament to mark the 1,000th day since the men were arrested and handed a petition to the prime minister urging the UK to secure their release.

The Revd Canon Ken Peters, director of justice and public affairs at The Mission to Seafarers, said: ‘Yet again we are bringing to the attention of all, the fact that men tasked with protecting seafarers from

pirate attack are themselves “under attack”.’

He said there was still no sign of their ‘unwarranted’ detention coming to an end because of repeated delays in the judicial process. ‘Whilst pirates roam free, the crew and guards are held in prison,’ he added. ‘This really is the wrong way round. We hope that common sense will prevail, the injustice recognised and the men released to be with their families, at home with loved ones.’

Revd Peters said a cross-party action group of MPs has promised support and he expects them to maintain the pressure on the government.

Seafarers ‘in need of PTSD support’ The crew of the Maro with their lawyer, Sandeep Singh

Study of piracy victims reveals ‘significant’ levels of post-trauma stress

P

The shipping industry has been urged to do more to support seafarers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of piracy or accidents onboard their ships.

Research carried out for the Oceans Beyond Piracy organisation found significant levels of PTSD among seafarers exposed to piracy — and more than onequarter of seafarers who have been held hostage by pirates had PTSD symptoms.

The report into the long-term impact of piracy upon seafarers and their families calls for the industry to improve the support given to seafarers to prepare for potential exposure to pirate attack and to cope with their experiences during and after an incident.

It also recommends an

integrated and standardised approach across the industry, with improved information and assistance for seafarers’ families, along with good standards of post-event care, including targeted mental health support.

The study is based on detailed feedback from 101 former hostages, 364 other seafarers, and 38 family members.

It points out that more than 3,000 seafarers have been held hostage by Somali pirates since 2001, and a significant — but unknown — number of seafarers have been kidnapped in other parts of the world. Around 40 are currently being held in captivity.

Seafaring is a dangerous job, the report notes, and seafarers often experience other traumatic incidents while at sea — with the research revealing that more than 30% had been on a ship affected

Pilots welcome EU port services deal welcomed the outcome of F long-running talks on new EU rules to European marine pilots have

govern the provision of port services.

The European Maritime Pilots’ Association (EMPA) described the agreement — which is set to get European Parliament approval in the autumn — as ‘well balanced and coherent’ and ‘an important legal structure for further sustainable growth and development of the important European ports and shipping industries’.

EMPA said it particularly welcomed the decision not to expose pilotage to ‘market access philosophies’ because of its public service obligations.

‘Pilotage provides an essential and unique service to the shipping industry, which if open to competition would jeopardise maritime safety and security, the protection of the environment and the efficiency of ports,’ it pointed out.

10-11_news.indd 11

The pilots’ association said it ‘fully concurs with the Port Services Regulation’s common rules on training, on financial transparency, and on port service and infrastructure charges’.

Talks on the directive have been running for 15 years and the port operators’ body FEPORT also welcomed the compromise agreement, noting that it will include social provisions which have been supported by the European Transport Workers’ Federation, and acknowledges the existence of a diversity of port models and the existence of competition in the cargo handling industry.

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) said the final compromise was a significant improvement on the original Commission proposal and would ensure greater financial transparency when ports receive public funding.

by fire, 22% had been involved in a medical emergency, 18% in a grounding, almost 14% had witnessed a fatal accident, and almost 5% had seen a suicide.

Programmes designed to mitigate the long-term impact of piracy should also support resilience in the face of other traumatic maritime events, the report points out.

While the majority of seafarers exposed to piracy did not show long-term mental health problems, almost 26% of those who had been held hostage showed symptoms consistent with PTSD and were also found to have higher rates of depressive symptoms and poorer overall levels of wellbeing.

Fewer than half the relatives of hostage seafarers felt that they had been given good information and more than 30% of seafarer

spouses said they had no idea how to go about getting information if something bad happened while their partner was at sea.

Researchers found that predeparture training has a positive effect for seafarers, with large numbers stressing its value in highlighting security procedures, the need to remain vigilant and how to interact with pirates.

Just over 86% of crew members who had transited high-risk areas had received such training — although the report notes that there are no international mandatory requirements for it to be provided.

The study suggests that standards of training should be improved — and should be expanded to give seafarers strategies for coping with the physical and psychological effects of pirate attacks and hostage situations.

Two-year detention ordeal for seafarers were detained in Nigeria for A two years — after being accused

Eleven Indian seafarers who

of entering the country’s waters without permission — were reunited with their families last month, when a court cleared them of all charges.

Sixteen seafarers — 11 Indian nationals, two Nigerians and three Ghanaians — were onboard the tanker Maro when it was arrested after drifting into Nigerian waters following engine failure in July 2014. The Indian crew and the Nigerian master were charged with oil smuggling and illegal trespass and their families did not know what had happed to them until August 2015.

Revd Boet van Schalkwyk, a chaplain with the Sailors’ Society, had worked with the National Seafarers’ Welfare Board of Nigeria (NSWBN) to support the men during their ordeal.

Together with a fellow chaplain, he was given permission to visit them in prison in September 2015 to provide counselling and welfare assistance — the first interaction the seafarers had been given with the outside world since their arrest.

‘We were able to provide them with friendship and a listening ear, as well as practical items such as books and money for toiletries,’ said Revd van Schalkwyk. ‘The horror was still there and frustration high.

We wanted to give them hope.’

GET A HEAD START AT SEA Get the qualifications and confidence you need to go further with our online @Sea courses in English and Maths. Find out more: education@ms-sc.org

marine-society.org Recognised for continuing professional development by IMarEST and the Nautical Institute

Marine Society & Sea Cadets, a charity registered in England and Wales 313013 and in Scotland SC037808

20/07/2016 13:14

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

HEALTH & SAFETY

ISM ‘being used to blame crews’ Report recommends ‘critical’ review of safety management procedures

New rules aim to slash P enclosed space deaths the introduction of a new F international regulation which Nautilus has welcomed

seeks to cut the number of seafarer accidents in enclosed spaces.

Agreed by the International Maritime Organisation as an amendment to the SOLAS Convention, the new regulation requires ships to carry portable atmosphere testing equipment onboard, with effect from 1 July 2016.

Associated guidelines on the selection of such equipment have also been published. The IMO says ‘appropriate’ atmosphere testing instruments should be capable, as a minimum, of measuring

concentrations of oxygen, flammable gases or vapours, hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide, prior to entry into enclosed spaces.

The IMO notes that enclosed spaces covered by the regulation include — but are not limited to — cargo spaces, double bottoms, fuel tanks, ballast tanks, cargo pumprooms, cofferdams, chain lockers, void spaces, duct keels, inter-barrier spaces, boilers, engine crankcases, engine scavenge air receivers, sewage tanks, and adjacent connected spaces.

The list is not exhaustive and enclosed spaces should be identified and listed on a ship-by-ship basis, it stresses.

Insurers seek clampdown on dangerous cargoes action to improve the handling F of dangerous goods — warning that Marine insurers have called for

risk assessments carried out over the past year have revealed ‘worryingly little adherence to segregation requirements’.

The TT Club said analysis of its claims history shows that poor cargo packing is one of the top five causes of incidents, and the massive explosion and fire in the Chinese port of Tianjin last year — with estimated insured losses of as much as US$3.5bn — highlighted the vulnerabilities of global supply chain processes.

TT Club risk management director Peregrine Storrs-Fox said the Tianjin

blast should be seen as ‘a spectacular example of why those operating throughout the global supply chains should examine their work practices and risk procedures more thoroughly’.

He said the accident showed how ‘cargo in transit, potentially misdeclared, or packed or handled incorrectly, can cause widespread damage and loss of life’.

Mr Storrs-Fox said it was time to review the International Maritime Organisation’s recommendations on the safe transport of dangerous cargoes an related activities in port areas and to ‘add some teeth to bring about greater adoption at national level’.

MARINE TAX SERVICES (CARDIFF) LTD

Pilot vessel crash probe

Dcomplete service for mariners

A

Drun by certificated ex-officer Dqualified accountants always available Dcomputerised 100% claims and forecast projection DLimited Company Formation & Admin 26 High Street, Barry CF62 7EB, South Glamorgan, UK Tel. Barry (01446) 739953 MARINETAX@YAHOO.COM Established 1974

12-13_h+s.indd 12

An investigation was launched last month after three pilot boat crew had to be taken to hospital when their vessel collided with the Nakilat Q-max LNG carrier Lijmiliya in the Port of Milford Haven.

The port authority said the pilot vessel St Davids had ‘made hard contact’ with the Marshall Islandsflagged tanker during a routine transfer of pilot operation’. The impact caused significant damage to the boat, which was on the way to South Hook LNG import terminal at the time.

Three of the five crew suffered injuries ‘which were minor in nature but required hospital attention’, the authority added and it had begun an ‘investigation process into the exact cause of the incident’.

The International Safety Management (ISM) Code is too often used as a mechanism to blame seafarers for accidents, a new report has warned.

Published by the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB), the study argues that the Code creates ‘goal conflicts’ for seafarers by setting out static procedures to minimise risk in dynamic and uncertain work environments.

The report draws from accident investigations and case histories to highlight shortcomings with the Code and to challenge the ‘conventional thinking’ about procedures which underpins it.

The DMAIB says the ISM Code was created with good intentions

following some major shipping accidents in the 1980s and 90s. Its use of procedures as safety barriers enables rapid implementation and provides a sense of security and signal improvement.

However, it warns, establishing procedures to be covered by the safety management system is a complex task and one that often creates conflicting messages — such as orders and guidance which are mutually exclusive.

Ambiguous procedures can reflect the complexity of the systems they seek to control, the report argues. ISM not only seeks to minimise accidents but also to limit business and liability concerns, it notes.

‘This means that safety and economic risk are being handled

at the same time and often mixed up.’

Generalised and outcomefocussed procedures can leave seafarers exposed to blame following accidents in which they have been managing the conflicting goals of the safety management system, the report adds.

‘Although a key purpose of the ISM Code is to ensure the responsibility for safety management is evenly distributed between the ship and the company, undesirable outcomes are often projected as instances where procedures are not followed by the seafarer,’ it points out.

In many cases — such as breakdowns or failure of critical items of equipment — it may be safer for seafarers not to follow proce-

dures, the report says. Deviation from procedures to adapt to operational situations is a normal part of daily work, but is often faulted following accidents.

Blaming accidents on the failure to follow procedure can mean that safety lessons are missed, the DMAIB warns, as ‘it is rarely questioned, investigated or understood why the procedures were not followed’.

The report concludes that while procedures may manage risk, they do not necessarily create safety. ‘In order for safety procedures to be effective, it is necessary to take a new and critical look at how they are created and for what purpose, and to be aware of the functional limits of procedures,’ it adds.

Carnival opens specialist officer training facilities opened a €75m new officer A training centre in the Netherlands,

The Carnival Corporation has

promising that it will ‘set the industry standard’ for safety.

Said to be the largest facility of its kind in the world, the Arison Maritime Centre more than doubles the size of the existing CSART Academy in Almere and will be able to train up to 6,500 deck and engineer officers from across all 10 Carnival brands every year.

‘Our bridge and engineering officers are the heart and soul of our ship operations, and this centre will take to a new level our dedication to providing our officers with the maritime industry’s most comprehensive and progressive safety training,’ said senior vice-president David Christie.

Carnival says the centre is pivotal to its aviation-style function- and team-based bridge and engineroom management training, which seeks to ensure that officers operate as coordinated teams, with each officer assigned a role for specific functions and being encouraged to question decisions.

The company says the centre will also enable it to implement the industry’s first proficiency training and assessment programme — a weeklong course that is designed to provide annual evaluation of all its officers.

The five-storey facility features four full-mission bridge simulators and four full–mission engineroom simulators that will replicate a wide range of scenarios and will enable an extensive variety of exercises to be conducted.

The result of two years of intensive research and development

CSMART managing director Captain Hans Hederström and Transas CEO Frank Coles at the formal opening of Carnival Corporation’s new CSMART /Arison Maritime Centre last month

by the equipment firm Transas, in association with CSMART and the computer group Dell, the centre also includes 24 part-task engine simulators, eight debriefing rooms and eight part-task bridge simulators designed to simulate operations in up to 60 of the world’s main cruise destinations.

The full-mission bridge simulators were modelled on the newly designed bridge of the Holland America Line vessel Koningsdam, while the engineroom simulators are based on actual ship layouts and systems,

representing a diesel-electric engineroom comprising six diesel generators and two propulsion motors, along with ancillary and auxiliary equipment.

Transas has implemented hightech gamification technology, with 3D engine compartment walk-throughs using avatars controlled via large touchscreens or gaming controllers.

There are full inter-switching capabilities, which means any task can be available on any screen within the simulators.

Cameras in the simulators record

training sessions, to enable fullpicture team training and debriefing.

‘By applying technological advancements never before utilised within the maritime industry, Transas has created multi-simulator integrated training,’ said Transas chief executive Frank Coles.

‘This delivers an immersive real world situational environment in which multiple crew members can operate and interact simultaneously, as if on a real vessel. This is the standard by which all training should be measured.’

20/07/2016 15:13

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Seafarers died as dredger sank on delivery voyage inland waterway dredger on a F transfer voyage from Denmark to the Two seafarers taking an

Netherlands died when the vessel ran into rough conditions off the coast of Germany in November 2014.

A report on the accident, published last month, concluded that the vessel was not seaworthy nor properly manned at the time, and that the voyage was being undertaken at ‘an extremely inopportune’ time.

The two Danish seafarers were taking the 47-year-old grab dredger Zander from Copenhagen to Eemshaven, and were four days into the voyage when one of them was washed overboard by a wave some 5nm off the island of Norderney.

Three windfarm guard vessels responded to the distress call and while they were searching for the man overboard the dredger listed and foundered.

The bodies of the two crewmen were later recovered by a rescue tender.

A report by the German investigation body BSU notes that Zander was not certificated for use in

A tug dampens down the fire onboard the ro-pax ferry Lisco Glory in 2010, in which 28 people were injured Picture: Reuters

sea areas — or even in the Kiel Canal and Lower Elbe. No attempt had been made to secure a special permit for the transfer voyage — although, the report adds, none would have been granted as the vessel was not eligible because of its condition.

‘It is difficult to understand why a transfer voyage across the North Sea and Baltic Sea was commissioned, especially at this time of year,’ the report adds. ‘The two highly experienced crew members were well acquainted with conditions in the North Sea. It remains a mystery why they continued the voyage nonetheless.’

Investigators said Zander had been spotted in the Kiel Canal two days before the accident with open engineroom ventilation pipes and ventilation intakes, and its accommodation windows were not fitted with deadlights. It was likely that water could have penetrated through numerous deck openings while the vessel was sailing in a 2m high head sea, with large amounts of water washing over the fore section for several hours.

Study warns of ferry fire risks Allision caused by Nautilus backs call for coastal states to boost at-sea fire-fighting resources

P

Ship fires pose the biggest threat to safety in European waters, a new study has warned, and the highest risks are faced by ro-ro passenger vessels.

Nautilus has backed the findings of the report, which calls for all coastal states to ‘have the ability and readiness to dispatch a specially-trained team to provide external help to support vessel crews in fire-fighting operations’.

General secretary Mark Dickinson said the Union had campaigned strongly against cuts in the UK’s Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) at-sea fire-fighting capacity, and he urged the government to pay serious attention to the results of the new study.

The research was carried out by the Finnish Transport Safety Agency and the Finnish Border Guard as part of the Baltic Sea MIRG project, which is seeking to develop joint coordination mod-

els and standard operating procedures for dealing with ship fires.

Researchers found that there were 799 ship fires in European waters between 2004 and 2014, of which 10% were defined as serious. ‘The analysis shows that, in terms of the risk of fatalities or serious injuries, ship fires pose the greatest risk to European maritime safety compared to other types of maritime incidents,’ the report notes.

Detailed analysis of 570 incidents which occurred between 2000 and 2015 showed that around one-third of the cases involved crew relying on external help with fire-fighting.

The largest percentage of ship fires and explosions occurred on cargo ships, and around onequarter of incidents took place on cruiseships and ro-pax vessels.

Researchers examined seven incidents in depth — including the fire on the cruiseship Calypso off the UK coast in 2006 and the

2010 blaze onboard the Condor Ferries ro-ro Commodore Clipper. The report raises particular concerns over ro-ro ferries, noting that around 400m passengers travel in EU waters every year and that a single ship may carry more than 1,000 people.

Around 6% of fires on ro-pax vessels have resulted in loss of life or serious injury every year, it points out, and a slight increase in the rate of ship fires took place over the period between 2004 and 2014.

The most serious incident in recent times was the 1990 blaze onboard the ferry Scandinavian Star, in which 159 people died. In December 2014, 11 people were killed and several injured in a fire aboard the ro-pax Norman Atlantic and 28 were injured in a blaze onboard the ro-pax Lisco Gloria in 2010.

The report says incident analysis highlights the importance of rapid action and the ‘decisive role’

P&I alarm at injury cases F

A major P&I club has reported a sharp increase in the frequency of injury claims in the shipping industry over the past four years.

An analysis published the Swedish Club last month says factors such as greater awareness of the right to make a claim, greater demands on seafarers, an increase in stress-related conditions and the erosion of social interaction at sea may lie behind the increase.

The study shows that slips and falls are the most common cause of injuries — accounting for more than 48% of incidents. Almost 15% of cases involved being struck by falling

12-13_h+s.indd 13

objects and almost 11% involved being struck or caught by objects. Just over 6% of injuries related to burns and explosions and almost 8% were a consequence of being caught in machinery or equipment.

The club also highlighted an increase in illness claims — the most common cause being cardiovascular disease — and it stressed the need for companies to do more to promote healthier diets, ensure there are exercise facilities onboard and discourage smoking and drinking.

The report also examines incidents including main engine damage, navigational claims, heavy weather;

and wet damage to cargo, and says that while many cases look very different the root causes are often very similar.

Club director Lars Malm commented: ‘The importance of establishing a good loss prevention culture in an organisation cannot be underestimated — we acknowledge that this is a time consuming process requiring great commitment.

However when you consider that the average cost for a P&I claim is US$80,000 and for H&M it is over US$500,000, then the benefits of preventing even a single casualty can be considerable.’

of crew drills. ‘The level of skills and operational capabilities of the crews of commercial vessels varied greatly in the incidents, even though in all cases the crews and their training were in line with STCW requirements,’ it adds.

Researchers said the value of using specialist MIRG teams was clear — particularly if they could be deployed to ships quickly.

Even sending a single MIRG officer to a ship can help, the study adds, as they can assess safety and support crews in decision-making.

The report also highlights the challenge of command and control in incidents where the responsibility for coordinating fire-fighting operations is transferred to an on-shore organisation.

The study also expressed concern that some ships do not have adequate plans in place to cover for the loss of key personnel in an emergency.

‘poor teamwork’ F

Accident investigators have blamed poor interaction between a bridge team and a pilot for an allision between a 172,579dwt bulk carrier and a 107,518dwt tanker off Singapore last year.

The Maltese-flagged bulker Capri and the Hong Kong-registered tanker Brightoil Legend both suffered extensive damage in the incident, which took place at an anchorage within Singapore’s port limits.

Investigators found that the bulker struck Brightoil Legend after dropping an anchor and taking an uncontrollable sheer towards the tanker. The sluggish engine response caused by the shallows and a strong transverse thrust pushed the bow to starboard, a Transport Malta report notes, and this had been exacerbated when the engines were run full astern.

The investigators said there was no compelling evidence to show there had been any formal exchange of information on pilotage or the

anchoring position, which had changed from the original passage plan and was a considerable distance for the area indicated by vessel traffic services.

The location chosen by the pilot was also close to two other anchored ships, the report noted, but this was not questioned by the bridge team.

The master had told investigators that no essential information had been exchanged because it was considered that the manoeuvre was a simple anchoring operation which did not involve mooring the ship.

Few positions were plotted during the time leading up to the accident, investigators noted, and the track on the chart was found to be at variance with AIS, VDR and VTS recorded data. The report calls for the Capri’s owners to encourage the formal use of master/pilot information exchanges and to stress to crews the importance of frequent and regular plotting of their vessel’s position.

MARINE TRAINING ASET International Oil and Gas Training Academy is acknowledged worldwide as a leading Centre of Excellence in training in the following areas: • Dynamic Positioning training for Induction/Basic and Simulator/Advanced Courses, accredited by Nautical Institute using Konsberg and Converteam Duplex Series C DP System.

• 6WDELOLW\ DQG %DOODVW &RQWURO WUDLQLQJ IRU VHPLqVXEPHUVLEOHV XWLOLVLQJ $6(7 V XQLTXH KLJKqoGHOLW\ 0DULQH Simulator) Training meets IADC & IMO Guidelines.

• Marine Operations of Self–Elevating Platforms (Jack–Ups).

• Radiotelephony – CAA, ROC, GOC & GMDSS. ASET INTERNATIONAL OIL & GAS TRAINING ACADEMY +44(0)1224 896196 • asetbookings@aset.co.uk • www.aset.co.uk

20/07/2016 13:15

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports TANKER BLOW: French unions expressed concern last month after the 314,249dwt VLCC Samco Redwood was switched from the country’s RIF second register to the Hong Kong flag only days after a new law came in to require oil companies to carry more products on national-flagged tankers. Jean-Philippe Chateil, general secretary of the FOMM-CGT officers’ union, commented: ‘The new law was supposed to increase the number of ships carrying oil to France and we are concerned that this first de-flagging will lead to others, with a consequential loss of jobs for French officers.’

AUSTRALIAN TRAFFIC: two new traffic separation schemes are to come into effect off the SW coast of Western Australia on 1 December this year following approval by the International Maritime Organisation. The two schemes — off Cape Leeuwin and Chatham Island — aim to increase navigational safety by reducing the number of head-on situations and improve environmental protection by keeping ships away from the coastline.

GROUNDING ROW: an investigation has been launched after a 44,183dwt bulk carrier ran aground in Mauritius following reports that it had lost power as a result of a fight between crew members in the engineroom. Efforts to salvage the Liberianflagged Benita and to recover bunkers were said to be progressing well late last month.

TRAINING DEAL: the French ship operators’ association AdF and the country’s national maritime officers’ training academy have signed an ambitious strategic partnership which aims to extend and improve officer training and enhance employability through lifelong training — including onboard ship.

PORT PROTESTS: Greek dock workers’ unions are stepping up their protests over the privatisation of Piraeus and Thessaloniki (Salonica) ports. They accuse the government of failing to provide acceptable assurances over stable employment and future working conditions.

Union hits out at NZ ticket change Consultation over ‘legacy’ certificate proposals was rushed, says Guild

P

New Zealand’s Merchant Service Guild has criticised the country’s maritime authority for a ‘failed’ consultation on proposed changes to the national seafarer certification system.

Introduced in 2014, the SeaCert seafarer licensing framework was developed by Maritime NZ in a bid to provide better alignment with STCW Convention requirements, a clearer and more practical entry process, changed operational limits, and to ensure increased international recognition of New Zealand certificates.

However, while the SeaCert scheme covered new entrants to the system, there has been a low

transition rate among seafarers with old or ‘legacy’ certificates issued under the regulations which applied before 2000.

Maritime NZ therefore developed a set of proposals which sought to ease the transition to the new scheme.

The authority has now completed a nationwide series of public meetings to discuss the proposals and also received around 350 submissions on the proposed changes to the rules. It is expected that the final package will be agreed by September.

A key issue has been a proposal to allow holders of many older certificates to continue working without transitioning to the new

SeaCert system, and Maritime NZ said the idea of ‘ring-fencing’ such certificates as NZ Coastal Master, NZ Offshore Master, and NZ Offshore Watchkeeper had received considerable support.

‘A number of issues were raised by the submissions and these are being analysed with a view to finding solutions which maintain the integrity of the certification system, but which also meet the needs of those working in the industry,’ said Maritime NZ director Keith Manch.

Maritime NZ is urging seafarers with old or legacy certificates to register their tickets, to enable the agency to build an accurate database of those affected by the

Maiden UK call for mega-engined ULCS maiden call to the UK port A of Southampton last month is the Pictured left making a

194,308gt Liberian-flagged ultralarge containership MSC Jade.

Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea, the 19,437TEU vessel is the first in a series of six ordered by the Mediterranean Shipping Company and it features the largest and most powerful engine ever designed by MAN Diesel & Turbo.

Built by Doosan Engine in Korea, the MAN B&W 11G95ME-C9.5 twostroke type engine is rated at 75,570 kW, or 103,000hp. It has a bore of 950mm and a stroke of 3,460mm.

FLAG CHOICE: Marseilles-based containership operator CMA CGM has announced that four new 3,300TEU vessels ordered from Cosco’s Zhoushan yard will fly the French flag. The new vessels are earmarked for delivery between April and September 2018.

FERRY WORK: the Mediterranean ferry firm Corsica Linea has concluded a partnership agreement with the Corsica maritime high school to provide oneweek onboard training sessions for its students.

Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

ITALIAN DECLINE: the Italian merchant fleet registered a 3% year-on-year fall to 16.5m gt during 2015, according to a report from the country’s owners’ association Confitarma.

BRAZILIAN CUT: the Brazilian tanker firm Transpetro has slashed its long-standing fleet renewal programme by cutting its orderbook from more than 40 new ships to just 27.

Company is fined $1m for oily water dumps A

A German shipping company has been fined US$1m after pleading guilty to illegally dumping oily waste water from one of its ships into the Great Lakes, and covering it up.

A court in Minneapolis heard that the chief engineer and second engineer of the bulk carrier Cornelia had, on at least 10 occasions between February and October 2015, ordered crew members to dump machinery space bilge water overboard.

The case was brought following a US Coast Guard investigation which began when port state control inspectors were presented with the vessel’s oil record book, containing omissions and false entries, when the

14-15_int.indd 14

rule changes, and ensure they are kept informed of developments.

More than 1,840 seafarers have already registered.

NZ Merchant Service Guild president Captain Russell Petrie said the union believed the MNZ consultation had been rushed and was unsatisfactory.

‘One premise of SeaCert at the initial consultation was to finally finish with the myriad of legacy certificates and move them to a single system,’ he pointed out. ‘It is not clear if this eleventh-hour consultation is a response to a poorly designed process, or if the transition is under-resourced, but either way it has failed this measure.’

Protests at Argentinian union raid Workers’ Federation (ITF) has A filed complaints to a United Nations The International Transport

24,516dwt Cornelia arrived in the port of Duluth to load grain in November 2015.

Investigations revealed that the Liberia-flagged ship had experienced significant leakages of oily waste water and a substantial volume of machinery space bilge water had built up as a result.

Officers had instructed engineroom crew to transfer machinery space bilge water from the dirty bilge tank to the clean bilge tank, and then discharge it overboard. None of the transfers and discharges were recorded in the ship’s ORB. Cornelia’s owners, German-based MST Shipping, admitted breaking US

pollution laws by failing to maintain an accurate shipboard record of the disposal of oil-contaminated waste.

The company was fined $800,000 and ordered to make a $200,000 community payment to support the protection of Lake Superior, as well as being placed on probation for three years and ordered to implement an environmental compliance plan for all of its vessels that call in the US. ‘Today’s sentencing should send a clear message to would-be violators that the American people will not allow US environmental laws to be violated, adversely affecting both public health and marine life,’ said Jeff Martinez, of the Environmental Protection Agency.

agency after the government in Argentina seized control of the country’s seafaring union.

The ITF has lodged protests with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) accusing the Argentine government of violating international conventions by putting a politician in charge of the Sindicato de Obreros Maritimos Unidos (SOMU) union.

Police raided SOMU’s offices in February and a congresswoman was appointed to head the union after claims that its general secretary, Enrique Suarez, had diverted funds.

20/07/2016 15:44

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

Permits row in Canada

Green light for Corsican ferries

REGISTRY CALL: Monaco’s international shipping community has called for the creation of a Monaco shipping register and a tonnage tax regime.

The principality’s Chamber of Shipping — representing 34 operators, shipbrokers, agents, maritime lawyers and ship managers — says Monaco’s shipping sector employs 1,000 people, reports €180m in turnover and accounts for 4% of Monaco’s GDP. The fleet managed by Monaco-based companies such as V.Ships and GasLog is in the world’s Top 20.

admitted that it illegally issued F work permits to enable 11 foreign Canada’s government has

seafarers to serve on ships operating in the country’s cabotage trades.

The Seafarers International Union of Canada — which has filed more than 50 lawsuits alleging that the government had been systematically abusing the licensing system — said it believed work permits had been given to foreign crews of hundreds of ships, in contravention of Canada’s immigration laws.

‘It is outrageous that temporary foreign workers are being granted work permits to crew these oil tankers, while qualified Canadian seafarers are unemployed,’ said SIU president Jim Given. ‘This is a big win for our members, who are trained and available to crew these oil tankers.

The SIU will keep fighting until these flag of convenience vessels shipping in Canadian waters are crewed by Canadian seafarers.’

received the official go-ahead A to operate as the successor to the

The ferry firm Corsica Linea has

bankrupt Marseilles-based operator SNCM. The move came last month as members of the MCM-Corsica Linea works council dropped their commercial court opposition to the takeover and SNCM’s initial

buyer, Patrick Rocca, who is now the major shareholder in Corsica Linea’s umbrella company.

A spokesman for the CGT maritime union’s Marseilles branch said an agreement had been found on major policy differences with the operator. He said the unions’ aim was to ensure the new company operated on a solid basis.

Founded in May this year, Corsica Linea is operated by a holding company which brings together 120 heads of Corsican enterprises and 15 major shareholders.

The company runs a fleet of six ferries, including the 35,760gt Pascal Paoli, pictured above, and employs 870 permanent seagoing and shore-based staff.

Union challenge to FoC rights case Officers condemn court ruling to deny access to Norwegian labour laws

by Andrew Draper

P

Norwegian maritime unions are to challenge a controversial court ruling which threatens to deliver a severe setback to their campaign against social dumping in the country’s coastal trades.

Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that shipowner Eimskip was entitled to operate an Antigua & Barbuda-flagged vessel with a Norwegian crew in the country’s cabotage trades without being subject to Norwegian labour laws.

The unions have condemned the ruling and are now pushing for a change to the law.

Terje Hernes Pettersen, a lawyer with the NSOF officers’ union, described the judgment as ‘really

unreasonable and unacceptable for all 1,700 seafarers who are now referred to laws in Antigua and Barbuda, Liberia, the Marshall Islands and other flags of convenience operating in Norwegian waters and on the Norwegian shelf with Norwegian seafarers’.

The case involved NSOF member Kjell-Atle Fredheim — a senior officer with Eimskip in Norway — whose claim of unfair dismissal was determined to be a matter for the flag state rather than the Norwegian courts.

Mr Fredheim told the NSOF magazine that he now felt without legal protection. ‘It’s absurd that laws and rules in an incidental Caribbean state govern my working conditions,’ he said.

The NSOF legal team argued in

court that Norwegian law should prevail when work is carried out in the country’s waters, both sides are Norwegian and the case is most closely linked to Norway.

The union believes such a principle would reflect European Court rulings in similar cases.

But while NSOF contended that jurisdiction should be based on where work was carried out and where an employer conducted its business, lawyers for Eimskip argued that Norwegian law could not apply as the ship was registered outside Norway.

Mr Pettersen said the court’s decision had, at the stroke of a pen, enabled a Norwegian employer to set aside rights built up over 100 years. ‘Norwegian law generally offers greater protection of

New Morocco-Spain operator Morocco and Europe has been A set up by the BMCE Bank Of Africa A new ferry service between

Group and the Greek operator Attica Holdings.

Called Africa Morocco Links, the new service was inaugurated by the 15,365gt ferry Diagoros, right, which is being used on a route between Tangiers and Algeciras in Spain.

Annual traffic volumes between Morocco and Europe are estimated at around 4m passengers and 260,000 freight units, and the company is planning to run additional services to Spain, Italy and France, with a fleet of up to six ships.

Picture: Eric Houri

14-15_int.indd 15

shortreports

employees’ rights than legislation in an FoC state,’ he pointed out. ‘In this specific instance, Norwegian law would protect against unfair dismissal. The laws of Antigua & Barbuda would hardly do so to the same degree.’

The union says that although it had lost the case, the matter is far from over. Options include inserting clauses in individual employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements stipulating that Norwegian law shall prevail.

A third option is to change the law to close the loophole.

Union eyes are on a similar case due to be heard by the Norwegian Supreme Court in September brought against Ryanair over its treatment of cabin crew, who work internationally.

Big boost for Italian jobs A

Italy’s Grimaldi Group is set to launch a new maritime training academy in Naples next month that will help to boost Italian seafaring.

The company — which operates a fleet of around 100 owned and chartered ferries, car carriers and containerships — says that the academy aims to train at least two young officers per ship, up from one cadet as prescribed by law.

Grimaldi says it is expecting to create more than 1,000 new jobs in the next few months with the introduction of new ships on services between the Italian mainland and Sardinia and on northern European routes.

ITALIAN ALARM: Italy’s three main maritime unions are concerned about plans to introduce new working conditions for seafarers serving with the former Tirrenia ferry subsidiary Siremar. The fleet was recently taken over by the Sicilian company SNS, which is seeking to impose model contracts formulated by Confitarma, the Italian owners’ association, rather than those established by Fedarlinea, the ferry operators’ association.

RANDOM WARNING: the US Coast Guard (USCG) has reminded shipowners and operators that they must have a valid random drug testing programme in place for all ships calling at the country’s ports. The random tests were introduced in a bid to ‘prevent drug misuse as a causative factor in marine casualties’, the USCG pointed out, and failure to comply with the rules may result in civil penalties of up to $7,500 per day, per violation.

FIXING FINE: the Scandinavian shipping operation Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) has agreed to pay a US$98.9m fine for its involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices for ro-ro cargo shipments to and from various US ports between 2000 and 2012. WWL is the fourth company to agree to plead guilty in the Department of Justice investigation, which has now secured fines totalling $230m.

CONTAINER MERGER: the German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd is set to merge with the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) following an agreement on the terms and conditions to combine their operations. If the deal is given the go-ahead, it will create the world’s fifth-largest container line, with a fleet of 1.5m TEU. CHERBOURG BOOST: the French port of Cherbourg recorded a 10.25% increase in passenger traffic and a 28.4% increase in freight last year.

Passenger traffic with Ireland rose by 7.5% and freight volumes were up by 17.4%, and figures for the first half of 2016 show further growth.

CLEANING AID: the Finnish ferry operator Finnlines has secured a €50m loan from the European Investment Bank to help fund its €100m programme to retrofit its fleet with exhaust gas cleaning systems.

CYPRUS PLAN: a package of ‘favourable incentives’ to boost the shipping sector has been revealed by Cyprus in an effort to expand the national flag and the associated maritime cluster.

SK Tax Service Ltd

We are a team of friendly and approachable tax advisers with many years experience in Marine Taxation matters.

In a seafaring world amidst rumours and speculation, why try and work out the complications of the 100% claim yourself? Let us, the experts take the worry from your shoulders. Your leave is important to you and your family, don’t waste it trying to sort out your tax aɈairs.

Receive personal attention and advice on: * 100% claims and constant advice on achieving this * All aspects of your self assessment tax return * National Insurance contributions * Non residency claims

We now submit tax returns electronically, speeding up the refund process by an amazing rate.

Initial Fee £215 — Re-Enrolment Fee £205 Contact us or visit our website for enrolment forms or advice on: Kingsway House, Idle Bank, Tel 01427 753400 Westwoodside, Doncaster, DN9 2EN

info@sktax.co.uk www.sktax.co.uk

20/07/2016 17:27

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

YOUR LETTERS

What’son onyour yourmind? mind?

Tell your colleagues colleaguesin inNautilus NautilusInternational International— —and andthe thewider world of but you must let the shipping.

Keep yourTelegraph letter to ahave your name, address wider world of shipping.

Keep your letter to a maximum and membership number. maximum 300 words if you can — though longer contributions will be considered. Use a pen name or 300 words if you can — thoughif longer contributions will ed — say soSend letter to thenote Editor, just your membership number you don’t want to be identifi in anyour accompanying —Telegraph, Nautilus be considered.

International, 1&2 The Shrubberies, but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send your letter to the George Lane, Use aTelegraph, pen nameNautilus or just your membership number if you South London E18 1BD, or use head office fax Editor, International, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane,Woodford, South Woodford, don’t want to be identifi ed — say so in an accompanying note — +44 (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org London E18 1BD, or use head office fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Camper & Nicholson nostalgia

Ben Masey, expert pilot and good pal P

I was down in Brixham on the May bank holiday of 1989, when it was suggested that I drop in on an established Hammonds pilot, Richard Butler. Sitting there talking, the door burst open and this large jovial character strolled in and introduced himself as Ben Masey. Thus

began a long friendship, which has lasted until his sad death a few days ago.

The general opinion of Ben was one that placed him into an elite group of one of the greatest pilots the UK has produced. This is not only my opinion, but on announcing Ben’s sad end to colleagues, many have said the

Have your say online Last month we asked: Do you agree with the BIMCO/ICS report suggesting that officers are being promoted too quickly because of supply shortages?

Yes 78% No 22%

This month’s poll asks: Do you think ‘Brexit’ will be good for the shipping industry? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16

same thing.

Not only is this confined to these shores, but Captain Curt Nehring said of Ben: ‘I agree that we have not only lost one of the UK’s best pilots, but also one of her finest persons. Ben was the best ambassador for the UK and her people that ever sailed.

His dry British sense of humor brightened many a cloudy day after getting off the horn with some sandcrab from the office who ‘didn’t understand’ the information I was trying to pass. Ben was always my ‘go-to’ guy when in your area. Not just for his pilotage skills, which in my opinion were unsurpassed, but also for his companionship and knowledge. Despite the distance, I counted him as one of my closest friends and a font of knowledge in the area of nautical science.’

It was particularly saddening to me that the last time I spoke to Ben, he was at the end of his struggle with illness, but he was still able to raise a smile in me. I, like Curt, counted Ben as one of my closest friends, and I too shall miss him.

Jane and Kate, Ben’s daughters, are planning to place all the tributes to their father into a book of remembrance. They ask that anyone who sailed with Ben, or indeed was a colleague of his in Hammonds, and may wish to say something about Ben, or recount one of the many stories of his exploits as a pilot, to please let them know. g I am more than happy to receive any memories of Ben at francis@ francnav.demon.co.uk and I will pass them on.

ROGER FRANCIS

published a photo of one of F the Camper & Nicholson 1937-built In June’s Telegraph you

yachts (Pendennis wins restoration prize, page 8).

Here is another one, original name La Gaviota (The Seagull), built about the same time for a Peruvian millionaire who made his fortune before the war with guano.

The yacht was renamed Marala and extensively modified during the early 1950s, and she has kept the same name since then. I last saw her anchored or moored off Istanbul in

Follow us on Twitter 2007/8. How do I know all this? I was captain on the Marala, 1969/70/71.

Attached are photos of her before modernisation, moored in Monte Carlo, and another photo taken with the yacht in about the same position, but with her modern streamlined look. Note the casino in the background.

The other photo shows her laid up in Puerto Jose Banus near Marbella. We were the first big yacht to winter there over 1970/71.

NICK COOPER mem no 119730

Capt Christopher Kingsley, a much missed family man Kingsley, was a member of A Nautilus for many years and passed

My father, Captain Christopher

away peacefully on 26 June 2016, aged 63.

He began his sea career in 1970, as a deck cadet with Shell Tankers. He served with Shell until 1978, rising to the rank of second officer and serving on product carriers, VLCCs, LNG carriers and in offshore oilfield work.

Moving to Sanko Line in 1978, he served as second officer and chief officer on tankers ranging between 90,000dwt to 250,000dwt until 1981.

He gained his Class 1 Master’s certificate and in 1982 he started work as a marine cargo surveyor with Toplis & Harding Marine, with responsibilities including damage surveys and repair claims for all types of commodities, as well as

on/off-hire surveys, new vehicle import export surveys, and yacht surveys.

After gaining his Class 1 Master’s Foreign Going certificate, he took up the role of chief officer on the oil pollution research vessel Seaspring in 1989,

and subsequently moving to Maersk’s ro-ro division serving until 1993 on the company’s services between Chatham, Dartford, Zeebrugge, Dagenham, Immingham, Esbjerg and Cuxhaven.

He worked as chief officer with Sally Line between March 1993 and June 1996 and as master of the freight ferry Riverdance between 1996 and 1997, then moving to Dart Line to serve as master on the company’s freight ferries running between Dartford and Zeebrugge/Vlissingen and Belfast/ Heysham, and then as master with Cobelfret Ferries, running between Purfleet/Zeebrugge and Rotterdam.

A beloved father to Juliet and Alexander, step-father to Lorna and Christy and a much-loved granddad, he will be so missed by us all.

JULIET KINGSLEY

Worried about your retirement?

Join us!

The Nautilus Pensions Association is a pressure group and support organisation that: z provides a new focal point for seafarer pensioners — increasing their influence within, and knowledge of, the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund and other schemes within the industry z serves as a channel for professional advice on all kinds of pensions, as well as offering specific information on legal and government developments on pensions, and supporting the Union in lobbying the government as required

z provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for advice on other organisations providing support and assistance to pensioners z offers a range of specialised services and benefits tailored to meet the needs of retired members z operates as a democratic organisation, being a Nautilus Council body — with the secretary and secretariat provided by the Union

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

20/07/2016 17:28

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

My career: telegraph precarious pay, costly courses and slow MCA

www.thefreakywave.com

STAFF editor: Andrew Linington senior reporter: Sarah Robinson reporter: Steven Kennedy Dutch correspondent: Hans Walthie production editor: June Cattini-Walker ADVERTISING Redactive Media Group 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP.

F

Tough discipline in the Second World War World War from Ian Moignard A (Can anyone back up this WW2 claim?

The reference to the Second

Letters, July 2016) reminded me of a story that is indelibly fixed in my memories.

After a year at Warsash, I was accepted by Clan Line for a cadetship.

I was 17 years and one month, and joined the SS Hellenes, an Ocean class Liberty ship built in America in 1943.

On my maiden voyage, we missed the 1956 Suez Crisis by 24 hours. As

we sailed down the Gulf of Suez, we monitored the Israeli advance on a small Pye radio. We heard nothing from the Admiralty. At first, we thought it was something similar to Orson Welles telling of The War of the Worlds.

Most of our practical working experience was gained working with the ship’s carpenter. He came from the Scottish islands and was in his mid-50s.

He was the first alcoholic that I had ever met and over the next nine months, as he trusted us more and more, he would

unwind bit-by-bit and recount some of his experiences during the war.

On our return from Pakistan to the UK, we had to sail round the Cape of Good Hope. At 10 to 11 knots, this took us some time. One night, when he was in his cups, he recounted a story I have never forgotten and I have no reason to think that he was shooting a line.

He said that he had been torpedoed twice. Initially, once in the water they came off pay — although later in the war this was changed. On arrival in the

UK they were given a fortnight survival leave and then designated another ship by the Pool.

He declined to report to the third ship and the next thing he knew was that two Redcaps knocked on his door and escorted him to his designated ship. They stayed at the bottom of the gangway until the ship sailed.

I don’t know if the story is true, but given the state that he was in at the time I am inclined to believe him. mem no 46816

Have others had this DP revalidation wrangle?

P

I have recently been experiencing difficulties with the revalidation of my DP certificate. I have been on DP ships since 1989 and had three DP logbooks to my credit.

I am (at the moment) a holder of a DP Unlimited Certificate and, since we have had some changes in the re-certification process, it looks like I could lose my certificate.

A couple of years ago I had my laptop stolen in Amsterdam airport. Unfortunately, in the same bag was all of my certification, including my passport and DP logbooks. I got in touch with the Nautical

Institute for a replacement book, which involved seeing a Notary Public to get all the scans of my previous books sworn in, but we got it done.

Getting a replacement logbook took over a year to come through. During this time I sailed on a DP ship, on an ROV/anchor handling contract which is not in my DP logbook as it was getting replaced at the time. Also, since then IMCA has brought in its DP logbook, where you actually log your hours on the console.

I don’t know if anyone is having the same problems but I keep getting different answers.

Is the seatime in your Nautical

Institute logbook the one that you go by, is it the IMCA book that counts, or is it a combination of both? Due to the delay in getting a new DP logbook, my seatime on this particular ship is not in my NI logbook but is in my IMCA logbook in Part 6 ‘Previous Experience’.

I have actually held my DP certificate since 2006, when charterers started insisting on DP operators holding their ‘Operators Certificate’— which I agree with. However, it is starting to look like I could lose my certificate. Then it’s all back to do the advanced course again, followed by a month’s seatime

OUT NOW Liquefied Gas Handling Principles on Ships and in Terminals (LGHP4)

£275

IT

HERB Y

- PRICE -

W

This fully illustrated 500-page reference book covers every aspect of the safe handling of bulk liquid gases (LNG, LPG and chemical gases) on board ships and at the ship/shore interface at terminals. It is indispensable for ƉĞƌƐŽŶŶĞů ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶĂů ƋƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƚŚŽƐĞ ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ ĞŶŐĂŐĞĚ ŝŶ ůŝƋƵĞĮĞĚ ŐĂƐ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ͘

Witherby Publishing Group 4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227 - Email: info@emailws.com - Web: www.witherbyseamanship.com

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

as junior operator. No doubt at my expense and seeing how the situation is offshore, which company will employ a master as junior DP operator?

I don’t know if companies are aware of how much all these courses cost, especially if you have to pay for them yourself, but recovering the costs takes a long time, and, you have to take them if you want to keep a job.

As many of us ‘old timers’ are seeing, standards in this industry have gone down — but are bits of paper the answer or should the industry be looking in another direction — more on the practical side? I served my apprenticeship back in the late 70s when we didn’t have so many certificates and we operated safely.

When these problems occur, the best thing normally is go to the top. This I did, and got in touch with the NI. Fortunately, as I am limited to email at the moment, I got in touch with a very understanding person. It took about six emails, a lot of explaining and a lot of scanning of documents, but in the end he came up with a solution.

I would like to thank the NI and its staff for the trouble and time that they took in sorting out my problem and helping to preserve my career. My point is that if you are having problems because of the Manila amendments, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the NI and the MCA, as I have found both organisations always very helpful when I have a problem.

TIM BARKER mem no 156558

I am a currently serving deck officer in the cruise industry and am writing to convey my dissatisfaction with the maritime industry in general. I am trying to attain my Master Mariner certificate at the moment, but this is being made very difficult due to an understaffed Maritime & Coastguard Agency being unable to process my paperwork quickly enough. With an average seafarer’s leave being six to eight weeks, how can they justify taking six weeks to process an NOE?! To be perfectly honest, the stress of paperwork is distracting me from my studies.

In addition to this, I am having to fund the course myself due to poor company support for officers. The new Manila amendments which require refresher training of some certificates every five years will also have to be self-funded, I have learned. This means that I will have to spend my precious leave on yet more training courses, as well as my hard-earned money on keeping my certificates up to date.

For someone supporting a spouse and two children on a single income this makes my financial situation somewhat tenuous. When you also consider the fact that I am having great difficulty obtaining credit from lenders due to being paid ‘sporadically’ in US dollars and having temporary contracts of employment, it begs the question: how can other people live comfortably in this career?

Over the past year I have honestly considered giving up my seagoing career and have actually looked at applying for a job in a supermarket!

The days where companies took care of, and invested in, their mariners seem to be long-gone, leaving the new generation of seafarers to struggle against an Asian/Eastern European workforce in an increasingly competitive market.

I can’t remember exactly when I lost faith in this industry, but I doubt I’ll ever get it back.

Name & number withheld on request

We’re on Facebook Visit www.nautilusint.org

Where’s my Telegraph?

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you.

To let us know your new address, go to www. nautilusint.org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@ nautilusint.org The membership team can also cancel your print copy if you prefer to read the paper on the Telegraph app.

Display adverts: Jude Rosset tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 Jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk

Recruitment adverts: Paul Wade tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6212 tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6200 email: paul.wade@redactive.co.uk website: www.redactive.co.uk Although the Telegraph exercises care and caution before accepting advertisements, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before entering into any commitments such as investments (including pension plans). Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation and Nautilus International cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by regulatory authorities and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body.

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

ISSN 0040 2575 Published by Nautilus International Printed by Wyndeham Peterborough.

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.

20/07/2016 17:28

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

YOUR NEWS

Rob cracks MN button comp P The most fiendishly difficult competition in the history of the Telegraph finally has a winner! Our quiz to identify six MN uniform buttons had a low response from the general readership, but the residents of the Nautilus Mariners’ Park retirement estate decided to take it on, and the winning entry came from Rob Keith (pictured left), a former catering officer with Shell Tankers.

The competition had been set

earlier this year by Nautilus member Des McLindon, who has an extensive collection of uniform buttons and the expertise to match. But his quiz was so challenging that even Rob Keith only managed to get three of the six answers correct, although he came close to finding a fourth: for Picture 1 he guessed Cunard, which has a similar design to the Eastern and Australasian Mail Steamship Co. ‘Rob was a deserved winner,’ said Mariners’ Park activities coordinator

Roger Cliffe-Thompson, ‘as he put a huge amount of internet and library research into the quiz, and will surely enjoy reading his prize book, Charles Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle.’

Thanks to a donation by Age UK Wirral, there was also another very welcome prize for the Mariners’ Park button quiz champion — a bottle of Famous Grouse malt whisky. g How did you do? Look to the right for the correct answers...

1

3

1 Eastern & 2 Australasian Mail Steamship Co 2 Bucknall Nephews, Norton Line

4

3 China Steam Navigation Co

5

4 London Overseas Freighters

6

5 Silver Line 6 P.A. Campbell (Bristol paddle steamers)

Pride in our diverse Union Glasgow graduation

members, officials and their A friends representing the Union at this Pictured above are Nautilus

year’s Pride in London parade.

After a minute’s silence to honour

the victims of the nightclub shooting in Orlando, the group walked from Regent’s Park to Trafalgar Square with the Union’s banner — showing the world that the maritime industry is a

diverse place to work.

Over a million people attended to watch the 40,000-strong parade pass some of London’s most recognisable landmarks. Other parade groups included the RMT union, Metropolitan Police and Compass — the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s sexual orientation and gender identity network.

Nautilus senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan commented: ‘Trade unions have always played an important part in the advancement of equal rights and diversity, but we know that some parts of the maritime industry have a way to go before they reach the levels of LGBT representation enjoyed shoreside in many parts of the world. Parading at one of the biggest Pride events in the world with so many other unions, employers and community groups demonstrates that Nautilus is here to represent all aspects of society.’

Sail stars apprentices from UK port A operator ABP who took part in this year’s Pictured right are the eight

Apprentice Ship Cup. The apprentices — who all work for ABP on the Humber in the marine and engineering departments — spent five days aboard the tall ship Bessie Ellen, the last wooden sailing ketch still under sail. They travelled from Falmouth to Southampton in a race organised by Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust (MAST).

In addition to ABP, companies sending teams of apprentices included Glendale, Peel Holdings, Sellafield

Limited, Nuvia, Riverside, GetRag, Liverpool City Council, Pendennis Ship Builders and Liverpool University.

The event is designed to give apprentices the chance to develop their teamworking, problem-solving, leadership and communication skills, as well as their self-confidence.

The ABP crew had a great day out on the water, but the winners this year were Sellafield. However, ABP won a special award for ‘Best Promoter’ because of the company’s efforts to publicise the race and recruit participants, and for the practical help it offered to MAST in the port of Southampton.

BUILD YOUR CAREER WITH A SLATER SCHOLARSHIP The Slater Scholarship offers a bursary of up to £17,500 for Merchant Navy ratings, electrotechnical officers and yacht crew to study for the STCW officer of the watch qualification (either deck or engineer).

Apply now! marine-society.org/slater slater@ms-sc.org Administered by the

18_your news_SR edit.indd 18

Merchant Navy officers A celebrated the end of their studies at Almost 250 newly-qualified

City of Glasgow College in a ceremony held in Glasgow Cathedral.

The class of 2016 is the first year of nautical students to graduate from the college’s new Riverside campus, which opened last August. The guest of honour and speaker at the event was Royal Fleet Auxiliary Commodore Duncan Lamb.

College principal and chief executive

Paul Little commented: ‘I was delighted to shake the hand of every one of our graduating officers as I conferred their internationally recognised qualifications. I share in the enormous pride felt by our teaching faculty and sponsoring companies who all play a particular role in guiding, nurturing and supporting our student journeys.’

The ceremony was streamed live online so that friends and families from across the globe were able to watch the event.

Tyneside rowers are clear winners in home waters Marine School Annual Row is H now into its seventh year, and this

The ‘oar-some’ South Shields

time the school’s own rowers were the winners by a comfortable margin.

Following a route on the river Tyne in NE England, the 2016 champions triumphed in around 1hr 23min — five minutes ahead of closest rival American Bureau of Shipping.

All seven teams competing in the 8nm race completed the challenge, which starts at Newcastle Quayside and ends at the Marine and Offshore Safety Training Centre in South Shields.

Fleetwood Nautical Campus came third, followed by South Tyneside College General Engineering, South Tyneside College Ladies Team, North East P & I Club, and Royal Navy Reserves.

Launched in 2010, the challenge attracts competitors from across the country, each aiming to tame the river’s choppy waters and claim the winner’s prize.

The event is the brainchild of Tommy Procter, a former tugmaster and retired marine lecturer at South Shields Marine School, which is part of South Tyneside College.

Tommy, who was the cox of the winning team, said: ‘As usual, it proved to be a tough event, but everyone who took part thoroughly

enjoyed the challenge. In a highly competitive race with a close finish, South Shields Marine School team were worthy winners.’

The race was held in support of Seafarers UK, which makes grants to nautical charities looking after the welfare needs of seafarers, ex-seafarers and their dependants.

Freshspring heads to drydock the classic British steamship H Freshspring have passed a milestone The team working to restore

in their project, with the vessel being towed along the river Severn to Sharpness, pictured right.

Originally launched in 1946, Freshspring is the only surviving example of the 14 Fresh class water carriers built by Lytham Shipbuilding and Engineering for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The vessel has been designated as of national importance — uniquely representing the small steam coasters which served the nation for over 100 years. She is the only small steam cargo ship with the capability of being returned to seagoing condition.

Freshspring will soon enter the drydock at Sharpness, where the hull condition will be assessed before works are carried out to enable her to be towed to her new home port

of Bideford.

The project, supported by a grant awarded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, aims to make Freshspring a static maritime heritage

exhibit in Bideford and to encourage young people to take up careers in the maritime sector and engineering. g For more information, visit: www.ssfreshspring.co.uk

20/07/2016 15:45

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

The crewless future swiftly approaching A

More than 120 Nautilus members, students and maritime industry experts attended the latest Netherlands branch symposium to discuss whether ‘smart’ — autonomous or self-propelled — ships would become a reality in the maritime sector, and what they mean for the future of seafaring.

Opening the meeting, deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek said the first part of the question had already been answered. ‘Autonomous ships are already a reality,’ he noted. ‘The United States Navy has already tested their autonomous warship, which can operate for months at a time without a crew.

It uses AIS to find its bearings and avoid vessels. So the question is not if, but rather when.’

And possible answers to ‘when’ were presented by maritime students at Rotterdam Mainport University who are undertaking various research projects looking at different aspects of unmanned shipping operations. Their studies have covered issues including detection, interconnectivity, safety, liability and legislation, propulsion and maintenance, calamities, and organisational structure and manning.

The projects will all feed into the EUfunded Maritime Unmanned Navigation through Intelligence in Networks (Munin) project, which aims to develop and verify a concept for an autonomous ship, primarily guided by automated onboard decision systems but controlled by a remote operator in a shore-based control station.

Christian Drent and Coen van Iersel are researching the organisational aspects of autonomous shipping, which includes the future of the seafaring profession.

‘There has already been a large amount of research published on the subject of the autonomous ship,’ explained Mr Drent. ‘But most of it covers the technical issues that might arise.

There is hardly any research that includes the views of seafarers. We wanted to find out what seafarers had to say about the subject — and they are clearly very interested, as our survey was completed by over 500 people.’

The survey — which was completed by Nautilus members and the wider maritime community — asked seafarers what they thought the impact of autonomous shipping would be, and whether such ships would be a reality in their lifetimes.

Although the students are due to present the complete findings of their research at the end of the year, they gave the Nautilus symposium a preview of the information they had gathered.

The results showed that almost 70% of merchant seafarers are convinced that self-propelled (or minimum-manned) ships would become a reality in the sector, and more than 50% did not think this would be a positive development.

Safety was the main concern of respondents, with 65% saying that

19_nl sympo_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

Autonomous ships could be a reality by 2020, according to a Rolls-Royce video

Will ‘smart’ ships change the face of shipping for ever?

Do seafarers think they will spell the end for maritime professionals? These were some of the questions addressed during an industry symposium organised by the Nautilus International Netherlands branch last month… safety could not be properly maintained onboard a vessel without trained seafarers — and that this would also impact on the safety of other vessels sailing with a crew on the same routes.

Whilst most respondents did believe that smart ships were an inevitable development, most felt that the impact on their jobs would be low as the ships would be introduced after the majority of today’s seafarers had retired.

However, the results did show that today’s seafarers are concerned that new entrants to the industry should be properly trained so that they are ready for the jobs of the future. At the same time, many thought that the number of maritime-related jobs available in years to come would be vastly reduced.

H

The survey asked seafarers what they thought Nautilus could do about the issue, and most believed the Union had a clear role in ensuring that seafarers’ voices are a part of the wider discussion — and that it should work with other organisations to minimise the impact of the many changes autonomous shipping operations would bring.

‘The Union should ensure that seafarers’ opinions are heard,’ one respondent said. ‘This is something that always

seems to be forgotten about in the development of new technologies, as we saw with ECDIS.’ Another argued that while unmanned ships might be good for efficiency purposes, and probably safety, it should be questioned if that was enough. ‘What about the need for seafarers to have an income doing something they like? Do we really need all this efficiency? Is it safe to introduce [unmanned ships] without a proper vision on how to employ and feed the world? Without this, the introduction of unmanned shipping is an irresponsible, short-term policy.’

One respondent said that the underpinning technology still needs further development before he would trust it to run an entire vessel alone. ‘When I see how many faults we already get onboard with the amount of electronics we currently have, I can’t begin to imagine how many more there would be in a fully autonomous ship,’ he noted.

‘Automation is good, but the industry must take its time and do it properly.

After all, they have been talking about automatic self-steering cars for years and they are still not ready. It is a false economy to trust in electronic devices too much. Nothing replaces good seamanship and experience, as only seafarers can examine a situation and judge what

is the best and safest course of action.’

Most respondents believed that self-propelled ships were at least 10 to 25 years away — a figure that starkly contrasts with the predictions made by Rolls-Royce that smart ships will be in operation in the world merchant fleet by the end of this decade.

A

The students showed the audience a video from Rolls-Royce which shows the company’s vision of ship management in 2020 — where the ‘seafarers’ are all office-based and control the ship remotely. Computer data constantly feeds back information from the vessel and flags up any unusual activity which the ‘crew’ can then look into. When a problem arises, one staff member dispatches drone helicopters to the vessel to examine it in real time while an engineer plays back a recording of the engine sound. Within minutes the problem is diagnosed as an engine malfunction. All they crew have to do is decide is whether to send more drones with replacement parts (which will presumably self-install) or run the vessel slower using one engine until it arrives safely in port for a large repair.

The video was received with scepticism by most of the audience and many found it simply laughable, especially as

Nautilus deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek addresses the Netherlands branch symposium Picture: Debbie Cavaldoro

Rolls Royce had predicted this reality would come about in only four years’ time. All agreed that this simplistic view of shipping would do nothing to help autonomous ships become a reality.

Frank Pot, a work and organisational sociologist, also spoke at the conference and said that the most important lesson from a hundred years of robotics in the labour market is that they can do a good job, but not an ‘automatic’ one — they need directing and guiding, as well as fixing. He said that the skills of the seafarer would be vital in the management of ships, whether they were managed onboard or remotely from an office.

‘First you need to understand the human dimension, as it is central to any work application,’ he explained. ‘Second, you look how you can automate processes through robotics. However, it often happens the other way around.’

Mr Pot said that from a workplace environment point of view the RollsRoyce view of the future was very strange — almost surreal. ‘The employees hardly ever interact with each other and that’s not how most people like to work,’ he added. ‘[Rolls-Royce] seem to have ignored the human factor of work completely, which links in with the research the students did, which found that no one had asked seafarers what they thought about automation. The only thing RollsRoyce got right was that employees will still drink tea in the future.’

In the open discussion that followed the presentations, one audience member raised the issue of regulation — pointing out that if autonomous ships were to enter the merchant shipping sector then pretty much all the international conventions would have to be re-written. This could mean that autonomous ships will take a very long time to become a reality, he suggested.

Another interesting aspect of the Rolls-Royce simulation was that three colleagues came together to decide what to do about the stricken vessel. ‘Does this mean there is no longer a need for a master?’ a participant asked. ‘The point of the master is that sometimes decisions have to be made quickly; how can that happen if all employees have to come to this “open space” to find a resolution together?’

Closing the seminar, Mr van den Broek assured members that the Union would be keeping a close eye on future developments and would continue to uphold the interests of its members, whether or not full automation takes place.

‘Smart ships are likely to mean new and different jobs to the ones we have today,’ he concluded. ‘But we think there will always be a need for seafaring skills, so we have to make sure our members are equipped to take up the opportunities when they arise.’ g To watch the Rolls-Royce video shown at the seminar, visit www.youtube.com and search for Rolls-Royce future shore control centre.

20/07/2016 13:15

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

MARITIME WORKFORCE

Crews for the 21st century The first results of a global project to tackle the gender imbalance at sea have been presented to the shipping industry. Nautilus members and officials contributed to a debate on the findings…

K

The shipping industry needs to do more to make sure seafarer trainees are better prepared for their first trips to sea, new research has concluded.

Initial findings from the Gender, Empowerment and Multicultural Crews Project (GEM) were presented to a conference in London organised by the International Transport Workers’ Federation Seafarers’ Trust and attended

by Nautilus members and officials.

Funded by the Trust and launched last year, the GEM research project is being carried out by universities in the UK, China and Nigeria, and is investigating the welfare needs of seafarers — particularly women.

It is due to publish a report and recommendations later this year.

Project leader Dr Kate Pike, from Southampton Solent University (SSU), said the study aims to find ways to encourage more women to be seafarers — but the

Nautilus member Sarah Stevens, left, and Council member Jessica Tyson were on one of the panels at the GEM conference Pictures: Paul Watts / PBWPIX

and networks for women seafarers, along with training in gender issues for masters and senior officers, could go a long way to ease the problems.

Emma Broadhurst, from SSU, said the UK-based research had shown that while many cadets like the idea of working with multinational crews, the importance of understanding cultural differences had been highlighted.

Communication is a big issue, she added, and it could be adversely affected by factors such as hierarchy and isolation.

The researchers said there is an onus on shipping companies to make sure that appropriate recruitment is taking place — particularly concerning the

results will also have relevance for the entire industry.

‘Our findings also question whether the industry is doing enough to prepare people adequately for a life at sea,’ she explained. ‘Mentors for cadets and new recruits have been highlighted as extremely valuable in terms of passing on experience and being there to help during the first phases of sea time. This is something that the industry should be encouraged to facilitate and adopt as part of the onboard culture.’

Women are usually in a small minority onboard ship, Dr Pike explained, and this could lead to bullying and harassment in some circumstances. Support groups

Work towards your OOW Unlimited and Chief Mate Unlimited through a unique blend of self-study and college attendance. With flexible start dates, gain your Higher National qualifications without lengthy periods of study leave from employment.

HNC Nautical Science

•

Tutor assigned to provide support by phone or email

Approx. 14-16 months self-study plus college attendance Ideal for ratings who wish to become a Deck Officer

•

Individual learning plan

•

Face to face learning and supervised assessments at prearranged times

•

Ideal for those working at sea four weeks on/off or similar pattern

Leading to Officer of the Navigational Watch (Unlimited) STCW’95 II/1

HND Nautical Science

Leading to Chief Mate (Unlimited) STCW’95 II/1

Approx. 20-24 months self-study plus college attendance Ideal for those working at sea as an Officer of the Watch

Scottish Maritime Academy, South Road, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, AB42 2UP

20_gem_SR edit.indd Sec2:20

Mentoring can make a big difference to retention

“

”

Capt Kuba Szymanski

Female recruits would benefit from seeing women role models

“

”

GEM project leader Dr Kate Pike, from Southampton Solent University

Sarah Stevens

placement of cadets and the mix of nationalities onboard.

Owners and masters have a duty of care to create a safe and inclusive onboard culture for all their crew — particularly for minority groups such as women, they conclude.

In a panel discussion on recruitment and awareness of shipping, SeaVision director Ewan Macdonald noted that seafarer training is expensive, and said shipowners should do more to encourage company loyalty and high retention rates.

Nautilus member Sarah Stevens told the meeting that it is also important for the industry to provide some good female case studies to show how women can succeed in shipping. ‘The highest ranking female officer I have sailed with is a second officer, and while it may be a bit of a cliché,“you can’t be if you can’t see”,’ she added. ‘There is a dearth of role models to show where I want to be in 10 years’ time.’

Nautilus Council member Captain Jessica Tyson said women seafarers often felt as if they were ‘under a magnifying glass’ because of being in a minority.

‘You need a certain amount of self-reliance and confidence that this is a career you want to pursue,’ she pointed out.

Caitlin Vaughan, from the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network, said some 3% of calls to the 24/7 Seafarers Help hotline were related to abuse and bullying and 10% of the problems experienced by women seafarers were related to abuse and bullying.

Nautilus member Rebecca Morgan said there is sexism, racism and ageism in the shipping industry — but big strides are being made to improve the situation, with the Union doing a lot to progress policies to combat bullying and harassment.

Professor Claire Pekcan said the study had shown evidence of a ‘laissez-faire’ attitude towards

cadets and their sea time and a need to properly prepare them for their first experiences at sea.

Companies should consider whether trainees should be sent to ships in pairs and should ensure that they work on ships where other crew members can speak their language, she added.

‘If they don’t have a realistic understanding of what they are entering into, the shock may cause them to abandon their careers,’ she warned.

Prof Pekcan said there is a need to improve human resources (HR) policies in the industry. ‘HR is often an under-valued, lowstatus and low-paid role in shipping,’ she pointed out, ‘and there is a key area to improve the status and qualifications of those in people management roles.’

Captain Kuba Szymanski, from the International Ship Managers’ Association, said many companies do have such policies in place and the industry could promote ‘best practice’ by highlighting their procedures.

Mentoring by senior officers could also make a big difference, he suggested. ‘If you fail to learn, you learn to fail, but get a mentor and you will know precisely what you need to achieve.’

K

Dr Minghua Zhao said the GEM research in China had revealed some of the recruitment difficulties in that country. Although there had been many Chinese women seafarers during the 1960s and 70s, there were no female cadets for much of the 1990s, and even now they account for a small fraction of the new trainees starting each year. Because of problems finding seagoing work, as many as 40% leave the industry for another job, and ‘only a handful’ of women are currently serving on Chinese merchant ships at present, she added.

Amos Kuje, from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, said 205 of the 4,973 seafarers working in the country’s cabotage trades are women. Around 250 female cadets begin training each year and 20% of shore-based maritime personnel are women. Many Nigerian women seafarers want to stay at sea for a long time, but a lot of cadets are not prepared adequately for life at sea and senior officers are not adequately informed about gender-related issues, the research had shown.

Helen Buni, from the International Maritime Organisation, said the agency is working with the World Maritime University to develop a global strategy to encourage member states to open up their maritime sectors to women.

Kimberly Karlshoej, head of the ITF Seafarers Trust, said the GEM project should help to secure a culture change in the industry. ‘As long as discriminatory attitudes are accepted, things will not change,’ she warned. ‘By working together, companies and unions can make a difference, and gender variety onboard will make for a much more natural working environment.’

20/07/2016 15:14

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

SEAFARER FATIGUE

Stress, sleepiness and motivation among seafarers are under the spotlight in a major new research project on fatigue. Experts presented initial findings to the industry at a conference in Warsash last month…

J

Levels of sleep loss and stress suffered by seafarers vary significantly according to their rank and the type of ship they are serving on, a new study has revealed.

The three-year Martha project — which included detailed onboard measurements of seafarers’ work and rest periods — also found that levels of fatigue increase over the course of a contract, while motivation declines.

Funded by the TK Foundation, the US$1m research has been carried out by teams from Warsash Maritime Academy in the UK and universities in Sweden, Denmark and China. The study aims to build on the findings of the EUfunded Project Horizon by examining the long-term issues arising from fatigue and sleepiness.

Data was drawn from interviews and questionnaires with nearly 1,000 seafarers and onboard monitoring of more than 100 seafarers carried out onboard a wide range of ships.

These included tankers operating intensive trades in NW Europe, containerships running between the Far East and Europe and Asia and South America, as well as bulk carriers operating worldwide and tankers running on Far East trades.

Dr Jorgen Riis Jepsen, from the University of Southern Denmark, said fatigue has many potentially adverse consequences and the chronic effects include sleeping disorders, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic problems.

One ‘alarming’ study had shown

that nearly 50% of Danish seafarers suffer from hypertension, he added, and levels of diabetes and obesity are also high.

Feedback from seafarers found that common factors contributing to fatigue included concerns over job security, environmental factors such as noise and ship motion, job demands, sleep quality, irregular working hours, and limited rest hours.

Seafarers also told the researchers of problems arising from regulatory requirements, excessive paperwork, inspections, and the questionable quality and professionalism of some crew members. They highlighted the additional workload created by port visits, maintenance on older ships and new tonnage.

Wessell van Leeuwan, from the Stress Research Institute, said the study had shown that most seafarers were working between 60 to 70 hours a week and that the overwhelming majority believed their fatigue levels were higher at the end of their tour of duty.

However, significant differences between ranks were revealed — with captains suffering the highest levels of stress and fatigue — and many seafarers reported that work demands in port can be more intense than those at sea.

The study also showed a significant decrease in the levels of motivation over the course of tour lengths — and researchers warned that this was a worrying finding, as a lack of motivation can be a key factor in many accidents at sea.

The Martha project researchers: Jorgen Riis Jepsen, University of Southern Denmark; Mike Barnett, Southampton Solent Unversity; Dominic Taunton, Southampton University; Gemma Hanson, Southampton University; Wessel Van Leeuwen, Stress Research Institute, Stockholm; Ivor Salter, Warsash Maritime Academy; Zhiwei Zhao, Dalian Maritime University; Goran Kecklund, Stress Research Institute, Stockholm; Anne Hillstrom, Southampton University; Kuba Szymanski, Intermanager; Claire Pekcan, Southampton Solent University; Stuart Pugh, Southampton University; Tammy Menneer, Southampton University

21_martha_SR edit.indd 21

Wessel van Leeuwen Stress Research Institute Stockholm University

7.00 6.80 6.60 6.40 6.20 Bulker

Tanker

wessel.vleeuwen@su.se

A

Container

Is stress higher or lower at the end of a voyage?

Workload whilst in port Company

B

lower

More demanding than at sea

10.28%

same 41.12%

About the same

higher 48.60%

Less demanding than at sea Number of participants

J

Professor Claire Pekcan, from Warsash Maritime Academy, said the use of actigraphs — wristwatch-like devices which measure the wearer’s movements and sleep periods — provided valuable data showing how long seafarers were actually asleep and how many times they woke up during rest periods.

Average sleep per 24 hours was 7.2 hours on bulkers, 6.5 hours on tankers and 6.3 hours on containerships, she said. Masters averaged 6.6 hours and chief engineers 6.8 hours, while second officers got only 5.6 hours.

Prof Pekcan said the actigraphy analysis, carried out with Dr Anne Hillstrom of the University of Southampton, had demonstrated how the overall amount of sleep decreases over time onboard, and how the quality of sleep, as measured through disturbances to sleep, decreases the longer crew are onboard.

Professor Mike Barnett, from Warsash, said the study had also revealed jet-lag effects being experienced by seafarers on fast containerships crossing the Pacific from west to east — with 10 one-hour clock changes in as many days.

He said that while the causes and consequences of sleepiness and fatigue are now well-established, the Martha project is improving the industry’s understanding of the serious long-term effects for seafarers.

It is intended that the results of the research will be presented

Mean of all sleep today (hours)

Waking up to a quiet crew crisis

Average sleep by trade

7.20

0

10

20

CO 6.78

30

1E

Crew

6.83

6.70

CE

Average sleep by rank

6.83

Captain 6.60

3O

2E

6.32

3E

6.28

Number of hours gained per day

6.17

2O 5.58

Fatigue: is it higher or lower at the end of a voyage? higher

same

Captain

lower

Third officer

AB

A closer look at the three ranks for which there is the highest number (i.e. n>10)

2.0

High levels of sleepiness Mean number of ratings per 24h period

Several other weekly diary items potentially increase with time at sea

1.5

(including reduced motivation) 1.0

.5

.0 1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

Weeks at sea to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and will help to shape new guidelines that the agency is developing, as well as feeding into industry ‘best practice’ guidance for fatigue management.

However, Prof Barnett stressed, the study showed that perceptions of fatigue and the causal factors vary between different nationalities and according to the nature of the work onboard. ‘We need to recognise that solutions should be adapted to individuals and their job onboard, and that one single magic bullet may miss the target,’ he added.

J

The findings were presented at a meeting attended by representatives from all sides of the shipping industry — including Nautilus International, the

International Transport Workers’ Federation, the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch, Lloyd’s Register, IMarEST, the UK Chamber of Shipping and Shell.

During a special workshop, participants discussed issues including the factors which influence reduced motivation — including failure to relieve on time — and those which affect the quality and quantity of sleep onboard.

Speakers also stressed the need to consider the impact of paperwork and regulatory requirements, as well as social isolation and connectivity while at sea.

InterManager secretary-general Captain Kuba Szymanski, who is heading the project’s dissemination activities, said it was vital to get feedback from seafar-

ers. With evidence that masters spend up to 81% of their time completing paperwork, ideas for dealing with the administrative burden are particularly important, he suggested.

Promoting awareness of fatigue and mitigation strategies could also be useful, Capt Szymanski told the meeting, and there could be a case for providing specialist teams or riding squads to reduce workload when maintenance requirements are high.

Seeking the views of seafarers would be a sign that the industry cares about them, he argued.

‘Other workshop events for managers and seafarers are planned in the autumn in locations like Singapore and Manila; and the outcomes of these workshops will be used as a basis for a publication of all the main findings towards the end of the year.’

20/07/2016 18:27

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

MARITIME POLICY

Referendum consequences reach the sea There’s no going back. A majority of British voters decided that the UK should leave the EU, and the new prime minister has confirmed that ‘Brexit means Brexit’. So where does this leave British shipping? Whatever happens, Nautilus is working to ensure seafarers don't lose out...

A

Nautilus is determined to safeguard members’ jobs, pay and conditions, and rights at work in the uncertain financial, industrial and legislative environment following the Brexit vote, says general secretary Mark Dickinson.

The Union called for calm among British shipowners in the wake of the referendum vote, when one leading ferry operator, Stena Line, warned members that it had already started to consider the possibility of re-registering its UK-flagged vessels following the decision to leave the European Union.

Stena Line’s deputy CEO Niclas Mårtensson said there was no doubt the resulting uncertainty would affect the company’s businesses in the UK. ‘Today we have around 50% of our ships in the entire Stena Line fleet sailing with the UK flag, and roughly half of our business is directly and indirectly related to import and export from and to UK,’ he wrote.

Mr Mårtensson said it will be vital to keep trade flowing freely despite the risk of increased border controls and additional administration, and throughout the forthcoming negotiations over the terms of the UK exit. ‘During this time we are currently looking at estimated effects of reduced demand already for next year,’ he added. ‘The investigation of possibly changing flag status on the vessels with British flags will start immediately as well as forecasting effects

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson Picture: Stefan Lindberg

from a financial perspective.’

In a letter to the UK Chamber of Shipping, Mr Dickinson said he hoped the organisation could provide reassurance and leadership in

the face of the ‘damaging uncertainty’ over the impact of the Brexit vote for British seafarers and British shipping.

Mr Dickinson said he was surprised the Chamber had remained neutral ahead of the referendum vote when so many organisations and prominent industry figures — including shipping minister Robert Goodwill and the Lord Mayor of the City of London — had warned of the potentially adverse effects for the UK maritime sector.

He urged the Chamber to ‘provide a clear message on behalf of British shipowners that the UK maritime industry remains open for business — with a continued commitment to shared policy objectives of growing the national flag fleet and regenerating the pool of British seafarers’.

And he added: ‘Many of our members have made huge sacrifices to retain their jobs and to ensure the survival of their companies. It is essential that they are given an emphatic signal of support from shipowners and that concerns are not fuelled by rash statements or pre-emptive actions.’

Mr Dickinson said that whether the Brexit vote was right or wrong, there is no doubt that the outcome will have important implications for British shipping and British seafarers.

Faced with potentially damaging uncertainty, the need to stand together to protect the best interests of members and the industry is paramount, he added.

Faltering confidence 'could pose problem for UK maritime hub' of maritime expertise from I the UK, according to the results of

Brexit could lead to an exodus

a survey carried out by the industry recruitment group Faststream.

It found that 39% of UK-based maritime employees who wouldn’t previously have looked at a move away from the UK would now consider roles overseas, with a further 23% undecided.

‘Global mobility has always been a positive aspect of working in the

22-23_brexit_SR edit.indd 22

maritime industry,’ said Faststream CEO Mark Charman. ‘66% of respondents to our survey would have considered a role outside the UK prior the Brexit results, which shows just how flexible the maritime workforce are. The uncertainty that a leave vote brings just adds fuel to the fire.’

He said the UK, like many other global maritime hubs, already faces a serious shortage of talent in shorebased operations and the ability of UK-based employees to secure jobs

overseas will be possible for many, but not all.

Faststream will be looking closely at confidence within the sector over the coming months. ‘We already have plans in place to record, analyse and release a monthly maritime confidence index later this year which will monitor employee confidence data within global maritime hubs,’ said Mr Charman. ‘We feel that this is important, not just for the UK, but to the market as a whole.’

These are uncertain times for the UK shipping industry Picture: Gary Davies,

‘Nautilus will do everything in our power to safeguard jobs, pay and conditions, and employment rights,’ he stressed. ‘We’ve made it clear to the UK Chamber of Shipping that now is not the time for rash or hasty decisions.’

It is essential that our members are given a strong signal of support from shipowners

“

”

Mr Dickinson said he welcomed the assurances from Chamber CEO Guy Platten that the organisation will engage closely with Nautilus to develop common agendas for the future. ‘We appreciate the need for the industry to work together to produce a manifesto for the measures needed to help British shipping to take advantage of the changing markets and new regulatory regimes, and create jobs for British seafarers,’ he added.

‘What unfolds next is unclear and there is considerable uncertainty over the consequences for the UK’s maritime industries and services,’ Mr Dickinson pointed out. ‘Much

will depend on the term relationship with the EU agreed with the remain ‘The uncertainty cau was one of the reasons w International Council d members’ best interests remaining in the EU,’ he was felt that the UK is be The EU is the world’s bloc, he noted, and Briti clear that access to the s been the greatest single membership, with the r duties and tariffs at inte improving supply chain shipping companies gre in all the member states European Economic Are Over 50% of the UK’s conducted with other EU 40% of goods traded wit by sea, Mr Dickinson po ‘It’s clear that the unc

by Brexit has also raised the future of the UK as a centre if banks and othe other countries and new damaging impact on fre said.

‘But we are keen to ta invitation to identify th as the challenges, and to

Leaving EU ‘will ha impact on SOx regu status — now and in the future — of sulphur J emission regulations in the UK, the International One by-product of Brexit is doubt over the

Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has warned.

In a paper analysing the potential impact for ship operators and ports, IBIA says it expects that the EU sulphur regulations will continue to apply in the UK during the negotiations over the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU. However, it warns of varied and ‘complex’ scenarios for the long-term — much depending on whether the UK will decide to replace the EU

emission rules with less stringent IMO limits.

The UK needs to rule on whether it will continue to apply the EU sulphur directive setting a 0.10% fuel sulphur limit for ships berth in any EU port, along with a 1.50% sulphur limit for passengerships on regular service between EU ports, and a 0.50% limit that will apply within EU waters from 2020 regardless of the timing of the IMO’s global 0.50% sulphur cap.

‘In theory,’ IBIA states, ‘the UK could allow vessels to use fuels with up to 3.50% sulphur while at berth in the ports that are not inside an ECA, as well as in

UK waters, until the glo effect.

‘If the UK puts new it could put an end to th passenger vessels oper the UK’s west coast and example between Belf ‘The 1.50% sulphur apply to passenger ves the Republic of Ireland state — and ports on t Ireland.’

20/07/2016 16:18

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

MARITIME POLICY

Maritime leaders ‘need to step up’ A

avies, 2016 Maritime Photographic

terms of the UK’s future he EU and the exit deal maining member states. y caused by a Brexit vote ons why the Nautilus ncil determined in April that erests would be protected by U,’ he added. ‘On balance, it K is better in than out.’ orld’s largest trading British owners had been the single market has ingle benefit of the UK’s the removal of customs t internal EU borders chain efficiency and giving es greater access to markets states and the wider ic Area (EEA).

UK’s international trade is her EU member states and ed within the EU are moved on pointed out. e uncertainty caused aised questions about K as a major maritime other business relocate to d new trade tariffs have a on freight movements,’ he n to take up the Chamber’s ify the opportunities as well and to see — for instance

— how we could improve the tonnage tax scheme and increase funding for seafarer training.’

A

Mr Dickinson said Nautilus wants further assurances about the implications of the shipowners’ concentration on free trade and freedom of movement. ‘We need to be cautious about the use of such terms in a global environment in which many countries have policies that underpin support for local jobs and where the “open coast” approach, such as that historically adopted in the UK, can create a climate in which unfettered competition drives everything down to the lowest common denominator,’ he added.

Further consideration also needs to be given to such things as the future of the UK position within the EU Navfor counter-piracy operation, the implications of withdrawal from the European Maritime Safety Agency, and the directives covering many aspects of working conditions and health and safety.

But Mr Dickinson stressed that Nautilus International’s commitment to continue working as the world’s first truly transboundary union for maritime professionals remains undimmed. ‘Indeed,’ he added, ‘the reasons that resulted in the creation of Nautilus International — the need for collaboration and cooperation to prevent a “divide and rule” by multinational companies — are more relevant than ever.’

British shipowners need to follow the wartime mantra of ‘keep calm and carry on’ in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the head of the UK Chamber of Shipping says.

In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, Chamber chief executive Guy Platten said companies should not take ‘kneejerk reactions’ in response to the referendum and should instead look to the opportunities that life outside the EU may open up.

‘There is no doubt that the result was a surprise to many and is unsettling,’ he admitted. ‘Business doesn’t like uncertainty, but we have to recognise that we were a brilliant maritime nation before the vote and the result has not changed that.’

He promised that the Chamber will work with Nautilus to develop a new manifesto for British shipping setting out clear policy proposals for the government. Work on the plans has started already and it is hoped that it will be launched by the end of September.

‘There is a lot of analysis to be done — to go through every but of shipping policy and see where it is impacted by the EU and what opportunities may arise,’ he added.

‘We have an important opportunity to lobby for the industry as the government’s minds will never be more open than they will be in the next few months.’

Easing of the ‘austerity’ policies could provide the chance to push the case for the SMarT-Plus training support, Mr Platten said. ‘Doubling the budget to £30m would be a relatively small thing for the government, but would send a huge signal to the industry. Investment in skills is vital and we need to push hard for it.’

The industry needs to work in parallel to address other factors such as the availability of training berths and changes to college phases that could ease the flow of officer trainees, he suggested.

Mr Platten said the Chamber had

Guy Platten, chief executive of the UK Chamber of Shipping

not taken a position ahead of the vote. ‘Shipping needs to be resilient and survive whatever the outcome,’ he explained. ‘We wanted to engage with both sides of the debate and we took the same approach to the Scottish referendum.’

While the owners were critical of the lack of a plan following a leave vote, the shipping industry traditionally ‘rolls with the punches’ and adapts to changing circumstances, he added.

Many of the factors that have made the UK a major maritime nation will not be changed by the vote, Mr Platten argued, and they could also help the country to carve out a flourishing future.

‘While we may not have shortterm certainty, there is a chance to

seize the new opportunities that will emerge,’ he said. ‘We can’t look back — we have to look forward and maximise the opportunities.

‘Being outside the EU bloc gives us the change to have a much more independent vote at the IMO and to take more of a leadership role there,’ he added. ‘We are good at building alliances and building consensus and people look to us to lead.’

Mr Platten said the EU exit could also help the UK to expand its ship register, especially as the government has been taking steps to make it more ‘customer-focused’.

Although Stena Line had made a rapid response to the vote by warning that it was considering its future under the UK flag, Mr Platten said feedback from Chamber

Could the Netherlands be Nexit? important implications for the I Netherlands — not least whether it The Brexit vote has many

ave complex gulations’ he global 0.50% sulphur cap takes s new laws in place prior to 2020, d to the 1.50% sulphur limit for s operating between ports along st and Northern Ireland, for n Belfast and Liverpool,’ it adds. ulphur limit would still, however, er vessels operating between eland — which is an EU member s on the UK mainland or Northern

22-23_brexit_SR edit.indd 23

Whatever the UK decides, the report says there will be significant effects on trading patterns. If the UK rules are relaxed, there could be a potential for the UK’s west coast to attract more shipping and boost activity in ports like Liverpool and Bristol, which could develop existing container and breakbulk hubs. Gibraltar could also continue to build on its unique position in fuel supply, the analysis suggests.

The uncertainty will also affect shipping company decisions on whether they should install scrubbers in time for 2020, or if the UK will allow them to use higher sulphur fuels in UK waters until 2025.

members showed that there would be no hasty decisions. ‘The watchword is that they are going to do nothing in a hurry,’ he stressed.

‘I don’t think we are in a crisis by any stretch of the imagination, but it is beholdent on us as an industry to take stock and maximise the possibilities.’

With shipping moving 95% of the UK’s international trade, the prospect of new trade deals with other countries could create opportunities for British owners, Mr Platten suggested. The Chamber is strongly for free trade, he added, and has urged the government to set up a new Free Trade Commission, to develop new trading ties around the world.

The owners have also stressed the need for the government to ensure that UK visa and work permit arrangements reflect shipping’s global workforce. ‘It’s not about stealing people’s jobs,’ Mr Platten said. ‘Many shipping companies are international and they will just relocate if things are made too difficult. We do want open and free movement, but we are not trying to get rid of UK seafarers — we just need to be sure that people can be moved around in a global industry.’

The Chamber will also be seeking assurances about the future of the EU Navfor counter-piracy operations and continued collaboration by European naval forces to support merchant shipping in high-risk areas.

Mr Platten said he is optimistic about the future for British shipping and British seafarers. ‘We are, and always have been, an international industry and we are at the heart of trade and have an unprecedented opportunity to lobby government,’ he concluded. ‘We have a strong case to make and we need to work together to make sure our voice is heard.

‘We have got to be positive,’ he stressed. ‘It’s very easy to sow the seeds of discord, but this is when leaders have to step up and do our jobs.’

will trigger a 'Nexit' referendum.

The latest polls show a mixed picture — one said a narrow majority of 53% of Dutch voters are against holding a referendum on whether the Netherlands should stay in the European Union, while a poll by EenVandaag showed 54% wanting a referendum and 48% saying they would vote for a Nexit.

However, a DJV Insights poll showed that 36% want a referendum and 56% are against leaving the EU. A TNS Nipo poll said that 38% want a referendum and 51% are opposed to Nexit.

The UK is an important trading partner for the Netherlands — in terms of value-added export earnings, the second most important. There are concerns that a reduction in this trade as a result of Brexit could cut Dutch GDP by

Skyline of Rotterdam with the Dutch flag flying Picture: Thinkstock

up to 1.2% by 2030, with the food processing industry hit hardest.

Brexit also creates great uncertainty in the shipping industry — particularly container shipping.

An analysis by the consultancy Maritime Strategies International (MSI) warns of a long-term negative impact, even though the 5m TEU of UK container trade represents only

a small fraction of the total of 185m TEU. MSI says the likelihood of increased protectionist measures is a threat to trade across Europe and will eventually affect the shipping industry.

Ferries may also feel the effects.

More than 500 lorries are carried every day between Britain and the Netherlands, and there have been calls for the Dutch government to have early talks with the UK on future trade arrangements.

More than 11% of total trade through the port of Rotterdam is linked to the UK and while authorities there do not expect these volumes to be affected much by Brexit, they are also concerned about the possible impact of protectionist measures on the European single market.

There is also a lot of uncertainty for the Dutch fishing vessel fleet — a significant proportion of which is currently under the UK flag.

20/07/2016 16:18

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

MARITIME CAREERS

Time for a different direction A ship’s officer from South Tyneside has been on a two-year mission of mercy to help provide shipboard healthcare in Africa. SARAH ROBINSON heard how his voluntary work has changed lives…

M

Have you ever looked at the Mercy Ships ad in the Telegraph’s recruitment pages and wondered what it would be like to work on the Africa Mercy? Simon Purvis certainly did, but unlike most of us, he actually went to find out.

Simon is a junior deck officer from South Tyneside in NE England who trained with a local company, Pritchard-Gordon Tankers.

In the area where he grew up, seafaring is a fairly common career, and his father works in the industry as a draughtsman, designing and improving onboard equipment.

‘My parents were very supportive of me going to sea,’ remembers Simon. ‘They knew it was a great career with decent pay and travel opportunities.

Pritchard-Gordon were good to me, too — they encourage local school-leavers to apply for their cadetships, and they kept me on when I qualified as an officer of the watch, which is not something you get from every company.’

He was happy with his career choice, but after a year or two as third mate on a tanker, Simon started to feel that something was missing in his life. ‘It had a lot to do with me becoming a Christian around that time,’ he explains. ‘I needed to explore the world some more and find my purpose in life.’

The Mercy Ships charity appeared to offer much of what he was looking for. ‘Don’t get me

wrong, it’s absolutely fine to do a normal job for a commercial company and make a good living,’ he stresses. ‘I’ll be going back to that myself in future. But in 2014 I needed something different. After the ads in the Telegraph caught my eye, I found out more about Mercy Ships through people I knew and then applied to be a volunteer through their website.’

Mercy Ships offers free lifesaving surgeries onboard its hospital ship Africa Mercy, berthing for months at a time in countries where medical care is very limited. A crew of professional seafarers is needed to run the 16,572gt converted ferry — but as Simon discovered, their skills are often used in a different way from the average vessel. ‘You don’t do normal bridge work when the ship’s in port for 10 months — it’s all about maintenance and training,’ he explains.

M

Simon first joined the Africa Mercy two years ago as a third officer in Congo-Brazzaville, in the centralwestern part of sub-Saharan Africa. ‘The country was so beautiful and exciting,’ he remembers. ‘I think I fell in love with Africa there.’ He enjoyed working in the multinational crew, and soon became involved in Mercy Ships’ training scheme for African recruits working towards the STCW Able Seafarer deck and engine qualifications.

‘Wherever the Africa Mercy is

Simon Purvis at work on the Africa Mercy Picture: Mercy Ships

in port, local people are employed to come onboard as day workers, and if they are interested in pursuing a career at sea, some are invited to stay on as trainee ratings,’ he explains. ‘I got involved in shipboard safety training, which I found very rewarding.’

Simon himself — like most of the crew members from developed countries — was essentially working as a volunteer, although most of his living expenses were covered by the charity. Staff tend to be somewhere on a continuum between covering all their own costs and being paid employees of Mercy Ships, and Simon was initially supported financially by his parents and his church; but when he decided to stay with

Merchant Navy Officer Training Masters Orals 19 Sep 2016 7 Nov 2016 16 Jan 2017 24 April 2017 12 Jun 2017

Deck Rating to OOW 12 Sep 2016 28 Nov 2016 18 Apr 2017

Chief Mate 12 Sep 2016 9 Jan 2017 18 Apr 2017

Post FD to Chief Mate 5 Sep 2016 3 Oct 2016 30 Jan 2017 2 May 2017

Chief Engineer EK only Six week course Start anytime within date range below: 5 Sep to 24 Oct 2016 3 Jan to 13 Feb 2017 18 Apr to 5 June 2017

Post HND to Chief Mate 5 Sep 2016 2 Jan 2017 18 Apr 2017

Chief and Second Engineer Academics 12 Sep 2016 3 Jan 2017 18 Apr 2017

SQA Deck OOW Revision 19 Sep 2016 7 Nov 2016 16 Jan 2017 27 Feb 2017

Second Engineer EK only Six week course Start anytime within date range below: 5 Sep to 24 Oct 2016 3 Jan to 13 Feb 2017 18 Apr to 5 June 2017

“

”

Mercy Ships after a three-month trial, he joined the charity’s crew support scheme. Other maritime volunteers choose to cover their own costs by maintaining their paid jobs with commercial companies and joining Mercy Ships for short stints during their leave.

Having decided to continue as a Mercy Ships volunteer for an extended period, Simon made the most of the opportunities available. He travelled around Congo-Brazzaville during his time off work and joined some shore projects, including visiting local orphanages. He also took part in a scheme for crew members to befriend patients coming to the vessel for medical treat-

M

Meanwhile, he gained useful experience for his seafaring career, particularly when the Africa Mercy’s time in Congo-Brazzaville came to an end and he helped take the vessel to dry dock in the Canary Islands.

The next stop was a brief public relations visit to Cape Town in South Africa, after which the ship headed to Madagascar to resume medical services. At that point, Simon was delighted to be promoted to full time safety and training officer, responsible for signing the logbooks of the able seafarer trainees. ‘I loved the training work,’ he says. ‘I really felt I’d found my sense of purpose at last. The trainees would be sent to colleges ashore when necessary, but we could provide some courses onboard, such as crowd management.’

In the end, Simon stayed for

two years with Mercy Ships, and it was a rich, intense experience.

But there came a point earlier this year where he needed some quieter time to reflect on what he had learnt and think about what to do next. Currently he’s taking a few months out from seafaring to learn French on an intensive course in Brussels, pursuing a long-held ambition to be able to speak a foreign language. After this, he hopes to resume his a mainstream seafaring career, with an open mind about which sector to choose.

And one day, he is highly likely to return to the hospital charity, where his newly-acquired French will be an asset to his work in francophone West Africa. ‘I would recommend Mercy Ships to anyone,’ he says. ‘You do have to challenge yourself, but it’s really worth it.

You get to know the countries you visit so much better, and you make friends for life from all over the world. It’s amazing, lifechanging – I’ve no regrets at all.’ g For more information about the Mercy Ships charity, go to: www.mercyships.org g Current work opportunities are listed at apply.mercyships.org

OOW Deck Oral Prep 5 Sep 2016 21 Nov 2016 9 Jan 2017 23 Jan 2017 13 Feb 2017 18 Apr 2017 Rating to Engineer OOW 12 Sep 2016 4 Jan 2017 18 Apr 2017

www.stc.ac.uk w ww ww.s ww w.stc .stc.a .ac ac.uk .uk uk

/So SouthShieldsMarineSchool SouthShieldsMa dsMarine Marine eSSchool

Call Ca C alll us on: a o 019 01 427 0191 427 377 37 3 3772 772 2 or or E Em Email: ma m mail aiil: a l: na n nautical.studies@stc.ac.uk au utticcaall.sstu u udie ud esss@stc e @stc.a @st @ tc tcc..ac aac.u .uk ukk or o mm mme mmeng@stc.ac.uk men meng eng@ ng@stc.a g@stc.ac. c.ac.uk uk

@ssmarineschool @s @ssm hool

24_mercy ships_SR edit.indd Sec2:24

I loved the training work.

I had found my sense of purpose

ment. ‘It was good to be a part of the hospital side of things,’ he says. ‘You would meet people on the ward or in the recuperation centre and play a board game, or watch cartoons with the kids — you’d just try to make people smile.’

The Africa Mercy, the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship Picture: Steven McCurrach of www.airserv.co.za

20/07/2016 13:16

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME CAREERS

Participants in the MNTB seminar learned about shore-based roles when ‘hidden seafarers’ revealed themselves Picture: Fena Boyle

The world that awaits ashore c

Are mariners all at sea when it comes to seeking jobs ashore? Is there a need for some coordinating mechanism within the industry to guide them? Concern along these lines emerged last month during a Merchant Navy Training Board event called Hidden Seafarer: A celebration of maritime expertise in the City.

The event was staged in London as part of the annual Seafarers Awareness Week, and aimed to showcase some of the rewarding roles seafarers have adopted since taking up maritime-related jobs ashore.

MNTB head Glenys Jackson warmed up the proceedings by interviewing the first ‘hidden seafarer’ — Claire Womersley, who was hidden only in the sense that she no longer works at sea but in a maritime capacity as senior associate with Holman Fenwick Willan, a law firm in the City of London.

‘I always wanted to be a lawyer to start with, and I went to sea by accident,’ Ms Womersley admitted.

‘But when you do the master mariner training you do elements of law in that.’

Starting out as a deck cadet with P&O/Princess, she served at sea for nine years on passenger vessels and ro-ro freight ferries before gaining her master’s ticket: ‘Before I came ashore, I started studying law part-time, dragging law books up the gangway, and applied to a number of City firms,’ she explained.

In her current job, she is involved in all sorts of ‘wet-work’ litigation — including salvage, piracy and fires, and looking after the interests of the owners, insurers and salvors.

Ms Womersley says the most interesting part of her job is dealing with major casualties: ‘I will go out to the ship and hold the master’s hand through the initial stages of the casualty, helping to manage the scenario,’ she explained. ‘These days it can be very difficult — a lot of media interest and lots of different parties trying to get up the gangway and get hold of the master. It’s my job to stop them doing that.’

What she most misses about being at sea is the camaraderie, the practical side of it, and finishing a watch feeling she had done a good job keeping everybody safe: ‘But I like to go home at night.’

Initially, she recalled, there was no comparison

As part of its programme to promote careers at sea and beyond, the Merchant Navy Training Board held a special event to highlight the often hidden roles played by seafarers working in shore-based jobs.

MIKE GERBER listened in… with the salary levels she had enjoyed as a master mariner: ‘You can earn a lot of money at sea, and it’s tax-free. But in a job like mine, it’s more about playing the long game. Immediate salaries don’t compare, shipping salaries are better. But if you become a partner and stay in a firm for a long time, then you can eclipse what you earn at sea.’

Ms Jackson asked her whether she had made a smooth and easy transition to work ashore, and if it was easy finding out from the legal profession what she needed to do to make the move. ‘It’s a very different type of work from the watchkeeping schedule, a different lifestyle,’ Ms Womersley replied. ‘I hadn’t worked in an office before. There were a few things that helped me along the way: for instance, the Admiralty Solicitors’ Group is all the Admiralty lawyers in London, so I was able to go on their website and understand more what shipping lawyers do; and I used the Law Society website on how to become a lawyer. And people helped along the way.’

It is only when you come ashore, she continued, that you realise the full spectrum of what seafarers can do, how useful they can be: ‘When I was at sea, people didn’t really understand what the options were. But when you come into London in particular, it’s a maritime hub, you see such a plethora of seafarers doing so many different things and adding value. It’s just doing research and finding out what’s out there.’

What information is out there, however, from within the shipping industry to advise the seafarer pondering a move ashore? Very little, it seems, as emerged from a discussion that ensued in one of the Hidden Seafarer groups taking part in the event.

The hidden seafarer in this group identified himself as Charles Woodward — a retired ship master who spent 45 years at sea, the last 23 as a captain on large containerships on worldwide routes. He retired in 2013 and applied for a job as business director at the Marine Society & Sea Cadets. ‘They seemed to enjoy the fact that I had a lot of Merchant Navy experience,’ he recalls.

Capt Woodward believes that seafarers thinking of pursuing their careers ashore need far more guidance from the maritime sector: ‘Seafarers are very unaware of what is open to them,’ he added. ‘It’s only when you come ashore and enter the maritime community that you realise there’s so many different facets to it. I was lucky in that my wife was used to me being at sea and there was never any pressure on me to come and work ashore. A lot of people at sea do feel this pressure; they get married, children come along, so they come ashore. But there are various barriers to that — the salary is one, and not having the information, but not even knowing where to go for the information.’

c

One group member suggested that shoreside employers seeking ex-seafarers, such as law firms and insurance companies, should establish some sort of focal point for information about the opportunities on offer.

In another group, the hidden seafarer revealed herself as Fiona Stuart, who after a year with P&O as crewing manager on cruiseships, attained human resource qualifications and is now the Natural Environment Research Council’ s National Marine Facilities strategic resource manager — with a remit to

recruit, retain and train marine staff.

Another hidden seafarer was Kate Gillespie, who was at sea for eight years with Cunard’s cargo division. After graduating in BSc maritime studies, she turned down an offer to be Tilbury harbourmaster and opted instead for maritime education — teaching at South Tyneside College for 14 years before setting up her own company, KG Maritime.

‘I’m now strategy manager with the Maritime Educational Foundation and we have 160 cadets on our books at the moment,’ she explained. ‘I also write maritime e-learning courses and I deliver simulated training courses.’

c

Thomas Campbell, the hidden seafarer in another group, was offered a shore post with his present employer, Northern Marine Manning Services, much sooner than expected — shortly after completing his cadetship in 2012. He rapidly progressed to cadet training manager, with responsibility for 300 cadets across 12 countries, aligning the company’s expectations covering some 16 different training programmes.

‘Coming into a cadetship, we’re very specifically looking to train somebody our way, with our philosophies, our mind-set, in a manner that we’ve controlled,’ he explained. Now his remit has been expanded to include all fleet and academic training, up to master’s and chief engineer’s level, and STCW, and career mapping and planning for the company’s officers.

Andrew Kelly, who worked as a merchant seafarer on Shell tankers and in the electronic warfare branch of the Royal Navy, came ashore to initially work for a firm that produced electronic warfare equipment for the Ministry of Defence. He then joined the Department for Transport, where he has worked in various capacities for 28 years — the last five in the Maritime Directorate, with his particular area of expertise (trading liability) covering such things as sanctions, international conventions, EU regulation, overseas territories and Crown dependencies.

Asked about his career plan, he replied: ‘I didn’t have a path — I just chucked myself over the edge to see what happened.’

INTRODUCING THE...

MARITIME SKILLS ACADEMY With the expansion of our training facilities, the Maritime Skills Academy is now offering the following STCW Refresher Courses: • Updating Personal Survival Techniques • Updating Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting • Updating Advanced Fire Fighting

• Updating Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats • 4 Day Combination Refresher Package (PST, FP&FF, AFF, PSC&RB)

For a full list of course availability visit us at maritimeskillsacademy.com or give us a call.

MARITIME SKILLS ACADEMY

25_hidden_SR edit.indd 25

www.maritimeskillsacademy.com +44(0)300 303 8393 shortcourses@vikingrecruitment.com

We are currently seeking additional Training Consultants to join our expanding team. We are offering the right candidates a great package.

20/07/2016 15:46

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

MARITIME BUSINESS

The best place to invest With ambitious plans underway to regenerate the port of Liverpool, the city was an appropriate venue for a new event aimed at boosting investment in the UK’s maritime sector…

a

More than a year in the planning, National Maritime’s first Investinblue conference attracted thousands of visitors to Liverpool’s Exhibition Centre for a two-day event showcasing major developments in the maritime sector.

Organised with the aim of encouraging businesses from all over the world to invest in the UK’s maritime infrastructure and expertise, the event also heard from figures such as UK Chamber of Shipping chief executive Guy Platten and government minister Anna Soubry.

Welcoming guests to their event was National Maritime’s chief executive Peter Green. He said Investinblue aimed to highlight the importance of engaging the diverse sections of the industry with each other — ‘to take on the challenge of ensuring that the UK remains a global maritime power’.

‘We’re an island nation and a maritime nation,’ Peter told the Telegraph after the event. ‘Around 90% to 95% of all goods come into the country, so we’re hugely dependent on the industry.

‘At National Maritime, we call it the maritime connection. This is the whole collaboration. You could work in Lloyds of London — in the invisible trade — you could work on the River Thames, you could work in a port, you could work in renewables.

It’s so diverse. If we showcase as a total you can get people interested in the industry.

This sector is critical to the UK economy, and we must do all we can to grow it

“

”

UK business minister Anna Soubry ‘Collectively, when you’ve got £56bn GDP, it’s big. We’re talking about a sector here that’s twice the size of aerospace,’ he pointed out. ‘The events that we do — such as Investinblue — showcase the industry in the UK, the opportunities for investment and how people can support the supply chain.

‘We put on this two-day programme to showcase the industry and target those in the UK and those overseas investors,’ he explained. ‘It was a hugely successful event. We were sold out on both days. In terms of the exhibition we had 350 people in total over the two days and we had over 6,000 people in the marketplace with exhibitors.’

Those figures show just how seriously people within the industry — both at home and abroad — consider the UK maritime sector. Over the two days, 27 international companies sent representatives from across Europe and from further afield, including the likes of Brazil, the UAE and China.

Peter’s emphatic view of the industry’s potential was echoed by the various speakers. On day one, Guy Platten emphasised the need for the UK to seize the opportunity for growth in the global marketplace by continuing to champion the country’s world-class maritime services, and to be optimistic in its pursuit of growth.

26_invest in blue_SR edit.indd Sec2:26

Investinblue speakers: Rt Hon Anna Soubry, minister of state for small business, industry and enterprise; Peter Green, CEO of National Maritime; Sezen Zeki, managing director of Jobs in Maritime Picture: Rob Nixon, Boutique TV Ltd

a

Roger Bailey, the asset management director of Thames Tideway — or the ‘super sewer’, as it’s affectionately known — gave an insight into his project, which will see a total of 4.2m tonnes of materials being moved by river during its construction.

Tideway was a fine example of a left-field talk to the delegates. Whilst many would have been aware of the construction project, they may not have seen it as having as large an impact on the maritime sector as it will do.

Day two would prove to be just as well received.

Opening up was Wirral Council leader Phil Davies, who gave the attendees a flavour of the importance of the maritime sector to Liverpool.

‘The Liverpool city region now has the UK’s largest concentration of companies and services to support the maritime sector,’ he pointed out.

‘Ranging from professional services such as insurance and marine finance, through technical disciplines such as hydrology and vessel design, to the manufacturing of vessels and key components and then to operations and maintenance, this is

one of very few places in the whole of Europe that have the full spectrum of capabilities.

‘The marine sector is growing across the UK, but in the Liverpool city region particularly it underpins our future,’ he added. ‘As Merseysiders, we have the maritime industry in our DNA.’ That local flavour continued with Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports, who spoke about Liverpool’s illustrious history and what the future held for the port with the development of a new £300m deepwater container terminal called Liverpool2.

David Jones, the project director of Marine Energy Pembrokeshire, continued the session with a talk about new ways to harness tidal power and the marine renewable opportunities around Wales; whilst entrepreneur Andy White, chief executive and managing director of CTruk Group, spoke about reinvigorating the boatbuilding industry.

Kevin Forshaw, associate director for innovation and enterprise with National Oceanography, also spoke in-depth about the issues surrounding marine science.

a

Breaking up those discussions, however, was the headline speaker of the day. Business minister Anna Soubry delivered a rousing speech lauding the work being done in the British maritime sector and urging international businesses to invest in UK expertise.

‘From headline-hitting polar research ships to vast offshore wind farms, the UK’s marine and maritime sector boosts the economy and creates jobs across the country,’ she said. ‘Investinblue is a great opportunity to encourage businesses from all over the world to invest in the UK’s world-leading infrastructure and expertise.

‘This festival is all about trade, and we know that 95% of the volume of trade passes through Great British ports, and fabulous cities like Liverpool were built because of their access to the sea. This is a sector that is absolutely critical to the British economy and we need to make sure we do all we can to grow it,’ she added.

National Maritime hopes that Investinblue may become an annual event that will bring together marine-based organisations for the continued prosperity of the sector.

‘The event reflected the growing recognition that, as an island nation, the UK maritime sector is vital to the future growth of the UK economy and that is ideally placed to utilise this growth, benefiting from, and responding to, regional, national, and international infrastructure,’ Peter said.

‘At National Maritime, we’re a business engagement group. We have two priorities. Firstly the supply chain. How do we get businesses in better shape to do business, how they do business and looking at business opportunities. Our second priority is the regeneration of coastal and historic communities.

‘We’ve had nothing but positive comments from delegates and the speakers and organisations who attended,’ he added. ‘One of the criticisms we had when we laid it out was that this is so diverse; why should I attend? The point is that they are all connected and they can all achieve the same goal if they work together.’

g For more information about National Maritime The Investinblue ‘marketplace’ Picture: Rob Nixon, Boutique TV Ltd

and Investinblue, visit: www.nationalmaritimedevelopmentgroup.com

20/07/2016 13:17

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

GREENER SHIPPING

Fast track future for clean ships A new shipboard system aims to make it easier for the authorities to check that ships are complying with emission control regulations. STEVEN KENNEDY heard how the package will allow inspectors to focus on the bad guys…

J

It’s said that if we put shipping emissions on the list of the world’s biggest polluters by country, shipping would be the seventh largest country.

With around 90% of global trade moved by sea, the need to reduce harmful emissions generated by the industry is clear. But despite increasingly tough regulatory requirements, there are still some shipowners who have not taken — or in some cases will not take — action to reduce emissions that affect both the environment and the health of the crews serving on their vessels.

But one UK company is seeking to address the emissions problem in a positive way. Anita Bradshaw, chief operating officer for Oxfordbased Green Sea Guard, told Liverpool’s Investinblue conference of a new product that could revolutionise the shipping industry.

The new product — currently called SEEC — is designed to be installed on ships and monitor their engine outputs for harmful emissions. It would allow shipowners to provide data collected from their engines to regulators and help the authorities to concentrate their efforts on non-compliant ships.

‘We’ve been through a number of prototypes over the three years we’ve been working on the project, because although it’s existing technology, putting it in a marine environment is very testing,’ Anita explained. ‘I’ve met a number of companies who have tried – and failed – to do this using technology that’s used in factories and power stations up and down the country.

‘We’ve been testing with a reg-

ulator watching,’ she added. ‘The whole package of our system is not just to tell the ship operators what’s happening but to allow the regulators to log into our system and actually see the level of toxic emissions that are coming out, and how much CO2 and carbon monoxide is being generated too.

‘We’ve managed to adapt the technology, so we’ve been very lucky or perhaps very clever — I’m not sure which — to get through the testing stage,’ Anita said.

‘We have invoiced our first sale already and shipped our first unit at the start of July.’

According to a report from the International Chamber of Shipping, the global shipping industry is firmly on track to reduce its CO2 emissions per tonnekilometre by more than 20% by 2020. The world fleet produced about 2.2% of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during 2012, compared with 2.8% in 2007.

Despite this, a significant number of owners are still failing to make the required amendments to their vessels and, without a standard monitoring system in place, port state control authorities are having to make random spot checks.

This means that compliant vessels are being held up while checks take place — costing good operators time and money, whilst non-compliant vessels may evade detection.

‘This product monitors the ship’s emissions,’ Anita explained.

‘It’s important because the MARPOL agreement came into effect at the start of last year. We know that some ships have been pulled

Anita Bradshaw, chief operating officer for Oxford-based Green Sea Guard

27_emissions_SR edit.indd 27

over and fined because of their toxic emissions. But the Maritime & Coastguard Agency really hasn’t had any sort of automated method of tracking emissions at all, so it means that they have to choose ships at random — and that means they are as likely to spend time on a compliant ship as they are on a non-compliant one.

‘Our product is targeted at the compliant ship operator who doesn’t want his ship sitting around in port while the Agency trawls all over their tank,’ she added. ‘It’s the equivalent of the French motorway device that you put in your windscreen that lets you go straight through the motorway toll whilst everybody else is fishing for their Euros.’

Anita hopes that the industry will see the benefits of having such systems installed onboard.

Despite an initial cost to shipping companies, the long-term benefits should see operators recouping their investment over time, she pointed out. ‘This product will cost, but it’s minimal compared with the cost of being caught as non-compliant.’

Too many illegally-polluting vessels are still evading detection by port state control

and this product monitors both CO2 and CO. The trouble is that once a person has been exposed to CO, it literally takes months for their blood to get back to normal.

It’s a cumulative poison.

‘We’re also monitoring all sorts of sulphur that come out of the ship. It’s not just sulphur dioxide which is very toxic,’ she pointed out. ‘We also measure nitrogen compounds. If you have a very efficient engine you can produce nitrous oxide, which is not a good thing to be putting out.’

With testing complete, the device is ready for wholesale implementation, and Anita says that one shipping company has already placed an order for the device to be installed on its vessels, whilst a number of port authorities have made initial enquiries.

But she knows that more work needs to be done if the product is to become an industry-wide

The system will be more effective than sniffer drones or random spot checks

“

”

Green Sea Guard COO Anita Bradshaw

norm. ‘We think preventative maintenance and the whole control mechanism can help protect your ship and the whole environment of the engine,’ she said.

‘We know that a lot of companies are very interested. There are a lot of compliant shipowners out there who really wondered

why they bothered making themselves compliant because they end up sitting in port for huge time periods. This is our way of contributing to the whole compliance environment.

‘At the moment we’re narrowing down the odds to allow the agencies to catch those who are not compliant: we’re levelling the playing field. There are a lot of shipowners that have gone public about needing to level the playing field and we’re providing the means to do that.

‘We’ve already had one company make an order and we’ve also had interest from our first port authority. Local pollution to an area around a port is hugely important. People are acutely aware that cars have to meet the correct emissions standards, but up until this there really hasn’t been anything with any teeth that limits the extent of marine pollution.’

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COLLEGE PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY

J

While some authorities are using airborne drones to ‘sniff’ out non-compliant ships, Anita says Green Sea Guard’s onboard monitor offers a number of advantages. Questions have been raised about the reliability of drones as monitoring mechanisms, she noted, as it is very difficult to get an accurate reading from a sniffer mounted on a drone.

‘Sniffers are very much dependent on the wind direction, but our product can give a much more accurate reading,’ she said.

Data from the system can be provided in real time or on a historic basis, enabling authorities to make simple and effective checks on compliance.

As well as monitoring a ship’s GHG output, the device also monitors gases that are harmful for crew members. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) — a colourless, odourless gas that is difficult for people to detect and which can lead to cardiovascular problems over time — are just two of the engine by-products that Green Sea Guard’s product will also monitor.

‘There is an enormous amount of interest in all carbon compounds that come out of a ship,’ explained Anita. ‘CO2 is a big part of the carbon footprint of the ship

Distance learning BSc and MSc degrees Study part-time ashore or afloat Fast track study route using your professional experience Enhance your career opportunities WWW.MLA-UK.COM

20/07/2016 17:29

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

MEMBERS AT WORK

A career worth remembering Cap Captain Frank LeMessurier has been a Nautilus member for over seven decades — through his war service, his years on the Channel ferries, de hhis deepsea command, his time as a Trinity House pilot and his rretirement. He tells SARAH ROBINSON how his Merchant Navy career has shaped his life…

K

Captain Frank LeMessurier is proud to wear the Nautilus 40-year lapel pin alongside his many campaign medals Picture: Nick LeMessurier

‘When the Union men came onboard our ship, there were a ffew awkward customers grumbling “you er never do anything for ne us,” but I thought it made sense to join because of the sens pension and the help in pensi of trouble.’ times o Sound familiar? Like many Soun Frank LeMessurier was of us, F ardent trade unionist when no arden he signed his joining form in 1944, but the old NEOU must 1944 have been doing something right, because he stuck with the Union

Course Partners

Academic and professional development distance learning courses In-company development by instructor led training and distance learning

MBA Shipping and Logistics PG Diploma / LL.M. International Maritime Law PG Diploma Maritime Energy PG Diploma Marine Insurance Diploma in Crew Management and Agency Diploma in Marine Engineering Diploma in Marine Surveying Diploma in Maritime Business Management Diploma in Maritime Safety Law Diploma in Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals Shipping Diploma in Ship Management Diploma in Ship Superintendency Diploma in Shipping Commercial Management

â lma@informa.com

&HUWLêFDWH LQ &DUJR 6XUYH\LQJ &HUWLêFDWH LQ 'U\GRFN 3ODQQLQJ DQG 0DQDJHPHQW &HUWLêFDWH LQ .3,V IRU 6KLSSLQJ &HUWLêFDWH LQ 0DULQH 3ROOXWLRQ 3UHYHQWLRQ DQG 0DQDJHPHQW &HUWLêFDWH LQ 0DULWLPH &RGHV DQG &RQYHQWLRQV &HUWLêFDWH LQ 0DULWLPH (QYLURQPHQWDO 0DQDJHPHQW &HUWLêFDWH LQ 0DULWLPH /DZ DQG 6KLSSLQJ &RQWUDFWV &HUWLêFDWH LQ 6KLS 5HSDLU &RQWUDFW 0DQDJHPHQW &HUWLêFDWH LQ 6XSSO\ &KDLQ 0DQDJHPHQW &HUWLêFDWH LQ 7UDGH DQG 7UDQVSRUW /DZ

Please quote VIP Code: AADLMA151

and many more...

«

+44 (0)20 7551 9218 +1 (646) 957 8929

Full course listing: www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com/ntdlm Lloyd’s and the Lloyd’s Crest are the registered trademarks of the Society incorporated by the Lloyd’s Act 1871 by the name of “Lloyd’s”.

28-29_lemessurier_SR edit.indd 28

through its years as the MNAOA and NUMAST, and is still a Nautilus member today, over 70 years later.

Young Frank could have been forgiven for thinking there wasn’t much point in planning for the future, given that he first went to sea during the perilous years of the Second World War. But he was set on a career as a ship’s officer, and if that meant having to start out in the notoriously dangerous supply convoys, then so be it.

‘My cousin De Garis was a master with Clan Line before the war,’ he explains. ‘I thought the travel sounded so exciting. Back at home in Guernsey, my mother used to follow the progress of his ship around the world by heading down the library each week to read Lloyd’s List.’

By the age of 13, Frank had gained his own experience of shipboard life; first on a school trip to Norway with British India’s Dunera, and then when he was evacuated from Guernsey to the UK mainland, along with most of the island’s other children.

He ended up with a host family in Oldham, NW England, and completed his studies there at a local school. This turned out to be slightly problematic when he tried to join the Merchant Navy in 1943, as in those days most applicants for cadetships had attended specialist nautical secondary schools such as Conway or Pangbourne. ‘I applied to 21 leading companies but was turned down because I hadn’t been to sea school,’ he recalls. ‘Thankfully Australind took me in the end — and even paid for my uniform.’

Frank’s first vessel as a 17-yearold trainee officer was the Australind cargoship Kaimata. He was in the crew when the ship was attacked by German Stuka dive bombers in the Mediterranean, but says he and his shipmates did not qualify for the Mediterranean Star UK veterans’ badge — a source of some exasperation. ‘I have the Atlantic and Pacific Stars because of where I served in the war, but the government says it will only give Mediterranean Stars for service between particular dates. It’s as if we weren’t there.’

Although it still rankles that his war service has not been fully recognised, Frank did at least gain valuable seafaring skills during the conflict, which stood him in good stead for his peacetime career as a Merchant Navy officer.

He studied for his Officer of the

Frank’s Master’s certificate, awarded in August 1954.

He would take his first command 20 years later

Watch certificate at Warsash nautical college, where he initially found himself at a slight disadvantage compared to classmates who had attended maritime secondary schools. However, his aptitude for the work meant that he soon caught up.

K

As a junior officer, he continued to work deepsea for Australind, but like many seafarers, he started to think about working closer to home on shorter tours once he got married, at the age of 26. ‘I met Edith at a dance on Guernsey,’ he remembers fondly. ‘We had lots of dances there after the liberation.’

I applied to 21 leading companies before finally being taken as a cadet by Australind

“

”

Armed by then with his master’s certificate, Frank applied for a job on the British Railways ferries running between Southampton, the Channel Islands and France, and he moved his young family to the south coast of England. In 1964, that route was discontinued and he was made redundant. Fortunately, he was able to transfer to a new post with the same company’s cross-channel services operating out of Dover — a move, he says, that was largely made possible by MNAOA negotiations, and for which he

remains grateful to the Union.

Working between Dover, Calais, Boulogne and Zeebrugge added to his existing knowledge of the English Channel, and he became interested in applying to be a Trinity House deepsea pilot.

But to win this prestigious job, he would first need to gain at least three years’ experience in command deepsea, so in 1974 he joined the Nigerian National Shipping Line. His first command was the Oranyan, which plied its trade between Europe and West Africa, visiting Dakar, Abidjan, Takaradi, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Douala. Cargoes heading south included televisions, cars and cement, and on the return leg there would likely be vegetable oils, cocoa beans, sawn timber and logs.

Frank ended up working for five years on these routes, and acknowledges it was quite a tough period for his family. He could be away for up to five months at a time, and he and Edith could only communicate using the rather shaky postal service. He also endured an attack on his ship when anchored off Ghana, when pirates boarded with knives and put one of his crew members in hospital.

Thankfully, it was (mostly) worth it, as he then passed the notoriously challenging Trinity House oral exam with flying colours and achieved his ambition of becoming a deepsea pilot. ‘My duties were to board foreign ships, generally at Cherbourg or Brixham in south Devon, and take them up through the Channel and through the Dover Strait to their Channel or North Sea ports. In the case of containerships, car carriers or tankers, which require a fast discharge or load, we generally remained with them for the return trip before landing at Brixham and going home.’

20/07/2016 15:15

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MEMBERS AT WORK

Above: the Kaimata, Frank’s first ship as a cadet Top right: The Oranyan, which in 1974 was Frank’s first command

In mess kit while serving on the liner Orcades, which operated on the route to Australia

K

By 1989, Captain Frank LeMessurier had guided 259 ships safely through the busy waters of the English Channel, and had more than earned a happy retirement on the island where he was born. He has pursued many interests since his return to Guernsey, where he is a member of the Methodist church and the Masonic Mariners’ Lodge, and enjoys sequence dancing.

Sadly, Edith died in 2009, but Frank has stayed busy and productive, and has recently become part of the movement to revive Guernsey French, which was his native language as a child. ‘It was useful for the people who lived under the Nazi occupation,’ he recalls, ‘because they could speak the dialect among themselves and the Germans couldn’t under-

stand. But when all of us children were evacuated, we didn’t use it any more and the younger ones, especially, forgot it. I didn’t completely lose it, but I became rusty because I lived and worked away from the island for so long.’

Now there is a concerted effort by the island’s government and residents to get Guernsey French speakers like Frank to remember what they once knew and pass it onto a new generation. ‘We go to Speed Patois,’ he smiles. Held monthly in local cafes or pubs, Speed Patois sessions are open to everyone interested in the language, from native speakers to complete beginners, and a timer system borrowed from speed dating is used to keep the participants moving around the room and talking to each other.

And of course, alongside all his other activities, Frank has never let his Union membership lapse, becoming an associate member when he retired. He is proud to wear his 40-year gold lapel pin — the Nautilus award for longstanding members — and is a keen reader of his Union newspaper. Regular Telegraph readers may even have spotted his distinctive surname in the letters pages from time to time.

K

Having kept abreast of all the changes to the shipping industry in the last few decades, what would he say to someone considering a career at sea today? A good tip is always to think a couple of steps ahead, he notes, which is something he did himself when he took an interim job to gain the experience needed to become a Trinity House pilot.

‘Do stay at sea until you get your Master’s,’ he advises, ‘and consider going for Extra Master’s if it will be helpful for future jobs ashore.

‘I still think it’s a good career,’ he adds thoughtfully, ‘but it’s certainly different to the old days. It used to be that if you didn’t stay with one company for a long time, you were no good, but it’s the opposite now!’

Employers may not set as much store by long service as they used to, but Nautilus is very proud to have loyal members like Frank LeMessurier, and hopes to make many more awards of the 40-year pin in the years to come — even for those who started out as awkward customers. g Additional reporting by Nick LeMessurier. g Nautilus is keen to ensure all candidates for the 40-year pin

Young Frank, embarking on his Merchant Navy career

Captain Frank LeMessurier, master of the Oranyan

award are identified and thanked for their long service. If you have over 40 years’ unbroken membership of Nautilus and its predecessor unions, or know this to be the case for a friend or relative, please contact Karen Jones on +44

(0)151 639 8454 or at 40YearPins@ nautilusint.org. g A timeline of the Union’s history, dating back to 1857, can be found in the Who we are section of the Nautilus website: ww.nautilusint.org.

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 Frank and Edith on their wedding day, 4 June 1952

28-29_lemessurier_SR edit.indd 29

20/07/2016 15:15

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult

50 YEARS AGO

Dredging’s house magazine The F Sandpiper paid warm tribute to one of its

The MNAOA and the MMSA have made strong joint representations to the British shipowners’ organisation over proposals to reduce the strength of navigational watches. The MNAOA and MMSA expressed concern about the safety aspect of operating ships with only one rating in a watch where automatic steering devices are in operation. The Associations also drew attention to the importance of a constant lookout being maintained during hours of darkness. At no time should the OOW be left alone on the bridge while relief watches are being called, ventilators trimmed, etc.

The Shipping Federation agreed to advise its members that adequate arrangements must be put in place to ensure that the bridge lookout is not impaired if a rating is required for any duty during the hours of darkness MN Journal, August 1966

The 1973 Christmas edition of British

former ships, Camerton: ‘Should you be fortunate enough to take a holiday in Greece in future years, you may be surprised to bump into an old friend. The SS Camerton left British Dredging Service in early November, and is now working as a sand dredger in the waters around Greece.

‘She was the last steam dredger in the British Dredging fleet, and was built in 1950 at Troon. An 800 ton cargo vessel, she was affectionately known as “Smokey Joe” in the Bristol Channel.

‘We are not sure whether there is any truth in it, but the story has it that flights into Rhoose [airport] took bearings from Camerton as they came over the Channel’ The modern sand dredger of today is a sophisticated and hi-tech vessel, equipped with electronics for locating and loading aggregates, and employing bridge control for both loading and discharging. This marks the leading edge of an industry which, in the Bristol Channel, was first pioneered in 1912.

The first sand dredging companies on the Welsh side of the Bristol Channel were initially based in Cardiff. Early successes spawned short-lived one-ship operations, but the principal players from both Wales and England were represented in the 1930s under a management company titled British Dredging. Further development meant that all South Wales ports could be served on a regular basis by dedicated sand dredging companies. Every ton of aggregate dredged and landed attracted a royalty payable to the Crown. Prime areas were in the upper Bristol Channel and near the Holm islands; also at Nash Sands and later at Helwick shoal.

Many of the early dredgers were elderly steam coasters which were economical to purchase and convert, and it was not until the approach of WW2 that modernisation began. In its wake vast quantities of aggregate were needed to support re-building work in the cities of South Wales, prompting dredger owners to expand their fleets to answer demand.

During the First World War local dredgers supplied many thousands of tons of sand to ballast war transport ships engaged in ferrying troops and munitions to France. In the Second World War they additionally aided in the production of sandbags and supply of

25 YEARS AGO Picture: from the collection of Commander Peter Tambling

Camerton: the last steam dredger in the British fleet materials for building airfields and factories supplying war goods.

Bristol Channel dredgers suffered casualties and fatalities in the war, whether through air raids, or mines. In 1940, Durdham had sailed from Cardiff to load at the Holms, and was lost with all hands from a magnetic mine. A few months later Skarv suffered a similar fate en route to Nash Sands. The names of the crews are remembered on the Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hill.

Aggregate dredging is a dangerous process.

A key concern is the loss of stability before and during loading, when the dredger is de-ballasted and loaded with a fluid cargo. In 1965, the Cardiff-owned Bowqueen capsized and sank whilst dredging in gale-force conditions off Walton-on-the-Naze, with the loss of four of her crew. She was, however, raised, repaired and placed back into service.

The Bristol Channel, with its extreme tidal range, is a challenge for all vessels, not least the sand dredgers which routinely operate on the sand banks themselves and utilise tide times and rapid tidal streams to their advantage in sailing to and from the discharge ports.

Camerton has been described as a purpose-built, raised quarter-deck sand

suction dredger with coasting capability.

When new, she was the company ‘flagship’, used by the owner as a personal yacht to entertain businessmen and friends on day trips. She was built to contribute to the postwar redevelopment of Bristol in the wake of extensive damage from bombing. An unusual function for Camerton utilised a large storage tank which was filled with clean seawater when loading down-channel where the water was clean of mud. This seawater was sold to Bristol Zoo for use in the polar bear, penguin and sea lion enclosures.

In the 1960s the ship transferred to Bristol Dredging from her first owners, Bristol Sand & Gravel. Rising fuel costs and oil shortages led to her sale to Greek owners in 1973 and was renamed Archonto.

On departure she was replaced by Bowline, purpose-built at a Dutch yard and which was the first such motor sand dredger, designed successfully around the Dutch motor-coaster model. However, The Sandpiper’s cheery prediction of a lengthy career in Greek waters did not come to pass: the former Camerton was scrapped at Lavrion in Greece the following year. g With thanks to Peter Gosson and Peter Tambling.

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book Polar Mariner: Beyond the limits in Antarctica by Captain Tom Woodfield (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.

Closing date is Friday 12 August 2016.

QUICK CLUES

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

1.

4.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

18.

20.

23.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

Across Potato slices (6) Sword container (8) Hot drink (9) Flower part (5) Nuclear programme (7) Single performer (7) Thing inserted (5) Water level (4,4) Left without (8) Artificial material (5) Anatomical part (7) Formal wear (7) Argentinian figure (5) Rock researcher (9) Livestock carer (8) Go up (6)

1.

2.

3.

5.

6.

7.

Down Mixed drink (8) Piano keys (7) Guardian (9) Flavour of 1 across (6,3,5) Herb (5) Practical (7)

NUMAST has expressed concern about an incident in which a member’s ship was intercepted and boarded by the US Coast Guard while in international waters. The vessel was searched by armed Coast Guard officers while on a ballast passage across the Caribbean and, although claimed to be searching for drugs and stowaways, the USCG personnel examined all the crew passports, all certificates and navigational equipment. Following a complaint about the incident from the ship’s British master, NUMAST is taking the issue up with diplomatic authorities in the UK and the ship’s flag state. Just over 10 years ago, the MMSA Council opposed a US government approach to the UK seeking an ‘understanding’ over interceptions , raising concern about the inherent dangers of intercepting large vessels and the differing application of US law in various states The Telegraph, August 1991

10 YEARS AGO NUMAST has urged the Department for Transport to investigate a ‘scandalous’ case in which foreign seafarers on a UK-flagged offshore support vessel have been working in appalling conditions and paid the equivalent of just £1.40 an hour. The Union lodged complaints after an inspection of the Cyprus-owned standby vessel Rona found problems including excessive working hours, no safety gear, poor food supplies, bedding and toiletries not provided, and crew not permitted to switch on lighting at night. NUMAST said the case underlined the need for the government to take more effective action to control the conditions of foreign seafarers serving on UK-registered vessels The Telegraph, August 2006

THEQUIZ 1

2 3

4

Panama is the world’s biggest ship registry. Which country’s owners have the largest number of ships under the flag?

The current holder of the Hales Trophy for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic is the high-speed craft Cat-Link V. What was the vessel’s average speed for the voyage?

5

What is the busiest container port in South America?

What is the total TEU capacity of the world containership fleet?

6

Which US port detained the most foreign ships last year?

What is the average age of a cruiseship passenger?

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

8.

9.

16.

17.

19.

21.

22.

24.

Widen (6) Flavour of 1 across (4,3,7) Resolute (9) Risked funding (8) Sanction (7) Crisscross frame (7) College grounds (6) Part of year (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

4.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Across Gibbet lacking a thousand permits ... (6) ... but after painkiller it’s hopeful (8) Ballgame or piece for piano, it is not important (9) Sounds like I will shortly make way for the bride (5) Raised by surprise and located overseer we hear (7) Docking third of rugby score ahead of Webb’s Cup gets support (7) Get train but it could be cold (5)

Membership No.:

15. Not a patch on the smoked version (8) 18. Jaw broken in Bedlam (8) 20. Out of practice on metal preservation (5) 23. Bother to find amongst expert 24 planners (7) 25. Don’t drink and/or vote (7) 26. ‘Mum, mum, He that keeps nor crust nor ---, Weary of all, shall want some’ (King Lear) (5) 27. They stop drifting when Civil War general gets on (9) 28. Undress wildly, having taken ecstasy — such vulgarity (8) 29. A tutor is making a name for himself in Greek mythology (6)

Down Morning and all well in France, with Anglicans adding to atmosphere (8) 2. Support for walker from others after one stage of the race (3,4) 1.

3. No watching after tea, shrewd arrangement (9) 5. For keeping glasses in display then detectives take them on (9,5) 6. Public persona that is surrounding brief publication (5) 7. Blood product Luis mixed in tavern (7) 8. See rag spread lubricant (6) 9. Children’s pastime forever in song (7,7) 16. Beginning to separate grain of certain age (9) 17. Unusually shy, in ops it leaves one semi-conscious (8) 19. Silver and drinks for the group, maybe on the rocks (7) 21. Noah’s turned up holding Rolls Royce badge for her (7) 22. Tube, where the orbital station is, right (6) 24. A burn of sorts, in city limits (5) J Crossword answers are on page 42.

20/07/2016 15:47

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

The hidden meaning in your family album Tracing your Seafaring Ancestors

By Dr Simon Wills Pen & Sword, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14738 34330

f Reviewed by Chris Woods and photographer, I was delighted to have K the opportunity to review this book. Dr Wills has As a retired mariner, amateur genealogist

brought to life an important and interesting aspect of UK family research, showing us how to look in detail for clues to interpret old photographs of salty ancestors.

It also makes a useful general guide for ‘reading’ old family photos. While much of the book is rightly about merchant mariners, plus Royal Navy personnel (including its Fleet Air Arm and various support and voluntary groups), he has included other British seafarers such as pilots, fisher folk, those in the lifeboat service, coastguards, a few passengers, and civilians

Navigation aids shed new light on nature A Natural History of Lighthouses

By John A. Love Whittles Publishing, £30 ISBN: 978 18499 51548 unspoilt locations, it’s little K wonder that lighthouses provide a

Given their often remote and

remarkable resource for observing birds and marine life — and perhaps little surprise that lighthouse keepers made a huge contribution to the early study of bird migration in Britain and Ireland.

One might expect from this book’s title that it will regale the reader with stories about the flora and fauna surrounding lighthouses, and the glories of the sites in which they were built. But it’s much more than that — serving as a history of (mainly UK) lighthouse development and also as a collection of great stories about the life of the keepers, as well as references to the work of lightships and their crews.

There is a strong focus on Scottish lighthouses and also on the work of the Stevenson dynasty in helping to create so many of the navigational aids around the country — with the author being keen to remind us of the inherent perils of

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

wearing seamen’s costumes.

The real benefit of this book is to be found in the many photographs which he takes time to explore individually. I count 147 separate photos, including 37 Merchant Navy, 36 RN, 16 Royal Marines, four RN Air Service, 14 RNR/RNVR, five RN Division, six of Wrens, as well as various fishermen and their wives, lifeboatmen, yachtsmen, a pilot group, some passengers and a coastguard group. An impressive collection — but because of the early high cost of photographs most of the older photos are of officers, although there are a few seamen from as early as 1858.

Some larger mercantile companies, in particular the liners, would provide their crews with Royal Navy style uniforms, and the author shows us how to spot the difference between the two services.

He goes into great depth exploring the small details in photographs which help to determine the type of mariners involved and how to differentiate between a seaman who could appear to be either MN or RN when no clues such as badges are visible.

British waters and of the remarkable challenges faced by the lighthouse builders.

The book doesn’t follow a conventional chronological narrative and the chapters chop and change in their contents — the very early history of British lighthouses doesn’t feature until page 54, for instance.

However, it offers fascinating reading. From the tales of horrendous ‘bird strikes’ on lighthouses to the mysterious disappearance of keepers, from attacks by German bombers to dramatic rescues, there are plenty of marvellous stories here.

This well-produced book also contains some terrific photography — not just of lighthouses and their dramatic locations, but also some historic images and, of course, some of the wildlife surrounding them.

It concludes by reflecting on the continuing contribution of lighthouses to safety at sea — quoting an Orkney ferry master: ‘This GPS tells me where it thinks I am, that lighthouse tells me where I know I am’ — and of their continuing role in supporting naturalists in their studies of wildlife.

Unmissable tribute to the glamour of Med cruises Great Mediterranean Passenger Ships

By William H. Miller The History Press, £19.99 ISBN: 978 07509 63084 fwww.thehistorypress.co.uk carries a vision of romanticism K and luxury.

The Mediterranean cruise still

Whilst it may not be quite what it once was, the idea of lounging on

Several photos have inserts giving more detail of things such as badges, and there are also some useful illustrations of company flags and badges of rank. There is much cross-reference between photos, and comparison of clothing g from different eras. There are also useful internet links included for further research, and a handy bibliography and index.

As a seafaring nation, Britain has always had large numbers employed on ships; identifying the trade or profession of a British seafarer from an old photograph can be difficult, even for a professional mariner.

Overall, this is a well-presented guide to exploring old family photos of ancestors with connections to the sea. Although this is a huge subject, Dr Wills has provided excellent advice

deck, drink in hand, staring out at the vast blue sea in all directions was once seen as the height of elegance and something only the very wealthy could aspire to.

William H. Miller’s Great Mediterranean Passenger Ships captures the golden age of the sea voyage.

In 13 well-researched chapters, Miller takes the reader through the great age of Mediterranean passenger liners that began in the 1920s when the Italians built their first big ships, such as the Augustus, Saturnia and Conte Grande.

Moving forwards, he looks at the industry’s creation of the 1930s superliners Rex and Conte di Savoia before exploring the 60s boom in Italian post-war fleet building, whilst the likes of Greece, Spain, Portugal Turkey and Israel — all of whom are featured heavily in the text — commissioned their biggest ships to date.

Taking the reader to the present day, the book offers a smorgasbord of black and white and colour photography to showcase these magnificent vessels in various stages of their lifecycle.

To date, Mr Miller has written ninety books on passenger ships and

which will help anyone to understand much of the information that can be gathered from old photographs — although a small section on the basics of digitally enhancing early images in order to view more detail would be handy.

is an acknowledged world expert in his field. Full of colour and the firsthand memories of passengers and crew, this endearing reflection on the majestic world of Mediterranean travel cannot be missed.

The Skipper returns with more amiable anecdotes Swinging the Lamp

By Nick Ardley Fonthill Media, £18.99 ISBN: 978 17815 54982 fwww.fonthillmedia.com Nick Ardley has built a loyal folK lowing in recent years for his eloquent Former Merchant Navy officer

tales of life on the Thames estuary.

Swinging the Lamp is the latest of his maritime musings, and his many fans can look forward to the usual mixture of poetic descriptions, insightful observations and gentle banter.

The ‘Skipper’ (Ardley) comments on nature, industry and a host of

interesting characters encountered as he and his wife Christobel (known, as always, as the ‘Mate’) weave their way through tidal creeks and rivers on their trusty sailing boat, the Whimbrel.

The author’s evocative anecdotes are enhanced by a selection of colour pictures, together demonstrating why the Ardleys love the delicate, fluid estuary landscape so much. High-quality production by Fonthill Media does justice to the well-written text and beautiful photography, inviting readers to relax and go with the flow.

Irresistible beauty and danger of the frozen southern continent Polar Mariner: Beyond the limits in Antarctica

By Captain Tom Woodfield Whittles Publishing, £18.99 ISBN: 978 18944 51661 f www.whittlespublishing.com world’s last remaining untouched wonders. Very few K people get the chance to visit its shorelines, or step foot on its The frozen continent of Antarctica remains one of the

ice-covered landscape, making accounts of time spent in the region all the more fascinating.

Providing such an insight is Captain Tom Woodfield, a seasoned visitor and former research vessel master. In Polar Mariner: Beyond the limits in Antarctica, Capt Woodfield details his 20 seasonal voyages to Antarctica over two decades between 1955 and 1974.

Taking a chronological approach, Capt Woodfield beautifully describes the voyages he undertook on the research vessels Shackleton, John Biscoe and Bransfield. Across 13 detailed and

immersive chapters he captures and entwines the progress of his career — which started with an unsuccessful attempt to run away to sea at the age of 14 — with the untouched landscapes that opened up before him.

However, it was wasn’t always plain sailing. Antarctica presents some of the world’s most volatile and unforgiving conditions. Dramatic retellings of stories such as the near-loss of a ship in pack ice and being blown ashore in hurricane force winds convey the sense of danger this remote region presented to seafarers of the time, with many of the waters being uncharted during those expeditions.

Despite the danger, it’s easy to see the attraction of Antarctica. Midway through this 200-page book, a series of colour photographs showcase the majesty of the continent, its resilient wildlife and the harsh working conditions seafarers have to deal with.

Capt Woodfield’s unparallelled experiences give his firstperson account of his travels south an engaging angle on what is a fine example of nautical storytelling.

20/07/2016 15:47

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NL NEWS

Ruim 52.000 euro verdiend voor Nautilus lid

A

Dat het waardevol is om lid te zijn van Nautilus blijkt uit deze zaak…

Ons lid meldde zich bij ons met een Vaststellingsovereenkomst, omdat zijn werkgever voor hem en zijn collega’s collectief ontslag had aangevraagd.

Teken nooit gelijk

Jaarvergadering Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden C

Op 23 juni hield het Maritiem Platform Gepensioneerden haar algemene jaarvergadering in Rotterdam. Dit Platform is de vereniging van gepensioneerde leden van Nautilus International en de Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij (NVKK).

Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Beleggen

Naast de bespreking van de activiteiten over het afgelopen jaar werd het thema Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Beleggen door pensioenfondsen besproken.

Spreker was Gerard Roest, FNV bestuurder Pensioenen. Uit de

gehouden presentatie bleek dat maatschappelijk verantwoord beleggen nog niet bij alle pensioenfondsen het uitgangspunt is bij de keuze van beleggingen. De presentatie toonde duidelijk aan dat maatschappelijk verantwoord beleggen niet ten koste hoeft te gaan van het rendement van de beleggingen. Het rendement is vanzelfsprekend een belangrijk uitgangspunt en het was dan ook goed om te constateren dat maatschappelijk verantwoord beleggen dit niet in de weg staat.

De presentatie werd zeer goed ontvangen en bijzonder gewaardeerd door de aanwezige leden.

In de aangeboden Vaststellingsovereenkomst (VSO) stond dat betrokkene was begonnen bij de werkgever op 01-02-2008. Hierbij behoorde een totale compensatie van (1,2 x transitievergoeding) bruto 9668,40 euro. Dit bedrag werd dus aangeboden in zijn VSO en het verzoek van werkgever aan werknemer was om te tekenen. Gelukkig besloot ons lid om niet zomaar gelijk te tekenen, maar eerst contact op te nemen met zijn vakbond: Nautilus International.

De discussie ging over de datum van indiensttreding (met daaraan gekoppeld de hoogte van de transitievergoeding en de uiteindelijke totale compensatievergoeding voor ons lid).

1e Tussenstand: de eerste extra 4 jaren waren binnen!

Nadat ons lid een machtiging had getekend, kon Nautilus met dit dossier aan de slag. En vervolgens contact opnemen met de werkgever (en andere partijen indien nodig).

Als eerste hebben wij de werkgever gewezen

op de arbeidsovereenkomst van ons lid. In zijn arbeidsovereenkomst stond letterlijk vermeld: ‘De arbeidsovereenkomst voor onbepaalde tijd vangt aan op 1 februari 2008.

De schepeling behoudt zijn dienstjaren op basis van de originele datum van indiensttreding bij de rechtsvoorganger, zijnde 1 maart 2004’. De werkgever kon hier uiteindelijk niet omheen. Hierdoor moest hij wel erkennen dat de betrokken werknemer in feite al 8 jaar in dienst was (i.p.v. 4 jaar).

2e Tussenstand: 4 + 12 = 16 extra jaren gewonnen!

Aangezien ons lid ons ook nog vertelde dat hij eigenlijk al veel langer werkzaam was bij deze firma en/of haar rechtsvoorgangers, is Nautilus nog dieper in de zaak gedoken. Uit navraag door Nautilus bij het Bedrijfspensioenfonds Koopvaardij bleek dat betrokkene minimaal al vanaf 03-03-1992 had gewerkt. Het pensioenfonds kwam op verzoek van Nautilus met een schriftelijke verklaring, welke gebruikt kon worden als bewijsstuk.

Bedrijfspensioenfonds (Bpf) Koopvaardij: ‘Volgens onze gegevens heeft de heer…. vanaf 3 maart 1992 onafgebroken en aaneengesloten deelgenomen aan de pensioenregeling van Bpf Koopvaardij via zijn werkgever. […] Volgens onze administratie heeft de heer …. voor 3 maart 1992 wel deelgenomen aan de pensioenregeling van Bpf Koopvaardij. Helaas

is het niet mogelijk om de exacte werkgevers voor het dienstverband voor 3 maart 1992 te bepalen. […]’

Eindstand: 4 + 12 + 3 = 19 jaren extra gewonnen!

Op het laatste moment kwam via ons lid een nog oudere arbeidsovereenkomst boven water. Hierin stond als datum indiensttreding bij de rechtsvoorganger 20-11-1989 vermeld.

De werkgever kon hier dus niet omheen. Bij deze nieuw gevonden datum van indiensttreding 20-11-1989 kwam de totale compensatie van (1,2 x transitievergoeding) op bruto 61.707,13 euro uit.

Het verschil in geld bedraagt in deze individuele zaak maar liefst 52.038,73 euro bruto!

Moraal van dit verhaal:

a) Bewaar altijd al uw arbeidsovereenkomsten. Niet alleen van uw huidige werkgever, maar ook van al uw vroegere werkgevers! b) Biedt uw werkgever u een Vaststellingsstellingsovereenkomst aan en vraagt hij u om bij het kruisje te tekenen: wees alert en laat het stuk eerst controleren door Nautilus voordat u ondertekent. c) Het is zinvol en waardevol om lid te zijn van Nautilus: in deze zaak leverde onze controle veel extra geld op voor ons lid.

Volg ons op Twitter

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Bent u het eens met de stelling uit het BIMCO/ICS Maritieme Manpower onderzoek dat officieren wegens tekorten op de arbeidsmarkt te snel gepromoveerd worden?

Ja 100%

Jesse Rob wint Nautilus prijs ‘meest sociale student’ toen ik naar voren werd geroepen voor de C Nautilus prijs voor de ‘meest sociale student’, ‘Ik was compleet verrast en verbaasd

aldus Jesse Rob (17 jaar), die vrijdag 8 juli eveneens zijn VMBO diploma in ontvangst mocht nemen.

In de bomvolle recreatiezaal van de Maritieme Academie Harlingen ontvingen in totaal 53 VMBO studenten hun diploma. ‘Alle 53 VMBO-ers zijn dit jaar bij ons geslaagd. Een uniek moment voor onze school en volgens mij ook voor heel Nederland’, opende directeur Arjen Mintjes de middag. Van deze 53 geslaagden

zullen 21 studenten hun studie richting MBO Binnenvaart op de Maritieme Academie vervolgen. En 26 zetten er koers naar de MBO richting Zeevaart.

de bar, in het weekend, op Terschelling. Eerst zat ik hier intern op school, maar ik ga me nu zelf vestigen in Harlingen.’

Vriendelijk en sociaal

Werken achter de bar

Jesse Rob: ‘Ik kom van Terschelling, maar nadat ik als twaalfjarige jongen samen met mijn moeder de Open Dag in Harlingen had bezocht, heb ik me hier al snel ingeschreven. Af en toe was het best zwaar, maar ik heb al met al een mooie tijd gehad. Ik ga nu verder met MBO-4 zware schepen. Alleen stop ik wel met werken achter

Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie reikte de Nautilus prijs uit. Hij stelde in zijn speech dat, na overleg met een aantal leraren, de keus was gevallen op Jesse Rob, omdat: ‘Jesse Rob is een goed M-teamlid, en heeft een positieve houding naar docenten en leerlingen. Is leuk in de klas. Een doorzetter.

Vriendelijk én bovenal sociaal!’

OPKNAPBEURT of York krijgen de komende F tijd een opknapbeurt waardoor deze De Pride of Bruges en de Pride

schepen de komende vijf jaar weer vooruit kunnen. Beide ferries varen tussen Zeebrugge en Hull.

De poll van deze maand is: Denkt u dat ‘Brexit’ goed is voor de scheepvaart? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl_20.7.indd 32

Nautilus adjunct bestuurder Ferries Maarten Keuss: ‘Dit is goed nieuws voor onze leden. P&O Ferries laat hiermee zien dat zij blijft investeren in de toekomst’.

20/07/2016 17:47

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw vakbondszaken belicht, F waarin Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw In deze rubriek worden steeds

een actieve rol spelen ten behoeve van onze leden.

Dit keer gaat het over: Centrale Commissie voor de Rijnvaart (CCR)

De afgelopen jaren is de kritiek op een verenigd Europa steeds sterker geworden. Dit heeft zoals bekend geleid tot een referendum in Engeland (de UK), met een Brexit als voorlopige tussenstand.

Waarom zijn we er ook al weer aan begonnen om Europa te verenigen?

Wat levert een grensoverschrijdende harmonisatie ons op?

Vrije scheepvaart op de Rijn

Eigenlijk hoeven we hiervoor niet eens ver te zoeken. Wij zitten hier als Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw al jaren middenin en werken hier ook volop aan mee. De Europese welvaart is namelijk gebaseerd op de vrije scheepvaart op de Rijn!

Hierbij zijn bovendien de voorwaarden waaronder personen en goederen op de Rijn vervoerd mogen worden vastgesteld en is het criterium van het toebehoren tot de Rijnvaart vastgelegd. Men kan hieruit concluderen dat het verenigen van belangen geen statische aangelegenheid is, maar iets waaraan doorlopend gewerkt moet worden.

Bemanningseisen

Op dit moment hebben de volgende (Rijn)oeverstaten zitting in de CCR: België, Nederland, Luxemburg, Duitsland, Frankrijk en Zwitserland.

Kort na de Tweede Wereldoorlog was ook de UK vertegenwoordigd.

Dit was om het geheel in balans te houden na zo’n onstuimige periode.

Nu is de UK niet meer vertegenwoordigd. In de CCR worden zaken behandeld die betrekking hebben op: vervoer van gevaarlijke stoffen (ADNR), politiereglementen, bemanningseisen, vaar-en rusttijden, afvalstoffen, schipperspatenten, technische ontwikkelingen, emissienormen en niet te vergeten het Reglement Onderzoek Schepen op de Rijn (ROSR).

Slag bij Waterloo

Na de nederlaag van Napoleon in de Slag bij Waterloo is op het Congres van Wenen van 1815 het beginsel van de vrijheid van scheepvaart op de internationale vaarwateren vastgelegd. Daarbij werd ook de Centrale Commissie voor de Rijnvaart (CCR) ingesteld.

Deze commissie kreeg opdracht een reglement op te stellen om de scheepvaart op de Rijn juridisch en praktisch in goede banen te leiden.

In deze CCR konden en kunnen vanaf die tijd de (Rijn)oeverstaten besluiten nemen over alle vragen die de scheepvaart betreffen. (Aldus aanhangsel 16B van de slotakte van het Congres van Wenen). De eerste vergadering vond plaats op 15 augustus 1816 te Mainz.

Op 31 maart 1831 werd de Akte van Mainz aangenomen, waarin uniforme juridische principes voor de Rijnvaart waren vastgelegd (met talrijke politievoorschriften).

De eerste Rijnvaartakte. De CCR werd daarmee de eerste Intergouvernementele commissie ter wereld.

Verenigen van belangen

Na diverse ontwikkelingen van de Rijnvaart op technisch, economisch en politiek gebied werd besloten dit vast te leggen in een nieuw verdrag.

Op 17 oktober 1868 werd dat verdrag vastgesteld als Herziene Rijnvaartakte (Akte van Mannheim). Bijna 100 jaar later was dat nog een keer nodig en werd op 17 oktober 1963 te Straatsburg het verdrag opnieuw herzien.

In het belangrijke Aanvullend Protocol nr. 2 wordt een nieuwe definitie van het beginsel van de vrijheid van scheepvaart gegeven.

Vaar- en rusttijden

Voorafgaand aan de vergaderingen van de commissie wordt in Nederland een vooroverleg gehouden waaraan vertegenwoordigers vanuit de sector kunnen deelnemen om hun standpunten te geven. Ook Nautilus neemt deel aan dit overleg. Zo kunnen wij pleiten voor een gelijk speelveld in Europa voor werknemers op het gebied van bijvoorbeeld beroepskwalificaties, vaar- en rusttijden, bemanningssterkte en sociale zekerheid. Tevens geven wij onze mening over het gebruik of toepassen van nieuwe technologieën aan boord van schepen, technische vereisten van een schip, handhaving en controle, enzovoorts.

Goede belangenbehartiging Binnenvaart

De vergaderingen van de CCR zijn niet toegankelijk voor individuele nationale vakbonden, maar wel voor de Europese federaties van werkgevers- en werknemers.

Nautilus wordt hierin vertegenwoordigd door de Europese Transportwerkers Federatie (ETF), sectie Binnenvaart. Natuurlijk sturen wij onze ETF vertegenwoordigers niet zomaar op pad. Zij kennen onze meningen en standpunten vanuit de sectievergaderingen die we in Brussel met elkaar hebben. Het is belangrijk om onze standpunten via twee verschillende routes op dezelfde tafel besproken te krijgen.

Zo kan Nautilus bijdragen aan een goede belangenbehartiging van werknemers in de Binnenvaart.

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek nautilusint.org

32-35_nl_20.7.indd 33

Jaarvergadering akkoord met het gevoerde Nautilus beleid A

De Jaarvergadering van de Nederlandse Branch van Nautilus International, tevens Algemene Vergadering van de Vereniging Nautilus International, heeft het bestuursverslag en het financieel verslag goedgekeurd.

De jaarvergadering vond dit jaar plaats op 21 juni 2016 in het Mariott Hotel te Rotterdam en werd bijgewoond door 41 leden.

Van het Nautilus bestuur waren aanwezig de heren M.A. Dickinson, M.T.J.J. van den Broek en C. Ramdas. Van de Raad van Advies waren aanwezig mevrouw C.K. Cordes en S. Meijer en de heren M.H.W. van Dam, H. Eijkenaar, G.W. Feikema, W. van Hoboken en C. Kraijenoord.

Bestuursverslag van het gevoerde beleid in 2015

Voorzitter Marcel van den Broek deed namens het bestuur verslag van het gevoerde beleid in 2015 aan de hand van het jaarverslag. De voorzitter meldde dat de Raad van Advies het jaarverslag met een positief advies aan de jaarvergadering voorlegde.

Vervolgens werd het in 2015 gevoerde beleid unaniem door de aanwezige leden goedgekeurd.

Financieel jaarverslag RLE 2015

Nautilus algemeen secretaris/ penningmeester Charley Ramdas schetste eerst de organisatiestructuur van Nautilus International — One Union. Hij gaf aan dat in deze vergadering alleen de financiën van de vereniging Nautilus International aan de orde zouden komen.

Na het beantwoorden van een aantal vragen over het financiële jaarverslag vanuit de zaal meldde de voorzitter dat de Raad van Advies het financieel verslag met een positief advies aan de jaarvergadering voorlegde. De aanwezige leden keurden het gevoerde financieel beleid goed en verleenden daarmee decharge aan het bestuur. Eén lid onthield zich van stemming.

Verkiezing bestuursleden

Dit jaar waren de voorzitter Marcel van den Broek en de algemeen secretaris/ penningmeester Charley Ramdas aftredend.

Beiden hadden zich herkiesbaar gesteld. Het NL National Committee / Raad van Advies had voor beiden een bindende voordracht gedaan.

De aanwezige leden stemden unaniem in met de herverkiezing van Marcel van den Broek en Charley Ramdas als voorzitter en algemeen secretaris/penningmeester van de Nederlandse Branch van Nautilus International. Beiden dankten de leden voor het in hen gestelde vertrouwen en gaven aan

zich in hun nieuwe termijn weer ‘full speed’ in te zullen zetten voor de belangen van de Nautilus leden.

Verkiezing leden Raad van Advies

Ongeveer de helft van de Raad van Advies leden (tevens NL National Committee) traden dit jaar af, te weten Johan Kooij, Peter Lok en Henk Eijkenaar (kiesgroep kapiteins en stuurlieden), Wilco van Hoboken (W TK’s), Marinus van Otterloo (kiesgroep Scheepsgezellen), Geert Feikema (kiesgroep Wal), Jan de Rover en Jan van der Zee (kiesgroep Binnenvaart). Alle aftredende leden hadden zich herkiesbaar gesteld.

De aanwezige leden stemden unaniem in

met de herbenoeming van bovengenoemde leden van de Raad van Advies.

Er zijn nog twee vacatures: één in de kiesgroep WTK’s en één in de kiesgroep Maritiem Officier. Hiervoor worden kandidaten gezocht.

Wat verder ter tafel kwam

Vanuit de zaal werden de volgende onderwerpen ter sprake gebracht: Brexit, vacatures Raad van Advies (kiesgroep Maroff ter discussie), stageproblematiek en criminalisering zeevarenden. Het bestuur gaf daar waar nodig een uitgebreide toelichting op de door de zaal naar voren gebrachte onderwerpen.

In this month’s Dutch pages:

F

Op 20 juni studeerde ons Nautilus Raad van Advies lid Caro Cordes af aan de Kaderopleiding Basis van de Kaderacademie FNV. Nautilus bestuurder Sascha Meijer was erbij.

Caro nam haar medestudenten en de verschillende aanwezige vakbondsbestuurders in een krachtige eindpresentatie

mee in haar idealistische levensovertuiging, die mede een inspiratiebron is voor haar vakbondswerk bij Nautilus en in het Ledenparlement van de FNV. Gefeliciteerd Caro! g Als u ook interesse heeft in een FNV opleiding voor kaderleden, neem dan contact met ons op: infonl@nautilusint.org

Wilt u een groter publiek bereiken? Presenteer uw product of service aan meer dan 15,000 maritieme professionele lezers uit Nederland, ter land en op zee!

z Nautilus services: CCR

Spreek met één van onze vertegenwoordigers om uit te vinden hoe wij u het beste kunnen helpen.

z Not enough traineeships

Neem contact op met Jude Rosset van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 E: jude.rosset@ redactive.co.uk.

z Nautilus wins €52.000 for member

z Piracy legislation debate z Nautilus student prize z Boskalis reorganisation z Smart ships are coming z Nautilus NL annual meeting z YMP meeting in Rotterdam z Day of the seafarer z Maritime pensions meeting z Dredging hotline

20/07/2016 17:48

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NL NEWS

Zelfvarende schepen komen er aan…

Jong en oud op Dag van de Zeevarende de eerste keer de Dag van de S Zeevarende in Nederland gevierd.

Zaterdag 25 juni werd voor

Georganiseerd door de Vereniging Maritiem Gezinskontakt, Nautilus International, Rotterdam Mainport University, KVNR en Spiritension.

Jong en oud kon van 10.00 tot 14.00 uur in het STC-gebouw in Rotterdam kennis maken met tal van verschillende maritieme activiteiten.

De dag werd geopend door Young Maritime Representative Bart van Kessel en door de heer H. E. Jaime Victor B. Ledda, ambassadeur van de Filippijnen in Nederland.

De Dag van de Zeevarende is afgeleid van het gelijknamige initiatief (sinds 2011) van de IMO (International Maritime

Organization) om de 1,5 miljoen zeevarenden wereldwijd in het zonnetje te zetten.

Nautilus ook aanwezig met stand

Velen kwamen ook een kijkje nemen in de Nautilus stand. Zo ook Young Maritime Representative Bart van Kessel (links op de foto) en STC student Vedran Tancica, 4e jaars HBO Marof. Vedran, over de Dag: ‘Een goede zaak om ons mooie beroep zo op de kaart te zetten. Nederland is immers een belangrijke zeevarende natie. En iedereen mag best wel weten dat ruim 90% van hun spullen dankzij de zeevarenden te koop is in Nederland.’

A

Gaan zelfvarende schepen de wereld veroveren? Op zee, in de binnenvaart en in de waterbouw? En wat betekent dat voor de positie van de werknemers in de nautische sector?

Deze vragen stonden centraal tijdens het drukbezochte Nautilus symposium Smart Ships dat op 21 juni plaatsvond in het Marriot Hotel in Rotterdam. De ruim 120 aanwezigen, Nautilus leden, studenten en tal van relaties, lieten zich inspireren door boeiende presentaties van RMU studenten en van arbeids- en organisatiesocioloog Frank Pot. Onder meer voorzitter van de Adviesraad European Workplace Innovation Network van de Europese Commissie.

Menselijke maat

Frank Pot riep vooral de aanwezige vakbondsleden op goed met elkaar te bediscussiëren hoe het al dan niet gerobotiseerde werk het best kan worden ingericht. ‘Eerst moet je het werk goed organiseren met elkaar.

De menselijke maat is hierin heel belangrijk.

Vervolgens kijk je hoe je dit het best kunt automatiseren en eventueel robotiseren.

Vaak gaat het andersom. Daar zijn vele slechte en mislukte voorbeelden van te vinden. Want een organisatie in chaos levert altijd weer een geautomatiseerde chaos op’, aldus Pot.

zeevarende. Wel is er erg veel gepubliceerd en onderzocht over de technische kant van de zaak. De enquête resultaten vormen nu ook een waardevol onderdeel van ons RMU studieproject ‘The (semi-) autonomous ship’.

Samen met collega studenten, waaronder Coen van Iersel, beantwoordde Christiaan Drent tal van vragen uit het publiek.

Enquête resultaten

Met man en macht op zoek naar stageplaatsen S

teeds meer studenten weten de laatste jaren de weg naar de zeevaartscholen te vinden. Mede dankzij de gezamenlijke promotionele inspanningen van de scholen zelf, van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging van Reders (KNVR) envan Nautilus. Hierdoor is sinds 2008 het aantal studenten met ruim 60% toegenomen. Vorig jaar was er echter voor het eerst een tekort aan stageplaatsen. Ondanks veel inspanningen van onder meer Nautilus, KVNR en de scholen konden 28 studenten uiteindelijk toch geen stageplaats vinden. Dit jaar zou dit aantal wel eens aanmerkelijk hoger kunnen uitvallen. Op dit moment (eind juli) zijn er nog altijd meer dan honderd studenten op zoek naar een stageplaats.

Echte getallen Nautilus voorzitter Marcel van den Broek: ‘Opnieuw, evenals vorig jaar, wordt weer met man en macht gewerkt om alle studenten geplaatst te krijgen.

Was dit vorig jaar al ontzettend lastig, voor dit jaar is het nog moeilijker omdat het recordjaar 2015 nog eens met bijna 100 stageplek zoekenden overtroffen wordt. Momenteel breng ik in kaart in welke mate de reders zich inspannen bij het onderbrengen van stagiairs. Het is prachtig om te zien dat een aantal grote reders zich buitengewoon inzetten. Dit geldt overigens ook voor een opvallend groot aantal kleine rederijen, dat ondanks de economische tegenwind de aankomende collega’s niet in de kou laat staan. Maar ja, er zijn er ook bij die nog wel een paar tandjes bij kunnen zetten.

Het in kaart brengen van de situatie moet daarover duidelijkheid verschaffen.’

Aan de ketting bij de banken Tot ongeveer halverwege 2015 kon de sector zeescheepvaart zich verheugen op een zogenaamde stagegarantie, afgegeven door de KNVR. Tijdens de zomer van 2015 besloot de KNVR om de stagegarantie in te trekken daar zij deze niet langer kon garanderen. Marcel van den Broek: ‘Het is toch eigenlijk wel

32-35_nl_20.7.indd 34

wrang dat nu we kunnen oogsten op al de inspanningen van de afgelopen jaren en record na record vestigen met het aantal stagezoekende studenten, we nu niet genoeg stageplaatsen kunnen aanbieden. Deze keer zijn er bijna 600 studenten, een nieuw record, op zoek naar een stageplek. Wat ons echter ook parten speelt in de sector is nog altijd de stevige economische tegenwind.

Veel rederijen hebben het moeilijk. Kijk naar Flinter. Kijk naar de offshore. Kijk nu ook naar Boskalis. Veel schepen liggen stil aan de kant. Of aan de ketting bij de banken. Ik ken ook verhalen dat de bank de stagekosten niet goedkeurt.

Daarom zijn wij met de FNV aan het kijken of er met de Overheid te praten is over subsidieregelingen op dit gebied. Vergeet niet dat de gehele maritieme cluster profiteert van al die goed opgeleide studenten, van wie er ook steeds meer functies aan de wal gaan vervullen.’

Out of the box ‘Er wordt ook naar alternatieve oplossingen gezocht door de sector zelf.

Zo was er vorig jaar bijvoorbeeld het STC initiatief om een pilot met twee STC stagiaires bij de Marine te gaan draaien’, stelt Marcel van den Broek. ‘Daarnaast kun je er ook over na gaan denken om nog

meer simulatie-uren te gaan draaien op de scholen en zo minder stagetijd aan boord door te brengen. Maar daar zijn ook weer internationale regels voor, waaraan we moeten voldoen. Toch zullen we met zijn allen meer ‘out of the box’ moeten gaan denken, willen we iedereen binnenboord houden. Ook de KNVR trekt er hard aan. Die hebben er iemand praktisch full time op zitten, die iedereen met elkaar probeert te verbinden. We zullen het gezamenlijk met elkaar moeten zien op te lossen: KNVR, reders, scholen en Nautilus… en dus ook de overheid…willen we onze ambities, zoals neergelegd in de Nederlandse Maritieme Strategie, blijven waarmaken. Maar vooral ook om onze stagezoekenden niet in de kou te laten staan!’

Ook de resultaten van een door de RMU studenten opgestelde enquête onder met name zeevarenden, waaronder veel leden van Nautilus International, werden bekend gemaakt. Uit deze internationale enquête blijkt dat ruim 50% van de respondenten een toekomst met ‘zelfvarende schepen’ niet als positieve ontwikkeling ziet. Daarentegen is bijna 70% er van overtuigd dat (nagenoeg) zelfvarende schepen er aan komen. Zij het niet in 2020 al, zoals Rolls Royce voorspelt, maar pas over tien á vijf en twintig jaar.

RMU student en presentator Christiaan Drent: ‘Er was nog nauwelijks onderzoek gedaan naar de toekomstige positie van de

Werkgelegenheid belangrijkste aandachtspunt

Nautilus voorzitter Marcel van den Broek, even daarvoor door de Nautilus jaarvergadering opnieuw herkozen, stelde dat Nautilus ‘uiteraard zal blijven opkomen voor de belangen van haar leden, of er nu wel of niet volledige automatisering plaats gaat vinden’. De werkgelegenheid en ook nieuwe vormen van werkgelegenheid staan centraal in dit alles.

‘Ook veiligheid blijft altijd hoog in ons vaandel staan. Niet voor niets blijkt uit de enquête uitkomsten dat een meerderheid, van ruim 65%, veiligheid als het belangrijkste

aandachtspunt ziet bij het verder automatiseren van onze sector’, aldus Marcel van den Broek. ‘Ook is opvallend dat nog altijd ruim 70% een toekomst voor zich zelf ziet in de sector, want menigeen denkt juist weer dat er veel banen zullen verdwijnen. Aan de andere kant is de verwachting dat er juist weer nieuwe banen bijkomen. Wij blijven als Nautilus dit alles op de voet volgen en zullen waar nodig ook in projecten participeren om volledig op de hoogte te blijven van de laatste ontwikkelingen. Hiermee kunnen wij als bond tevens onze leden goed aangesloten houden.

En kunnen mogelijke negatieve gevolgen op tijd worden herkend en aangepakt.

Tegelijkertijd kunnen zo ook nieuwe kansen voor onze leden snel worden geïdentificeerd.’

Filmpje Nautilus

g Tijdens het symposium werd het Nautilus filmpje ‘5000 jaar transport over water’ gepresenteerd, kijk zelf: youtube.com/user/nautilusint

Nautilus Jongeren bijeen aansluitend op het Nautilus A symposium Smart Ships, de kick off Op 21 juni 2016 vond,

plaats van de Nederlandse tak van het Nautilus International Young Maritime Professionals Forum (YMPF). Een tiental jongeren nam hieraan deel.

Nautilus had voor deze eerste meeting een externe gastspreker uitgenodigd: Biedjai Oepasie, stuurgroep-lid van het landelijke FNV Netwerk Jongeren. Biedjai: ‘Het landelijke FNV Netwerk Jongeren richt zich op jonge werknemers (t/m 35 jaar). En op thema’s als onder meer werkloosheid, ‘samen organiseren op de werkvloer’ en ‘onzeker werk’.

Zaken die we al hebben bereikt is dat er binnen de FNV nu een breed besef is dat er niet genoeg banen voor vele groepen jonge werknemers zijn, en dat dit niet met een simpele sollicitatie- of netwerktraining wordt opgelost. Ook is bereikt dat de FNV het verhaal erachter met filmpjes vertelt: g www.fnv.nl/over-fnv/ons-werk/ acties-campagnes/echtebanen/ Fabels-onzekerwerk/ Sfeer aan boord

Hierna gaf Daniel McGowan (secretaris van het Young Maritime

zeevarenden kunnen via dit netwerk op een informele manier ideeën opdoen, ervaringen uitwisselen en adviezen geven aan elkaar en indien nodig aan het Nautilus hoofdbestuur.

De jongeren zijn overigens zelf het netwerk! Zij bepalen samen de vorm en inhoud van de bijeenkomsten en activiteiten.’

Volgende Jongeren bijeenkomst

Professionals Forum in de UK) tekst en uitleg over het thema ‘Equality, Bullying and Harassment’ (gelijkheid en pesten). Het thema werd in de groepsdiscussie breder getrokken tot ‘sfeer aan boord’. Vervolgens kwamen de aanwezige jongeren met vele verhalen over wat zij zelf aan boord hadden ervaren (zoals: Koning Neptunus die aan boord komt bij de evenaar).

Ervaringen uitwisselen

Tot slot gaf Nautilus adjunctbestuurder Maarten Keuss (de Nederlandse coördinator van het Young Maritime Professionals Forum) aan wat de bedoeling is van het Nederlandse Jongeren Nautilus Forum. Maarten Keuss: ‘Dit netwerk is allereerst bedoeld om een platform te bieden voor onze leden onder de 35 jaar. Studenten en beginnende

De volgende activiteit van het jongerennetwerk vindt in het najaar plaats. Jongeren die de eerste bijeenkomst gemist hebben en de volgende keer er ook bij willen zijn, kunnen zich nog opgeven via infoNL@nautilusint.org. Deelname aan de bijeenkomsten & activiteiten van het Nautilus jongerennetwerk staat open voor Nautilus leden onder de 35 jaar.

Eind augustus / begin september zal samen met de jongeren/leden (die zich voor het jongerennetwerk hebben opgegeven), bepaald worden wat de volgende activiteit van het jongerennetwerk wordt.

De bedoeling is om de volgende keer weer een externe gastspreker uit te nodigen. Wie dit wordt, blijft nog even een verassing.

20/07/2016 17:48

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

Nautilus positief over wetsvoorstel piraterij N

Nautilus International reageert verheugd op het initiatief wetsvoorstel van Tweede Kamerlid Han ten Broeke (VVD) om wettelijk te regelen dat rederijen onder strikte voorwaarden op koopvaardijschepen onder Nederlandse vlag private gewapende beveiligers mogen inhuren om zich te beschermen tegen piraterij.

Het huidige kabinetsvoorstel ‘Beleidsstandpunt bescherming Nederlandse schepen tegen piraterij’ biedt een goede basis. ‘Maar helaas is het tempo zeer traag om tot een wetsvoorstel te komen als gevolg van een verdeelde coalitie in de Tweede Kamer.

Door het VVD-initiatief van Han ten Broeke, wat hij 5 juli lanceerde, worden de zeevarenden en de reders goed geholpen. Een goede zaak’, aldus Nautilus-voorzitter Marcel van den Broek.

Zo snel mogelijk private beveiliging

De sociale partners, KVNR, vakbond Nautilus International, Nederlandse Vereniging Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij (NVKK), andere maritieme organisaties en VNO-NCW vinden dat de Tweede Kamer zo snel mogelijk met een wettelijke regeling

moet komen om private gewapende beveiliging toe te staan. Zij blijven zich tot het uiterste inspannen om dit gerealiseerd te krijgen voor die reders en schepen waarvoor een militair team (VPD) geen oplossing is, de VPD — tenzij benadering.

Sinds 2008 wordt gevraagd om effectieve bescherming tegen piraterij in en rond Somalië. Naast de inzet waar mogelijk van militaire teams (VPD’s) maakt ook het kunnen inzetten van private gewapende beveiligingsteams een noodzakelijk onderdeel uit van een sluitende aanpak.

Veiligheid bemanning waarborgen

Het toestaan van private beveiliging is nu dringend nodig om de veiligheid van de bemanning te waarborgen en om verdere schade voor het Nederlandse maritieme vestigingsklimaat, het Nederlandse vlagregister en daarmee voor de Nederlandse werkgelegenheid en economische groei te voorkomen.

Alle maritieme EU-staten staan de inzet van private gewapende bewakers wel toe.

Nederland verkeert ondertussen dan ook in een isolement met het niet toestaan van private beveiligers.

Kamer wil dat kleine defensieteams beschermen tegen piraten

Schokkend banenverlies bij Boskalis ‘Centraal moet staan van werk naar werk’

A

Boskalis geeft aan dat het plan met Fairmount is dat al haar34 werknemers boventallig worden.

Dit zijn allemaal Nederlandse officieren. De gezellen op de Fairmount schepen worden reeds ingehuurd via agencies. Dit zijn 94 mensen, en ook van hen neemt Fairmount afscheid. Boskalis wil per 01-11-2016 de arbeidsovereenkomsten met alle officieren beëindigen indien herplaatsing niet lukt De werkgever is niet heel optimistich over herplaatsingsmogelijkheden.

Op 8 juli werden FNV Waterbouw/ Nautilus International door Boskalis geïnformeerd over hun voornemen om de komende drie jaar 24 vaartuigen uit de vaart te nemen. Dit zal in 2016, 2017 en 2018 leiden tot verval van 650 arbeidsplaatsen wereldwijd, waarvan naar verwachting 150 Nederlandse dienstverbanden. Dit zijn bruto cijfers, dat wil zeggen dat hierbij nog niet is gekeken naar natuurlijke afvloeiing en herplaatsingsmogelijkheden.

Overleg met OR en vakbonden Boskalis heeft een adviesaanvraag ingediend bij de ondernemingsraad (OR) over de ‘vlootrationalisatie’, zoals Boskalis deze pijnlijke reorganisatie noemt.

Daarnaast heeft Boskalis bij het UWV en de bonden een melding collectief ontslag gedaan voor 94 werknemers. Dit is een wettelijke verplichting wanneer er meer dan 20 arbeidsplaatsen komen te vervallen. De voorgenomen ontslagen gaan vallen bij het baggerbedrijf, bij zeesleperbedrijf Fairmount en bij Smit Salvage BV Eén op de zes baggeraars verliest zijn baan; ook banenverlies bij Smit Salvage Boskalis heeft op 11 juli voor Baggermaatschappij Boskalis BV een melding tot voornemen collectief ontslag gedaan bij het UWV en de vakbonden.

Als gevolg van de aanhoudende zwakke marktomstandigheden in de olie- en gassector ziet de Baggermaatschappij zich naar eigen zeggen genoodzaakt een deel van haar vloot te rationaliseren (d.w.z. slopen, langdurig opleggen of verkopen). Er is te weinig werk om alle schepen en werknemers aan het werk te houden, aldus Boskalis.

Het voornemen is om 60 Nederlandse werknemers te ontslaan. Dit zijn 55 Nederlandse officieren en 5 Nederlandse gezellen. Boskalis Dredging wil hun arbeidsovereenkomsten per 1 oktober 2016 beëindigen. Dit zou betekenen dat ongeveer een op de zes werknemers van het baggerbedrijf zijn baan verliest.

Ook bij het bedrijf Smit Salvage wil Boskalis de komende drie jaar gefaseerd medewerkers boventallig verklaren. Voor dit bedrijf heeft Boskalis geen collectief ontslag aangemeld.

Hardwerkende medewerkers FNV Waterbouw secretaris en Nautilus bestuurder Sascha Meijer: ‘Medio juli zijn wij op uitnodiging van Boskalis in gesprek gegaan over de mogelijke consequenties die dit heeft voor de werknemers.

Boskalis wil een sociaal plan afspreken. Wij willen daar wel over praten, maar gaan in eerste instantie vooral uit van ‘van werk naar werk afspraken’. Wij zullen dit uiteraard zorgvuldig met onze leden bij Boskalis gaan bespreken. Omdat Boskalis een groot concern is en bijvoorbeeld in de Offshore Wind nog groeit en bedrijven overneemt, zou herplaatsing mogelijk moeten zijn. Een zeevarende uit de bagger kan immers vaak ook in de Offshore Wind werken. Daarnaast is er natuurlijk een goed sociaal plan nodig. Uitgangspunt voor ons is dat Boskalis een financieel gezond bedrijf is dat recent nog, mede dankzij alle hardwerkende medewerkers, miljoenenwinsten maakte. We gaan nu eerst (eind juli) met de ondernemingsraad praten over nut en noodzaak van deze reorganisatie.’

Fairmount Marine: ontslag voor alle 34 medewerkers?

Ook Boskalis onderdeel Fairmount Marine BV heeft op 11 juli 2016 een melding tot voornemen collectief ontslag gedaan bij het UWV. Fairmount Marine BV is een wereldwijde aanbieder in de offshore energiesector van zeesleepdiensten over lange afstanden.

Op 14 juli heeft een eerste gesprek plaatsgevonden waarin Boskalis haar plannen met Fairmount aan Nautilus heeft toegelicht. Fairmount wil 3 van haar 5 schepen uit de vaart nemen. Twee varen er nog door.

D

32-35_nl_20.7.indd 35

Nog steeds geen afdoende oplossing

Nautilus voorzitter Marcel van den Broek: ‘De motie van de Christen Unie biedt nog steeds geen afdoende oplossing van de problemen in gevaarlijke gebieden. Ten eerste omdat Defensie reeds meermaals onderbouwd heeft aangegeven dit onverantwoord te vinden. Verder lijken vele Kamerleden maar niet te willen begrijpen dat met de introductie van kleinere teams de vereiste diplomatieke toestemming van derde landen niet verdwijnt. Dit maakt VPD’s over het algemeen minder flexibel dan private partijen. Ook wordt daarmee het probleem van de spotmarkt niet opgelost.’

‘Door en door treurig dat de CU motie, naast de inzet van de huidige militaire teams, het enige resultaat is van 7-8 jaar discussie in de Tweede Kamer en dat er nu nog steeds geen sluitende oplossing is. Het lost praktisch niets op en laat de zeevarenden onveranderd in de kou staan.’

Ten Broeke wil na het zomerreces zijn initiatief wetsvoorstel indienen.

Sascha Meijer: ‘Nautilus staat zeer kritisch tegenover dit plan en zet hier grote vraagtekens bij. Een deel van het werk blijft immers gewoon bestaan. De komende tijd gaan we met onze leden bespreken hoe we hiermee om willen gaan. Ook gaan we in overleg met de ondernemingsraad.’

Spreekuur FNV Waterbouw en Nautilus zullen alle leden bijstaan, niet alleen wanneer ontslag dreigt, maar ook als onze leden met de bond willen spreken over herplaatsingsmogelijkheden, risico’s en kansen. Of als men belangstelling heeft voor loopbaanadvies of bijvoorbeeld sollicitatieworkshops via de FNV. Ook niet leden werkzaam bij Boskalis zijn welkom voor een eerste verkennend spreekuur bij ons op kantoor. Voor nadere dienstverlening moet men uiteraard lid worden. Uiteraard zullen behalve varenden ook mensen die aan de wal werken, worden bijgestaan.

g U kunt ons daarover bellen op telefoonnummer 010-2862979 of mailen naar infowaterbouw@ nautilusint.org.

Veel meldingen bij meldpunt Waterbouw

Piraten overvallen Nederlands schip

stelden dat ons Meldpunt Waterbouw was N geopend, kregen we al tal van spontane reacties’,

dochter Dockwise is A voor de kust van West-Afrika overvallen

stelt FNV Waterbouw voorzitter Charley Ramdas.

‘Waarom we dit Meldpunt geopend hebben? We vinden het opvallend dat wij de laatste tijd steeds meer verontrustende signalen ontvangen over de sector Waterbouw. Er zou onder andere sprake zijn van een toename van vervanging van vaste medewerkers door goedkope arbeidskrachten.

door piraten. Dit gebeurde zondag 3 juli terwijl het vaartuig op de rede van Guinee voor anker lag.

(Bron: Schuttevaer) De overval door zes met machinegeweren en messen bewapende piraten is gemeld door het Piracy Reporting Centre van het International Maritime Bureau.

Enkele opvarenden van de Teal liepen bij de schermutselingen verwondingen op en één van hen zou zelfs zijn gegijzeld.

Dit laatste wordt overigens door Boskalis ontkend.

De piraten doorzochten de accommodatie, beroofden de bemanningsleden van hun geld en goederen en richtten diverse vernielingen aan. Hierbij werd ook regelmatig geschoten. Na hun vertrek probeerde de kapitein via de radio de havenautoriteiten van Conakry te bereiken, maar hierop kwam geen antwoord.

Pas een uur later kwam een beveiligingsvaartuig poolshoogte nemen. Kort na de brute overval heeft de Teal haar reis voortgezet.

Meteen nadat we onze leden op de hoogte

De Tweede Kamer wil inmiddels dat flexibelere, goedkopere en kleinere defensieteams Nederlandse koopvaardijschepen beschermen tegen piraterij.

Een voorstel hierover van de ChristenUnie kreeg op 8 juli in de Tweede Kamer steun van een meerderheid. Deze partij pleit al langer voor de flexibelere beveiligingsteams van militairen op de koopvaardijschepen.

Daarom moeten de teams kleiner kunnen zijn. De zogeheten Vessel Protection Detachments (VPD’s) zijn normaal gesproken minimaal elf man groot.

Een PVV-plan om ook private beveiliging mogelijk te maken haalde het niet.

Nautilus blijft pal staan voor de veiligheid van Nederlandse zeevarenden en pleit met VVD Tweede Kamerlid Ten Broeke, de KNVR en de NVKK, VNO-NCW en andere maritiem organisaties, juist wel voor het inzetten van gecertificeerde private beveiligers.

Grote vraagtekens Boskalis wil daarna de volledige bemanning van de 2 schepen die doorvaren inclusief (technischen crewing) management gaan inhuren via payrollbedrijf Anglo Eastern. Zowel de officieren als gezellen. In de praktijk komen de via Anglo Eastern in te lenen officieren veelal uit Rusland en de Baltische staten. En de gezellen uit Azië. Al deze zeevarenden krijgen via Anglo Eastern alleen dan betaald wanneer zij daadwerkelijk varen. Dit model levert Boskalis een grote besparing op.

Wij ontvangen berichten dat er Nederlandse werknemers op wachtgeld thuis zitten en dat in hun plaats goedkope (buitenlandse) werknemers worden ingehuurd. En dat er werknemers worden aangesteld op basis van flexibele arbeidscontracten.

Door oneerlijke concurrentie op loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden raken zo medewerkers hun vaste banen kwijt. Daarnaast melden zich leden bij ons, waar bij het minste of geringste voorval door hun werkgever wordt aangestuurd op beëindiging van hun vast dienstverband.’

Omruilen goede banen voor slechte banen

‘Al met al verontrustende ontwikkelingen, die een uithollend effect hebben op goede werkgelegenheid in de sector’, aldus Charley Ramdas. ‘Onze vakbondsprincipes van ‘echte

et zware-ladingschip Teal van Boskalis-

banen’ en ‘gelijk loon en gelijk werk’ worden zo geweld aangedaan. Wij willen hier een goed beeld van krijgen. Het meldpunt is anoniem, maar diverse leden die zich gemeld hebben, doen dit met naam en toenaam. En willen door ons teruggebeld worden. Zelf heb ik er ook een aantal gesproken.

Er is inderdaad sprake van het omruilen van goede banen voor slechte banen. Van sociale dumping dus.’

Met leden, voor leden

‘We hebben nu met elkaar afgesproken binnenkort bij elkaar te komen en te bespreken hoe we dit verder aan gaan pakken. Dat past ook goed bij onze nieuwe werkaanpak: onze leden dragen de onderwerpen en speerpunten aan, waarvoor we ons vervolgens hard gaan maken. Daarom hebben we ook dit Meldpunt opengesteld. Samen met onze leden bepalen we vervolgens onze koers richting werkgevers. Daar waar misstanden gesignaleerd worden, gaan we die aanpakken. Daar hebben onze leden en alle werknemers in deze mooie sector recht op!’

20/07/2016 17:48

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS

Could you help to steer a course for Nautilus?

Full members (including cadets) are invited to stand for election by 21 November to the Nautilus International Council...

FOR CANDIDATES

A

A First, check there is a vacancy in your category.

Many members are concerned about the challenges ahead in our industry and have ideas for helping Nautilus International to meet those challenges. Members are therefore encouraged to stand for election to the Council, which is the Union’s governing body.

The Council is also the Trustee of the Nautilus Welfare Fund, which is the registered charity administered by Nautilus.

Then fill in the top half of Form A and get four other full members — also paid-up and from the same national branch as you — to add their names, addresses, membership numbers, signature and date of signing in the appropriate space, to reach head office by 1700 hrs on Monday 21 November 2016.

A If you can’t personally get the signatures of your

supporters (they may sail on different ships, for instance) fill in the top half of Form A yourself and send it to head office.

Ask your supporters to fill in Form B and send it in separately — both forms must reach head office by 1700 on Monday 21 November 2016.

All eligible full members will be sent the Council and General Secretary election nomination papers by the deadline of 19 September 2016.

A The Council is made up of serving members like

yourself, each elected to serve a four-year term.

23 of the 32 places will be for members of the UK branch, eight places will be for members of the Netherlands branch, and one from the Switzerland branch.

Elections are held on a rolling basis, which normally means that just about half the Council places come up for election each year.

The table right shows the number of seats and also those vacancies which are for election in 2017.

It also shows the split between NL, CH and UK. Full paid-up members (including cadets) in categories for which there are vacancies (see table far right) are entitled to stand for election.

A

Veel leden maken zich zorgen over de uitdagingen waar onze branche voor staat en hebben ideeën die Nautilus International kunnen helpen bij het aanpakken daarvan. Daarom moedigen wij onze leden aan om zich verkiesbaar te stellen voor de

FOR SUPPORTERS

Council, het bestuurslichaam van de Union.

De Council is ook de Trustee van het Nautilus Welfare Fund, de officiële liefdadigheidsinstelling van Nautilus.

A De Council bestaat uit actieve leden, zoals u, die

elk voor een termijn van vier jaar worden verkozen.

23 van de 32 zetels zijn voor leden van de Britse vestiging, acht voor leden van de Nederlandse vestiging en één zetel voor de Zwitserse vestiging.

De verkiezingen rouleren, wat betekent dat doorgaans nagenoeg de helft van de Council-leden jaarlijks opnieuw moet worden verkozen.

De tabel toont het aantal zetels en de vacatures voor de verkiezingen van 2017. De tabel toont ook de zetelverdeling tussen Nederland, Zwitserland en het VK. Betalende leden (inclusief studenten) in de categorieën waarvoor vacatures bestaan (meest rechtse tabel), mogen zich kandidaat stellen.

A Allereerst controleert u of er een vacature is in

uw categorie. Daarna vult u de bovenste helft van formulier A in en zorgt u ervoor dat vier andere betalende leden (van dezelfde nationale vestiging

VOOR KANDIDATEN

Nomination form A

Nomination form B

Nominatieformulier A

This form MUST be completed by the candidate and in addition may be used by one or more supporters.

It MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 21 November 2016, to: Nautilus International 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

This form can be completed by one or more supporters. More than one form can be used. The candidate MUST, in addition, complete, sign and return a Form A. Forms MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 21 November 2016, to: Nautilus International 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

Dit formulier MOET worden ingevuld door de kandidaat en mag eventueel worden gebruikt door één of meer steunbetuigers.

Retourneer het ingevulde formulier UITERLIJK op maandag 21 november 2016 om 17.00 uur t.a.v.: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD, VK. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

IN TE VULLEN DOOR DE KANDIDAAT

Electoral Category

Electoral Category

Name

Mem No

Kiescategorie

Name of Candidate I wish to support

Naam

Candidate’s Address

Address

Adres

Postcode Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Candidate’s Mem No

1. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Name

Mem No

I wish to stand for election in the 2017 Council elections. I declare that I am a full member of Nautilus International in the above mentioned category and am in conformity with the rules of the Union.

Address

Signature

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Signature

Date

1. Name Address

Mem No

Name

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

Date

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

2. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

IN TE VULLEN DOOR STEUNBETUIGERS Ik ondersteun de benoeming van de hierboven genoemde voor de verkiezing van de Council, zoals in de categorie verkiezing getoond. Ik bevestig dat ik een volwaardig lid ben van dezelfde nationale branch.

Mem No

1. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

Signature

Date

2. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

3. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

4. Naam Adres

Lidm.nr.

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

3. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

4. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

4. Name Address

Mem No

Address

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

3. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Nautilus Council Elections 2017

Postcode

Ik stel mij verkiesbaar voor de Councilverkiezingen 2017. Ik verklaar bij deze dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ volgens statuten Nautilus International) van Nautilus International in de bovenstaande categorie ben en aan de regels van de Union voldoe.

2. Name Address

36-37_elections.indd 36

Lidm.nr.

Name

Mem No

Address

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Name

Mem No

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Nautilus Council Elections 2017

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2017

20/07/2016 16:19

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS als u) hun naam, adres, lidmaatschapsnummer, handtekening en datum op de aangewezen plaatsen invullen. Stuur dit formulier dan op naar het hoofdkantoor, waar het uiterlijk om 17.00 uur op maandag 21 november 2016 binnen dient te zijn.

Wahl in den Council zur Verfügung zu stellen, der das leitende Organ der Gewerkschaft ist.

Der Council ist zugleich Treuhänder des Nautilus Welfare Fund, einer eingetragenen und von Nautilus verwalteten Wohltätigkeitsorganisation.

A Als u zelf de handtekeningen van uw supporters

A Der Council besteht aus dienenden

niet kunt verkrijgen (bijvoorbeeld omdat ze op andere schepen varen), vult u de bovenste helft van formulier A zelf in en stuurt u dit naar het hoofdkantoor.

Vraag uw supporters om formulier B in te vullen en dit apart op te sturen. Beide formulieren dienen het hoofdkantoor uiterlijk om 17.00 uur op maandag 21 november 2016 te bereiken.

Alle in aanmerking komende betalende leden krijgen van de Council en van de General Secretary de benoemingsdocumentatie toegestuurd vóór de uiterste datum van 19 september 2016.

A

Viele Mitglieder sind besorgt über die Herausforderungen in unserer Branche und haben Ideen wie Nautilus International diese Herausforderungen erfolgreich meistern kann. Die Mitglieder sind daher dazu aufgerufen, sich für die

Seefachleuten, wie du selbst; die Mitglieder des Council werden für eine Amtsperiode von vier Jahren gewählt. Von den 32 Sitzen sind 23 reserviert für die Mitglieder der Sektion in Grossbritannien, acht Sitze für diejenigen der niederländischen Sektion und ein Sitz für ein Mitglied der Schweizer Sektion.

Wahlen für einen Sitz im Council werden kontinuierlich abgehalten. Sprich: Alle zwei Jahre steht die Hälfte der Sitze des Council zur Verfügung.

Die Tabelle zeigt die Anzahl der Sitze und auch die für die Wahlen in 2017 frei werdenden Sitze.

Die Tabelle zeigt zudem die Aufteilung zwischen Grossbritannien, den Niederlanden und der Schweiz.

Vollwertige Mitglieder (einschliesslich Kadetten) in den Kategorien, in denen Sitze frei sind (siehe Tabelle rechts) sind berechtigt, sich zur Wahl zu stellen.

VOOR STEUNBETUIGERS

A Prüfe zuerst, ob es in deiner Kategorie eine Vakanz gibt. Fülle dann die obere Hälfte des Formulars A aus und finde vier weitere Vollmitglieder — die deine Mitgliedsbeiträge ebenfalls vollständig bezahlt haben und der gleichen nationalen Sektion angehören wie du — die dich unterstützen und in den entsprechenden Feldern ihre Namen, Adressen, Mitgliedsnummern, Unterschriften und das jeweilige Datum der Unterzeichnung angeben; das Formular muss spätestens bis Montag, 21. November 2016 um 17 Uhr im Hauptsitz eintreffen.

2017 Elections

A Wenn du die Unterschriften deiner Unterstützer

nicht persönlich einholen kannst (weil diese beispielsweise auf anderen Schiffen dienen) fülle die obere Hälfte des Formulars A selbst aus und sende es dann an die Zentrale.

Bitte deine Unterstützer, das Formular B auszufüllen und es separat einzusenden — beide Formulare müssen bis spätestens Montag, 21.

November 2016 um 17 Uhr im Hauptsitz eintreffen.

Alle teilnahmeberechtigten Vollmitglieder erhalten die Nominierungsunterlagen für die CouncilWahl und dessen General Secretary spätestens am 19.

September 2016.

FÜR KANDIDATINNEN & KANDIDATEN

Total UK Seats Seats

NL Seats

Total No. 2017 Total No. of Seats Vacancies of Seats

CH Seats

2017 Total No. 2017 Vacancies of Seats Vacancies

Category 1. Navigators, inc.

Shipmasters

13

10

5

3

1

0

0

2. Engineers inc.

ETOs/Elec/RO

11

9

6*

2

1

0

0

3. Ratings

2

1

0

1

1

0

0

4. Inland Navigation

2

0

0

1

0

1

0

5. Other Particular Categories inc.

Hotel Services & Shore-based members

4

3

2

1

1

0

0

TOTALS

8 4 32 23 13 1 0 * including 2 by-elections for 2 yr period

FÜR UNTERSTÜTZER

Nominatieformulier B

Nominierungsformular A

Dit formulier kan door één of meerdere steunbetuigers worden ingevuld. Er kunnen meerdere formulieren worden gebruikt. Daarbij MOET de kandidaat een Formulier A invullen, ondertekenen en retourneren. Retourneer het ingevulde formulier UITERLIJK op maandag 21 november 2016 om 17.00 uur t.a.v.: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD, VK. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Dieses Formular MUSS vom Kandidaten oder der Kandidatin ausgefüllt werden und kann darüber hinaus von einem oder mehreren unterstützenden Mitglieder verwendet werden.

EINGABESCHLUSS: Montag, 21. November 2016, 17.00 Uhr, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London GB-E18 1BD, Grossbritannien. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Dieses Formular kann von einem oder mehreren Unterstützer(n) ausgefüllt werden.

Mehrere Formulare können verwendet werden. Der Kandidat/die Kandidatin MUSS zusätzlich das Formular A ausfüllen, unterschreiben und zurücksenden.

EINGABESCHLUSS: 21. November 2016, 17.00 Uhr, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD, Grossbritannien. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

VOM KANDIDATEN bzw DER KANDIDATIN AUSZUFÜLLEN

VOM UNTERSTÜTZER AUSZUFÜLLEN

Wahlkategorie

Wahlkategorie Name des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin, den/die ich unterstützen will

IN TE VULLEN DOOR STEUNBETUIGERS Kiescategorie Naam van de kandidaat die ik ondersteun

Name

Adres van kandidaat

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse

Postcode

Postleitzahl

Lidm.nr.

Postleitzahl

Tel

Funktion

Unternehmen

Ich möchte für die Wahl des Rats 2017 kandidieren. Ich bestätige, dass ich bei Nautilus International ein Vollmitglied in der oben genannten Kategorie bin, und die Bedingungen der Statuten und Reglementen erfülle.

Adres

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Unterschrift

Datum

2. Ik ondersteun de benoeming van de hierboven genoemde voor de verkiezing van de Council, zoals in de categorie verkiezing getoond. Ik bevestig dat ik een volwaardig lid ben van dezelfde nationale branch.

Naam

Adresse des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin

Lidm.nr. kandidaat

1. Ik ondersteun de benoeming van de hierboven genoemde voor de verkiezing van de Council, zoals in de categorie verkiezing getoond. Ik bevestig dat ik een volwaardig lid ben van dezelfde nationale branch.

Naam

Nominierungsforumular B

Lidm.nr.

Adres

Mitgliedernummer des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin

1. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein vollwertiges Mitglied der gleichen nationalen Sektion (CH) bin.

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse

Datum

VON DEN UNTERSTÜTZERN AUSZUFÜLLEN Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein vollwertiges Mitglied der gleichen nationalen Sektion (CH) bin.

1. Name Mitgliedernummer Adresse

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

2. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein vollwertiges Mitglied der gleichen nationalen Sektion (CH) bin.

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Datum

3. Ik ondersteun de benoeming van de hierboven genoemde voor de verkiezing van de Council, zoals in de categorie verkiezing getoond. Ik bevestig dat ik een volwaardig lid ben van dezelfde nationale branch.

Naam

Lidm.nr.

Adres

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Lidm.nr.

Adres

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2017

36-37_elections.indd 37

Mitgliedernummer

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

3. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein vollwertiges Mitglied der gleichen nationalen Sektion (CH) bin.

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

3. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

Datum

4. Ik ondersteun de benoeming van de hierboven genoemde voor de verkiezing van de Council, zoals in de categorie verkiezing getoond. Ik bevestig dat ik een volwaardig lid ben van dezelfde nationale branch.

Naam

2. Name Adresse

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

4. Name Adresse

Mitgliedernummer

Postleitzahl Funktion Unterschrift

Tel. Unternehmen Datum

Nautilus — Ratswahlen 2017

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

4. Ich unterstütze die Nominierung der oben genannten Person für die Wahl in den Rat. Ich bestätige, dass ich ein vollwertiges Mitglied der gleichen nationalen Sektion (CH) bin.

Name

Mitgliedernummer

Adresse

Postleitzahl

Tel.

Funktion

Unternehmen

Unterschrift

Datum

Nautilus — Ratswahlen 2017

20/07/2016 15:16

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Sign up for the UK conference K Cardiff’s iconic Principality Stadium Picture: Thinkstock

UK Branch Conference 2016

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 2 September 2016).

We, as full members, wish to submit the following motion for discussion at the 2016 UK Branch Conference of Nautilus International: This UK Branch Conference

(continue on a separate sheet if necessary)

How can we safeguard a sound future for UK seafarers? As the shipping industry grapples with the global downturn and the impact of the cuts in the offshore oil and gas sector, the fifth Nautilus UK branch conference is to focus on the critical theme of Jobs, Skills and the Future.

This is the name of a new strategic campaign by the Union, and the conference will be an important sounding-board, allowing members to influence policy on issues integral to their work.

There will be progress reports on the work being done to protect members’ terms and conditions, defend jobs and ensure that the industry trains the new generation of highly skilled seafarers that it needs for ever-more sophisticated ships.

And there will be opportunities for members to discuss – and vote on – motions proposed by their colleagues.

The Union business in the morning will be followed by a special industry symposium after lunch – see below for details.

K

Both events will be held at the Radisson Blu hotel in Cardiff on Tuesday 4 October. The formal part of the day, which will begin at 10.00hrs, is reserved for full UK members only, whereas the later symposium will have a broader range of attendees.

A limited amount of financial assistance

This year’s Nautilus UK branch meeting is to take place in Cardiff’s Radisson Blu hotel in October, and now’s the time for you to register to attend or to submit a motion for discussion… is available for those UK-based full members wishing to attend and who otherwise would not be able to make the journey. This will be allocated across the various categories of membership to ensure appropriate representation for each category of membership of the Union. Arrangements will be made with the hotel for a discounted room rate for members who are not eligible or successful in securing financial assistance from the Union.

The UK national committee is particularly keen to ensure a good turn-out from

members residing in Wales (which is why the meeting is being held in Cardiff) and is encouraging young and female members to attend. Meetings of the Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals Forum and Women’s Forum will be held on the afternoon of Monday 3 October, and members attending those meetings will be able to stay for free to attend the branch conference on the following day.

K

Motions for debate and decision at the conference need to have the support of four full members and reach the Nautilus head office by 1700hrs on Friday 2 September. A pro forma is available left and will also appear on the Nautilus website www.nautilusint.org. Forms are also available to apply for a place and to apply for financial assistance — these must also be submitted before 2 September.

The conference is open to a maximum of 100 full members in benefit (all subscriptions must be up to date) so UK members need to apply for a place now. Those who have requested, and are approved for, financial assistance will be notified as soon as possible after 2 September.

g For further information, contact Adele McDonald at Nautilus head office — tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 or email: amcdonald@ nautilusint.org

1. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature Date

Union symposium will see launch of a charter for jobs

2. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Cardiff, Nautilus will be hosting a seminar A examining the future of the UK maritime sector as Following this year’s branch conference in

Postcode Signature Date 3. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature Date 4. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature Date Cardiff’s Radisson Blu hotel to host the UK branch meeting Picture: Radisson Blu

38_branch conf.indd Sec2:38

part of the Job, Skills & the Future campaign.

With the continued effect of the global downturn, the impact of low oil prices on the offshore oil and gas sector, and the potential impact of the UK’s exit from the EU, the seminar is shaping up to be a lively event.

At the start of the conference, the Union will launch a Charter for Jobs, which details 10 recommendations for securing the future of the maritime industry in the UK. Nautilus has invited speakers from government and industry to respond to the challenges posed in the new charter.

Some of the points raised in the charter include calling on shipping companies using UK tonnage tax and SMarT to commit to employing British seafarers, as well as better regulation of the issuing of certificates of equivalent competency, and the development of a national tripartite maritime cluster organisation — similar to the successful body in the Netherlands — to draft a national maritime strategy.

The event will begin with lunch at 1245hrs where the 10-point charter will be unveiled, and the symposium will run from 1345hrs until 1700hrs. The event is open to all members and the wider maritime community. gTo register for the event, contact amcdonald@ nautilusint.org and for more information about the Job, Skills & the Future campaign visit the website www.nautilusint.org.

20/07/2016 18:15

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS Join us in bringing knowledge, help and hope to the nations!

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.

OM Ships, a worldwide worl charity, is looking for qualified engineering engin officers, mechanics, fitters fitte and welders to volunteer to serve ser on their ship Logos Hope which is presently in the Far East.

10 August 2016 is the closing date for September 2016.

For details visit www.omships.org or email: recruiting@omships.org

You can still advertise online at any time.

CV Professionals Maritime & oσshore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

THE WORLD’S LEADING MARITIME RECRUITER. SHORE BASED JOBS:

JOBS AT SEA:

Technical Super –Tankers Glasgow - £60K

Technical Manager (Yachts) Europe - €70K

TANKERS & GAS:

CRUISE:

Ass Technical Super - Tankers Glasgow - £45K

Technical Manager / Alternate DPA Europe - €65K

Master – LPG/VLGC - $90K

C/E – Cruise - €66K

C/O – Chem Tanker - $70K

Staff C/E – Cruise - €65K

C/E – VLGC/LNG - $115K

1/E – Cruise - £43K

2/E – LPG/VLGC - $10K/Mth

Hotel Engineer – Cruise - £41K

Marine Super -Tankers London - £65K

Operations Manager (Yachts) Europe - €70K

Technical Super - LPG Glasgow - £60K Senior Nautical Assessor London - £70K QHSE Manager - Tankers Netherlands - €80K Technical Super - Bulk Carriers Netherlands - €75K

Fleet Manager – Yachts France - €70K

3/E – VLCC - $44K

Senior Project Manager - Cruise Events Attractive package

YACHTS:

Shore Excursions Director – Cruise Europe - €130K

C/E - 70m+ MY - €7K/Mth

Technical Superintendent – Cruise UK - £80K

Technical Super - RO-RO Glasgow - £55K Marine Super - Tankers Norway - Competitive Salary Marine Assurance Super - Gas Glasgow - £60K

Technical Superintendent – Cruise Germany - €85K Marine Superintendent – Cruise Germany - €85K Safety Superintendent – Cruise Germany - €75K

Technical Super Cyprus - €80K

2/ETO – Cruise – £32K 2/E – Cruise - $50K Refrigeration Engineer – Cruise - €34K Environmental Officer – Cruise - £37K

2/O - 60m+ MY - €5K/Mth

Waiter/ess – Cruise - $34K Chef de Partie – Cruise - £15K

2/E - 100m+ MY - €5K/Mth

3/O - 90m+ MY - €5K/Mth

WORKBOAT / ROPAX/ CONTAINER:

Deckhand - 80m+ MY - €2.6K/Mth

Master – Dredger - £50K

ETO - 100m+ MY - €6K/Mth

C/E – Dredger - £45K

Stewardess - 60m+ MY - $2.8K/Mth

C/E – Dredger - £50K

3/E - 100m+ MY - $4.5K/Mth

CALL +44 (0) 23 8020 8840 FOR SHOREBASED ROLES. CALL +44 (0) 23 8020 8820 FOR SEAFARING ROLES. 100’S MORE JOBS ONLINE AT WWW.FASTSTREAM.COM

Job Opportunities aboard

As a member of Nautilus, don’t forget you have access to the Nautilus Plus member benefits scheme, offering you fantastic discounts on a wide range of products and services.

PADDLE STEAMER

WAV E R L E Y

Operating around the UK Coast

• Permanent & Relief Chief Engineer & Engineer OOW (Steam) For job description and qualification requirements call 0141 221 8152 or email info@waverleyexcursions.co.uk

Waverley Excursions Ltd, 36 Lancefield Quay, Glasgow G3 8HA

www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk

Fdiscounts offering members the chance to make big savings on a wide range of goods and services – all Nautilus Plus is a package of special deals and

selected to support you personally and professionally.

From discounts on holidays, travel insurance and airport lounges, Nautilus Plus can help you at every stage of the journey.

This month’s featured benefits include: Emergency Childcare — attention working parents A typical UK working parent will have a childcare breakdown nine times a year. Emergency Childcare is a service that lets parents plan ahead for life’s little

emergencies, put a back-up plan in place and then book an emergency nanny, nursery or childminder anywhere in the UK with as little as 30 minutes’ notice*.

17% off worldwide attraction tickets with Online Ticket Store Book attractions, excursions, theatre tickets and experiences all over the world with Onlineticketstore. co.uk. Whether it’s a week at Disney World, a dinner cruise in Dubai or a day trip in Rome, you can look forward to hassle-free booking 24/7, instant e-tickets and unbeatable customer service*.

Save an additional 12% on spa experiences, treatments or gifts Pay for your next spa experience or treatment and get a guaranteed 12% saving on top of any discounts or offers from the spa itself when paying with Spafinder Wellness 365 Gift Vouchers - including Champneys, Bannatyne, HandPicked Hotel Spas, Virgin Active Health Club Spas, The Grove, Whittlebury Hall, Marriott Spas, Alexander House Hotel and Utopia Spa, Lifehouse Spa & Hotel and Rookery Hall*. g Members can access these benefits, plus many more, via Nautilus Plus on the main Nautilus website: www.nautilusint.org.

*Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers subject to change without notice. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Get knotted with a Nautilus Tie

Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists We are seeking all ranks of seafarers, offshore and shore based personnel and in particular:

Nautilus International has produced a 100% silk TIE to enable members to show off their membership with pride and celebrate seafaring traditions.

Available for just £9.50 or €13.

Also on offer are enamel badges of the Nautilus logo for £1 or €1.50.

Nautilus recruitment.indd 39

Please send in a cheque for items to our Central Services department at head office and let them know how many you need.

Call Central Services on +44 (0)20 8989 6677 or email centralservices@nautilusint.org

Your first port of call Address: First Floor Unit 7, Hythe Marine Park, Shore Road, Southampton, SO45 6HE UK Telephone: +44(0)23 8084 0374 Email: recruitment@seamariner.com

Senior Deck and Engineering Of½cers - All vessels All Of½cers and Crew - ERRV Tug/Multicat Crew - All ranks Various shore based personnel 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

19/07/2016 16:30

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

APPOINTMENTS

PLOT YOUR NEXT COURSE WITH US Excellent opportunities exist within our fleet of Oil, Chemical, LPG and LNG Tankers for various positions including:

MASTERS - CHIEF OFFICERS CHIEF ENGINEERS - SECOND ENGINEERS ELECTRO TECHNICAL OFFICERS - GAS ENGINEERS To view all current vacancies and for further information, please visit our manning agent website: www.nmms.co.uk.

Or send full CV to: recruitment@nmms.co.uk

MASTERS / CHIEF OFFICERS / CHIEF ENGINEERS / SECOND ENGINEERS / ETO / GAS ENGINEERS

Technical Advisor International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Closing Date: 31st August 2016 Salary: Competitive package offered The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is the principal international trade association for the shipping industry, representing shipowners and operators in all sectors and trades.

ICS membership comprises national shipowners’ associations in Asia, Europe and the Americas whose member shipping companies operate over 80% of the world’s merchant tonnage. Established in 1921, ICS is concerned with all technical, legal, employment affairs and policy issues that may affect international shipping. ICS represents shipowners with the various intergovernmental regulatory bodies that impact on shipping, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES & JOB FUNCTIONS: Reporting to the ICS Marine Director the successful candidate will provide support to various ICS Sub-Committees and Panels and represent ICS at IMO and other external fora. As technical advisor they will be required to take responsibility within ICS for issues or topics as assigned but with a focus on technical safety and environmental issues that impact on international shipping. The focus of the post is to assist technical directors as required and this may include research, preparation of documents/presentations and facilitation of meetings.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS: The successful candidate will have experience, as a qualified ship’s engineer officer serving on merchant ships, or have equivalent relevant shore based experience in ship/fleet technical operations (e.g. assistant superintendent) or ship surveying for Class or flag. The post would ideally suit an engineer officer seeking to build a career ashore or an individual wishing to transfer to work in a leading trade association from other relevant shore based employment.

BENEFITS: The International Chamber of Shipping offers a competitive remuneration and benefits package.

Inspector of Marine Accidents (Nautical) £71,584 - £78,742 Southampton based The Marine Accident Investigation Branch contributes to safety at sea by determining the causes and circumstances of marine accidents and working with others to reduce the likelihood of repeat occurrences.

As a MAIB Inspector you will undertake investigations into accidents involving UK-registered vessels anywhere in the world, as well as accidents involving any vessels in UK territorial waters.

You will investigate marine accidents of all types, involving vessels of all kinds to determine the circumstances and causes. You will gather evidence, conduct interviews with those involved and undertake detailed analysis in order to produce clear and concise reports containing robust recommendations.

Qualified to STCW 95 A-II/2 (Deck) or with Royal Navy equivalent experience, you will bring considerable seagoing expertise at that level together with a proven track record of commanding a vessel. Able to draw effective conclusions using a wide range of incomplete and complex evidence and data, you will use correct English grammar and punctuation within your well-structured reports.

This is a reserved post, so restricted to UK nationals.

TO APPLY: A job description with application details can be found on the website of the ICS at www.ics-shipping.org Applicants should include a C.V. and single page letter of application stating where they saw the vacancy advertised. These should be forwarded to

julie.rogers@ics-shipping.org

Nautilus recruitment.indd 40

For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs/index.aspx and search under reference: 1497963.

Closing date: 26th August 2016.

The Department for Transport is an equal opportunities employer.

We value diversity and want our workforce to reflect the communities that we serve.

19/07/2016 16:30

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

APPOINTMENTS

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS - CELEBRATING 125 YEARS IN 2017 with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

MARITIME COURSES MARITIME COURSES

STCW UPDATING 2017

Masters Orals: 12 Sep 2016, 24 Oct 2016, 9 Jan 2017, 27 Feb 2017, 2 May 2017, 19 June 2017 |

Personal Survival Techniques Updating £165 | Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Updating £200 |

Chief Mate: 12 Sep 2016, 16 Jan 2017, 8 May 2017 | HND to Chief Mate: 12 Sep 2016,

Advanced Fire Fighting Updating £175 | Proficiency in Survival craft & Rescue Boat £200

16 Jan 2017, 8 May 2017 | FD to Chief Mate: 29 Aug 2016, 24 Oct 2016, 9 Jan 2017, 27 Feb 2017,

The above four courses can be booked as a 4 day package £680*

2 May 2017, 19 June 2017 | Oil Tanker Safety: 1 Aug 2016 | Gas Tanker Safety Course:

1 Day MCA Approved FRB updating course with Capsize drill £245

25 July 2016 | ECDIS Generic: 18 July 2016, 9 Jan 2017, 30 Jan 2017, 15 May 2017, 19 June 2017

2017 AVAILABLE COURSE WEEKS

| HELM (M): 18 July 2016, 25 July 2016, 29 Aug 2016, 5 Sept 2016, 12 Sept 2016, 10 Oct 2016,

16, 17, 23 Jan | 6, 7, 20, 27 Feb

21 Nov 2016, 28 Nov 2016, 5 Dec 2016, 12 Dec 2016, 6 Feb 2017, 27 Mar 2017, 3 Apr 2017, 10 Apr 2017, 17 Apr 2017 | NAEST (M): 25 July 2016, 29 Aug 2016, 28 Nov 2016, 5 Dec 2016, 12 Dec 2016, 13 Feb 2017, 3 Apr 2017, 10 Apr 2017 | VTS Operator (2 Weeks – VTS Induction and Simulator) : 7 Nov 2016, 20 Mar 2017, 10 July 2017 | VTS Refresher : 22 Nov 2016,

FOR MORE INFORMATION E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore

If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

14 Mar 2017, 4 July 2017 | BTM: 20 to 23 July 2016

WWW. BLACKPOOL. AC.UK

FOR MORE INFORMATION E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

Reach over 110,000 readers.

To advertise contact Paul Wade on +44 (0)20 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@ redactive.co.uk to find out how.

Ca reers at Sea Ambassadors

Where’s my Telegraph?

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you.

To let us know your new address, go to www.nautilusint. org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@ nautilusint.org The membership team can also cancel your print copy.

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL? Join now on our website Fill out the online application at:

Volunteer as a Careers at Sea Ambassador and you’ll visit local schools or youth groups to give a first-hand account of life in the Merchant Navy.

Whether you’re running a stand at a careers fair or giving a presentation, the Ambassador programme will provide all the materials and support you need — and the children and young

/FleetwoodNauticalCampusOffshoreOperations

Clyde Marine Recruitment is a leading provider of marine recruitment and bespoke crew management VHUYLFHV :LWK RI¼FHV ORFDWHG LQ 8. /DWYLD 3RODQG DQG Singapore it allows us to provide our clients with easy access to a multi-national pool of candidates from a single point of contact.

For sea-going jobs apply at www.clyderecruit.com TANKER

SPECIALIST

2nd Engineers, Gas Engineer and ETOs required for both Oil Tankers and Gas Tankers.

Operating worldwide. Various Clients recruiting with trip lengths and salaries varied. See website for full details.

(QJLQHHULQJ 2I¼FHU with a Chief Engineer CoC, Second Engineer CoC and System Engineer required for vacancies within the RFA Fleet.

Master, LNG experience preferable however large oil tanker experience would be considered.

Permanent position. Trips are 3 months on with 28 days leave per month served. Master unlimited CoC with Gas or Oil DCE required. Excellent WEPEV] ERH FIRI½X TEGOEKI

• Competitive Salary

&KLHI 2I¼FHU, LNG experience preferable however large oil tanker experience would be considered.

Permanent position. Trips are 3 months on with HE]W PIEZI TIV QSRXL WIVZIH 'LMIJ 3J½GIV unlimited CoC with Gas or Oil DCE required. )\GIPPIRX WEPEV] ERH FIRI½X TEGOEKI

• World Class Comprehensive Training Programme

CRUISE SHIP Third Engineer required to join a Cruise Ship on 3rd August. Rotation is 4 months on / 2 months off. Salary is paid onboard only. Candidates must hold an OOW CoC and be in possession of all pax WTIGM½G GIVXM½GEXIW We would also be interested in hearing from candidates who would consider a move to Cruise ships on a 4/2 rotation.

%HQH¼WV LQFOXGH • Paid Voyage Leave • 4:3 Rotation Including Training • Career Average Occupational Pension Scheme • Fully Funded Study Leave Programme Candidates must have experience as Chief Engineer, Second Engineer or ETO and have a UK CoC/CEC. **Please note for this vacancy MOD requirements dictate when you join, you must have British Citizenship and have been living in the UK for EX PIEWX JSYV SJ XLI TEWX ½ZI ]IEVW

For all shore-based jobs, please visit:

www.redtheconsultancy.com

people will be excited to hear about your experiences at sea.

To find out more, go to: www.careersatsea,org/ambassadors email: enquiry@careersatsea.org or call: +44 (0)20 7417 2825

For Sea-going Jobs visit Clyde Marine Recruitment:

www.clyderecruit.com Glasgow +44 (0) 141 427 6886 Singapore +65 6299 4992

Gdynia +4858 665 3860 Riga +371 6733 1357

nautilusint.org

Nautilus recruitment.indd 41

19/07/2016 16:30

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MIN 525 (M) — Written examination dates 2016/17: Deck and Engineer Officers (Merchant Navy) This notice sets out the written examination dates for UK Merchant Navy certificates of competency for the academic year commencing 1 September 2016.

MIN 526 (F) — Written examination dates 2016/17:

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:

Deck Officers (Fishing Vessels) This notice sets out the written examination dates for UK fishing certificates of competency for the academic year commencing 1 September 2016.

MIN 527 (M) — Written examination dates 2016/17: Engineer Officers (Yachts and Sail Training Vessels) This notice sets out the written examination dates for UK engineer officer certificates of competency (limited to yachts and sail training vessels) for the academic year commencing 1 September 2016.

z M-Notices are available as 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 2015 (ISBN 978 01155 34034) and costs £210 — www.tsoshop.co.uk z Individual copies can be downloaded from the MCA website.

Go to www.gov.uk/mca and click on Find marine (M) notices. z Email alerts can be sent automatically whenever an M-Notice is published or updated. To set this up, follow the instructions in MIN 515 (M+F) — Guidance for subscriptions to safety bulletins and MCA document notifications on GOV.UK.

Want to keep your job in 2017? Then read on!

It’s time to get your papers out and start checking whether your UK certificate of competency will still be valid when STCW 2010 comes into force…

A

Nautilus is urging members to take note that the countdown has begun to new rules that will require additional training to be undertaken to keep UK certificates of competency valid for service

after 31 December 2016.

The new requirements are being introduced as part of the ‘Manila amendments’ to the Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping (STCW) convention, which were agreed at an

international conference in 2010. g Members are encouraged to refer to the relevant M-Notices or alternatively contact the professional and technical department: protech@nautilusint.org

FIVE MONTHS TO GO UNTIL 1 JANUARY 2017 HELM course or acceptable equivalent

DECK UPDATEE TO TO 010 STCW 2010

(e.g. sea service)

ECDIS certificate caat ate te ach achie achi achieved chie hie h after 1 January 2005 to avoid endorsement oid idd negative nega neg

HELM course or acceptable equivalent

ENGINE UPDATEE TO TO 010 STCW 2010

(e.g. sea service)

High Voltagee certifica certificat certificate ertific ertifica tifi ifi or qualifying sea void oid idd negative ne n neg service to avoid endorsement

NEW FICATE ICATE CAT CATE A AT CERTIFICATE

In addition: seatime re requirements for re eva vallilid lidati — 12 months revalidation in preceding five years or three months in preceding six months plus valid ENG1.

5

In addition: appropriate ta tanker endorsements — su ubj bjec ectt to revalidation. subject

6 To serve as an ETO certification is required...

ETO

4

alternati lterna t terna — otherwisee alternat alternative designation, ctrical trical rical icall En E such as Electrical Engineer

Refresher training — R re required every five yeear arss for fo certifi c years cates held.

Dependent upon rank (support/ operation/management) and duty — for example, Fast Rescue Craft certificate.

g Professional & Technical Forum Tuesday 27 September 2016 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs in Hull.

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.

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 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 638 882 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

College contacts 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 Danny McGowan at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g Women’s Forum Morning of Monday 3 October 2016 UK Branch Conference 2016 Radisson Blu, Cardiff, Wales 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

Quiz and crossword answersACDB Quiz answers 1. Japanese owners have the most ships under the Panama flag — more than 2,300.

2. Santos is the busiest container port in South America, with an annual throughput of 3.78m TEU last year.

3. New Orleans was the US port which detained the most foreign ships last year — a total of 53.

4. Cat Link V crossed the Atlantic with an average speed of 41.3 knots.

5. The world’s containership fleet had a total capacity of 19.7m TEU at the end of May this year.

6. The average age of cruise passengers was 49 in 2014, according to a Cruise Lines International Association report on the North American market.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Crisps; 4. Scabbard; 10. Chocolate; 11. Sepal; 12. Trident; 13. Soloist; 14. Inset; 15. Neap tide; 18. Deprived; 20. Nylon; 23. Abdomen; 25. Necktie; 26. Perón; 27. Geologist; 28. Shepherd; 29. Ascend.

Down: 1. Cocktail; 2. Ivories; 3. Protector; 5. Cheese and onion; 6. Basil; 7. Applied; 8. Dilate; 9. Salt and vinegar; 16. Tenacious; 17. Invested; 19. Endorse; 21. Lattice; 22. Campus; 24. Month.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Colin MacQuarrie, who has won the prize draw for the July cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from July Across: 1. Fashionable; 7. Sap; 9. Palladium; 10. Terse; 11. Insteps; 12. Synapse; 13. Highlander; 16. Herd; 18. Must; 19. Rolling pin; 22. Marconi; 23. Scrawls; 25. Impel; 26. Headstone; 27. Sad; 28. Second sight.

Down: 1. Foppish; 2. Sales; 3.Isabella; 4. Nails; 5. Bombshell; 6. Extent; 7. Scrapheap; 8. Pretend; 14.Gastropod; 15. Neolithic; 17. Encrusts; 18. Memoirs; 20, Nascent; 21. Worlds; 23. Stain; 24. Wrong.

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 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.

42_infosprd.indd 42

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

Useful organisations

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Morning of Monday 3 October 2016 UK Branch Conference 2016 Radisson Blu, Cardiff, Wales 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 Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@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.

Seafarers’ 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 Slater Fund.

20/07/2016 16:20

August 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus John Wainman, Council member

g

John Wainman is a member of Nautilus International’s governing body, the Council, having been elected in 2015, and he is keen to see others standing as candidates in the latest round of voting.

‘I don’t think people realise how significant you can be in the decisionmaking,’ he points out.

A communication information systems officer serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, he first went to sea in 1980. ‘For some reason — and I still don’t really understand why — I joined the Royal Navy,’ he recalls.

‘There was no family history of seafaring, but I did discover later that my dad had wanted to do it.’

In his 15 years with the RN, John served on ships ranging from frigates to minehunters, and his last appointment was a posting ashore, working for NATO in Norway.’ But with defence cuts biting in the mid-1990s, he took redundancy from the Navy and joined the RFA. ‘One minute I was on HMS Brilliant and the next I was on RFA Olwen in the Adriatic,’ he says.

Joining as a communications rating, he rose through the ranks rapidly — becoming an officer in 2003. ‘It was a massive learning curve,’ he admits. ‘As an officer, you have to be good at handling people, looking after their welfare and building the team.’

John served on ships including Brambleleaf and Wave Knight and spent time working in the anti-piracy patrols off Somalia. Since 2010, he’s been working ashore at HMS Collingwood as a communications instructor.

‘I’m mainly training apprentices and that is really rewarding for me,’ he explains.

‘We had been looking at how to get the apprenticeship route in place since 2011 and had the course devised.’

John joined the Union when he became an officer with the RFA and became actively involved after attending one of the lay representative courses in 2010. ‘I think it is important that people feel looked after

when they go to sea,’ he notes. ‘The civil service can be good at looking after people, but not so good at identifying their needs.

I am a big believer in teaching people to leave, but treating them so they stay John grew up near Barnsley and he remains an avid fan of the football club. His leave periods also see him following British touring cars — something that his son got him into a few years ago.

Passionate about training, he also spends a lot of his time trying to raise awareness of shipping and encouraging young people to take up cadetships. ‘We don’t have enough youngsters coming in,’ he argues.

Wherev er you are , so are we

Join now

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

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.

20/07/2016 15:48

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | August 2016

NEWS

Refit for RFA ship after Gulf mission than four years to provide crucial F support to the forces in the Gulf, the Following a deployment of more

A&P Falmouth apprentices Ben Casley and Will Leadham with MD Gerald Pitts and Kevin Murray, technical superintendent for the RFA’s Bay-class ships

Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Cardigan Bay returned to the UK last month to begin a lengthy refit.

During the 50-month mission, Cardigan Bay provided vital support to British and international mine warfare operations in the Middle East — operating as a ‘mother ship’ to minehunters, providing food, fuel, water, ammunition, and accommodation.

Sistership Lyme Bay has taken up the Gulf role — kicking off with a two-week workout supporting the RN mine counter-measure vessels HMS Penzance, Middleton, Chiddingfold and Bangor, and the US Navy ships Sentry and Gladiator.

Now berthed at the Queen Elizabeth Dock at the A&P Group’s Falmouth yard, Cardigan Bay is beginning an extensive five-month programme of repairs, maintenance and upgrades.

Work will include the installation of two new Wartsila azimuth thrusters, a Hyde Marine ballast water management system, and two new Phalanx ship missile defence systems, along with FRC davit replacement, a new working air system, full paint package, thrusters and engine overhaul, maintenance of critical safety systems, LR special survey and MCA PSSC renewal.

A&P Falmouth MD Gerald Pitts said the refit work would secure 250 jobs for A&P personnel, including specialist engineers, fabricators, pipefitters, painters and nine apprentices.

He said the yard had spent 18 months planning for the project — including scheduling, design, procurement, and safety and security plans— and had carried out a lot of pre-fabrication work for the ballast water and azimuth thrusters to reduce the ship’s time in dock.

Kevin Murray, technical superintendent for the RFA’s three Bay

class ships, said the ‘cluster’ contract for A&P to maintain and provide global support for four RFA vessels from Falmouth has helped to generate significant savings.

‘RFA ships are operated as commercial vessels, even though they have military capability,’ he pointed out. ‘By working with a commercial yard we want to get the efficiencies of the commercial sector and through the cluster contract we deliver certainty and plan from the bottom up, to put programmes in place that get the ships out on time and on budget.’

Mr Murray said the continuity of yard staff working on similar vessels added to the efficiency gains.

Following the Cardigan Bay refit, A&P Falmouth is due to carry out special survey work on Lyme Bay next year and further work on Argus later in 2017. The yard will also complete the fit-out of the RFA’s four new Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) tankers.

Relief as ETV is reprieved MP backs Union’s call for government to reconsider emergency tug cover

P

Nautilus International has welcomed a UK government decision to reprieve the last remaining emergency towing vessel (ETV), based in Orkney.

The Union described the decision to provide a further five years’ funding for the vessel as ‘a long-overdue victory for common sense’ and urged the government to reconsider the provision of other ETVs around the UK coast.

The four ETVs stationed around the UK were introduced after the Braer and Sea Empress tanker disasters, but three were withdrawn following the 2010 public spending review. The contract for the final vessel, covering northern Scotland, was due to expire at the end of March this year but was extended by the government in the face of warnings about the threat to safety.

Shipping minister Robert Goodwill said the government had determined that there is a strong case to support the ‘vital service’ provided by the ETV. A Maritime & Coastguard Agency review had concluded that the commercial towage market cannot currently reliably meet the need for a dedicated service to cover the seas around Scotland, he explained.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This is a victory for common sense and a victory for safety at sea. It is wrong that short-term cost-cutting was given priority over the need to safeguard lives at sea and protect our coastlines from pollution.

‘The logic used to ensure the future provision of the Orkney ETV ought to be extended to the reinstatement of the other

vessels in other high-risk areas around the UK,’ he added. ‘Investigation reports show that there is no room for complacency over maritime safety and we should not ignore the ever-present risk of collisions, groundings, fires and other accidents in our waters.’

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael said: ‘The tug is our environmental insurance policy and it should never have been threatened in this way, but I am delighted that our campaign has been successful. I hope that the government will now be more creative in how they use this vessel and that there will be no further uncertainty over its future.’

Inverness MP Drew Hendry said Nautilus was right to highlight the continuing shortfalls in ETV coverage. ‘Whilst this temporary U-turn was welcome, the fact remains that there is still a deficit

of ETV coverage in the North Sea,’ he pointed out. ‘As a result, the UK government has created unacceptable increased risk to seafarers and coastal communities alike.

‘This call for a rethink from Nautilus is yet another clear message from those involved in the industry that current policy on maritime safety is not working. I have, therefore, once again written to the minister to ask that he listen, and not wait until there is a catastrophic incident before taking action.’

The environmental organisation KIMO said it considered that a minimum of two ETVs are required to provide adequate protection to Scottish coastlines.

‘Their cost will be repaid many times over if they are successful in preventing just a single vessel disablement becoming a major environmental disaster.’

Crew donate to the Mission Cardigan Bay have presented a A donation to the Mission to Seafarers Crew members onboard RFA

Flying Angel Centre in the port of Falmouth. Laundrymen Tommy Mason and John Smith organised the collection and Mr Mason is pictured above handing the donation to Penny Phillips, chair of the Falmouth Mission.

‘We are all familiar with the great work done by the Mission and we just wanted to do something

to help,’ Mr Mason said. ‘The first Flying Angel club I visited was in Mombasa, and we ended up donating them all sorts of things and helping to support a local orphanage.’

The award-winning Falmouth centre offers a wide range of services to visiting seafarers, including wi-fi, phone cards, currency exchange, free warm clothing, games, a garden, a chapel and a library.

“EXCELLENT COURSES TAUGHT BY TUTORS WITH KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE” STCW • ECDIS • GMDSS • HELM • MEDICAL • DP • TANKER • GWO • OOW • CHIEF MATE • MASTER

MARITIME@LOWESTOFT.AC.UK WWW.LOWESTOFT.AC.UK CALL +44(0)1502 525025

44_news.indd 44

20/07/2016 16:21