Nautilus Telegraph July 2017

Bad treatment?

Pre-employment medical tests put crew rights at risk 19

Bad connection?

Nautilus research reveals at-sea internet issues 22-23

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

Volume 50 | Number 07 | July 2017 | £3.50 €3.70

Minister gets his job back

Maersk giant’s maiden calls

shipping minister John Hayes F to request early talks following his Nautilus has written to UK

F

The 20,568TEU Madrid Maersk is pictured making a maiden call to the UK port of Felixstowe last month — taking the title of the largest containership to call in North Europe so far.

Launched in March, the 214,286gt ship is the first of 11 of the secondgeneration Maersk Triple-E vessels and has been deployed in the the 2M Asia to Europe service which Maersk operates with MSC. The Danishflagged vessel also made inaugural calls to Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Harwich Haven Authority Pilots and Svitzer tug masters used HR Wallingford’s UK Ship Simulation Centre to prepare for Maersk Madrid’s visit, and to determine the limits of the conditions in which the ship could enter and leave the port safely. The pilotage was undertaken in winds gusting up to 40 knots.

reappointment to the post after last month’s general election.

General secretary Mark Dickinson said he was pleased that Mr Hayes had retained the brief. ‘This should ensure some vital continuity at this important time,’ he added.

‘There is an immense amount of work to be done to turn the Maritime Growth Study recommendations into the practical and effective action that we need to ensure the future of our merchant fleet and our pool of skilled seafarers.’

Mr Dickinson said he wanted to meet soon to discuss the Union’s Charter for Jobs proposals to strengthen employment and training opportunities for British seafarers.

Nautilus also wants further talks on its campaign for reform of the system for issuing UK Certificates of Equivalent Competency to foreign officers.

Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

IMO rethinks rules for ‘smart’ ships Seafarer bodies call for proper scrutiny to be paid to the human impact of autonomous vessels

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Moves to introduce autonomous ships have taken an important step forward with agreement at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to begin work on reviewing the legal and regulatory framework governing their operation.

As the proposals were discussed at the IMO’s maritime safety committee last month, seafarer representatives stressed the need for proper consideration of the human factor, and the implications for maritime jobs, training and education.

Following a long debate, the meeting backed a paper submitted by countries including the UK, the Netherlands, the US and Denmark stressing the urgent need for a ‘regulatory scoping exercise’ to examine how IMO conventions — such as SOLAS and STCW — may have to change to ensure the safe, secure and

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environmentally sound operation of ‘maritime autonomous surface ships’ (MASS).

The paper noted the significant research and development currently underway into all aspects of MASS — including remotely-controlled and autonomous navigation, vessel monitoring and collision avoidance systems.

It pointed out that autonomous vessels are already being trialled, and some flag states and classification societies have produced guidelines to govern their operation. And it warned that their growing size and geographical spread may result in such arrangements becoming ‘unsustainable and potentially unsafe’.

It also voiced concern at the lack of clarity about the correct application of existing IMO rules to autonomous ships and said a review should consider which regulations would currently out-

law unmanned operations, and which might need to be amended to ensure the safety and security of MASS construction and operation.

In connection with the IMO meeting, Denmark hosted a presentation by representatives from Mærsk and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) about their work on autonomous ships. Danish business minister Brian Mikkelsen said it was important that international regulation keeps pace with technological developments.

‘It is important that also public authorities focus on encouraging innovation and development in shipping and especially initiatives that will promote digitalisation and automation,’ he added.

International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations secretary-general Jim Scorer told the maritime sadety committee meeting that the study is greatly

needed and needs to take into account the fact that autonomous ships can be manned as well as being unmanned.

‘Shipmasters need to see consistency of international and national regulations for MASS as they travel the world, and the scoping exercise should be seen as the foundation of this enormous task,’ he added.

In a paper submitted to the meeting, the International Transport Workers’ Federation warned that the proposed review was too narrowly focused and cautioned: ‘The scoping and possible revision of regulations should not take place in isolation from their potential consequences.’

It argued that the plans had been based on ‘an unverified assumption that unmanned ships are equally as safe and reliable as manned ships’ and called for that theory to be addressed in the scoping exercise, with

attention being paid to such elements as reliability, robustness, resilience, and redundancy of the underpinning technical, communications, software and engineering systems.

The ITF said the proposed scoping exercise also underestimated the complexity of the issues that need to be addressed, with each stage of the evolution of autonomous ships in international trades presenting different technical, legal, regulatory and operational issues. The review must also tackle the problem of a lack of a common definition of autonomous ship, ensuring that there is clarity on what ships and level of autonomy is being covered by relevant regulation. g Against the background of these significant developments, the Nautilus Federation has launched a major new survey to seek members’ views on the subject — see page 2.

Inside F Healthy approach

Former cadet turns his misfortune into a business to help improve seafarers’ lives — page 24 F The write stuff

Council member’s new book aims to educate the young about piracy — page 27

F Suez reunion

Seafarers reunited in Liverpool last month, 50 years after they were trapped in the Suez Canal — page 29

21/06/2017 12:05

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Cabotage case is shown by study Research demonstrates the value of protecting coastal trades, says Nautilus

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Nautilus has welcomed the results of new research which validates the Union’s position on the need for government intervention to support members’ jobs — as it shows that more than two-thirds of countries have some form of cabotage restrictions on shipping operations in their waters.

The findings of the Seafarers Rights International (SRI) study were presented to the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s first ever cabotage conference, held in Cape Town, South Africa, last month.

Presenting the results, SRI executive director Deirdre Fitzpatrick said the survey was one of the biggest of its kind, and had covered 136 maritime nations — of which 91 were found to have cabotage legislation or other measures in place restricting foreign ships in domestic trades.

SRI found that 19 of the 28 countries it examined in Europe had controls over access to their coastal trades, and cabotage restrictions were also shown to be particularly strong in the Americas — 23 of the 32 countries analysed.

Ms Fitzpatrick said such policies had been put in place with objectives including ensuring fair competition, retaining maritime skills, promoting jobs for local seafarers, and promoting local companies. Countries had

Trials of the first remotely operated commercial vessel : a Svitzer tug

Autonomous ships: your views wanted members to take part in a F major new survey to seek the views

Nautilus International is urging

Delegates at the ITF’s first ever cabotage conference, held in South Africa last month

also justified restrictions on the grounds of safety, protection of the environment, national security and public service, she added.

However, Ms Fitzpatrick cautioned, cabotage policies are often undermined by the granting of waivers, exemptions and temporary licenses or permits — 5,434 waivers were granted by Brazil between 2008 and 2011, Australia has approved more than 10,000 exemptions, while India grants over 700 exemptions a year and applications are rarely declined.

Cabotage policies can also be undermined by the effects of free trade agreements and regional

trade deals which can prevail over national laws, she noted.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘This is a very thorough study that demonstrates the wide extent of cabotage restrictions across the world and their value in supporting a nation’s strategic and security needs, protecting domestic shipping industries and seafarer employment and training.

‘The findings also provide a convincing case for action to combat the negative effects of unfair competition from substandard, often flag of convenience, ships with poorly paid seafarers operating around our

coasts,’ he pointed out. ‘Cabotage controls help to prevent the race to the bottom that characterises so many shipping operations and would prevent our members from being priced out of the market by an open coast policy which allows exploitative conditions in our waters.

‘And in the UK Brexit offers an opportunity for the government to finally defend our ships and seafarers from substandard operating practices and to join the many other countries who see the sense in taking a strategic standpoint by protecting local jobs, national security and maritime safety,’ he added.

of seafarers on the development of autonomous and ‘smart’ ships.

The move comes as Rolls-Royce and global towage firm Svitzer demonstrated the world’s first remotely operated commercial vessel in Copenhagen harbour, Denmark, last month. The master of the 28m tug Svitzer Hermod manoeuvred the vessel from a remote base at Svitzer’s headquarters, berthed the vessel alongside the quay, undocked, turned 360 degrees and sailed between two piers before docking again.

Rolls-Royce president Mikael Makinen described the trial as ‘a world first and a genuinely historic moment for the maritime industry’.

Against the backdrop of such developments, the 18 unions belonging to the Nautilus Federation — representing almost 85,000 maritime professionals — are working together on the initiative to

ensure that the voice of seafarers is heard as the debate over automation in shipping intensifies.

‘There is clearly a lot of serious money being pumped into the development of autonomous ships, but very little attention seems to be paid to the human element – despite the potentially huge safety, social, employment and training repercussions for seafarers,’ said general secretary Mark Dickinson.

‘There’s a big danger that the developments are running away with the idea of simply cutting crewing costs, rather than improving the quality of working life or the longterm need for maritime knowledge and experience,’ he added.

‘It’s crucial that seafarers have a say in the debate, and this questionnaire will be used by the Nautilus Federation to ensure that concerns are taken seriously at the highest levels,’ Mr Dickinson said. g The online survey can be completed at: www.nautilusint.org/ surveys

Mike gets his gong at Union assured on Liverpool ceremony piracy ship crew

general secretary Mike Jess is F pictured right after being presented Former Nautilus assistant

with the British Empire Medal for his work in support of seafarer welfare services.

Mr Jess, who retired from the Union last year, served as secretary of the Nautilus Welfare Fund since July 2011, and as a trustee director of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and the Maritime Charities Funding Group.

He was presented with the award by Dame Lorna Muirhead, the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, during a ceremony held at the Athenaeum, Liverpool, last month. z Nautilus has added its voice to industry congratulations for Merchant Navy Training Board director Glenys Jackson, who was awarded an OBE in last month’s Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition for her services to recruitment and training.

Ms Jackson has worked for the MNTB for 17 years, and has spent the past decade as the organisation’s head. Her work has included establishing the Careers

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F

at Sea brand and the Ambassador programme, developing course criteria documentation in line with regulatory requirements for all UK seafarer training centres, updating the maritime National Occupational Standards, and rewriting the MNTB Training Record Books.

She also spearheaded work on the Foundation Degree and Scottish-equivalent programmes for Merchant Navy certification.

The UK government has assured Nautilus that it is working to secure the release of the crew of a counter-piracy vessel who have been detained in India since 2013.

General secretary Mark Dickinson wrote to prime minister Theresa May to call for ‘the strongest possible action’ to be taken to end the ordeal of the 35 crew — including six British security guards — who were working onboard the Seamen Guard Ohio.

In a response, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has told Nautilus that while the UK is unable to interfere in another country’s legal processes, ministers have expressed concern at the ‘enormous stress and difficulty’ being created by the men’s detention and the importance of resolving the case as soon as possible.

Relatives of the ‘Chennai 6’ staged a protest at the Indian High Commission in London last month as part of the ongoing campaign against the detention of the crew. The demonstration started with a march from Whitehall Place to India House, followed by the handing over of a petition to the Indian authorities.

The six British security guards on the American-owned anti-piracy vessel were accused, along with other crew members, of not having the correct permits to carry firearms — although they have always maintained they had the correct documentation from the British government — and in January 2016 were sentenced to five years in jail.

Before the 16 June protest, the Chennai 6 campaigners said that a judge had been considering an appeal for over 200 days. They called on the British and Indian authorities not to forget the men and to press for a verdict on their appeal.

Their UK-based lawyer Stephen Askins said Seaman Guard Ohio had been providing a vital service. ‘It has never been clear why the authorities took exception to these men, and the courts have shown a complete misunderstanding of international law,’ he added.

‘The Chennai 6 are at the wrong end of poor judgement and a miscarriage of justice,’ he said. ‘The Indians have made their point — it is now time for the men to come home.’

Pensions team help out at Mariners’ Park centre the Seafarers UK centenary F wing at the Nautilus Mariners’

Ahead of the royal opening of

Park centre in Wallasey late last month, a team from the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund and the Ensign Retirement Plan spent a day at the welfare complex.

The team-building day provided the pension staff with an insight into the work done at the Union’s residential and care facilities for retired seafarers and also gave them the chance to organise lots of fun activities for the residents.

The team took part in a

dementia awareness session before helping residents prepare the rooftop garden for the royal visit.

They also helped to build bird boxes and plant out flower boxes.

They also took part in golf and bowling competitions with residents, followed by a quiz and a barbeque. ‘Great friends were made, and for the Ensign Retirement Plan and MNOPF team, it was a great opportunity to witness first class retirement provision for the seafaring community,’ said Jemima Fitzmorris, from ERP.

21/06/2017 12:06

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

ITF urged to support young seafarers A

The International Transport Workers’ Federation needs to develop a strategy to ensure that young seafarers are protected from potentially negative effects of new technology in the shipping industry, Croatian seafarers’ union delegate Dorotea Zec told the seafarers’ section conference.

She said that there are around 900,000 workers under the age of 35 in the membership of ITF-affiliated unions — including some 150,000 young seafarers.

Many of the young seafarers are experiencing additional problems as a result of their inexperience, Ms Zec pointed out, and a survey carried out for the ITF last year had shown that some of the biggest obstacles included difficulties in finding decent employment, limited opportunities

onboard, and narrow prospects after leaving the sea.

‘One of the biggest problems that will probably affect young seafarers in near future is automation,’ she added.

‘The automation will very probably heavily shake the whole seafarer labour market, but especially the part occupied by the young ones — those who will be on market in 20 or 30 years,’ Ms Zec said.

‘Therefore, it is crucial for the seafarers’ section and the ITF in general to develop a strategy to ensure that all seafarers, and especially younger ones, are prepared for all challenges and changes that are going to happen.

Young workers are those who will be affected the most.’

ITF seafarers’ section youth rep Dorotea Zec , right, and women ‘ s g Tests condemned — see page 19. section rep Lena Dryling at the ITF conference last month

A green light to ‘Goodship’ call Nautilus wins support for accreditation scheme for seafarers’ conditions

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Nautilus International’s campaign to develop an accreditation scheme to improve seafarers’ living and working conditions was given a further green light at the International Transport Workers’ Federation meeting in South Africa last month.

Delegates at the ITF’s fair practices committee unanimously backed a motion tabled by the Union, and supported by the Australian Institute of Marine & Power Engineers, which called for the ITF to build on the findings of the Goodship report which looked into the feasibility of a multi-stakeholder accreditation scheme to promote continuous improvement in seafarers’ living and working conditions.

The adopted resolution notes that an accreditation system — along the lines of the fair trade scheme for farmers and workers in developing countries — would help to raise awareness of the contribution made by seafarers in delivering 95% of the world’s goods.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the scheme would build on the achievements of the Maritime Labour Convention, which has been described as a ‘passport for decent work’ for seafarers. Because the MLC is a ‘living’ convention which is regularly updated, it serves as a journey rather than a destination and consequently requires a commitment to continuous improvement in living and working conditions at sea, he argued.

The Union, together with the Swedish seafarers’ union SEKO Sjofolk, hosted a fringe event at the start of the ITF seafarers’ sec-

02-03_at work.indd 3

The Nautilus team at the ITF conference, left to right: deputy general secretary Marcel van den Broek, general secretary Mark Dickinson, and international officer Nick Bramley

tion conference and fair practices committee meeting to highlight its work on fair trade in shipping and to promote the findings of the Goodship report.

The Goodship study, which was sponsored by the ITF Seafarers Trust, looked at the various

measures undertaken by shipping industry organisations to improve standards and also examined some of the codes of conduct used in other industries to uphold labour conditions.

‘Ports, charterers and insurers can, and in some cases already

do, apply pressure about vessel standards and operational procedures to prevent pollution,’ the report pointed out. ‘Why not apply similar principles to the treatment of seafarers, on the basis that quality employment is more likely to produce quality performance?’

The report recommended further work to develop quality criteria, with input from a wide range of industry stakeholders, and to engage with organisations such as the International Association of Classification Societies, RightShip and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum on the potential for including such criteria within their inspection processes.

The Nautilus resolution said that while concern had been expressed on the potential impact of the accreditation scheme and on how to translate its concepts into practical industrial terms, the ITF should further review the merits of the proposals.

Such a scheme should include recognition of the importance of national flag shipping for training, jobs and decent work for seafarers, with the aim of empowering all consumers of shipping services to support the continuous improvement of seafarers’ living and working conditions, it added. z The ITF’s work for exploited seafarers has been underlined by figures showing that a total of 10,273 inspections were carried out by ITF inspectors last year, up from 9,597 in 2015. They recovered a total of US$42.2m in unpaid wages for seafarers during 2016, compared with US$33.4m in the previous year.

shortreports BALLAST HOLD-UP: Nautilus has voiced concern over a move by a group of flag states, including the UK, to seek to delay the implementation of the 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention. The proposal from Brazil, the Cook Islands, India, Norway, Liberia and the UK, would delay the requirement for existing ships to retrofit a BWM system by two years, to 8 September 2019. This would extend the date by which all vessels would have to have a system installed from 2022 to 2024. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘It is disappointing that the shipping industry requires yet more time to implement the BWM Convention 2004. The countries involved in seeking this delay seriously damage their environmental credentials in favour of commercial considerations.’

CHINA CALL: shipowners and seafarers need to beware of increasingly strict emission limits being introduced in key Chinese ports, Warsash Maritime Academy lecturer Branimir Pantaleev told a conference in Southampton last month. He said China has designated three emission control areas in which ships will have to use fuel containing no more than 0.5% sulphur and there will be ‘significant fines’ for seafarers who fail to comply with the rules. Mr Pantaleev said the China Maritime Safety Agency is also seeking to encourage ships to use fuel with a 0.1% sulphur content limit when at berth and is considering further regulations to enforce this on all ships entering its ECAs. JOBS PROMISE: increased government support for seafarer training will enable British shipowners to take on ‘at least an extra 1,200 new seafarers each year — perhaps more’, Chamber of Shipping president Dr Grahaeme Henderson promised last month. ‘Many shipowners want UK seafarers and many young people want a career at sea, but the cost of training has become prohibitive to job creation,’ he told a meeting in Edinburgh. In return for improved government assistance, operators will also guarantee cadets their first job as an officer, he added.

SWISS LEADER: Peter Küng, the former national president of the Swiss Commercial, Transport and Food Workers’ Union (VHTL/FCTA) died in May at the age of 77.

He was appointed as a national secretary by the VHTL/ FCTA in 1973, and after only two years in office he was elected unanimously as national president, a position he held until 1995, after which he served a further three years as national secretary for the transport sector.

DUMPING FINE: the Egyptian Tanker Co and Thome Ship Management have agreed to pay a US$1.9m fine after pleading guilty to breaking pollution prevention laws and obstructing justice. The US Justice Department said the two companies had sought to cover up illegal dumping of oil-contaminated bilge water and garbage from the tanker ETC Mena last year.

QM2 RESCUE: the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 rescued a lone yachtsman after his boat was severely damaged in an ‘unusually extreme’ North Atlantic storm last month. In an operation coordinated by coastguards in the UK and Canada, the cruiseship launched a fast rescue craft to recover Mervyn Wheatley after his yacht lost power and steering in 60-knot winds.

LIVERPOOL LANDING: the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is investing £540,000 to extend the lifespan of a landing stage in Liverpool to ensure its fast craft can continue to operate to the Princes Parade site until the end of 2019, when a new berth will be required.

MERSEY TRAINING: Stream Marine has announced plans to open a new maritime and offshore training facility to serve the UK NW region. The £1.5m centre will be based at Tower Quays, with a new fire training ground to be sited in Duke Street.

GROUNDING PROBE: the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has begun a probe into the causes of the grounding of the UK-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Prefect while entering the port Umm Al Quwain, in the United Arab Emirates, last month.

21/06/2017 12:34

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports CEMEX CLAIM: a meeting between Nautilus national organiser Jonathan Havard and representatives from Cemex took place in Southampton on 26 May following members’ rejection of a 1.6% pay offer. During the meeting the company said it could not increase its offer. However, it added, management have — subject to conditions — agreed to the introduction of higher certificate pay for seafarers holding CoCs above the rank in which they are sailing. Mr Havard said he is likely to accept the offer unless members can provide any compelling counter-arguments.

STENA REJECTION: Nautilus International’s counter-proposal to a pay offer made to members employed by Stena Line and serving across all its routes has been rejected by Northern Marine Manning Services.

National ferry organiser Micky Smyth had suggested a one-year pay deal of over 2%, as per October 2016’s RPI inflation rate after members rejected proposals for a twoyear, front-loaded 3% increase. A further meeting was due to take place on 27 June.

HAL VISITS: four ship visits to meet members employed by Marine Manpower Services and HAL Beheer BV on Holland America Line (HAL) vessels have been arranged for July. National secretary Jonathan Havard, along with Dutch colleagues Maarten Keuss and Hans Walthie, will visit the ships in the port of Bergen in Norway over a four-day period. They will visit Rotterdam on 17 July, Prinsendam and Zuiderdam on 18 July and Koningsdam on 20 July.

CARNIVAL MEETING: a Partnership at Work (PAW) meeting took place on 14 June for members employed by Carnival UK. Items discussed during the meeting included the drug and alcohol policy, utilisation and sick pay. National organiser Jonathan Havard also visited the Csmart Centre in Almere, the Netherlands, last month and met medical experts at the facility.

PRIDE INVITE: Nautilus is inviting members to join the Union at the London LGBT+ Pride parade in the capital on 8 July. It will be the second time the Union has been present at the event and anyone interested in attending should contact strategic organiser Danny McGowan by 5 July.

GARDLINE DEAL: a memorandum of understanding has been signed by Nautilus and the marine science company Gardline. The terms of the agreement will be circulated to members shortly and volunteers will be sought for the Partnership at Work (PAW) committee.

ORKNEY OFFER: members employed by Orkney Ferries have been offered a 1.5% pay increase, backdated to 1 April 2017. A review of salaries is also ongoing and members are currently being consulted on the offer, which closes on 3 July.

Ship visits discuss progress in NERC pay talks organiser Jonathan Havard (second F left) with members employed by Natural Pictured above is Nautilus national

Environment Research Council (NERC) onboard the RRS Discovery whilst the vessel was berthed outside the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton on 4 June.

Following the visit to Discovery, Mr Havard — together with representatives from the RMT union — also visited the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) vessel RRS Ernest Shackleton on 13 June in Harwich.

During his visits, he spoke to members from

both parts of NERC — NOCS-NMFSS and BAS — about the ongoing 2015 and 2016 pay and conditions claims.

Mr Havard explained —for the 2015 award — that all staff in post between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016 who were due to receive a progression step increase have already received it.

He added that a 1% consolidated award for all eligible marine staff whose salary as of 1 July 2015 was below the maximum of their payscale and who have not received an increase during the same period will be awarded backdated pay to 1 July 2015.

Mr Havard explained that unless good arguments were provided, he would accept this offer on the members’ behalf, but added that consultations will also begin shortly on a 2016 pay offer.

‘I believe we can achieve no further in respect of the 2015 pay award,’ he commented. ‘However, we’ve had much discussion with the employers’ representatives with regards to the 2016 award.

‘Some significant improvements have been achieved through negotiations, but it will be for members to decide, in due course, if the offer is acceptable to them.’

Dads ‘missing out’ on paternity leave TUC calls for new and improved pay and leave rights for working fathers

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One in four British men who became parents in 2016 didn’t qualify for paternity leave or pay, according to a new TUC analysis published on Fathers’ Day last month.

The report revealed that there were around 625,000 working dads around the UK with a child under one last year.

However, a quarter of them — more than 157,000 new fathers — did not qualify for the up to two weeks’ statutory paternity leave and statutory paternity pay.

The main reason was that they were self-employed — this affected nearly 113,000 working

fathers. Unlike self-employed mums, who are eligible for a maternity allowance, dads who work for themselves don’t get a similar paternity allowance.

And another 44,000 dads didn’t get paid paternity leave or pay because they hadn’t been working for their employer for long enough. The law requires employees to have at least six months’ service with their current employer by the 15th week before the baby is due to qualify for paternity leave.

The TUC is concerned that so many dads are missing out on the chance to spend valuable time

at home with their partners and babies because they cannot afford to.

Many low-paid fathers struggle to take the time off because statutory paternity pay is just £140.98 a week. This is less than half what someone earning the minimum wage would earn in a 40-hour week (£300).

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady commented: ‘It’s really important for dads to be able to spend time at home with their families when they have a new baby.

‘But too many fathers are missing out because they don’t qualify

— or because they can’t afford to use their leave.

‘We’d like to see all dads being given a right to longer, betterpaid leave when a child is born.

And for this to be a day one right,’ she added. ‘When parents share caring responsibilities it helps strengthen relationships — and makes it easier for mothers to continue their careers.’

The TUC is urging the government to increase statutory paternity pay to at least minimum wage levels and to introduce a paternity allowance for fathers who are not eligible for statutory paternity pay.

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special meeting to highlight F ratings training and apprenticeships Nautilus is helping to stage a

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Pictured above is Nautilus national organiser Jonathan Havard with members of the Trinity House starboard watch onboard THV Galatea in Swansea on 1 June. During the visit, Mr Havard heard members’ views about the contents of the forthcoming pay and conditions claim

in a bid to boost cooperation within the industry to address an increasingly wide gap between supply and demand forecast over the next 10 to 15 years.

The seminar, on 10 July, is being hosted by the Nautilus JW Slater Fund and the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) and will be held at the UK Chamber of Shipping in London.

The event is being held to mark the 40th anniversary of the Slater Fund — which was established in honour of one of the Union’s former general secretaries, and which has helped more than 430 seafarers to gain officer certification since its launch.

21/06/2017 12:36

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Course delivers key skills for reps strategic organisers Danny F McGowan (third from left) and Lee Pictured right alongside

Moon (third from right) are the latest group of Nautilus members to have completed the essential lay reps course.

The course— which took place at Quorn, near Loughborough in Leicestershire, over three days — gives members the skills to take on their roles as lay reps at their company and covers issues including their responsibilities, negotiating skills, representing members, communications and campaigning.

Ian Cross, one of the participants, commented: ‘It was a good course allowing delegates to discuss topics and agree on content.’

His thoughts were echoed by Chris Williams, who added: ‘The course delivery was excellent. I was expecting classroom sessions and long presentations and it was the opposite, which was a much better approach to the course as it created discussion and participation.’

Members must attend the essential course in order to qualify for the Union’s advanced course, which provides in-depth specialist training

Pictured, left to right, on the essential lay reps course are: William Morris, Joseph Matthews, Danny McGowan, John Gill, John Wainman, Ian Cross, Chris Williams, Nev Alcock, Lee Moon, Shaun McShane and Willie Jackson

on elements such as negotiations, consultations, employment rights and relevant employment tribunal decisions.

g Members who have completed

the essential course are able to apply for the next advanced lay reps course, which will take place from 22 to

24 November 2017 at the Quorn Grange Hotel. For further details email reps@nautilusint.org or call +44 (0)151 639 8454.

TUC warning as squeeze on wages leaves workers £1,200 a year worse off

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four-year high of 2.9% in May — was running at around 2.3% over the same period. The RPI rate rose to 3.7% in May. The gap between wages and inflation is expected to widen when new data is published in July, and a report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) predicts that UK workers will face the biggest real wage fall of any advanced economy in 2018.

The OECD forecasts that UK real wages will fall by 1.1% in 2018 — putting the UK and Finland at joint-bottom of the league for

wage growth among OECD countries. All other OECD members — with the exception of Italy and Mexico — will experience real wage increases in 2018, the report said, and average real wage growth across the OECD will be 1.1%.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said action to address the problem should be a top priority for the government following the general election. ‘British workers still haven’t recovered from the last financial crisis,’ she added.

‘The last thing they can afford is another hit on their finances.’

Ms O’Grady pointed out that

real wage growth has now fallen for the second month in a row.

‘Unless the government gets its act together, we will soon be in the middle of another cost of living crisis,’ she warned. ‘Ministers must focus on delivering betterpaid jobs across the UK. And it’s time to bin the artificial pay restrictions on nurses, midwives and other public sector workers.

Britain needs a pay rise, not more pressure on household budgets.’

TUC research has shown that the average UK worker’s real wages are down by more than £1,200 a year on 2008.

Loyal member’s award F

‘Clearly time flies, as 1975 doesn’t feel that long ago,’ said Royal Fleet Auxiliary officer Captain Kim Watts as he received his Nautilus International 40-year pin from national organiser Jonathan Havard at the Navy HQ in Portsmouth, left.

‘Captains back then seemed old, grey and grumpy, so I guess I am now that man!’

Capt Watts noted that completing 42 years with the same company is also relatively rare nowadays, but says the RFA can boast a healthy record of long-serving officers and ratings and can offer an interesting and challenging career to seafarers.

04-05_at work.indd 5

MAERSK OFFER: Nautilus members employed

by Maersk Offshore (Guernsey and Bermuda) are being consulted on a pay and conditions offer. The company is proposing a pay freeze, but says junior officers, chief officers and second engineers will benefit from improved promotion prospects arising from new tonnage; and second mates and third engineers with unlimited higher CoCs will have one and three-year increments. An additional annual payment to cover refresher training costs has also been proposed. The consultation is due to close on 10 July.

PEEL CONSULT: members serving as VTS officers with Peel Ports Liverpool are being consulted on a ‘final’ offer of revised terms and conditions. Nautilus has advised members that no further concessions can be achieved through negotiations, so members will either have to reluctantly accept the proposed changes or reject the company’s proposals and request a ballot for industrial action.

Living standards hit by pay ‘crisis’ The UK government has been urged to act to avert a growing cost of living crisis as new figures revealed pay rises lagging further behind inflation.

Official statistics show that employees are earning £15 less a week than they did in 2008 and suggest that, on current trends, the average worker will still earn less in 2021 than they did in 2008.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics showed that average pay grew 1.7% year-onyear in the three months to April.

Yet CPI inflation — which hit a

shortreports

His own career has shown how the RFA has integrated MN and RN skills to provide specialist military support or operate in areas of tension around the world. Capt Watts completed the RN Principal Warfare Officers’ course specialising in navigation back in the 1980s, and in addition to his long sea service, he has served in several naval establishments looking after RFA training and programming.

Retirement from the RFA now beckons, so that Capt Watts can enjoy his own boat and watch, from the comfort of his armchair, the RFA develop further as the new RN aircraft carriers come into service.

MSC MEETINGS: meetings between the Union and Marine Scotland Compliance (MSC) have been taking place in advance of the company’s formal pay review. Members had previously expressed their anger at the reduction of the recruitment and retention allowance and are calling for action to be taken to improve remuneration following years of government austerity.

GMSG VIEWS: Nautilus has called for members employed by GMSG to submit their views ahead of discussions over the 2018 pay and conditions review.

The Union is seeking to make an early start on the negotiations and will also be taking part in a Partnership at Work meeting at the company’s Chelmsford office on 3 July.

WESTMINSTER REVIEW: Nautilus has received aspirations from members employed by Boskalis Westminster ahead of submitting this year’s pay and conditions claim. A meeting is due to take place soon and members will be advised of developments via further bulletins.

THAMES INCREASE: members employed by Thames Clippers have voted to accept the company’s final pay offer of a 2% increase to base rates and a potential 1.25% bonus. The award will be effective from 1 January 2017.

PNTL TALKS: a further meeting is due to take place soon between Nautilus and Pacific Nuclear Transport (PNTL) agents (SERCO) as part of ongoing talks on the pay and conditions claim.

FORMAL FISHER: Nautilus was expecting to receive a formal pay offer for members employed by James Fisher as the Telegraph went to print.

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21/06/2017 12:36

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports BIBBY CLARIFIES: changes to pension arrangements for members employed by Bibby Maritime Crewing Services (BMCS) on accommodation units have been clarified by the company following a meeting with the Union. The company said that from 1 February 2018 members will be enrolled onto the new scheme with a 1% employee and 1% employer contribution up until 31 March 2018. This will be increased to a 2% employee and 3% employer contribution between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019 and a 3% employee and 5% employer contribution from 1 April 2019.

NKOSSA FREEZE: a pay freeze has been offered to members employed by Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) and serving on Nkossa II. Management said the proposals reflect ongoing issues within the offshore sector, which has seen mass redundancies since the downturn.

Members were last month being consulted on the offer, which Nautilus has described as ‘disappointing.’

VROON PLEDGE: the Vroon Group has dismissed reports that it is facing financial difficulties. The company said its offshore support vessel operations have been ‘heavily impacted’ by the downturn in the sector, but despite ‘challenging market conditions’ during 2016 the group had produced a positive cashflow over the year.

OCG ROADSHOWS: further roadshows are being planned by the Offshore Co-ordinating Group (OCG) of unions, including Nautilus. The dates and locations of the events — which aim to continue the group’s work to engage with workers in the North Sea oil and gas sector — were due to be finalised in late June.

OCEAN REVIEW: members employed by Ocean Supply have been advised that arrangements are under way for a review of pay, terms and conditions. National organiser Steve Doran will ensure that members’ views will be considered as part of the process.

SMIT TALKS: aspirations have been received from members employed by Smit for the forthcoming pay and conditions negotiations. A meeting is due to take place soon and members will be advised of developments via further bulletin.

MSS DELAYS: Maersk Supply Service has reached agreements with the Cosco Dalian and Kleven shipyards to delay the delivery of five anchor handling vessels and four subsea support vessels it currently has on order.

PEEL PARTNERSHIP: the A&P Group has announced a strategic partnership with Peel Ports to provide marine and ship repair services for vessels using the offshore sector supply base at Great Yarmouth.

MAERSK MEETING: Nautilus is seeking a Partnership at Work (PAW) meeting for members employed by Maersk Supply. The meeting will be used to discuss a range of issues affecting members.

SUBSEA AIMS: aspirations are being sought from members employed by Subsea 7 ahead of the forthcoming pay and conditions review.

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06_offshore.indd 6

Glen Lyon gains LR classification the 165,00dwt floating A production storage and offloading BP’s newest North Sea asset,

(FPSO) vessel Glen Lyon, right, has been awarded full-term classification certificates for service in the Schiehallion and Loyal fields.

Conditions in the fields — 175km west of Shetland — can be among the most severe in the UK and the classification, from Lloyd’s Register, means the UK-flagged unit is verified for operation in extreme weather.

Glen Lyon is the world’s largest harsh water FPSO and formed part of BP’s multi-billion-pound Quad 204 project. BP announced first oil from the Glen Lyon on 22 May. Production is expected to ramp up in the coming months, eventually reaching up to 130,000 barrels of oil per day.

LR has worked with BP on the Glen Lyon project since 2011, through front-end engineering and design, detailed design, construction at the

Hyundai Heavy Industries yard in South Korea, and commissioning.

Richard Nott, LR’s head of

offshore projects, said it represented the successful conclusion of a complex project: ‘Being able to issue

Operators told to keep saving UK Oil & Gas chief calls for focus to be kept on efficiency

P

There is reason for ‘cautious optimism’ about the future of the UK offshore industry, according to Oil & Gas UK CEO Deirdre Michie — but only if operators keep a tight focus on efficiency.

Speaking at the industry body’s annual conference in Aberdeen last month, Ms Michie said that operating costs had been halved over the last two years — from around $30 per barrel to $15 per barrel — while ‘safely increasing oil and gas production’.

Some of these cost savings had been achieved by ‘tough rate reduction’, she acknowledged: ‘job losses, retendering and, quite frankly, by putting severe pressure on the whole supply chain.’

Measures like these are unlikely to be sustainable in the

longer term. But she calculated that up to two-thirds of the savings could be attributed to efficiency and better ways of working, laying the foundation for further progress.

‘The cynics say that we are a cyclical industry that never learns its lessons,’ she continued. ‘Well, this time we have an opportunity to do things differently, especially if we remind ourselves that we have been part of the problem and therefore we all need — including the cynics — to be part of the solution too.’

Oil & Gas UK’s action plan Vision 2035 should help secure the future of the sector, she added.

The aim is to be a ‘global energy industry, powering the nation and exporting to the world’.

This vision is underpinned

by the aspiration to add an additional £290bn to the UK economy over time.

‘We can deliver this,’ Ms Michie concluded, ‘by extending the lifetime of the basin through halving the rate of production decline and doubling the supply chain turnover — through extra domestic activity and raising the bar in terms of exports.’ z Britain’s oil and gas fields recorded an improved performance for the fourth year running in 2016, according to a new report from the Oil & Gas Authority. It said production efficiency has risen to 73% last year from 71% in 2015, resulting in the production of an additional 12m barrels of oil. Lost production had fallen by 157m barrels since 2012, the study notes.

Seacat contract for Greater Gabbard operator Seacat Services has A secured a long-term contract to

Offshore energy support vessel

provide operations and maintenance support to SSE and Innogy’s Greater Gabbard windfarm off the coast of Suffolk.

The Isle of Wight-based firm will be delivering logistical support, including high-speed transfer of technicians and critical equipment to the 140-turbine windfarm from the O&M base at the port of Lowestoft.

The charters will be undertaken

by Seacat Freedom, left, an advanced 23m controllable pitch propeller catamaran launched in 2016. The company says such long-term agreements will enable it to boost investment in its fleet.

full-term classification following the first annual survey is a major achievement.’

Optimism for UKCS recovery contractor confidence suggest F some businesses are seeing signs Improvements in oil and gas

of recovery and are focused on the future, according to an industry report released last month.

The findings of the 26th Oil and Gas Survey, conducted by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Fraser of Allander Institute, reveal that 38% of contractors surveyed are more confident about business on the UKCS compared to just 10% who are less confident.

This is a notable rise from historic lows six months ago, when only 12% of contractors were more confident and 47% were less confident. However, 52% report no change in their outlook, indicating that significant challenges still remain in the marketplace. It is too early to say a recovery is being universally felt.

Contractors’ investment spend is moving in a positive direction, with more contractors anticipating they will increase investment over the next two years (26%) rather than reduce it (19%). However, increases are limited to certain areas and again cannot be seen consistently across all parts of the industry.

James Bream, the research and policy director at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘We are hopefully stepping into a more prosperous period in due course but that is not upon us for now.

It seems clear that many believe that we won’t return to previous levels of activity and that perhaps we shouldn’t call this a downturn. This isn’t a “new norm”, it is just normal.’

‘Keep old rigs’ companies and regulators to F consider leaving more old rigs in the Conservationists want oil

North Sea rather than removing them, with the savings paid into a fund to protect sealife. The Scottish Wildlife Trust says it could be better for the environment to leave platforms to become artificial reefs for marine life.

21/06/2017 14:42

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

Naval forces are bolstered in Gulf Union backs decision to step up patrols in response to fresh pirate activity

P

Nautilus has welcomed moves to strengthen counter-piracy forces to protect merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb following a spate of recent attacks.

The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) — a coalition of naval teams from 31 different countries — has announced an increase in its naval presence in the western Gulf of Aden in response to the increased threat to shipping transiting the waters.

CMF officials warned that in addition to recent attempted piracy raids, two ships had also been attacked by small, high-speed boats using small arms, rocket propelled grenades,

and significant amounts of explosives.

They also ‘strongly advised’ masters and owners of the need to continue using the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) across the Gulf of Aden. ‘The wisdom of this advice had recently been clearly demonstrated with the successful outcome of a piracy attack within the IRTC,’ CMF added. ‘It has been seen that within minutes of any master’s report that the vessel is under attack, naval air assets can be on the scene in order to assist.’

Officials warn that attacks can develop rapidly and having warships positioned for an effective response depends on

information provided by the shipping community. ‘To assist in providing this information, it is recommended that all mariners sailing through the high-risk area register their transits with the Maritime Security Centre-Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA),’ they added.

‘In addition, vessels should report to UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) when entering the Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) and immediately if witnessing any suspicious event. This will provide military forces in the area visibility on your transit, allow accurate accounting of your vessel, and enhance our ability to respond to any sort of attack.’

CMF also advised: ‘Military

risk assessments indicate that adherence to Best Management Practices 4 (BMP4) and the use of armed security teams remain the best guidance available to help protect your ships in the event of an attack.

‘All members of the shipping community are encouraged to strictly adhere to the guidance contained in BMP4 in order to make their ships much harder targets.’

Lt Cdr Iain Beaton, officer in charge of UKMTO, said the threat of pirate activity highlighted the importance of having an onboard citadel and deterrence measures such as razor wire and extra protection for the bridge.

Diamond-hunting ship delivered flagged Nujoma — which F has taken the title of the world’s

Pictured left is the Namibian-

largest and most advanced diamond exploration and sampling vessel.

Built in Norway at a cost of US$157m, the 7,971gt vessel will be used to hunt for diamond deposits in Namibian waters in a joint venture between the country’s government and the De Beers Group Diamonds are mined at around 120m to 140m below sea level and Nujoma — which can accommodate 80 crew — is the first vessel in the company’s six-ship fleet to be dedicated to exploration and sampling.

Lt Daley Snell, left, with Medway pilot Capt Chris Bordas

RN officer spends a week with pilots a week working with Medway A Pilots in Sheerness as part of a A Royal Navy officer has spent

programme to strengthen links between the RN and the Merchant Navy.

Lieutenant Daley Snell, Staff Navigator at Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) MPV Faslane, undertook a wide range of tasks, including standard transits in and out of the Medway to more challenging navigation under the Kingsferry Bridge and negotiating significant tidal conditions around Chatham and Rochester.

He also experienced a wide range of vessels, including car carriers, bulk carriers and small coasters.

Lt Snell said he was struck by the difference in manoeuvrability between merchant vessels and the RN ships he’s more familiar with. ‘I was particularly impressed by the skill of the pilots in manoeuvring a number of different vessels through a variety of challenging waterways,’ he added.

‘Their techniques, such as grounding vessels deliberately in order to manoeuvre them onto

berths, was very interesting and is not something a commanding officer in the Royal Navy would even consider. The pilots have a substantial history of navigating merchant vessels, so they are well aware of their capabilities and limitations.’

Captain Chris Bordas, a Medway pilot for 26 years, said it had been a pleasure to host Lt Snell’s visit. ‘It is a great shame that the Royal and Merchant Navies are somewhat distant, as we have a great deal to offer each other,’ he added.

RN MN liaison officer Lt Cdr David Carter said he hoped other RN officers will take advantage of the scheme. ‘We have a number of UK pilotage authorities keen to support RN navigator acquaints and this adds a super training opportunity to stand in the shoes of our professional civilian counterparts,’ he added.

‘Industry engagement offers great opportunity to all and the Royal Navy are expanding opportunities such as this for mutual benefit.’ g For further details, email: navyoptrg-mwswtgmtr2@mo.uk

MLC ‘is being properly applied’

E-learning package aims to plug engineering shortfalls

expressed satisfaction with the results of a F three-month concentrated inspection campaign

engineering skills of some F seafarers have prompted the launch

European port state control authorities have

targeting compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).

A total of 3,674 special checks were carried out in Paris MOU member ports between 1 September and 30 November last year and they resulted in 42 detentions directly linked to MLC requirements for living and working conditions.

Authorities reported positive results for medical fitness certificates (98.2%), the verification of records of accommodation inspections (98%),

food and catering (97.4%), and whether a safety committee had been established (99.1%).

Less positive results were recorded on Seafarers’ Employment Agreements (SEAs) not being compliant with minimum standards (6.5%) and the availability of the onboard complaint procedure (5%).

Paris MOU officials said the results showed that the convention is being properly implemented.

‘Good working and living conditions onboard will contribute to create a positive crew attitude towards safety onboard. That is why the MLC will always be a prime area of attention. The Paris MoU is satisfied

with the overall result,’ secretary-general Richard Schiferli commented.

Most of the vessels inspected during the CIC were general cargo/multi-purpose ships (28.9%) and bulk carriers (21.5%). Almost 12% were flying the Panama flag, followed by Malta (8.9%) and Liberia (8.5%).

The next concentrated inspection campaign will focus on compliance with navigational safety requirements — including electronic chart display information systems (ECDIS) — and will be carried out jointly by the Paris and Tokyo MOUs between September and the end of November this year.

Concerns over the basic

of a new e-learning package.

Developed by KVH Videotel, the Practical Engineering Suite contains 100 modules that cover 12 critical subject areas.

The training programme was put together in response to analysis of data gathered from around 14m of KVH Videotel’s training interactions with more than 350,000 seafarers.

‘Analysis of the training data we record clearly shows a weakness in performance in engineering-related test assessment,’ said KVH senior vice-president Mark Woodhead.

Gaps in marine engineers’ knowledge often seem tied to the core underlying principles, he added, and the interactive e-learning package — which is compatible with all mobile devices — covers the underpinning knowledge that all engineers should possess.

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21/06/2017 12:07

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Simulator practice for Engineer Clipper Race skippers dies after 2015 fall F

Clipper Race skippers get some realistic practice on Warsash Maritime Academy’s superyacht simulator

Twelve skippers who will be taking part in the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race were given a chance to brush up on their navigation skills on Warsash Maritime Academy’s bridge simulation suite.

Together with race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnson and race director Mark Light, the skippers were tested with a range of challenging scenarios — including entering Sydney harbour on a superyacht, crossing the English Channel on a containership, and navigating through busy shipping channels with restricted visibility.

Due to begin in August this year, the Clipper Race is a 40,000nm race onboard 12 identical 70ft ocean racing yachts. Each team is led by a

fully qualified skipper.

‘We really enjoyed coming to Warsash, the facility is amazing, and the lecturers are really enthusiastic,’ Mr Light said. ‘Our skippers will take away a little food for thought, and they have got some brushing up on rules to do, but I think it’s really interesting in looking at the bigger picture.’

Sir Robin Knox-Johnson, who served as a deck officer before he became the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69, said he had enjoyed the experience of being back on the bridge of a cargo ship.

‘It was brilliant,’ he added. ‘What a good way to sharpen yourself up and then go through and analyse it afterwards.’

French rules challenged Court urged to delay new regulations on superyacht crew liability for social security payments

by Michael Howorth

P

A London law firm is taking legal action in the French Supreme Court to challenge controversial legislation on social security requirements for superyacht crew in the country.

Hill Robinson Yacht Management (HRYM) has instructed Ince & Co to pursue the appeal in a bid to protect the rights of superyacht owners and crew yacht managers from the impact of a decree, due to take effect on 1 July, which will require any professional yacht crew member residing in France for more than three months in any year to be enrolled in the country’s social security regime.

The decree would mean that the employers of any relevant crew could be held liable to make social security contributions equivalent to a significant proportion of their gross salary, unless they are

already paying into the system of another EU member state or a country with a reciprocal agreement with France.

HRYM founder Nick Hill commented: ‘This legislation is being brought in to broaden the social security (medical and pension) coverage for mariners from France, which we applaud. However, the serious concern is that it could lead to a large-scale enrolment of all other nationality crew members, particularly on commercial yachts, into the French system — with severe penalties possible for employers, owners and crew who do not comply.’

When this enforced enlistment starts to take place, all crew and their employers will be liable to pay social security contributions into the French system, if a crew member cannot substantiate registration elsewhere. Foreign employers will be required to provide a bank guarantee, or deposit funds with the French authorities

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.

to cover potential liability. At six months of the anticipated employer’s liability in the case of a deposit, and 12 months of the expected liability as a guarantee, this would be a significant amount for a 50m yacht with a crew of 12 or more at industry average salaries.

‘The reaction and outcome of this poorly conceived legislation is that 99% of the superyacht fleet (non French-flagged yachts) will be deterred from visiting French waters for any significant time, and certainly not more than three months,’ Mr Hill stated. ‘So this will result in less private cruising and commercial chartering in the South of France, and no long winter refits in French shipyards.

‘This not only affects the yachts themselves, but also the whole infrastructure built around the superyacht industry, suppliers, contractors, shipyards, brokers, and agencies — a detrimental outcome that

nobody wants to see, including we assume, the new Macron French government.’

Increasingly concerned at the lack of a coordinated response to the regulations, Hill Robinson — representing three yacht owners, alongside MYBA, ECPY, Vauban 21 and the Composite Works Shipyard — decided to pursue legal action, demanding that the French authorities postpone, review and amend the decree.

It has therefore been suggested that UKresident mariners would be exempt from the French liability, if they were to pay a voluntary UK NI Class 2 contribution in the UK. However, this concept does not replace mandatory French contributions.

HMRC has stated that it will not issue A1 certificates where contributions are paid to the UK on a voluntary basis. That being the case, it will not be possible to provide ENIM with the proof that contributions are being paid elsewhere.

Leading UK shows in joint promotion deal maritime events — London F International Shipping Week (LISW) Two of the world’s leading

and the Southampton Boat Show — have joined forces.

The partnership will see attendees to LISW17, which takes

place between 11 and 15 September, encouraged to visit the Boat Show, which is being held in the following week, and LISW17 promoted to the world of the superyacht and megayacht.

Maritime UK chairman David

Dingle said: ‘Both LISW and the Boat Show have their respective primary markets, but equally are key parts of our maritime sector. Together, they will provide visitors to the UK with a fantastic taste of what we have to offer global maritime business.’

suffered serious injuries in a F fall from a superyacht in May 2015

A young engineer officer who

has died, his family announced last month.

Jacob Nicol was left with severe brain damage when he was hit by a fender hook and fell into the sea while cleaning the side of the 82m motoryacht Kibo in Palma.

Friends and family set up the Justice For Jacob campaign to highlight the absence of an investigation report into the accident and the lack of compensation for his injuries. They also raised funds to buy specialist equipment for his care and rehabilitation.

‘A young, bright, intelligent, kind soul has left us after an excruciating two years,’ Jacob’s family said. ‘He showed strength in the hardest of trials. He showed determination during the most strenuous of times.

He fought for his life.

‘Jacob can now rest in peace knowing he tried his best, knowing that he has shown what resilience is, knowing that he has left a forever lasting impression on those that have known him personally and those that have followed his journey.’

Discounts offer for e-courses launched a range of tailored F training packages for the superyacht The eMaritime Group has

industry, offered as discounted bundles of courses, enabling crew to complete several courses in succession.

The courses include ECDIS Generic and HELM (either M or O) offered at a 20% discount from the standard listed price. These combination courses can be completed at a date which suits the student, and any course combination is possible thanks to the flexibility of the company’s training schedule.

‘We know how precious superyacht crew’s time is, which is why we have tailored an entire website dedicated to the superyacht industry,’ said eMaritime superyacht lead manager Robyn Harrigan. ‘As well as our discounted combined courses, we also offer free services including a directory of crew managers and superyacht regulations; all conveniently in one place, saving people time and money.’

Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this SRB is recognised by the MCA as evidence of acceptable service.

INTERNATIONAL

cht Commercial Ya ok Bo rd co Re Service (Power & Sail) rty Book remains the prope This Service Record al. of Nautilus Internation to If found please return 0 Antibes, France.

3 Bd. d’Aguillon, 0660 al Nautilus Internation n E18 1BD s, George Lane, Londo 1&2 The Shrubberie United Kingdom ime Professionals since

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Once your yacht service is verified O iin our office in Antibes, the MCA aaccepts the Nautilus SRB as ssufficient proof of onboard and ssea service. No further supporting ddocumentation is required, and the pprocess with the MCA is quicker than uusing individual testimonials. zContact the membership ddepartment either via email or telephone to receive your free SRB.

Dutch yard delivers Book Ends to US owner Heesen yard in the Netherlands — the 47m F displacement motor yacht Book Ends.

Pictured above is the latest newbuild from the

Delivered to a US owner in Gibraltar last month, the 499gt vessel can accommodate 10 guests and nine crew and will spend the summer season cruising in the

Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic to attend the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in November.

Powered by two 8V 4000 M63 MTU diesel engines, Book Ends reached 15.6 knots during sea trials, and has a transatlantic range of 4,000nm at 12 knots.

Picture: Dick Holthuis

21/06/2017 12:08

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Medical ship set to sail to Peru first newbuild medical vessel, A Forth Hope, which was ceremonially

Pictured right is the Vine Trust’s

named by The Princess Royal in May and is due to sail from Scotland for the Peruvian Amazon this month.

The 35m vessel is expected to provide 100,000 free consultations and treatments every year, and is reported to have been the last built

by David Abels of Bristol before the yard ceased trading in late 2016. It has since been fitted out to the Vine Trust’s specifications by Babcock International Group in Rosyth,

and includes a navigation and communication system specially developed by another British firm, Ships Electronic Services (SES).

Now equipped with a laboratory, pharmacy, operating theatre, consultation rooms and dental surgery, Forth Hope will be heading across the Atlantic via the Canaries to Iquitos in Peru, where the onboard medical team will provide primary healthcare to vulnerable and isolated communities in the region.

SES director Colin Anderson said he would be joining the ship for the

Towage training standards ‘need to be improved’ safety and training standards F throughout the towage sector, a

Action must be taken to improve

leading industry body has warned.

The call came from the National Workboat Association (NWA) last month as it staged a safety forum at the Seaworks event in Southampton to discuss ways of improving standards and qualifications.

The Association says that the sector continues to suffer serious incidents that could be avoided.

Many investigations into towage incidents have highlighted a lack of familiarity with vessels and the specific operational demands of a towage operation, it notes.

The NWA says pilots and ship masters who are accustomed to working with larger, more capable ship-assist tugs may fail to appreciate the comparative limitations of the more traditional propulsion on smaller tugs and workboats, leading to a heightened risk of an accident.

NWA secretary Mark Ranson said safety standards must be at the forefront of training and towage management to avoid future incidents. ‘Serious incidents in the towage sector thankfully remain few and far between,’ he added. ‘However, with the practices of vessel operators continually evolving to support the changing demands of the market — and as recent incidents make clear

— there can be no allowances for shortfalls in safety standards.

‘That means the sector must retain a strong focus on the development and implementation of best practice standards, and qualifications, for towage work across the board — whether port, coastal or shipassist operations,’ Mr Ranson said.

‘Addressing the “skills gap” and ensuring that lessons learnt are effectively transferred is the only way to reduce the risk of further fatal incidents.’

The safety forum was held in association with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Shipowners’ Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club, and brought together workboat operators and safety specialists. Discussions from the meeting will feed into the development of the NWA Towage Good Practice Guide, set to be published later this year.

The forum was part of the NWA’s wider drive to promote workboat safety, which also includes the support and delivery of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) recognised Voluntary Towage Endorsement Scheme. The scheme is the first of its kind in the industry to independently assess and certify a tug master’s practical competence, and, since 2014, the NWA has issued 170 endorsements to over 120 candidates.

voyage from Scotland to Peru to ensure the crew are fully appraised with the equipment and all is working smoothly for the 7,000-mile trip and the vessel’s long term deployment.

He added: ‘We are very proud to be associated with this excellent charity and have been delighted with the response we have received from several of the manufacturers we represent, who have provided products for the Forth Hope. Suppliers such as Cobham, Furuno, Raytheon Anschutz and Iridium have all provided equipment for us to install.’

EU urged to cut red tape Industry unites in call to ease admin burden on seafarers

P

European shipowners and maritime unions have made a joint call for ‘smart’ digital solutions to cut the spiralling administrative burdens faced by seafarers.

They have urged the European Commission to take urgent action to end unnecessary bureaucracy — warning that moves to streamline reporting formalities for vessels visiting EU ports have failed.

In a joint statement marking the EU’s two-day Digital Assembly last month, the European Transport Workers’ Federation and the owners’ body ECSA said more work is desperately needed to use technology to reduce reporting requirements to ‘a minimum list of truly necessary formalities’.

‘Shipping today is still not enjoying a genuine single market and remains hampered by endless paperwork,’ they warned. ‘This is to the detriment of the crew, which faces increased workload with repercussions on rest-time and job satisfaction. It also affects the overall smooth

shipping operations, especially for shortsea shipping operators as they frequently call at EU ports within short time spans.’

ECSA and the ETF said last year’s European directive to rationalise reporting formalities had actually made the situation worse. ‘Rather than having a single European window, diverging national solutions were developed and even at member states’ level there is very often no single solution in place,’ they pointed out.

To demonstrate the problem, they detailed how a master entering one port has to insert crew members’ date of birth as: DD/ MM/YYYY. In the next port it has to be DD.MM.YYYY and in a third port the format requires YYYY/ MM/DD. ‘An Excel document with 18 tab-pages to be filled in with specific codes requires hours of work in view of calling at port A,’ they added. ‘Unfortunately this work cannot be re-used as, for the next call, a Word document with different data requirements needs to be filled in and sent 72 hours in

advance of the vessel’s arrival.’

ECSA and the ETF said such cases create increased paperwork, different software requirements, and a multiplicity of authorities and intermediate parties. ‘Procedures and requirements are not only complex but also repetitive, resulting in a loss of productivity, job satisfaction and unnecessary workload and stress for ship crews,’ they added.

They urged the EU to carry out a comprehensive review of the reporting formalities directive ‘to create a true European single window environment for crew and companies’ and to implement digital solutions on the basis of harmonised datasets and formats for cargo, crew and vessel data. z Satcoms company Inmarsat is launching a project with the digital specialists MarineFields to investigate ways to optimise processes and standardise data sharing to improve the efficiency of port calls. The programme will focus on the use of sea traffic management and satellite connectivity to shorten turnaround times.

Language guide for European boatmen last month to help boatmen F learn Riverspeak — the set of

A new free app was launched

standard communication phrases for Europe’s inland waterways.

Riverspeak was developed by a team of maritime educators from across the continent, led by Peter van Kluijven of Rotterdam Mainport University.

The aim is to enhance safety in inland navigation by encouraging boatmen to communicate in English, using a limited selection of phrases understood by all involved.

The focus of the Riverspeak standard communication phrases lies in the communication between ships, and with land stations on inland waterways and coastal areas — particularly in times of distress or emergency.

The phrases are also useful for professional communication within multinational crews onboard barges.

Many inland navigation colleges now teach Riverspeak, and students will be able to use the new app to supplement their learning. It will also be useful for experienced boatmen looking to brush up their professional English.

The multimedia app comes in 10 different versions, each teaching the standard English communication phrases via one of the following languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian or Russian. g To access the Riverspeak app in all its versions, go to www.imlpbooks. com/books/RS

Stability tightened for passengerships Adonia returns to Europe after Cuban mission

passengership stability, drawn F up in response to the 2012 Costa New measures to improve

Concordia disaster, still fall short of what is needed, Nautilus has warned.

A package of amendments to the SOLAS Convention was agreed by the International Maritime Organisation’s maritime safety committee last month, tightening damage stability and subdivision rules for newbuild vessels.

The new requirements — which seek to ensure that passengerships will be able to remain afloat after a major incident — follow a series of research programmes. One study, looking at the stability of vessels following flooding caused by

09_news.indd 9

collisions, carried out for the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), recommended that the ‘required index R’ damage stability criteria should be raised significantly, for both ro-pax ships and cruise vessels.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, from the classification society DNV GL which was involved in some of the key research projects, said the SOLAS revision would result in ‘a significant reduction of risk in the future transport of passengers at sea’.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘While the EMSA and IMO work is to be welcomed, it is insufficient to ensure the high level of safety that passengers and seafarers should expect.’

is pictured right during a two-day A refit in Portland last month before P&O Cruises’ small ship Adonia

returning to the Southampton-based fleet after spending 14 months operating in the Caribbean for the ‘social impact’ brand Fathom.

Originally built in France for Renaissance Cruises, the 30,277gt, 704-passenger vessel has been deployed on a series of ‘discovery’ itineraries in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic islands after running the first US sailings from Miami to Cuba in 50 years. Adonia is due to return to the Caribbean in November.

Picture: Paul Dallaway

21/06/2017 14:42

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

NEWS

Convoy video is released

Crew comforted after master kills himself

Society has launched a new F film to mark the centenary of the The Shipwrecked Mariners’

chaplain Fr Colum Kelly is F pictured left comforting crew

Apostleship of the Sea port

introduction of the convoy system.

The video explains how the horrendous losses of merchant ships during the First World War resulted in the decision to operate the first transatlantic convoy in May 1917.

Chief executive Commodore Malcolm Williams said he hoped the film would raise awareness of the role played by merchant seafarers. g You can watch the video on the charity’s website: www.shipwreckedmariners.org.uk

members onboard the Malteseflagged containership Santa Bettina after the vessel’s master committed suicide a week into a voyage from the United States to the UK port of Tilbury.

Fr Kelly and chaplains from two other seafarer charities offered support to the distraught and traumatised crew when they arrived in port. ‘All three of us spent time

Royal award for Aberdeen centre has won the Queen’s Award for F Voluntary Service in recognition of its

The Aberdeen Seafarers’ Centre

excellent support for the maritime community.

Led by superintendent and port chaplain Howard Drysdale, the local charity is operated by more than 40 volunteers who staff the centre and carry out visits to ships.

The centre offers a warm welcome to seafarers who are visiting the port of Aberdeen or live there, working in partnership with The Apostleship of the Sea, The Sailors’ Society and The Mission to Seafarers. All services are free to seafarers irrespective of their gender, nationality or faith.

International seafarers use the computer stations in the centre to contact their families via Skype; they also enjoy the recreational facilities and obtain advice and pastoral care if requested.

Over the past year, the centre

welcomed 3,567 seafarers from 47 countries, and 2,200 ship visits took place.

There are also around 50 ex-seafarers and their family members living in and around Aberdeen who use the centre regularly, and it assists around 75 seafarers annually with port-based or general welfare services. These include supporting people through illness, disability and bereavement; hospital visiting; and providing funds and equipment for their needs.

Howard Drysdale will be receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service on behalf of the centre at a royal garden party at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Palace on 4 July.

‘We will also be holding a special event for our volunteers in July,’ said the chaplain. ‘I can say that we have the best volunteers here in the centre and outwith — we have hundreds of ladies knitting woolly hats for us!’

We provide a lifeline to keep them afloat

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The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is here to help them rebuild their lives.

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10-11_news.indd 10

listening to the crew and of the stress that they had been feeling during the voyage,’ he said. ‘Particularly distressed was the young seafarer who had discovered the body. It was the first time he had seen a corpse.’

The crew requested Mass to be said and specific areas of the ship to be blessed, including some cabins and the spot where the body was found. ‘It was a fitting conclusion to all we had been doing on the ship and we could sense the relief among the crew,’ Fr Kelly added.

Union protest at Angolan ordeal Nautilus calls on Angola to respect seafarers’ global rights to fair treatment

P

Nautilus International has written to the Angolan ambassador to the UK to protest about the unjust treatment of the crew of an offshore support vessel detained in the port of Soyo.

General secretary Mark Dickinson said he was profoundly concerned at the plight of the Croatian, Filipino, Russian and Ukrainian seafarers, who were serving on the Vanuatu-flagged vessel Sutton Tide. They had been held in the country since 5 March after being accused of being involved in the theft of fuel, but late last month a judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to lay any charges.

In a letter to the Angolan embassy in London, Mr Dickinson appealed for action to end the ‘shocking’ ordeal of the crew as soon as possible. The seafarers say they fear for their lives, and one has attempted to commit suicide, he pointed out.

Mr Dickinson said there was ‘deeply disturbing’ evidence that the crew had been denied a wide range of fundamental human rights. ‘In particular, Nautilus is concerned by the evidence that

Crew members from the PSV Sutton Tide under detention in Angola in June

the crew have not had the right to independent legal advice and representation and have not been given adequate information about the basis on which the investigation is being conducted,’ he wrote. ‘Also very disturbing are the complaints that crew members have been pressured to sign documents which were not in their own language and that their vessel was searched under duress, with no explanation or justification given to them.’

The letter pointed out that criminalisation of merchant seafarers is a very important issue around the world, and there have been many incidents in recent times where the ship masters, officers and other crew members

have been treated as scapegoats for accidents that have been far outside of their control or responsibility.

Against this background, two UN agencies — the International Maritime Organisation and the International Labour Organisation — had developed guidelines for the fair treatment of seafarers following maritime incidents, and since 2006 countries around the world have been encouraged to support the active implementation of these principles, the letter added.

‘In the case of Sutton Tide, the information we have received indicates that the IMO/ILO guidelines have not been adhered to,’ Mr Dickinson

said. ‘The guidelines state that investigations should be conducted in a “fair and expeditious manner” — something which cannot be said to describe the course of this incident.

‘In the absence of effective support from the ship’s owner and flag state, it is left to organisations representing seafarers to highlight this case and to appeal for justice to prevail,’ he told the ambassador. ‘As a country which is heavily reliant upon shipping and seafarers, Angola should be in the forefront of upholding international regulation and global principles.

‘It is essential — given the multiple jurisdictions under which seafarers work — that they are recognised as a special category of worker entitled to fair treatment, protection against coercion and intimidation, and access to legal, welfare and consular support,’ Mr Dickinson pointed out.

The Seafarers’ Union of Croatia said there had been no credible evidence to support the accusations that the crew had stolen fuel.

Shops support crews its fund-raising efforts with the A opening of two new charity shops and The Sailors’ Society is boosting

the launch of a subscription service for its BySea coffee brand.

The charity’s two new shops — in Eastleigh and Salisbury — aim to dispense with the fusty image traditionally associated with charity shops in favour of a fresh approach, using container-like dressing rooms and crates to reflect its work with merchant seafarers.

It is more than 20 years since Sailors’ Society last opened a new

charity shop, and it plans to open two more in Southampton and Poole.

Sailors’ Society’s director of development, Adam Stacey, said: ‘These shops are a way for us to diversify our income so that, even in these challenging financial times, we can continue the vital work we do supporting hundreds of thousands of seafarers in need around the world.’

The BySea coffee subscription service offers six different blends, all ethically sourced. g For more information, visit www.bysea.org

21/06/2017 12:08

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

Hull marks Falklands task force Merchant Navy and armed A forces came together on 28 May

Falklands veterans from the

at Hull Minster for a ceremony of remembrance, pictured above.

The event was organised by Nautilus member Keith Thompson, who in 1982 was assistant purser on the Norland, a ferry requisitioned by the UK government as a troop carrier.

The ship was one of nine vessels from Hull which supported the task force.

‘We had a drumhead service outside the Minster,’ Mr Thompson reported, ‘followed by a parade down to the pier for a wreath-laying service.

Rev Canon Dr Neal Barnes conducted the service, and we received letters from our patron HRH Prince Charles and HRH The Duke of York, sending their warm wishes.’

In attendance were the Lord Mayor of Hull, elder brethren from Trinity House and Falklands Brigade commander Major General Julian Thompson, who made a speech.

Veterans were there from all four forces, alongside local cadets.

During the service, the ship’s bell of the trawler Farnella was rung. Farnella was one of the five Hull trawlers converted to mine sweepers for the Royal Navy during the Falklands conflict. ‘All the names from the Falklands War and the three Falkland islanders who lost their lives were read out at the service,’ Mr Thompson added. ‘The Humberside police band and the Army cadet drum corps provided the music, and Danny Fleming of the Scots Guards Falklands piped two laments. The veterans had a wonderful day, ending with plenty of port and rum to finish the day off.’

IMO warned on migrant rescues Authorities cautioned over impact of refugee crisis on merchant seafarers

P

Shipowners and seafarer organisations have raised concerns at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) over the ‘shocking’ scale of deaths among migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean.

Figures presented to the IMO’s maritime safety committee last month showed the number of migrants reported dead or missing increased from 3,200 in 2014 to 4,578 in 2016.

A total of 212 merchant ships were involved in the rescue of 13,888 migrants last year, the meeting heard.

The European shipowners’ organisation ECSA said merchant ships have been involved in an increasing proportion of SAR incidents being coordinated by the European Border & Coast Guard Agency — up from 4% last year to 12% so far in 2017.

Commercial ships are not equipped to undertake large-scale rescues, ECSA warns, and they should ‘not become a permanent part of the solution to this problem’.

The International Chamber of Shipping described the death toll in the area as ‘unacceptable’ and pointed out that merchant vessels have been providing consistent humanitarian support in the region.

But it also warned the IMO: ‘The immediate and long-term effects on seafarers, both physical and psychological, of mass rescue operations in the central Mediterranean cannot be overlooked.’

Rescued migrants wait to disembark from the Italian-flagged offshore support vessel VOS Prudence in the port of Naples Picture: Reuters

The International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations (IFSMA) backed the call for more attention to be paid to the welfare of merchant seafarers.

‘Although the numbers of merchant ships being diverted by rescue coordination centres has slightly reduced because of the increased resources being provided by EU member states and others, it must be remembered that from a shipmaster’s point of view that it is they and their crews who are very much still in the front line,’ secretary-general Jim Scorer added.

Not all companies provide

support and counselling from crews caught up in some of these dramatic and harrowing events, he pointed out.

‘We must do all we can to ensure that our seafarers, and the effects these incidents have on them, are not forgotten, as the traumatic effects often only come to light months or years into the future,’ Mr Scorer said.

‘We must remember that they are civilians and not trained like the military, professional SAR crews and the other specialised services involved.’

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it recog-

nised the important role played by the merchant seafarers, but expressed concern that they are being used as the SAR system is breaking down under the pressure.

And the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said it was worried that merchant ships are not equipped for such operations.

The IMO’s secretary-general, Kaitak Lim, paid tribute to the rescues undertaken by merchant ships and warned that the humanitarian crisis is far from over. He also highlighted the pressing need to tackle the root causes.

‘One-stop’ training service is launched ‘one-stop solution’ for maritime F education, training and business A new initiative to provide a

support services has been launched by a specialist UK-based firm.

ChartCo Training & Consultancy is teaming up with a wide range of colleges and training agencies to offer ‘all-encompassing’ courses for seafarers, consultancy support and packages including cadet management services.

The ChartCo initiative establishes collaborations with Chiltern Maritime (based in Southampton), Clyde Marine Training and Clyde Training Solutions (in Glasgow), Ship Safe Training Group (in Rochester), Viking Recruitment and its Maritime Skills Academy (in Dover), and Warsash Maritime Academy and Warsash Superyacht Academy (in Southampton).

It will provide comprehensive training, ranging from entry-level courses to management-level programmes and continuing professional development opportunities, such as specialist ship handling, lead auditor and designated person ashore certification.

Consultancy services cover ships, ports and operating companies — including audit services, the Port Marine Safety Code and Safety Management System development, as well as project management.

It also offers ChartCo’s traditional services, such as custom data solutions, PassageManager software and Regs4ships.

ChartCo Training & Consultancy director Andrew Hair said the provision of high quality training and education is increasingly critical at a time of growing regulatory demand, compliance issues, safety concerns and skill shortages. ‘This active collaboration with key partners also supports development of bespoke and tailored packages to better meet individual customer needs,’ he added.

STUDY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD We help seafarers get ahead through our flexible one-to-one distance learning courses.

Saga shipmaster ends long maritime career Philip Rentell, pictured above, A as he completed his final voyage Tributes were paid to Captain

with Saga Cruises at the end of May. Capt Rentell, who first went to sea almost 50 years ago, trained with the British & Commonwealth Company and gained his Master’s certificate in 1980. He went on to serve with companies including Palm Line, Cunard and Sun Cruises, before joining Saga in 2005 and

10-11_news.indd 11

commanding Saga Rose, Saga Sapphire and Saga Pearl II. Capt Rentell was one of the 14 recipients of the first ‘official’ Merchant Navy Medals for Meritorious Service last year. A presentation was made to him as he left Saga Sapphire in the Port of Dover as part of celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the inaugural sailing of the Saga Cruises’ first vessel, Saga Rose.

Learn with us – from GCSEs and A-levels, right through to degrees and postgraduate qualifications. marine-society.org 020 7654 7029

A charity registered in England and Wales 313013 and in Scotland SC037808

21/06/2017 12:37

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

HEALTH & SAFETY

Warning over fuel spray fire hazards A

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has issued a special safety alert calling for owners and seafarers to cut the unacceptably high rate of fuel spray fires onboard merchant ships.

‘These types of incidents, involving fuel leakages contacting hot surfaces and igniting, happen too frequently and have been a focus of various marine safety organisations such as the IMO for many years,’ the bulletin warns.

The USCG said it had dealt with one recent incident onboard an offshore supply vessel which suffered significant damage following a fire caused by a high-pressure fuel leak spraying over the port engine’s turbocharger.

Investigations found that a flexible fuel hose connected to the fuel filter assembly had ruptured. In response to the casualty, the owner/ operator of the vessel enacted fleet-wide changes and relocated the fuel filter assemblies away from the turbochargers on the outboard side of the engines in the vicinity of the fuel pumps.

The USCG said it strongly recommends that owners and operators avoid an ‘out of sight, out of mind mentality’ and ensure that unmanned machinery spaces are inspected at least daily, but preferably several times per day.

‘Those who perform such activities should develop an eye for detail by tracing out and inspecting all equipment, systems, and components,’ it added.

Particular attention should be paid to fuel and lubricating systems, from source tanks to system end points, the safety alert says. ‘Hot spot’ areas require special checks, and crew members should ensure that all insulation, blankets, and lagging are maintained and kept tight.

The USCG said companies should minimise the use of non-metallic flexible hoses in systems carrying flammable liquids, particularly around engine areas where failures leading to leakage or spray may find hot spots capable of igniting the fluids.

MARINE TAX SERVICES (CARDIFF) LTD Dcomplete service for mariners 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

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MAIB highlights mooring risks Nautilus backs calls for action after officer is injured by parted spring line

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Nautilus has welcomed a UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch report which reveals serious shortcomings in the safety of ship mooring operations.

The 100-page report covers the findings of an investigation into an incident in in the port of Milford Haven March 2015 when an officer suffered serious head injuries after being struck by a mooring rope which parted as the 163,922gt Q-Max LNG carrier Zarga was berthing at the South Hook terminal.

Investigators said the decision to attempt to reposition Zarga by using spring lines rather than recalling the tugs had placed the mooring parties in ‘an unnecessarily hazardous position, particularly given the strength and direction of the winds’.

The officer — who required emergency surgery ashore when the spring line broke — had been standing in the snap-back zone of the line, because it had been wrongly designated as a safe area.

‘This was because a thorough snap-back assessment had not been carried out by the vessel operator and there was a perception that high modulus polythene ropes did not recoil on failure,’ the report notes.

In fact, the MAIB said, the arrangement of Zarga’s mooring deck meant that its entire foredeck area was a snap-back danger zone. ‘In order to ensure the safety of life, deck crews need to be removed from such danger,’ the report states. ‘This can only

Investigators said the entire foredeck area onboard Zarga was a snap-back danger zone Picture:MAIB

be achieved through better ship mooring system and mooring deck design.’

Investigators found that the rope had parted as a result of tensile overload — even though the load being applied at the time was less than one-quarter of its specified minimum breaking load and below its accepted working load limit. Tests showed the loss of strength had been largely caused by axial compression fatigue as a consequence of factors such as high cyclic loading at exposed ports, repeated and prolonged bending around deck fairleads, and radial compression on the load-bearing core by the rope’s tightly-bound jacket.

‘Although the Q-Max and Q-Flex LNG carriers were speci-

fied from the outset to have HMPE mooring lines, the shipbuilder and vessel operator did not take into account the recommended safety factors,’ the report says.

‘This critical omission resulted in the high rate of rope failures experienced across the Q-class fleet.’

Investigators said the Steelite Superline Xtra ropes were not suitable for use on the Q-Max vessels, as they lacked the required minimum breaking load and the diameter of the vessels’ deck fittings was too small. The ropes had been regularly inspected by the crew and the manufacturer’s representatives, and their condition had always been assessed to be good. But the MAIB concluded that the condition of the loadbearing core of the jacketed ropes

could not be adequately assessed onboard as key discard criteria such as broken yarns and fused fibres could not be identified without destroying sections of the rope.

The report also describes Zarga’s mooring line maintenance management and condition monitoring regimes as ineffective. ‘Onboard inspections regularly identified evidence of shock loading, but — contrary to company and industry guidance — the ropes were not discarded,’ it points out.

It notes that Zarga’s managers, Shell International Trading & Shipping, had taken action in response to the incident and the investigation findings — including the installation of physical barriers to protect deck crew within designated safe areas.

The report advises the company to review mooring arrangements on its ships and to ensure that mooring lines and deck fittings are compatible. The MAIB also called for the Oil Companies International Marine Forum to address ‘the complex nature of mooring rope snap-back’ and measures to improve crew safety.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This is an excellent report that illustrates failure in both vessel design and mooring ropes provided — regrettably such incidents are all too common. Few flag/port states have independent accident investigation bodies like the UK, capable of such a detailed accident investigation.’

about an accident investigation F report which revealed ‘potentially Nautilus has expressed concern

misleading’ inaccuracies in chart information.

The problems were identified by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) following an incident in which the Mersey ferry Royal Iris ran aground on the submerged remains of a mooring dolphin while approaching Eastham locks.

The vessel — which had 66 passengers and nine crew onboard — had moved to the eastern side of the channel to allow a dredger to safely pass by. Investigators said this had left a ‘slim’ margin for error and the spatial awareness of the crew had been reduced because they were monitoring the dredger.

The MAIB report notes with concern that the changed status of the derelict dolphins and the light on Eastham locks had not been passed to the UK Hydrographic Office or Trinity House by Peel Ports.

Consequently, the latest edition of the Admiralty chart indicated that all of the dolphins were permanently visible.

Although these inaccuracies did not cause the accident, the MAIB pointed to the importance of reliable data — ‘particularly in view of the frequently changing depths due to siltation’.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said: ‘This illustrates the requirement for improved communication by harbour authorities to UKHO and Trinity House.

The MCA should ensure adequate implementation of the Marine Management System by ports, as required in the UK Port Marine Safety Code.’

‘Port code falls short’ questioned the value of the F UK’s Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC) Nautilus has once again

Weather the storm part in a three-month project A to investigate the impact of ‘space

A Danish-flagged ship is taking

weather’ on shipping operations.

The tests are being carried out as part of the European Union-funded EfficenSea2 study and aim to assess the way in which key maritime communication systems, such as AIS, Argos, Inmarsat, Iridium and GPS, may be affected by phenomena such as solar flares.

The tests will be carried out onboard the 10,308gt containership Mary Arctica, which operates between Aalborg in Denmark and various ports in Greenland. The vessel has been equipped with nine antennas covering all systems included in the test, as well as a data recording system.

The EfficienSea2 project hopes the results may be used to support the development of a space weather forecast service to warn seafarers of potential impacts on maritime communications and positioning.

Alarm at charting update failures

EU aims to improve box scans developing a state-of-the-art F container scanning system, pictured A European research project is

above, to check boxes for weapons, explosives, drugs or toxic materials before they are loaded onto ships.

Details of the CORE (Consistently Optimised REsilient Secure Global Supply-Chains) project were revealed last month as a Maersk containership was caught up in a ‘dirty bomb’ scare in the US port

of Charleston. The terminal 3 was evacuated and a 1nm exclusion zone was placed around the US-flagged Maersk Memphis while four suspect containers were scanned and subsequently cleared by the authorities.

The CORE project aims to deliver systems that will quickly and reliably ensure that containers are holding only their declared contents.

Smiths Detection is designing

both the hardware and software for the ‘next generation’ container scanners, which will increase the rate at which containers are scanned, from around 100 to 150 per hour to between 300 and 500, along with faster, accurate analysis of images to prevent bottlenecks.

The company is planning to demonstrate the new system in the field in collaboration with Dutch Customs later this year.

following a new ‘health check’ report on its application around the country.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency report summarises the findings of seven ‘health checks’ carried out on a range of different ports and harbours around the UK over the past year.

It found one of the ports to be non-compliant with the Code and promised that it will receive a return visit to ensure that problems have been addressed.

The MCA said common issues for improvement identified during the seven checks included risk assessments, audit and review, consultation and information dissemination, and the roles and responsibilities of the duty holder and designated person.

Nautilus professional and technical officer David Appleton said the Union continues to be concerned at the non-mandatory nature of the PMSC. ‘Unfortunately the opportunity for any lessons to be learned from examples of good or bad practice contained in this report has been lost due to the lack of detail and anonymity of the parties involved,’ he added.

21/06/2017 14:43

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Cruiseship safety fears discussed at seminar cruiseships and passenger F vessels is raising the potential scale The increasing size of many

and complexity of a major accident, experts told a meeting last month.

The operational challenges facing masters and officers — including stability issues, managing emergencies, running with large crews and many departments, and the potential for mass casualties and outbreaks of illness — were discussed at a seminar presented by the Nautical Institute’s London Branch.

‘There is a perception that passengerships sail to the same waterline and the same trim, but that is not so and the fluctuations over the course of a voyage can be very significant,’ said Captain Dariusz Gozdzik.

Against this background, maintaining stability requires constant monitoring and attention —

sometimes even requiring swimming pools to be emptied, he added.

Capt Gozdzik also described some of the difficulties in juggling the requirements for ballast water, fresh water, grey and black water, energy use, and maintenance with the constraints of local and regional regulations and passenger expectations.

Richard Meikle, a former passengership officer and ex-cruiseship manager, said the cruise market is continuing to expand— with demand up by 62% over the past decade, 25.3m passengers expected this year, and 448 ships in service and 26 on order.

Cruise companies are naturally risk averse, he said, but some itineraries are particularly challenging – with such things as restrictions on sewage discharge and exhaust emissions.

Mr Meikle said the Costa Concordia

accident had put the focus on the human element, and a range of measures had been adopted in response to this.

However, he cautioned, the industry often seems to be ‘one incident behind in trying to mitigate the risks and you really need to know the problems in advance, because you don’t want to be dealing with them afterwards’.

Some of the issues raised by the Costa Concordia accident had not been addressed across the industry, he suggested, and there is a very ‘interesting question’ about command structures and standards of management on very large ships.

As ships get larger, there is a concern that the risks of a major and complex incidents with mass casualties will increase incrementally, Mr Meikle added. While port facilities should place a limit on the size of

vessels, he said the trend to increase capacity is still continuing.

Mr Meikle said there is a big challenge in making drills realistic and properly reflective of the length and complexity of incidents onboard large vessels. ‘We are a long way from achieving that as an industry,’ he added, ‘and no one is prepared to put the time and effort into doing it.’

Stuart Edmonston, director of loss prevention with the UK P&I Club, said close attention needs to be paid to risk in the cruise shipping sector. There are lots of claims from passengers and crew members are becoming increasingly litigious, he pointed out.

The UK Club seeks to control these risks by analysing loss records and sending inspection teams to ships.

Slips, trips and falls are the biggest problem, he said, and there are also particular difficulties with tendering operations.

Design blamed for lifeboat loss Union criticises failures which resulted in another crew death during a drill

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Nautilus has voiced concern after an investigation found that poor ergonomics and insufficient crew familiarisation were key factors in a fatal lifeboat drill accident onboard the world’s largest cruiseship, barely four months after it came into service last year.

A Filipino rating died and four other crew members were injured when the lifeboat fell 10m into the water during a drill onboard the 226,963gt Harmony of the Seas in the French port of Marseille last September.

A report from the French investigation board BEAMer notes that the 370-person capacity lifeboat became destabilised when a deckhand activated the control releasing the winch brake.

The stern of the 15.8m lifeboat started to descend, while the bow was locked in the guide by the forward lashing gripe.

The combined effects of the inclination and the weight caused the bow to slip from the guide and the forward long-link to slip from the release hook. As the lifeboat tilted heavily forward, the aft long-link also slipped from the hook— tearing its stop pawl.

Investigators found that the deckhand had failed to release the fastening for the lifeboat’s forward.

The omission was compounded by a lack of crosschecking, no visual check that the installation was ready, and an

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Call for action to cut seafarer obesity for shipowners to improve F the quality of food at sea in a bid

A leading P&I club has called

to reduce rising obesity problems among seafarers.

Sophia Bullard, crew health programme director for the UK P&I Club, said there is concern over the number of seafarers who are failing medical examinations as a consequence of a combination of serious illnesses linked to obesity.

‘It could be argued that obesity alone is a pre-cursor to other more serious conditions if nothing is done to reduce body mass index (BMI) and improve lifestyle,’ she said. ‘Poor eating habits and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to the development of many lifestyle diseases.’

Obesity can prevent seafarers from carrying out key job functions, including safety responsibilities, Ms Bullard noted. It can also lead to conditions such as high blood

Grounding caused by poor teamwork between the bridge team and F pilots, together with incorrectly

‘Ambiguous’ communications

Harmony of the Seas’ lifeboat in the port of Marseille following the accident last September Picture: BEAMer

‘unclear division of roles’ between the crew taking part in the drill, the report adds.

Investigators noted that there was no mechanical safety device to prevent the gravity-launching of the lifeboat when the forward lashing gripe remained in the raised position.

BEAMer said the ‘inefficiency’ of the forward and aft stop pawl ‘when the lifeboat is subjected to brutal movements and to a heavy tilt angle’ was another key factor in the accident.

The report concludes that the

familiarisation of the crew with the ‘innovative equipment was less than optimal’ because of the ship’s recent commissioning. It also notes that the lifeboat lowering position does not provide adequate visibility of the whole of the lifeboat-davit system for the seafarer in charge of the operation.

BEAMer said it had decided not to make any safety recommendations because Royal Caribbean had introduced new procedures in response to the accident — including a lifeboat lowering test with no crew onboard.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘It is always preferable to design and construct so as not to kill personnel — why does this industry continually get it so wrong? Once again, a seafarer has died as a consequence of inadequate training and lack of supervision — “familiarisation” is not acceptable.

‘There seems to be no mention of the ISM Code or SMS in the report,’ he added. ‘These should not be treated as paper or paperless procedures to adorn bookshelves and computers.’

pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even some musculoskeletal conditions.

‘It is within these illness groups that the UK P&I Club has seen the largest growth in crew medical failures,’ she pointed out.

Ms Bullard said owners can help to combat the problem by providing a healthy diet, including five to 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, swapping frying for baking or steaming, limiting the amount of salty, savoury snacks and reducing processed sugar.

‘Exercise plays an important part in achieving and maintaining fitness,’ she added. ‘Even a small amount of physical activity, such as 30 minutes per day on an exercise bike, can have positive results. Crew members, given time, free space, and encouragement to exercise, will see the benefit of weight loss, but also a reduction in stress levels, improved sleep and a boost to their self-esteem.’

installed emergency back-up steering controls, have been blamed for the grounding of a Panama-flagged containership in the St Lawrence Seaway last year.

The 37,398gt MSC Monica suffered hull, tank and propeller damage when it unexpectedly veered to starboard, left the buoyed channel and ran aground shortly after leaving the port of Montréal on 22 January 2016. The vessel was refloated the following day with the assistance of three tugs, and there was no pollution and no injuries.

An investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) found that some of the ship’s Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani crew were ‘unable to adequately express themselves verbally in English’ and when one of the two pilots questioned an initial deviation from the course he received an ambiguous response from the

helmsman which was taken to mean that the steering gear had failed.

The second pilot then attempted to switch to the back-up steering system — but because the non-follow-up (NFU) tiller had been installed in the inverse position — and not in accordance with international standards or the manufacturer’s specifications — he unintentionally applied a hard turn to starboard rather than a hard turn to port while attempting to keep the vessel in the buoyed navigation channel.

The TSB noted that MSC Monica’s owners had the NFU tiller arm correctly reinstalled later in the year, as part of work to overhaul or repair a number of components in the steering gear system. The report says that language and cultural difference may have contributed to the accident, and it stressed the need for pilots and bridge teams to ‘share a complete and common understanding of a problem and continuously exchange information to solve problems’.

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

21/06/2017 14:43

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports PILOT FEARS: the French marine pilots’ organisation FFPM has voiced alarm after new figures revealed that their numbers have fallen to the lowest level for many years. The FFPM annual meeting was told that the number of French pilots dropped to 331 last year, from 345 in 2010 and 365 in 2000. Although the latest figure is considered as the bottom line for a 24/7 public service, recruitment is taking place in Dunkirk and the French Indian Ocean island of La Réunion and there are exchange agreements between the country’s regions.

Norway net pay scheme

Denmark warned on officer numbers fleet continues to grow in F terms of tonnage, the officers’ union While the Danish merchant

DUBAI AID: Dubai is planning to launch a US$1bn shipping investment fund to provide state aid to local owners. The Dubai Maritime City Authority is leading the project that will provide support for building new ships, sale and purchase deals, and mergers. Dubai has recorded huge growth as a maritime hub, but few local banks provide finance for shipping.

TRAFIGURA ORDER: the Trafigura Group has ordered up to 32 new crude oil and product tankers with a potential value in excess of $1.35bn. To be built

by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea and New Times Shipbuilding in China, the vessels are due to be delivered between the end of 2018 and late 2019.

FUMES CUT: the Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed the Port of Auckland’s decision to stop releasing methyl bromide emissions into the air. The move to recapture the toxic gas after the fumigation of timber cargoes sets a new benchmark for industry best practice, the union said.

Unions welcome ‘historic’ proposals for seafarer salaries

by Andrew Draper

P

The Norwegian government has announced plans to introduce a net salary scheme to cover Norwegian seafarers serving on ships operating under the country’s international ship register (NIS) in the deepsea sector.

The maritime unions describe the proposals as a move of ‘historic importance’ for Norwegian shipping — and believe it may encourage the country’s owners to reflag tonnage currently registered abroad.

Hans Sande, director of officers’ union NSOF, said: ‘Not since 1993 has anything been done of significance to strengthen the

conditions of Norwegian seafarers on NIS deepsea vessels. This was the missing piece of the jigsaw in the political work to ensure Norwegian seafarers’ international competitiveness and to ensure Norway’s leading position in important international shipping markets.’

The proposed scheme — included in the government’s budget package — is supported by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the shipowners’ association, and was due to go before MPs late last month.

Mr Sande said the scheme aims to to support advanced sectors of shipping in which Norwegian owners are world leading — including oil, chemical and gas

tankers and ro-ros. Norwegian seafarers make up less than 10% of the total on NIS ships, and are still shrinking in number, he pointed out.

A full net salary scheme — with tax breaks for owners — will provide the potential for reflagging to NIS and ensure Norwegian seafaring skills are not lost, Mr Sande said.

Terje Hernes Pettersen, head of the maritime unions’ secretariat, said the parliament is also expected to approve a commission to examine Norwegian pay and conditions on vessels operating in the country’s waters, regardless of flag. This is an antidumping cause the unions have pushed for years.

HAPAG CUTS: German shipping company HapagLloyd has revealed plans to cut up to 12% of its shorebased workforce after completing its merger with UASC last month. The company said the cuts would be made over the next two years, but its 2,100 seafaring jobs would not be affected.

DRILLING ALARM: Sardinia and Corsica have expressed concern at Norway’s request to Italy to prospect for oil off the islands’ coasts. They have called on the French and Italian governments to institute a total ban on all oil exploration and production in the Mediterranean.

SOVCOMFLOT SALE: Russia is planning to sell part of the state-owned shipping firm Sovcomflot in the next few months. The company operates the world’s second largest fleet of oil tankers and the government is seeking to attract a wide range of small investors.

VTS BOOST: Indonesia is to open a second vessel traffic system (VTS) for the Malacca Straits, thanks to a US$12.9m grant from Japan. The new system, to be built in Dumai, Riau, follows the launch of its first VTS in Batam in April this year.

SMUGGLERS JAILED: the Marseilles criminal court has sentenced 34 people who were found guilty of smuggling drugs from South America to France on Costa cruiseships to up to 13 years in prison.

New tankers for expanding AET fleet Afirm AET is taking delivery of

The Singapore-based tanker

two new 114,000dwt long-range (LR2) petroleum tankers from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Korea, pictured above.

The Singapore-flagged Eagle Lyon and the French-flagged Eagle Le

Havre have been taken on long-term charter by the French oil major Total and were named in a ceremony at the HHI yard in Gunsan last month.

Both ships qualify for Green Passport notation, with features to maximise operational efficiency and minimise environmental impact.

AET’s fleet now includes 12 VLCCs, six Suezmaxes, one Panamax, 46 Aframaxes, four DP tankers, 13 clean product carriers, five LR2 tankers, 13 chemical ships and an LPG tanker. Its current orderbook includes a further two Suezmaxes and four more Aframaxes.

Crew’s US ordeal is over crew of a flag of convenience F ship detained in the US port of The last six members of the

Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center director Mary Davisson and Philippines Embassy representatives visiting crew onboard the detained tanker Newlead Granadino

14-15_int.indd 14

Baltimore returned home last month after being stuck on the vessel for nearly nine months.

The Malta-registered asphalt tanker Newlead Granadino was detained by the US Coast Guard in September last year after suffering engine problems and failing a port state control inspection.

Local International Transport Workers’ Federation inspector Barbara Shipley and the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Centre

intervened after the crew reported that they were running out of food and water, and were owed five months’ wages.

At one stage, the seafarers had been forced to fish in the harbour for food. They were also unable to go ashore because of US security rules.

Twelve of the crew returned home in January and the remaining six were repatriated to the Philippines last month after the 5,887dwt vessel was sold by a bank.

During their ordeal, the crew received strong support from the local community. The Seafarers

International Union stored and sorted numerous donations of warm clothing and food, local pilots and tug companies helped to deliver supplies and facilitate welfare visits, one company provided free internet to the ship, and the Apostleship of the Sea donated a television and other items.

‘This crew has been amazing. The conditions that they’ve lived with and tolerated is just unbelievable,’ said Ms Shipley. ‘They’ve been so happy and they’ve been so positive and I’m very thankful for everyone that’s stepped up and helped out.’

Søfartens Ledere (SL) has warned that the entire growth in jobs is among foreign junior officers and seafarers.

The Union fears that this trend will ultimately mean there is no career ladder for Danes wishing to become senior officers.

Data published by Danish Shipping (the new name for the Danish Shipowners’ Association) showed the merchant fleet at 683 ships of 15.6m gt in April 2017, up 21 ships and 0.2m gt from spring 2016.

Seafarer and shore-based maritime employment fell by around 1,000, to 23,000 last year, and the biggest dip was among non-Danish crews.

SL general secretary Fritz Ganzhorn said the increase in the number of trainees and ratings fails to offset the overall drop, with Danish officers down 2.5% from 2016. The growth in tonnage since 2007, when tonnage tax was introduced, has been entirely to the benefit of foreign officers and ratings, he added.

‘That of course makes it more difficult for Danes to progress from trainee to master if other nationalities have the positions in the career ladder,’ he said. ‘It also means Denmark is handing over its maritime skills to officers from abroad. That will mean fewer Danish maritime skills and know-how for shore-based maritime companies.

It’s a negative spiral where companies ultimately will move to maritime countries and centres where they will find maritime labour.’

India seeks to expand jobs share have joined a new task force A established by the government as Indian maritime unions

part of a programme to increase the country’s share of the global maritime labour market.

The initiative — which is involving the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), the Maritime Union of India (MUI) and the Maritime Association of Shipowners and Agents (MASSA) — is seeking to find ways to raise India’s stake in worldwide seafarer supply from the current 7% to 9%.

‘India, with 12% of the world’s population, has just 7% of the seafarers’ market — while the Philippines, with just 2% of the world’s population, has grabbed a 20% global share,’ said MASSA chairman Captain Prashant Rangnekar.

The task force is looking at incentives such as income tax concessions for seafarers, improved maritime training facilities and reformed seafarer examination programmes.

21/06/2017 17:35

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

Singapore union boosts support of Seamen (SOS) has set aside A an additional S$3m (€1.95m) of The Singapore Organisation

support for seafarers with medical, training and accommodation costs in a bid to ensure their job security during the global shipping slowdown.

SOS general secretary Kam Soon Huat said the S$3m top-up is spread equally across the union’s Seacare Medical Scheme (SMS), Seacare Maritime Training Scheme (SMTS) and Seacare Sailors’ Home Scheme (SSS) — which form part of its collective agreements with shipping companies.

Over the next two years, SOS members will benefit from up to S$1m worth of subsidised medical services, including medical consultations and health screening from appointed clinics in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and China.

SOS will also provide up to S$1m worth of training assistance, which aims to encourage shipping companies to continue investing in seafaring skills by subsidising course fees, trainee allowances

Singapore Organisation of Seamen officers (in vests) meet members during one of their weekly ship visits

and transport costs. ‘Our number one priority is to make sure that our seafarers do not lose out in terms of training opportunities and employability during the global economic slowdown,’ Mr Kam explained.

The accommodation support will be given to shipowners to offset hotel costs for seafarers travelling to and from their ships, or towards the costs of venues for crew seminars.

‘The enhanced schemes will help ship owners and managers to

save some of the costs pertaining to crewing operation, which is the biggest portion of the vessel operating cost,’ said Captain Lim Swee Aun, head of ship management at Wallenius Marine Singapore.

Australian inquest raises concerns over death of three men on FoC bulker

P

CMA CONCERN: unions representing seafarers serving with CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container line, have expressed concern at the company’s plans to cut costs by US$1bn over the next 18 months.

They fear that while the company has announced proposals to increase the number of officers on its ships, this may be to the detriment of jobs for lower grade seafarers. CMA CGM says it is expecting to benefit from the integration of the Singapore-based operator NOL, which it took over last year in a $2.4bn deal.

CADET PROTEST: cadets studying at the French merchant navy academy, ENSM, have protested after being asked to pay for the renewal of certain certificates in line with the STCW Manila amendments. They complain that they are faced with costs of €1,300 plus transport and living expenses for the necessary refresher training. The Academy says cadets in financial difficulties can apply for social grants.

ITF wants action on ‘murder ship’ Maritime unions have called for action after an Australian coroner’s investigation ruled that two seafarers who died onboard a flag of convenience ship within the space of six weeks were ‘victims of foul play’.

The two-year inquiry into the death of the chief engineer and cook of the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Sage Sagittarius in 2012 concluded that the men had been killed by ‘a person or persons unknown’ and highlighted a climate of fear which existed onboard the ship.

A third man — a Japanese superintendent who had been sent to investigate the two fatalities — died in October 2012, when

shortreports

he was crushed on a conveyor belt while the ship was berthed in Japan. The coroner’s court had no jurisdiction to make findings on this death, but noted that the Japanese coast guard had deemed it to have been an accident with no suspicious circumstances.

The inquest heard there was ‘intense conflict and mistrust among the crew’ of the Japaneseowned vessel and some of the seafarers — including the cook — had been planning to report the master to the authorities for alleged physical assaults and maltreatment. A culture of ‘silence and blacklisting’ and ‘harassment and bullying’ existed on the ship and the master had assaulted a gay crew member on three occasions.

The court found that the cook was either thrown overboard or killed and his body disposed of later. As his body was never recovered, the coroner made an open finding as to the cause of his death. The chief engineer had been struck over the head with a weapon or instrument and he was either thrown or fell to his death from the second to the fourth deck. The coroner stated that it would be ‘an extraordinary coincidence’ if the same person was not responsible for both deaths.

The coroner also noted that the case had shown the ‘very significant practical impediments created by a disappearance or death onboard a foreign flagged vessel’ and the inquiry made five

recommendations for improving investigations into fatalities on FoC ships in Australian waters.

International Transport Workers’ Federation Australian coordinator Dean Summers said the findings demonstrated ‘the lawlessness on our coast brought by the dodgy FoC system, which Australia now completely relies on for domestic trade’ and he called for urgent action in response to the inquiry. ‘The Sage Sagittarius —flag of convenience, registered in Panama — was a murder ship, and two men have lost their lives, two families have lost their breadwinners, four children have lost their fathers,’ he added. ‘This is a terrible indictment of the flag of convenience system.’

SEAFARERS ARRESTED: four crew from the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier St Gregory were arrested after the ship ran aground on a Greek beach last month.

The seafarers were accused of negligence and putting lives in danger after the 32,688dwt ship went aground on Kokkala beach in the SE Peloponnese while sailing between Turkey and Tunisia with a cargo of sulphur.

BRITTANY DEAL: French operator Brittany Ferries and the UK port of Portsmouth have signed a 10-year cooperation agreement with a commitment to strengthen ties as the UK prepares to leave the EU, whatever the details of the final Brexit deal may be. In 2016, the port’s passenger numbers grew for the fourth consecutive year, providing Brittany Ferries with its best performance in a decade.

DRINK CHARGES: Danish police have arrested the 53-year-old Russian captain and the first mate of the 3,254dwt Isle of Man-registered general cargoship Norrvik and charged them with being drunk whilst sailing and grounding the vessel. The police reported that the rest of the crew was foreign, but declined to release details of their nationality.

CARRIERS UNITE: Japan’s ‘big three’ container shipping firms — K Line, MOL and NYK — have revealed details of their plan to create a joint venture, under the trade name Ocean Network Express. Set to launch next April, the holding company will be based in Japan and an operating company incorporated in Singapore.

TANKER MERGER: Monaco-based Scorpio Tankers is to merge with Navig8 Product Tankers to create one the world’s largest product tanker owning companies, with an operating fleet that will consist of 105 owned or finance-leased tankers and 19 chartered-in tankers.

BRAZILIAN BUY: the French containership operator CMA CGM is set to buy the Brazilian shipping firm Mercosul Line from Maersk. The proposed deal for the four-ship fleet is conditional on Brazilian regulatory approval for Maersk’s acquisition of Hamburg Sud.

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Italian maritime unions have welcomed Costa Cruises’ announcement that it is to recruit 4,500 Italian seafarers — almost doubling the 5,000 it currently employs.

The news came after another Italian operator, MSC Cruises, revealed plans to recruit 6,000 more seafarers by 2018 as part of its fleet expansion programme, which will see the delivery of two vessels presently under construction in Italy and two in France.

The unions, however, are wary about working conditions and management practices in the cruise

14-15_int.indd 15

sector and say they will be monitoring the companies’ recruitment plans.

Costa — which has the largest fleet of cruiseships under the Italian flag — is planning to take on an extra 4,500 Italian crew members for new and existing vessels by 2022. The Costa Group— comprising Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Costa Asia— presently has a fleet of 27 vessels, and last year carried about 3m passengers, a 13% increase from 2015.

The Costa Group and Carnival are looking into working with one or more of Italy’s nautical institutes

to ensure that there is a sustained supply of new officers and ratings. z Italian seafarers staged a protest in Rome last month over the high proportion of foreign crews serving on Italian ships at a time when significant numbers of domestic seafarers are available. z Emanuele Grimaldi, the head of Italy’s leading private shipping company, has attacked the owner of the Moby Line ferry group for attempting to persuade the country’s government to revise the terms of the tonnage tax scheme and the rules governing the international ship register.

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21/06/2017 15:48

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

YOUR LETTERS

What’s on onyour yourmind? mind?

Tell your colleagues shipping.

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

Use number. a pen name or wider world300 of shipping.

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

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

Special CoC endorsement for Waverley Engineers sought for historic vessel’s new ship-specific steam training programme

A

She is graceful, smart and guaranteed to attract attention wherever she goes. The famous Waverley — the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer celebrates the 70th anniversary of her maiden voyage this year.

Deemed uneconomical in 1974 by her then owners, Caledonian MacBrayne, Waverley was famously sold for £1, and in 1975 the charity, Waverley Steam Navigation Co Ltd, was set up.

Waverley then began a second career as one of the country’s bestloved tourist attractions. Since she has been in operational preservation she has carried over 6m passengers from over 80 ports around the UK, won countless awards and even starred in a Hollywood film!

To be able to commemorate her 70th anniversary this year is a real testament to the commitment of the professional staff and crew and volunteer effort over the years.

At the heart of the ship, turning the famous paddles, lies a magnificent 2100 horsepower, triple expansion reciprocating steam engine. The number of steam ships across the world is declining and as a result, engineers with a steam CoC or a steam endorsement on their motor CoC are becoming a rare commodity.

Waverley Excursions Ltd Waverley’s operators have been

in consultation with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), and have come to an agreement whereby engineers with unlimited Chief or Second’s motor certificates of competency— and sufficient service on vessels with steam boiler and plant— will be able to serve as officers aboard Waverley.

A ship-specific training programme will lead to a steam endorsement on CoCs: Chief (or Second) Engineer Officer steam reciprocating engine less than 3,000kW. Waverley operates around the UK between May and October, with refit works taking place aboard the vessel in Glasgow and Greenock during the winter months.

The team at Waverley is small and very committed to the objective of keeping the ship sailing for future generations to enjoy. The job is very rewarding and the ship is a pleasant working environment. g If there are any engineers who hold unlimited chief or second engineer officer motor CoC, STCW Reg III/2, and who would be interested in this unique opportunity to work on Waverley, please send your CV to info@waverleyexcursions.co.uk to receive more information.

KATHLEEN O’NEILL Chief Executive Paddle Steamer Waverley

P

No 6%

This month’s poll asks: Do you think marine insurers are right to be worried about obesity amongst seafarers? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

In response to the letter in the June Telegraph, headlined ‘Merchant Navy Medal is not the honour it used to be’, I would respectfully remind the writer that the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service is a State Award, following a Royal Warrant signed by HM The Queen.

This came about as the result of many years of lobbying for a more formal recognition for the

Last month we asked: Do you think the EU Naval Force counter-piracy operation should be continued after the current mandate comes to an end next year?

Yes 94%

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16

from Charles Batchelor (‘Wrong F lifejacket advice’, June 2017 Telegraph) I note with concern the letter

with regard to the correct method of holding a lifejacket when entering the water, he was not shown properly nor the reason given.

The grip should be with one arm crossed over the top of the lifejacket with the palm of the hand covering the mouth and the nose blocked by the junction between thumb and forefinger. The second arm then crosses over outside the first and grips the edge of the lifejacket. Both arms push down on the lifejacket to stop it riding up.

The purpose of this hold is to stop water entering the mouth and nose as the seafarer submerges into cold water when the tendency is to gasp as the cold reaches chest height. If the seafarer were to ‘gasp’ underwater, they would drown.

Captain BILL TATE

The new Merchant Navy Medal: additional concerns and answers I write with reference to the letter regarding the new Merchant Navy Medal and the fact that it is now only open to UK recipients who are sailing on British registered vessels, either merchant or fishing (‘Merchant Navy Medal is not the honour it used to be’, June 2017 Telegraph).

I was a recipient in the second year of the old type Merchant Navy Medal and was very proud to have been nominated to receive it. During my long career, which is still ongoing, I have served on British registered vessels and various foreign flag vessels. Had I been on one of my foreign flag vessels and the old MNM was only available to recipients on British flag vessels as is now, then I could never have been nominated.

The Merchant Navy Medal Committee then had the common sense to realise that there were actually very few British seafarers on British registered ships as they were manned by various nationalities, all with a sparkling British CEC. The new awarding system makes a mockery of the new type of medal, but then this is typical of the DfT, who know as much about British seafarers and where they serve as my seven-year-old grandson, so maybe common sense will prevail in the future and nominations will be open to British seafarers regardless of where they serve and work because we are all working in a hard stressful job to the best of our ability. mem no 146702 MNM

Have your say online

Further lifejacket advice

Merchant Navy personnel, and the new Award, reflecting the national importance of the work of seafarers, has been widely welcomed.

The first such awards were presented by HRH The Princess Royal last year and therefore it is still early days. The committee, established in 2005 to award the former Merchant Navy Medal (MNM), is now working closely in advisory capacity to the Department for Transport, both to monitor progress and also make recommendations on nominations. Importantly, this committee, whose members come from across the shipping industry (ensuring a wide range of knowledge and experience), has been retitled the Merchant Navy Honours Consultative Committee to reflect its new role.

I would like to answer some of the writer’s points. Firstly, the guidance notes for the Medal states that recipients will normally be required to have completed 20 years’ good conduct and exemplary

service, although in exceptional circumstances the period of service may be less. This allows flexibility and we believe that even a new entrant to the Merchant Navy who, perhaps, comes forward with an idea that enhances the safety of seafarers, will be eligible.

Equally importantly, whilst some service at sea is essential, the time can include shoreside appointments within the industry. Obviously, in many cases, time served and experience gained are major factors that ultimately enable a seafarer to do something of significant merit.

There is most certainly no bar on British seafarers serving under foreign flags, and all such service is equally taken into account.

Importantly, the medal is not just the preserve of masters, as last year’s awards will highlight, and the DfT and ourselves welcome nominations from all ranks and ratings. It is therefore up to all your readers to look for, and more importantly nominate, persons for the Award.

Finally we are mindful that, historically, there have been very few National Honours awarded to people associated with the industry ashore, or afloat. There is no bar to nominating anyone for a straightforward Honour, even if they are not a seafarer but, nevertheless, have made a significant contribution.

Such people may, of course, be eligible for a British Empire Medal or higher and, indeed, in exceptional cases seafarers will also be recommended for higher awards such as MBEs, or OBEs in addition to acts of courage afloat.

I would ask all your readers to be reassured that we will continue to monitor the progress of this honour and endeavour to ensure that it properly befits the Merchant Navy. In the meantime, the nomination process and list of recipients of both the National Honour and the previous medal can be found at www.merchantnavymedal.org Captain MATT EASTON Chairman, Merchant Navy Honours Consultative Committee

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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

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21/06/2017 15:48

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Telegraph’s cruiseship blunder

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

www.thefreakywave.com

STAFF editor: Andrew Linington chief sub editor: Sarah Robinson reporter: Steven Kennedy Dutch correspondent: Hans Walthie production editor: June Cattini-Walker

consequence of modular F construction and increased passengerIt is recognised that as a

to-staff ratio the cost of cruises has become ever cheaper. The narrative to the article ‘Southampton handles record size containership’, on page 40 of the June Telegraph confirms this in making specific reference to ‘cruiseship’ in the first paragraph.

I do know that containers are used for modular accommodation in the offshore industry. I presume this has now been extended to the cruise sector, where outside cabins come at a premium and those inside are heavily discounted. No doubt, there are dedicated containers for leisure and restaurant facilities? mem no 143112

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Deepsea pilots could help crews fight fatigue latest Telegraph article around F seafarers’ fatigue and I strongly agree

intensive training and annual licensing by an external regulator (Trinity House) and is one of the most skilled and experienced individuals in navigating these waters. The use of a deep sea pilot not only takes the pressure off a master in said waters, but also allows the master increased opportunities to rest, complete paperwork and help remove the pressure and strains to adhere to company expectations and working hours. The irony is, the cost of a deep sea pilot for a vessel on a short European rotation probably comes to around the same as a couple of tugs at port.

Not only do deep sea pilots offer the benefit of increased safety, but their knowledge and passage planning can also save a company money in terms of bunkers as well as passing on expert knowledge to masters and crew.

It often feels that whilst much work is done to increase awareness on fatigue and the problems this can lead to, the solutions offered do not take into account the credible resources already available.

CHRIS BROOKS Deep Sea & Coastal Pilots Ltd Gravesend

Southampton Solent is investing in Warsash

Career change cadets: stick with it and the ageism will ease off

I was very interested by the

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I am writing to respond to Malcolm Graves’ open letter to me entitled ‘Numbers falling at wrecked Warsash’ (June 2017 Telegraph).

As Chancellor of Southampton Solent University, I am proud that we are the home of the world-renowned Warsash Maritime Academy (WMA) and therefore I was disappointed that our plans to secure a stable and successful future for the Academy are not better understood.

with many of the different arguments that were raised. I would, however, hasten to argue that we already have viable solutions in place which are not been utilised to their potential.

Despite the lack of promotion and awareness around it, deep sea pilotage provides an answer to the long-running problem of fatigue.

As we know, the English Channel and North Sea is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, combined with the fact that the distance between

The University remains committed to its Maritime Strategy that spells out our ambitions for working with the maritime industry, ashore as well as at sea, in support of the UK government’s policy set out in the 2015 Maritime Growth Study.

This commitment to the enhancement and development of maritime education and training is evidenced by the University’s significant investment that is both planned and underway:

port rotations can be some of the smallest. It is safe to say that masters’ and crew members’ fatigue can reach a pinnacle when navigating these waters due to traffic congestion, the possibility of poor visibility during the passage and time restriction on port formalities and paperwork.

My question is this; why do shipping companies and the IMO not do more to encourage the use of deep sea pilots as a readily available option to combat fatigue? A licensed deep sea pilot is an ex-master who has previously served in command for a period of at least three years, faced

z In excess of £6m is being invested this summer in a new maritime centre for the tuition of Merchant Navy officer cadets — a centre of excellence which will replace buildings that are no longer fit for purpose and will provide a distinct, modern teaching environment exclusively for seafarers studying for their first Certificate of Competency which opens this September. z Development plans are well underway to create a

Benchmarking Bulk Carriers 2015–16 Eighth Edition

The INTERCARGO Benchmarking Report provides a detailed analysis ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐůŽďĂů ĚƌLJ ďƵůŬ ĐĂƌŐŽ ŇĞĞƚ͕ ƌĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ ŽŶ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĞŶĚƐ across many sectors of the industry.

comprehensive safety training unit on the Academy’s lower site at Warsash — this will provide fire, medical, maritime and offshore training in one location and will include a new survival pool and HUET (Helicopter Underwater Escape Training) facility. z Planning is at an advanced stage to bring the Academy’s professional and higher level maritime education programmes, from the Warsash campus, to the city centre during 2018 — this includes our intention for significant investment in new simulation facilities.

Ensuring a sustainable and successful future for Warsash Maritime Academy remains of paramount importance to us all, and is something that the University is committed to achieving.

Admiral The Rt Hon Lord West of Spithead Chancellor, Southampton Solent University

£100

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

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article appeared in the Nautilus F Telegraph entitled ‘Life begins at 40’.

About 16 or 17 years ago, an

The subject was a retired ex-fireman (aged 37) who decided to embark on a Merchant Navy career as a deck cadet. I think he joined the Craig Group.

The striking issue for me was that I was two months older and had started as an engineering cadet. I hope he has fared well. I myself recently obtained my Chief Engineer’s CoC and I hope to achieve that rank in 2018.

However, I found ageism to be a huge problem. I say ‘ageism’, but in reality it was a derivative issue. What happened was that, unknown to yourself, a kangaroo court convenes.

Your age/rank profile seemed to me to supply the narrative that your competence was either low or, worst still, you were deemed to be incompetent.

I had to resign from two companies because one found oneself in the perfect storm of getting poor assessments, not being eligible for study leave, not being eligible for promotion. And not getting any younger.

As I acquired my higher certificates, and moved on, that type of behaviour receded. In fact, I can spot now how some personalities seek to raise their own profile by demeaning others pretty immediately.

I hope to continue in the merchant marine until I retire. And if I can lend my experience to others in a similar situation, I would be happy.

ANDREW SCOTT mem no 186696

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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.

21/06/2017 15:48

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

NAUTILUS CAMPAIGNS

Nautilus Charter for Jobs: a monthly guide

P

The International Transport Workers’ Federation held its first ever cabotage conference last month, with ITF president Paddy Crumlin highlighting the problems faced by many seafarers who are unable to find work in their own country because of the increased use of flag of convenience ships.

This month, therefore, our series of reports on the Nautilus Charter for Jobs looks at charter point 9: Promote the employment of UK-resident

seafarers on routes between UK ports (cabotage) including the North Sea off shore sector.

As a core objective in the Jobs, Skills & the Future campaign, the Union argues that the government should promote UK shipping in domestic trades and create a level playing field in social and employment conditions on vessels trading between the UK and the EU, with the objective of ensuring that the highest priority is given to the employment of British

seafarers.

After leaving the EU, the UK will not be bound by EU policy and should therefore develop an equivalent of the US Jones Act in UK waters. The Jones Act requires that goods and passengers transported by water between US ports are carried by US-built ships, which are owned by US shipping companies, and crewed by US seafarers.

The legislation, which is almost 100 years old, has helped to maintain a healthy

US shipbuilding and repair industry, provided protection to the supply of skilled American seafarers for the US marine transportation system, and has helped to stave off the devastation that low-cost shipping can wreak on the maritime industry.

It also supports US security through certainty over the flag and the crew of ships operating in sensitive trades and being available during times of crisis.

A strong Merchant Navy is prerequisite for a strong Royal

Navy in the interests of the economic and strategic interests of the UK. A UK version of the US Jones Act would ensure this.

As Mr Crumlin told the ITF conference: ‘The global trend among governments is to be more introspective and geared towards protecting local industries and jobs.’ Protecting national employment in coastal shipping should be a

‘no-brainer — whether you look at it with respect to local jobs, national security, fuel security or protecting the environment’.

Where’s my Telegraph?

Should Telegraph have named motor Bibby Line in launch skipper? reunion November

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

P

I read your second article on the collision of the historic WW2 motor launch Peggotty with the Petunia Seaways last May. I am curious as to your reasons for clearly naming (in both articles) the skipper and owner of the Peggotty. It is notable that you do not name the master of the Petunia Seaways nor the VTS officer on duty.

I am a serving Humber Pilot and a good friend of the skipper/ owner in question. He is a young man with a very young family and a future ahead of him. In my considered opinion, his actions on that day are not indicative of his usual careful professionalism in his work.

Your personal naming of any individual in an article such as

this, when that information has no bearing on the substance of the article itself, is irresponsible; insensitive and very destructive to the future life and career of such an individual.

I ask you to exercise some sensitivity in your reporting and I also ask that you kindly publish this letter to allow others to either support or counter this belief.

LEE MASON Humber Pilot

The editor replies: I am sorry that you consider our reporting to be irresponsible. However, it is consistent with our normal policy and is not an exceptional case. We regularly report on a range of court cases involving members and non-members

alike, and names are not withheld in such articles (unless, of course, there is a relevant court order to protect an individual’s privacy).

Whilst we would obviously have deep sympathy with an individual and their particular circumstances and certainly would not wish to adversely affect their career, this case was widely reported in the mass media and the name of the Pegotty’s skipper was given considerably wider circulation than the Telegraph.

The article in the March issue about the court case did name the master of the DFDS ferry.

However, the name of the VTS operator was not disclosed in the court case, nor in the MAIB report.

A

As a member of a steering committee arranging a Bibby Line reunion in Liverpool in November, I would like to thank the Telegraph for publishing my letter in the May edition.

We have received an excellent response from ex-Board of Trade acquaintances and friends and look forward to meeting up with them later in the year.

If there are any other colleagues with that all-important Bibby Line connection, whether sea staff or office staff who would like to learn more about the reunion, then please email bibbyseafarers@gmail.com detailing a brief description of your career with Bibbys and we will get back to you with details of the planned event.

Many thanks to the Telegraph once again.

DAVID CREAMER Retired Bibby Line master mem no 160984

CEC campaign: MPs are complacent about skills A

I am very concerned about the shipping minister’s response to Nautilus lobbying re: Certificates of Equivalent Competency but hardly surprised as most ministers and MPs appear to be guilty of complacency.

I think Nautilus should go back to the minister and ask him about the training, qualifications, knowledge, experience and ethnicity of the minister’s ‘team of specialists’. Has he checked their credentials? Is he satisfied with these credentials?

Whenever I hear anyone refer to ‘specialist’, I take that as an excuse for a bunch of charlatans or lawyers chosen and selected specifically to facilitate any minister’s agenda.

This government and all ministers are guilty of complacency because what is happening to the MN is happening throughout the rest of the country in all areas of work. Skilled, professional standards are being lowered,(but not, it appears, the legal profession — the government needs them to facilitate its agenda) and hence cheapened, whilst unskilled labour is promoted as ‘skilled’.

I have been hassling my own local MP regularly over the issue Nautilus has brought up, and he has been the recipient of the ‘postcard’ — and he too, to date, remains unconcerned and unresponsive.

Name & number withheld

UK ports and waterways could boost our economy and waterways, including canals, F could provide us with an opportunity The proper use of modern ports

similar to the Industrial Revolution, where 4,000 boats carried 30m tons of goods each year.

The cost of £20bn in road congestion charges to industry, and a further £7bn-plus public subsidy could be greatly reduced with a proper and modern transport system similar to Germany, which transports more than 64% by water transport.

A fixed charge, similar to the continental system, to unload containerships into smaller ships or barges could further reduce costs.

Computer modelling of transport systems with all relevant data could

demonstrate how a modern transport system could work using existing ports, waterways and canals. It would also highlight what needs improving in the long-term to ensure future success.

The CargoLifter, which was devised as a flying crane capable of lifting 160 tonnes with a cruising speed of 88kph, could support marine transport to unload large containerships to smaller ships or barges in both the developed and nondeveloped parts of our ocean planet.

The UK has the opportunity to create a new Industrial Revolution, supported by a modern transport system with input from all relevant data, efficient and modern ports, ships and excellent crews.

JOHN GALLAGHER mem no 194448

Delegating bunkering is standard practice A

In an article on page 21 of the Telegraph’s June edition, the ‘head of human factors with Lloyd’s Register Marine Consulting’ is quoted as citing a case where the work of bunkering a company’s passenger ships had been delegated from the chief engineer to the third engineer.

She was using this as an example to show that changes in procedures can end in disaster, as the company had raised concerns over bunkering incidents.

During my time at sea (1969 -1982) with Overseas Containers Ltd and then Sealink ferries, the third engineer was always responsible for bunkering.

There was little or no intervention from the chief engineer other than

18_lets+charter_SR edit.indd 18

conveying the order in which tanks were to be filled and receiving initial and final figures.

I understand that this is normal throughout the Merchant Navy. As with every activity in the engineering department, the chief engineer was in overall charge, but he cannot do everything himself. Any notion that the chief engineer should be bunkering the ship himself reminds me of the delusion that people have of the ship’s master being permanently stationed on the bridge, steering the ship himself.

It seems to me that the head of human factors is out of touch with reality.

IAN MOIGNARD Rtd mem no 116065

21/06/2017 15:49

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

SEAFARER HEALTH Pre-employment medical examinations are the norm for increasing numbers of seafarers in many countries. But are they fair and fit for purpose?

Dr TIM CARTER, one of the world’s leading authorities on seafarer health and fitness, considers the issues…

Candidates are more likely to receive bad news about their fitness to work at sea from countries with weak employment protection laws, argues Dr Carter Picture: Thinkstock

The assessment lottery P

Discrimination can be a sensitive subject, but it is an inevitable part of any medical selection process — including the certification of fitness to work at sea.

Unfortunately, for many of the world’s seafarers, a sort of two-tier medical examination system has developed over the past few decades. It challenges many of the long-held principles used to determine whether someone is fit to serve at sea, and it raises some worrying ethical issues.

When recruiting staff, the employer will select the candidate on the basis of being the best person to do the job. In contrast, the normal practice for medical selection is to use a set of predetermined criteria as the basis for deciding that someone is fit to perform the role without putting themselves or others at risk.

Criteria may be set to secure safety at sea, to prevent illness while onboard, or to reduce the costs of managing ill-health. But this raises the question of how discrimination — in terms of denial of opportunities for employment — should be balanced against the goals of safety, health and economics when setting fitness criteria.

The framing of such criteria has to be based on an understanding of the required capabilities for working at sea, as well as the probability of adverse health effects occurring in future.

This can be challenging: there is not a wealth of good data, and

there has been little high-quality research to reflect the risk pattern in the past — both in terms of those working at sea and the requirements for their jobs.

Much of the information on seafarer illness, injury, medical treatment and repatriation is held by ship operators, crewing agents and their insurers, and is treated as confidential for legal and commercial reasons.

This means that the limited maritime evidence has to be supplemented by data from other related settings, or even from the general population, and then extrapolated to seafaring. Often, even this is insufficient and then a consensus view from those with medical expertise and the requirements of the maritime workplace has to be used.

Given that some level of discrimination is inevitable in the medical examination process, the way in which fitness criteria are developed is of critical importance to their acceptability by seafarers and ship operators, as well as national maritime safety agencies.

Those developed with the participation of all the relevant interest groups can be seen as fairly and openly set. But those developed without any such dialogue by a single organisation to meet its own perceived commercial interests should be expected to be less well regarded.

The way in which a medical assessment is performed is very relevant to the question of

Dr Tim Carter is well known in the UK as the former chief medical adviser to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Now working at the Norwegian Centre for Maritime and Diving Medicine, Bergen, he is a special adviser to the ILO and IMO on seafarer fitness guidelines

justifiable discrimination.

The ideal end result of a medical is that a seafarer understands and accepts the reasoning behind the decision taken on their fitness, while at the same time receiving helpful and positive guidance on how to maintain their health.

Advice and an ability to tell a person what types of job they are fit to do at sea, rather than a blanket approach where they are simply categorised as fit or unfit, can

help. However, many seafarers will undergo examinations in which there is no opportunity to discuss their health holistically with a medical adviser, or to appeal against any decision they are unhappy with.

P

Unfortunately, the maritime world presently has two systems of fitness assessment, with criteria that have been developed in different ways and within different

constraints — the statutory standards adopted by maritime states and applied to their ships and seafarers, and a range of employer and insurer standards.

Many Nautilus members will be familiar with the processes used by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s approved doctors for medical examinations of seafarers. For those from the UK, and other traditional maritime nations with reasonable employment protection laws and wellorganised seafarers, the statutory certificate of fitness is normally the sole requirement.

The criteria used for issuing such statutory certificates should conform to the requirements of relevant International Maritime Organisation and International Labour Office conventions, which were developed using an open process of consultation and discussion.

By contrast, the employer and insurer standards — which are largely used to supplement statutory requirements in crewing countries with weak employment protection laws — contain few safeguards for the individual seafarer and have usually been developed by a single adviser with no ‘stakeholder’ engagement.

These Pre-employment Medical Examinations (PEMEs) were originally developed in part to improve the quality of assessment at a time when there were few definitive international statutory criteria. But the prime motivation was to reduce the care and

repatriation costs arising from illness among seafarers.

In practice, there are considerable inconsistencies between the standards used by different employers and P&I clubs.

And although there are now more detailed and fully accepted international statutory fitness criteria, there is still work to do to improve the consistency of statutory medical assessments. Only a few of the world’s maritime nations apply quality assurance and audit procedures to the conduct of seafarers’ medicals, while the pace of adoption of the IMO/ ILO guidelines by national authorities is slow and often under-resourced.

There really is no need for the maritime sector to continue to live with two sets of arrangements for assessment and certification of seafarer medical fitness. The fair and openly set criteria and procedures of the sort found in the IMO/ILO guidelines could readily be combined with improved quality assurance arrangements supported by ship operators and their insurers.

This would benefit the whole maritime sector and would move away from the present situation in which shipowners and insurers are trying to gain commercial advantage by minimising the risks and costs arising from illhealth amongst their crews, while seeming not to care about the consequences for those they reject or about the good of the whole maritime sector.

Unions object to ‘invasive’ checks F

Nautilus is adding its voice to concerns about the way in which pre-employment medical examinations (PEMEs) are being used in breach of international conventions.

Speaking at the International Transport Workers’ Federation seafarers’ section conference last month, Lena Dryling of the Norsk Sjømannsforbund union expressed concern about the way in which many shipping companies carry out pregnancy tests as part of their PEMEs. ‘They claim that the reason they do this is to be compliant with the Maritime Labour Convention and the International Labour Organisation/World Health Organisation guidelines, as these classify pregnancy as a medical condition,’ she said. ‘They also claim that they test for pregnancy as it is part of the flag state legislation/requirements.

‘These are, of course, not the real reasons,’ Ms Dryling said.

19_medical_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

‘The real reason is to limit the potential cost of early repatriation and any unforeseen complications and the general liability that arises — especially if any complications manifest.’

She said the ITF is seeking to abolish pregnancy testing as part of PEMEs. The international Maternity Protection Convention clearly outlaws such discrimination, she pointed out, and also explicitly prohibits pre-employment pregnancy testing.

The purpose of a medical certificate is to ensure that seafarers are medically fit to perform their duties at sea, Ms Dryling noted, and the ILO/WHO guidelines state that a woman with a normal pregnancy can work on a ship without restrictions up to week 24.

She said that some shipping companies are also testing for HIV as part of their PEMEs. ‘We have seen one company that

instructs doctors in their network to test all seafarers for HIV, except US citizens,’ she added. ‘This is part of the expanded problem of extremely invasive medical testing of seafarers — both men and women.’

Ms Dryling said the ITF is seeking to raise the issue with the ILO and key labour supply states. ‘We are bringing this up with employers continuously and some have ceased the testing programme,’ she added. ‘The companies that have stopped actually report that they have no increase in maternity sign-offs.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the misuse of medical examinations represents a challenge to seafarers’ rights. ‘The discriminatory medicals seafarers are subjected to in many countries is what is to be expected where “commercial preference” goes unchallenged and there is little regard to human dignity,’ he added.

The ITF is pressing for employers to cease testing seafarers for pregnancy and HIV Picture: Thinkstock

21/06/2017 15:50

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

MARITIME RESEARCH Professional and technical experts from around the projects. ANDREW LININGTON reports on key papers world converged on Southampton Solent University presented at the at the International Conference on last month to hear the findings of pioneering research Maritime Policy, Technology and Education…

Fresh potential for unfair blame Work is underway to develop better MLC training for masters and senior officers so they don’t end up taking the rap for non-compliance...

Professor Alistair Couper

P

The Maritime Labour Convention could become the next area for the criminalisation of ship masters, a leading expert warned the conference.

Professor Alastair Couper — former director of the Seafarers

International Research Centre at Cardiff University — told the meeting that masters and senior officers have not had sufficient training to deal with the very complex requirements of the convention.

‘The MLC is a very important

convention, but is very different from others such as SOLAS because it deals with the human element onboard and fills the gaps that exist in the other conventions which are highly technical,’ he noted. ‘It’s not like SOLAS, where everything is hard and fast, but is open to many interpretations.’

Shipmasters are central to the implementation of the MLC, Prof Couper pointed out, and have responsibility for many of the requirements it has introduced — including onboard grievance procedures, maintaining hours of work and rest records, checking seafarers’ qualifications, and ensuring that accommodation areas and recreational facilities are safe and in a hygienic condition.

‘The requirements for the

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20-21_conference_SR edit.indd 20

master are all complicated and this makes the master very vulnerable indeed,’ he said. ‘A default on any of these found during a port state control inspection can result in detention of a non-compliant ship and could also bring criminal proceedings against a master or owner.’

Prof Couper said cases like the detention of the master of the tanker Prestige and the prosecution of masters, senior officers and salvage crews after the grounding of the tankers Tasman Spirit and Hebei Spirit showed how port states and coastal states can single out experienced, well-trained and conscientious seafarers — even if they had nothing to do with the incident.

He said a comprehensive study of the issues is being undertaken

by Seafarers’ Rights International, but it appears that there is a significant need for better training. Feedback from port state control officers suggests that many masters have not been given the skills and knowledge they need to implement the MLC, and there is a case for such training to be given to all masters and senior officers as part of the STCW studies.

‘There should be parity between this convention and the safety conventions, and colleges should have people who are skilled in the MLC and all of its subtleties,’ Prof Couper concluded. ‘Otherwise, the only defence that masters will have against prosecution is that they have not been given the knowledge to the extent needed.’

Crew wellbeing is bottom of CSR list increasingly adopting corporate A social responsibility (CSR) principles The shipping industry is

— but a new study has revealed that many of the programmes adopted by the world’s biggest containership companies fail to put much emphasis on the human element. Dr Lijun Tang, from Plymouth University, told the conference that CSR helps to protect a company’s image and reputation, as well as reinforcing risk management, with proactive strategies to ensure that social and environmental concerns are integrated within business operations.

He said CSR is important for container shipping, given its central role in global trade, and with developments such as the Maritime Labour Convention, MARPOL and customer pressure focusing attention on the industry’s performance in social and environmental areas.

Dr Tang analysed the CSR records of the world’s top 15 container shipping companies, using the results to place them in one of three categories: low CSR development; medium CSR development; and a top tier of more comprehensive CSR development.

The four companies in the lowest category all had some form of environmental policies, he noted, while their social concerns largely related to charities and supporting local communities. These companies made little or no mention of labour issues, such as occupational health and safety and human resources.

The two companies in the medium category had environmental policies such as ballast water management and ship recycling, and some referred to labour issues such as safety and security training, working hours and wages, but none had full coverage of the social and welfare side of their business, he added.

Dr Tang said he had rated nine companies in the top tier, all of which had CSR policies on the environment, health and safety, human resources development, and an annual report on their CSR activities and

Dr Lijun Tang

performance. Some of these firms had detailed programmes covering energy efficient, CO2 reduction, biodiversity and waste management, as well as various initiatives and strategies to manage occupational health and safety.

Hapag-Lloyd described how it goes beyond the basic requirements for safety training, including an annual workshop for ship commands, while Hamburg Sud told how it gives its officers the chance to study for degree-level occupational training qualifications. Only three Japanese companies and the Chinese operator COSCO reported on seafarer welfare and family issues, he added, and only three companies — COSCO, Yang Ming and Evergreen — reported on their work to monitor issues related to social security for their seafarers.

‘It appears that CSR is prioritising environmental issues, followed by safety, and seafarer issues such as development, education and training, welfare and social security are the least important,’ Dr Tang pointed out.

Dr Tang said his research had shown a big variation in the CSR policies being pursued in shipping — and that the stage of development of their programmes is unrelated to the size of the company, with some major operators such as MSC lacking a ‘fully-fledged’ policy. Although the MLC is setting requirements for ‘human’ issues, he said the treatment of seafarers is not being prioritised because of an absence of ‘market drivers’ to put pressure on companies.

Emergency planning needs to step up next big target for terrorists, a F maritime security expert warned the

Merchant shipping could be the

conference.

Richard Battrick, from the Gosport-based Battrick Consultancy, said the scale of piracy and incidents such as the attacks on the tanker Limburg and the US naval ships USS Cole and Princetown had served to demonstrate the vulnerability of shipping.

‘Many of the vulnerabilities that have attracted pirate attacks are exactly the same for terrorists,’ he pointed out.

Cruiseships and passenger vessels provide a particularly strong target for terrorists, Mr Battrick said. ‘Large numbers of people in a confined space — we need to be very aware of this threat.’

Similarly, a successful attack on tankers or cargo-carrying vessels could cause huge disruption. ‘The economic

The tanker Limburg, attacked by terrorists in 2002

implications are huge, because of the large volume of freight carried at sea, and it would create chaos with logistics,’ he added.

Mr Battrick said national maritime policies need to reflect an understanding of the scale of the threat to shipping and the links between organised crime and the avenues for funding terrorist activities.

Attention should be paid to the protection of merchant ships in ports and harbours, as well as the need to

collaborate on security awareness.

The shipping industry must review its emergency planning and the procedures it would use in response to a major attack, he advised. ‘My concern, having been involved with security companies, is that there is an over-reliance on flag states or the host nation to give the capability to neutralise these issues,’ he added.

‘Emergency planning needs to be robust, with systems that will respond effectively to an incident.’

21/06/2017 14:44

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

MARITIME RESEARCH

Consequences of automation Remote technology could make onboard work less appealing, in more ways than one...

Low mood may lead to a loss of concentration during high-risk work Picture: Danny Cornelissen

P Does poor morale

affect crew safety? safer seafarers, according A to the preliminary results of a new Happy seafarers may be

research project being carried out at Southampton Solent University.

Professor Claire Pekcan told the conference that the study is being carried out against a background of ‘pretty horrific’ statistics about seafarer safety — with some reports suggesting that seafarers are six to 27 times more likely to be killed at work than people in shore-based jobs.

Analysis of an international telemedicine database had shown that 30% of seafarers had been involved in an accident over the past three years, she added, and a Danish Maritime Authority report had shown seafarers to be at risk of having an accident once every 15.63 years.

Prof Pekcan said there is some evidence to suggest that some people are more accident-prone than others and some are more likely to display risky, or rule-violating, behaviour.

The new study is based on feedback from 750 seafarers who were asked how often they feel tense, worried and miserable, or cheerful, calm and content.

Prof Pekcan said there appears to be a strong relationship between how happy you are and how you may contribute to your personal safety and the safety of fellow crew.

‘Seafarers who report being more content and more cheerful do tend to make a greater positive safety contribution, and are more inclined to engage in behaviours that affect the safety aspects of the operation,’ she explained.

‘Seafarers who report more unpleasant emotions don’t necessarily make a reduced safety contribution, but they are more susceptible to cognitive failures, memory loss and distraction,’ she added, ‘and that is strongly related to taking short-cuts and bending the rules.’

The relentless advance of ‘smart’ ships is set to transform the working lives of seafarers, the conference heard.

Professor Mike Barnett, from Southampton Solent University, said radical improvements in satellite communications have opened up the industry to the use of ‘big data’, predictive analytics, remote control and condition monitoring.

With the industry now moving towards trials of autonomous ships, he said researchers have been looking at the implications for collision avoidance and how the current regulations will apply in ‘hybrid’ spaces where a mix of traditionally crewed ships will be running alongside vessels operated from ashore.

‘In all the excitement about big data, predictive analysis and fancy new types of ships, you will not find the same level of excitement about the technological innovations that will benefit the crew,’ he pointed out. ‘You hear very little about what it meant to be the most valuable asset on the ship — the seafarer.’

Prof Barnett said there are significant questions to be

Professor Mike Barnett

asked about the future role of seafarers in a highly automated industry. ‘Will we end up with small numbers of highly trained professionals on a ship or that all the clever people will be sitting ashore in the comfort of a control centre while the ship will have no one onboard, or just a low-skilled riding squad?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know which way it will go, but

training and education systems for seafarers will certainly need to be addressed.’

Attention has to be paid to future maritime skills requirements — and how they will be achieved if seafarers do not go to sea any more, he added.

Research also needs to address the psychological impact of working in ‘skeleton crews’ on minimally-

staffed vessels. ‘With these new conditions, will anyone want to go to sea? Will it be a profession that anyone wants to follow?’ he questioned.

Prof Barnett suggested that the future seafarer may be monitored from ashore in the same way that increasing amounts of ship systems are being analysed from fleet operations centres. ‘If you are able to monitor the plant onboard a ship and can send all sorts of data to shore, why should we not be able to send a lot of data on the health and wellbeing of the crew?’

Although there will be some ethical issues to be resolved, he said it would be possible for individual seafarers to use wearable technology that would continuously transmit data about their mental and physical state to experts ashore — enabling early intervention if any problems are detected. ‘If it all sounds a bit space age, why should we not be looking after seafarers in much the same way that NASA looks after its astronauts,’ he concluded.

11-15 SEPTEMBER 2017

Researchers to further investigate pros and cons of different crewing practices launched to investigate the F most effective crewing policies. The A new study has been

three-year project, being undertaken at Southampton Solent University, compares shipping with other major industries to determine the potential benefits of more stable working patterns — particularly among masters and senior officers.

Dr Kate Pike told the conference that there is presently very little evidence to show the impact of different crewing policies or whether the ‘fluid’ practices used by many operators — in which seafarers often serve on ships on a somewhat ‘random’ basis — have negative

effects on health, safety and performance.

Researchers will be looking at four key ship types, and will test the crewing practices against criteria including: familiarity with the vessel; crew compliance; maintenance; accountability; trust; interpersonal relationships; technical operations; communications; flexibility; vessel culture; charter requirements; logistics; recruitment; and travel costs.

A pilot project found that familiarity between crew members could overcome some of the effects caused by fatigue, Dr Pike said, and communications appeared to be generally more effective between

crews who have worked together before. There is also some evidence to suggest that stable crewing may help to increase morale and commitment, and give seafarers a greater sense of responsibility towards each other.

However, she added, potential disadvantages include complacency, lack of diversity, limited development and an absence of innovation.

The research will also assess the optimum time for a crew to work together, Dr Pike said. ‘With crews being one of the biggest costs for ship operators, we think there will be some significant value to the maritime industry in taking this research further,’ she added.

Tomorrow’s Maritime World

Book your place at the LISW17 Conference & Gala Dinner www.londoninternationalshippingweek.com/ conference-and-gala-dinner/

How seafarers handle job demands which has examined the ‘coping F strategies’ used by seafarers on Findings from a research project

shortsea cargo vessels to deal with the demands of the job were presented to the conference.

Dr Birgit Pauksztat, from the University of Greenwich, said the study had included detailed interviews with seafarers serving on five cargo ships operating on intense services in northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

‘There is almost no research on the resources available for seafarers for coping with job demands, even though such demands have been associated with negative consequences for their health and wellbeing, job attitudes

20-21_conference_SR edit.indd 21

and retention,’ she pointed out.

‘Shortsea shipping in particular has been associated with very high workloads and high levels of stress and fatigue and, in this context, the ability to cope with job demands may be particularly important.’

Feedback from seafarers showed that they had developed a range of different strategies to complete the tasks required whilst also keeping stress and fatigue to manageable levels, she said. These included action to divide or delegate workloads, adjust working routines, to plan and prioritise jobs, and to prepare in advance.

Dr Pauksztat said measures to maintain morale and deal with negative emotions are particularly

important for motivation and performance. Strategies being used by seafarers to promote a positive working environment included not holding grudges, controlling their emotions, not upsetting others, joking, and seeking to avoid any conflict onboard.

However, she warned, the success of such strategies could be limited by unpredictable working demands and/or a lack of resources. In such circumstances, there is a risk that negative emotions and demotivation could spread ‘contagiously’ through the ship. ‘The findings suggest that we may need to pay more attention to the social aspects of life onboard,’ she concluded.

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21/06/2017 14:44

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

CREW COMMUNICATIONS

Delving into the digital divide P

This time last year, the United Nations resolved that access to the internet should be considered a basic human right and governments should work to ‘bridge the many digital divides’.

For many seafarers, the digital divide remains firmly in place despite the many advances in maritime communications in recent years, and new research by Nautilus aims to identify the shortfalls in connectivity at sea.

‘In 2016 we saw astronaut Tim Peake Tweet, video call and watch the football from the international space station — yet we still cannot deliver the same level of connectivity for our seafarers,’ says Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson.

‘At a time when those on land can access anything and contact anyone in the world at the touch of a button from a device in their pocket, it is shocking that many vessels only provide basic communication services for seafarers,’ he adds.

The Union’s research report— An Investigation into Connectivity at Sea — was published to coincide with Seafarers’ Awareness Week 2017.

It is based on a detailed survey completed by almost 1,800 members, as well as shore-based management from 18 major shipping companies.

The seafarers — 1,125 from the UK and 665 from the Netherlands — were overwhelmingly in support of good connectivity at sea, with fewer than 10% considering that the quality of internet provision onboard makes little or no difference to them, or even that they enjoy not being connected while at sea.

Nautilus International has pledged to fight for members’ rights to onboard internet access. And one of the first steps in the campaign was to carry out a detailed survey of the current state of affairs...

Large numbers of seafarers still rely on seafarers’ centres in ports for internet access

Almost two-thirds of respondents said they would consider moving employer for better connectivity

websites or streaming,’ the report notes.

However, 84% of members said they would be willing to sign an internet usage policy with their company if it meant better access to the internet onboard, it points out.

And company concerns over cyber security do not seem to be matched by a commitment to training to reduce the risks, with 86% of respondents reporting that they have never been given such training.

The Maritime Labour Convention recommends that ship operators ensure that seafarers have ‘reasonable access’ to ship-shore telephone, email and internet facilities — and that any charges for the use of such services should be reasonable.

However, just over two-thirds of seafarers said they were unaware of this requirement — and 43% said access had not improved since the convention came into effect in 2013.

While almost 90% of seafarers reported that their companies provided them with internet access at sea, fewer than 54% had access to personal emails, only one-third had access to social media, and just 5% were able to use videocalling.

And even when internet access is provided, many seafarers are affected by tight restrictions on its use. More than half were unable to stream, 36% had a ban on downloads, and more than onethird were only able to access company-approved websites — and these were predominantly ones used for work purposes.

‘Some restrictions were around companies’ fears about seafarers accessing inappropriate material or causing security issues, with respondents being unable to access age-restricted

The survey underlined the importance that seafarers place on connectivity, with almost two-thirds of respondents (63%) stating that they would consider moving to a different company if it provided better onboard connectivity than their current employer, with all other terms and conditions being equal.

It also showed that many seafarers see the potential for good connectivity to help them with training — with three-quarters considering that they could use it to take online courses. Only one of the 18 shipping companies said they felt that there would be no real benefit for training from increased connectivity.

But almost half the seafarers (46%) said their companies had told them it would be too expensive to provide internet access for personal

“

”A

22-23_spread_SRedit.indd 22

use onboard, and just over one-third said they employers had said the running costs were too high.

And almost half (49%) said they would be prepared to forego a pay rise or other benefit for one year if their company agreed to invest the equivalent amount into improving onboard connectivity.

The importance of good connectivity was underlined by the fact that more than 68% of the seafarers taking part in the survey spend more than six months of every year at sea, with just over half having tour lengths longer than three months. Almost half rarely or never manage to go ashore and 96% said more ports should offer a wi-fi service for visiting vessels.

Most of the respondents taking part in the company survey had roles that fell within HR or senior executive level, and the firms represented a variety of operating sectors — including ferries, tankers, offshore support vessels and dredgers.

The report notes that operators from sectors known for poor levels of connectivity had declined to respond.

The survey showed some quite marked differences between seafarers and shore-based managers about the provision — or lack of it — of internet at sea. Some 15% said their company never allowed seafarers access to communications for personal use while at sea, against 35% who said they always provided it.

More than 90% of companies said they provide internet access for seafarers, 79% access to social media, 57% access to personal email and 50% satellite telephone calls. Only 7% provided video calling or internet streaming services.

The most common restrictions placed by

companies on personal internet use onboard included: no streaming (54%); no age-restricted websites (31%); only company-approved websites; must use company computers for access; and no video calling (all 23%).

And the most common concerns raised by companies about the provision of open internet access and other media streaming services for seafarers onboard were: the potential for adult or illegal content to be downloaded (83%); users downloading too many large files (67%); and a distraction from work (58%). Half the companies said running costs were too high and one-third said it would be too expensive to install.

While almost one-quarter of the companies considered that internet access would improve social interaction onboard, 35% believed this would decrease.

By contrast, 30% of seafarers thought that internet access improves social interaction and just under 27% considered that it would reduce social interaction. Far more damaging to social interaction onboard is the lack of a common language among the crew, the survey found.

A

The report notes that a previous Nautilus survey had shown members ranking improved communications as one of the most important collective bargaining issues — second only to improved pay.

It warns that the many limitations that companies place on seafarers’ access to the internet have a damaging impact on morale – especially when they restrict the ability to keep in touch with family and friends ashore.

The report urges companies to take heed of the findings — pointing out that improved connectivity will boost recruitment and retention rates. ‘As technology becomes increasingly invaluable in everyday life, many young people could consider a career with little or limited access to internet an unattractive option,’ it warns.

Mr Dickinson says Nautilus would like to see all seafarers having access to the same levels of connectivity at sea that they would expect at home.

‘The findings clearly demonstrate that wider access to crew communications is a key concern for those working in the maritime sector and the solutions to better connectivity for crew members are relatively simple,’ he points out.

‘There are fears among businesses in the industry that they may become vulnerable to computer viruses or that crews will view inappropriate or illegal content if access to the internet is increased, but these anxieties are easily remedied,’ Mr Dickinson adds.

‘But if proper training is implemented and clear guidelines are in place for internet access, similar to those used in offices, these apprehensions could be easily alleviated, allowing crew members to interact with their friends and family online and combat the feelings of isolation many seafarers face.’

‘I a b b a n

F to a a sh com T was —a the fi stan seaf ‘ fund tech prov poin prop land sign and mar basi 0.3% I infra Xpre conn for u apps requ F to cr open and and ‘ barr for c ‘The conn has a this. a ma chan

21/06/2017 17:53

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

CREW COMMUNICATIONS

‘Nautilus is negotiating’ D

Picture: Reuters

‘Improved access is being held back by attitudes, not cost’

The Nautilus connectivity survey is just the first stage in a strategic campaign to deliver improved connectivity for members.

The Union is working with companies and shipboard internet providers to tackle the issues highlighted in the report — and this will include the provision of material to assist members in negotiations with employers.

General secretary Mark Dickinson said the research demonstrates the value of internet access for personal use and shows how crew members increasingly prioritise this as part of their remuneration package.

Members are encouraged to list ‘improved internet connection’ as part of the aspirations they submit to Nautilus organisers before pay and conditions talks get under way.

The Union can support claims for improved connectivity by pointing to the benefits this brings for recruitment, retention and morale — and also to show that these far outweigh the concerns companies may have around improving access.

Not only will a good standard of onboard communications help

Survey findings

22-23_spread_SRedit.indd 23

on a vessel that became infected.

With so many concerns surrounding safe and responsible use of the internet, Nautilus suggests that these can often be overcome by encouraging management to adopt a ‘best practice’ internet and social media usage policy.

‘By understanding your company’s real concerns, the Union will be able to provide the correct information to tackle the underlying issues,’ the report points out.

During negotiations with employers, members should reinforce the wider benefits — stressing that connectivity isn’t just about crew members getting on Facebook or video calling their loved ones.

Improved communications will benefit everyone onboard, from improving health and wellbeing, providing a platform for training and making your workplace more attractive to others, the report stresses.

‘Any forward-thinking management team should consider how advances in internet usage will help the company grow, attract and retain talent and help build its team,’ it adds.

Do you think access to communications services onboard has improved since the introduction of the Maritime Labour Convention on 20 August 2013?

43% 33%

9% Yes, access has improved alot 5% No, access got worse

Would you move to a different company if it provided better onboard connectivity than your present one (all other Terms & Conditions being equal)?

1

3

9%

33% Yes, access has improved a little

How important is it for you to be connected when youare away at sea?

2

5%

43% No, access has not improved

These statistics are taken from the Nautilus research report An Investigation into Connectivity at Sea, which is available to download from the Union’s website : www.nautilusint.org

F

Advances in technology mean that the provision of decent connectivity at sea now amounts to a tiny fraction of the costs of operating a ship, the satellite communications company Inmarsat says.

The Nautilus communications research was produced with support from Inmarsat — and in a contribution to the report, the firm points to the ‘vastly different’ standards of internet access given to seafarers.

‘This is concerning, since fundamentally there are no longer any technological or financial barriers to providing decent connectivity at sea,’ it points out. ‘The same advances that have propelled the “networked economy” on land have allowed satellite operators to significantly improve both the capability and flexibility of their offerings to the maritime sector, bringing down the cost of basic vessel connectivity to approximately 0.3% of the total cost of operating a vessel.’

Inmarsat says the satellites and infrastructure that power its Fleet Xpress service have helped to redefine connectivity at sea — including a platform for user-friendly access to a range of apps supporting crew welfare and other requirements.

Fleet Media can deliver movies straight to crew members’ devices, as well as opening possibilities for remote training and granular control over what content is and isn’t accessible.

‘The disappearance of practical barriers means that the remaining need for change lies in mindset,’ Inmarsat says.

‘There is a historic reluctance to provide connectivity to seafarers and the industry has a collective responsibility to address this. Only when we come together as a maritime community, will this truly change.’

seafarers to reduce isolation and maintain links with home, but it will also benefit employers by providing their crews with the opportunity to undertake online training courses and to develop their skillsets.

Mr Dickinson points out that other investigations into communications at sea have highlighted the importance of personal internet access in supporting seafarers’ mental health, something which Nautilus supports.

However, the Union’s research also shows some of the reservations that companies have about improving shipboard connectivity. The survey found marked differences between shipowners and seafarers in their perceptions of the reasons for lack of internet access for personal use onboard. Some 83% of companies said they were concerned users may download illegal or adult content, whereas just 16% of seafarers believed this was a concern for their employers.

The report suggests this may also reflect issues around cyber security onboard vessels, with 64% of companies saying one of their vessels had been infected with a computer virus or malware, compared with just 39% of crew who said they had sailed

28%

35%

37% 37% No

4

35% Yes 28% Possibly

1

I love to be connected with the outside world all the time,

Do you believe that access to the internet for crew to use in downtime whilst at sea has an effect on social interaction onboard?

even when I’m away at sea.

2

I would like good connectivity at sea, but it’s not that important to me.

3

The amount of connectivity I have at sea makes little or no difference to me.

4

Being unconnected is part of what I love most about being at sea!

Does your company place any restrictions on your internet access onboard?

21%

36%

43%

43% No, it has no effect on social interaction 36% Yes, the level of social interaction decreases 21% Yes, it improves social interaction

What services provided for your personal use onboard by the ship operator?

88%

Internet access

57%

Satellite telephone calls

57%

Personal email

34%

Access to social media

24%

Daily news sheet

54% No streaming

20% Time restrictions

24%

Onboard GSM / Cell phone system

41% No video calling

17% Respondents must pay for access

12%

TV on demand

36% No downloads

11%

Must use company computers for access (individual access not password protected)

12%

SMS messaging

8%

Movies on demand

35% No age-restricted websites

8%

No internet banking

6%

7%

No attachments to emails

4%

Video calling Internet streaming service (movies, sport, news etc.)

23% No flash content

2%

No email access

36% Only company-approved websites are available

Henk Eijkenaar, Nautilus Council member Picture: Colin McPherson

‘Access has got better but it’s still slow and patchy’ F

The Nautilus communications at sea report highlights the many real-life problems caused by a lack of connectivity onboard, with three members giving their experiences.

Nautius Council member Henk Eijkenaar, a master on deepsea cargoships, said he had seen connectivity improve since he first went to sea in 1979, but he still finds internet provision patchy.

‘On my ship, we have internet via satellite connection which is capped with a data limit,’ he explains. ‘The crew can only access internet through their personal account which is limited, meaning you can use internet only for a short time or for low-bandwidth purposes.

‘This means you can’t use it for calls, video calls or downloads.

The internet limitations include emails, so if you use too much internet, it will stop you from accessing your emails altogether,’ he adds.

Capt Eijkenaar says limited connectivity increases the isolation and stress felt by many seafarers. ‘One of the biggest problems is that people ashore don’t realise what it means to be at sea without internet and the importance that technology plays in communicating with your friends and family when working away,’ he adds.

‘I really miss contact with friends and family by phone or video call. Seafarers aren’t able to participate in normal social media use, impacting greatly on our social lives, which could be improved by better connectivity.

He believes shipping companies are reluctant to invest in proper provision because they regard it as an unnecessary cost — but he agrees with the survey’s suggestions that improved connectivity would make a company more attractive as an employer.

‘I do hope communication for the crew will improve in general,’ he adds. ‘High-speed internet connection inside private cabins should be a basic requirement.’

Nicole Gardner, a second mate based in the dry bulk sector in New Zealand, says the ship she currently works on has free internet with limited downloads for crew and five communal computers available for personal web browsing.

‘In general, the internet connectivity is intermittent and slow, but we normally have enough signal to check email or use Skype/Viber/WhatsApp for text and occasionally voice messaging for at least a few hours a day most days,’ she says. ‘This is much better than when I first started working at sea in 1996 on sailing ships with no private communication systems whatsoever for the crew.’

F

Nicole thinks shipping companies are concerned that improved connectivity will distract crews from their work, with concerns such as family, home or relationship problems.

But she describes how her ability to maintain email contact with a close friend ashore had helped him to overcome suicidal thoughts. ‘Without internet access, I would probably have left the ship,’ she points out.

‘From talking to cadets, and to people who are considering going to sea as a career, the lack of internet access can be enough to put them off,’ she notes. ‘We need more new blood coming into the industry, and if lack of internet is a barrier to new entrants, I think it certainly needs to be addressed.’

Andrew Lindsay, a chief engineer officer serving in the offshore sector off Brazil considers himself one of the luckier seafarers in the industry, as internet provision is available to all onboard his vessel.

However, he reflects, the service is still plagued by intermittent connections and slow speeds. ‘Speed is the thing I miss most about onshore connectivity — it can be a struggle to watch videos or engage in any substantial data transfers, particularly when using wi-fi in cabins,’ he adds.

21/06/2017 17:53

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

SEAFARER HEALTH

Finding the silver lining How do you rebuild your life after being declared unfit to work at sea?

STEVEN KENNEDY meets a former cadet who is turning some tough experiences into a business opportunity…

K

You’ve failed your medical and you can no longer go to sea. They’re the words no mariner wants to hear — and for aspiring seafarer Andrew Cowderoy, they cut his career cut short before it had even really begun.

But despite this bitter blow, Andrew is dedicating his postseafaring career to educating the industry about the importance of mental and physical wellbeing — and he is using his own experiences to warn others about the dangers of poor health.

‘I come from three to four generations of shipping,’ explains 29-year-old Andrew.

‘Shipping is in my blood. I started training with Bibby Ship Management to become a deck cadet in January 2012, but prior to that I was probably having a bit too much fun teaching sailing, kayaking and skiing.’

The cause of his career-loss would be a devastating one.

Having tried to ‘man his way’ through an illness which had symptoms including chronic diarrhoea, Andrew finally bit the bullet and checked himself into hospital after his second trip to sea. There, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis — a longterm condition that results in inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum.

The news hit him for six.

Within sight of realising his career aspirations, he was now left with an uncertain future.

It was a case of making the transition from ship to shore far earlier than he’d ever have expected — and, perhaps, having to turn his back on the sea altogether. However, speaking to

me know and we can have a chat.

He was a head-hunter working for RTI Forensics and I called him back and said this is my position, let’s have that chat.’

As a result, Andrew spent a year auditing maritime security companies before going back to the jobs market. ‘It was more after I left RTI that the realisation hit me that, yes I had a degree and I had all this experience — but unless you have an OOW CoC, it is extremely hard to get any work once you leave the sea — and even if you do have the certificate, the market in London is extremely limited.’

K Andrew Cowderoy

friends and colleagues gave him an initial path forwards in an uncertain new world.

‘My main concern when I was lying in the hospital bed was “will I be able to get that medical?”’ he recalls. ‘Two months after that, I was told that I was deemed temporarily unfit and was told that they would never recommend that I go back to sea again.

‘I was around three and a half years into the process and my initial reaction was that I’d stop the cadetship and must start working in the city,’ he adds.

‘After a few conversations with friends on my course and my employers Bibby — who were

excellent with me — they said to come back and complete the foundation degree even though I couldn’t go back to sea.’

Having completed his course, it was a case of what now?

Despite having his newly-earned qualification in his back pocket, Andrew no longer had the ability to put the skills he’d learnt into practice. He was going to have to keep his options open.

Fortunately, he’d made a contact and such an option presented itself to him. ‘I’d joined the Honourable Company of Master Mariners and met a chap there,’ Andrew explains. ‘He said if you’re ever planning to leave the sea and come ashore, then let

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24_wellness_SR edit.indd Sec2:24

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@ssmarineschool

/SouthShieldsMarineSchool

Whilst job hunting, Andrew was using his spare time to train as a personal trainer, and with his mind now firmly set on a maintaining a healthy lifestyle, he started to see an opportunity to pull his two major passions — fitness and shipping — together.

In doing so, he created ZS Wellness.

‘While I had a conception of what it is to be fit and healthy — and I thought I was — when I look back I was nowhere close to it,’ he says. ‘I then fell ill and lost my career at sea.

‘Throughout the years you learn about your body,’ he continues. ‘Last year I was doing my personal training and thinking about shipping and fitness. I thought it’s an industry that needs it. I made some calls and I’ve now set up ZS Wellness.

I’ve been speaking to the CEO of the Chamber of Shipping on a regular basis, and Garmin and Oracle — all the big names are there and supporting it.’

Far from being a personal training programme, ZS Wellness is about changing minds and educating the industry on how to improve the health and wellbeing of seafarers in all sectors.

K

In a challenging and contained environment, and with seafarers facing the prospect of long shifts and little downtime, ZS Wellness aims to provide the industry with methods and ideas on ways in which crews can improve their mental and physical health.

And it’s not about having to spend hours in a gym, Andrew stresses. ‘It’s about educating the industry and seafarers to recognise where they are,’ he explains. ‘We use modern, wearable technology, and from that we can say this is the risk you are putting your life at and this is the risk you’re putting your career at. Then, for the shipping industry, this is the risk you’re at financially and the risk you’re putting your seafarers at.

‘The team are personal trainers and we understand how you have to speak to people,’ Andrew adds. ‘Seafarers are

Andrew Cowderoy during his cadetship

seafarers — I was one — and if somebody came onboard and just said you’ve got to do all this extra fitness work I’d have been, “eff off, I’m not doing that”. It’s about educating and slowly changing the ethos.

I thought I was fit and healthy, but looking back I was nowhere close to it

“

”

‘A lot of the stuff we’ll be doing in the programmes will be body weight exercises,’ he says. ‘Get moving, let’s stretch.

Even if you’re on a big box-boat, then just go out and have a walk around the ship, get some fresh air.

Despite the company being

in its early stages, Andrew has big plans and is also targeting onboard diets as an area that needs to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century.

‘Diet is an important issue,’ he points out. ‘You can’t out-train a bad diet. I was physically active before, but my diet was all wrong.

It’s very hard onboard a ship to have a healthy diet. You may only have one option, so what we want to do — further down the line — is to get companies thinking about what they are giving their crews to eat and drink. Let’s see if we can tweak the ingredients or the menus that are being made to a healthy nutritional standard.

‘If you make small tweaks along the way it’s much more sustainable to keep the changes long-term, Andrew concludes.

‘It is a long process, but I’d rather do that longer process and hopefully when seafarers come ashore they can continue with their new healthy practices.’ g For more information about ZS Wellness visit www.zswellness. com.

21/06/2017 15:50

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME WELFARE

More than just a job 100 years after its launch, the maritime charity Seafarers UK is building for the future — with an agenda for change and support for projects like the new facilities at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park welfare complex.

ANDREW LININGTON met the organisation’s leader to hear more…

Barry Bryant, director-general of Seafarers UK Picture: Andrew Linington

I

The maritime charity Seafarers UK is celebrating its centenary this year — but its director-general, Barry Bryant, is definitely not dwelling on the past. ‘History is a wonderful thing, but it was yesterday,’ he reflects. ‘We have to be prepared to think, learn, evolve and move on.’

And moving on is very much at the heart of the maritime welfare agenda right now. A two-day conference in the middle of October is set to make some fundamental decisions about the future of care for seafarers and their families following some indepth research into demand and demographics over the next few decades.

“

Maritime charities have to make Joe Public more aware of our industry. No one is going to give money for a problem they don’t understand

”

Founded in 1917 as King George’s Fund for Sailors (KGFS), Seafarers UK now serves as the core grant-making organisation for the maritime sector — providing support totalling around £2.5m a year to a wide range of

charities, services and projects that care for serving and retired members of the Merchant Navy, fishing fleets, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

Barry joined Seafarers UK in 2002 after a 34-year career in the RN which saw him rise to the rank of Commodore, and included frontline action in the Falklands and a near-death experience in the Straits of Hormuz.

‘Two weeks of work experience with my father in the civil service convinced me that I never wanted to work in an office again,’ he recalls. Wanting to fly, but not with the RAF, Barry joined the RN’s Fleet Air Arm and went on to become only the third aviator to complete the Principal Warfare Officer’s course — enabling him, as he says, to drive a ship as well as a helicopter.

Serving as a Lynx Flight Commander on the frigate HMS Brilliant during the Falklands conflict, Barry was Mentioned in Despatches for operations which included some of the first exchanges of fire to recover the islands from Argentine forces.

He was also involved in rescuing survivors from the Cunard containership Atlantic Conveyor after it was hit by Exocet missiles.

That incident, and later work protecting merchant shipping during the so-called ‘tanker war’ in the Gulf, served to deepen his interest in, and respect for, the Merchant Navy.

Barry says postings as Commander Sea Training at Portland and as commanding officer of HMS Endurance in the South Atlantic were among his favourites, before a final four years as director of Naval Service Conditions and of the Naval Personal & Family Service — with responsibilities ranging from pay and conditions to pensions, as well as in-service charities.

GET YOUR

He hadn’t been planning a second career with a maritime charity, but the Seafarers UK job came up just as he was leaving the RN, and he says he has never regretted the move — with his final Naval appointment providing a useful insight into his new life.

‘The RN works on the principle that if you don’t look after your

was a very fine document which means we are not just about the relief of poverty but also very much about the education and training of tomorrow’s seafarers,’ Barry explains.

Trying to combat what he describes as the ‘appalling ignorance’ about the maritime sector is a key part of the charity’s remit — highlighted by such initiatives

This work forms part of what Barry describes as a holistic approach to the charity’s work for seafarers — something which he hopes can be extended to the wider maritime welfare sector, building on previous initiatives to reduce duplication and improve the efficiency and relevance of services. ‘It’s a very exciting and fluid time,’ he says, ‘and we are currently in talks with the Merchant Navy Welfare Board with a view to closer partnership working.’

I

Barry Bryant during his time in the Royal Navy

people, they won’t fight for you — whereas the merchant shipping industry seems to work on the principle that it doesn’t have to look after its people because it will always find someone else to do it more cheaply,’ he notes.

Seafarers UK is on the frontline of picking up the pieces for those who fall victim to such practices, and its work is still firmly directed by the royal charter which established KGFS at the tail-end of the First World War. ‘It

as the annual Seafarers Awareness Week. ‘Sixty years ago, everyone knew someone who served at sea,’ he points out. ‘In my lifetime, that has changed absolutely and we have to make Joe Public more aware of the “95% of everything”. There is a very clear link between public understanding of the maritime industry and the support that people will give to maritime charities. No one is going to give money for a problem that they don’t understand.’

Barry is chair of the Maritime Charities Group, which brings together organisations including Seafarers UK, the Nautilus Welfare Fund, the MNWB, and the Seafarers’ Hospital Society to promote best practice and the best use of resources. It has commissioned some in-depth research to shape future welfare service provision on the basis of forecast trends in state provision, age profiles, industry developments and broader changes in society, as well as examining the services provided in other sectors such as railways and mining.

‘Shipping has certainly moved away from the cradle-to-thegrave approach of paternalistic employers,’ Barry points out. ‘We are working in a rapidly changing environment, and the future is being shaped as we speak. It’s not our job to change the world, but it is our job to keep up with the world. There are finite resources and we have to make sure that we are able to meet the perceived needs for the next 20 to 30 years.’

Seafarers UK has already adjusted its work to reflect such developments — shifting much of its support for the RN to the MN and the fishing fleets. This is partly a reflection of the fact that RN charities have an income in

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the region of four times greater than the MN, and because of the changing demographic profiles.

Barry also notes that work carried out in response to the Maritime Growth Study suggests that there are as many as 132,000 seafarers in the UK, compared with previous estimates of around 75,000 seafarers.

The nature of support is also changing, he adds. ‘We think of it as a hand up rather than a hand out, and there is an increasingly greater emphasis on being preventative rather than palliative.’

As part of its anniversary celebrations, Seafarers UK made its biggest ever grant — almost £1.2m — to the new Centenary Wing extension to the Hub residential and social facilities for retired seafarers at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park complex, which was to be opened by the charity’s president HRH The Earl of Wessex on 23 June.

‘I’m very happy to be supporting this project, which fits in so well to the concept of past, present and future,’ Barry says. ‘I really didn’t know much about trade unions when I came into this job, but I am seriously impressed by what they have achieved in the maritime sector — Nautilus in particular — and I think the relationship between the unions and the industry, in the broadest sense, is very good.’

Barry is due to retire by the end of 2019 — but he has plenty of thoughts on what he wants to achieve before then. ‘It’s been a fascinating journey so far, and I would love to be able to help put some soul back into the Merchant Navy,’ he says. ‘We want to help people feel that they belong to something greater than simply the agency or the company that they are working for, and I hope that will reflect back on the people who provide the support.’

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21/06/2017 15:51

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

UNIONS AT WORK

Roman remonstrations Italian seafarers are fighting to protect jobs in the country’s cabotage trades, with at least some support from the big shipowners. Meanwhile, as the head of the masters’ union tells JEFF APTER, they are also having to battle against government delays on the updated STCW Convention requirements…

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Captain Claudio Tomei heads the national secretariat for Italy’s shipmasters’ and officers’ unions Picture: Jeff Apter

Italy has a long and proud maritime history — but its recent struggle to meet the international deadline for upgrading training and certification in line with the 2010 ‘Manila amendments’ has jeopardised jobs for many of the country’s seafarers.

After failing to put all the necessary arrangements into place by the 31 December 2016 cut-off for the revised Standards of Training Certification & Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention, the Italian government had to extend the revalidation period for three months.

That extension has now been moved even further, to the end of this year, and could even be prolonged until mid-2018, says Captain Claudio Tomei, president of the deepsea shipmasters’ union USCLAC.

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The 22,528gt ro-pax ferry Moby Drea is owned by the Onorato Armatori group, which supports the Italian unions’ campaign against the use of non-EU seafarers in domestic trades Picture: Eric Houri

The officers’ unions are waiting for feedback from a government meeting with the European Commission to examine the possibility of accepting STCW certificates granted in 2014 as valid, rather than renewing them.

The Italian government is also considering whether it can introduce more flexibility into the system by modifying the regulations governing the use of distance learning and e-training programmes for STCW refresher requirements.

Capt Tomei expressed ‘moderate optimism’ about the prospects for minimising further STCW delays and reducing the threat to Italian officer employment. But he stressed: ‘The authorities in the future must make greater efforts on such a crucial subject for the maritime sector, one of the country’s most important industries.’

As well as USCLAC representing masters, Italy also has a union for deck officers (SMACD), a union for engineer officers (UNCDiM) and three unions for ratings — Filt-CGIL, Fit-CISL and Uiltrasporti. Capt Tomei heads the national secretariat for the officers’ unions, which, besides continuing to campaign over STCW safeguards, have a major battle on their hands in defending the principle of full Italian/EU seafarer employment on ferries and other ships operating in the country’s cabotage trades.

Living in the port city of Viareggio, Capt Tomei began his seagoing career as a cadet at the age of 19. He served on general cargoships as a third and second officer, before progressing to bulk carriers as a chief mate. As master, he worked on bulk carriers, drilling and semi-submersible rigs, and anchor-handling supply vessels before coming ashore.

There are presently some 10,000 Italian officers and around 400 cadets started training in the latest academic year — mostly in the two main maritime academies in Genoa and Naples.

Shipping companies in the Italian tonnage tax scheme are required to have at least one cadet on each ship, and the regulations providing tax breaks for vessels on the Italian international register stipulate that operators must

have at least six crew from EU member states — Italian nationals if possible.

The Italian flag has been one of the world’s fastest growing in recent years — due in no small part to changes to the country’s international register, especially since 2004, when the European Commission decided not to raise any objections to Italy’s request to include ships carrying out cabotage services on routes of more than 100nm.

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According to figures released by the operators’ association Confitarma, the Italian fleet is now the second largest in Europe — totalling 1,476 vessels of 16.59m gt last year, having increased from 7.8m gt in 1998.

Overall seafaring employment has risen from around 30,000 to 63,000 over the same period, while the international register expanded from 185 ships to 654.

“

While the owners bicker in a public spat, unions get on with their work defending jobs and conditions

”

Seafarers from countries that are not EU members serve onboard Italian vessels in line with national collective agreements. The latest update to the regulations governing these arrangements — approved by the Italian Senate a year ago — grants tax breaks to ships flying the Italian flag operating between two Italian ports, and to and from Italy to another country, as long as the vessel has 100% EU crew (in practice, mostly Italian). One recent effect of the change has been the extension of routes between Italian mainland ports and Sicily and then on to Malta that now must operate with Italian crews.

The seafaring unions have wel-

comed these measures, but the new rules have attracted diametrically opposed reactions from Italy’s two leading shipowners.

Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Gruppe Grimaldi, which operates 130 ships on 100 routes, claims the reform could lead to 500 ships de-flagging with the loss of 20,000 jobs. But Vicenzo Onorato, head of Onorato Armatori, whose companies Moby Lines, Tirrenia and Toremar operate about 70 vessels and control almost all passenger and freight ferry traffic between Sardinia and the Italian mainland, welcomed the tax breaks. He says he wants to help solve the problem of unemployment among Italian seafarers, claiming that Grimaldi employs non-EU crews who deprive Italian seafarers of work.

But Mr Grimaldi — who is also head of the owners’ association — accuses Mr Onorato of receiving large sums of public money to expand his ferry fleets. Mr Onorato is backed by Italian cruiseship operator Gianluigi Aponte, who also controls the GNV and Snav ferry firms, in what is becoming a struggle for domination of the western Italy ferry market.

While the bitter public spats and personal insults between the two operators continue to hit the national headlines, Claudio Tomei says the officers’ and ratings’ unions continue with their core aim of defending jobs and conditions. They are lobbying for improved pension arrangements and for seafaring to be classed as a particularly arduous profession, to ensure that members are entitled to special benefits and services provided to workers in strenuous occupations. They are also raising concerns about safety following a number of incidents involving fatalities onboard vessels moored in Italian ports.

Capt Tomei says the unions help to maintain working standards by ensuring the application of Italian collective agreements when vessels of another country operate on routes between the Italian mainland and its islands.

‘The second register stops deflagging and we hope that owners are not contemplating turning to foreign flags,’ he concludes. ‘We are optimists and hope we are right.’

21/06/2017 15:52

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME CAREERS

Michael Lloyd as a cadet

After a long career at sea, Nautilus Council member Michael Lloyd turned his hand to fiction writing.

SARAH ROBINSON hears how the nautical novelist uses his books to share his love of seafaring — and is now looking to inspire a new generation…

Captain Lloyd on the ice ships

Receiving the Merchant Navy Medal

Citizen of the oceans

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Michael Lloyd wrote his first book in the early 1950s, at just 11 years old. ‘It was an erotic novel about my Latin master’s wife, who I had a huge crush on,’ he laughs. ‘I charged my friends tuppence a time to read it.’

Small wonder that young Michael was eventually asked to leave Manchester Grammar School. And then his next school. ‘All I wanted was to go to sea, like my father had in the Royal Navy. He wasn’t keen initially, but by the time I was 14, he had started to think that the discipline of a training ship would do me some good.’

So off the boy went to the school ship HMS Conway, which was part of the traditional British education system for ships’ officers. ‘We started young, then, and we were out on the water right from the start,’ Michael points out. ‘We entered as children and came out men. That’s how we were moulded into seafarers, and how the sea became our life. People going to sea at 22, 23 now, it’s too late. They’ll never feel that the sea is their home, and it’s no surprise they don’t last long.’

He, on the other hand, stayed for a good 50 years at sea, and relished the lifestyle, particularly in the early days.

‘When I started out on P&O cargo ships as an officer, you’d have a steward to clean your cabin,’ he recalls. ‘In the officers’ mess it was silver service and you had to dress for dinner. We needed a trunk for our uniforms.’

The salary was nothing special, but nobody talked about pay, he adds. ‘You were there for the way of life. Also, if you were a cadet, it was generally assumed that your parents were still supporting you.’

Michael has fond memories of spending weeks in various ports around the world in the 1950s and 1960s: ‘There was time to see the places and get to know people ashore — I remember going to cocktail and tennis parties. The work was interesting too. Even as a cadet, you could be given responsibility for the cargo operations under the officer of the watch.

The young man went on to have an enjoyable and satisfying career, rising through the ranks to captain: ‘When I got my master’s ticket in the 1970s, I looked round for anyone who would have me in command, and ended up on the Iranian merchant ship Arya National. That was under the old regime — they wouldn’t have a British captain now.’

His highly varied career included working in the North Sea on offshore support vessels and in search and rescue, as well as serving on icebreakers and cargoships of many different kinds.

He served in the Royal Navy, too. ‘The military style training at HMS Conway prepared you for both civilian and military work,’ he explains. ‘I was in the Royal Naval Reserve on List 1, where you would

27_mike lloyd_SR edit.indd 27

command, hopefully becoming a person who could deal with the problem or emergency, no matter what it was.’

Unlike some captains, Michael never felt he could invite his wife to come to sea with him. ‘My attention had to be totally committed to my crew and my ship, and if she was onboard, there was a danger that I may look to her safety first. It is a different world. A different language, a different culture, and a totally different and dangerous environment, and we are trying to train those coming up for an office ashore instead of a ship.’

This may sound like a rant, he admits, but his words simply convey the passion he feels for seafaring and how strongly he cares about the safety and welfare of crews. He is just as keen to tell the world about the wonders of life at sea — the excitement, adventure and camaraderie — and in the last decade he has resumed the fiction-writing career that was so rudely interrupted at school.

L Author Michael Lloyd in his beloved home library

be called to serve quite often. I found it very interesting and enriching to my career to see both sides of the job, and I’d highly recommend it.’

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Despite his enthusiasm for the maritime world, Michael acknowledges that there are downsides to life at sea — not least the industry’s patchy safety record. On his first ship, the Somali, a shipmate was killed almost instantly on entering an unventilated enclosed space. ‘He was my friend; a young chief petty officer who had been the first person to smile at me,’ he remembers sadly. ‘We didn’t know enough about keeping safe in those days.

On almost every ship you’d know or hear of someone in the crew who had died, and it started to seem normal.’

He put his friend’s death to the back of his mind for many years while he had fun travelling the world, but the tragedy came back to him when he reached the rank of chief officer. ‘I had never taken anything seriously before, and then I suddenly realised the ship was mine.

As chief officer you’re responsible for the day-to-day running of the ship, and you really do have people’s lives in your hands.’

This awakening led him to develop his own principles of good practice for seamanship and safety management, and

he went on to write numerous books, articles and academic papers on related topics. He became a leading expert on deaths in enclosed spaces, and will be familiar to many Telegraph readers for his ongoing campaign to rid the industry of this needless loss of life.

However, despite his best efforts to effect change, he has strong concerns that the industry is not moving in the right direction. ‘We are fast losing the art of seamanship,’ he says, ‘and we don’t see enough men and women who are capable of living the life at sea and growing into it with the years — for I assure you it does take years. I think that I really became a seaman after about 15 years of

Michael Lloyd’s maritime books g Non-fiction

In Command The Complete Chief Officer Captains Legal The Pocket Book of Anchoring Standby Vessels Checklists

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The Ice Navigation Manual Entry into Enclosed Spaces Fighting Fire 21st Century Seamanship

g Fiction The Devil’s Cauldron Cruise Ship The Broken Ship Convoy Ship Pirate Ship The Pirate’s Children

Michael Lloyd and his granddaughters at the launch of The Pirate’s Children

Michael Lloyd now has six published novels to his name, all with a maritime setting. ‘Everything that happened to me at sea is in there,’ he smiles. ‘It’s all true!’

The latest book — The Pirate’s Children — is something of a departure from his previous works. Released last month, it is a historical novel aimed at older children and teenagers. ‘Children’s books about piracy are rubbish,’ he says.

‘I wanted to show young people like my granddaughters what it was really like, and it turned out to be easy to put children at the heart of the story. When I was studying 17th century seamanship for the book, it struck me how much was expected of children in the past — they would have important jobs such as loading the ammunition in the guns onboard ship at just eight or nine years old. Everyone had to pull together and rely on each other, and they were part of that.’

In The Pirate’s Children, the young heroes discover that their father is not dead, as they had been told, but is in fact shamefully employed as a privateer.

They set off to look for him in the Caribbean, and find themselves caught up in a series of thrilling adventures. The book is already a hit with Michael’s own family, and he has plans to turn it into a series if it proves popular with other young readers.

It’s a welcome opportunity to reimmerse himself in a nautical world that he was loath to leave when he retired from seafaring. ‘I always felt that the sea was my country and the land was for holidays,’ he reflects. ‘I will never really get used to living ashore.’

g The Pirate’s Children (ISBN 978 17869 36660) by Michael Lloyd is published by Austin Macauley. It will be reviewed in the next edition of the Telegraph.

21/06/2017 15:52

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

Protect your IT system, protect your livelihood As the maritime sector becomes increasingly digitised, it is also more vulnerable to devastating cyber-attacks. STEVEN KENNEDY gets some expert advice on what crews can do to minimise the risks…

Picture: Thinkstock

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This year, a worldwide ransomware attack saw computers across the globe come to a grinding halt as the malicious software — called WannaCry — took hold, leaving millions in a state of limbo.

And as well as hitting the UK National Health Service, it also crippled countless other services around the globe, including international shipper FedEx. Described as the biggest ransomware offensive in history, it was said by the internet security company Avast

to have infected more than 300,000 computers from over 150 countries including the UK, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and India.

With automation becoming a reality across the shipping industry and systems being remotely controlled, there are growing concerns about the risk of cyberattacks on unsuspecting or illprepared vessels.

Fortunately, companies are out there looking at the issue. One such operation, based in the United States, is focusing its

efforts on protecting superyacht systems.

‘Ransomware is an automated programme that infects a device, then blocks access to an operating system or to the information stored on the device,’ explains Steve Kahlick, director of sales and marketing with yachting IT firm Great Circle Systems. ‘To unlock either the device or the data, the user is required to pay a ransom.

‘The term ransomware covers two types of malware — either a sort of Windows blocker or

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encryption ransomware which downloads the encryption program to your computer’s critical systems,’ he adds. ‘Criminals hold the data and /or a computer hostage and make a profit when people send them money.’

Sadly, it’s rarely easy for the untrained eye to spot these hidden dangers before it’s too late.

With the malware disguised in emails and other web content, it’s imperative for operators to have the processes — and training — in place to ensure crews have internet access without placing the vessel’s security at risk.

‘Crew deserve access to the internet as much as anyone else, but if they are not trained to recognise potential “phishing” attacks they risk infecting their own devices and the vessel’s computer network,’ Steve warns.

‘Another big risk is not having all systems that use the core network on a yacht under one monitoring system. If a vessel does not have a system monitoring all electronic systems that access the internet, an overlooked device becomes extremely vulnerable.

‘If a vessel does succumb to a ransomware attack and refuses to pay the ransom, the ransomware can destroy the operating system and all data will be lost,’ he points out. ‘This means all data pertaining to the vessel and compliance logs, every crew member’s account with personal files, any owner data, etc. It would be the same as if the ship sank or was consumed by fire. At the very least, the crew would be out of a job, and the owner may try to press charges for damages to the vessel’s value.’

Fortunately, there are easy ways for crews to avoid these attacks if they arrive via malicious emails.

‘Simply don’t open it,’ Steve advises. ‘If it looks suspicious, it usually is. Right-click on email attachments or links to scan them for malware. Seeing a suspicious email in your Outlook preview panel does not open the email or any attachments. When in doubt, notify your electro-technical officer (ETO) or IT support and delete if such help is not available.

‘However, the reality is that most crew won’t know they have downloaded ransomware until their device is infected,’ he adds.

‘When that happens, not only should crew disconnect infected systems from the vessel’s net-

in just a few short years. Small businesses, home computers, and maritime systems are now targets. Programmes exist that can infect your computer, find and infect your back-up routine, then reveal the attack and block your access to demand payment.

‘GCS works hard to stay on top of the latest threat developments by keeping current with leading security experts across multiple platforms. GCS technicians conduct regular searches for new threats and subscribe to several security industry forums to stay up to date,’ he adds.

Steve Kahlich, director of sales and marketing at Great Circle Systems

work, they should also disable wi-fi and Bluetooth on machines to prevent the malware from spreading to other devices via those methods.

‘After that, the network administrator should determine what strain of ransomware infected them,’ he continues. ‘If it’s a known variant, anti-virus companies like Kaspersky Lab may have descriptors to help unlock files or bypass the lock without paying a ransom, depending on the quality of encryption method the attackers used.

‘Realistically, users should never be considered the stop-gap for infections. Even with rigorous testing and awareness, crew and guests will open attachments, they will visit sites that are infected, and when that happens, the vessel needs to make sure it is protected by security technology.’

With the bounty collected from successful attacks making it a lucrative form of revenue for the cyber-criminals, owners need to take every precaution available to protect their systems and to ensure those operating them can identify threats and act upon them — using software created by companies like Great Circle Systems (GCS) — before the malware has its desired effect.

‘The biggest change in the evolution of ransomware is the sheer scope of attacks,’ Steve explains.

‘From isolated instances of large corporate networks being targeted, they have escalated the number and frequency of attacks

J

It’s hoped that it will not take a major disaster to kick the industry into gear — and in the short term there are quick and easy methods that crews can undertake to offset the impact of an attack, should the worst happen.

‘At the very minimum, back up the vessel’s data to an external hard drive every day,’ says Steve.

‘Keep the external hard drive disconnected from the network when not performing a back-up.

Install anti-virus and antimalware on all devices accessing the internet and keep the software up to date. Ransomware is neutralised if you have an uninfected back-up of your data. It takes a day or two to complete the reboot, but your system will be restored with only a few hours of data lost.

‘A more comprehensive approach would be to have a fulltime ETO monitoring all systems that access the internet and keep all devices up to date with antivirus and anti-malware software,’ he notes. ‘This can be done with a specialised crew member, or by engaging a technology security firm for remote IT support. Backing up data to the cloud through a VM network will also reduce the risk of a ransomware attack having an impact.

‘Finally,’ he concludes, ‘educate crew and guests on how to recognise a potential threat via an email attachment, a URL link, or stealth infections through ads on websites. Ad-blockers are effective in keeping infections from getting in. Establish protocols for when someone’s device does become infected, so crew know what to do in case of an attack.’ g For more information about Great Circle Systems visit www. greatcirclesys.com.

21/06/2017 15:53

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME HISTORY

Comrades of the Great Bitter Lake To mark the 50th anniversary of the SixDay War last month, Merseyside Maritime Museum hosted a reunion of seafarers who were trapped in the Suez Canal by the conflict. CATH SENKER, the author of a new book about the events, reports on the day…

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‘It is amazing that you could get so many people together to discuss an event that took place 50 years ago. I met three people who were with me at the time and had an interesting talk with them learning things that were unknown to me. It was very well done.’ Malcolm Morrison, chief officer, Agapenor, 1975.

In June 1967, at the outbreak of the SixDay War, 14 merchant ships were passing through the Suez Canal. As hostilities erupted, they were ordered to halt in the Great Bitter Lake. Although the war was brief, after it finished, the Egyptian government refused the ships permission to leave. Those ships were stranded in the Suez Canal for a full eight years, until June 1975. Over the period, 3,000 seafarers served on the trapped ships in the middle of a war zone, maintaining the vessels and protecting their precious cargoes.

As I was researching my book about those ships, Stranded in the Six-Day War, I wondered what had happened to the seafarers. It occurred to me: why not organise a 50th anniversary reunion of the people who were stranded in the Great Bitter Lake? I approached Ben Whittaker at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, and he was similarly enthusiastic about the idea of such a get-together.

The museum generously agreed to host this anniversary event — almost 50 years to the day after the ships were stranded in the Six-Day War. On 1 June, around 90 people gathered at the Merseyside Maritime Museum for the reunion. The mostly British seafarers,

one from Germany, and their guests, had travelled from across the UK and from Ireland, France, Germany, the Canary Islands, Panama and Thailand to be there.

The seafarers discussed their widely varying experiences at different times in the Great Bitter Lake. Some had experienced the shock of being stuck in the canal in June 1967. Peter Flack spoke of the day of the Israeli attack on Egypt, when

Cath Senker at the reunion with her book Stranded in the Six-Day War

Mirage jets emerged from the east, flying frighteningly close over the ships in the Suez Canal. He witnessed huge explosions as bombs decimated the Egyptian airfields.

Others were onboard at the height of the Great Bitter Lake Association (GBLA), and had participated in the extraordinary range of social and sporting activities, including the weekly ‘church’ gather-

ships for departure in 1975 — a tough job without the fun and games enjoyed by the earlier crews.

Some seafarers who are no longer with us were represented by their wives and children. Wendy Hill and Penny Jamieson attended in memory of their father Captain Bryan Hill. He commanded the Melampus and Agapenor and subsequently wrote Postage Stamps of the Great Bitter Lake Association, a well-regarded book detailing the remarkable stamps produced by the Suez seafarers.

ings aboard the Nordwind, where people organised the exchange of supplies and services, upcoming sports fixtures, and had a drink or two. George Wharton was a keen athlete who took part in all the sports, including the GBLA Olympic Games in 1968, a spectacular fortnight of sailing, diving, sprinting, weightlifting and water-polo contests. A few, including Malcolm Morrison, had prepared the

c

Around 90 people came to the reunion, from all over the world

Some people had not met since they worked together on the ships 50 years ago, and there were emotional reunions as they rediscovered former shipmates. They swapped stories and showed photos, memorabilia, articles and letters they had kept safe to this day.

Comments like this one from Sean Dring, able seaman on the Port Invercargill in 1967, indicate the significance of the event: ‘I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for organising the reunion. Today I’ve met 14 of the people who were stranded with me in the Great Bitter Lake. Never since those events 50 years ago have I been able to discuss what it was like to be trapped in the Suez Canal with others who shared the experiences with me.’ g Stranded in the Six-Day War is available from www.cathsenker.co.uk or (UK only) by posting a cheque for £14.50 (incl P&P) payable to Ms C R Senker with your name and address to: 4th Floor, 60 Lansdowne Place, Hove BN3 1FG, East Sussex

WE GIVE AMBITION DIRECTION B S C ( H O N S ) M A R I N E O P E R AT I O N S M A N A G E M E N T Our BSc Honours degree is tailor-made for officers who wish to embrace a new career path, enhance existing qualifications and gain a competitive edge in your career progression. Next course starts 18 September 2017.

admissions@solent.ac.uk

29_suez_SR edit.indd 29

+44(0)23 8201 5066 Find out more: www.solent.ac.uk

21/06/2017 17:15

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult

50 YEARS AGO

famous brands of beer, sold in more F than 120 countries and brewed in almost

The increasing number of container ships will, over time, reduce employment for seagoing officers, MNAOA general secretary Douglas Tennant told the Association’s General Meeting in Southampton. Even allowing for an increase in world trade, a lesser number of ships will undoubtedly carry a greater amount of traffic, he said, and this will mean a reduction in employment and promotion prospects. At the same time, said Mr Tennant, developments in automated equipment and electronics will play an increasingly important part in all departments aboard ships and urgent consideration must be given to assessing future manpower requirements and the training and education needed to meet the shipping industry’s requirements 10 and 15 years hence so that officers can ‘emerge from the technical jungle with higher rewards and improved all-round conditions of employment’ MN Journal, July 1967

Guinness is one of the world’s most

50. Arthur Guinness started brewing ales in Dublin in 1759 and a decade later he first exported his porter ale — six-and-a-half barrels — from the Irish capital to England.

As the business expanded, there was further exporting to the English market.

By the mid-19th century the company’s financial success enabled a successor, Benjamin Guinness, to finance the major neo-Gothic reconstruction of the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland, one of the two Protestant cathedrals in Dublin. A bronze statue of Sir Benjamin Guinness, erected in 1875, stands outside the cathedral.

Exports were shipped by regular carriers until 1913, when a strike at Dublin port led to the company purchasing a former steam collier from a firm in Belfast. This ship, the WM Barkley, was sunk by U-boat in 1917 with the loss of five lives.

The in-house operation proved so successful that three other ex-colliers were acquired. These vessels served the London, Liverpool and Manchester routes. Guinness also used barges to transport casks and barrels to and from the port, by way of the tidal River Liffey, the low bridges restricting their sailing times. Capacity was 300 hogsheads — or 150 butts. Many men were employed by the company to work on the expanding fleet, and were initially referred to as the ‘Cross Channel Gang’.

A young man of 18 proudly recalls an aspect of his own work with the barges in the late 1940s: ‘One of my chores [on Victoria Quay] was to make out shipping details for the cargo of each barge going to Dublin port.

It listed the name and number of each barge and its cargo. These had to be checked and stamped by the Customs Officer resident in the brewery. The skipper of each barge was given this document, which he handed over to the Customs Officer at the port.’

The canal barges owned by The Grand Canal Company carried stout to the Guinness stores in Limerick and Ballinasloe, as well as barley from the country. The familiar barges made their last appearance in 1961, when all the casks had been replaced by steel transportable tanks.

In 1931 a new ship, ss Guinness, was ordered from Scotland, replacing one of the former colliers. Guinness also used B&I

25 YEARS AGO MV Miranda Guinness ‒ the world’s first purpose-built beer tanker Picture: Guinness Archives

Guinness ships: stout hearted beer carriers to carry porter to Liverpool, Manchester, Plymouth and Southampton, British Rail to Holyhead, Burns & Laird to Glasgow, and Palgrave Murphy to continental Europe.

New ships were purchased in the mid1950s to carry the new tanks. In 1962, Lady Patricia was delivered from Bristol, replacing the ageing ss Guinness. In 1973, Lady Patricia was converted into the world’s first beer tanker, increasing her capacity to over 200,000 gallons, or a satisfying 1.87m pints.

1976 was to see the arrival of the world’s first specially commissioned bulk liquid carrier. The 1,732dwt mv Miranda Guinness was launched by the Countess of Iveagh, after whom she was named. The ship was the last to be built by the Albion Yard, Bristol, after more than 150 years of shipbuilding on the site.

Miranda Guinness made her maiden voyage from Dublin to Runcorn in Cheshire in January 1977. The ship, ably propelled by twin diesels rendering 16 knots, went into service twice weekly on routes between Dublin and Liverpool. She had 15 stainless steel tanks carrying a total volume of 6,500 barrels: some 2m pints of Guinness.

Company archives keenly point out involvement in an historic event: ‘In 1964 the first trans-Atlantic crossing of an atomic powered merchant vessel from Ireland to the United States was made by the Savannah, with a cargo of 6000 cartons of bottled Guinness stout.’

In 1987 Irish Marine Services, a company made up of ex-Irish Shipping management and crew, took over the running of the Guinness ships, but this only lasted until 1993.

Archives also explain the fate of the last two vessels of the fleet: ‘Innovation and quality are the foundations of St James’s Gate Brewery and in the search for more efficiency and greater quality control in the handling of Guinness exports, the Guinness ships were replaced by transportable tanks.

In April 1993, the MVs Miranda and Patricia sailed out of Dublin for the last time. They sailed to the Manchester Ship Canal where they were sold.’

For generations of Dubliners, the era of the famous and familiar carriers of the drink that essentially symbolises their country had ended.

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book London Docks in the 1960s by Mark Lee Inman (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.

10 YEARS AGO Dutch shipowners have warned that radical action is needed to stop stagnation in the growth of the country’s merchant fleet and in maritime employment.

The owners’ organisation KVNR says significant changes are need to keep the Dutch tonnage tax system competitive with other countries. KVNR says the Netherlands led the world in pioneering the tonnage tax concept a decade ago, and it had boosted the register by 50% and employment by 57% in its first seven years of existence. But, the owners note, other countries have copied the idea and improved upon it and the number of ships registered in the Netherlands has dropped from 810 in 2003 to 747 at the start of this year.

There has also been an overall reduction in the number of students at Dutch nautical schools, the KVNR report adds The Telegraph, July 2007

THEQUIZ 1

What proportion of total global greenhouse gas emissions originates from maritime transport?

2

In which year was the Panama ship registry established?

3

China is the biggest exporter of containerised cargo. Which country is the biggest importer?

4

The top three shipbuilding countries — Japan, China and South Korea — together built what percentage of the world’s total new tonnage in 2015?

5

In 1887, the Cunard liner Etruria held the Atlantic Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing.

What was her average speed on the fastest crossing?

6

Where in the world is the port of Dutch Harbour?

J Quiz answers are on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 14 July 2017.

QUICK CLUES

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

Evidence is emerging from NUMAST members of serious shortcomings in the Global Maritime Distress & Safety System (GMDSS), which began its seven-year phase-in process in February. Concerns raised by members include inadequate training, user-unfriendly equipment, unreliable equipment, a lack of awareness among employers that the GMDSS General Certificate qualifies the holder as an operator only and does not imply technical knowledge, and the need for a practical DSC testing arrangement. Meanwhile, the International Chamber of Shipping has written to the International Maritime Organisation to express concern about the inadequate provision of MSI via the international SafetyNET service, warning that broadcasts are currently being made from only two of 15 Coast Earth Stations The Telegraph, July 1992

1.

4.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

18.

20.

23.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

Across Trouble (6) A Chaucer tale teller (8) Building (9) Musical instrument (5) Illumination (3,4) Ghost (7) Motor (5) Covered walk (8) Fuel (8) Nancy, MP (5) Young royal (7) Heavenly (7) First appearance (5) Compel (9) Livestock farmer (8) Preacher (6)

1.

2.

3.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Down Non-combatant (8) Number (7) Clot (9) African heights (5,9) Pilotless craft (5) Sleeping attire (7) Melt down (6)

9.

16.

17.

19.

21.

22.

24.

Line of latitude (6,2,6) Carnage (9) Area (8) Friendly (7) Crop land (7) Religious followers (6) Nick (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

4.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Across For rest, sappers line up for photographer (6) Measure of ruler ahead of dance move some may follow in (8) King or knave, for example, get on as likely boxing material (9) Those people’s capital from Turin was linked to inheritor (5) Ecstasy when engrossed with charity singer Midge (7) A name is changed in state of forgetfulness (7) In addition to returning paintings to former spouse (5) Liver in copper vessel, in October (8)

18. Half dead but then engages in swordplay as anti-attack resources (8) 20. Light fossil resin (5) 23. Sounds like rule and looks like lowering of head, a spectral display (7) 25. Telephone to allow for lock (7) 26. It laughs, but only a little about currency (5) 27. Want to splash in Dee before the Loch (9) 28. Advocate of colonialism stripped bare (8) 29. Faster upset by dessert (6)

Down Musical instrument and device to pick it up (8) 2. One of the 18 is average of course with a domesticated animal (7) 3. Small underwater craft and vessel took food to defeat enemy (9) 5. Yes drove, can run all over the place using one of their 1.

publications (14) 6. Greek deity hiding in boat, it annoyed others (5) 7. A square for drafts and motive for seditious plot (7) 8. An outsider, father turned sixties musical on its head (6) 9. So few declaring revised meteorological phenomena (4,5,5) 16. Simple quarrel put together for petitioner (9) 17. Demonstrations in favour of international matches (8) 19. “So clear, so shining, and so ---/ That it will glimmer through a blind man’s eye” (Henry VI.I) (7) 21. Have faith in dance of live bee (7) 22. Foundling, alternatively level of acidity with article (6) 24. Born in Taurus out of Libra disjunction, PM (5) J Crossword answers are on page 42.

21/06/2017 15:55

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

Swashbuckling tale of a maritime maverick Mistress and Commander

By Amelia Dalton Sandstone Press, £8.99 ISBN: 978 19109 85175 f www.sandstonepress.com Telegraph books pages, and they all have K something to offer, but it’s rare to find something We often feature maritime memoirs on the

as engaging as Mistress and Commander.

According to the author, Amelia Dalton, the book started out as a collection of salty tales about her years running a small expedition cruiseship around the Scottish islands, but it’s more than that now: thoughtful and moving as well as lively and funny. Dalton credits her editor with raising the level of her work by encouraging her to put more of herself and her family life into the story, and certainly one of the most memorable sections is the poignant account of her young son’s unexpected death.

But this is, above all, a book about life: a life lived fully and well, and a person who found her true path thanks to the sea.

Serious study vindicates longstanding concerns Rogue Waves

By Michel Olagnon & Janette Kerr Bloomsbury, £20 ISBN: 978 14729 36219 myth and seafarers’ yarns, thee K subject of ‘rogue’ or ‘freak’ waves

After a comfortable upbringing in a wealthy family, Amelia Dalton married at 19 and envisaged a pleasant, quiet life for herself as a housewife and mother. Reading her book now, it is hard to imagine that this spirited, mischievous person would ever have settled for that mundane existence, but it took a chance encounter with the Scottish seafaring community for Dalton to discover her talents and passions.

In short, the story goes something like this: an enjoyable Scottish island cruise onboard a converted fishing vessel in the 1980s inspired Amelia Dalton to return several times as a volunteer crew member. Her children also loved the voyages, and eventually — with her husband and a group of investors — she went on to own and operate her own vessel, the Monaco. The following 10 years were an exhilarating ride, with Dalton tackling everything hands on, from engine repairs to crew recruitment to soothing delayed passengers with a glass of bubbly.

As a ‘poncy red-headed English girl’, one of Dalton’s major challenges was convincing hardnosed crewmen that she knew what she was doing

Recorder and RRS Discovery in the 1960s and the Draupner oil platforms in the North Sea in 1995.

The importance of the Voluntary Observing Ship scheme is underlined — and there’s a mention of Rogue Hunter, a ship designed by the naval architect Sylvain Viau — and how the search continues for ‘the optimistic ship financier and the crew of masochists who would enable the project to get under way’.

The book examines the way in which waves are created and the different types of wave forms — including ‘sneaker’ waves, ‘bottom waves’, tidal bores, tsunamis and the treacherous conditions of the ‘100-fathom line’. There is insightful information about the methods used by scientists to analyse the increasing wealth of data on waves, with interesting descriptions of the challenges of reliable measurement and of the terrifying extremes — such as the 524m high wave in Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958, caused by the collapse of a mountainside following an earthquake.

References to losses such as the British bulk carrier Derbyshire underline the very real dangers, and Mr Olagnon considers the

— and she freely admits that she was ‘winging it’ much of the time. But she handled tricky situations with aplomb and remembers them with a wry smile: ‘Next season, Dougie and Andy, both sound trawler men, joined us for a week or two between other jobs and other boats, but they were not tourist-friendly. Dougie mooched about flaunting his white, ageing body in brown Y-fronts. Andy, to override his tinnitus, brought his own CDs, so the decks reverberated to what a passenger referred to as “booba doop” and, though they had the qualifications enabling Monaco to keep working, each had a common objective and thought I was included in their heir pay package. Each was sure I was panting to join them in the skipper’s double bunk. Worse, they put the word around that they’d succeeded. I had swooned in their arms, borne away with passion in the wood panelled cabin in Monaco’s curved stern.’

Published as a reasonably-priced paperback,

implications for ship design, construction and operation, along with the difficulties of forecasting or noticing the signs of imminent threat — concluding with an appeal for further research into the subject.

It’s a sober and thought-provoking book, which mixes science and passion for the subject to good effect, and makes a valuable contribution to broadening and deepening understanding of the phenomenon.

Enjoyable history raises money for museum The Hovercraft

By Jim Gray Amberley Books, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14456 72762 f www.amberley-books.com 180 images from the archives K of the world’s only hovercraft This fascinating book collects

museum, based in Lee-on-theSolent, and has been produced in a bid to raise funds for the charity that runs the facility.

It’s a remarkable collection that captures the incredibly intense evolution of hovercraft design and development during the 1960s, and offering an insight into the way in which hovercraft seized the public imagination during this period, such as the crowds watching the first SRN1 come up the Thames in 1960.

The pictures underline the

Mistress and Commander would be a great read for time offwatch, and if it leaves you wanting more, Amelia Dalton has promised to start writing the next instalment of her unusual life story, covering her time working for Hebridean Island Cruises.

You have been warned!

versatility of the hovercraft, with military, research and rescue roles, as well as the Hover Rover: a LandRover adaptation designed to aid crop spraying on soggy soils. There are plenty of odd and unusual images — including some amazing prototype and experimental designs, a policeman stopping traffic to let an SRN1 cross the seafront road at Lee, and even a chimp at the controls!

It’s a shame that the ordering of the photographs appears a bit jumbled at times and the historical narrative switches about the place, but the book delivers a marvellous selection of imagery of a truly revolutionary time for maritime transport — and all for a very good cause.

Fresh attempt to separate K piracy facts from fiction Truth and Tales Pirates

By Helen Hollick

Once consigned to maritime

has moved into the mainstream and is now at the receiving end of serious scientific research.

Michel Olagnon has been at the forefront of some of the studies which have helped to raise understanding and awareness of the phenomenon, and this comprehensive book delivers a message which deserves to be takenn very seriously by seafarers, naval architects and ship owners.

His text — which has the odd translation blip — is ably supportedd by some stunning illustrations, including the powerful paintings of the artist Janette Kerr, and makes good use of some stirring first-handd accounts of close encounters with huge waves over the centuries.

Mr Olagnon explains how knowledge about extreme waves has moved on from myth and legend nd as a consequence of increasingly reliable records — from vessels such as the British ships Weather

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

Personal pictures of a lost London London Docks in the 1960s

By Mark Lee Inman Amberley Books, £12.99 ISBN: 978 14456 65849 f www.amberley-books.com might be called the traditional London K dock scene. Barges were brought in to deliver or The 1960s were the last decade of what

collect cargoes, while veterans of the war years, and possibly earlier, could still be seen. It was a truly thriving hub of activity.

Capturing this, through a smorgasbord of delightful images, is author and historian Mark Lee Inman. His quaint title London Docks in the 1960s is based on his personal collection of images taken when he was a university student in the city.

At first glance, the book may appear simplistic

Amberley Books, £20 ISBN: 978 14456 52153 f www.amberley-books.com

in appearance. Spread across its 128 pages are more than 200 black and white photographs capturing some of the famous — and not-so famous — vessels that docked at places ranging from the Pool and Tower Bridge, to West India Docks, the Royal Docks and Tilbury.

But each picture is accompanied by informative technical and historical detail, including the vessel’s date of build, gross tonnage and ownership — alongside the obligatory comprehensive summary of its history and any claims it may have to fame.

With the London docklands having been transformed out of all recognition in the past 50 years, Mr Inman has produced a well-researched and thoughtful book that gives those who thumb through its pages a nostalgic look back into a pivotal period in the maritime history of Britain’s capital city.

Many stories have been written about the life of a pirate. Some are fact-filled, whilst others revisit the myths and legends surrounding these intriguing criminals of the high seas. Author Helen Hollick is the latest to take up the cutlass and hack her way through the fiction in search of the facts.

Her book explores the golden age of piracy, covering famous names such as Captain Morgan.

She also casts light on other lesserknown pirates from the era, such as the aristocratic Frenchman Daniel Montbars.

During his reign of terror, the swashbuckling seafarer earned the rather fearsome nickname ‘the exterminator’ — or perhaps ‘el ejecutador’ — for single-handily laying to rest swathes of Spaniards.

And although the truth around piracy is dramatic enough, Ms Hollick also finds space to put to bed a number of the old pirate myths.

In great detail, she dissects the facts from the fiction of the pirate enclave of Nassau, and it doing so, breathes fresh life into the role the Bahamian island had in the outlaws’ stories.

What perhaps best separates this book from others is that it doesn’t revel in the fiction of piracy; rather exploring in great — yet interesting — detail the facts of the subject.

As Bernard Cornwell points out, it is a book that has it all and gets its history right.

21/06/2017 17:38

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

NL NEWS In this month’s Dutch pages:

z Nautilus starts advisory centre for those at risk of unemployment

z Nautilus advice to members on fixed term contracts z Nautilus participation in Sea Shipping Training Fund

z New Merchant Shipping & Spliethoff CBA proposals

z P&O CBA meetings onboard Pride of Bruges and Pride of Rotterdam

z Guest lessons in Amsterdam, IJmuiden and Vlissingen

z z z z z

The latest KotugSmit CBA developments FNV Waterbouw pension fund studies FNV Waterbouw annual meeting FNV seeks new executive officer Agreement on third year unemployment Act Appointment of new Rotterdam z ‘harbour talent’

INTERNATIONAL

Leden wijzen caoLeden stemmen op jaarvergadering in principeakkoord met werkplan P&O Ferries af

FNV Waterbouw F haar jaarvergadering in de

pensioen en generatiepadachtige afspraken meegenomen worden.’

Alexandriumkantoren te Rotterdam.

Belangrijk agendapunt was, evenals vorig jaar, het werkplan FNV Waterbouw. Traditioneel wordt het werkplan jaarlijks voorgelegd aan de aanwezige leden op de jaarvergadering. Voorzitter Charley Ramdas: ‘Dit werkplan moet u zien als het kompas wat ons op koers moet houden de komende jaren.

Het is een levend document. In de loop der tijd zullen er aanpassingen komen en wordt er weer informatie, zoals beoogde activiteiten, aan toegevoegd. Zo is er vanuit de leden de vraag gekomen om een visie en een aanpak te ontwikkelen op het gebied van leeftijdsfasebewust personeelsbeleid. Onze leden zien het werken in hun beroep tot aan 67 jaar zwaar in. Gezond en fit aan het werk (kunnen) blijven, is van groot belang. Wij zijn hier al met onder meer de cao-partijen aan de slag gegaan. Verder zullen in het kader van de voorbereidingen van de cao-onderhandelingen in 2018 de mogelijkheden van deeltijd

Werkgelegenheid in sector Waterbouw

Op 31 mei hield Nautilus/

In maart 2017 gaf haveneconoom dr.

Bart Kuipers, één van de sprekers op het Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw seminar in het Bagger museum dit voorjaar, een overzicht van een aantal lange termijn trends qua werkgelegenheid in de sector.

Charley Ramdas: ‘De belangrijkste conclusie van Kuipers is dat investeren in kennis de enige strategie is voor een duurzame economische toekomst in de Waterbouw sector. Dit is ook één van de belangrijkste bouwstenen van ons werkplan. Hier is ook onze huidige Verdringingscampagne voor een groot deel op gebaseerd.’

Hein Hiemstra (Van Oord) en Jan Pieter Honkoop (Boskalis) werden tijdens de vergadering op voordracht van het bestuur benoemd in de Raad van Advies van FNV Waterbouw.

Voorts stelde de vergadering ook nog het Jaarverslag 2016, alsmede het financieel verslag 2016 en de begroting 2017 vast.

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Bent u van mening dat de EU ‘Naval Force counter-piracy Operation’ moet worden voortgezet, nadat het mandaat volgend jaar afloopt?

Ja 100%

A

Op 19 mei zijn er twee goed bezochte ledenvergaderingen aan boord van de Pride of Rotterdam (in Europoort) en de Pride of Bruges (in Rozenburg) gehouden.

De aanwezige leden hebben unaniem het concept principeakkoord afgewezen.

Nautilus Ferry bestuurder Marcel van Dam: ‘Met name het afschaffen van de kantonrechterformule (= Sociale Begeleidings Regeling) bij een ‘overcompleet situatie’ en het verplicht stellen van de ouderenregeling, vielen slecht bij de leden.

Tevens vond men dat de aanpassing van de reiskostenregeling voor sommige werknemers in het buitenland te grote negatieve consequenties heeft.’

Op 6 juni jl. zijn cao-partijen (werkgever en vakbond met kaderleden) weer bijeen gekomen. Nautilus heeft aan de werkgever laten weten welke punten de werknemers onacceptabel vinden. Werkgever heeft het verhaal netjes aangehoord en lijkt mee te willen gaan in het punt van de vrijwilligheid, maar heeft aangegeven meer tijd nodig te hebben om zaken door te rekenen en af te stemmen met Dover. Voor wat betreft het afschaffen van de SBR wil de werkgever meer investeren in scholing en hier afspraken over maken voordat de SBR verdwijnt. Het wachten is op een definitief voorstel voordat teruggekoppeld wordt naar de leden.

Enkele reacties vanuit de ledenvergaderingen

Namens Nautilus waren bestuurders Marcel van Dam, Maarten Keuss en communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie bij de ledenvergaderingen aanwezig.

Enkele reacties: ‘Ik heb vaak om scholing gevraagd, maar uiteindelijk werd het bijna altijd afgewezen’ ‘Ik wil zelf kunnen beslissen of ik aan de Ouderenregeling deel wil nemen’ ‘Dit voorstel (Ouderenregeling) is een ‘sigaar uit eigen doos’ ‘Ik ben nog fit en wil langer doorwerken en dat zelf kunnen bepalen’ ‘Zo maak je wel ruimte voor jongeren; het idee erachter is wel goed’ ‘Een regeling om extra dagen te kopen kan hier ook in voorzien’ ‘De SBR regeling moet behouden blijven’ Gemengde reacties van P&O Norbank medewerkers

De poll van deze maand is: Vindt u ook dat maritieme verzekeraars zich terecht zorgen maken over obesitas onder zeevarenden? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl.indd 32

Op de P&O Norbank klinken gemengde reacties. Ook hier de nodige kritiek op het afschaffen van de kantonrechtersformule (SBR). Maar inzake de ouderenregeling meldt HWTK Remy Toet: ‘Er zijn personen die de ouderenregeling als verplichting niet zagen zitten, dus daarop de CAO voorstellen hebben afgewezen. Hebben deze personen

(vaak jonger dan 50 jaar) zich gerealiseerd dat iemand van 59, die diverse klachten heeft betreffende zijn gezondheid, de ouderenregeling als een geschenk uit de hemel zag en dat dus nu dreigt mis te lopen?

Logisch dat op vrijwillige basis nog mooier is, maar ik hoop dat dit item niet uit de toekomstige cao weg blijft.’

En 2e stuurman Hein Schaap stelt, mede namens zijn collega’s, nog: ‘Medewerkers met een nieuw contract krijgen met deze voorstellen dus tot hun 60ste geen seniorendagen meer. Waarom is er een verschil tussen twee contracten? De huidige 30- ‘ers die nu in dienst komen, krijgen dus geen ‘ouwe lullen dagen’, maar worden wel geacht tot hun 72ste te werken…en dus ruim 50 dienstjaren …als je de plannen van de regering doorrekent!’

vervolgens vol trots de machinekamer zien.

Mats: ‘Dit is mijn 2e stage. Vorig jaar heb ik stage gelopen bij Seatrade. Dat was ook heel leerzaam en avontuurlijk. Maar hier val ik nu echt met mijn neus in de boter. Eerst heb ik een paar weken gevaren, van Zeebrugge naar Hull en terug. Toen hebben we met dit schip een maand lang in het droogdok in Polen gelegen om alle vernieuwingen door te voeren. En als klap op de vuurpijl kregen we na een week varen te maken met een haperende tandwielkast. Niet zo leuk voor de passagiers natuurlijk, want we liepen vertraging op.

En ook niet echt fijn voor het bedrijf, want we moeten hier zeker een maand blijven liggen voor onderhoud. Maar ik leer hier wel erg veel van zo. Er is nu net een groot gat gezaagd van 3 x 3 meter om die tandwielkast omhoog te hijsen. Dat gaat nog spannend worden.’

Minor in Zweden

Nieuw passagiersconcept Pride of Bruges

Na afloop van de ledenbijeenkomst op de Pride of Bruges kreeg de Nautilus delegatie een uitgebreide rondleiding van de OBSmanager op de Pride of Bruges, die ter reparatie op de Keppel Verolme werf lag afgemeerd in Rozenburg. Hier kon het nieuwe passagiersconcept in de praktijk worden aanschouwd.

Haperende tandwielkast Pride of Bruges

De 22-jarige stagiair Mats Nelissen (HBO Marof, Zeevaartschool Terschelling) liet

‘Hoe ik de sfeer aan boord vind? Super! Er hangt een goede sfeer hier. Voor mij wel leuk dat er veel Nederlandse collega’s aan boord zitten. Maar ook met de Filipijnen hier is het prima samenwerken. Na deze stage moet ik nog een ½ jaar naar school en daarna ga ik een minor (leiding geven/managen) doen aan de Universiteit in Gothenburg, Zweden.

Daar heeft onze school een uitwisselingsprogramma mee. Hoe ik de zelfvarende toekomst zie? Nou, volgens mij zul je altijd mensen nodig hebben aan boord.

Op de weg zie ik die ontwikkelingen wel sneller gebeuren. Maar op zee zal het mijn tijd nog wel duren.’

21/06/2017 14:48

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

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Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw vakbondszaken belicht waarin F Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw een In deze rubriek worden steeds

actieve rol spelen ten behoeve van de leden.

Dit keer betreft het: Opleidings- en Ontwikkelingsfonds Zeescheepvaart

Nautilus International heeft vanuit de werknemers zitting in het bestuur van de Stichting Opleidingsen Ontwikkelingsfonds Zeescheepvaart (O&O fonds).

is aangesloten bij de Vereniging van Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart; d. degene die afkomstig is uit een andere bedrijfstak dan de zeescheepvaart e. degene die een loopbaan in de zeescheepvaart ambieert, maar nog geen werkgever heeft f. de werknemer die ontslag neemt om een cursus te volgen g. degene die eerst een cursus met goed gevolg moet hebben gevolgd alvorens hij een dienstverband kan aangaan met een werkgever, die premie afdraagt aan het O&O fonds Zeescheepvaart.

‘Wij hebben te maken met de internationale impact bij KotugSmit’ A

Om de doelstelling te realiseren stelt het O&O fonds jaarlijks een taakstelling vast. In die taakstelling worden cursussen opgenomen, waarvoor onder bepaalde voorwaarden een tegemoetkoming in de kosten wordt verleend.

Deze extra voorwaarden kunnen onder andere zijn: z aanvrager moet in de vijf jaar voorafgaand aan de aanvraag overwegend werkzaam zijn geweest in de zeescheepvaart; z aanvrager moet medisch goedgekeurd zijn voor de zeescheepvaart; z na verstrekking van een tegemoetkoming in de kosten dient de aanvrager gedurende een door het bestuur te bepalen periode werkzaam te zijn binnen de werkingssfeer van het fonds.

Hij constateert dat de toon constructiever is geworden sinds de start van de gesprekken eind 2016. Bij deze gesprekken zijn ook de collega’s van FNV Havens betrokken.

Carl Kraijenoord: ‘Tijdens het laatste cao-overleg op 30 mei zijn er stappen gezet in de goede richting en hebben we een heel constructief gesprek gehad. Als we die sfeer en bereidheid vanaf het begin hadden gehad, dan waren we nu een stuk verder geweest. Ik kan niet ontkennen dat we aan elkaars toon moesten wennen. Op sommige momenten moet je op je tong bijten en voor ogen houden dat iemand anders ook belangen probeert te verdedigen. Niet onnodig kiezen voor escalatie. Maar ik geef toe dat het soms ook nodig is om met de koppen tegen elkaar te slaan. Als je daar goed uitkomt, dan kan je weer verder. Ik spreek dan ook de hoop uit dat we nog dit jaar komen tot een integratie van de arbeidsvoorwaardepakketten. En wat mij betreft is dat een cao die bestendig is in de huidige marktsituatie en in de internationale context.’

Samenstelling bestuur

Aanvraagformulier

Openheid van zaken

Het bestuur van het O&O fonds Zeescheepvaart is paritair samengesteld en bestaat uit drie vertegenwoordigers van de gezamenlijke partijen aan werkgeverszijde bij de cao en drie vertegenwoordigers van de gezamenlijke partijen aan werknemerszijde bij de cao.

Naast Nautilus International is ook CNV Vakmensen onderdeel van werknemerszijde. De partijen aan werkgeverszijde zijn de Vereniging van Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart (VWH) en het Sociaal Maritiem Werkgeversverbond (SMW), beide gevestigd te Rotterdam.

Een aanvraag om een tegemoetkoming in de kosten moet worden ingediend door middel van een bij het O&O fonds verkrijgbaar aanvraagformulier vóór de start van de betreffende cursus en in ieder geval vóór het einde van het kalenderjaar waarin de cursus plaatsvindt. Een aanvraag die door het secretariaat van het O&O fonds wordt ontvangen op of na 1 februari van het jaar volgend op het jaar waarin de cursus is aangevangen, wordt niet meer in behandeling genomen.

‘Natuurlijk moet er nog wel veel gebeuren’, gaat Carl Kraijenoord verder. ‘Inmiddels hebben we ons gebogen over een rekenmodel van een extern bureau wat door de werkgever is ingeschakeld om een objectieve vergelijking te kunnen maken tussen de verschillende arbeidsvoorwaardenpakketten.

Ook zijn de financiële cijfers van de onderneming over 2016 en de verwachting voor 2017 met ons gedeeld. Het gaat hier om gevoelige informatie, waar wij zorgvuldig mee zullen omgaan. Verder is gesproken over een zogenaamde buitenlandregeling en heeft de werkgever een eerste voorzet gegeven voor een verdere onderhandeling. Het voorstel ligt nog ver af van wat wij zouden willen bereiken, maar is in ieder geval een nieuwe stap richting

Dit O&O fonds heeft als doel het bevorderen, ontwikkelen en subsidiëren van activiteiten in de zeescheepvaart gericht op: z de scholing en vorming van toekomstige werknemers; z de opleiding en ontwikkeling van de werknemers; z de scholing en arbeidsinpassing van (langdurig) werklozen; z de vaktechnische voorlichting in de bedrijfstak.

Wie kan een tegemoetkoming aanvragen?

In het reglement is geregeld wie een aanvraag kan indienen ter verkrijging van een tegemoetkoming in de kosten, verbonden aan de in de taakstelling van het O&O fonds opgenomen cursussen.

Aan de aanvragers, genoemd onder d t/m g kan het bestuur extra voorwaarden stellen.

Hoogte van de tegemoetkoming in de cursuskosten

De hoogte en de omvang van de tegemoetkoming in de cursuskosten worden jaarlijks bepaald door het bestuur van het O&O fonds Zeescheepvaart en deze is mede afhankelijk van de beschikbare middelen voor het betreffende jaar.

Informatie en contact

Een aanvraag kan worden ingediend door: a. de werkgever die is aangesloten bij de Vereniging van Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart b. de werkgever die is aangesloten bij het Sociaal Maritiem Werkgeversverbond c. de werknemer, wiens werkgever

g Meer informatie over het O&O

fonds, het aanvragen of de hoogte van een tegemoetkoming in de cursuskosten, kunt u vinden op www.scheepvaartnet.nl g Voor vragen en advies hierover kunt u contact opnemen met Nautilus International: infonl@nautilusint.org of 010-4771188.

Volg ons op Twitter Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

32-35_nl.indd 33

Carl Kraijenoord is als bestuurder bij Nautilus International betrokken bij het integratieproces van de huidige drie arbeidsvoorwaardenpakketten in de nieuwe constellatie KotugSmit Harbour Towage.

onderhandelingen. Deze openheid van zaken door de werkgever komt het wederzijdse vertrouwen in het proces ten goede.’

Collega’s in het buitenland

Behalve tips voor het management, klinkt er ook een waarschuwing. De vakbonden laten de consequenties voor collega’s binnen de groep KotugSmit in het buitenland meewegen.

Carl Kraijenoord: ‘Het is hard nodig om tot één cao te komen. Als je binnen een bedrijf verschillende arbeidsvoorwaarden hanteert, dan loop je tegen allerlei praktische problemen aan. Het plannen is lastig en mensen raken gefrustreerd door verschillen in waardering en beloning. Dat is logisch. Of dat gaat lukken voor 1 januari? Ik twijfel niet aan de goede wil van partijen, maar we staan nog maar aan het begin. De werkgever heeft

zijn ideaalplaatje geschetst. We zitten nog niet op één lijn, bijvoorbeeld over de arbeidsduur en de gewenste flexibiliteit. Als je elkaars ideeën hebt afgetast, ga je kijken waar je elkaar kunt vinden. De eerste verkenning geeft mij de indruk dat we toch nog wel eventjes nodig hebben.’

Prioriteiten stellen

‘Volgens mij is er een overschatting geweest van de invloed die managers hebben op de integratie van werkorganisaties. En een onderschatting van de dynamiek die in zo’n proces op de werkvloer ontstaat en die bijdraagt aan de noodzaak tot verandering.

Daarom pleit ik er voor om in het veranderingsproces ook prioriteiten te stellen en te plannen. Je moet tijd inruimen voor de verschillende topics. Niet alles tegelijk willen doen. Dan voorkom je dat iemand aan de top honderd losse eindjes aan elkaar moet knopen. Op dat niveau moet het ook een beetje overzichtelijk blijven.’

Hoe verder?

‘De werkgever moet beseffen dat de vakbonden niet alleen naar de Rotterdamse situatie kijken. Wij hebben te maken met de internationale impact. Wat we hier afspreken heeft consequenties voor andere havens in Europa. Wij houden rekening met hoe ver collega’s in het buitenland zijn met arbeidsvoorwaarden en flexibiliteit.

De afspraak is dat we elkaar overeind houden.

Bijvoorbeeld door voorwaarden te verbinden aan de duur van de periode waarop collega’s uit de ene haven worden ingezet in een andere Europese haven.

Overigens hebben we inmiddels een overleg gepland op 5 juli 2017 met de werkgever KotugSmit en met een heel internationaal gezelschap bestaande uit delegaties vanuit de UK, België, Duitsland, Nederland en de ETF. Wordt vervolgd dus.’

Inzet voor nieuwe cao Handelsvaart en Spliethoff bepaald geëindigd, evenals de cao met F Spliethoff. Leden hebben eerder dit jaar op de

reparatie van de duur en opbouw van de WW en WGA. Op centraal niveau zijn hier eerder afspraken tussen werkgeversorganisaties, vakbonden en de overheid gemaakt in het Sociaal Akkoord en in brieven van de Stichting van de Arbeid.’

Op 1 april 2017 is de cao in de Handelsvaart

ledenvergaderingen gehouden in Rotterdam en Groningen de voorstellen voor de komende cao vastgesteld. Bij de vaststelling zijn ook betrokken de voorstellen die per email of schriftelijk zijn ingebracht. Bij het vaststellen van de voorstellen is het FNV loon- en arbeidsvoorwaardenbeleid voor 2017 richtinggevend geweest.

Aanvullende cao-voorstellen Spliethoff

Cao Handelsvaart voorstellen

Leden hebben de volgende cao-voorstellen vastgesteld, waarmee de onderhandelingen wordt ingegaan: Looptijd van de cao verlengen met 2 jaar; een gageverhoging van 2,5 % per jaar; uitbreiding van het aantal dagen periodiek verlof om hiermee een volgende stap te maken naar een vaar/ verlof schema van 1 op/ 1 af. Zeevarenden hebben op grond van de cao al de mogelijkheid om extra verlof te kopen. Voorstel is de kosten die hiermee gemoeid zijn te benoemen in het reglement.

Regelingen die beter zijn dienen te worden gerespecteerd.

Behoud Nederlandse werkgelegenheid en stageplekken

Nautilus bestuurder en cao-onderhandelaar Marcel van Dam: ‘We willen graag met de reders afspraken maken over het behoud van Neder-

landse werkgelegenheid en stageplekken voor Nederlandse studenten. In het kader van levensfasebewust personeelsbeleid wordt voorgesteld om werknemers vanaf een bepaalde leeftijd, bijvoorbeeld 60 jaar, of vanaf een aantal jaar voorafgaand aan de AOWleeftijd, de mogelijkheid te bieden om minder te gaan werken, waarbij werknemers 100 % van hun pensioen opbouwen.

Tevens willen we, indien er geen sprake is van geschreven overwerk, de overwerkpercentages in de cao opnemen. Regelingen die al beter zijn, dienen te worden gerespecteerd. Ook willen we de kaderledenregeling met betrekking tot vrijaf met behoud van loon in de cao uitbreiden. En afspraken maken ter bescherming van kaderleden conform de Wet op de Ondernemingsraden. Op sectorniveau willen we afspraken maken over

Voor de nieuwe cao van Spliethoff zijn nog een aantal aanvullende voorstellen vastgesteld.

Voorgesteld wordt om de grote schepentoeslag wegens het dienstdoen op schepen groter dan 4000, 6000 respectievelijk 9000 GT, te verwerken in de vaste basisgage. Verder wordt voorgesteld om de vergoedingen die nu nog niet worden geïndexeerd in de toekomst ook te indexeren, zodat de waarde van deze vergoedingen op peil blijft. Daarnaast wordt voorgesteld om de regeling voor de mentorpremie aan te passen.

Als laatste is als terugkerende wens voorgesteld de vakbondscontributie fiscaal vriendelijk te verrekenen.

CAO-onderhandelingen

Inmiddels zijn de voorstellenbrieven naar de Vereniging van Werkgevers in de Handelsvaart (VWH) en naar Spliethoff verstuurd en heeft Nautilus contact met werkgevers opgenomen om de cao onderhandelingen te starten. In de volgende Telegraph(s) meer over alle ontwikkelingen.

21/06/2017 14:48

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Nautilus gastlessen op zeevaartscholen Amsterdam en vlissingen

Jong Haventalent 2017: Renee Naaktgeboren

op de Hogere Zeevaartscholen F van Amsterdam en Vlissingen. Voor

een milieuvervuilende ‘magic pipe’.

een nieuw Jong Haventalent bij: A Renee Naaktgeboren, werkzaam bij

gastlessen over arbeidsvoorwaarden/ -omstandigheden aan 3e jaars studenten, opleiding Maritiem Officier.

Vervolgens werd er via rollenspelen duidelijk gemaakt hoe cao onderhandelingen kunnen verlopen tussen de vakbond en de werkgever.

Over diverse belangrijke vragen als… ‘Hoeveel loonsverhoging kun je vragen? Wat zijn voor ons nu de belangrijkste cao voorstellen om aan te dragen? Met welk mandaat sturen we onze onderhandelaars op pad?’… werd uitgebreid gediscussieerd.

Eind mei was Nautilus te gast

‘Magic pipe’

Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie legde in interactieve sessies uit hoe een vakbond als Nautilus functioneert. En hoe deze haar leden bijstaat in mogelijke geschillen tussen werkgever en werknemer. Tevens werd ingegaan op hoe de bond klokkenluiders beschermt bij het aandragen van misstanden aan boord.

Dit mede naar aanleiding van een artikel in de Telegraph over de grote boete die een cruisemaatschappij onlangs kreeg opgelegd, nadat een jonge zeevarende de autoriteiten in kennis had gesteld van het werken met

Rollenspelen

Stage ervaringen

Ook werd ingegaan op stage ervaringen, stage vergoedingen en rechten en plichten tijdens een stage.

Nautilus staat uiteraard ook haar studenten/leden bij in voorkomende geschillen. Diverse studenten gaven na afloop aan lid te willen worden van Nautilus.

De Rotterdamse Haven heeft er

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion.

Renee, even na de verkiezing op 8 juni, boven in het STC-Group gebouw, uitkijkend over de Rotterdamse Haven: ‘Ik vind het een grote eer om tot ‘Jong Haventalent 2017’ te zijn uitgeroepen. Ik wil graag iedereen die op mij gestemd heeft heel hartelijk bedanken. Ook het bedrijf waar ik werk (Damen Shiprepair & Conversion) heeft me goed ondersteund bij deze spannende competitie. Ik heb er nu veel zin in om vooral jongeren enthousiast te gaan maken voor de Rotterdamse haven. Het is, ook

voor mij, elke dag weer dynamisch en bruisend om in de Rotterdamse Haven aan het werk te zijn. Dat gevoel wil ik graag overbrengen op andere jongeren.’

Andere prijswinnaars

Michel Koot van Rhenus Logistics werd gekozen als ‘Havenwerker van het Jaar’. De MCR-prijs voor de meest talentvolle mbo’er ging naar Rowan Vendelbosch. De prijs voor de beste scriptie kreeg Daphne van Hal van de Erasmus Universiteit. Het Beste Havenidee 2017 werd ‘Customisable Hydrophonic Rescue and Recovery Badge’. Een intrigerend idee van hbo-studenten Industrieel Product

Ontwerpen Peter Kraak, Mats Fuchs en Mario den Otter.

Fantastische werk- en leerplek

Het Rotterdams Havenevenement werd georganiseerd door Deltalinqs, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam en de STC-Group, in samenwerking met Marine Club Rotterdam, Jong Havenvereniging, SmartPort en RDM Centre of Expertise. Met de organisatie van het Havenevenement willen de organisatoren duidelijk maken dat de Rotterdamse haven een fantastische werk- en leerplek is voor talenten van ieder opleidingsniveau en op elk moment in zijn/haar carrière.

Werkgevers zetten handtekening voor reparatie WW Werkgevers hebben begin mei getekend voor reparatie van de WW. Daarbij wordt de vertraagde opbouw hersteld en de WW duur gaat van maximaal 24 maanden naar maximaal 38 maanden.

A Nautilus te gast op nova college ijmuiden adjunct bestuurder Maarten F Keuss en communicatie adviseur Medio juni waren Nautilus

Hans Walthie te gast op het Nova Collega in IJmuiden. Hans Walthie verzorgde twee gastlessen voor 1e jaars MBO Zeevaart studenten.

Maarten Keuss bemande de speciale Nautilus stand in de hal van het schoolgebouw, om daar tal van studenten en leraren van informatie te voorzien over de activiteiten van Nautilus.

schrijven en wat te doen als er mogelijk problemen ontstaan aan boord.

Mag je pils aan boord?

Tevens werden vragen doorgenomen als: ‘Welke tijden mag je werken?

Mag je pils aan boord? Wat gebeurt er als je ziek bent? Hoe kan ik de vakbond bereiken voor advies? Ben ik verplicht mee te varen door gevaarlijke gebieden, waar piraten actief zijn? Krijg ik wel voldoende tijd voor schoolwerk- en opdrachten?

Stage adviezen

De meeste leerlingen hadden al voorafgaand aan de gastlessen vragen over zaken rondom hun aankomende 1e stage met elkaar doorgenomen en opgestuurd naar Nautilus. Tal van vragen werden zo interactief met elkaar doorgenomen en ook de rol van de vakbond met het helpen en adviseren van studentenleden bij hun stage kwam aan bod.

Zo werd uitgebreid ingegaan op ‘hoe een goede sollicitatiebrief’ te

24/7 service vakbond

Verder werd tijdens de gastlessen en bij de Nautilus stand de meerwaarde uitgelegd van het speciale studentenlidmaatschap tegen een sterk gereduceerd tarief (3,40 euro per maand, inclusief toezending van de vakbladen de Telegraph en SWZ Magazine). Dit is ook inclusief de 24/7 service die Nautilus International al zijn (studenten)leden wereldwijd biedt.

De afspraak om de WW te gaan repareren is al in 2013 in het sociaal akkoord gemaakt, maar er was lange tijd voor nodig om het ook echt geregeld te krijgen. Toen het ministerie van SZW eindelijk in april met zijn goedkeuring kwam, zetten de werkgevers de voet op de rem.

Daarmee schonden ze het vertrouwen van de vakbonden. Want afspraak is toch afspraak?

Begin mei hebben ze dan ook eindelijk getekend voor reparatie van de WW.

Het is belangrijk dat iedereen die zijn werk verliest en niet snel weer nieuw werk heeft, niet een snelle inkomensval maakt. Het is voor sommige beroepsgroepen nog steeds heel moeilijk werk te vinden, bijvoorbeeld in de detailhandel en in beroepen die door automatisering en robotisering verloren gaan. Ook ouderen vinden nog steeds lastig werk. De reparatie van de WW heeft effect voor iedereen die tien jaar of langer gewerkt heeft.

Zekerheid inkomen als je geen baan vindt

Samenhangend advies arbeidsmarkt

De vakbonden, waaronder ook Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw, willen dat de afspraken nu zo snel mogelijk hun uitwerking krijgen, waardoor mensen die hun werk verliezen snel zekerheid hebben over hun inkomen.

Vertrouwen geschonden door werkgevers

Uitgangspunt voor de FNV, en ook voor Nautilus, bij dat overleg is dat we onze eigen agenda voor echte banen en een menswaardige maatschappij kunnen waarmaken. Het zal lastig zijn tot een advies te komen met de werkgevers. Het vertrouwen in hen is geschonden door hun afhoudende houding in het proces voor de reparatie van de WW, maar ook omdat ze willen morrelen aan de ontslagbescherming en afspraken voor banen voor arbeidsgehandicapten.

Onderzoek naar toekomst Waterbouw pensioen van de pensioenregeling door F het pensioenfonds BPF Waterbouw en De toekomst van de uitvoering

de toekomst van BPF Waterbouw zelf, zijn onderwerpen waarop al enige tijd wordt gestudeerd.

In het verleden zijn er diverse ledenbijeenkomsten geweest, waar de Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw leden uitgebreid meegedacht en -gepraat hebben over alle ontwikkelingen op dit gebied. Bovendien zijn alle betrokkenen in het verleden over de ontwikkelingen geïnformeerd; zowel door Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw als door het pensioenfonds zelf. De Telegraph zet de belangrijkste, alsmede de jongste, ontwikkelingen even op een rijtje: Stuurgroep

Het bestuur van BPF Waterbouw en cao-partijen in de sector Waterbouw hebben in het najaar van 2016 gezamenlijk een stuurgroep ingericht om de besluitvorming door cao-partijen en het bestuur van BPF Waterbouw goed te laten verlopen. In deze stuurgroep zitten vertegenwoordigers van werknemers en werkgevers uit de sector Waterbouw; zowel vanuit cao-partijen als uit het bestuur van

32-35_nl.indd 34

Nu de werkgevers de handtekening hebben gezet onder de brief over hoe we de reparatie van de WW gaan regelen, kijken de vakbonden of het vertrouwen hersteld kan worden om de overleggen in de SER te hervatten. De vakbonden proberen tot een samenhangend

advies over de arbeidsmarkt te komen aan het nieuwe kabinet in wording. Daarbij zijn loondoorbetaling bij ziekte, aanbesteding en regelingen voor zelfstandigen aan de orde.

Ook pensioenen staat in de SER geagendeerd.

het BPF Waterbouw. De opdracht van de stuurgroep is het uitwerken van scenario’s, zodat het bestuur alsmede sociale partners een keuze kunnen maken voor de uitvoering van de pensioenregeling. Het te behalen pensioenresultaat speelt daarbij een doorslaggevende rol. Het gaat hierbij om de pensioenen die de werknemers in de Waterbouw in de toekomst opbouwen en het pensioen dat zij al hebben opgebouwd bij BPF Waterbouw.

Diverse oplossingsrichtingen

Er zijn diverse oplossingsrichtingen mogelijk voor de toekomst van de uitvoering van de pensioenregeling.

De stuurgroep heeft de afgelopen tijd enkele van deze mogelijke oplossingen onderzocht. Zo is de mogelijkheid onderzocht om BPF Waterbouw te laten fuseren met een ander bedrijfstakpensioenfonds, bijvoorbeeld met BPF Koopvaardij of met het pensioenfonds PGB. Bij deze mogelijke fusie was het uitgangspunt om het eigen vermogen afgescheiden te houden. Technisch heet dit ‘ringfencing’. Inmiddels is echter een wetsvoorstel aangekondigd waarin

staat dat de wetgever deze mogelijkheid voor maximaal vijf jaar, en dus niet blijvend, wil gaan toestaan.

Kortom, dit geeft dan al snel weer nieuwe onzekerheid.

Belang pensioendeelnemers staat centraal

Er zijn ook nog andere oplossingen onderzocht. De stuurgroep heeft aan de hand van cijfermatige en juridische analyses onderzocht welke oplossing het best uitpakt voor de pensioendeelnemers. Want hun belangen staan uiteraard, ook bij Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw, centraal.

Benadrukt moet worden dat het pensioenfonds bestuur verantwoordelijk is voor het reeds opgebouwde pensioen. En sociale partners voor het toekomstig nog op te bouwen pensioen. De voorkeur van zowel het bestuur als sociale partners gaat er naar uit om het reeds opgebouwde pensioen en het toekomstig pensioen bij elkaar te houden.

Inmiddels zit de stuurgroep in een afrondende fase van het onderzoek.

In de volgende Telegraph meer over de uitkomsten en de te nemen vervolgstappen.

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!

Spreek met één van onze vertegenwoordigers om uit te vinden hoe wij u het beste kunnen helpen.

Neem contact op met Hammad Uddin van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7324 2756 E: hammad.uddin@ redactive.co.uk.

21/06/2017 14:48

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

Volg ons op Twitter

Nautilus Adviescentrum ‘Werken aan werk’ van start A

Contract voor Bepaalde tijd

De heer Padieu*,woonachtig in België, treedt bij een werkgever, gevestigd in Zaandam, in dienst in de functie van kapitein op 23 januari 2017. Met een contract voor zes maanden, tot 22 juli 2017. De in het Engels opgestelde arbeidsovereenkomst vermeldt dat er geen CAO van toepassing is. Behalve gedurende de proeftijd van een maand is tussentijdse opzegging van de arbeidsovereenkomst voor beide partijen niet mogelijk.

De werkgever stuurt echter op 6 maart 2017 een brief waarin hij aangeeft dat per direct het dienstverband wordt beëindigd.

De heer Padieu wordt bedankt voor zijn diensten en er nog even aan herinnerd dat hij gehouden is aan de verplichting tot geheimhouding (?).

Staat er geen bepaling over tussentijdse opzeggen van het dienstverband in de arbeidsovereenkomst of CAO, dan is het vroegtijdig beëindigen van de arbeidsovereenkomst (voor beide partijen) niet mogelijk.

Burgerlijk Wetboek

Artikel 7:671 Burgerlijk Wetboek luidt: De werkgever kan de arbeidsovereenkomst niet rechtsgeldig opzeggen zonder schriftelijke instemming van de werknemer.

Daar komt bij dat wanneer de werkgever tussentijds wil opzeggen, hij toestemming moet vragen en krijgen van het UWV of de kantonrechter. In deze casus is dit dus niet gebeurd.

Wat had de heer Padieu nu moeten of kunnen doen na ontvangst van de opzegbrief?

1. Niets doen en om moverende reden berusten in het einde dienstverband.

Voorts op zoek naar ander werk.

2. Omdat de werkgever handelt in strijdt met artikel 671 moet de heer Padieu (of zijn vakbond) binnen twee maanden de vernietiging van het ontslag inroepen. Onder ‘het oude arbeidsrecht’ (voor 1 juli 2015) gold een termijn van zes maanden en kon de ontslagen werknemer schriftelijk aan de werkgever kenbaar maken niet akkoord te gaan met het ontslag.

Dat kan nu dus niet meer!

Positieve energie

Tijdens het op 20 juni gehouden Nautilus symposium ‘Investeren in Maritieme Professionals’ vond ook de kick off plaats van het Maritiem Nautilus Adviescentrum ‘Werken aan Werk’. In de regio (Groot) Rotterdam als samenwerking met de FNV en landelijk als onderdeel van de FNV pilot op vijf locaties.

De werkgelegenheid in de maritieme sector, zowel op zee als op de binnenwateren, staat onder druk. Niet alleen door de aanhoudende recessie in de Nederlandse scheepvaart, maar ook door het vervangen van Nederlandse maritieme professionals voor ‘lage lonen landers’ en de verdergaande automatisering. Met dit initiatief wil Nautilus leden en ook niet-leden een mogelijkheid bieden zich te heroriënteren op hun carrière voor de toekomst.

Vakbond in België

*De heer Pardieu (een gefingeerde naam) heeft de kwestie pas op 22 mei 2017 aangeleverd bij zijn vakbond in België, die uiteindelijk ons om hulp heeft gevraagd. De twee maanden om de vernietigbaarheid in te roepen, zijn ruimschoots verstreken. Dus heeft betrokkene gekozen voor optie 1.

Helaas!

Gaat u een arbeidsovereenkomst aan voor bepaalde tijd en wilt u de mogelijkheid hebben om tussentijds zelf ontslag te nemen, zorg dan dat dit mogelijk is. Of het staat in de onderhavige cao of u neemt het op in de arbeidsovereenkomst.

Zegt de werkgever tussentijds op of ontslaat u (op staande voet), dan heeft u slechts twee maanden de tijd om hiertegen bezwaar te maken bij de kantonrechter, via uw vakbond.

‘T is maar dat u het weet.’

Filmpje

Het Adviescentrum ging officieel van start met de vertoning van een kort filmpje, waarin onder meer een Nautilus lid geïnterviewd wordt over zijn kijk op de toekomst voor zichzelf en zijn collega’s. Ook te zien op: Youtube.

In Rotterdam is het adviescentrum een samenwerking tussen Nautilus International en FNV. Tijdens de uitvoeringsperiode, van mei 2017 tot en met uiterlijk 31 december 2018, zullen per adviescentrum 500 werkzoekenden begeleid worden.

Hierna zal worden besloten of en in welke vorm deze adviescentra zullen worden voortgezet. In geheel Nederland opent de FNV in totaal 5 van deze regionale adviescentra.

Trajectadviseurs

Jos Hilberding, Industrial Officer, Nautilus

Bent u lid en u maakt dit ook mee?

Neem dan altijd snel contact op met Nautilus.

g Nog geen lid?

Onze contactgegevens en meer informatie over een lidmaatschap kunt u vinden op onze website: www.nautilusint.org/nl

Tijdens het traject naar het vinden van werk is er vanuit de adviescentra begeleiding door adviseurs. Deze trajectadviseurs ondersteunen de individuele werkzoekende in zijn of haar

werktraject. Het werktraject is gericht op verliesverwerking, zelforiëntatie (wie ben ik? wat wil ik? wat kan ik? waar sta ik op de arbeidsmarkt?) en de vertaling daarvan naar concrete acties rondom werk zoeken of scholing.

Er is ook een trainer beschikbaar, die tijdens het werktraject zowel de Nautilus International- als FNV deelnemers trainingen aanbiedt.

Hoe werkt het?

In dit adviescentrum is Nautilus trajectadviseur Jelle de Boer landelijk verantwoordelijk voor de maritieme sector: zeevaart, binnenvaart, waterbouw en offshore en aanverwante maritieme sectoren. Het werkgebied van zijn collega trajectadviseurs Marja van der Vlis en Dymphie Woudenberg beslaat de regio Rotterdam, Dordrecht en Gorinchem. Zij bedienen de werknemers uit andere sectoren, zoals de Bouw, de Zorg, de Bibliotheken, Retail etc. De Telegraph vroeg aan Jelle,

Waar liggen mijn sterke punten?

Nieuwe baan

Marja: ‘De kern van de zaak is dat mensen inzicht gaan krijgen in een nieuw toekomstperspectief voor zichzelf. ‘Wat voor soort baan zoek ik? Waar liggen mijn sterke punten? Wat vond ik als kind leuk om te doen? Waar ben ik goed in? Trajectadviseurs en trainer begeleiden dit proces van onderzoek. We beschikken namelijk ook nog over een trainer, die trainingen aanbiedt.’

Jelle: ‘We willen inzicht krijgen in de competenties van iemand.

Maar onderschat ook niet, als iemand zijn baan dreigt kwijt te raken, dat de emotionele impact hiervan behoorlijk pittig kan zijn. In deze fase van verliesverwerking begeleiden we de deelnemers eerst, voordat we de oriëntatiefase gaan doorlopen.’

Jelle: ‘We kunnen ook helpen bij het vinden van de juiste vacature natuurlijk. Zelf beschikken we over een groot netwerk. Zo hebben we als Nautilus heel veel contacten met reders, waterbouwers, binnenvaart werkgevers, etc. We zijn al behoorlijk druk bezig overigens.

Onlangs is er een uitvraag gedaan onder onze leden. Ik ben al met zo’n 10 leden aan de slag.

Pas nog vond iemand gelukkig al vrij snel weer een nieuwe baan.

Dat vond ik voor mezelf ook wel motiverend. Het adviescentrum staat ook open voor niet-vakbondsleden. Als er bij niet leden behoefte is aan onze uitgebreide dienstver lening als vakbond, is het de bedoeling dat hij/zij dan wel lid moet worden van de bond.’

Ontstaan adviescentrum

Doelstelling en uitgangspunt

Vanuit de afspraken in het sociaal akkoord van 2013 is de uitvoerende rol van de vakbeweging verder uitgewerkt. Als resultaat hiervan is er nu een subsidie regeling, waarmee er door de FNV landelijk vijf pilots voor regionale adviescentra zijn ontwikkeld.

Maritieme werknemers kunnen via het Nautilus adviescentrum sneller de strategie richting nieuwe baan inzetten, met meer mogelijkheden om hun eigen talenten en vakmanschap te kunnen inzetten. Dit op hun eigen niveau, met minder inkomensverlies en zonder eerdere investeringen in kennis en vaardigheden overhaast te vernietigen door werk te aanvaarden beneden hun niveau of in een heel andere tak van sport.

Uitgangspunt hierbij is dat de werkzoekende zelf de regie heeft en de mogelijkheden die er zijn maximaal benut voor het kunnen maken van eigen keuzes in het vinden van werk.

Fit voor werk

Nautilus en de FNV zijn van mening dat vakbonden bij uitstek een partij zijn die mensen persoonlijk en goed kan begeleiden om fit te worden voor een nieuwe baan.

Medewerkers van vakbonden kennen de arbeidsmarkt (regionaal en sectoraal) als hun broekzak. Al is het maar omdat zij overal leden hebben. Deze arbeidsmarktkennis gaat Nautilus in het adviescentrum inzetten. Bijvoorbeeld door mensen te wijzen op arbeidsmogelijkheden in groeisectoren. Of door hen in contact te brengen met leden in een andere sector, binnen of buiten de maritieme cluster. Om eens mee te lopen, of vragen te stellen.

32-35_nl.indd 35

Marja en Dymphie wat potentiële werkzoekenden zoal kunnen verwachten, als ze bij het Adviescentrum aankloppen.

Dymphie: ‘Ik zie het vooral als ‘mensen weer in hun kracht zetten’. We zien in de praktijk dat veel mensen best wel aangeslagen zijn als ze in zo’n situatie terechtkomen. Vaak sta je er dan ook helemaal alleen voor. Dan is een professionele steun in de rug, zeker in die beginfase, heel belangrijk. Marja: ‘Dat kan in 1 op 1 gesprekken met ons bijvoorbeeld. Maar soms is het ook goed om in een groep met mensen, die bijvoorbeeld in een gezamenlijk reorganisatietraject zitten, zaken en emoties met elkaar te delen.

Na deze beginfase van verwerken van (dreigend) ontslag, volgt de oriëntatiefase die resulteert in de keuze voor een bepaald beroep.

Dat kunnen verrassende uitkomsten zijn. ‘Zo heb ik vanuit mijn ervaring in een andere traject er aan mee kunnen werken dat iemand met technische kennis zijn loopbaan in een geheel andere sector, als klinisch technicus in een ziekenhuis, ging voortzetten en een zorgprofessional werd docent.’

Trajectadviseurs

Tijdens het traject naar het vinden van werk is er vanuit de adviescentra begeleiding door adviseurs. Deze trajectadviseurs ondersteunen de individuele werkzoekende in zijn of haar werktraject. Het werktraject is gericht op verliesverwerking, zelforiëntatie

(wie ben ik? wat wil ik? wat kan ik? waar sta ik op de arbeidsmarkt?) en de vertaling daarvan naar concrete acties rondom werk zoeken of scholing. Er is een trainer beschikbaar, die tijdens het werktraject zowel de Nautilus International- als FNV deelnemers trainingen aanbiedt.

Meer informatie of een afspraak maken

Leden en niet leden uit de maritieme cluster kunnen bij Nautilus terecht als zij kampen met transitievragen. Over werkloosheid, maar ook over duurzame inzetbaarheid of loopbaanplanning. Voor verdergaande vakbondsdienstverlening moet men uiteraard wel lid worden. Onze collega’s van de FNV doen hetzelfde voor niet-maritieme professionals. Dus voor leden en niet leden uit andere sectoren in de regio Rotterdam, Dordrecht en Gorinchem. g Voor meer informatie of een afspraak met het adviescentrum van Nautilus, neem contact op met Jelle de Boer via 010-4771188 of via infonl@nautilusint.org.

21/06/2017 14:49

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

ACCOUNTS

Financial statements the Nautilus International Council in April 2017. They show that Nautilus International continues to have an underlying strong financial provision, with sufficient resources available to meet members’ requirements.

Nautilus International’s accounts for the year 2016 have been externally audited and approved by Council. The accounts — which appear below — were submitted in accordance with the Union’s rules to Statement of Income & Expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2016 General Fund £

Legal defence Fund £

Total £

2015 £

3,224,967

261,484

3,486,451

3,501,182

Note Subscription income from individual members Subscription income from Memorandum Agreements with employers Investment income Advertising revenue Other income Expenditure Travel and general organising Elections and BGM costs Legal defence costs Affiliations and council expenses Telegraph – net cost Phone, post, printing and stationery Professional fees and bank charges Donations Staff costs Pension fund asset and costs Building costs Computer and equipment costs Gain on disposal of fixed assets Depreciation — Freehold buildings Motor vehicles Computers and equipment Total operating (deficit) / surplus

2,319,734 259,960 369,411 113,460 6,287,532

188,087 449,571

2,507,821 259,960 369,411 113,460 6,737,103

2,020,225 224,669 464,619 134,617 6,345,312

523,374 113,921 270,989 433,841 339,858 345,980 34,107 3,749,550 7 7,000 430,293 281,698 (36,768) 8,865 71,770 93,617 6,668,095 (380,563)

317,076 317,076 132,495

523,374 113,921 317,076 270,989 433,841 339,858 345,980 34,107 3,749,550 7,000 430,293 281,698 (36,768) 8,865 71,770 93,617 6,985,171 (248,068)

548,175 59,577 294,551 243,666 482,833 279,822 304,230 38,925 3,417,992 36,000 391,960 141,251 (2,465) 8,865 64,180 94,143 6,403,705 (58,393)

9,537 1,109,308 738,282

132,495

9,537 1,109,308 870,777

97,928 348,630 388,165

(66,451) 671,831

132,495

(66,451) 804,326

97,677 485,842

(873,000) 1,272,919 £1,204,245

295,000 (451,890) £328,952

Gains on disposal of investments Gains on revaluation of investments Surplus before taxation Taxation Total surplus for the year

Balance sheet at 31 December 2016

9

Other comprehensive income Actuarial (losses)/gains on SPF scheme Foreign exchange gains/(losses) Total comprehensive income

Statement of Council and General Secretary’s responsibilities

z

Rule 10 of the Nautilus International Rules provides that the Council is responsible for the absolute control and administration of the affairs and property of the Union and thus for safeguarding the assets of the Union. Rule 22.2 provides that the General Secretary shall provide Council with such financial statements as it may require.

The General Secretary is responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Union and for ensuring that the financial statements comply with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 as amended and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Law applicable to Trade Unions requires the preparation of financial statements for each financial year which give

36-38_accts_july17.indd 36

a true and fair view of the Union’s activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year.

In preparing those financial statements, the General Secretary is required to; z select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; z make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; z state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; z prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Union will continue in operation.

Property, plant and equipment Freehold land and buildings Motor vehicles Equipment

Note 3 3 3

Investments Current assets Debtors and prepayments Cash and cash equivalents — Current accounts — Deposit accounts Less: Creditors

£ 435,675 180,617 355,035

2016

£

£ 444,540 54,052 165,959

971,327 17,085,487 18,056,814

4

327,875

642,115 154,724 1,200,370 5 (1,256,561)

711,449 124,701 1,164,025 (1,058,062)

NET assets Reserves General Fund Legal Defence Fund Revaluation Reserve — land and buildings Revaluation Reserve — listed investments

£

664,551 15,268,208 15,932,759

403,531

Deferred taxation 6 Net assets excluding pension (liability)/asset SPF pension (liability)/asset 7

2015

(56,191) (283,026) 17,717,597 (638,000)

105,963 (255,370) 15,783,352 92,000

£17,079,597

£15,875,352

12,096,092 2,495,590 360,886 2,127,029 £17,079,597

11,024,342 2,363,095 360,886 2,127,029 £15,875,352

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Council on 6 April 2017 and were signed below on its behalf by: Ulrich Jurgens Chair A M Dickinson General Secretary

Cash flow statement at 31 December 2016 Operating activities Operating deficit Depreciation Investment income SPF contributions SPF costs (Increase)/decrease in debtors Increase /(Decrease) in creditors Net cash outflow from operations Taxation

£ (248,068) 174,252 (259,960) (150,000) 7,000 (75,656) 259,251 (293,181)

2016

£

(99,048)

£ (58,393) 167,188 (224,669) (150,000) 36,000 556,073 (333,467) (7,268)

2015

£

(64,246) (392,229)

Investing activities Interest and dividends received 259,960 Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets (502,291) Proceeds from disposal of tangible fixed assets 20,594 Payments to acquire investments (2,314,591) Proceeds from disposal of investments 2,841,012

(71,514) 224,669 (82,601) 2,465 (2,473,141) 2,250,504

304,684

(78,104)

Impact of foreign exchange gains/(losses)

48,234

(92,871)

Net cash outflow for the year

(39,311)

(242,489)

Net funds at 1 January

836,150

1,078,639

Net funds at 31 December

796,839

£836,150

21/06/2017 17:39

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

ACCOUNTS Notes

2.

1.

Accounting policies

1.1

Basis of accounting

Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Although these estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of the amount, events or actions, actual results ultimately may differ from those estimates.

Council Members consider the provision for the Legal Defence Fund liabilities and the valuation of the MNAOA SPF to be critical estimates and judgements applicable to the financial statements.

Legal Defence Fund liabilities are accrued on the basis of management’s expectations of the costs which are likely to be incurred on a case-by-case basis. The nature of each case is different and accordingly costs can vary significantly from original estimates. Such variations are taken into account in the remeasurement of the provision at each year end date.

The valuation of the MNAOA SPF is subject to significant judgement relating to each of the key assumptions set out in note 7 below.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of freehold land and buildings and of listed investments, and in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (amended) and FRS102 The financial reporting standard applicable in the UK and Ireland.

The members of Council consider the Union to be a going concern and have prepared the financial statements on that basis.

The preparation of financial statements in compliance with FRS 102 requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise judgment in applying the Union’s accounting policies (see note 2).

The following principal accounting policies have been applied:

1.2

Revenue

Revenue mainly comprises subscriptions, investment income and advertising income.

Revenue is recognised to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefit will flow to the Union and the revenue can be reliably measured. Revenue is measured as the fair value of the consideration received, or receivable, excluding VAT where applicable.

1.3

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment under the cost model are stated at historical cost less accumulate depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Historical cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management. Freehold land and buildings are held under the valuation model, with full market valuations being carried out on a periodic basis to ensure that the carrying value of these assets is not materially different from their fair value.

Depreciation is provided using the following rates to reduce by annual instalments the cost or value of the tangible assets over their useful lives: Freehold buildings 2% straight line Software 6 years straight line Equipment 10% to 33.33% straight line Motor vehicles 25% straight line The assets’ residual values, useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed, and adjusted where necessary, if there is an indication of a significant change since the last reporting date.

1.4

Debtors

Short term debtors are measured at transaction price, less any impairment.

1.5

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash is represented by cash in hand and deposits with financial institutions repayable without penalty on notice of not more than 24 hours. Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments that mature in no more than three months from the date of acquisition and that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with insignificant risk of change in value.

1.6

Financial instruments

The Union only enters into basic financial instruments transactions that result in the recognition of financial assets and liabilities like trade and other accounts receivable and payable.

Debt instruments that are payable or receivable within one year, typically trade payables or receivables, are measured, initially and subsequently, at the undiscounted amount of the cash or other consideration, expected to be paid or received.

Investments in non-convertible preference shares and in non-puttable ordinary and preference shares are measured: z At fair value with changes recognised in the Income statement if the shares are publicly traded or their fair value can otherwise be measured reliably; z At cost less impairment for all other investments.

Financial assets that are measured at cost are assessed at the end of each reporting period for objective evidence of impairment. If objective evidence of impairment is found, an impairment loss is recognised in the Income statement. Any impairment loss is measured as the difference between an asset’s carrying amount and best estimate, which is an approximation of the amount that the union would receive for the asset if it were to be sold at the reporting date.

1.7

Creditors

Short term creditors are measured at the transaction price.

1.8

Legal defence fund

The annual transfer of members’ contributions to the Legal Defence Fund is 7.5% per annum. In 2016 the reserve has grown to £2.5million as compared to £2.4million in 2015. The level of the Fund is kept under review.

1.9

Pension costs

The Union participates in two multi employer pension schemes; namely the MNOPF and Ensign Retirement plan. Contributions to the Schemes are charged to the Union’s Statement of Comprehensive Income as they fall due.

The Union accounts for these schemes as though they were defined contribution schemes as permitted by Section 28 of FRS102 and the required disclosures are included in note 7 to the financial statements.

The MNAOA Supplementary Pension Scheme (SPF), a defined benefit scheme, which is administered by Trustees, provides pension benefits for certain members of staff.

The deficit/surplus on the SPF defined benefit pension scheme is shown on the Statement of Financial Position. Current service costs, curtailments, settlement gains and losses and net financial returns are included in the Statement of Comprehensive Income in the period to which they relate.

Actuarial gains and losses are recognised as Other Comprehensive Income.

1.10

VAT

The Union is registered for VAT on a partially exempt basis and therefore irrecoverable VAT has been allocated proportionately against the relevant expense heading.

1.11

Taxation

The majority of the Union’s income is exempt from taxation under the mutual trading exemption.

Where income is not covered by this exemption, which largely represents investment income, provision for taxation has been made in the accounts.

Deferred tax is provided on all timing differences where the ultimate crystallization of a gain is expected to give rise to a tax liability, primarily being unrealised gains on listed equity and unit trust investments.

Tax is recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income. A change attributable to an item of income and expense recognised as other comprehensive income is also recognised in other comprehensive income.

The current income tax charge is calculated on the basis of tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date in the countries where the Union operates and generates income.

1.12

Provision for liabilities

Provisions are made where an event has taken place that gives the Union a legal or constructive obligation that probably requires settlement by a transfer of economic benefit, where a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

Provisions are charged as an expenses in the Statement of Comprehensive Income in the year that the Union becomes aware of the obligation, and are measured at the best estimate at the reporting date of the expenditure required to settle the obligation, taking into account relevant risks and uncertainties.

1.13

Foreign currency transactions

The Union has operations in the Netherlands and Switzerland, which are conducted through branches established in those territories. Branch activities are included in the Union’s financial statements on a consolidated basis as follows: income and expenditure amounts are translated from their local currency into sterling at the average rate for the year; assets and liabilities are translated at the rate ruling at the year end date. Foreign currency gains and losses arising on the consolidation of branch activities are recognised in Other Comprehensive Income.

1.14

Operating lease rentals

Rental charges under operating leases are recognised as expenditure on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

36-38_accts_july17.indd 37

3.

Judgements in applying accounting policies and key sources of estimation uncertainty

Fixed assets

Cost or valuation

Freehold land & buildings £

Motor Vehicles £

Computers & Equipment £

Total £

At 1 January 2016

480,000

259,287

1,107,528

1,846,815

-

219,597

282,694

502,291

Additions

Disposal (83,595) (83,595) ____________________________________________________________________ At 31 December 2016 480,000 395,289 1,390,222 2,265,511 ____________________________________________________________________ Depreciation At 1 January 2016 Charge for the year

35,460

205,235

941,569

1,182,264

8,865

71,770

93,617

174,252

Disposal (62,332) (62,332) ____________________________________________________________________ At 31 December 2016 44,325 214,673 1,035,186 1,294,184 ____________________________________________________________________ Net book value 31 December 2016 £435,675 £180,616 £355,036 £971,327 ____________________________________________________________________ 31 December 2015 £444,540 £54,052 £165,959 £664,551 ____________________________________________________________________ The freehold land and building at Wallasey was professionally valued on 7th April 2011. Charles Living & Sons valued Nautilus House, on a depreciated replacement cost basis in accordance with the Statements of Asset and Valuation Practice and Guidance Notes as issued by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. DM Hall valued Bannermill Place on an open market basis on 27 April 2011 in accordance with the Statements of Asset and Valuation Practice and Guidance Notes as issued by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. If the revalued land and properties were stated on a historical cost basis, the amounts would be as follows: 2016 £ 2015 £ Cost 353,778 353,778 Accumulated depreciation (277,200) (270,124) ____________________________________________________________________ Net Book Value £76,578 £83,654 ____________________________________________________________________

4.

Investments

2016 £ 2015 £ Market value of quoted investments at 1st January 14,992,201 14,786,476 Additions at cost 2,314,591 2,473,141 Disposal proceeds (2,841,012) (2,250,504) Realised gains 9,537 97,928 Unrealised gains 1,109,308 348,630 Impact of foreign exchange gains/(losses) 1,224,855 (463,470) ____________________________________________________________________ Market value of quoted investments at 31st December 16,809,480 14,992,201 Unquoted investments 276,007 276,007 ____________________________________________________________________ Total investments at market value £17,085,487 £15,268,208 ____________________________________________________________________ Cost of investments Fixed interest securities 6,947,183 6,470,434 Other quoted securities Investment Trusts 692,458 188,195 Overseas Trusts 2,939,552 3,081,388 Equity Holdings 3,337,689 3,125,155 ____________________________________________________________________ 13,916,882 12,865,172 Unquoted Equity holdings 276,007 276,007 ____________________________________________________________________ Total cost of quoted and unquoted investments at 31 December £14,192,889 £13,141,179 ____________________________________________________________________

5.

Creditors 2016 £ 2015 £ Legal Defence Fund costs 123,000 160,000 Corporation tax 4,328 65,080 VAT 11,518 13,558 Other creditors 1,117,715 819,424 ____________________________________________________________________ £1,256,561 £1,058,062 ____________________________________________________________________

6.

Deferred taxation

7.

Pension commitments

2015 £ Balance at 1 January 255,370 Increase in year 27,656 ____________________________________________________________________ Balance at 31 December £286,026 ____________________________________________________________________

The Union operates a defined benefit pension scheme, the MNAOA Supplementary Pension Scheme (SPF) for certain members of staff. This scheme is now closed to new entrants. It is funded by the payment of contributions to a separately administered trust fund. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of Nautilus International.

The Union adopts the valuation and disclosure requirements of section 28 of FRS102. The Union includes the assets and liabilities of the SPF in the Union’s statement of financial position, with a consequent effect on reserves.

The pension contributions are determined with the advice of a qualified actuary on the basis of triennial valuations using the aggregate method. The most recent valuation was conducted as at 31st December 2014, the next triennial valuation will be conducted as at 31 December 2017. The principal assumptions used by the actuaries were Discount Rate of 4.5% for Pre Retirement and 2.3% for Post Retirement and salaries would increase by 3.0% per annum. The market value of the assets at 31 December 2014 was £4,894,000.

Nautilus International pension contribution into the MNAOASPF for the year was £150,000 (2015: £150,000). Contributions to the scheme will be £65,000 each year from 2017 to 2022 with a final balancing payment in 2023.

The most recent valuation has been updated to reflect conditions at the balance sheet date. The key assumptions were as follows:

Main assumptions RPI inflation CPI inflation Discount rate Expected salary increases Gross pension increases (in deferment and payment)

% per annum 2016 2015 3.30 3.00 2.30 2.00 2.50 3.70 3.30 3.00 3.30 3.00 Value at

Value at

31 December

31 December

2016 2015 £’000s £’000s Market value of assets 5,203 4,832 Present value of scheme liabilities (5,841) (4,740) ____________________________________________________________________ Net pension scheme (deficit)/surplus £(638) £92 ____________________________________________________________________ 2016 2015 Analysis of scheme assets £’000s £’000s Equities 741 793 Bonds 4,253 3,831 Cash and other asset types 209 208 ____________________________________________________________________ £5,203 £4,832 ____________________________________________________________________ 2016 £’000s

2015 £’000s

Present value of defined benefit obligation at the start of the period Current service cost Interest on defined benefit obligation Past service cost Employee contributions Loss/(gain) on change of assumptions Experience gain on liabilities Benefits paid

4,740 7 172 9 1,181 (94) (174)

5,186 27 179 1 (145) (344) (164)

Present value of defined benefit obligation at the end of the period

£5,841

£4,740

Reconciliation of present value of defined benefit obligation:

____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 2016 2015 £’000s £’000s Reconciliation of fair value of scheme assets: Fair value of scheme assets at the beginning of the period 4,832 4,869 Interest income (at discount rate) 181 170 Actual return on assets greater/(less) than discount rate 214 (194) Employer contributions 150 150 Employee contributions 1 Benefits paid (174) (164) ____________________________________________________________________ Fair value of scheme assets at the end of the period £5,203 £4,832 ____________________________________________________________________ In the opinion of the actuary the resources of the scheme are likely in the normal course of events, to meet in full the liabilities of the scheme as they fall due. The next actuarial valuation is to be carried out as at 31 December 2017.

In addition Nautilus International has financial commitments to pay employer contributions and as laid down in legislation and the trust deeds and rules, to two multi employer pension schemes – the MNOPF, a defined benefit scheme, and the Ensign Retirement Plan formerly the MNOPP, a defined contribution scheme.

The actuarial valuations in March 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012 of the MNOPF identified significant deficits in the New Section of the industry wide scheme. This is now being funded by the relevant employers. In 2013 Nautilus International paid off the balance due (£154,815) from both the 2003 and 2006 deficit. The 2009 deficit of some £1,308,670 was paid off in 2010 and 2011. A further deficit of £415,424 as disclosed in the March 2012 Valuation was fully paid off in 2013. These contributions are charged to the statement of comprehensive income when they become payable. In 2015 the final payment was made and no deficit remains.

The Trustees of the pension scheme cannot identify the Union’s share of the underlying assets and liabilities of the MNOPF defined benefit scheme on a consistent and reasonable basis. As explained above, the Union’s pension contributions are assessed in accordance with the advice of a qualified independent actuary whose calculations are based upon the total scheme membership of the MNOPF. In accordance with section 28 of FRS102 the scheme is therefore included in the financial statements as if it was a defined contribution scheme.

8.

Key management personnel

The aggregate remuneration for the five individuals identified as key management personnel during the year was £331,210 (2015: £366,075).

9.

Taxation

Current year taxation

2016 2015 £ £ UK corporation tax 4,505 65,080 Adjustment for prior year underprovision 29,537 368 Overseas taxation 4,753 1,986 ____________________________________________________________________ 38,795 67,434 Deferred tax 27,656 (165,111) ____________________________________________________________________ £66,451 £(97,677) ____________________________________________________________________ Reconciliation of tax charge Surplus on ordinary activities 870,777 388,165 ____________________________________________________________________ Corporation tax at 20% (2015: 20.25%) 174,155 78,603 Effects of: Non-taxable income and non-deductible expenditure (149,959) (178,547) Marginal relief (87) Foreign tax paid 4,753 1,986 Prior year adjustments 29,537 368 Deferred tax adjustment 7,965 ____________________________________________________________________ Corporation tax charge /(credit) £66,451 £(97,677) ____________________________________________________________________

10. Welfare Fund The Balance Sheet and Statement of Financial Activities of the Nautilus Welfare Fund, which operate under a Charity Commission Scheme, are published separately.

11.

Operating lease commitments

At the year end date, the Union had the following commitments in respect of non-cancellable operating leases: 2016 2015 Land and buildings £ £ Payable within one year 106,995 106,995 Payable after more than one year but not later than five years 427,980 427,980 Payable after more than five years 945,123 1,052,118 ____________________________________________________________________ Total £1,480,098 £1,587,093

21/06/2017 17:39

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

ACCOUNTS

Auditors’ report from statement of accounts w

We have audited the financial statements of Nautilus International for the year ended 31 December 2016 set out on pages 1* to 13. These financial statements have been prepared under the accounting policies set out on pages 5 to 7.

This report is made solely to the members of the Union, as a body, in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (amended). Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the members of the Union those matters we are required to state to them in an independent auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Union and the members of the Union as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinion we have formed.

Respective responsibilities of the Union’s Council and auditors As described on page 14 the Council are responsible for the preparation of financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit the financial statements in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on Auditing (UK & Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Financial Reporting Council’s Ethical Standard for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the financial statements

A description of the scope of an audit of financial statements is provided on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditscopeukprivate.

Opinion on financial statements

In our opinion the financial statements: z give a true and fair view of the state of the Union’s affairs as at 31 December 2016 and of its surplus for the year then ended;

z have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and z have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (amended).

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (amended) requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: z A satisfactory system of control over transactions has not been maintained. z The Union has not kept proper accounting records. z The financial statements are not in agreement with the books of account. z We have not received all the information and explanations required for our audit.

We have nothing to report to you in respect of the above matters. haysmacintyre, Chartered Accountants Registered Auditors, 26 Red Lion Square 6 April 2017 London WC1R 4AG

*Page numbers refer to the auditors’ original document, which is available to Nautilus members on request.

Governance

Nautilus International Cost breakdown by activity

Benefits The only person covered under the Act is the General Secretary of the Union who was paid £94,798 Gross salary; Employers National Insurance Contributions £12,034; Employers Pension Contributions £15,838; Telephone rental £300; Use of Vehicle £3,150.

Irregularity statement A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the Union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining

clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.

The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the Union via Olu Tunde, director of finance, AGS the trustees of the property of the Union, the auditor or auditors of the Union, the certification officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police.

Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the Union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of the rules of the Union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the Union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.

Nautilus International expenditure for the year ended

the Council, Affiliations & Donations

2016

Income and expenditure The total income of the Union for the period was £7,855,946.

This amount included payments of £5,994,272 in respect of membership of the Union. The Union’s total expenditure for the period was £6,651,701. The Union does not maintain a political fund.

IT, Administration & Finance

Organising (inc. Industrial)

31 December 2016 Travel & general organising 7.50%

Strategic campaigning Professional & Technical Legal services

Communications

Election & GM 1.60%

(inc. Website & Telegraph)

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:

Legal defence costs 4.55% Affiliations & Council expenses 4.40% Telegraph net cost 6.20% Phone, post, printing & stationery 4.85% Professional fees & Bank charges 4.95%

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

36-38_accts_july17.indd 38

Staff costs 53.70% Pension fund 0.10% Building cost / depreciation /cars / computers 12.15%

21/06/2017 17:39

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Asking all the big questions It’s sign-up time for the best annual meeting in the land: the Nautilus UK Branch members’ conference and industry seminar on 3 October 2017...

K

Do you worry about a robot replacing you? A report last month revealed that British workers are more concerned about losing their jobs to machines than they are about immigration.

With ‘smart’ ships and autonomous vessels hogging the headlines at present, Union members will have the chance to discuss the issues at a special symposium being held following this year’s Nautilus UK branch conference.

The conference is being held at the Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel in Willerby, just five miles from Hull — the UK city of culture for 2017 — on Tuesday 3 October.

The formal part of the day will begin at 1000hrs and is reserved for full members only; it will include discussions on the UK branch activities report and any motions submitted by members.

Later in the day, a panel of industry experts will be on hand to discuss technological developments and the impact on seafarers during the seminar on automation in shipping, which will be open to invitees from across the maritime sector. This seminar will begin after lunch and will conclude at around 1630hrs.

The UK national committee is particularly keen to ensure a good turn-out at the conference from members in northeast England, where the event is being held, and is also encouraging more young and female members to attend. Meetings of the Nautilus Young Maritime Professionals and Women’s Forums will be held on the morning of Monday 2 October, and members attending those meetings will be able to stay for free to attend the branch conference on the following day.

Automation in Shipping UK Branch Conference 2017

P&O Pride of Hull in the port of Hull Picture: John Jones

UK Branch Conference 2017

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 1 September 2017).

Submit your motion by 1 September Motions for debate and decision at the conference need to have the support of four full members and reach Nautilus head office by 1700hrs on Friday 1 September. You can submit a motion by completing and sending in the form on this page by post. The form is also available on the branch conference page in the Members area of the Union’s website: www.nautilusint.org.

Sign up for Hull 2017 now!

To sign up for the Nautilus UK Branch Conference, go to the website www.regonline. co.uk/Nautilus2017 and use the simple electronic registration process. You can also sign up for the Young Maritime Professionals Forum and Women’s Forum meetings here.

A limited amount of financial assistance 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. Applications for financial assistance should be made via www. regonline.co.uk/Nautilus2017 by 1 September.

The conference is open to a maximum of 100 full members in benefit (meaning 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 1 September.

Arrangements will be made with the hotel for a discounted room rate for members who are not eligible for financial assistance from the Union, or who are unsuccessful in their application.

g If you are unable to apply via www. regonline.co.uk/Nautilus2017 or need further information, contact Adele McDonald at Nautilus head office — tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 or email: amcdonald@nautilusint.org

Notice

We, as full members, wish to submit the following motion for discussion at the 2017 UK Branch Conference of Nautilus International: This UK Branch Conference

(continue on a separate sheet if necessary) 1. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature (must be signed) Date 2. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature (must be signed)

A

By decision of the UK National Committee, notice is hereby given that that the 2017 Nautilus International UK Branch Conference will be held at the Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel on Tuesday 3 October 2017. The meeting is due to commence at 1000hrs and is likely to finish at around 1630hrs.

Members wishing to move motions at the meeting must submit them in writing, signed by at least four full members whose contributions have been paid up, to reach head office no later than 1700hrs on Friday 1 September. Proposal forms can be found on the Union’s website, and are also printed in the Telegraph.

Date 3. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode Signature (must be signed) Date 4. Name Mem. No. Company Address

Postcode

g Financial assistance for travel and hotel costs may be available on application to the Union.

Signature (must be signed) Date Picture: Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel

39_branch conf 2017_SR edit.indd 39

21/06/2017 14:50

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

APPOINTMENTS EK (MOTOR) MANAGEMENT LEVEL PREP COURSE 2017

26 Sept - 8 Dec

2018

15 Jan - 23 Mar

23 Apr - 6 Jul

EK (STEAM) MANAGEMENT LEVEL PREP COURSE

SENIOR MARINE ENGINEERING COURSES

12 July 2017 is the closing date for August 2017.

You can still advertise online at any time.

27 Nov - 1 Dec

2018

12 Mar - 16 Mar

2 Jul - 6 Jul

2017

11 Sep 6 Nov

23 Apr - 6 jul

2018

12 Feb 11 Jun

HEAT, MECHANICS & MATHS (MANAGEMENT LEVEL) PREP COURSE

HELM (M) COURSE FOR EKs STUDENTS

NAVAL ARC, ELECTRICS & DRAWING (MANAGEMENT LEVEL) PREP COURSE

HIGH VOLTAGE (MANAGEMENT LEVEL) TRAINING

2017

9 Oct - 8 Dec

21 May - 6 Jul

Let Learning Flourish

EOOW PREP COURSE

2018

Scottish Charity Number SC036198

To find out how you can reach that kind of readership contact Jude Rosset on +44 (0)20 7880 7621 or email jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk.

2 Oct - 6 Oct

26 Sept - 8 Dec

* All information is correct at time of print

Reach over 110,000 readers

2017

2017

2018

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DRAWING (MANAGEMENT LEVEL) CRASH COURSE

2017

16 Oct

2018

8 Jan

9 Apr

9 Jul

23 Jul

2 courses each month

DISTANCE LEARNING FOR MANAGEMENT LEVEL ACAMEDICS

For more info & to book a course contact: City Enterprises on 0141 375 5572 or email marine@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk

Nautilus can help you make the most of your membership with Nautilus Plus — a special scheme offering members fantastic discounts on a wide range of products and services.

This month’s special deals include:

F

Nautilus Plus is a service providing benefits and discounts which the Union has negotiated to help support you, both personally and professionally, at sea or ashore. Whether you’re e planning a trip away, shopping for an upgrade to your mobile phone, or searching for financial advice, as a Nautilus member you are eligible for a wide range of exclusive offers.

This month’s special deals include:

savings on a wide range of Apple products including iPad, iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Apple Watch, Magic accessories and more.

Are you getting the best deals on your gas and electricity? You can now order online and arrange to collect most items from your chosen Apple Retail Store — usually Get the best deal on your gas and electricity service.

Nautilus members have access to Member Energy’s free, within an hour!* g Log in to Nautilus Plus or call 0800 072 4872 100% impartial energy price comparison service which and quote EPP Parliament Hill can help you find the cheapest gas and electricity suppliers in your area. Since 1 December 2016, the g *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. average saving for all users has been £204.40.

Offers and prices subject to change without notice.

Total Motor Assist — for Total Motor Assist terms and conditions g Log in to Nautilus Plus or call 0800 410 1249 visit www.totalmotorassist.co.uk/termsandconditions. (quote NTU) g Log in to Nautilus Plus and claim your FREE 12 months’ cover (quote NAUT24)

Multi-car immediate-family accident cover free to you as a Nautilus member In the event of a non-fault accident caused by an identi-fiable third party, Total Motor Assist gives you UK-wide accident recovery, car repair and like-for-like replacement, Great savings on a wide range of Apple products plus driver and passenger cover. You pay no charges, Keep in touch with friends and family, with the best techno excess and you don’t lose your no claims bonus*. nology from Apple. Nautilus members can make great

Member Energy — Includes every tariff available on the switching market. Available for households in Mainland England, Scotland and Wales only. Apple — Annual purchase limits apply. Discounts are subject to availability. For the latest offers visit the Apple EPP store.

Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS - CELEBRATING 125 YEARS

with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

MARITIME COURSES TANKER OIL SPECIALISATION: 2017 | 31 July | 11 Dec | 2018 | 9 Apr | 30 July ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY & INFO SYSTEM: 2018 | 9 Jan TANKER GAS COURSE: 2017 | 24 July | 18 Dec | 2018 | 16 Apr | 23 July MASTERS ORALS: 2017 | 11 Sept | 30 Oct | 2018 | 15 Jan | 5 Mar | 8 May | 25 June POST FD DECK ORALS PREPARATION: 2017 | 11 Sept | 30 Oct | 2018 | 15 Jan | 5 Mar | 8 May | 25 June HND TO CHIEF MATE: 2017 | 11, 25 Sept | 2018 | 15, 22 Jan | 8 May

HUMAN ELEMENT LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT HELM M: 2017 | 24, 31 July | 11, 18 Sept | 9 Oct | 27 Nov | 4 Dec | 2018 | 8, 15 Jan | 12, 19 Feb | 2, 9, 23, 30 Apr | 27, 30 July BRIDGE TEAM MANAGEMENT: 2017 | 10 July | 25 Sept | 20 Nov | 2018 | 22 Jan | 19 Mar | 16 Apr | 14 May | 25 June | 9 July SHIP HANDLING (1 WEEK): 2017 | 4 Sept | 9 Oct | 2018 | 5 Mar | 16 July VTS REFRESHER: 2017 | 4 July | 7 Nov | 2018 | 13 Mar | 3 July VTS OPERATOR - INDUCTION AND SIMULATOR (2 WEEKS): 2017 | 10 July | 13 Nov | 2018 | 19 Mar | 9 July

FOR MORE INFORMATION E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

STCW COURSES 3, 10, 17 Jul | 7 Aug | 4, 18 Sept

FIRE PREVENTION & FIRE FIGHTING UPDATING £210

STCW MEDICAL COURSES

ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING UPDATING £185 PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT & RESCUE BOAT UPDATING £210 1 DAY MCA-APPROVED FRB UPDATING COURSE WITH CAPSIZE DRILL £255

MEDICAL FIRST AID £455 30 Oct | 20 Nov MEDICAL CARE £520 7 Jul | 4 Sept

STCW BASIC TRAINING FOR SEAFARERS 3,10,31 Jul | 7 Aug

*Prices correct until 31 Jul 2017

AVAILABLE UPDATING COURSE WEEKS

PERSONAL SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES UPDATING £170

FOR MORE INFORMATION

E offshore@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/offshore

/FleetwoodNauticalCampus

If you are interested in working at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, call 01253 50(4760) to register your interest or for information on current vacancies.

WWW.BLACKPOOL.AC.UK

Nautilus recruitment.indd 40

20/06/2017 14:11

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

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.

For details visit www.omships.org or email: recruiting@omships.org

SEAGOING - YACHTS

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SHOREBASED - CRUISE

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&KLHI 2IĆ‚FHU /3* /(*

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e . %HQHĆ‚WV

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Private Nurse

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Hotel Superintendent

90m+ MY - â‚Ź5,5K/mth

$10-10,8K/mth + Bonus - 4/3

USA - $110-125K

Head Chef

Chief Engineer - Oil/Chemical/LNG

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e . %HQHĆ‚WV

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SEAGOING - CRUISE

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Deckhand/Surf Instructor 70m+ MY - â‚Ź3K/mth

3rd Engineer

Chief Electrical Engineer - $70-80K

100m+ MY - â‚Ź4,8K/mth

Master - â‚Ź75K

North East UK - ÂŁ65K

Marine Superintendent - Tankers Scotland - ÂŁ65K

Senior 2nd Engineer - â‚Ź64K

Marine Pilot

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Refrigeration Engineer - â‚Ź34K

South UK - ÂŁ60K

Technical Manager

Junior ETO - â‚Ź26K

Vessel Manager - LNG

Europe - â‚Ź65-75K

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Chef de Partie - ÂŁ15K

Deputy DPA/Technical Mgr Europe - â‚Ź60-70K

HSEQ Manager - FPSO

Executive Housekeeper - $43K

Scotland - ÂŁ80K

Dive Instructor - $2K/mth

Operations Manager

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Baker - River Cruise - â‚Ź2,8K/mth

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Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists

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We are urgently seeking the following • • •

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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 ÂŁ9.50 or â‚Ź13.

Please send in a cheque for items to our Central Services department at head ofďŹ ce and let them know how many you need.

Call Central Services on +44 (0)20 8989 6677 or email centralservices@nautilusint.org

Also on offer are enamel badges of the Nautilus logo for ÂŁ1 or â‚Ź1.50.

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL? Join now on our website Fill out the online application at: www.nautilusint.org

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Nautilus recruitment.indd 41

The best crew. info@wilsonhalligan.com

www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

The CHIRP Charitable Trust

Director (Maritime) KEEN TO USE YOUR MARITIME EXPERIENCE TO IMPROVE MARITIME SAFETY? CHIRP receives safety-related reports from seafarers worldwide. We follow these up on a conďŹ dential basis in order to detect safety issues, identify trends and determine risk potential.

We are seeking a part-time Director (Maritime) to manage, promote and develop the Programme. The Director will ensure that reports received by CHIRP are processed in a timely manner and that selected safety lessons learnt are, after disidentiďŹ cation of the reporter, published through a variety of traditional and electronic media. The Director is also responsible for promoting the Programme to sponsors in industry and on-going liaison with them.

wilsonhallligan Yacht Recruitment are currently looking for experienced Deck and Engineering OfďŹ cers!

Please register online at www.wilsonhalligan.com

Maritime & oĎƒshore specialists

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The appointment will be by consultancy contract, with an expected but exible time commitment amounting to about ten days per month. The post will require occasional attendance at our ofďŹ ce in Fleet, Hampshire, although most of the work can be performed by distance/home working.

DESIRED PROFILE - Established reputation as a leader with a strong safety ethos.

- Experience in the application of best practice in safety management in a maritime organisation.

- Member of an appropriate professional body, e.g.

The Nautical Institute or IMarEST. - Good knowledge of maritime industries, regulations and safety issues.

- Good interpersonal and communication skills.

- Ability to promote the Programme effectively across a wide range of stakeholders and sponsors.

- Ability to use effectively the knowledge and experience of the Maritime Advisory Board.

- Good written English.

- Competent in Microsoft OfďŹ ce and preparation of presentations.

- Competent to manage a budget.

The CHIRP Charitable Trust is an equal opportunity employer.

The start date is exible in order to encourage applications by candidates with the most appropriate experience.

A remuneration package is available, reecting the limited resources of a charitable trust, but a passion for maritime safety will be the main motivator. For further details, please phone 07917 732 722 or 01252 378 947 or send an e-mail to john.rose@chirp.co.uk.

To apply, send an e-mail to ian.dugmore@chirp.co.uk or write to The Chief Executive, The CHIRP Charitable Trust, Centaur House, Ancells Business Park, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 2UJ The closing date for applications is 18th August 2017.

20/06/2017 14:11

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices Merchant Shipping Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes recently issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency include:

MIN 546 (M) — Seafarer fatigue: publication of two research projects 2017 This note reports that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency recently commissioned two research projects to investigate aspects of seafarer fatigue. The results of the studies are now available on the website www.gov.uk.

The first research project was an onboard and predictive modelling study into the eight hours on/eight hours off watchkeeping pattern.

The study was conducted on vessels operating in UK waters outside the scope of STCW and EU directives; these ships were therefore able to operate the 8-on/8-off watchkeeping system with an authorised exception and with the full agreement of the crew and social partners.

The study comprised a mix of onboard research and data collection, together with theoretical modelling of working patterns using a validated prediction model. This study was conducted in a specific operation and the results should not be taken as being relevant in other operations.

The other research project was a predictive modelling study using a validated model to predict levels of sleepiness in a range of two-watch and three-watch watchkeeping patterns. It investigated a number of variations that could be applied to commonly used watchkeeping

patterns, and further undertook some analysis of workloads using actual timesheets from harbour tugs in two locations.

This was a pilot study using limited data, and although it provides useful indications of the value of further work in this area the results should not be taken as definitive. The MCA would not recommend taking action to amend watchkeeping patterns based solely on the findings of this study.

Both reports can be found at www.gov.uk by entering the search term fatigue research project.

MIN 547(M+F) — Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service This note contained incorrect information and has been withdrawn.

MIN 547(M+F) Amendment — Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service This amendment note provides the correct information on applying for the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service.

The award is given to those who have served or are serving in the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets of the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands for exemplary service and devotion to duty. It is an award for those who set an outstanding example to others.

Recipients of the medal will normally have at least 20 years’ experience at sea, although this may be less in exceptional circumstances.

Anyone may make a nomination but you may not nominate yourself, and a nominee should not know they have been nominated.

All information should be

Member meetings g MNOPF and NPA pension forums Tuesday 19 September 2017 at 1030hrs, in Plymouth.

Coffee served at 1000hrs, and a light lunch will be served after the meeting.

Please register via the events section of the Nautilus website: www.nautilusint.org/en/ what-we-say/events Contact: +44 (0)1293 804644.

included on the form available, but more may be requested from the Department for Transport. You can include additional information with your nomination form when it is submitted. There should be at least two letters of support for each nominee, from people who have first-hand knowledge of said nominee.

Nominations for the 2017 awards had to be submitted no later than Friday 9 June to the Department for Transport (address given in MIN 547). g For more guidance and the nomination form, go to the website www.gov.uk and search for Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service.

NB This should not be confused with the Merchant Navy medal for war veterans.

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.

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.

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

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.

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

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.

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.

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

42_infosprd_SR edit.indd 42

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

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

SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with Dovaston Crew Carrer de Versalles 9A, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovastoncrew.com

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 SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25

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

Out of European office hours Contact the Nautilus 24/7 service g Go to www.nautilusint.org and click on the Nautilus 24/7 link to access our Live chat instant messaging service.

You’ll also find a list of freephone numbers from 45 countries that you can use to call us free of charge. g Send an SMS text message to +44 (0)7860 017 119 and we’ll reply. g Email us at helpline@nautilus247.org. g Reach us via Skype (username nautilus-247).

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.

Quiz answers 1. Maritime transport accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Panama’s national registry for merchant ships was established in 1917, just 14 years after it became an independent nation.

3. The United States is the biggest importer of containerised cargo.

4. China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, accounted 91.4% of gross tonnage constructed in 2015.

5. Etruria’s fastest average crossing time was 19.9 knots.

Dutch Harbour is in Alaska, situated on the north coast of Unalaska Island.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Plight; 4. Pardoner; 10. Cathedral; 11. Organ; 12. Fog lamp; 13. Spectre; 14. Servo; 15. Cloister; 18. Paraffin; 20 Astor; 23. Infanta; 25. Angelic; 26. Debut; 27. Constrain; 28. Shepherd; 29. Priest.

Down: 1. Pacifist; 2. Integer; 3. Haematoma; 5. Atlas Mountains; 6. Drone; 7. Nightie; 8. Render; 9. Tropic of Cancer; 16, Slaughter; 17. Precinct; 19. Affable; 21. Tillage; 22. Hindus; 24. Notch.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Gordon Martin, who has won the prize draw for the June cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from June Across: 1. Waiting list; 7. Coe; 9. Nosedives; 10. Welsh; 11. Optical; 12. Lacquer; 13. Elasticity; 16. Miss; 18. Hide; 19. Grudgingly; 22. Microbe; 23. Admirer; 25. Titan; 26. Tarantula; 27. Rod; 28. Christendom.

Down: 1. Winsome; 2. Inset; 3. Indicate; 4. Gavel; 5. Insulated; 6. Thwack; 7. Colouring; 8. Exhorts; 14. Abdicated; 15. Carpenter; 17. Diamante; 18. Hamster; 20. Yardarm; 21. Cognac; 23. Arras; 24. Round.

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 below and regular updates are available at www.nautilusint.org g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Monday 2 October 2017 Nautilus UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel, Willerby, Hull HU10 6EA The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the

g Professional & Technical Forum Monday 2 October 2017 Nautilus UK Branch Conference Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel Willerby, Hull HU10 6EA The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional

challenges facing young people at sea. The meeting is open to members aged under 35.

Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

Useful organisations 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.

infoch@nautilusint.org

Quiz and crossword answersACDB

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

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets.

Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multilingual 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.

Sailors’ Society Contact Charis Gibson or James Leslie on +44 (0)23 8051 5950 press@sailors-society.org www.sailors-society.org Sailors’ Society aims to transform the lives of seafarers and their families at home, in port and at sea through the delivery of chaplaincy, education and the relief of poverty and distress.

The charity works internationally to provide practical, emotional and spiritual welfare support to the world’s 1.6m seafarers, regardless of background or faith. Sailors’ Society chaplains and ship visitors have a

presence in 91 global ports, with wider projects and services covering 27 countries.

CHIRP The Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) aims to contribute to the enhancement of maritime safety worldwide, by providing a totally independent confidential (not anonymous) reporting system.

Reports can be submitted online, by email to reports@chirp.co.uk or by post to: The CHIRP Charitable Trust, Ancells Business Park, Ancells Road, Fleet, GU51 2UJ, UK (no stamp required if posted in the UK).

Confidential Tel (24 hrs): +44 (0) 1252 378947 or Freefone (UK only) 0800 772 3243.

Report forms are available on the CHIRP website: www.chirp.co.uk

21/06/2017 17:16

July 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Alison Ellison, Admiral Nurse, Mariners’ Park

g

Alison Ellison has been working at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park residential and welfare complex since April, on a pioneering new 18-month pilot project to provide dementia care and support to former seafarers and their families.

Alison has been appointed as a specialist Admiral Nurse based at Mariners’ Park, thanks to funding from the Seafarers Hospital Society and a partnership with the Chapel House, a specialist care provider based in Neston.

The impact of the pilot project is being independently assessed by Chester University and if it proves to be

successful it is hoped the post could be established on a permanent basis.

With cases of dementia increasing across the population, the Nautilus Welfare Fund opened a dementia unit within the Mariners’ Park Care Home in 2014. This provides eight places for residents with moderate or severe forms of the condition.

The Admiral Nurse scheme was established because dementia is recognised as a complex condition which creates high levels of dependency and often challenges the skills of carers and welfare services.

Alison has been a nurse since 1982

— ‘I started very young!’ — and has specialised in dementia care since 1992.

She recently self-funded a study trip to Australia to study the country’s approach to supporting individuals with dementia, and her work as an Admiral Nurse involves caring for people living with dementia and their families, using a range of clinical interventions to help manage the condition and to develop skills to improve communications and maintain relationships.

She can also provide advice and assistance on gaining a diagnosis, accessing appropriate services and benefits, and providing practical

guidance and emotional support.

Formerly having a lead role for dementia care with BUPA homes, Alison said she jumped at the chance to work at Mariners’ Park after being asked if she was interested in taking up the new part-time post, which also includes outreach work with the wider maritime community in the Merseyside region.

‘I was born and bred in Wallasey,’ she says, ‘and so I knew a bit about the history of seafaring in the area. I used to go past Mariners’ Park a lot, but never realised just how fabulous the facilities are. It’s not like going to work, it’s like being with a family.’

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 £120,700, 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.

21/06/2017 14:51

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | July 2017

NEWS

Industry may face stricter controls are required if the industry is F to meet agreed targets for cutting

Tougher controls on shipping

its greenhouse gas emissions, a new report has warned.

A study published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) last month warns that shipping is presently in danger of missing its contribution to the global goals for averting catastrophic climate change.

If the industry is to hit its target for pegging the average global temperature increase to 2°C by 2025, it needs to improve its fuel efficiency levels by 2.3% a year, the study explains. However, the International Maritime Organisation’s energy efficiency design index (EEDI) requirements — which apply only to new ships — will result in an average 1% annual improvement in consumption performance.

The IEA notes that while the IMO has made progress in agreeing regulations to reduce sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, its greenhouse gas policy is still under consideration, with an initial strategy not due until 2018 and

the final strategy expected by 2023.

The report calls for more action to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing ships, along with a range of operational improvements. ‘Efficiency technologies available today could roughly halve the average fuel consumption per vehicle kilometre of new ships,’ it states. ‘This will need to be complemented by the use of advanced biofuels.’ The IEA says the ambitions of the EEDI should be beefed up, with mandatory standards for operational efficiency and ‘proper monitoring’ of vessel performance, along with inspections, sanctions and legal frameworks to ensure compliance with IMO measures. It urges the industry to work with ports to encourage greener shipping through such things as reduced fees for energyefficient vessels.

The report highlights the scale of the challenges ahead, pointing out that heavy fuel still accounts for 84% of marine bunkers and that it will need to be desulphurised or replaced by low-sulphur diesel, LNG, biofuels or other synthetic fuels.

The Cunard cruiseship Queen Victoria is pictured entering Southampton last month following a month-long ÂŁ34m refit at the Fincantieri yard in Italy Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

Insurers’ alarm at cost-cutting Report warns that safety improvements could be at risk in ‘perfect storm’

Green groups call for Carnival clean-up have launched a campaign A calling on the Carnival group to cut

Two US environmental groups

pollution from its cruiseships.

They staged a protest at the Seattle cruise terminal last month, above, to mark the beginning of the Alaska cruise season and to urge the company to do more to reduce its environmental impact.

Stand.earth and Seattle 350 claim that cruises and the shipping industry are among the fastest growing sources of climate pollution and Carnival has increased its contribution by nearly 20% over the last decade. ‘Although Carnival claims to be environmentally responsible, its ships create more climate pollution than any other cruise company

in the world,’ said Sean Rudolph, climate campaign director at Stand. earth. ‘Passengers have the right to know about Carnival’s impact on the very destinations, such as the Arctic, that they are so excited to explore. They also deserve the ability to make their voices heard and demand that Carnival clean up its dirty ships.’ The two groups are calling for the company to publish a plan to cut its environmental impact, to switch to low-sulphur fuel, cut ozone and nitrogen oxide air pollution by installing catalytic reduction systems, end all heavy fuel oil use in Alaska and Arctic routes and to use shore power supplied by clean energy sources when in port.

Picture: Stand.earth

P

Cost-cutting policies could set back a recovery in shipping safety performance, a leading marine insurance company has warned.

The economic strains on the shipping industry are fuelling pressures to make savings which could cause long-term problems, the ďŹ fth annual Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) safety and shipping review cautions.

It says there are already signs of an increase in incidents involving crew negligence and inadequate vessel maintenance and this threatens to reverse a trend which has seen large shipping losses halved over the past decade. ‘When companies are stretched so thin, crew costs are an easy target and it is tempting to reduce manning levels or seek cheaper contracts,’ said AGCS senior marine risk consultant Captain Andrew Kinsey. ‘Having spent 25 years at sea, including 13 years as master, I know that the safety of crew and cargo is paramount. But safety

decisions should not be made on the basis of cost,’ he added.

AGCS said 85 ships were reported as total losses last year, down by 16% from 2015. Last year also saw a total of 2,611 reported shipping casualties — 4% down from the previous year.

The report describes the ďŹ gures as encouraging — but says there should be no complacency, as some of the decline in losses could be the result of a reduction in shipping activity and an increase in lay-ups. ‘Crew negligence and inadequate vessel maintenance are two potential areas of increasing risk, particularly if shipowners opt to recruit crew with less experience and training, or choose to stretch maintenance work to the longest possible intervals in order to save money,’ said Duncan Southcott, global head of marine claims with the company.

The AGCS report expresses concern about a gathering ‘perfect storm of increasing regulatory pressure combined with

narrowing margins and new risks’ — pointing to factors such as new environmental rules, cyber-attacks, piracy and dangers in hotspots such as Yemen and the South China Sea. It notes a disparity in shipping casualty rates around the world — with more than one-quarter of last year’s losses taking place in the South China, Indochina, Indonesia and Philippines region — parts of which suffer from bad weather, poor maintenance, weak enforcement of regulations and vessel overcrowding.

While the most common cause of global shipping losses remains foundering, accounting for over half of all last year’s losses, the report notes that more than one-third of shipping casualties during 2016 were caused by machinery damage.

AGCS said the structural integrity of ships remains an important issue — particularly concerning vessels that have been converted — and implementing rigorous inspection and maintenance regimes is crucial.

The report also cautions against over-reliance on technology and stresses the need for seafarers to understand the shortcomings and limitations of technology.

AGCS suggested the shipping industry could make more use of telematics — information from sensors, communications and computer systems — which have been successfully deployed in the automotive sector to improve driver behaviour. As a case in point, it is in the early stages of a project to work with owners to analyse voyage data recorder (VDR) output to assess crew performance and decisionmaking, and learn lessons from accidents and near-misses.

The company has also developed a scheme to provide crew with 24/7 access to medical advice through a dedicated app and onboard equipment, noting that telemedicine services can deliver high-standards of medical advice which may prevent ships from making unnecessary diversions.

EAST COAST COLLEGE IS HERE!

GREAT YARMOUTH AND LOWESTOFT COLLEGES HAVE COMBINED FORCES

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We look forward to seeing you at East Coast College in 2017 www.eastcoast.ac.uk | 01502 525025 | maritime@eastcoast.ac.uk

44_news.indd 44

21/06/2017 17:40