Nautilus Telegraph March 2017

Flying lessons What can aviation teach shipping about safe work?

19

Support in port How can seafarers get a better time during port visits?

22 & 23

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

Volume 50 | Number 03 | March 2017 | £3.50 €3.70

It’s Rover and out for RFA’s veteran tanker Auxiliary tanker Gold Rover is A pictured right carrying out its final The 43-year-old Royal Fleet

replenishment–at–sea operation last month — delivering fuel to the frigate HMS Portland off west Africa.

The last of the five RFA Rover-class ships, the 6,692dwt Gold Rover is due to be decommissioned this month after supplying some 1.238bn litres of fuel to Royal Navy vessels in a total of 8,256 replenishments.

Built at Swan Hunter’s Wallsend yard, Gold Rover has seen service in the Mediterranean, the Far East, the Caribbean, Africa and South America and in recent years has spent long periods operating south of the equator providing support for RN vessels on patrol in the South Atlantic.

Gold Rover has supplied HMS Portland with 1,788 cubic metres of F76 diesel oil since October,

with the frigate almost constantly accompanied by the RFA vessel while sailing between South America, the Falklands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha and west Africa.

‘Wherever she’s been during this last deployment, from Valparaiso in Chile to South Africa to the South Atlantic Islands or Rio de Janeiro, she has been warmly welcomed,’ said Gold Rover’s final commanding officer Capt Jonathan Huxley.

‘People identified with her and remembered her fondly, whether it be a humanitarian act or simply regular visits to their port,’ he added.

‘She has without a doubt been a force for good in the world and served the UK well.’

Gold Rover’s retirement comes as the first of the new fleet tankers, Tidespring, is set to arrive in the UK following a delivery voyage from South Korea.

New calls for IMO to tackle fatigue Three-year research project reveals fresh evidence of the damaging impact of excessive hours

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The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) faced fresh calls to tackle the long-standing problem of seafarer fatigue last month as a new report revealed further evidence of the health and safety dangers posed by long and irregular working hours.

Delegates at the IMO’s human element, training and watchkeeping (HTW) committee were given a presentation on the findings of the three-year Martha project, which examined the long-term effects of fatigue and sleepiness at sea.

The results were revealed as Nautilus took part in an HTW committee working group tasked with the revision and updating of the IMO’s fatigue guidelines.

The US$1.5m Project Martha study, funded by the TK Foundation, drew on data gathered from almost 1,000 seafarers and

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detailed analysis of records of fatigue levels, sleep patterns and the psychological wellbeing of more than 100 crew members gathered during the course of voyages around the world.

Carried out by researchers from universities in the UK, Denmark, Sweden and China, the study found that fatigue can result in long-term physical and mental health issues, and that both the quality and quantity of sleep and individual motivation decreases over the length of a voyage.

It also yielded evidence that night watchkeepers get significantly less total sleep than others onboard, and masters suffer more stress and fatigue than their crews.

Presenting the results at the IMO, Captain Kuba Szymanski, secretary-general of the International Ship Managers’ Asso-

ciation, told delegates: ‘I sincerely hope the results of our research will be read and acted upon by ship managers and owners who will go on to revise their attitudes and procedures.

‘There are a number of “lowhanging fruits” which, with a little adjustment, could make a big difference,’ he added. ‘These are not necessarily costly changes — such as having seafarers relieved on time and organising work onboard with humans and not regulations in mind, and engaging sea staff in decisions — but empowering seafarers to take care of their lives more than it is today.

‘There is no avoiding the fact that the global fleet is increasing and more manpower is needed,’ Capt Szymanski pointed out.

‘However, we are demanding more from current seafarers rather than recruiting even more cadets into the market. Attract-

ing new seafarers and retaining them will test the industry, but we cannot ignore these findings in making the industry an attractive place for aspiring seafarers.’

In his opening speech to the HTW committee, IMO secretarygeneral Kitack Lim noted that fatigue ‘has been increasingly recognised by the industry as a major human element hazard that affects most aspects of a seafarer’s ability to perform effectively and safely’. He said he hoped delegates would ensure the organisation’s updated guidelines reflect current fatigue and sleep research and the best practices of fatigue mitigation.

Nautilus professional and technical officer David Appleton represented the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations on the working group and said that while some progress had been made on revising the IMO

guidelines a number of contentious issues had emerged.

He had argued strongly — and successfully — against shipowner proposals to remove wording about seafarers’ ‘excessive’ working hours on the basis that the quoted figures of 12 hours a day were not normal.

There was also intense debate on research findings which defined work over 60 hours a week as ‘excessive’. A decision on whether this will be included in the final paper is likely to be made at the next working group meeting.

‘I also argued strongly that the guidelines need to state explicitly that “manning” is the primary factor in determining fatigue,’ Mr Appleton added.

‘If it is not, the guidance would not meet the objectives of being simple, practicable and useable.’ g Full report — see pages 24-25.

Inside F Short supply

New reports show worrying trends for future supply of UK seafarers — pages 20-21 F Automation alert

It’s time for people to figure in the ‘smart ship’ debate, says Nautilus — page 40

F A career cut short

Member tells how harassment and bullying forced her to leave the sea and go to work ashore — pages 26-27

15/02/2017 11:43

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Campaign week for UK seafarers Charity launches awareness initiative with a warning of disappearing jobs

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More and more jobs in the UK Merchant Navy will be lost to foreign nationals unless there is a radical new approach to training, the head of a major maritime charity warned at the launch of this year’s Seafarers Awareness Week campaign.

Commodore Barry Bryant, director-general of Seafarers UK, said the 2017 Seafarers Awareness Week — which is due to run between 24 to 30 June — will have two key themes: ‘Maritime Jobs at Sea and Ashore’ and ‘Sea Ports for Prosperity’.

He said the initiative —which is supported by Nautilus — aims to provide a platform for maritime organisations to ‘make the great British public wake up and realise we are an island nation’.

Cmdre Bryant told the launch event that latest official statistics on UK seafarer employment and training make for ‘dismal reading’ — and that, on current trends, numbers could decline by more than 30% over the next decade.

‘Without a new and genuinely ambitious approach to training, many more jobs in our Merchant Navy will go to foreign seafarers,’ he warned.

However, Cmdre Bryant noted, the picture is not all doom and gloom and he said it was encouraging to see the Chamber of Shipping and the unions working together to promote the case for improvements to the Support for Maritime Training scheme.

Nautilus welfare workers

seafarers and their dependants in 2016 — the highest yearly total achieved so far.

This substantial sum was achieved through the efforts of the Nautilus Welfare Fund’s Caseworker Service, which reaches out to needy ex-seafarers in the Merseyside, Hull and Southampton areas.

Visiting retired mariners in their own homes, experienced advisors known as caseworkers help retired mariners to identify the welfare benefits and grants they are entitled to — and will fill in application forms with them.

The caseworkers also help clients apply for grants available only to members of the maritime community, and provide information and support on a range of other issues including housing, health and debt problems.

The service started in the

Merseyside area in 2010 and, with the support of maritime funding charity Seafarers UK, expanded to the Hull and Southampton areas in 2013. The aim is to ensure that retired mariners of all ranks and backgrounds have a happy, healthy and financially secure retirement.

This year will see the Caseworker Service expanded further, with plans to appoint a further staff member based in Glasgow — which, like the three existing locations, is an area with a substantial number of retired seafarers.

Help is also available by telephone and email for ex-seafarers living elsewhere in the UK. z To request a visit from a Nautilus caseworker, or simply to check if you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to, call +44 (0)151 346 8840, email welfare@nautilusint.org or go to www.nautiluswelfarefund.org. g Meet one of the caseworkers: The Face of Nautilus, page 39.

know someone who does?

F Nominations are being invited for Do you deserve a medal, or

Commodore Barry Bryant launches 2017 Seafarers Awareness Week at Inmarsat’s headquarters last month

Maritime UK chairman David Dingle told guests at the event that the Maritime Growth Study has provided a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to put seafaring skills at the top of the policy agenda.

‘Fifty per cent of the recommendations in the study are about skills and career development,’ the Carnival UK chairman pointed out. ‘Without these, Brit-

ain will be unable to compete on the world stage.

‘Make no mistake, in a global industry like ours Britain and the rest of the world will always be at risk of being undercut on price,’ he warned.

‘When all other things have become equal, all we are left with is our people and their skills.

‘The Maritime Growth Study presents an ambitious pro-

gramme and despite progress there remains much to do,’ he stressed.

Mr Dingle said the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union could open up many opportunities. But, he added, ‘the one thing that will make or break the vision is the availability of skilled personnel.’ g More information on the website: www.seafarersweek.uk

this year’s Merchant Navy Medal awards, to recognise exceptional service and devotion to duty.

Now a prestigious state award, with a place in the order of wear, the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service is open to people in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man who are serving within the Merchant Navy or fishing fleets ashore and afloat, and aims to honour ‘those who have set an outstanding example to others’.

The state award supersedes the previous Merchant Navy Medal, which had been presented by the Merchant Navy Medal Committee since 2005, and the first 14 were presented by The Princess Royal during a ceremony at Trinity House in November 2016.

Details of the nomination process

and a form can be found by searching Merchant Navy Medal on the Department for Transport website — www.gov.uk — and nominations for the 2017 awards should be submitted before 28 April. Awards will be announced on Merchant Navy Day — 3 September 2017.

Online access is top need while in port while in port has become A increasingly important to seafarers as The ability to get online

month to secure the payment F of owed wages to the crew of an As efforts continued last

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secured over £600,000 in F benefits and grants for retired British

Merchant Navy Medal nominations sought

Nautilus pay call backed by minister Indian-flagged offshore support vessel stranded in the UK port of Great Yarmouth, shipping minister John Hayes backed Nautilus calls for action to combat the problem of foreign nationals undercutting British seafarers in national waters.

Nautilus/ITF inspector Paul Keenan said he hoped the crew of the 2,151gt Malaviya Twenty would be repatriated by the end of February following the payment of outstanding wages totalling some US$380,000.

The Union had protested to the minister about the case of the Malaviya Twenty and sistership

Caseworkers help to get £600,000

Great Yarmouth’s port chaplain Revd Peter Paine meets the Malaviya 20’s crew members Picture: Maurice Gray

Malaviya Seven, which has been detained in Aberdeen with similar problems since October last year.

In a letter to Mr Hayes, general secretary Mark Dickinson urged the government to take a tougher line against ships found to be in repeated breach of acceptable standards.

‘Nautilus finds it deeply troubling that such vessels are operating in UK waters, presenting unfair competition to British ships and British seafarers,’ he added.

In a response to Nautilus, Mr Hayes said he shared the Union’s concerns and noted that Malaviya Twenty could be banned for three months from European ports if it was detained again during the next 18 months.

The minister said there had been a marked increase in inspections carried out as a result of complaints from seafarers and unions following the introduction of the Maritime Labour Convention.

‘I am determined to see more UK seafarers employed and to be able to compete fairly for jobs, particularly for those jobs working on vessels operating out of UK ports or operating in UK waters,’ he added.

Mr Hayes said the government is starting a legislative review of the application of the National Minimum Wage to the UK Continental Shelf and Nautilus would be involved in the working group on this process.

opportunities to get ashore decline, new research has revealed.

A study carried out by the ITF Seafarers Trust, with support from Nautilus, found that 90% of seafarers now consider internet access to be the most important port-based service — up from 68% a decade ago.

Internet access has overtaken transport to shops and town, transport to seafarers’ centres, international phone calls, port-based medical clinics and money exchange facilities in the top six most popular welfare services.

The study —which gathered feedback from almost 1,000 seafarers — found that almost three-quarters had only limited or no email access onboard and only 26% had unrestricted access.

Asked how many times they had been able to take shore leave in the

previous four weeks, 30% reported none, 35% reported once and 20% twice. Almost two-thirds blamed work onboard as the main reason for failing to get shore leave, followed by 41% citing fast turnround times and 33% not having enough money. Almost one-third said their ships were usually in port for less than six hours and twothirds reported turnround times of 24 hours or less.

The report notes that seafarers remain dissatisfied with their internet access despite ‘a steady improvement’ in the provision of services over the past decade. While 45% of seafarers rated port-based internet services as good or excellent, the survey found that none of 13 different portbased welfare services — including chaplaincy, transport, money exchange, phones, and book and film exchange — scored a favourable rating of 50% or more. g See feature, page 22.

15/02/2017 15:07

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Queen Victoria’s Amazon record

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The Cunard cruiseship Queen Victoria is pictured above making a maiden voyage through the ‘Meeting of Waters’ between the dark Rio Negro and the pale Amazon River in Manaus,

Brazil, last month. The 90,049gt vessel — which was under the command of Captain Peter Philpott — became the largest passengership to sail on the Amazon.

Manaus marked the sixth out of 32 ports on Queen Victoria’s 41,000nm 120-night world voyage, which began when the vessel left the UK port of Southampton on 5 January.

Owners’ leader in ‘step up’ call Shipping safety record ‘simply not good enough’, Chamber president warns

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Nautilus has backed a call from the head of the UK Chamber of Shipping for owners to ‘step up in some key areas’ — including action to dramatically reduce the industry’s fatal accident record, which is 20 times higher than the level ashore.

In a keynote speech to the UK Chamber of Shipping’s annual dinner, president Grahaeme Henderson urged the industry to ‘take the necessary steps to retain its leading position in the world of shipping’ — by addressing its employment and environmental performance and embracing innovation.

Dr Henderson — who is vicepresident of shipping and marine at Shell — said safety should be a priority. ‘When I meet the families of our seafarers, they tell me that the most important thing is getting their loved ones home safely,’ he added. ‘Our global shipping industry has a fatal accident rate 20 times that of the average British worker and five times that of construction. That is simply not good enough.

Outlining plans to make ‘a step change in safety performance’, Dr Henderson said: ‘We want to be able to look the families and children of our seafarers in the eyes and tell them that their father and their mother work in the safest

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Dr Grahaeme Henderson addresses the Chamber of Shipping annual dinner

industry in the world.’

As part of a drive to improve safety culture, the Chamber of Shipping has launched a new online forum and knowledgesharing platform for its members to exchange ideas, near-miss and other incident reports to learn from common experiences.

The Chamber leader said he hoped the government will make an announcement on the SMarT Plus training proposals put forward by the owners and Nautilus.

‘There is no shortage of young people who want to make a career in shipping and we need to support them,’ he added. ‘Having jobs for all— jobs for young people — this is the basic requirement of a successful nation and a successful industry.’

He also warned that the industry must improve its green credentials. ‘Shipping currently emits some 3% of the world’s greenhouse gases and, if unchecked, this could rise to 17% by 2050,’ he

pointed out. ‘That’s unacceptable and we need our collective leadership to make the change.’

Dr Henderson said government action to maintain and strengthen the competitiveness of British shipping was vital at a time when the country is ‘moving forward into uncharted waters’ after the Brexit vote. ‘Shipping is worth far more to the economy than most other industries and certainly more than all other transport put together,’ he added.

‘Whilst shipping may not always get the headlines, it is shipping that will keep Britain open for business.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson welcomed Dr Henderson’s challenge to the industry to improve its safety record. ‘He is quite right to highlight the terrible contrast between accident rates at sea and ashore, and whilst his vision is ambitious there is no doubt that much more could be done to tackle some of the most common causes of loss of life and injury.

‘We continue to strengthen and develop our partnership with the Chamber and I am confident that our united message on UK seafarer employment and training is being taken very seriously at the highest levels of government,’ he added.

shortreports MEDICAL COSTS: Nautilus has welcomed the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s decision to phase in proposed increases in the fees for seafarer medical examinations. The MCA had suggested the ENG1 fee should rise from £80 to £85 — but said there was ‘ample evidence’ to show that this would not make it economically worthwhile for doctors to continue providing the service. However, in response to concerns raised by the Union, it has agreed to phase in the increases over three years — taking the fee up to £115 in 2019 — and Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said he was pleased the Agency had accepted the Union’s points about the impact on seafarers of a one-off increase.

CANADIAN WIN: the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada (SIU) has claimed victory in a longrunning campaign over the government’s decision to issue work permits to foreign seafarers on foreignflagged ships in Canadian waters. In July last year, Canada admitted that it improperly issued the work permits and the union has now secured agreement from the government to review the future issue of work permits to foreign seafarers, including a requirement that open positions be first advertised to Canadian seafarers, and that foreign seafarers be paid the prevailing wage.

CRUISE COMPENSATION: the owner of a cruiseship that ran aground off the coast of Canada seven years ago is to pay compensation of C$445,361 (US$339,000) after a court ruled that the owners were responsible for the accident. The 4,400gt Clipper Adventurer had hit an uncharted rock shelf in Nunavut in August 2010, but the court dismissed a $13.5m claim from the company, alleging that the Canadian government failed to provide information that could have prevented the grounding.

EMISSIONS VOTE: shipowner groups have criticised a European Parliament vote to propose the inclusion of international shipping in the EU’s emissions trading system. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) — which represents more than 80% of the world merchant fleet — said it was ‘disappointed but not surprised’ by the decision, but warned that it ignored ‘the real progress that has already been made by the International Maritime Organisation’.

BREXIT MEETING: talks about the potential opportunities for British shipping arising from the UK’s Brexit vote took place with Treasury minister Jane Ellison last month. A delegation from Maritime UK discussed issues including ways to increase the number of UK seafarers being trained and announced a study into the economic impact of tonnage tax to the national economy.

TUC WARNING: billions of pounds are being lost to the UK economy each year because of poorly paid and insecure jobs, a new TUC report has warned. The study says that more than £75m is lost every week as a result of ‘low-paid self-employment’ and ‘shady contracts’ and it estimates that insecure working now accounts for one in every 10 British workers.

FATAL BLAST: the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is looking into an incident in which a seafarer was killed and another injured by an explosion onboard the K Line containership Manhattan Bridge in the UK port of Felixstowe. The explosion occurred in the boiler room of the 13,870TEU vessel as it arrived after sailing from the port of Rotterdam.

GLOBAL TALKS: Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson has taken part in International Bargaining Forum talks on pay and conditions for some 150,000 seafarers covered by the Joint Negotiating Group Agreement. Two days of talks took place in January and the discussions are due to resume again in July.

PRINCESS ORDER: Princess Cruises has ordered a sixth ‘Royal’ class vessel from the Italian builder Fincantieri, due for delivery in 2022.

15/02/2017 18:13

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports

Union gears up for campaign to end windfarm abuses

TRINITY INCREASE: members employed by Trinity House have voted to accept – by a margin of two to one – a combined 4% pay award for the 2015/16 pay and conditions review. The offer followed a threeway meeting between Nautilus, the Unite union and management from Trinity House. The award combines a 3% consolidated increase with effect from 1 March 2017 with the 1% pay award made on 1 August 2015.

Discussions for its 2016/17 pay review will commence soon.

Telegraph exposé of working F conditions in the offshore windfarm Following last month’s

MARINE SCOTLAND: Nautilus has reaffirmed its position that it does not support the removal of the recruitment and retention allowance paid to members serving with Marine Scotland Compliance. Following a meeting last year, management told members that this allowance would no longer be continued — despite not having agreed this with either Nautilus or Unite.

PLA TALKS: initial talks between Nautilus, Unite, Unison, the London Pilots’ Committee (LPC) and the Port of London Authority (PLA) have taken place on this year’s pay review. The PLA will now hold a series of briefings with employees before making a pay offer. Once received, Nautilus officials will decide if consultation with its members is required.

STENA OFFER: ‘final’ pay offers of 1.2% made by Stena Marine for members serving on ro-ro and ro-pax ferries, and for those on protected terms from Maersk on the same vessels, have been rejected by Nautilus.

The company has been asked by national ferry organiser Micky Smyth to reconsider the proposals, which are below the RPI inflation rate.

COLLEGE VISIT: officer trainees will have the opportunity to meet the Union in its latest scheduled college visit. Senior assistant organiser Lee Moon will speak to deck cadets at Tyneside College on 15 March from 0900hrs and will then conduct a drop-in from 1300 to 1400. Further college visits will be advertised via the Union’s website.

GARDLINE PARTNERSHIP: a draft partnership at work (PAW) understanding has been agreed by Nautilus and marine science company Gardline. Once finalised, the document will be signed by both parties. Following this, the Union will be seeking volunteers to join the new PAW committee.

WESTERN ROLES: two liaison officer positions remain available for members employed by Western Ferries (Clyde). The roles are for two fully paid-up nominees who will remain in post until 31 May 2019.

DFDS REQUEST: a request for members employed

by DFDS to submit their aspirations for the forthcoming pay and conditions review was due to close shortly after the Telegraph went to print.

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Thames TUPE staff recruited assistant organiser Danny F McGowan and industrial organiser Pictured above are senior

Lisa Carr at North Greenwich Pier welcoming new Nautilus members Jasmyn Ross (left) and Ieva Serpenskaite (right) into the Union.

The pair — who work for Thames Clippers— recently joined the

Union during a two-day recruitment drive to encourage catering staff who were TUPE-transferred from Aramark to join Nautilus.

The Union hopes to get many former Aramark staff to join so that they are recognised as part of the current collective bargaining agreement with Thames Clippers.

sector, Nautilus is embarking on a major new initiative to recruit and organise in the industry.

Officials held an inaugural meeting last month, including members working in the sector, to develop proposals for a ‘best practice charter’ to improve pay and conditions and to address concerns such as excessive working hours and poor onboard accommodation.

‘The response to the Telegraph feature has been extremely positive and we have been receiving lots of enquiries from seafarers working in the sector, which is very positive,’ said senior national organiser Garry Elliott.

‘It is clear to us that now is the right time to launch a concerted programme to build our membership base and drive forward a campaign that will make sure that crews in the windfarm industry are properly treated and properly rewarded for the

Nautilus wins £1m damages ‘Compensation figures show the value of membership’

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Nautilus recovered more than £1m last year in compensation for members suffering injury or ill health as a result of their work.

The settlements secured by the Union last year mean that it has obtained a total of almost £5m damages in personal injury claims brought on behalf of members since 2011.

Head of legal services Charles Boyle said the most common cases dealt with by Nautilus last year were injuries caused whilst using or operating equipment, slips, trips, falls, and exposure to asbestos.

‘The scale of the compensation we have recovered for members underlines the value of belonging to Nautilus,’ he pointed out. ‘The Union will support personal injury claims, at no cost to members, where the

prospects of success are assessed as being at least 51%, and in an industry in which accident rates sadly continue to be very high, this is a very important service.’

Any members needing Nautilus support for a claim are advised to contact the legal department as soon as possible after an incident, as strict time limits apply to claims and these can vary between different jurisdictions.

Mr Boyle said the legacy of exposure to asbestos continues to be evident. While no new claims for pleural plaques can now be brought in England or Wales, they can still be pursued in Scotland or Northern Ireland if there is a sufficiently strong connection with those jurisdictions, he pointed out.

Other asbestos claims, such as mesothelioma, can still be

brought in any UK jurisdiction, when there is a sufficient connection. Any members who believe they have been exposed to asbestos at work, but have not developed any symptoms of a disease/condition, are advised to register with the Union in case a claim becomes necessary in the future.

Nautilus will also fund members’ employment tribunal claims if the chances of success are judged to be at least 51%.

Tribunal claims can now cost up to £1,200 as a result of charges introduced by the government in 2013 — and the TUC warns that this is pricing many workers out of justice.

A government review published last month revealed that the number of tribunal cases has fallen by 68% since the charges were introduced.

assistant organiser Danny F McGowan onboard the DFDS vessel Pictured left is Nautilus senior

Dunkerque Seaways in the port of Dover last month.

The ship visit by Mr McGowan, national ferry organiser Micky Smyth and senior assistant organiser Lee Moon coincided with the TUC’s #heartunions week — which runs nationally from 8 to 14 February and asks people to submit pictures showing their support for the work done by trade unions around the UK.

essential work they do,’ he added.

‘We want to work with the good employers in the sector to promote high standards and to combat unfair competition or unsafe working practices,’ he explained. ‘In the coming months, we plan to embark on a series of vessel visits and further member meetings to build our programme.

‘We are determined to make a real difference for seafarers in the sector and invite members and nonmembers alike to contact us with their thoughts and ideas for how we can best represent them and progress the issues that they have,’ Mr Elliott said. g If you are working in the windfarm sector and would like to feed into the Nautilus campaign, contact national organiser Steve Doran at the Union’s Wallasey office; or if you want more information on the benefits of membership, contact senior assistant organiser Lee Moon — tel: 0151 639 8454 or email lmoon@nautilusint.org

Members reject Peel Ports cuts

by Peel Ports in VTS roles have A voted unanimously to reject the Nautilus members employed

company’s cost-cutting proposal and in favour of taking industrial action.

The decision came after the Union consulted members following a meeting with management in January. During the talks, the company made it clear that its revised offer was the final position — stating that new starters into VTS roles will have a new begin-at rate of £29,000 a year and be placed on three months’ notice, both to and from the company.

The company said pay would be frozen for current VTS staff and all VTS staff would be contracted for a 40-hour average working week, with changing shift patterns. Bank holidays would be included within the new shift pattern and therefore all special rates of pay or enhanced pay for those periods would be revoked.

Nautilus has informed the company of the decision to reject the proposal and has urged management to hold a further meeting to resolve the issue.

Industrial organiser Gary Leech said the Union would do all it could to protect members’ working arrangements. ‘We remain in active dialogue with Peel Ports management about the ongoing issues and I’m hopeful we can come to some resolution,’ he explained.

‘However, what we have to do as a Union is prioritise the views and expectations of our members and to date those areas have not been satisfactorily met by Peel Ports.

‘As is always the case, industrial action remains the last port of call for Nautilus, but we will take this action if we believe it’s necessary to protect our members and it’s their will to do so.’

Further talks were due to take place on Tuesday 21 February. Updates will be issued via bulletin when they are available.

15/02/2017 17:47

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Lay reps’ praise for latest training course

STENA CALL: Nautilus has informed Stena Line that it must improve its pay offer for members serving on all its routes. The company proposed either a two-year agreement with a 1.4% pay increase in year one and a 1.6% increase in year two, or a one-year deal of 1.2% — both of which fall below the RPI inflation rate. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth said he looks forward to hearing the company’s improved offer in light of ‘the considerable profit made by the company and excellent contributions from loyal hardworking employees.’

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Nautilus senior assistant organisers Danny McGowan and Lee Moon (seated third and fourth from left) are pictured with the latest group of members to have completed the Union’s essential lay reps course — standing (left to right) Richard Fearn, Bob De Ville, Glenn Cairns, Kevin Rumsey, David Johnstone, Stuart Bott, Stuart Kidd and Terry Morris. Seated (left to right) Emma Baggett, Neil Woodward, Danny McGowan, Lee Moon and Yvonne Parry.

The three-day course — held in Quorn, Leicestershire — gives members the skills to take on their new roles representing their colleagues.

Course delegate Terry Morris described the training as ‘very informative’ and said it had given useful advice on how he can assist colleagues and other members.

Fellow attendee David Johnstone

added: ‘It gave a good insight into the Union’s structure and the duties and responsibilities of the lay rep.’

Three of those on the course have already put their name down for further training run by Nautilus

— an advanced course, covering such topics as negotiating and communication skills, employment rights and relevant employment tribunal decisions, social media and pensions.

The next essential lay reps course will take place from 24 to 26 May 2017, at the Quorn Grange Hotel.

For further details, email reps@nautilusint.org or call +44 (0)1515 639 8454.

Tender hopes for Scottish ferries Nautilus welcomes review of procurement policies for lifeline services

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Nautilus has welcomed a Scottish government decision to review the need to put lifeline ferry services out to tender in the future.

Announcing the move, transport minister Humza Yousaf said he wanted to examine the legal, policy and financial implications affecting the procurement of key Scottish ferry services to islands and remote communities.

Following feedback from the European Commission, he said the review would assess whether Scottish ferries could be covered by the ‘Teckal exemption’ which enables some services to be operated by an in-house provider without the need for competitive tendering.

Tendering for the GourockDunoon services has been put

shortreports

on hold and the current contract extended for around nine months while the study takes place.

The minister said the review will also address the implications for the planned tendering of the Northern Isles services, as well as assessing the requirement to ensure compliance with EU state aid rules ‘We cannot pre-judge the outcome of the review,’ Mr Yousaf stressed. ‘However, should it conclude that it would be possible to apply the Teckal exemption and meet state aid rules then we would be minded to provide ferry services through an in-house operator, taking account of the communities they serve.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘I welcome this announcement. We have always maintained that the

tender process was unnecessary, costly and unsettling for our members and the communities they serve.

‘However, it is just a review and we have been here before only to be told that the best way to comply with EU state aid guidelines is, after all, to offer a public tender,’ he added. ‘Consequently, our efforts have in recent times has been focused on making sure that the tender specification makes it clear that the job security, employment conditions and pensions of our members must not be jeopardised.

‘But in trying to remain optimistic, I hope this time will be different and the minister will indeed find a way forward which negates the need for a tender and keeps the lifeline ferry services of Scotland in public hands,

serving the communities that rely on these lifeline services and rewarding the professionalism of the British seafarers on the vessels.’

National ferry officer Micky Smyth added: ‘This is something that we have campaigned for over many years, alongside the other ferry unions, and we are delighted the minister has taken our arguments onboard. We also welcome the commitment to involve unions in the review process and Nautilus will make a constructive contribution to the discussions ahead.’

Mr Yousaf said he had asked Transport Scotland to engage fully with trade unions and other stakeholders in the course of the review. ‘Our ferry services play a vital role for our island economies,’ he added.

Members consulted on pay offer as Hanson orders new ships

SHELL SETTLEMENT: Nautilus has written to members employed by Shell International Shipping Services confirming the company’s pay position for 2017 following talks with management. Although salary levels will not increase, there will be a rise from 5% to 6.5% in MCA payments in recognition of the high demand for gas-qualified officers. Details will also be made available soon for Shell’s merit awards and individual performance bonuses.

GLOBAL MEETING: a meeting between Nautilus and Global Marine Services management took place at the end of January. During the talks the company spoke about the difficulties it expected to face during the year ahead, but said 2018 was ‘looking strong’. It added that it would also be looking to recruit cadets and provide promotion opportunities for existing staff in the final quarter of the year.

MAERSK VIEWS: Nautilus has asked members employed by Maersk Offshore (Bermuda) and Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) on ICO CBA container vessels to submit their aspirations for the upcoming pay and conditions review. Similar aspirations are being sought from members employed by Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) who work on the SAO CBA. WINDSTAR DEAL: members employed by Windstar Management Services have voted to accept a 2% pay increase following consultation. The agreement — which includes an additional 0.5% for those who have served between two and five years, and 1% extra for those above five years — concludes the company’s 2017 pay and conditions review.

MERIDIAN REVIEW: Nautilus has requested that a 1.2% pay offer made by Meridian Shipping Services to members serving onboard ro-ro and ro-pax ferries is ‘reviewed’. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth has written to the company to state that the offer is below the RPI inflation rate and the Union cannot recommend it for acceptance.

CALMAC LIAISON: Nautilus is calling for nominations to fill a vacant liaison officer role to represent members employed by Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) as navigating officers — excluding masters — in the Clyde division.

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

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

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Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr is pictured with Hanson manager Tom Holroyd and liaison officer Geoff Seago at pay talks last month.

Following the discussions, the company offered a 2% increase to all sea staff, along with a 2% increase in the company-instigated training rate and a 10% increase in the statutory

04-05_at work.indd 5

training rate. Members are now being consulted on the package, which also includes an increase in the Christmas bonus, to £130 for officers and £115 for ratings, and for overtime payments to be paid after four additional days have been served.

Hanson has also announced a €70m order for two new suction trailing dredgers, pictured above.

15/02/2017 17:47

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports

New CSV for Dutch firm Marine has ordered a new DP2 A construction support vessel, pictured

VGG VISIT: Nautilus national organiser Jonathan Havard expressed his thanks to members employed

by VGG (Guernsey) as dive techs and marine crew, following his visit to the dividing support vessel Bibby Polaris at the Fayard shipyard in Odense, Denmark, in January. During the visit, Mr Havard met members and representatives from VGG. The company took away a number of suggestions which will be considered and it is anticipated that a further meeting will be organised in the near future.

CLYDE AWARD: Clyde Training Solutions has become the 200th company to secure Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) accreditation — less than a year after it opened its dedicated maritime and offshore training centre on the banks of the Clyde. CTS achieved the OPITO standard for delivering the organisation’s Minimum Industry Training Standard (MIST).

SUBSEA CALL: investment in new technology and increased collaboration is essential if untapped smaller fields in the North Sea are to be opened up, a conference heard last month. Delegates at the National Subsea Research Initiative workshop in Aberdeen were told that new initiatives are needed to exploit remaining reserves in the area, which have often been deemed as uneconomic.

US CURBS: US maritime unions have welcomed proposals to strengthen the country’s Jones Act requirements to cover vessels carrying oil and gas equipment in US waters. They claim the extension of the rules to require the use of US-flagged and US-crewed construction vessels to transport equipment could ‘rightfully restore over 3,200 American jobs’.

BP PAY: no date has yet been confirmed by VGG (Guernsey) to discuss the 2017 pay and conditions review for members employed on the BP offshore vessel agreement. Nautilus was still waiting for a proposed meeting date in the middle of February and national organiser Jonathan Havard said he would advise members of any developments.

BRENT BOOST: industry experts have welcomed the start of consultations on Shell’s plans to decommission its Brent oil and gas field, predicting that the work could create hundreds of new jobs.

The Dutch company Acta

left, from the Norwegian builder Ulstein Verft.

Primarily aimed at the offshore wind market and scheduled for delivery early in 2018, the new Ulstein SX195 design vessel will feature an X-Bow, X-Stern and an integrated walk-to-work gangway system which will enable transfers in significant wave-heights of up to 3m.

‘We are expanding our services and fleet for offshore wind and chose Ulstein for our new construction support vessel,’ said Acta Marine MD Rob Boer. ‘This vessel will be the

Insurers warn of lay-up fears Safety worries over skills supply for reactivated vessels

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Marine insurers have warned of safety problems as offshore support vessels and mobile units are reactivated in response to recovery in the sector.

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) said last month that there are ‘pleasing’ signs of market improvements as a result of OPEC members agreeing to restrict production.

Simon Williams, chairman of IUMI’s energy and offshore committee, said the oil price is stabilising at around US$50 to $60 and while it remains some way off the level the industry would like, oil companies are ‘adapting their businesses to deal with what is likely to be the new norm for a while’.

The improvements are leading some operators to take vessels and units out of lay-up and back

into service, he pointed out, and this is causing concern to insurers.

‘Companies have been shedding people year-on-year as rigs and units have been laid up and scrapped,’ Mr Williams said. ‘Now we are seeing an uptick that we believe will run into 2018, and units which have been warmstacked or cold-stacked are being brought back into service.

‘There are significant costs in reactivation and hiring the right crew is essential,’ he pointed out.

‘As much as we want to see them back in service, risk management has to be at the top of the agenda.

‘Having the right crew with the right experience available is vital, but many people have been laid off in the industry since the downturn began and it must be asked whether companies have retained sufficient experience to deal with the upturn.

‘It may be a challenge to get the right people back if they have gone ashore,’ he added.

Mr Williams said some units have been cold-stacked for over a year and in such cases they will require a lot of ‘TLC’ to return to work safely.

Insurers are concerned about the potential risks arising from cuts in maintenance, he added.

Donald Harrell, chair of IUMI’s facts and figures committee, said underwriters are also concerned about the potentially negative impact on safety of offshore service companies having gone out of business in recent years.

‘Units need to be brought back gradually,’ he suggested. ‘We will need to watch carefully if there is a big and sudden spike in reactivation, because we don’t know what the level of support available might be.’

Call for clarity on Farstad CBA about members’ jobs and F employment conditions following a

Nautilus is seeking clarification

Pictured above is the new icebreaking platform supply vessel Gennadiy Nevelskoy, which was named at the Arctech Helsinki Shipyard last month.

The 3,000dwt vessel is first of four being built for the Russian operator SCF at the yard ‒ with the other three being 2,000dwt icebreaking standby vessels. All four will be used for standby duties and the year-round delivery of supplies to three offshore platforms in the Sea of Okhotsk under a 20-year agreement with Sakhalin Energy.

restructuring agreement which will see Farstad Shipping merge with Solstad Offshore and Deep Sea Supply to create one ‘world-leading offshore supply vessel company — Solstad Farstad.

The merger will create the largest company in the high-end global OSV industry with a fleet of 154 vessels — including 66 platform support vessels,

Salaries for members serving

06_offshore.indd 6

our previously agreed CBA,’ explained Mr Doran. ‘After years of uncertainty about their futures in the offshore sector, we need to make sure that those members who are with Farstad have a clear understanding of what this agreement will mean for them.’

Farstad Shipping chief executive Karl Johan Bakken said the agreement would provide ‘an industrial platform to sustain the current downturn in the OSV market and be well positioned to exploit a market recovery’.

Sealion salaries slashed by 20% in the Sealion fleet are set to F be slashed by 20% over the next six

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

55 anchor handling tug supply vessels and 33 construction support vessels.

However, the agreement leaves questions over the Union’s current collective bargaining agreement with Farstad Shipping. National secretary Steve Doran and industrial organiser Gary Leech are now looking to meet management to discuss the impact of the merger.

‘We’re looking to meet with the company as soon as possible to ensure that our members remain covered by

months in a bid to cut costs.

The cuts — which will affect members employed by Seahorse Maritime — follow a series of meetings between Nautilus and management, who acknowledged the results of a membership ballot that favoured a 10% salary reduction.

Seahorse confirmed that the initial pay reduction will see gross salaries reduced to 90% on 1 March, then down to 85% from 1 June and finally down to 80% of current levels on 1 September 2017.

The move will mean salaries would be similar to those in the ferry sector — as members had previously pointed out to the company. Seahorse stated, however, that leave will be

paid at the rate at which it was earned, with entitlements being calculated individually.

Industrial organiser Lisa Carr commented: ‘We said before that these cuts would be devastating to our members and I know that this news will be disappointing. Members may still wish to challenge the company’s decision and if this is the case, I am happy to talk with them.’

next level in the market and very well suited to operate in the offshore, and specifically the renewable, market.’

In-field flexibility, winter workability, safe transfer of people and cargo, optimised onboard logistics and high comfort for crews are key criteria, the company said.

The 93.4m vessel will accommodate up to 120 people in 80 cabins. It will be equipped with an SMST-provided dynamic motion compensated gangway system, mounted on an integrated tower with height adjustment and a personnel/ cargo lift. It also features a 3D-motion compensated crane with 6t lifting capacity.

HSE alert after rig loses DP control (HSE) has called for checks on A the safety of DP systems following an The Health & Safety Executive

incident in which a semi-submersible DP drilling rig lost control of position for several minutes.

The incident — in which the drill pipe was sheared and the lower marine riser package, had to be disengaged — was caused by accidental disengagement of the DP system, with poor ergonomic design of the control system being blamed for the loss of position control and the crew’s ‘inadequate’ response.

The HSE said the crew had immediately noticed loss of position, but did not appreciate that DP was disengaged. ‘They initially believed there was a technical fault with the DP and it took six minutes before they realised the DP was disengaged,’ the report notes.

Investigations revealed that the button for transfer from DP to manual control was not protected against accidental operation and there was no clear indication at the DP desk that DP was no longer engaged.

The utility panel for selection of DP or manual mode was some distance away from the DP desk, the HSE added.

Since the incident, a cover guard has been fitted to the button, the HSE said. However, it noted that a similar problem had been found on another DP drilling rig when control was switched from DP to manual and it was found that no clear indication of the transfer was displayed on the DP desk screen.

The HSE also noted that Australian authorities issued a safety alert in response to another incident where DP was inadvertently disengaged.

The HSE said operators of DP vessels and offshore installations should review the ergonomic aspects of their control system. It said checks should be carried out on the level of protection against accidental change of system mode from automatic to manual and to ensure that the status of the system is clearly displayed at all relevant control stations.

Where weaknesses are found, crews should be alerted and ‘appropriate improvements’ should be made to the DP control system,’ it added.

15/02/2017 15:03

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

‘Pungent’ FoC tanker had no cleaning materials onboard convenience chemical tanker A detained in a UK port last month were Seafarers onboard a flag of

found to have three months of unpaid wages and no warm clothing.

The Marshall Islands-registered Sea Emperor, pictured right, was detained by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency at Fawley after an inspection revealed that crew members were owed more than US$72,000.

The seafarers’ employment agreement was not available and there were also deficiencies with charts, personal equipment and the ship’s

occupational health and safety policies, as well as no cleaning materials.

Peter Morgan, assistant port chaplain with the seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), visited the 13,083dwt ship to offer the crew assistance after one of the seafarers contacted the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

He said he was taken aback when he boarded the ship. ‘It was pungent onboard, to put it politely,’ he said. ‘The crew were nervous around the marine superintendent and were reluctant to say anything at the time.’

Sensing their uneasiness, he left his contact details with the crew, who texted him later to say they had not been paid their wages and that they had no warm clothing with them.

Mr Morgan returned to the ship a couple of days later, bringing fresh clothes, soap and other cleaning materials, as well as sim cards so the crew could contact their families in the Philippines. ‘They appeared happier and more relaxed,’ he added. ‘They informed me they had finally been paid and that cleaning supplies had been put onboard.’

Bribery law ‘no help to masters’ Expanding foam had been used in an unsuccessful attempt to stop water leaking into a cabin onboard the general cargoship Salix

Refusing to pay could end in arrests, Nautilus member warns conference

Crew accommodation P was ‘worst I’ve seen’ Molloy said he came across the F worst crew accommodation he has Nautilus/ITF inspector Tommy

ever seen when a flag of convenience ship was detained in Ellesmere Port last month.

The 2,120gt general cargoship Salix was detained for four days after a port state control inspection found 10 deficiencies, including a breach of the load line regulations because of a hatch cover not fitting properly, water ingress following a hose test, and oil filtering equipment not as required.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency also found signs of water ingress to one of the crew cabins via the porthole and a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Mr Molloy said some of the

accommodation areas were appalling. ‘One cabin has extensive amounts of expanding foam on the deck area, around the porthole and lower bulkhead/deck area to try to prevent water ingress,’ he added. ‘It is not very successful, and the fact that the seafarer who had to try to sleep in this cabin tried to persuade me not to raise the matter for fear of his employment is an indictment of the operation.’

Mr Molloy said there were no wages accounts on the Cook Islandsflagged ship and crew members had not been paid for additional overtime. A claim of USS2,173 was settled and a temporary repair was carried out to the porthole in the crew cabin before the ship was allowed to sail.

Minister pressed over laser rules

No amount of ‘wellmeaning’ legislation will end the daily reality of bribery demands for ship masters, a Nautilus member warned an industry conference in London last month.

Speaking at the IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Risk Forum, Captain Nick Cooper said most maritime professionals he worked with had fallen about laughing when the UK Bribery Act came into effect. ‘It was obvious to us that whoever drafted it had never been further afield than the gilded corridors of Whitehall,’ he added.

Capt Cooper said that in his many years at sea he had ‘been on the receiving end of every kind of

harassment, bullying, abuse and blackmail imaginable, with outright threats into making facilitation payments, ranging from a few cartons of cigarettes to thousands of dollars in hard cash’.

At best, such encounters are a nuisance, he said, but at worst they can result in the ship being seriously delayed or even detained if payments and demands are not met.

‘This ill-treatment of seafarers is always one way, and it all adds up to increased worry and stress and lots of wasted hours for the master,’ he added.

Capt Cooper told the meeting of a number of cases where he faced demands for cash from port health officers, port state control

F

or bus drivers could face big fines or jail sentences.

In a letter to the minister, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson pointed out that there have been documented laser attacks on ferries and he requested confirmation that merchant shipping will be covered by the regulations.

or indeed the master when some minor discrepancy is found and a huge bribe demanded.

‘And that’s the reality, and all the well-meaning legislation in the world in not going to change it,’ Capt Cooper said. ‘Live with it and allow for it, without condoning it. Protest as often and as loudly as you can, but not at the risk of bringing the whole house down on your head, because the master will be blamed for any repercussions.

‘Only when whole governments, right up to head of state, are free of corruption, will this bribe-free culture filter down to the numerous officials of all grades running their ports,’ he concluded.

France finds defects on ship that sailed wrong way down Dover Strait TSS in France last month after it was caught A sailing down the wrong side of the Channel traffic

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier was detained

Nautilus has written to UK transport minister Chris Grayling to seek confirmation that new laws to combat laser pen attacks on transport will apply to shipping.

Announcing the proposals last month, the Department for Transport said people found guilty of shining laser pens at aircraft pilots, and train

inspectors, customs officers and immigration officials — as well as the well-known ‘facilitation gifts’ in the Suez Canal.

‘What is the solution? Stop paying or giving anything at all to any official in every port in the world?

Great idea, but wake up and smell the coffee, because it isn’t going to happen,’ he added. ‘It would be a very brave — and, in my opinion, foolish — owner who gave written instructions to their masters to this effect.

‘No master in his right mind is going to refuse to pay up in either goods or cash, as cargo operations may be delayed, the paperwork found to be faulty, and the vessel detained,’ he argued. ‘This could escalate into the arrest of the ship,

separation scheme.

The 16,648dwt Ormi had been spotted by the French coastguard service at Cap Gris-Nez proceeding in the wrong direction of the south-north lane of the Dover Strait TSS. Warnings were issued to other ships in the area after the Greek-owned vessel — which was carrying

a cargo of coal — was said to have failed to respond to calls from the Dover MRCC. The French authorities said that ‘in view of the serious failures to observe navigational rules’, Ormi had been subjected to detailed safety and security inspections in the port of Dunkirk and was subsequently detained for four days while defects were rectified.

Port state control officials found a total of 18 deficiencies, including defective oil filtering

equipment, fire safety and life-saving equipment problems, expired and invalid crew certificates and seafarer employment agreements, and substandard accommodation, recreational and sanitary facilities, and food and catering.

In August 2015, the French authorities detained the Gibraltar-registered general cargoship Musketier after it sailed for more than an hour in the wrong direction of the TSS and failed to answer calls from the coastguard while en route from Russia to Spain.

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15/02/2017 11:46

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Oceanco launches largest Netherlands-built yacht launched the largest yacht ever A built in the Netherlands — the 110m The Dutch yard Oceanco has

project Jubilee, pictured left.

The 4,500gt vessel is set to undergo sea trials in the North Sea this month before cruising in the Mediterranean in the summer season.

London-based Burgess provided technical consultancy and project management throughout the entire build process, and will manage the yacht when it comes into service.

Featuring a fully-certified helicopter operating deck forward

Concern over ‘fast track’ certificate Union raises concern over short-cut scheme for master’s unlimited ticket

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Nautilus has voiced caution over the approval by two major flag states of a scheme to provide superyacht officers with a new route to gain master’s certification for yachts over 3,000gt.

Following talks with representatives of the Marshall Islands (RMI) registry, the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry has announced its official recognition of the RMI’s Master (Yachts) Unlimited Tonnage Certificate of Competency (CoC).

The RMI says the certification programme — which is delivered in coordination with Maritime Professional Training (MPT) in Fort Lauderdale — has been designed to ‘allow owners and

managers to keep their working relationships with trusted and experienced yacht captains, who now have the possibility of continuing their yachting careers over the MCA and USCG’s traditional limit of 3,000gt’.

Candidates for the certificate have to attend MPT’s Capstone Assessment Course, described as ‘a rigorous five-day training and evaluation course that includes a written multiple choice exam and simulator assessment in order to determine the candidates’ knowledge and experience in command of large yachts’.

Before starting the course, candidates have to demonstrate that they have the underpinning knowledge and experience

equivalent to the Chief Mate Unlimited certificate, bar the cargo modules, and meet 14 defined prerequisites based on STCW requirements.

The scheme is in part a response to the growing size of superyachts, with almost 50 vessels over 3,000gt now in service.

RMI said it had been developed as a ‘time-efficient, cost-effective solution’ to overcome a ‘glass ceiling’ for officers who would otherwise have had to leave the superyacht sector to get commercial experience to progress to unlimited certification.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson described it as ‘an interesting development in this expanding sector that elimi-

nates the frustration of a barrier to career progression’.

However, he added, the Union does have concerns about the use of a multiple choice examination and the absence of an oral examination.

‘We have particular concerns over the possibility of undermining a certificate structure that ensures a quality-based system providing the requisite skills,’ Mr Graveson said.

‘There are questions about the way in which underpinning knowledge is acquired — be it by college attendance or distance learning — and of particular concern would be if this was seen as a means to short-cut certification for passenger vessels.’

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

Investigators seek higher standards for ocean rowing Investigation Branch (MAIB) has F called for tighter controls over ocean The UK Marine Accident

rowing following the death of a crew member in the Atlantic last year.

Mike Johnson died after being swept overboard from the 10.8m ocean rowing boat Toby Wallace only a day after a crew member from another boat operated by the same British company had to be rescued by a passing merchant ship. Earlier on the same day, four crew from another ocean rowing boat had to be picked up by a bulk carrier after their vessel was damaged in rough seas.

Investigators said low gunnels on the Toby Wallace gave little protection against a person falling overboard, and Mr Johnson had not been adequately tethered to the boat — the leash he was wearing became detached from his ankle after a large wave swept him into the sea.

The seven remaining rowers were unable to stop the boat and the MAIB said Mr Johnson’s chances of being found were reduced because he was not wearing a lifejacket or a personal locator beacon.

The report points out that, since 1990, there have been 204 unsuccessful attempts to row across an ocean in which crews have had

on the UKSA’s Professional Yacht F Cadetship this term — the highest

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.

INTERNATIONAL

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08_yachts.indd 8

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Once your yacht service is verified O in our office in Antibes, then the MCA accepts the Nautilus SRB as M ssufficient proof of onboard and sea sservice and no further supporting ddocumentation is required. zContact the membership ddepartment either via email or telephone to receive your free SRB. te

to be rescued, and it notes that such small boats ‘rely heavily on passing merchant vessels and distant SAR services for assistance in the event of an emergency’.

The MAIB said it was ‘astonishing’ that sea survival training was not a requirement for all crew on the boat and suggested there is a ‘compelling’ case for all ocean rowing boats to be ‘appropriately prepared and equipped’.

The rowers had each paid £15,000 to be on Toby Wallace for the planned voyage between the Canary Islands and Barbados. The MAIB said the registration of the boat as a pleasure vessel in the skipper’s name was ‘inappropriate’ — although there were no avenues by which it could have gained commercial certification.

‘Ocean rowing is a niche sport that has grown in popularity, but the boats used and their operation is largely unregulated,’ the report states.

The MAIB recommends that the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and British Rowing develop measures to improve the safety of ocean rowing boats, including a code of practice covering issues such as boat design, construction and stability, training, equipment, onboard procedures and shore-based and seaborne support.

Female cadet record at UKSA Six women have started training

Nautilus International works closely with the MCA and regulatory authorities in Europe and around the world, and this SRB is one of only two that the MCA recognises worldwide as evidence of acceptable service. p

with a concealed mooring deck below, Project Jubilee was built to the Passenger Yacht Code and will carry up to 30 guests in 15 staterooms — including an entirely private owner’s deck.

Power comes from a pair of MTU diesel engines, with a top speed of 18.5 knots, and the vessel is fitted with ‘zero speed stabilisers’ which work at anchor, increasing onboard comfort when the yacht is stationary, particularly in rough waters.

Oceanco also claimed a first by delivering the vessel fully outfitted, in ‘turnkey condition’.

intake since the scheme began at the Cowes-based centre in 2006. Five of the six are sponsored by British maritime charities.

UKSA CEO Ben Willows said: ‘We

are delighted to see the numbers of females entering the industry increasing year-on-year. With UKSA’s industry guidance and our ongoing support when the cadets begin fulltime careers, we can see no reason for them not to join the highest echelons of the industry.’

Huisman site

Innovative sailing yacht A — a revolutionary 143m F superyacht delivered by the German Pictured above is Sailing Yacht

yard Nobiskrug last month.

Taking the title of the world’s 10th largest superyacht, the 12,600gt sail-assisted motor yacht was commissioned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.

Described as one of the most advanced yachts ever built, the Bermuda-flagged Sailing Yacht A has a range of special features including

an underwater observation pod and a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system. The three carbon-fibre rotating masts are the tallest and most highly loaded freestanding composite structures in the world — with the mainmast reaching 100m above the waterline.

Twin 4,827hp MTU diesel engines provide a top speed of 21 knots, with a range of 5,320nm at the cruising speed of 16 knots. The vessel will operate with a crew of 54.

by Michael Howorth

Royal Huisman is expanding F its capacity by taking over the

The Dutch superyacht builder

Amsterdam facilities of Holland Jachtbouw.

The 12,000 sq m HJB site included three shipbuilding halls with a maximum length of 60m, all overlooking 120m of waterfront with convenient access to open sea.

Royal Huisman said it has plans to diversify its range into the motor yacht sector and the facilities will be available for commissioning newbuild and refit projects.

15/02/2017 11:46

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

Masters fined for Humber collision Maritime & Coastguard Agency warns seafarers after taking case to court

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The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has warned seafarers against ‘complacency’ following a court case in which the masters of two vessels that collided in the Humber during thick fog were ďŹ ned ÂŁ3,000 each last month.

David Carlin, master of the WW2 motor launch Peggotty, and Thomas Neilsen, master of the Danish-agged freight ferry Petunia Seaways, both pleaded guilty to conduct endangering ships in a hearing at Hull Magistrates Court.

Prosecutors said that Mr Carlin —a master mariner and a Humber pilot, who was on a private voyage — had failed to comply with a number of safety regulations, including a failure to make his vessel’s radar operational, failure to make sound signals and failure to ensure all the navigation lights were working.

He had also not taken the conditions into account or prepared an effective passage plan for the journey and was relying on an untested mobile phone app. The court heard that he had not realised the Peggotty was in the main

shipping channel and was effectively blind to the collision course his vessel was on with the Petunia Seaway.

Prosecutors said that the 32,289gt Petunia Seaways was making its way down the Humber towards Grimsby at 14 knots in zero visibility at around 0430hrs on 19 May 2016.

Capt Neilsen had also failed to make any sound signals, and had failed to properly monitor and assess the radar to appreciate that his vessel was bearing down on the motor launch.

Just before 0450hrs the two vessels collided almost head-on. The Peggotty’s hull was damaged by the impact and the vessel began to take on water. Mr Carlin was able to broadcast a Mayday call and the two onboard were picked up by a nearby pilot boat before his vessel sank.

As well as ďŹ ning the two men ÂŁ3,000 each, the district judge also ordered Capt Neilsen to pay ÂŁ9,318.20 in costs as well, as a ÂŁ170 surcharge. Mr Carlin was told he would have to pay ÂŁ6,568 costs, along with a ÂŁ170 surcharge.

The case was brought following an investigation by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

Gwen Lancaster, surveyor in charge at the Agency’s Hull Marine OfďŹ ce, commented after the hearing: ‘I am both surprised and disappointed that this collision, which could easily have resulted in far worse consequences for those onboard the Peggotty, occurred in the ďŹ rst place. ‘Both vessels were under the command of experienced professional captains who should have known better,’ she added. ‘This whole incident reects complacency on their part, in addition to a blatant disregard for the rules designed to prevent collisions occurring at sea. ‘The Maritime & Coastguard Agency will prosecute those who endanger themselves and others in this way and our message is clear — there is no room for complacency where safety is concerned,’ she warned. ‘Masters of vessels must ensure they are properly prepared for the prevailing conditions and proceed in a safe manner whilst using all means of safe navigation at their disposal to best effect.’

Huge turn-out for Fleetwood open day

Professionals Forum chair F Martyn Gray is pictured above taking Nautilus Young Maritime

the Merchant Navy careers message to pupils at Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy in Runcorn.

Mr Gray — an engineer officer with Maersk — attended a careers fair at the school with Nautilus senior assistant organiser Lee Moon, giving advice about seafaring to students aged between 14 and 16.

Fifty years after homosexual acts

Further evidence of the strong

record number of applications for its new Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Shipping & Maritime Operations, to provide an entry qualification.

‘Traditionally, the route into a Merchant Navy career was through a sponsored cadetship via a shipping company,’ Mr Atkinson said, ‘but

with the Level 3 diploma there is a new pathway into industry with a high probability of employment as a result.’

The visit was organised as part of the national ‘inspiring the future’ initiative to connect schools with the world of work, and was further developed through the Union’s partnership with the Merchant Navy Training Board’s Careers at Sea volunteer ambassadors programme.

Nautilus plans to extend the scheme later in the year by inviting students interested in a maritime career to attend ship visits.

MPs set to abolish MN ‘anti-gay law’ were decriminalised on land F in the UK, MPs have voted to scrap a

interest in seafaring careers A was on display at Blackpool and The Fylde College last month — where almost 400 people attended the annual open day at Fleetwood Nautical Campus.

Potential students travelled from as far afield as Wiltshire and Scotland to tour the facilities and to speak to college staff, cadets in training and shipping industry representatives. ‘I was delighted to see such large numbers of people attending our open day and it just proves that a career at sea remains attractive to people from a wide range of backgrounds,’ said head of campus Neil Atkinson.

He said the college has seen

Class act by Nautilus

law which made it legal for seafarers to be dismissed on the grounds of ‘homosexual conduct’.

Nautilus has joined the RMT union and the Chamber of Shipping in welcoming the vote in favour of the second reading of a Bill submitted

by Tory MP John Glen to repeal two sections of the 1994 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act to remove the last provisions in UK law penalising homosexual acts.

Introducing the Bill in the House of Commons, Mr Glen said it was astonishing that such an anomaly remained on the statute book 23 years after gay sex in the Royal Navy was decriminalised. ‘When it comes to employment, in the Merchant Navy or anywhere else, what matters is a person’s ability to do the job—not their gender, age, ethnicity, religion or sexuality,’ he said.

Fellow Tory MP Iain Stewart said the Bill would send out a powerful

signal. ‘I hope that our Merchant Navy has a bright future,’ he added, ‘and in making that happen we need to have the best people to crew our ships. I do not want any young gay person thinking “That’s not for me, I can’t do it. I’d be bullied, discriminated against and possibly dismissed�.’ Transport minister Andrew Jones said the government backed the Bill as it would end ‘a historical hangover’ from the days when any employee could be dismissed for being gay.

He welcomed the work done by Nautilus, the RMT and the Chamber of Shipping to combat discrimination, bullying and harassment at sea and said he was pleased to note that the industry was well ahead of the law in promoting a diverse workforce.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘Employment in shipping should be free from discrimination of all kinds, and we are glad that this Bill has been backed by the government to bring the regulatory regime for the industry into the 21st century.’

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09_news.indd 9

15/02/2017 17:26

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

NEWS

UK operator ‘worst dumper’ last year F

A UK-based shipping company has been named as ‘the worst corporate dumper’ of old tonnage at substandard shipbreaking facilities in south Asia last year.

The lobby group NGO Shipbreaking Platform said Zodiac Maritime had sold 12 ships for breaking on the beaches in 2016, mostly to Bangladesh, and the company has been linked to some serious accidents — including the death of a Pakistani worker onboard its bulk carrier Snowdon in January this year.

NGO Shipbreaking Platform expressed concern that shipbreaking practices are not improving — and may actually be declining. It said a total of 668 ships had been broken on tidal beaches last year — amounting to some 87% of all tonnage dismantled globally.

‘The shipping industry is nowhere close to ensuring sustainable ship recycling practices,’ said executive director Patrizia Heidegger. ‘Last year, we saw not only an increase in the market share for dangerous and dirty shipbreaking, but also a record-breaking number of EU-owned vessels on the South Asian beaches.

A jaw-dropping 84% of all European end-of-life ships ended up in either India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

‘Beaching yards are not only well known for their failure to respect international environmental protection standards, but also for their disrespect of fundamental labour rights and international waste trade law,’ she pointed out.

The organisation said it had evidence that 22 workers had died in Bangladeshi yards last year and that in

MPs call for national shipbuilding strategy government to publish a F proposed new national shipbuilding MPs have urged the UK

strategy as soon as possible.

Opening a two-hour debate in the House of Commons last month, SNP defence spokesman Douglas Chapman expressed concern at the government’s failure to invest in new RN and RFA ships.

Glasgow MP Chris Stephen said it was a ‘nonsense’ that the construction

of the new RFA Tide class ships had been ‘farmed out’ of the UK. And Labour MP Kevan Jones added: ‘Exporting highly paid jobs and capability from this country is inexcusable.’

Defence minister Harriett Baldwin said the government is growing the size of RN ‘for the first time in a new generation’ and promised that the national shipbuilding strategy will be published this spring.

At least 28 workers died and 50 were injured when this tanker caught fire while being demolished on a beach at Gadani, Pakistan, in November 2016 Picture: Reuters

one incident in November at least 28 workers were killed instantly and more than 50 injured when an explosion and a massive fire ripped through a tanker beached in Gadani, Pakistan.

It said German owners had the worst record — sending 98% of all obsolete ships to a beach, and almost 40% of these being broken in Bangladesh, where conditions are known to be the worst. The organisation also criticised Maersk for a ‘u-turn on its previously progressive ship recycling policy’ with a decision to resume scrapping in India.

NGO Shipbreaking Platform said it had also uncovered evidence of shipping companies evading responsibility by selling end-of-life vessels to scrap dealers who use flags of convenience to dodge flag state jurisdiction.

Owners warned on crew comms At-sea restrictions would not be tolerated ashore, welfare conference is told

P

Ship owners and managers should stop trying to control crew members’ access to the internet, a service provider told a seafarer welfare conference last month.

Speaking at the Sailors’ Society Wellness at Sea event, Globecomm Maritime’s senior vicepresident of sales and marketing Trevor Whitworth said research shows the importance that seafarers are placing on good internet access.

Most crew now consider internet access to be one of the most important factors in the choice of employer — but while more than 70% describe it as the most important onboard facility, just 38% enjoy good access.

Mr Whitworth — a former

ship’s officer — said the industry is ‘on the cusp of a bandwidth deluge’, with a range of new satcom services coming on stream and an increasing range of content on offer for crews.

But, he warned, the shipping industry’s approach so far has been underwhelming. ‘Why do ship managers want to control crew so much, limiting access and making it expensive?’ he asked.

‘A similar approach ashore would not be tolerated, yet at sea there seems to be a belief that limited and expensive contact is somehow good for crew morale, productivity and mental health,’ he added.

There are some complex considerations, Mr Whitworth admitted, including the need to comply

with rest periods, the impact of bad news from home, the risk of isolation and ways to maintain crew morale. But, he argued, these are not new problems. Serious owners and operators need to embrace current trends and there is no reason why group activities onboard cannot be encouraged at the same time as good communications are provided.

Privacy is very important and restrictions can be counterproductive, he pointed out.

‘It might be fairly easy to prevent access to certain apps over a ship’s network, but crews are endlessly creative people,’ Mr Whitworth said. ‘They will be able to access all the feeds, websites and sources that they want — and to some, the presence of security or

Industry urged to do more Facelift for Shieldhall on seafarer mental health

SS Shieldhall project director Graham Mackenzie is pictured with Moss Marine MD Mike Moss and his sons Damien and Dominyk

Shieldhall is nearing the A completion of a refit supported

The 62-year-old steamship

with a £1.4m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, and the latest stage of the project has seen the fitting out of the historic vessel’s saloon and bar.

The work was carried out by Southampton-based Moss Marine and company MD Mike Moss said he had been delighted to have been involved with the restoration of the heritage vessel.

‘Whilst we regularly fit out Navy ships, it was a challenge for us to prepare a 1950s interior to an historic standard and yet one compatible with the needs of

10-11_news.indd 10

seafaring customers in 2017,’ he added.

Shieldhall project director Graham Mackenzie said he was impressed by the standard of the craftsmanship displayed in the work. ‘The Moss Marine team went to great lengths in their design and sourcing of material,’ he added.

Built as a sludge dumping vessel for the Corporation of Glasgow, Shieldhall also operated for Southern Water between 1980 and 1985 before being bought by the Solent Steam Packet charity.

Crewed by volunteers, the ship is due to begin its 2017 sailing season in May.

start treating the mental health A of seafarers in the same way that it The shipping industry needs to

concentrates on their physical health, a maritime charity conference was told last month.

Delegates at the Sailors’ Society’s first Wellness at Sea conference were told that a more holistic approach to the health of crews would help to improve productivity, motivation and overall efficiency.

The charity launched its Wellness at Sea coaching and support programme in 2015, with the aim of providing seafarers with improved assistance

for physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual wellness needs.

The conference heard how the programme is now developing research studies on seafarers’ occupational health with Yale University. There were also presentations on issues including suicides at sea, food and diet, the impact of communications on crew welfare, and the way in which the charity’s free Wellness at Sea app is helping seafarers to assess and monitor their wellbeing.

Sailors’ Society CEO Stuart Rivers

said: ‘The conference focused on the early identification of mental health issues before they impact seafarers’ lives, the safety of the ship and cargo, and ultimately the bottom line.

‘Wellness at Sea is about recognising that something isn’t right,’ he added. ‘We heard stories at the conference about conditions onboard some ships being so terrible that seafarers were terrified to sleep or even committing suicide.

‘If we work together and share data, I believe we can significantly improve the wellness of all seafarers.

It is up to us to ensure this happens.’

constraints is a challenge and not a deterrent.’

The industry should see communications as an aid to welfare, with a ‘truly always-on ability for crew to connect to support onshore whenever they need it’, he added. Companies should think proactively about the way in which services such as remote health monitoring could be used to improve the working lives of their seafarers.

Mr Whitworth said operators should stop trying to swim against the tide. ‘As long as there are seafarers they will want cheap and easy access to friends, family and beyond,’ he concluded. ‘The difference is that they increasingly believe it is their right to do so.’

Network will help victims of piracy Society has launched a special A crisis response network to help Southampton-based Sailors’

victims of piracy, kidnapping and natural disasters across Asia.

The charity has provided specialist training for all 20 of its chaplains in the region to ensure they can provide 24/7 support for seafarers suffering from trauma as a result of such incidents.

It said the service is a response to the increase in piracy and kidnapping in Asia, with statistics showing that 62 crew were held for ransom in the area last year.

15/02/2017 12:50

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

West Africa is ‘hotspot’ for piracy the world’s major piracy ‘hot F spot’ — with attacks in the region

The Gulf of Guinea has become

more than doubling last year, a leading shipping security firm has warned.

Dryad Maritime said its 2016 figures showed a ‘huge’ increase in maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea — with 49 attacks at sea last year, compared with the 2015 total of 20 attacks. The number of crew kidnapped in the area rose from 31 to 51 in the same period, it added.

Of the 49 attacks on ships off west Africa, 47 were in Nigeria’s EEZ, the report notes. It also warns of a significant problem with stowaways in the region — especially in the port of Lagos — and said there have been cases of ships being forced to return to port after stowaways were discovered.

Dryad said the Somali pirate threat in the Indian Ocean ‘remains broadly contained’ — but the civil war in Yemen has presented new risks to shipping in the region, although attacks in Bab al Mandeb have been mainly on ships involved in the conflict.

The report notes a 55% fall in attacks in SE Asia during 2016 and it praises the ‘more proactive and effective approach to law enforcement, in particular from the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities’. It also expresses concern at the growth of maritime crime off Venezuela, warning that attacks could increase as a result of the country’s financial crisis.

New simulator training centre opens in the UK £7m Immingham facility to deliver wide range of courses for seafarers, pilots and VTS officers

P

A ‘world-class’ training facility for new seafarers equipped with a full suite of advanced ship, offshore vessel, engineroom and radar simulators is set to open in the UK this month.

Built on the banks of the River Humber as part of a £7m centre for logistics training across all the main transport sectors, the Modal Training facilities are described as the first of their kind in the UK. The Immingham centre has been equipped with a comprehensive range of integrated Kongsberg simulators and it will offer training for roles including deck and engineering officers and crew, marine pilots and vessel traffic service operators, on ship types ranging from tugs and tankers to offshore support vessels and cruiseships.

The centrepiece of the simulation suite is a Class A full-mission K-Sim Offshore vessel simulator with forward and aft bridge, configured with a DP2 dynamic positioning system and anchor handling vessel hardware. It is one of just three in the world to be configured in this way for offshore training.

The main bridge simulator in use at Modal Training’s new Immingham centre

The suite is also equipped with two Class B K-Sim Navigation ship’s bridge simulators, with one configured as a workboat/tug bridge.

Modal has also invested in a K-Sim DP Class C desktop simulator system for DP training, and a desktop K-Sim Navigation configured for ECDIS radar training

for up to six students. The engineroom suite is equipped with a full mission K-Sim Engine simulator, including the high voltage functionality, and a desktop engineroom simulator. A K-Sim VTS operator simulator system completes the new equipment line-up.

Each part of the simulator system can be operated inde-

pendently, or alternatively can be interconnected to provide full vessel operation exercises for an entire crew.

Sam Whitaker of Modal Training said: ‘As well as being Europe’s fourth largest trading estuary and the UK’s largest and busiest multipurpose ports complex, the Humber is home to the UK’s rapidly

developing wind energy sector.

‘Our aim therefore is to meet the training needs of the many global businesses which are establishing themselves around the Humber, as well as providing a new and valuable opportunity for individuals and existing businesses to train locally.

‘We are also keen to play our part in addressing the anticipated shortfall in qualified British seafarers which is expected to grow to more than 4,000 in the next seven years — as recently predicted by the UK Seafarer Projections Report.’

When the accreditation process is complete, the new Kongsberg simulation suite will be used to deliver a wide range of courses including: Bridge Resource and Team Management; Dynamic Positioning; ECDIS; Navigation and Radar (NARS); Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS); Human Element, Leadership & Management (HELM); High Voltage (HV); Engine Room; and Vessel Traffic Service (VTS).

In the meantime, it can be hired either for bespoke training or process development work.

Cruiseship air ‘20 times worse than in a busy city centre’ which revealed shipboard air pollution levels of A around 20 times higher than on a busy urban road.

Nautilus has expressed concern about new research

A study published by the German environmental group NABU last month showed ‘shocking’ concentrations of ultra-fine particulate matter in air covertly sampled from the sun deck of a European cruiseship in the Mediterranean.

At peak times, levels of harmful ultra-fine particles were up to 200 times higher than they would be in natural fresh

air and 20 times above the rates recorded in the centres of some port cities such as Venice, Marseille, Hamburg and Barcelona.

NABU pointed out that exposure to such levels of toxic material presents a risk to human health, with the potential to lead to lung diseases, heart attacks and strokes.

‘We were not surprised when we saw these new figures,’ said NABU’s transport policy officer Daniel Rieger. ‘It has been known for years that exhaust gases from ships contain high amounts of toxic air pollutants as these vessels sail on

the dirtiest fuels available on the market and lack any filter systems.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘Pollution from shipping extends to all ship types where seafarers are exposed daily to dangerous pollutants.’ z The UK government has carried out an industry consultation on proposed penalties for ships found to be in breach of the forthcoming CO2 emission monitoring and reporting requirements.

The new rules — which will apply to most ships over 5,000gt — come into effect on 1 January 2018 and, under EU requirements, companies have until the end of August this year to submit a monitoring plan for collecting ship and efficiency data.

The Department of Transport says the rules will apply to some 55% of ships visiting EU ports, and it has sought industry views on the draft UK regulations for their enforcement — including potential detention of offending ships.

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

Top marks for Glasgow successful students from City A of Glasgow College who chalked up

Pictured above are some of the

remarkable results in December’s Chief Mate-Navigation exams.

The college’s nine candidates in the first sitting achieved a 100% pass rate, while there was a record 80% pass rate for all 21 students — compared with a national average of 43%.

Dleep Fotedar, curriculum head at the Faculty of Nautical Studies,

10-11_news.indd 11

said: ‘The students benefit from our highly experienced lecturing staff who are also seasoned mariners with first-hand knowledge to pass on.

‘We have an innovative learning and teaching approach at City of Glasgow College and our students in particular found that having one lecturer per MCA subject worked very well in terms of encouraging motivation and reinforcing the subject concepts.’

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

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15/02/2017 14:28

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

HEALTH & SAFETY

Blaze report urges improved training Investigators found that cruiseship’s crew lacked understanding of ‘basic firefighting principles’

P

Smoke from the auxiliary engineroom fire onboard Black Watch spread to other decks because of a ‘lack of adequate containment’ Picture: BMA

A cruiseship company has been urged to improve fire-fighting training for its senior officers following an investigation into an engineroom blaze onboard one of its vessels last year.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) investigation into the incident on the 28,613gt Fred Olsen Cruises vessel Black Watch in July 2016 concludes that firefighting efforts were ‘severely hampered’ by equipment and ‘human element factors’.

Black Watch was sailing from the Azores to Madeira when the blaze began in the vicinity of a fuel filter in the auxiliary engineroom of the 45-year-old ship — but because temperatures rose to more than 660°C, evidence about the cause was destroyed.

The fire took two-and-a-half hours to extinguish and the report notes that a lack of adequate containment meant smoke and heat was able to spread to adjacent compartments and beyond.

A failure of the voltage stabiliser on the emergency generator resulted in the intermittent loss of power throughout the ship, affecting fire pumps, bilge pumps, lighting, the breathing apparatus compressor and

communications. Investigators said they also found that the degraded condition of the fire dampers had allowed smoke to escape and fresh air to enter the compartment, effectively feeding the fire.

Inspections after the fire also found deficiencies in the condition of the watertight bulkheads within the auxiliary engineroom and the report says this resulted in the engine control room having to be evacuated as smoke spread beyond the machinery space.

The BMA said there had been a ‘lack of understanding of basic firefighting principles’ — with control of the watertight doors from the staging area to the scene of the fire was not coordinated or controlled in line with company procedures. Crew members had also been placed at risk by entering compartments whilst wearing emergency breathing devices once the BA stocks had been depleted.

Some of the senior officers had demonstrated insufficient knowledge of the systems, firefighting techniques, and command and control techniques, the report says. This resulted in a ‘disjointed’ operation — with key decisions being made with-

Wightlink crew praised for rapid response pictured onboard the Wightlink A ferry St Faith following a fire onboard Accident investigators are

during a crossing from Portsmouth to Fishbourne last month.

The crew of the 3,009gt vessel were praised for their swift response to the fire, which was said to have started in an air conditioning unit.

None of the 52 passengers and 13 crew onboard was hurt and the company said crew members had extinguished the fire quickly: ‘They are well exercised in their duties and they used those skills to deal with the situation today.’

US marine accident

Insurers seek action to cut ro-ro fires Marine underwriters are calling for

decks.

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) warned last month that the frequency of fires in the ro-ro sector is running at twice the level on other ships — and is increasing, often causing severe damage.

In a report on the problem, IUMI notes that insurance claims data shows that reefer units are the most common cause of such fires, with electrical

12-13_h+s.indd 12

problems on the ship or on vehicles also accounting for significant numbers.

Undeclared, or misdeclared, cargo is also another notable fire hazard, it adds.

‘Semi-open decks on ro-ro passenger vessels make fire-fighting challenging due to potential air flow and the fact that cargo is often stowed closely together,’ the report points out. ‘This will limit that effectiveness of fire extinguishers and a fire may spread rapidly as a consequence.’

IUMI said research conducted for the European Maritime Safety Agency had shown the importance

of rapid response, including the need to deploy drencher systems at an early stage.

‘Crew training in early detection, confirmation and deployment to prevent a fire from escalating is identified as a key element,’ said Helle Hammer, chair of IUMI’s political forum. ‘It is of paramount importance that seafarers are trained to enable a quick and comprehensive response.’

IUMI welcomed the International Maritime Organisation decision to review the relevant SOLAS rules. ‘Given the severity of these fires, IUMI urges an early output of this review,’ it added.

called for stricter controls F over the strength of mooring ropes Accident investigators have

following a fatal accident onboard a Maersk containership.

A seaman died when a springline parted while the 81,488gt Maersk Kure was berthing in the German port of Bremerhaven in February last year. Subsequent tests showed the line was badly worn and in such a condition that it should have been replaced immediately.

A report from the German marine accident investigation board (BSU) said the parted line had been bought in 2007 and stored on the Greekflagged ship for five years before being brought into use in 2012.

Tests on the polypropylene line found ‘significant external damage’ and evidence of extensive wear. ‘The line should have been replaced long ago and it is highly likely that this accident would have been avoided if it had been,’ the report notes.

BSU highlighted the lack of mandatory guidelines for the inspection of mooring lines and also pointed out that there are no recommendations on how long a line can be stored without being used.

The report says the shipping industry ought to follow Cordage Institute Guidelines for line inspections and recommends a system under which crews can reliably check the existing load capacity of lines.

‘Such inspections should be carried out every six months and the crew must be educated and trained appropriately,’ the report states.

‘Lines must be renewed if there is any shadow of doubt. Regardless of visible condition, used lines should be replaced every five years at the latest.’

US call to curb cellphone use investigators have made fresh F calls for controls on the use of mobile

Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic

improvements in crew training in a bid to cut F an alarming increase in fires onboard ro-ro vehicle

out the knowledge or approval of the command team on the bridge and fire teams exposed at critical teams.

Investigators also said the ship had not been adequately prepared for abandonment, as lifeboats had not been lowered to the embarkation deck when the Code Bravo was announced.

However, the report notes, the crew had been aware of a similar incident in the previous year onboard the sistership Boudicca, in which the use of the hi-fog fixed fire-fighting system resulted in the accumulation of water and causing a 5 degree list.

The lessons learned meant the Black Watch team were able contain the list to just 3 degrees.

The BMA made six recommendations in response to the investigation, including improved procedures for drills, advanced fire-fighting refresher courses for senior officers, increased fire protection within enginerooms, and a vessel familiarisation package to ensure team leaders understand the limitations and capabilities of emergency systems.

The report notes that Fred Olsen has implemented an 11-point action plan to improve safety in response to the incident.

Alarm at mooring line rules

phones by crew members following an incident last year which caused US$60m worth of damage.

The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Aris T collided with a tank barge, a towing vessel and two shore facility structures on the Mississippi river last January. One other towing vessel and two other tank barges were also damaged in the incident.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the accident occurred as the 95,524dwt bulker had failed to take ‘early and effective action’ to mitigate the risk presented by a developing traffic situation upriver as one towing vessel sought to overtake another.

Investigators found that the captain of one of the towing vessels had been using his cellphone before the accident. He had spent 36 minutes on a call to his girlfriend before responding to a text message from a deckhand on another vessel, and had been talking with his girlfriend when

he began the overtaking manoeuvre and for seven minutes up to the accident.

The NTSB said the towing vessel captain had probably been distracted by the call and was ‘inattentive to his navigational duties’. He had been on the phone whilst involved in a radio conversation with the pilot of the Aris T to discuss how the two vessels would pass each other, and the use of the phone whilst on watch was in breach of company policy, the report points out.

The NTSB said cellphone use has been a factor in accidents in all transportation modes and it has urged the US Coast Guard to regulate and enforce restrictions on the nonoperational use of cellphones and other wireless electronic devices by on-duty crewmembers in safetycritical positions.

‘It is important for shipping companies and pilot associations to establish protocols regarding cellphone use and to make sure that their personnel are following them,’ the report adds.

15/02/2017 12:50

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

Collision blamed on bridge layout Pilot disorientated by ‘relative motion illusion’ caused by off-axis window

New telemedicine service ‘could save industry $168m’

P

Nautilus has expressed concern after an investigation found that a collision in the River Humber was caused by poor ergonomics on the bridge of a car carrier.

The. Panamanian-flagged City of Rotterdam collided with the Danish-registered ro-ro Primula Seaways in December 2015 after the pilot on the car carrier became disorientated as a result of an optical illusion created by an offaxis window on the vessel’s semicircular shaped bridge.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said City of Rotterdam’s unconventional design had resulted in the pilot experiencing relative motion illusion — in which he perceived the ship to be travelling in the direction in which he was looking — in the five minutes before the accident.

As a result, the report notes, his attempts to manoeuvre the 21,143gt vessel to the south side of the channel were ineffective.

Both ships were damaged in the collision, but no one was injured and there was no pollution.

Investigators said the car carrier’s bridge team had been overreliant on the pilot and had failed to properly monitor the ship’s position or challenge his actions, with the master’s intervention 14 seconds before the collision being far too late to have any effect.

The report also notes that both Primula Seaways and Humber VTS had made ‘insufficiently robust’ challenges to City of Rot-

F

The damaged bow of the City of Rotterdam following the collision with the ferry Primula Seaways Picture: MAIB

terdam’s pilot despite the developing close-quarters situation.

The ferry had reduced speed to ‘half ahead’ two minutes before the collision and a more substantial change had been warranted, it adds.

The MAIB said City of Rotterdam’s hemispherical bow had been designed to reduce wind resistance and improve fuel economy. The shape of the bow had resulted in an ‘unconventional’ bridge — with the windows sloping inwards from the bottom at an angle of 55° and only the front window of the centreline being perpendicular to the ship’s fore and aft axis.

The report says pilots had described their experiences onboard City of Rotterdam and its sistership as ‘disconcerting’ or ‘uncomfortable’ and had developed a number of ‘coping strategies’ in response to the challenges posed by the bridge layout.

The MAIB said it was not aware of relative motion illusion occurring onboard other vessels with semi-circular bridges, but the report notes that these tend to be fitted with integrated navigation systems. ‘However,’ the report adds, ‘the need to learn from this accident and recognise the potential for the illusion to develop by off-axis windows in future

designs is compelling.’

The report recommends changes in classification society standards for bridge design, equipment arrangement and procedures — including an improved definition of conning positions and increased awareness of the dangers of navigating from off-axis windows.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The report’s recommendations are disappointing and amount to a “sticking plaster” solution. The industry should be made aware of these dangers — vessels should be withdrawn from service and modifications made.’

Fatigue faulted in ferry crash in a collision between a Stena F ferry and a laden chemical tanker in

Fatigue may have been a factor

the Swedish port of Gothenburg, an investigation has concluded.

The 26,691gt Stena Jutlandica was holed in the collision with the 11,258dwt tanker Ternvind in July 2015 after the watchkeepers on both ships misunderstood the arrangements for passing each other.

The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority said the master of the Danish-flagged tanker had proposed that the two ships pass starboard to starboard. But the ferry’s OOW had suggested passing port to port in a VHF call that was missed by the other vessel.

In a report on the incident, the authority notes that communications between the two ships and with VTS were ‘unclear’ and ‘sometimes confusing’ — with a mix of Swedish and English being used.

Investigators said the ‘misjudgements’ and ‘defective’

12-13_h+s.indd 13

Martek Marine says its telemedicine service can help to reduce the number of unnecessary medevacs from merchant ships Picture: USCG

Stena Jutlandica’s damaged hull after the 2015 collision Picture: SHK

communications made by both OOWs suggested that fatigue had impaired their decision-making abilities.

The report points out that the

accident occurred at a ‘critical point’ for fatigue — between the hours of 0200 and 0500. The ferry’s OOW was nearing the end of a nine-hour shift,

while Ternvind’s master ‘was working in a state of reduced alertness’ — at a time that was normally assigned as his rest period.

Stena Jutlandica — which had 531 passengers and 89 crew onboard — suffered damage above and below the waterline, with two compartments filling with water.

The report expresses concern that there was no announcement to the passengers until 18 minutes after the collision and that the local rescue and coordination centre had decided to take no action after being told of the incident by the pilot planning centre.

The report recommends that Stena Line reviews working schedules to take account for the risks of fatigue and to consider revising its onboard instructions to give a higher priority for reporting to RCCs. It also calls for the Swedish Maritime Administration to ensure that communications within VTS areas are conducted in accordance with applicable regulations.

A UK-based marine equipment firm has launched what it claims to be the world’s first affordable telemedicine service for shipping.

Martek Marine says its iVital service could revolutionise healthcare for seafarers and save the industry as much as US$168m a year by reducing the frequency of medical evacuations.

The iVital service works by providing crew members with access to state-of-the-art medical monitoring equipment onboard and 24/7 access to a team of shorebased healthcare professionals with extensive experience of working with the Royal Navy.

In the event of a seafarer falling ill or suffering an injury, other crew members use a dedicated tablet computer to immediately contact a doctor with an in-depth knowledge of delivering treatment at sea. The doctor — trained to the level of an A&E consultant — can assess the patient through iVital’s highdefinition video call service while other crew can measure vital signs using provided equipment, which includes a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, IR forehead thermometer, an ECG monitor and a glucometer.

A combination of the visual examination, the readings received from the equipment and access to the patient’s full medical history will allow the doctor to make an informed decision on whether the

ship needs to divert and/or requires a helicopter evacuation, or if the patient is well enough for the vessel to continue on its voyage and simply receive further treatment in the next port of call.

Martek Marine says research by the International Maritime Health Association shows that one in five seagoing ships are forced to divert due to a medical emergency every year, with an average cost of around $180,000 per diversion.

As many as 7% of seafarers have to be evacuated from their ships each year as a result of ill-health — with other studies suggesting that almost one-quarter of these diversions could have been avoided if the ship operator had a suitable telehealth system in place.

The company says iVital will not only help to minimise the number of medevacs but also has the potential to save seafarers’ lives thanks to more accurate and timely diagnosis of potentially dangerous conditions.

‘While telemedicine itself has been available for vessels for some time, it has always been prohibitively expensive and this is something we’ve worked really hard to rectify,’ said Martek Marine CEO Paul Luen. ‘iVital packs all the punch of the higher priced options, just with a focus on the real necessities to ensure shipowners get all the crucial functionality of telemedicine at a fraction of its previous cost.’

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Investigators said they had found clear signs of corrosion in the area of the sheared bolts which held the roller-keep in place.

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15/02/2017 15:03

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports SHIP BANNED: the Russian-owned general cargoship Sormovskiy 54 has been banned from ports and anchorages in the Paris MOU port state control region after being detained for the third time in 18 months. The Palau-flagged ship is subject to a threemonth refusal of access order from the 27 member states in the MOU. INDIAN SPILL: an investigation has been launched in India following an oil spill caused by a collision between the Isle of Man-flagged LPG carrier BW Maple and the Indian-flagged product tanker Dawn Kanchipuram. An estimated 40 tonnes of fuel oil was spilled in the incident, which occurred near the port of Kamarajar.

EMERGENCY TOW: the French emergency towing vessel Abeille Languedoc was called out to tow a Dutchflagged general cargoship to safety after it suffered a blackout in the Channel last month. The 4,106gt CFL Patron, which was carrying a cargo of steel, was towed to the port of Dunkirk for repairs to be carried out.

PONANT PROBE: authorities in New Zealand have launched investigations into two incidents involving the French cruiseship L’Austral. The 10,700gt vessel, owned by the Ponant company, was reported to have struck a rock in Milford Sound and made contact with a submerged object near Stewart Island.

GERMAN CALL: German shipbuilders have called for their government to do more to help them compete against Asian yards. They have urged ministers to beef up German maritime policy in recognition of the ‘outstanding strategic importance’ of the sector and to retaliate against protectionism.

CROATIAN LINK: the Italian operator Snav is set to re-open cruise ferry services to Croatia, running a daily link between Ancona and Spalato, with weekly calls to the island of Hvar from 5 April to 7 October with a possible extension for autumn sailings.

CALAIS CUTS: authorities in the French port Boulogne-Calais report a ‘particularly difficult’ 2016, with a 6.8% reduction in passenger loads over the year.

They blamed the downturn on the UK Brexit referendum and the fall of sterling against the euro.

STOWAWAY FOUND: the Brittany Ferries vessel Barfleur was forced to return to port after a stowaway was discovered during security check of the vehicle deck on a voyage between Cherbourg and Poole last month.

GAS TERMINAL: the Dutch firm Gasunie is planning to construct a new coastal LNG gas terminal near the port of Hamburg. The facility will include a dedicated jetty for marine bunkering.

CORSICAN BOOST: the ferry firm Corsica Linea has recruited nine more officers after reporting a growth in trafffic during its first full year of operations between Corsica and the French mainland.

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14-15_int.indd 14

Flag-out threat to Norway jobs Unions warn that ferry firm’s plan to switch registers could hit 700 seafarers

by Andrew Draper

P

Norwegian unions have warned that up to 700 of their members stand to lose their jobs if the ferry company Color Line goes ahead with plans to switch some of its vessels from the Norwegian domestic register to the country’s international flag (NIS).

The Norwegian government has given the green light to the proposals following a re-think of the rules over eligibility for NIS registration, which would allow ferries on ‘international’ routes of 175nm and above to transfer to the international register.

Business and trade minister Monica Mæland has proposed the new legislation in a move to improve business conditions for owners as part of a response to a 2014 commission report on improving the Norwegian maritime sector.

But officers’ union director Hans Sande said the proposals would do nothing for workers.

‘Monica Mæland has now absolutely followed up all recommendations from the commission to give owners better conditions, but has totally ruled out looking at Norwegian wages and working conditions in Norwegian waters,’ he added.

‘The result is that Norwegian seafarers are being sacrificed to give owners the opportunity of using cheap foreign labour.’

The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions has asked

Color Line has signed an agreement with the Norwegian builder Ulstein Verft for the construction of a new ‘plug-in’ ferry, pictured above, which claimed to be the largest of its kind in the world. Capable of carrying up to 2,000 passengers and 500 cars, the hybrid ferry is designed to operate in environmentally sensitive areas using batteries that are recharged from shore facilities and by the generators onboard. Due to come into service in summer 2019, the ship is destined to operate on the service between Sandefjord and Stromstad.

the government to prevent the possibility of reflagging and instead come up with alternatives to keep Color Line in the NOR national register.

Ms Mæland said she had proposed the changes to the registration rules in an attempt to keep ships under the Norwegian flag. Color Line is considering a switch to Denmark’s international DIS register if it is not allowed to flag to the NIS, and she warned that such a move could lead to the loss of as many as 2,500 jobs.

The unions have previously supported Color Line’s exemptions from the law on gambling to allow casinos onboard and taxfree sales on routes lasting under 24 hours. The net salary scheme in Norway has also benefited the

company, they note.

‘It’s incomprehensible that Color Line and the government to top it all will arrange things so that the company can carry on social dumping on ferries with fixed routes to Norwegian ports,’ said Johnny Hansen of the Norwegian seamen’s union.

His organisation is calling on all unions to protest to parliament and demand the removal of the special taxation benefits if Color Line does flag out. z NSOF, the Norwegian officers’ union, has applied to join the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and has proposed a merger of the three maritime unions into a new, ‘super union’. It would be stronger in confronting the big

questions of social dumping and dealing with the government, NSOF says.

NSOF’s national executive said it was important that Norwegian seafarers are strong and united in their dealings with political decision-makers, and that the union is a member of an umbrella grouping. The unions already collaborate closely and share many functions.

The union says political challenges are more demanding following the appointment of a centre-right government in 2013 and the recent downturn in the petroleum industry. ‘Norwegian seafarers and Norwegian shipping are now more than ever before dependent on political choices and priorities,’ it added.

Swedish SOS

LNG carrier trials

has questioned whether the F country’s new tonnage tax scheme

flagged Christophe de Margerie A — the world’s first ice-breaking LNG

has come too late to arrest a decline which has seen more than 150 ships flagged out in the last 14 years.

Only one ship has so far signed up to the new scheme, although SBF is cautiously expecting between five to 10 ships to flag to the country’s register this year. One of the country’s leading owners, Stena Line, says tonnage tax on its own won’t fix Swedish shipping.

carrier, which sailed from Belgium to Russia, via Norway, last month on a trial voyage.

Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering for the Russian operator Sovcomflot, the ship has been designed for Russia’s Yamal LNG project and will operate to ports in China, Japan and a transshipment terminal in Zeebrugge.

The Swedish officers’ union SBF

Pictured left is the Cyprus-

France urged to safeguard bunker fleet new rules to safeguard a national bunkering A fleet as part of updated legislation requiring a quota French maritime unions are calling for strict

of the country’s domestic oil trades to be carried by French-flagged ships.

The CFE-CGC and CFTC maritime unions have written to shipowners and public authorities to put pressure on a national working group currently formulating a final document in response to the overhaul of the 1992 oil carriage act The two unions argue that the need for such measures has been highlighted in a recent

controversy over Esso’s attempt to replace Maritima’s French-flagged bunkering tanker Cap Pinède in Marseilles with the UK-registered Whitstar.

The proposals were withdrawn following a strike, and the unions argue that this should serve as an example to maintain French-flagged bunker shipping in French ports.

French seafaring unions have also voiced concern to the shipping minister over redundancies in the fleet of Le Havre-based Biomar after the company lost its charter contract for the 3,500gt biodiesel tanker Florence B. The vessel is set to withdraw from

service on the French Atlantic seaboard in April, with the loss of six officer posts and eight ratings jobs.

Meanwhile, French MP and government maritime specialist Arnaud Leroy and Jean-Marc Roué, Brittany Ferries supervisory board chairman, have called for action to defend the competitiveness of French shipping in the light of the UK’s Brexit move.

Speaking at a maritime seminar in Paris last month, Mr Roué said the maritime industry was particularly exposed to the risks arising from the UK leaving the EU.

15/02/2017 12:51

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

‘Green’ ferry for Canadian firm a new dual-fuelled emissionA reducing ferry which has come into

Pictured left is Seaspan Swift,

service between the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island.

Built by the Sedef yard in Turkey, the 4,810gt ro-ro is the first hybrid (diesel, LNG and battery-powered) vessel in service and the first LNGfuelled ship to operate on the west coast of Canada.

Capable of carrying up to 60 trailers and classed by Bureau Veritas, Seaspan Swift is powered by two Wärtsilä 34DF engines and an advanced lithium polymer battery system.

Union funds for training berths Singapore officers’ body offers support to owners employing local cadets

P

In a further attempt to minimise the impact of the downturn in world shipping, the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) has announced a scheme to provide up to S$1.2m (€800,000) to encourage local shipowners to provide training berths for Singaporean cadets.

The union says it hopes as many as 240 officer trainees will benefit from the two-year programme which will be open to all local shipping firms with collective agreements with SMOU. Under the scheme, the union will provide a S$5,000 (€3,300) contribution to cover the costs of training berths for every cadet in the country’s Tripartite Nautical Training Award and Tripartite Engineering Training Award (TNTA and TETA) programmes.

‘This serves to encourage the shipping companies to give Singaporean cadets an opportunity to have the shipboard training they require in order to move on to become fully-fledged officers in the future,’ the union said.

‘More importantly, it supports the development of the Singaporean core in the maritime sector so as to have a bigger pool of qualified maritime talents even in the current economic conditions.’

Almost 300 Singaporean cadets have been trained under the TNTA and TETA initiatives, which

shortreports FINE APPEAL: a Greek shipping company has lodged an appeal against a €1m fine imposed by a French court for pollution off the coast of Brittany last February. Laskardis Shipping denies responsibility for deliberately causing a 43km-long slick that was traced to one of its ships, the 75,039dwt bulk carrier Thisseas.

The company is also appealing against a €30,000 fine that was imposed on the ship’s Ukrainian master, who is believed to have committed suicide after the vessel was spotted by a French surveillance aircraft.

PENALTY RECORD: the US Department of Justice says 2016 was record year for prosecuting shipping companies and crew for illegal discharges from ocean-going vessels in US waters. At the end of the financial year, the department’s environmental and natural resources division had imposed criminal penalties of more than $363m in fines and more than 32 years of imprisonment from cases related to intentional discharges of pollutants from vessels.

SCRAPPING SOARS: containership scrapping could hit a record 750,000TEU of capacity in 2017, according to the market analyst Alphaliner. It said that 42,000TEU had been removed in the first three weeks of the year and 113,000TEU of ships were due to be sent for scrap in the coming weeks, putting the sector on schedule beat the record 655,000TEU of capacity scrapped in 2016.

FEWER SPILLS: oil spills from shipping have continued a ‘dramatic’ long-term trend of decline, the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation reports. Its annual report reveals that spills totalled 6,000 tonnes last year, a 14% fall from 2015, and that there has been a 90% reduction in the number of major oil spills and a hundred-fold reduction in the volume of oil spilt since the 1970s.

KOREAN AID: South Korea’s government is spending the equivalent of US$515m to support the containership operator Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) under a special state aid scheme to rescue troubled shipping and shipbuilding firms. The scheme will see the government buy HMM vessels and lease them back to the company at favourable charter rates.

LEAVE ROW: French union Fomm-CGT has criticised V.Ships France for seeking to reduce onshore leave to five days between voyages for officers serving on oil and gas tankers in the Geogas fleet. V.Ships says it is working to bring more ships into the French register, but ‘suffers from a lack of competitiveness’ on costs.

Singapore’s education minister Ong Ye Kung is pictured with Tripartite Engineering Training Award cadets as the SMOU announced its new scheme to encourage the provision of berths for officer trainees Picture: SMOU

are presently supported by more than 20 shipping companies. Subsidies for the cadets’ course fees and training allowances are provided through two government agencies.

SMOU’s support for training berths means the union has now pledged some S$3m to support local employment and training.

Late last year it launched a scheme to help owners with the costs of hotel accommodation for its members, and it has also made a S$1.5m contribution to help companies with welfare and training costs.

SMOU general secretary Mary

Liew said: ‘Faced with the prolonged volatile economic situation, shipping companies may naturally take cost-saving measures such as cutting down on training. We are trying to reduce that as we need qualified seafarers to maintain a strong Singaporean core.

‘This is why SMOU is constantly looking for ways to help encourage shipping companies to provide these critical training berths to our Singaporean TNTA/TETA cadets.’

The union’s support was welcomed by Singapore’s education minister Ong Ye Kung when he spoke at the SMOU and Wavelink

Lunar New Year lunch last month.

‘2016 has been a very challenging year for many in the maritime industry,’ he said. ‘Notwithstanding, we held our own. Last month it was reported that Singapore retained its spot as the world’s top bunkering port in 2016, the Singapore registry of ships maintained its growth momentum and the total tonnage of ships under Singapore flag has increased, helping Singapore retain its position as one of the top 10 ship registries in the world.

‘There are silver linings in the clouds, and the industry is well poised to ride the next wave.’

MASTER SENTENCED: the master of the Cyprus-flagged chemical tanker Peterpaul has received an eight-month suspended prison sentence for failing to stop after a collision with the fishing vessel Rupella off the French Atlantic coast in November 2014.

BRITTANY BUILD: French unions have called for a new LNG-powered vessel for the Brittany Ferries fleet to be built at the STX yard in St Nazaire, France, instead of Germany.

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Italy told to do more to support its seafarers A

An Italian opposition MP has written to the country’s transport minister accusing the government of abandoning seafarers by failing to implement effective employment policies.

Luigi Gallo said that the sea is a fundamental resource for the whole of Italy and merchant seafarers deserve decent conditions of employment. He said the government should

14-15_int.indd 15

recognise seafaring as an essential sector with proper training, jobs, certificates and pensions.

His move follows a protest by Federmanager, the confederation of three Italian officers’ and masters’ unions, over government moves to downgrade the qualifications for engineer officers.

Federmanager has urged the Italian authorities not to press ahead with plans to allow

uncertificated personnel to take on engineer officer functions.

Italian unions had already strongly criticised the government’s failure to meet the 31 December 2016 deadline for STCW certificate revalidation.

The maritime wing of the UILtrasporti union said the move to extend the process until the end of March has proved to be successful.

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15/02/2017 12:51

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 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

BMI test has had its day P

Every two years I nearly have to kill myself to pass the ENG1 medical test — and it is because of Body Mass Index (BMI). I use a treadmill and cross-trainer every day and I am in good fitness, however every two years I get a medication called Orlistat to make me lose dangerous amounts of weight just to pass the BMI test.

I know for a fact that I am not just writing about myself, and I know of many European officers who are having the same ordeal every two years.

Here’s a more detailed example: one evening we were sat in the duty mess with our non-alcoholic beers. There was myself and two Croatian officers, and we started

to talk about BMI. One Croatian officer said that he needs to lose weight to comply with the BMI and pass his medical.

I then took this opportunity to do an experiment: I told both Croatian officers to stand back to back. Both were the same height (literally not even a mm out!). I then got more creative and got the tape measure out – both were the same width around the waist!

But the Croatian officer who was supposedly overweight was a broader width by at least four inches (measured with ruler) than the other. This made me question the whole BMI process and rightly so.

The BMI formula is this simple: BMI =

(WT / height x height). This is the metric formula, with weight to be in kilograms and height to be in metres.

The formula was created in the 1900s — so it is over a century old — and it suggests we all live in 2D stick land; there is no allowance for width or bone density!

So that poor Croatian officer who is broader than the other has to go through more drastic measures to lose weight to keep his job.

In writing this, I am in no way giving any excuse to being unfit — that is a completely different issue altogether — but what I am saying is that people who body-build or those who prefer to play rugby and are built to do these activities should not be

disqualified from working onboard a ship because their BMI is too much!

I know some people will now be stating ‘yes, but the BMI formula is to make sure we can get people out of an enclosed space more expeditiously than a person with a higher BMI’. In response, let me just say this: there was a time where people were bigger (overweight) onboard a ship and the tank rescue equipment was not available compared to what we have now, so should we not have a more detailed or accurate way to determine if someone is fit enough to work onboard a ship?

I believe so!

WAYNE HAWKINS mem no 193671

If the pilot’s in the wrong, just step up!

Eijkenaar (letters, February Telegraph), I find A myself at odds with him on the issue of local laws

With all due respect to Captain Henk

inhibiting the master from over-ruling a pilot.

In my 30-plus years in command on a number of occasions I found it necessary to over-rule the pilot and prevent him from placing the vessel in danger.

I can give two examples in a strict pilotage area in the Thames, commanding a 220,000-tonne tanker part-loaded proceeding to the Coryton terminal. During the approach to the jetty the pilot turned to me and said: ‘I have lost it, captain —

can you take over?’

I did, and safely berthed the ship. I commended the pilot for his action. This incident resulted in the pilotage authority bringing in a ‘dedicated berthing pilot’ scheme for the Thames Oil jetties.

Outbound we were going to the west and had a Folkestone pilot, sailing on a falling tide drawing 36 feet. We reviewed the outward passage; the pilot suggested using the South Edinburgh Channel. I questioned the water depth and was told there was ample water; the chart indicated this was so.

After passing South of the Knob Tower,

Warden Radio (The VTS) called on Ch 12 VHF and asked where we were going. The pilot answered: ‘Folkestone via South Edinburgh Channel.’ VTS asked us to go to Ch 20. There was no signal there so we returned to Ch 12. VTS said ‘We don’t like saying this on this channel but are you aware of the nine metre patches?’ The pilot launched into a diatribe against the VTS, and I said: ‘Pilot, we are turning round and going down the Knock John Channel.’ His reply: ‘We can’t, we only have 7 cables width!’ My reply: ‘We can, watch me.’ I successfully turned the vessel and headed back to the Knob Tower. The pilot said: ‘You are

contravening law. I am an outward pilot only.’

I said: ‘I don’t need you. Leave the bridge.’ After some argument he did. I took the vessel to the Sunk pilot station and, with much protest and threats from the pilot, disembarked him.

This was an extreme example of over-ruling a pilot but in my opinion I was fully justified in my actions and Thames Pilot Authority agreed.

I believe the only ‘fully binding’ pilotage was the Panama Canal, where the master signed the vessel over to the pilot, giving full authority.

Captain KEITH J. BEVERLEY mem no 308932

Follow us on Twitter Were you trapped in the Great Bitter Lake? anniversary of the Six-Day War F in 1967. On 1 June 2017, between This year marks the 50th

1400 and 1700hrs, there will be a reunion of former seafarers who were on the ships stranded in the Suez Canal between 1967 and 1975 to commemorate this anniversary.

The event will be at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

I’ll also be launching my short book about life on the ships stranded in the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1975.

Were you on one of the ships that were trapped in the Great Bitter Lake? If so, please let me know if you would be interested in attending the event. And if you know others who were there, please pass on the details of the event to them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you very much in anticipation.

CATH SENKER 4th floor, 60 Lansdowne Place Hove BN3 1FG

We’re on Facebook Become a fan!

Visit www.nautilusint.org

Have your say online Nominations open for Merchant Navy Medal Last month we asked: Do you think the offshore support vessel industry can recover from the current sector downturn?

Yes 73%

No 27%

This month’s poll asks: Do you think shipping could learn more about safety from the aviation industry? Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 16

Navy Honours Consultative F Committee were very pleased to see the The members of the Merchant

article about Captain Peter McArthur in the February edition of the Telegraph.

In being awarded a National Honour, Capt McArthur epitomises the quality of Merchant Navy personnel by demonstrating exemplary service and a devotion to duty that has set an outstanding example to others.

He is among the first to receive the prestigious Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service, 14 of which were presented by HRH The Princess Royal in November 2016.

This award supersedes the previous Merchant Navy Medal, which had been presented by the Merchant Navy Medal Committee since 2005. The committee now acts, under its new title, in a consultative capacity to work closely with Department for Transport (DfT) to advise on nominations. Both the Department and the Committee are anxious to encourage more nominations.

Eligibility normally requires that the nominee should have served in the Merchant Navy or fishing fleet for around 20 years. This can include service ashore within the industries and, in special circumstances, the length of service requirements can be waived. Importantly, it is open to persons of all ranks and ratings —

‘exemplary service, a devotion to duty and an example to others’ are key factors.

In exceptional circumstances an individual can be put forward for a higher Order of Wear, such as an MBE. In the latter circumstances this can also

include persons who have no service at sea but have made a significant contribution to the industry. g Details of the nomination process and a form can be found on the DfT’s website — go to www.gov.uk and type Merchant Navy Medal into the

search box. Nominations for the 2017 awards should be submitted before 28 April.

Captain MATTHEW EASTON Chairman, Merchant Navy Honours Consultative Committee

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March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS

Negligent Belgian VTS is still failing us

THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

www.thefreakywave.com

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

failed in Zeebrugge collision’ F in the February Telegraph with some

Display adverts: Joe Elliott-Walker tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 email: joe.elliott-walker@ redactive.co.uk

I read the article ‘Everyone

considerable dismay.

It is 24 years since the collision between the Western Winner and the British Trent off the Wandelaar pilot station. In the subsequent fierce fire on the British Trent, nine seafarers including my son, lost their lives.

My recollection of the MAIB report into the collision, and of the British inquest into the death of my son, is that the local Belgian VTS were significantly negligent on the morning of 3 June 1993, and subsequently obstructive when recordings of their radar footage were requested.

The words in your report, and I quote: ‘Zeebrugge VTS had also failed to intervene to avert the collision, investigators revealed. The VTS operators on duty at the time were merely observing the situation and

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were not proactively participating using all means at their disposal’ are horribly reminiscent of their reply to the pilots in 1993 when they told the VTS ‘…there is fire on the water out here’. The reply from VTS was ‘we are monitoring that situation.’

One wonders whether in the past 24 years anyone in Belgium’s VTS has learned anything. Clearly the words

of Mr van den Broek — ‘There were failures at every level and everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

There was a lack of attention, a lack of communication, and a lack of taking responsibility’ indicate that Belgium needs to get its VTS in an area of significant maritime congestion fit for purpose.

Despite a coroner finding that my

son was unlawfully killed, not a single person was so much as disciplined. The Korean officers of the Western Winner were allowed to go free, and the local VTS is as poor as ever.

My wife and I have never gone in for publicly emotive reactions to the death of our lovely son, but unless there is some serious action taken against these ‘cowboys’ I don’t see how they

and their successors will ever learn.

Maritime nations with significant traffic and risk within their territorial waters must surely be made to take responsibility for safety seriously.

The metaphorical Belgian shrug of the shoulders in 1993 was not good enough.

TREVOR CLEMENTS mem no 180140

More points about Princess the February Telegraph about A tthe Princess Cruises pollution case and The article by Ulrich Jurgens in

ttitled ‘Where did it all go wrong?’ was eexcellent. There are two things, however, tthat I think are missing from the article: 11. Why is there no mention of the ‘‘environmental compliance officer’ iin any report I have read about this

incident? Every Carnival ship carries one. His job is to stop this kind of thing happening. Weekly checks of overboards, environmental seals, check tank records against oily record book and bilge processing equipment meters.

2. Chief engineer’s bonus. The chief engineer’s job has changed greatly over the years — for me, he is no longer an

engineer but more of an accountant. In Carnival UK (CUK) the chief engineer has to manage the ‘Balanced business score card’ — to which part of his bonus is tied.

The more he saves, the bigger his bonus.

I like to think CUK is professionally above such things, but I do believe that such bonuses why these crimes are being committed — personal greed — and

the company is probably not aware of what is going on.

I was a chief engineer and I saw the effect personal greed had on the ships. I would no longer want the chief engineer’s role. For me, bonuses are to give to non-professional people as an incentive to perform.

Name & no withheld on request

Windfarm article was spot on P

I would like to congratulate Nautilus and the Telegraph for an excellent article highlighting the poor working conditions and practices within the windfarm industry and especially with regards to the CTV sector.

I have been employed as a CTV master for five years and

have been a member of Nautilus for about the same period and it seems that I have been at constant discussions with my employers about the majority of the issues that have been raised in the article.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of my examples of poor

conditions and practices that I have experienced in my time on CTVs.

Hours of rest This is without doubt the most widely abused issue within the sector. I have had verbal battles on many occasions when I have had to educate the client’s

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16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 17

telegraph

info@witherbys.com

witherbys.com

+44 (0)1506 463 227

4 Dunlop Square, Livingston EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK

marine coordinators as to the fact that I will have to return to port to ensure that I keep within the hours of rest regulations and then have to justify my actions to my employer some hours later. I have been told on occasions that bunkering, taking fresh water, passage from site to port, is not part of the contract therefore should not be included in my working time!

The windfarm client is normally only interested in having the CTV working for the whole 12 hours that it is contracted to do so. The client’s marine coordinators do not take into account any passage time, bunkering, locks in/out, delays due to visibility or sea state and if the vessel masters raise the HOR issue they are often seen as trouble-makers and the CTV operators are told not to send that master to the site again.

Onboard accommodation As mentioned in the Telegraph article, the majority of CTV cabins are below the waterline and in my experience this has been the case in all the vessels I have worked on. This results in a broken night’s sleep due to water movement and water slap on the hull of the vessel, even when moored at a berth in a port. In addition, due to the size

of the vessel it is very difficult to escape the noise of generators/ heating equipment etc.

Very few vessels have washing machines and dryers and the cooking/galley arrangements consist of a tworing electric hob, microwave and a fridge. No access to a freezer, so again more time required when ashore to go and buy food for two to three days at a time.

It is often quoted as ‘being like caravanning on the water for 50% of our lives’.

I consider myself reasonably lucky that I am employed by probably one of the better CTV operators in the sector, but even so I have had numerous arguments with the company office (operations manager, crew manager, QHSE superintendent) with regards to HOR, vessel accommodation, travel day payments, client pressure, etc.

I found the article to be very well written and extremely accurate in its portrayal of the abuse of the CTV crews and the working conditions within the windfarm sector. I completely concur with the article and the statement made by the general secretary with regards to ‘working for change in the windfarm sector’.

Name & no withheld on request

Although the Telegraph exercises care and caution before accepting advertisements, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before entering into any commitments such as investments (including pension plans). Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation and Nautilus International cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by regulatory authorities and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body.

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

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

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

15/02/2017 14:30

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

YOUR LETTERS

Female or male, you’ll need a strong character P

Re. ‘Women still aren’t welcome’ (December Telegraph). I was surprised to read such a negative letter in relation to women working at sea and sympathise with the writer that her experience has been so bad. In my view women are welcome, but only women of a certain character. Actually, male or female, only those of a certain disposition will succeed at sea, and enjoy it along the way.

I am a female deck officer and have been working at sea for nine years. In that time I have gained experience in different companies and vessels, obviously working with many nationalities and lots of men (and a few women). There have sometimes been minor problems along the way, but bullying and victimisation have not been on the list.

Bullying and harassment are no laughing matter — correct — and these things can occur for many reasons, to male or female seafarers. Management of such issues is paramount and should be led from the top. Perhaps I have been lucky in the companies I have worked for, or perhaps it is the manner in which one approaches life at sea. Whichever it

may be, I have never felt victimised for being a woman.

I have not experienced any ‘glass ceiling’, in fact quite the opposite in some companies. I was once employed by a superintendent whose main objective was to have a full female bridge crew. He didn’t succeed, but a

bridge manned 3:1 female to male was b still s quite an achievement. Rightly or o wrongly, I took advantage of the situation, and why not — any selfs respecting man would do the same. r My current company actively promotes gender diversity and has p supported me through pregnancy and s maternity leave, which is a step forward m for f all women in the industry.

What about the ‘major issue’ of sexual harassment?

I have had issues with a h few f lonely sailors, but nothing I couldn’t handle (as I would do in ‘normal’ life h — and let’s face it, the same problems can c equally occur in any land-based employment).

I have on occasion e unoffi cially reported sexual harassment u to t a senior officer, and received the full support that I would expect. s Would I be pushing it too much to say that sexual harassment can be a little t subjective too? We do work in a man’s world (fact) and the political correctness revolution has not quite arrived, which in my opinion is not always a bad thing.

Taking offence at sea is not really an option, not if you want to develop good working relationships and have some laughs along the way.

Working in a male environment can take some getting used to, and introducing some females into the mix can only be a good thing, it is the natural way of things after all. Some male colleagues have admitted to me they don’t think it is the place for a woman, I respect their opinions, but I don’t feel that they treat me any differently because of them.

I try my best to do a good job and mostly they appreciate having some females around, restoring the balance. I am very cautious of playing the ‘female’ card, as this can be a slippery slope leading to isolation and unhappiness — not things you want to feel when working at sea. The lifestyle we lead, leaving our families to spend half of our lives in this strange seafaring world, calls for a strong character.

As a female it is true that we need to do everything a man does and a little bit more, but once you earn the respect of fellow officers and crew it can be a very enjoyable career choice that I would recommend to any strong and determined young woman.

VICKY GREN mem no 207699

Colwyn Bay reunion 2017 College reunion will take place A from 31 March to 2 April.

The 2017 Colwyn Bay Wireless

All ex-students and their family and friends are welcome. g The reunion function will be held on Saturday 1 April 2017 at the County Hotel, East Parade, Craig-ydon, Llandudno LL30 IBE. Contact johnmottram2015@gmail.com.

RICHARD JENKINS mem no 428009

Don’t stop us working at 60 Rum Loris about retirement. He A obviously has a large pension to keep I would like to reply to Capt. L.C.

him in his dotage and has longed to leave the sea all his working life.

I am a 61-year-old master and am perfectly fit enough to carry on working. The UK pension will not kick in until I am about 67.

Due to less than successful entrepreneurial efforts I find that I still need to earn money. Should I sell paint to old ladies at B&Q for my remaining years instead of working on the sea I love and using my skills honed over the last 40 years?

I suspect the seafarer that died would still have died if he had been just 59.

TIM ANDERSON Owner and skipper, Coral Star

Nautilus Charter for Jobs: a monthly guide This month, we look at point four of the Nautilus Charter for Jobs — which addresses the wider need for government and industry to work together to support the UK maritime industry in the future: Develop a national maritime strategy with support from trade unions, government and industry.

F

In the next five years, Britain will have to re-negotiate trade deals with European countries and establish new deals with the rest of the world.

With 95% of UK trade going by sea, shipping is set to become more important than ever to the UK economy and Nautilus believes that government and industry must come together now to ensure there is a strategic plan for the future of the sector.

Nautilus believes that there has been an absence of overall vision for the maritime sector

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16-18_lets_SR edit.indd 18

in recent years and UK shipping consequently does not appear fully integrated within overall UK transport strategies and consistently suffers from a low priority from government.

This is of great concern in a time when trade negotiations are taking place following Brexit. Without joined-up thinking from a maritime cluster organisation, with the full support of government, any future deals may lack the vital component of shipping, which is potentially disastrous for an island nation.

The Union is calling for the creation of a maritime cluster organisation comprised of trade unions, government representatives and industry to be tasked with developing a national maritime strategy.

The group will then monitor the delivery of the strategy and respond to emerging opportunities for the sector.

This will help to ensure the UK has policies and measures in place to respond to the future maritime skills crisis the country faces; responds to the economic and strategic transport needs of the nation; and fully exploits the opportunities of Brexit through the expansion of international, regional and domestic trade.

Competing maritime countries, where similar joined-up thinking already occurs, have been successful in developing their maritime clusters for the benefit of all.

It is important for the UK to follow these countries with not only a clear identification of the core sectors of its maritime cluster, but also to

have a coherent framework that recognises the interrelationship between these sectors.

Whilst no system is perfect, there are good examples to follow — the Netherlands, Singapore and Denmark all have national tripartite maritime cluster organisations working together to formulate national maritime strategies.

In the Netherlands the maritime cluster includes sea ports, maritime services, shipbuilding and repair, maritime supply industry, watersports, fisheries, dredging, offshore, royal navy, shipping and inland navigation.

Maritime by Holland is a privately-funded organisation, which links these maritime clusters to government and academia. It facilitates knowledge sharing to create joint initiatives intended to strengthen the individual sectors and promote the Netherlands as a maritime nation.

At a national level it informs politicians and regulators to ensure the maritime sector remains in the public eye and operates in the best possible climate for business.

The organisation has helped to ensure that the Dutch government provides tonnage tax incentives, social security and income tax rebates, and 100% support for the training of Dutch seafarers. In return, Dutch shipowners provide every cadet with a training place onboard and a job when they qualify.

It is noteworthy that the Dutch government made

these arrangements from within the EU, despite working arrangements being highlighted as a major reason for leaving in the build-up to the referendum on the UK’s continued membership of the EU. In Singapore, the government invested S$1.2m in a programme to train more Singaporean seafarers following a joint initiative by the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union, Singapore Workforce Development Agency, National Trades Union Congress, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Shipping Association, and Singapore shipping companies.

Under the scheme, cadets are offered training berths with Singapore shipping companies and receive up to S$1,400 in training allowances during the 31-month programme.

The organisations in the Singapore maritime cluster work together to redress the imbalance which has seen the Singapore ship register become one of world’s top 10 largest but only a small minority of seafarers sailing on them being Singaporeans.

As part of the Charter for Jobs, Nautilus will be pressing government and industry to take these examples and adapt them to the UK situation.

15/02/2017 14:30

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

MARITIME SAFETY

U

Civil aviation stirs mixed emotions within the maritime sector. It is often held up as a shining beacon of what the shipping industry could achieve if only it saw — and followed — the light. Others argue that such comparisons are unfair or inappropriate, or dismiss them as an overly simplistic parallel. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

For aircraft, the direction of travel has always been towards standardised equipment, streamlined administration and procedures, and centralised traffic control — processes that instil a culture of safety permeating every level of activity.

However, the disappearance of flight MH370 serves as a reminder that the aviation industry has shortcomings of its own — not least its flawed approach to asset tracking. In shipping, AIS has proved a workable, industrywide answer.

Nonetheless, shipping is most harshly judged against aviation when the discussion turns to human error and officer training.

As is commonly acknowledged, around 80% of incidents and accidents in shipping are the result of either mistakes in performing a task, or a failure to take action to avoid an incident escalating. Accident investigations often reveal that a chain of small decisions or unobserved incidents leads to a larger one.

In a study carried out by H.P. Berg (2013), the maritime sector was found to be 25 times riskier than aviation, based on deaths per 100km travelled. The simple explanation is that airlines prioritise safety because their ‘cargo’ is predominantly human passengers. However, crew operating cargo planes have to adhere to the same training regime as those carrying people.

‘Pilots must undergo a rigorous assessment every six months,’ notes Frank Coles, former deck officer and now CEO of the digital maritime solutions company Transas. ‘There is nothing close to this in maritime. I find that strange, given that a ship’s captain takes the ultimate responsibility for delivering the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the fuel we burn and everything else we take for granted. It’s almost as if the shipping industry lives in the shadows — behind a shield of invisibility.

‘My worry is this ghostly existence affects how shipping companies go about their business, trickling down as a lowest common denominator mentality in terms of the crew hired, the training they receive, the salaries they are paid and the respect they are given.’

U

Mr Coles believes there is a deep-rooted qualitative difference in the training philosophies pursued in the two sectors. ‘In shipping, under SOLAS and STCW, the objective is certification. Once certificated, a deck or engineer officer can continue to work until revalidation is due five years later, which does not necessitate any refresher training. In aviation, the focus is on skills, competencies and continually honing their ability to react in emergency situations.’

Shipping companies are free to go beyond minimum requirements, but few see a compelling need to do so. ‘While some cruise and offshore operators understand the value of long-term investment in crew development, there are unscrupulous

19_maritime IT_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

Importing safety practices from aviation isn’t a panacea for the shipping industry’s problems — but maritime technology company boss Frank Coles, a former seafarer, believes there are valuable opportunities to learn…

tations to cope with unrealistic or impractical operational demands and challenges.

The most common workarounds relate to reporting paperwork, personal protective equipment, work-rest hours, and navigational rules.

U Transas CEO Frank Coles with CSMART MD Captain Hans Hederström at the opening of the CSMART/Arison Maritime Centre Picture: CSMART

Why we should stop and listen

The Carnival Group introduced the principles of ‘operations director’, navigator and co-navigator in its new approach to bridge operations Picture: CSMART

operators at the other end of the spectrum who choose to ignore suspect paperwork that was obtained on the streets of Manila or somewhere similar,’ Mr Coles points out.

He cites Carnival as a good example of a ship operator which has successfully adapted lessons from aviation ‘to an extraordinary degree’ with a ‘fascinating’ training model. ‘After the Costa Concordia, they spent a lot of time evaluating their bridge procedures,’ he explains.

‘They went and studied the practices used at American Airlines.

They took these home and absorbed key elements into their bridge management and training systems.’

Carnival changed the role of the ship’s captain. Instead of

leading from the front, they entrust the control the ship to their officers.

‘This approach engenders trust in the team and gives the captain greatly enhanced situational awareness,’ Mr Coles adds.

Counterintuitively, the more efficient the automated system, the more crucial the human contribution made by the operators, he observes. ‘Humans are less involved, but their involvement becomes more critical.’ This is

After the Costa Concordia, Carnival studied practices at American Airlines, and have now successfully adapted their bridge procedures

“

”

known as the paradox of automation, where an error in an automated system multiplies until either it is fixed or the system shuts down.

Transas is preparing for the challenges of this automatic future by positioning simulation training as one of the four legs of its Harmonised Eco System of Integrated Solutions (Thesis) concept.

‘Simulator training is going to grow in importance as more and more routine aspects of vessel operation are automated,’ Mr Coles argues.

Accident investigations have shown that a significant problem in shipping is the temptation to find ‘workarounds’ to standard operating procedures. Crew develop these behavioural adap-

Airlines are far less tolerant of deviations from accepted practice, and aberrations are more likely to be challenged or reported. However, it is also fair to point out that the aviation industry has targeted reducing administrative duties in the cockpit through automation, while no such claim can be made in shipping — in fact, the opposite trend prevails, with new regulation driving more paperwork required by the bridge.

Maritime needs to challenge itself to accept automated reporting and monitoring, Mr Coles suggests. Reducing the administrative burden on crews would have a significant positive impact on the ability to perform better.

Standardisation in the aviation sector has been massively encouraged by the fact that only two major suppliers build civil aircraft, while ships and their equipment come in all shapes and sizes. The competence of a ship’s crew may sometimes depend on their exposure to a particular maker’s equipment.

Marine equipment could be further standardised, making user interfaces easier to understand and more consistent, Mr Coles suggests. This would lessen the time spent by crew on ‘familiarisation’, make training more ‘portable’, and cut the risk of operator error. All this points to safer operation, he argues.

Mr Coles says the aviation sector’s coordinated approach to traffic control systems provides the most telling opportunity to enhance maritime safety culture. Air traffic control, after all, is acknowledged as pivotal to the safety of the skies and to smooth take-offs and landings.

‘ATC can see situations develop more quickly than an air pilot relying on visual sighting or his instrumentation,’ the Transas CEO explains. ‘While ships move at a more sedate speed, the fact remains that the majority of collisions and incidents happen in busy shipping lanes and ports relatively close to land, so increased maritime traffic control and management could have a significant impact on safety.’

U

Transas already installs vessel traffic monitoring infrastructure around the world, from simple radar apparatus to full coastline management solutions covering half a dozen ports. But Mr Coles suggests other drivers are already nudging maritime towards a more coordinated vessel management future. With geopolitical concerns rising, coastal states are likely to take a keener interest in monitoring and managing the passage of all ships through their territorial waters, he contends.

‘Flag states will be apprehensive about increased traffic in unmanned and drone ships passing through their economic waters — whatever their size — without knowing where they’re from and what they might be carrying. It seems logical to me that a government wishing to protect its waters will make the jump from monitoring to a desire for control.’

15/02/2017 17:27

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

MARITIME WORKFORCE

Seafar

Look ahead now, or be left behind

British ship is employin Estimated num

70,000

UK sh

0

All sides of the UK shipping industry have united in calls for urgent government action as new studies warn of a crisis in British seafarer supply…

P

The UK government is facing a ‘stark choice’, Nautilus warned last month, as new reports highlighted a growing gap between supply and demand for British seafarers.

The Union is urging the government and industry to act on the results of the UK Seafarer Projections report, which was undertaken by Oxford Economics in response to last year’s Maritime Growth Study.

The 110-page document analyses national and international demand for British seafarers and warns of a growing gap between supply and demand for UK deck and engineer officers, which could rise to as much as 4,400 over the next decade.

To close this gap, the report suggests that the annual intake of UK officer trainees needs to rise from around 645 a year to more than 1,500 a year.

The alternative, it adds, is for the UK industry to employ more foreign seafarers. The study highlights the growing employment of foreign nationals in the sector — with British personnel now accounting for only 40% of officers and 30% of deck and engine ratings.

While more than two-thirds of officers in the UK fleet were British nationals in 2004, the proportion had fallen to just 43% by 2008, and the number from other EEA countries rose from 11% in 2004 to 25% in 2015. However, the report highlights the preference of many employers for British personnel — especially in senior officer posts and on certain vessel types. More than 40% of companies employing officers at sea or former seafarers ashore said they would like to employ more if they were available. And the study also notes that former seafarers are classed as essential or advantageous for some 4,300 roles in the shore-based maritime sector.

‘In reality, shipping companies are likely to fill gaps by continuing to recruit non-UK seafarers,’ the report concludes. ‘Nonetheless, companies have reported that they feel there are genuine advantages to employing UK seafarers, particularly in more senior roles.

‘There may therefore be an opportunity for the government to support the industry further by increasing training provision, should it wish to do so.’

The Oxford Economics report was mirrored by the government’s own 2016 seafarer statistics report, also published last month. This found that the total number of

20-21_supply_SR edit.indd 20

UK seafarers active at sea last year was 23,060 — a 1% decline from the previous year — and that the number of UK certificated officers active at sea has slumped by 22% over the past decade.

Especially worrying to Nautilus was a 9% decline last year in the number of new entrants under the SMarT1 training scheme and a 3% fall in the total number of officer cadets in training. The government’s figures also forecast that, on current trends, the total supply of UK officers will fall by 7% over the next decade — and the number of deck and engineer officers will diminish by more than 30% over the same period.

After Brexit, Britain will need to trade its way to prosperity, and trade relies on seafarers

“

”

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘These reports rightly identify the stark choice facing the government as it decides what to do with the Maritime Growth Study recommendations.

‘If it continues to sit on its hands, we will witness further decline of this essential skills base — but if it acts on the SMarT-Plus proposals tabled by all sides of the industry, for increased support for maritime training, it will ensure that opportunities to rebuild our pool of seafaring expertise are taken.

‘The report makes it clear that there are still important industries and services ashore where maritime skills and expertise is essential, and we cannot afford to ignore these findings,’ he added.

‘We’ve said for many years now that the numbers of new seafarers starting training each year in the UK are woefully short of what’s needed for the future,’ Mr Dickinson said. ‘This research puts those arguments beyond doubt, and if we are to get the numbers needed the government should implement the measures we propose in

our Charter for Jobs — with 100% support for seafarer training and action to eradicate the unfair competition which is eroding employment and training opportunities for British seafarers.

‘Ministers have rightly emphasised how Britain needs to trade its way to future prosperity in the post-Brexit world. That relies on shipping, and shipping relies on seafarers. We have to safeguard that supply of maritime expertise now.’

UK Chamber of Shipping CEO Guy Platten commented: ‘This report highlights the need for decisive action if the future of the UK seafaring skills base is to be secured. That is why we have called for increased support for maritime training and have presented the government with the SMarT Plus proposals that would create thousands of seafaring jobs for young people in the UK. The industry is united in its call for government action, and we urge the government to seize this opportunity, before it is too late.’

Mr Platten said the SMarT Plus scheme would double seafarer training funding from £15m to £30m a year — in return for shipowner commitments to increase employment. ‘Our members have told us they want to provide more training opportunities and we know that there is no shortage of demand from young people looking for a career at sea,’ he added. ‘With increased support from government, thousands of jobs can be created in the years ahead. It is, quite simply, a no-brainer.’

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that statistics highlighted the crisis facing UK seafarers who continue to be replaced by non-domiciled crews. ‘The supply of UK ratings to the industry remains a trickle and maritime unions and the shipping industry agree that the government need to get an immediate handle on the number of ratings the industry must train over the next decade in order to avoid a dangerous and destabilising skills deficit.

‘UK seafarer training and skills must be a central component in the industrial strategy currently being drawn up by the government, otherwise we risk losing control of our economic future,’ he warned. ‘The maritime unions and industry have proved through the Maritime Apprenticeship Trailblazer Working Group and tonnage tax reform that we can work together. It is now up to the government to clear the barriers to training the next generation of UK ratings and officers.’

200

A large proportion of are nearing retirem

More non-UK sea are working in the Br Share of officers working in the

70%

UK shipping industry by nationality 2004 to 2015

0% 200

Graphic by June Cattini-Walker Sources: Maritime Growth Study; Oxford Economics e

15/02/2017 17:48

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

MARITIME WORKFORCE

arer statistics & projections ipping ng more seafarers… number of

seafarers of all nationalities in the

But the number of UK seafarers is declining…

Total number of UK seafarers active at sea (with an assumed retirement age of 62)

shipping industry, 2005 to 2015

in 2016 is estimated to have been 23,060…

Hotel and other ratings Total officers

A small decrease of 1% compared to 2015.

Deck/Engine/Tech/GP ratings

2005–2015

f British seafarers ment…

Certificated Officers

10,650

Ratings

8,880

Officer Trainees

1,860

Uncertificated officers

1,670

Deck & engine officers are projected to…

Age of UK seafarers working in the UK shipping industry, 2015

FALL

by more than

30%

by

2026

KEY FINDINGS: In 2016, the total supply of seafarers who are UK nationals for roles at sea is estimated to be 30,240 and modelling suggests this could rise to 31,310 in 2026, representing a 4% increase. There are however substantial differences for seafarers fulfilling different roles.

And UK cadet numbers have also reduced…

afarers British shipping industry…

2,500 Officer cadets currently in training

There were 1,860 officer cadets in training in 2015/16, a decrease of 3% on 2014/15.

UK Rest of World

SMarT1 new entrants

Other EEA

0

1999–2016

Of which, the number of new entrants under the SMarT1 scheme was 750, a decrease of 9% on 2014/15.

2004–2015 mics estimates based on UKCoS manpower survey

20-21_supply_SR edit.indd 21

15/02/2017 18:14

22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

MARITIME WELFARE

A

Is this the future for providing seafarers with reliable access to internet services in port?

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust has revealed details of a pilot project to test the feasibility of special ‘communication pods’ for visiting crews.

The pods are portable 20ft containers that give seafarers wi-fi access, tablet consoles and furniture to rest on. They are designed to be powered by solar panels, making them energy-efficient and viable for areas lacking in existing infrastructure.

ITF affiliate unions have been invited to submit business plans to trial the first portable communication pods over a 12-month monitoring and evaluation period.

Connecting with crews Access to shore-based welfare facilities is a key component in the Maritime Labour Convention. New research for the ITF Seafarers’ Trust has examined how crews view such services, finding out whether their expectations match the reality. JASON ZUIDEMA of the North American Maritime Ministries Associations (NAMMA) considers the results and their potential impact on the future of seafarer welfare work…

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L

The ITF Seafarers’ Trust released a report in February on the quality of shore-based seafarers’ welfare drawn from data gathered between July 2015 and February 2016.

This report builds on data from similar reports in 1996 and 2006 done in collaboration with the Seafarers International Research Centre of Cardiff University and other partners.

The new research compares data from 957 seafarers. It was collected using an online survey circulated via social media by seafarers’ welfare associations and other industry groups.

The report’s findings are valuable and telling.

Though interest in international phone call services has tapered off slightly in the past few years, the desire for a strong internet connection ranked at the top of the list: 90% of respondents considered access to the internet to be the most important port-based service available.

Indeed, even this high number is probably under-reported due to the nature of the survey’s distribution and response mechanisms: the report’s findings were based disproportionately on officers, who typically have more access to the internet than other members of the crew.

Though demand for internet access is up from 2006, availability for crews is still lower than what might have been expected over the intervening decade. In the new survey, 26% of respondents noted that unlimited internet was available onboard their ship, 46% said internet was available, but limited to email with no attachments, and a final 28% said no internet was available.

The lack of internet onboard is accentuated by limited shore leave. The survey showed that 30% of seafarers had had no shore leave in the four weeks previous to completing the survey; another 35% had only been ashore once in that same period. As may have been expected, respondents noted that short turnaround times are a major factor in the lack of shore leave.

L

Other sections of the survey sampled perceptions of the availability and quality of shore-based seafarers’ centres and visits from port welfare workers. These results are highly significant for the future of seafarers’ welfare work.

Given the choice of visiting a seafarers’ centre with free wi-fi or a cafe/bar with the same amenity, almost twice as many respondents said they would prefer the seamen’s club. Respondents were also appreciative of port welfare workers’ visits to their ships, although 40% of respondents said that they had not had a visit during their current contract.

And while demand for phone cards is decreasing, access to high-speed internet is a near universal desire among seafarers today.

Two other findings merit close consideration by maritime ministries. First, when respondents provided the name of a welfare organisation from which a visitor had come, the report notes that

there ‘were repeated instances of confusing one organisation with another’.

Read one way, this is discouraging: some seafarers do not know which organisations are supporting their welfare. On the other hand, seafarers’ welfare workers should question whether it really matters whether crews know the difference between the Mission to Seafarers, Sailors’ Society, Apostleship of the Sea and other groups. Indeed, this may even be a positive finding – indicating, perhaps, that seafarers’ welfare centres have been so effective at working together that seafarers see them as united rather than divided.

Second, although ‘chaplaincy services’ (i.e. access to someone to provide religious guidance) were only considered important by about 40% of respondents, almost all of that 40% considered the quality of the service to be good.

Seafarers still appreciate access to free wi-fi in port.

46% of those surveyed said their shipboard internet access was limited to email with no attachments, and 28% had no internet access at all

“

”

In fact, ‘chaplaincy services’ ranked as the service that most closely corresponded to user expectations. This is contrasted with the wider gaps between perceived importance and quality in transportation and internet access, the two services most in demand.

As with confusion over organisational identities, maritime ministries should consider these results closely. Are seafarers less selective about chaplains? Or are chaplains, when available, generally doing a great job? The report suggests more research might be done to understand this finding. g NAMMA would like to thank the ITF Seafarers’ Trust and all those who participated in the survey for the timely research and the useful report. Find out more at: www.seafarerstrust.org.

15/02/2017 15:06

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

MARITIME WELFARE

Guests, not machines The theme for this year’s World Maritime Day should be used to make some much-needed improvements to the relationships between seafarers and the ports that they visit, argues Nautilus Council member MICHAEL LLOYD…

K

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has declared the theme for World Maritime Day 2017 to be ‘Connecting Ships, Ports and People’. This is a good theme, but I wonder just how much of the connection will filter down to those on the ships. Maritime celebration days of the past have come and gone with a great deal of talk, lunches, speeches and the usual corporate get-togethers, but little has changed for those at sea.

More than anything else we need to fix the relationship between port and ship, and talk to each other over the high fence that divides us. I know that the ports will say that they already do this, but discussions with shipowner representative bodies do not deal with, or even raise, most of the subjects that concern those onboard the ships.

Once the ship is alongside, and the navigation phase is over, then most of our problems are in the relationship between those who work in the port and those who work in the ship, and the perception each has of the other. The seafarers see themselves as the customers, while the port sees the ships as the customers — and the two viewpoints are quite different.

The seafarers see the port as a place where they, obviously, work at loading and discharging the cargo, but also where they can hopefully obtain a little rest and recreation before heading back to sea. If this is not possible, then at least there should be consideration for their welfare and rest.

Those who work in the port see it as a factory complex with very little, if any, consideration for those onboard — once again a considerable difference in opinion.

Fatigue is now a constant concern in the ports, with the results seen too often when the ship has sailed. We do have fatigue regulations on our ships, but these cannot be observed as no port will offer a

GET YOUR

onboard the Danish-flagged containership Munkebo Maersk as he unveiled this F year’s World Maritime Day theme — Connecting Ships, Ports and People — during a visit International Maritime Organisation (IMO) secretary-general Kitack Lim is pictured

to the UK port of Felixstowe last month.

During the launch event, Mr Lim spoke to crew of the 194,894gt vessel about the layby berth or is willing to allow ships to remain until those onboard are properly rested. Not that rest is very easy — especially at berths working 24/7 with the constant ringing of alarms as the loaders and shore equipment move.

The requirements of those on shore takes precedence over the fatigue of those onboard. Mind you, double or triple glazed windows and sound-proofed bulkheads would be useful — an important subject to be discussed by the IMO as part of its connection programme.

The rush to sail the ships as soon as they complete their cargo work is leading to accidents, which does not concern the port as the ship has left the berth, and anyway it is the captain’s responsibility as he sailed the ship. No one discusses the pressure that has been applied to him to sail regardless.

The common habit of arranging the tugs and pilots based on an assessment of the completion time ensures that if there is any delay, the costs of waiting tugs and pilots are pressuring ships to sail before they are fully ready for sea. In the past all this waited for the ship to order the sailing.

Another recent development is the idea that the ship is loaded or discharged according to the port’s requirements, completely against the good practice of seamanship.

For many large ports, the idea of crew going ashore is a nuisance that they will hinder by using various safety or security regulations. How often do we see port labour buses in use but nothing provided for the seafarers? Again we have seen much talk by various seafarers’ organisations but little real action.

significance of the World Maritime Day theme for seafarers as well as for the wider public.

The IMO said the initiative has been launched as part of a programme to improve cooperation between ports and ships and to raise global standards for the safety, security and efficiency of ports, as well as standardising port procedures by identifying and developing best practice guidance and training materials.

It would be interesting for ports to see for a moment their standing as graded by those onboard ships. A port such as Rotterdam, which prides itself on its efficiency, would find itself with a zero rating from seafarers who have been berthed alongside miles of sheds and dark empty roads at night with no transportation and the nearest café, shop or bar many miles away. One must wonder at the minds of those who designed such a complex without the slightest consideration for those on the ships on which they depend for their existence.

K

To be fair, Rotterdam is not the only such port design. In these ports, without the help of the padres of the various seafarers’ clubs and societies which do such a superb job around the world, many seafarers’ lives would be more depressing than they are increasingly becoming.

On the other hand, a small port with the town nearby — or even a distant river port with a few bars and shops and helpfulness instead of hindrance from officials — could well receive a five-star rating.

Perhaps we should persuade the publishers of port guide books to start such a star rating programme!

Of necessity, the ship and port have to relate to each other for the needs of each to somehow be met. Owing to the situation of the individual ship staying for a comparatively short time in a large port, the onus for the acceptance of the ship both as a factory and a home lies with the port. In the end, the port is also responsible for the conduct of the terminals within its area — a fact that would seem to be a surprise to the many port managements who

constantly attempt to distance themselves from any such responsibility.

With regard to the state officials who work in the port dealing with the ships and those on them, the situation is more complex. The attitude up to now in almost all ports is to stand aside and wait until their business is over, saying that what they do is of no concern of the port or terminal management.

But if abuse by these officials occurs in a number of ports on such a regular basis — and we all know it does — and that abuse is now affecting not just the relationship between the port and the ships, but also the very reputation of the ports, surely the ports either individually or collectively have a duty to speak out? And yet, in not one conference dealing with port issues has this and the accompanying corruption which occurs in most ports ever been raised.

It will be interesting to see if the IMO wishes to speak about this, as one of the ports concerned is the very port that the IMO secretary-general once ran.

In the end, ships do not need ports for their survival, yet the ports need ships for theirs. Not wishing to offend the purists, the ship is merely a metal box, and it is the officers and crew who make the ship, operate it and bring it to the port.

Somewhere, within the senior port management authority, serious thought must be given to the position of the ships’ crews within their structure. These seafarers should be given the same consideration as the port’s own employees, and treated more as guests of the port rather than an irritation. This can only be to the benefit of all of us concerned with the maritime industry.

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15/02/2017 15:05

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

SEAFARER FATIGUE

Let’s not be caught napping Issues which were repeatedly mentioned by seafarers as contributing to their fatigue and sleepiness levels were (in no particular order of priority):

Powerful new academic research is adding weight to demands for the industry to wake up to fatigue, writes ANDREW LININGTON…

z new regulations and more requirements placed on seafarers

z increased inspections and more paperwork z the bad condition of ships’ accommodation z the lack of proper maintenance z work in port z working onboard a new ship z the quality and professionalism of colleagues

F

Cynics might suggest that we know all that we need to know about the problems posed by seafarer fatigue. But the team behind the three-year Martha research project were determined to take awareness to a new level.

In a report detailing the research results, they note how previous studies — such as the EU-funded Project Horizon — and a growing pile of accident investigation reports have demonstrated ‘the serious impact that sleepiness and fatigue may have on the safety and welfare of seafarers’.

But while the evidence has mounted and understanding of the need to manage the risks of fatigue has grown, the Martha team point out that much less is known about the longer term psycho-social effects of the long hours worked at sea.

The US$3m study, sponsored by the TK Foundation, involved experts in the UK, Sweden, Denmark and China and used a mixture of research methods — including extensive onboard measurements of seafarer performance — to assess levels of sleepiness and long-term fatigue, and the impact on motivation and behaviour.

Researchers said the project has uncovered important new evidence about the way fatigue and

Fatigue: is it higher or lower at the end of a voyage?

Fatigue was a factor in the grounding of the Antigua & Barbuda-registered general cargoship Danio in March 2013, above. The 1,499gt vessel ran onto rocks in the Farne Islands nature reserve after the OOW fell asleep on the bridge and failed to correct the ship’s course Picture: MAIB

stress levels change during a voyage, how they affect various ranks in different ways, and how they ultimately reduce motivation over the length of a tour of duty.

Captains were found to suffer the highest levels of stress and fatigue, and both the quantity and quality of sleep was found to deteriorate over long voyages.

Sleepiness levels vary a little during the voyage, suggesting there are opportunities for recovery, the report notes. However, overall, ‘there is a small but significant decrease in the amount of sleep in a 24-hour period over the course of time’.

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Four shipping companies, together operating more than 500 ships, took part in the study. The vessels included product tankers running intensive services in NW Europe, containerships on liner routes between the Far East and Europe, and Asia and South America, bulk carriers trading worldwide, and tankers operating in Far Eastern waters.

The research was based on almost 1,000 questionnaires completed by seafarers and managers in Europe and China, as well as onboard diaries filled out by crew members over tours of duty as long as six months.

Detailed measurements were taken from volunteer seafarers who wore special watches recording their activity, along with readings of their sleep and stress levels together with hours of work and voyage data.

Feedback from seafarers suggested officers generally have less sleep than ratings and suffer higher levels of stress. On average, officers reported 7.8 hours of sleep in every 24, compared with 8.4 for ratings.

The average number of normal weekly working hours recorded by all crew was 67 — although the study notes that these figures do not include overtime hours.

F

Questionnaires and interviews with European and Chinese seafarers and managers examined cultural differences in the interpretation of regulatory frameworks on hours of work and rest and the way in which organisational practices affect seafarer fatigue.

The researchers found that while European and Chinese seafarers may allocate different priorities to fatigue factors, they do share the same perceptions about the major factors that influence fatigue onboard.

They also found evidence of higher levels of fatigue and stress in seafarers from Chinesemanaged companies than European-managed ones. ‘This suggests that differences in organisational factors are significant in affecting fatigue mitigation onboard,’ the report points out.

Data gathered from 110 seafarers during field studies revealed that 61% of all crew consider themselves to be more fatigued at the end of a voyage than at the beginning, irrespective of the actual length of the voyage.

Researchers found perceptions about fatigue and voyage length varied significantly according to rank and role. A majority of day work crews, engineers and cooks reported that they were less fatigued or the same by the end of the tour. In contrast, a small majority of second and third deck officers reported that they felt more fatigued at the end of their tour than at the beginning, and a very large majority of masters said their fatigue levels were higher at the end of their tour of duty than at the beginning.

The results from the questionnaires showed that there were some differences between the ideal and actual sleep lengths for officers and ratings, although their perceptions of sleepiness, quality of sleep and levels of stress were quite similar to each other.

Almost 50% of seafarers said their stress levels were higher at the end of a voyage, 41% said they

The report highlights the serious risks presented by fatigue: The health effects of fatigue also cover mental fatigue, and there can be at least four recognisable symptoms: being fretful, irritable, unhappy and finding it easy to get into conflict with others.

Incidents of insomnia and homesickness are more serious when seafarers are fatigued. The effects of sleepiness and fatigue can also be a significant and contributory factor in accident causation, which can result in environmental pollution, machinery damage and fire.

Chronic effects of fatigue include: z sleeping disorders z insomnia z sleep apnoea and hypopnoea z delayed/advanced sleep phase syndrome z cardiovascular disorders, myocardial infarction, strokes and hypertension z gastrointestinal disorders, peptic ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome z metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and hyperlipemia z mental disorders, depression

Stress: is it higher or lower at the end of a voyage?

Sleepiness and fatigue: what’s the difference?

Sleepiness z healthy individuals

z may cause health

z rapid onset z short duration z short-term effect on

z insidious onset z persists over time z significantly affects

daily activities

Fatigue disorders (physical & mental)

behaviour and wellbeing

15/02/2017 15:31

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

SEAFARER FATIGUE Pictured presenting the Martha Project findings at the International Maritime Organisation last month are, left to right: Michelle Grech, from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority; Professor Mike Barnett, from Southampton Solent University; and Captain Kuba Szymanski, secretary general of InterManager Picture: Southampton Solent University

were the same, and just over 10% said they were lower.

The project team used two specific and validated measures of sleepiness and long-term fatigue to assess seafarers at different stages of their voyage.

They found that the risk of falling asleep through tiredness on watch is present at all stages of the voyage — and very high levels of sleepiness were found to increase after six months onboard.

The report says the findings indicate that motivation decreases with time at sea. ‘This is a significant finding because it offers an explanation for recent reports of casualties occurring on vessels where the crew, including the captain, have been onboard for longer than six months,’ it adds. ‘Reduced motivation may lead to complacency, individuals taking short-cuts and “work-arounds” and not following the correct procedures.’

Results from the ‘actiwatches’ worn by 70 seafarers on 12 different vessels in the study provided data on the total amount of sleep gained and the quality of the sleep obtained. Important findings from this included the fact that both the amount of sleep and the quality of sleep — as measured by wake bouts and fragmented sleep — decreased over time for all crew.

The results reveal that while captains and day workers get more sleep than watchkeepers, captains are more at risk of fatigue than other ranks. Night watchkeepers (second officers) were found to get significantly less sleep than others and to be most at risk of falling asleep on duty.

F

The project team held a series of workshops around the world to gather feedback on the findings and to consider the causes of fatigue at sea and some of the ways in which the problem could be tackled (see box) and the report concludes that there are a number of ‘simple operational solutions which can ensure sleep is easier for those onboard through fatigue risk management’.

These solutions should involve seafarers and those agencies ashore which impact on shipboard operations, the report adds.

The study highlights the role that Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) could play in addressing the problems. Such techniques are used in other safety-critical workplaces and in aviation, road and rail, the report notes. However, it points out, ‘evidence from recent marine accident investigations indicates that the use of FRMS in the shipping industry is less mature than in other safety-critical transport industries, and less advanced in exploring such concepts in practical operational settings’.

The researchers said there is evidence from several safety-critical industries revealing ‘a conceptual move away from prescriptive regulations — which seek to mitigate the risk of fatigue through limiting the hours of work — to a more goal-based system that involves the employment of FRMS. FRMS presents an integrated systems approach to managing the risk of fatigue, the report explains, covering policies, operational aspects and quality assurance. ‘It requires ownership by all in the company, changes in culture and can be introduced in a gradual process as the company develops its own approach.’

The Martha team reported positive feedback from seafarers and managers on the concept of FRMS and the report suggests how successful implementation of such systems could be used to shift attitudes and raise awareness.

Fatigue incident reporting is another important element of the systems approach, and needs to be part of a transparent and blame-free culture, the report argues. ‘Employees will be reluctant to report incidents which may be caused by sleepiness or gen-

24-25_martha_SR edit.indd 25

What can be done to combat the problem? Feedback gathered from seafarers and managers by the research team included the following suggestions: Working conditions Participants sought improvements in: z safe manning levels z nutrition and good food onboard z hours of work and rest z stress onboard through harassment and bullying Vessel design and living environment Participants sought improvements in: z noise and vibration levels z temperature z quality of accommodation spaces z bedding (eg change of mattresses) z exercise facilities onboard Some of these issues are covered in the Maritime Labour Convention, to apply to new vessels, and the report says that measures will need to be evaluated further as the requirements come into force.

eral fatigue if they think that there will be recriminations.’

FRMS can form part of a ‘continuous improvement cycle’ for a safety management system, it adds, and it can be developed to provide a more interactive approach where schedules can be set using biomathematical prediction tools and, ultimately, where seafarers can take more ownership of the system themselves by reporting incidents, and keeping a check on their own and colleagues’ fatigue levels.

The researchers end on a positive note, suggesting that the development of new data collection, transmission and analysis techniques will accelerate the process of improved fatigue risk management. And in the longer term, improved vessel design will make a significant impact in reducing the effects of sleepiness and fatigue, the report adds. ‘The technology exists now to combine the power of big data and predictive analysis with the science underpinning fatigue, stress, health and wellbeing to provide better health and welfare services to seafarers wherever they may be,’ it concludes.

The report also outlines a number of other areas for potential future research. These include: z what is the optimum tour of duty length? Should there be a maximum shorter than the MLC requirement? z how long should recovery time between voyages be? z how does cognitive performance deteriorate over time due to fatigue and stress?

z how does ‘mood’ change over time? Does this

have a significant effect on the psychological wellbeing of seafarers?

Other areas of research include the further development of FRMS concepts for the shipping industry. Specific goals are: z the development of improved fatigue prediction models z the development of instruments to survey psychological wellbeing over the long term z the development of models of how long-term fatigue and recovery may be predicted

F

Speaking about the future impact of the study, Southampton Solent University Emeritus Professor Mike Barnett said: ‘The shipping industry has been following Martha’s progress with interest, as the momentum for revising the guidance on fatigue has grown at the International Maritime Organisation.

‘Of particular interest for future research are our findings on individual mood, team-working and social cohesion, all of which appear to deteriorate after about six months onboard. We need to know more about these phenomena. I am very excited about the possibilities of using wearable technologies to collect and transmit data on both physical and psychological aspects of seafarers’ health and wellbeing.’

‘The use of technology to create smart shipping is on the increase,’ said Captain Kuba Szymanski, from the international ship managers’ association InterManager. ‘We are entering a phase when big

KSS The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Extremely alert Very alert Alert Quite alert Neither alert nor sleepy

The diagram above shows the KSS scores over 7 for all 110 seafarers who completed them at different stages of the voyage.

The scores were calculated using an anchoring mechanism, so they show comparable scores at various weeks into a voyage for each

6.

7.

8.

9.

Some signs of sleepiness Sleepy, no effort to stay awake Sleepy, some effort to stay awake Very sleepy, great effort to keep awake, fighting sleep.

individual. Consequently, the KSS scores cover from week 1 to over 6 months.

From previous research, a KSS score over 7 indicates a high risk of falling asleep. The most significant results, which the diagram illustrates, are as follows:

Operational issues Participants sought improvements in: z being relieved on time and having a KPI to measure it z revision of company reporting requirements in order to reduce bureaucracy z communication between ship and shore z logistics: port calls to be better organised and discussed with sea staff z timings of inspections onboard by external parties z time management — for example, the timing of Notices of Readiness z recovery time during the voyage — for example, going to anchor ‘Participants also recognised that there needs to be a cultural change in the industry’s attitude towards fatigue by both seafarers and shore management,’ the report points out. ‘The response: “but it’s always been like this” was no longer seen as acceptable.’

Awareness and cultural change also apply to the agencies ashore who interact with ships and personnel — charterers, agents and port state officials — the report stresses. data and analytical processes allow us to pass information on the ship’s equipment to the office — so why not the crew too? We are close to developing means by which individual seafarers can monitor their own wellbeing onboard and this will help to raise awareness of fatigue and the importance of healthy living onboard.’

Claire Pekcan, Professor of Maritime Applied Psychology at Warsash Maritime Academy, said she is also interested in the impact of assistive technologies onboard. She is engaged in other projects related to autonomous vessels, and wonders whether ships in the future may have technologies which intervene when seafarers show signs of fatigue. Basic research is needed which indicate these states, she adds.

Prof Pekcan has also just finished a major study on the effects of ego depletion and safe behaviour, which relates to the findings of Martha. ‘Our individual energy levels work like a battery,’ she points out. ‘As long voyages make us more fatigued, the battery drains and we need to re-energise. We need to know more not only about the optimum lengths of tours of duty, but also how long recovery should be during and between voyages. And what activities promote recovery?’

z the risk of falling asleep through

tiredness is present at ALL stages of the voyage, making it a safety risk at all stages of the voyage z very high levels of sleepiness (KSS of 8 or 9) are apparent and increasing after six months onboard

15/02/2017 15:31

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

BULLYING AND HARASSMENT

No one should work in fear Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson with some of the anti-bullying reports and guidance documents developed by the Union with industry partners

J

‘I’m very angry that I’ve lost a career that I loved.’

Imagine that was you saying those words. How difficult it would be to accept if you’d been forced out of your career at sea for reasons beyond your control.

Being bullied, harassed and abused in the workplace is a serious issue, and it’s one Nautilus is keen to tackle so that seafaring can be a career for everybody.

Speaking exclusively about her experiences, one former seafarer — following up on her letter to the Telegraph last year — told her story about the difficulties that forced her to leave the sea.

‘I thought I’d quite like to go to sea and get a skilled profession,’ explained Ms X — who wished to remain anonymous. ‘I went to a UK maritime college for three years and everything was pretty good. I enjoyed my college time.’

It was a positive start and she was looking forward to making the most of her new skills. Soon after qualifying, she got a job with

a containership company. But the firm was facing a downturn and lay-offs were on the cards — forcing her into a sideways move to the world of tankers.

Unfortunately, Ms X said, it was soon clear that her new role was not going to be smooth sailing. ‘I didn’t fit in there as I wasn’t from tankers. That was made very clear to me,’ she explained.

‘I came from containerships and they looked down on me because of that. For them, containerships were bottom of the spectrum of my qualification.

‘There was a bit of bullying and harassment,’ she continued. ‘I got no support from my supervisor and then, all of a sudden, on my last tanker trip my working hours started to rocket up to working 91 hours a week. There seemed to be no care or thought to my hours of rest and I was told to flog them.

I was doing around 20 hours a week more than my colleagues.

‘I was struggling,’ Ms X admitted, ‘and it wasn’t a very pleasant

Nautilus has pressed hard to encourage the shipping industry to implement policies on tackling bullying and harassment at sea. STEVEN KENNEDY spoke to one member whose experiences highlight the continuing need for such action…

I was physically threatened but there was no response from the company

“

”

time for me. If I complained that I hadn’t had six hours’ rest in 24 hours, I was told that the work had to be done and I was there — so to get on with it.’

It wasn’t just her immediate supervisors who were ignoring the issue; it would prove to be the ship’s master also. With the vessel

approaching the US — and fully aware that documents would be checked — the captain ordered Ms X to change her hours of work and rest records to comply with safe limits.

‘I had a signed letter from the captain to amend my hours of rest as we were coming up to the States,’ Ms X recalls. ‘I went to the captain and said, “but they’re the hours I’ve done”. He replied “I don’t care, we’re coming up to California”. He just wanted to pass the US Coast Guard inspection and have no problems. I took a copy of my hours of rest before I was forced to change them.

‘It was a very difficult time and I couldn’t take the bullying or abuse anymore. I started to have a breakdown onboard. I went to the captain, who said I wasn’t working any more. It was only two days to the States. The captain told my supervisor that I would not be working and then I got a very bad report.’

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the

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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

26-27_bullying_SR edit.indd 26

end to her issues. ‘My mother was very concerned with my welfare.

She spoke with someone from the Union and they got me off in California, and I came home.

While in California, Ms X saw a counsellor, as the workload and bullying had taken their toll on her mental health. At the same time — and with the help of her Nautilus rep — she started to take action against the company for loss of earnings and the treatment she suffered onboard ship.

The company informed her she needed to go to see its doctor in Scotland and, after she had done so, it was decided that she was medically not fit to work and lost her ENG1.

‘The company was being quite unpleasant and now with no medical, nobody wanted to know,’ Ms X explained. ‘I said to the Union rep that I wanted to take the company to court for bullying and harassment.

‘When I threatened them with court, the company started to behave. I got sent to Glasgow to get my medical back and I got the money I was owed. In the end, it was probably about three and a half months between being told by the captain that I wasn’t working and getting my medical back.’

J

With a medical certificate fresh in her hand she set about finding new work. Hopeful that her time on the tanker had been a one-off bad experience, Ms X was undeterred from pursuing her dreams.

Things, however, were set to get a lot worse.

She gained work with a UKbased shipping company. It started well, but soon Ms X found a serious issue with the ship and reported it to her supervisor.

In a bid to repair the problem, she tore her shoulder ligaments and was signed off from work.

With the ship already undermanned — and now a further person down — her shipmates started to change their attitudes towards her. Friendly behaviour evaporated and hostility towards Ms X began.

‘Officers started to get funny with me going on sick leave,’ remembers Ms X. ‘I didn’t do it by falling over drunk, it happened in my place of work and with me trying to help the company and solve a problem.

‘I was on two months’ sick leave with no pay. I was told to write a letter as to why I should have sick pay. I said what had happened and I then got accused of getting my supervisor in trouble because I told the truth. He was

told what I wrote and after that my life was absolute hell.

‘People wouldn’t talk to me.

I was isolated on my next ship and their behaviour towards me changed very rapidly. Instead of being a good crew member, I was allowed to do the work but wasn’t allowed any social interaction. If I went outside to join people for a drink they would get up and go to someone’s cabin.’

J

Having moved to avoid a culture of bullying and harassment, she found the same experiences were soon blighting her daily life once more.

Ms X pushed on regardless and moved ship — something that would leave her fearing for her safety.

‘I was physically threatened,’ Ms X stated. ‘I’d moved ships within the company and within a week of me being there, there was a fire that I had to deal with. Two crewmen — who were supposed to be there — didn’t turn up and I only had a 60-year-old crewman to go in with me. Fortunately, it wasn’t a fire — it was just a lot of smoke — but it could have potentially been a life-threatening situation.

I was told that if I went back to sea I’d be treated worse than before

“

”

‘When I saw one of the crewmen later I said, “where were you?” He then started screaming and shouting at me. I just stood still. It was right in front of a colleague. Then my supervisor came in with another colleague as the crewman came storming up towards me and threatening to “knock my block off.”

‘He was taken away. He had to be forcibly removed. I felt threatened and very vulnerable. He wouldn’t apologise or do anything. His attitude was very unpleasant.

‘Yet there was no response at all to the incident, from anyone onboard,’ she continued. ‘It was all ignored. But I couldn’t ignore it. It pushed me over the edge. A cou-

15/02/2017 15:32

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

BULLYING AND HARASSMENT ple of days later I was told nothing was going to happen; it’s just being forgotten about and you have to get on with it. I didn’t feel safe on the vessel any more.’

It would prove to be a step too far. With no disciplinary action being taken against the offender, Ms X was not only left feeling unsafe but also unsupported.

‘I was thinking that if crew could turn around and threaten you with physical violence — scream and shout in your face — and nothing happens, who is to say that if someone else was to do it then anything would happen,’ she said. ‘What would happen if I was actually hit or something happened physically? Would they do anything or would they just ignore that too?’

J

26-27_bullying_SR edit.indd 27

J

It’s a harsh story that doesn’t make for easy reading. But while it is dismaying to hear of Ms X’s personal suffering and hardship, there are people out there trying to make the sea a safer and more genderequal place to work.

Nautilus has been working for years to get the industry to do more to address these issues. Back in 2000, the Union conducted a survey of women members to highlight the issues around equal opportunities in the shipping industry. This research revealed alarming levels of harassment and a lack of faith in reporting systems or the implementation of policies where they existed — and showed that little or no training was taking place on these issues onshore or at sea.

As a result of this research, Nautilus went on the negotiate national policies to combat bullying and harassment in the UK shipping industry. These meas-

J

Fortunately, Ms X is now doing much better. Working shore-side with a maritime company in the leisure industry, she is still putting her expertise to good use and is rekindling her love for the work.

However, she is still concerned that other women may experience the same sort of problems that she faced, and she thinks both Nautilus and the industry as a whole can do more to support female seafarers.

‘If something happens to a woman at sea, what support does she have if people turn against her?’ she asked. ‘They deny it all and nothing gets better. Where is the support for protecting people? Without support, nothing will change. I believe if there are female cadets on a ship then they need to have a female officer onboard,’ she added. ‘I’ve seen women’s lives wrecked by people on ships. They’ve been bullied left, right and centre and most of the women I’ve known at sea have left because of how they have been treated.

You’ll be asked what you did to provoke it

A scene from Say No to Bullying, Say No to Harassment, a training video developed by the European Transport Workers’ Federation and European Community Shipowners’ Associations

Comparing sea and shore

P

“

”

‘There should be a charter that these companies should sign, and recommendations about putting female cadets with female senior officers. I think there also needs to be more training for captains and senior officers because they don’t always look after the wellbeing of everyone onboard.

‘If you’re the victim of bullying and harassment, then you’re going to be up against people who don’t believe you. Things said are harder to prove. You are likely to get asked “what did you do to provoke it?”. But at the end of the day you’re onboard to work, not to be harassed or abused or told to go and make the tea.

‘I’ve been told “why are you here?” and “you’re only here to tick the box for equality, but if you’re going to be here you may as well go and put the kettle on”.

‘It is encouraging to see women out there being promoted, and being captains, but there are still many issues out there holding us back and making us more vulnerable to this darker side of the industry.’ g Nautilus members who have been the victim of bullying or harassment are encouraged to report the issues to the Union. Call the Nautilus 24/7 helpline free of charge from 45 countries or get in touch via the instant messaging service. Contact details are available at www.nautilusint.org.

women at sea do not find all kinds of sexual harassment offensive — something, they suggest, that is linked to the ‘special culture’ at sea and the kind of women who become seafarers.

While many women conceal their femininity to fit in with the culture, the researchers found that they strongly object to their professionalism or right to be at sea being questioned.

The report says trainee seafarers should be trained in gender-equality issues when they are taught about health and safety at college.

Women seafarers should also have a special hotline to get guidance and information, it adds.

Women at sea suffer far more frequent gender-based harassment than those working ashore, a Danish study has suggested.

Research by Lisbeth Skræ and Uli Heyden from the Technical University of Denmark found 37% of women seafarers said they had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, compared with 3% for women working in shore-based jobs.

They also found that none of the women seafarers had reported the harassment to safety reps or union officials, and none had asked for advice on how to deal with unwanted Lisbeth Skræ from the Technical situations onboard.

The authors concluded that University of Denmark

2017

Feeling helpless and alone, Ms X found herself in a bad place. The one saving grace of the situation was that the ship was tied up at a British port. She picked up the phone and called for assistance.

‘I had no support from anyone and was very vulnerable and frightened,’ explained Ms X. ‘Even though I didn’t drink, I drank a couple of beers and called the police because I felt so unsafe and didn’t know what else to do.

‘The police spoke to me for a couple of hours and removed me from the vessel for my own safety.

I wasn’t arrested — or detained under the Mental Health Act — but I was removed from the vessel.

‘I had to sleep in the police cells overnight as that was the only place they could keep me safe. The next day the company wanted to speak to me, but the police said that I wasn’t speaking to them. I collected my things from the vessel — with a police escort — and went home.’

It was to be the final straw for Ms X. Feeling humiliated from her experiences, she would again find herself signed off work. Yet, despite the continued toll on her mental wellbeing, she was adamant that those in the wrong should be held accountable for their actions.

‘I was then on sick leave for five months with stress and depression,’ said Ms X. ‘The crewman who threatened me at this point still had a job, but soon after I learnt that he had been dismissed.

Ms X was far from happy and it was becoming clearer that she didn’t have a future at sea. She felt the company’s aim was now to rid itself of her as quickly as possible.

‘I was meant to go back on the ship, but the ships wouldn’t have me back onboard,’ she recalled.

‘Two of the captains — who had never sailed with me — didn’t want me coming back.

‘They put me in the office.

Then I was told the company wanted to have a meeting with me — along with the Union — to talk about why I’d had drink onboard when I didn’t take any alcohol on with me. That’s what they said it was about, but it was really about trying to get rid of me.

‘They threatened me with no promotion. I was told that if I went back on the vessels that I would be treated worse than I was before. I was told that if I went back then that would happen. I took this as a threat. I was horrified.

‘I had two choices,’ she explained. ‘I could leave, and they’d pay me for three months, or I could stay and get bullied and harassed and nobody would lift a finger to help me.

‘I said no. I wasn’t going to be

bullied. They were trying to walk all over my human rights and UK employment law. They ignored the bullying and harassment I had received and took everything away from me and didn’t care. I wrote a full report on it and made an official complaint.’

Seeing her career ebbing away, Ms X took matters into her own hands. She obtained legal advice to ensure her eventual exit from the company was on her own terms.

‘The company kept piling on the pressure to make life more difficult for me, but I went back to work in the office,’ she said. ‘I was very depressed, anxious and stressed and they didn’t care at all.

‘I had sustained months of abuse and it was being ignored.

People had had warnings, and had been sacked, but I was the one who was now being victimised.

Why? They were supposed to stop this behaviour but they hadn’t. It wasn’t fair.

‘I went to see my solicitor, who referred me to her brother-in-law, a UK and international employment lawyer in London. From that, I knew exactly where I stood.

‘I went back to the office and carried on working. They kept piling more and more pressure on me, and I was still being intimidated and humiliated. In the end, I was signed off with depression and eventually resigned.

‘I’d lost my medical because of how the company had put me under so much stress that the doctor couldn’t give me an ENG1.

I lost my career. I’d spent 17 years at sea and now it was all gone.

‘I’m very angry about this,’ she continued. ‘I’d lost my ENG1 and I wouldn’t be allowed to go back to sea because of the depression and ill health, which I understand. I was told I could apply for ill-health severance payment. The company only offered me £225, but I was entitled to £32,000 — and I got it!’

ures were subsequently developed at European level, and last year, thanks to the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation, a global set of guidelines were published (pictured left).

However, the problem is far from eradicated. It’s why projects have been set up such as the Gender, Empowerment and Multi-cultural crew project (GEM) — highlighted in the Telegraph in January 2017. This is trying to replace the culture of ‘what happens at sea, stays at sea’ with zero tolerance of harassment and abuse.

EUROPEAN SHIPPING WEEK

Brussels

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27 February 3 March 2017

European Shipping Week is a platform where policy-makers from the main EU institutions will meet and engage with European shipowners and other stakeholders from the shipping sector.

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The week-long series of high level events will centre on a major Conference discussing the key issues currently facing European and Global shipping as well as a Gala Dinner.

This is your chance to make your voice heard in Europe www.europeanshippingweek.com in Association with

15/02/2017 15:32

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

MARITIME HISTORY

My family’s Merchant Navy hero

Tyndareus Pictures: courtesy of Tony Flynn

One hundred years ago, a Liverpool shipmaster, Captain George Flynn, helped to save the lives of more than 1,000 soldiers after his ship hit a mine on its maiden voyage. His grandson, TONY FLYNN, tells the remarkable story…

I

Blue Funnel’s SS Tyndareus was built by the Scotts’ Shipbuilding & Engineering Company of Greenock. The 11,347grt vessel was completed in October 1916 for the Ocean Steamship Company at a cost of £2,013,014.

Straight after delivery in November that year, the ship was taken up under the Liner Requisition Scheme, and on 6 December sailed from Glasgow, laden with general cargo and bound for the port of Yokohama, Japan.

Tyndareus arrived at Liverpool on 7 December, where further cargo was loaded, and sailed from the

port on 20 December. Two days later, the ship arrived at Devonport and embarked 30 officers, 972 men and six dogs of the 25 Battalion Middlesex Rifle Regiment for transport under the command of Lt Col John Ward, the Labour MP for Liverpool.

The vessel then set sail from Devonport on 5 January 1917 on her maiden voyage, under the command of Captain George Arthur Hope Flynn. Born on 20 May 1875 onboard his father’s sailing ship while rounding the Cape of Good Hope in the midst of a storm, he had joined the Alfred Holt Line as a junior officer in 1900 and was made master in April 1911.

Tyndareus arrived at Sierra Leone on 17 January 1917 and sailed from there on 23 January, arriving at Table Bay (Cape Town) on 5 February, where fresh provisions and some cargo were loaded before departing for Durban to load bunker coal.

On 6 February 1917, at 5.55pm, they sighted Cape L’Agulhas lighthouse and just under an hour later, some 108 miles SE of Cape Town, a violent external explosion occurred on the starboard side of the vessel, close to No 3 bulkhead.

Capt Flynn ordered all hands to boat stations and abandon ship, as the explosion had caused a gaping hole and the vessel was sinking rapidly by the head. It was later discovered that the mine was laid by the German raider Wolf.

Contemporary accounts describe how the men assembled on the decks in perfect order. As soon as the roll had been called and the order ‘stand easy’ given, someone started singing the marching song Long, Long Trail.

Excellent discipline was maintained by Capt Flynn and Lt Col Ward, with Capt Flynn walking up and down the deck and encourage the troops to sing Tipperary — saying ‘Come on lads, nice and loud.’

Despite rough seas and strong winds, Tyndareus was evacuated safely within the space of an hour, with all the men transferring to lifeboats. These were lowered with one slight mishap: one boat which had tipped during its descent had to be righted by a young seaman who jumped overboard.

The men were then picked up by two ships which had answered the distress call — Blue Funnel’s Eumaeus and the hospital ship ss Oxfordshire.

The naval vessel HMS Hyacinth and a South African tug were sent from Simonstown to give assistance. Hyacinth’s commanding officer considered Tyndareus a danger to navigation and ordered Capt Flynn to beach her. But Flynn ignored the order, and with seven volunteers from his crew — including chief officer Basil Cubley, chief engineer Frank Wregg and carpenter Patrick Joseph King — resolutely took their sinking ship under her own steam to Simons Bay.

In a postcard showing the hole in the ship’s side, Capt Flynn wrote to his wife, Agnus Gertrude: ‘This is a photo of the principal damage. The ship is in the dry dock, the hole is 47ft long and 20ft deep, but is only part of the damage. She is still the only ship that was mined off Africa and saved and did not lose one life, out of 1,030 men and six dogs.’

I

Capt Flynn was awarded the DSC by King George V in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 13 February 1919. He had already received a Lloyd’s of London medal for meritorious service to the country after an encounter with a German submarine off the coast of Algiers while in command of ss Antilochus, and he went on to be decorated for other acts of heroism during the war.

One of these was the rescue of 26 Norwegian seamen after their ship, Manx King, was sunk on 8 July by a German submarine in the Atlantic. Capt Flynn was ordered not to stop his vessel — ss Anchises — as the U-boat was still in the area. Even though it was feared his ship would be a sitting target, Flynn decided to stop the engines and recover the men from lifeboats.

On 23 September 1918, Flynn was in command of Anchises when a German submarine was sighted at a distance of five miles. He altered course to bring the submarine astern, speed was increased to the utmost, Anchises opened fire and the submarine was damaged.

Tyndareus went on to have a long career , including service as a troop ship in the Second World War, and conversion to a pilgrimage ship in 1949 — running the ‘Hadj’ service until being sent for scrapping in Hong Kong in 1960. g Capt Flynn’s family are seeking Telegraph readers’ help with two questions. Does anyone know what became of his DSC medal? And does anyone know what happened to the inscribed silver that he received for the Manx King rescue? Please send any ideas to the editor at telegraph@nautilusint.org.

I

The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society Providing the highest standards of residential, nursing, dementia and respite care, including sheltered flats, for former seafarers and their dependents. Set in a 14 acre estate, our Surrey based care home provides like minded companionship and support for seafarers and a safe haven for those in old age.

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS OUR HELP, PLEASE CONTACT US

T 01737 353 763 E enquiries@royalalfred.org.uk www.royalalfredseafarers.com Registered as a Charity No. 209776

28_tyndareus_SR edit.indd Sec2:28

• Reference code: Naut16

At 5am on 7 February, HMS Hyacinth placed 40 of her crew onboard to assist in working the vessel. At 7.55, HMS Trent came alongside to assist by towing, but both attempts to make a connection were unsuccessful. Tyndareus battled stern-first against the weather, and with some assistance from the tug Ludwig Wiener finally managed to anchor in Simon’s Bay at 4.45pm.

Tyndareus was towed stern-first to Simonstown naval base, where she was repaired. And on 12 June 1917, she went back to complete her voyage to China and Japan.

In a letter to Richard Holt, the South African governor-general Viscount Buxton wrote: ‘The hole is a terrible one, the bottom, plates and bulkhead twisted and torn. It is a wonderful thing that she was able to float at all and did not sink within a few minutes. … You and your firm, the designer and the builders, are greatly to be congratulated on the result of the great improvements in regard to double bottom, bulkheads, etc, designed for the Tyndareus — these were, I presume, consequent on the loss of the Titanic.

There is no doubt whatever … that without these well designed and costly improvements the ship would have gone to the bottom.’

The naval commander-in-chief at Simonstown wrote to the Admiralty to praise the ‘Birkenhead tradition’ of the British Army and the ‘coolness and perseverance of the captain, officers and engineer’s staff’.

Following the incident, Col Ward wrote a letter of thanks to Capt Flynn — praising the ‘heroic efforts’ in bringing the ship to safety and the ‘cool and calm’ conduct of the crew.

Captain George Arthur Hope Flynn, Merchant Navy master and First World War hero

15/02/2017 16:20

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

MARITIME SAFETY

The ro-pax ferry Leiger, built in 2016 without a SOLAS-compliant pilot ladder

Why is this still happening?

Pilot ladder safety problems have been a big issue in shipping for many years — and now the design of some new ships is fuelling further concern, writes Nautilus member KEVIN VALLANCE…

O

It is widely acknowledged within the shipping industry that transferring pilots to and from vessels using a pilot ladder is a potentially dangerous operation. To reduce the risk of serious injury, or worse, requires strict levels of adherence to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations and recommendations by all the stakeholders involved — including flag states, classification societies, ship designers and ship builders.

On 1 January 2012 an updated SOLAS Regulation 23 for pilot transfer arrangements came into force. The first section of the regulation states: ‘Ships engaged on voyages in the course of which pilots may be employed shall be provided with pilot transfer arrangements.’

The use of the phrase ‘may be employed’ is very important — but often it can be misunderstood or misinterpreted.

There are a number of ships — for example, ferries or supply vessels — which can be employed on routes where, because of the issue of Pilot Exemption Certificates (PECs), the services of pilots are not routinely used.

Owners or operators may think that there is no need or necessity to provide pilot ladders for such vessels. This may be correct for the ship’s standard operations — but if it moves to a new trading area or goes to a dry dock the services of a pilot may be needed. If so, and if the pilot transfer arrangement involves the use of a pilot ladder, the vessel must be able to comply fully with the requirements of SOLAS regulation 23.

Section 3 of the regulation refers to ‘transfer arrangements’ and includes the requirement for pilot ladders, when used, to provide safe access and egress from the ship. They must be secured and positioned so that each step

29_pilot ladder_SR edit.indd 29

Operators must provide safe access for pilots.

They cannot assume they will always be able to use PECs

“

”

The Leiger’s pilot ladder is not positioned and secured against the ship’s side

rests horizontally and firmly against the ship’s side.

Where constructional features, such as rubbing bands or sponsons, would prevent the implementation of this provision, special arrangements to the satisfaction of the administration

have to be made to ensure that persons are able to embark and disembark safely.

Late last year, the 5,217gt ropax ferry Leiger was delivered to the Estonian company TS Laevad OS (a subsidiary of the port of Tallinn) after being built by the Sefine Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.

It was intended that the vessel would operate within Estonian waters, between the mainland and outlying islands, and it was anticipated that PECs would normally be used.

However, during the passage from Turkey to its home port within the Baltic Sea, the vessel called at a number of European ports — and each time was obliged to employ the services of local pilots. The pilot transfer arrangement offered (and used) each time consisted of a traditional pilot ladder. The lack of capability to have the steps of the ladder firmly resting alongside the ship’s side is illustrated in the photographs accompanying this article.

Shipping companies must accept that if a pilot is to be carried, it is a legal requirement to provide a safe means of access to and from the vessel. The ladder arrangement offered by Leiger does not comply with SOLAS Regulation 23 and it is most disappointing that a vessel which was certified and built in 2016 could not offer a safe pilot transfer arrangement.

Serious questions need to be asked as to how it was permitted for the vessel to be constructed and allowed to proceed to sea by flag state and class in clear contravention of the regulations.

Leiger is the first of four similar vessels which will be delivered to Estonia. We can only hope that the designers and classification societies concerned with the other three vessels will take a better view of discharging their SOLAS Convention responsibilities.

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15/02/2017 17:25

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

OFFWATCH ships of the past

by Trevor Boult from Plymouth to carry F over 100 English Protestants

In 1620, Mayflower set out

across the Atlantic to safety and freedom in the New World, reaching the shores of New England after a challenging voyage of 67 days.

In 1955 the keel was laid at Brixham, Devon, of Mayflower II, a replica of the original.

This was the first step in an Anglo-American project to commemorate that voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers, symbol of the common heritage of the English-speaking peoples, to remind those on both sides of the Atlantic of the close links between Britain and the United States. The voyage of the original Mayflower has achieved an enduring place in the cherished traditions of both countries.

The building of the ship called for lengthy and painstaking research, expert knowledge, unearthing methods of shipbuilding used in Elizabethan times, and sourcing the biggest oaks growing in England towards her construction. The original settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts, was rebuilt, with a permanent berth to preserve her.

In April 1957 Mayflower II set sail from Plymouth, England, captained by Alan Villiers, one-time owner and master of the full-rigged ship Joseph Conrad. Among her crew of 30 hands was John Winslow, direct descendent of his namesake whose young bride was the first of the Mayflower women to set foot in America. Also onboard was Warwick Charlton, whose inspiration and enthusiasm began this historic project and brought it to life: ‘The footsteps of the Pilgrim Fathers were not to be trodden in by human feet again, but it would be an honourable and a challenging task to point out whence they came and where they led.’

No contemporary records of

The Mayflower II, launched in 1957 Picture: Kristen Oney/Plimoth Plantation

Mayflower II: symbol of common heritage Mayflower herself were believed to be extant. A significant discovery was a magazine article by a naval architect in which appropriate detailed drawings appeared. These represented a translation of other research into full-scale plans from which a shipyard could work.

The plans were drawn up for the American organisation Plimoth Plantation of Plymouth, Massachusetts, the president of which was Henry Hornblower II. The Plantation was in the process of rebuilding the original Pilgrim Settlement. A formal agreement was reached

between the newly created Mayflower Company and Plimoth Plantation, for the use of the plans and provision of a permanent berth for Mayflower II. The company was now able to seek a specialist builder. JW & A Upham of Brixham, which had been building wooden ships for nearly 200 years, accepted the tender. Led by Stuart Upham, the firm crucially still had a nucleus of highly-skilled master shipwrights to guide others.

In the shipyard, the Union Flag and the Stars and Stripes hung over the keel, hewn and scarfed together from a 120-year-old oak.

Only timber for the masts and spars were sourced outside of England.

A number of specialist firms all over Britain manufactured materials as near as possible to those that were used 400 years ago, such as the Scottish companies making the Italian hemp cordage, and sailcloth. The latter was transformed into two suits of sails by Brixham’s only remaining master sailmaker, Harold Bridge.

Of the rebuilding, the News Advocate of Michigan trumpeted: ‘There is something heartwarming in this gesture by the peoples of England. It can hardly draw the two nations closer together than the present alliance, dictated in part by the exigencies of current international politics, in part by common friendship and understanding, between them. Rather it is a tangible reaffirmation of that friendship.

It is a gesture, not at the official, governmental level, but from people to people. It is a personal salute, deeply appreciated.’

At the civic commemoration of Mayflower II’s departure, held at the Mayflower Steps, it was clear that the public’s imagination had been captured; likewise in official circles. There were messages from the prime minister, the EnglishSpeaking Union, the Outward Bound Trust, other public figures and national organisations on each side of the Atlantic. At the start of the voyage the Red Ensign fluttered from the lateen yard and the flag of King James, flown by the first Mayflower, flew from the mainmast.

Reflecting on the extraordinary 55-day voyage, Warwick Charlton recalled: ‘I remembered how we cursed Mayflower’s discomfort and her motion; and how we laughed at them. I remembered her inconveniences and the sheer delight and happiness she gave us, the power a sailing ship has of making you feel really alive; the short wild days and the long quiet ones.’

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book Iron Dawn by Richard Snow (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.

The final meeting has taken place of the Pearson Tribunal, the inquiry into British shipping established following the 1966 seamen’s strike.

The publication of the inquiry report is now awaited, and second only in importance to the possible effect on shipmasters of its recommendations are the consequences of the continuing reduction in the number of British ships and the adverse economic factors which are leading to the closing down of companies and the services which they previously operated. In no British company can it be said today that any shipmaster is wholly secure in his employment and almost every day the MMSA’s postbag includes letters bearing on this disturbing problem of redundancy. What is also most disturbing is the apparently complete unpreparedness of members who suddenly find themselves facing the loss of their job and an indefinite period of unemployment MN Journal, March 1967

25 YEARS AGO NUMAST has joined marine insurers in expressing concern at a staggering 40% rise in worldwide tonnage losses last year. Revealing the figures, the Institute of London Underwriters pointed to poor quality crews, ageing tonnage, lack of maintenance and flags of convenience as the key factors behind the increase. NUMAST general secretary John Newman said it was disturbing that at a time when technological advances are making most industries safer, shipping appears to be taking giant steps backwards. A total of 1.71m gt was lost last year — the highest figure since 1979 — and the ILU said it was concerned about the problems arising from poor quality crewing and shortfalls in training, as well as changes in ownership styles The Telegraph, March 1992

10 YEARS AGO Claims that young Europeans are not interested in careers at sea are ‘lies’, Nautilus has told a hearing on the future of EU maritime policy.

Senior national officer Allan Graveson told the European economic and social committee in Brussels that there is no evidence to support assertions that EU nationals do not want to go to sea any more and owners are using this as an excuse not to train sufficient EU officers. As a consequence, he warned, there is now a critical shortage of skilled seafarers for the high-value and high-risk end of the industry. Mr Graveson said EU policy should promote the shipping industry as hightech and world-class, with fiscal and regulatory support to ensure that sufficient EU citizens are trained and employed within the maritime sector The Telegraph, March 2006

THEQUIZ

4

Which bank gave the most loans to the shipping industry last year?

5

What percentage of engineroom fires are caused by oil leaks from pressurised systems?

In which year did British Railways’ ferry operations become Sealink?

1

What percentage of the world merchant fleet is owned in Asia?

2

Which country’s shipyards built the most ships last year?

6

What is the percentage of the world fleet which is under third party management?

J Quiz answers are on page 38.

3

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 17 March 2017.

QUICK CLUES

30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

50 YEARS AGO

1.

6.

9.

10.

12.

14.

15.

17.

19.

21.

24.

25.

26.

27.

Across Press worker (10) Carrier (4) Coin (5) Set out (9) Prayer request (3,5,5) Singular clothing (3-5) Wheat protein (6) Fruit (6) Wine (8) Using fluid power (13) Cattle collection area (9) Oil-producer (5) Cartoon Capp (4) Pale complexion (10)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

7.

8.

11.

Down Obscure Hardy character (4) Open up (7) Resolved to progress (2,7,4) Across La Manche (2,6) Ecological stage (5) Chemical activator (7) Giving way (10) Belly button (9,4)

13.

16.

18.

20.

22.

23.

Single flower (10) Morbid (8) Robot (7) Not night (7) Camelid (5) Not as much (4)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

6.

9.

10.

12.

14.

15.

17.

Across Poured down after recuperative break but all calm here (10) Or left Osiris jumping about for other half (4) Find one’s feet with a space in exhibition (5) Seek revenge with area title upset (9) It used Gutenberg’s type of metal (8,5) To ease the suffering, friend and I dined together (8) Calculating ophidians (6) Distraught singer to chuck it in (6)

19. Deduction from pay for industrial action (8) 21. After shoot let Menz resort to deception (13) 24. Dropped right out of Berlin, shaken about German car production but not heard about (9) 25. Amin fronting occupational therapy, the fool (5) 26. PM takes on a Mexican civilisation (4) 27. Little thanks for Ms Fitzgerald after outrage at folk dances (10)

Down Epidermal problem not thought through (4) 2. Trophy from head and the Spanish instrument for removing it (7) 3. In communist part of Yorkshire Robin the woodsman saved her (3,6,4) 1.

4. Annoy by confusing it with art in anger (8) 5. Consumed some great endives (5) 7. Twin cats (7) 8. Could be a sibling at the door (10) 11. Collector listed pit rope for restoration (13) 13. I’m in Birmingham after brief operation with professional led to criticism (10) 16. The middle of ketch when full, and so on (8) 18. Synopsis sounds seasonable (7) 20. Building for workers and soldiers (7) 22. Seen on safari, crossing between beacons (5) 23. Mount is so active and fiery it tangled a net (4) J Crossword answers are on page 38.

15/02/2017 17:26

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

The unusual career of an activist shipmaster Greenpeace Captain

By Peter Willcox with Ronald Weiss Sandstone Press, £9.99 ISBN: 978 19109 85526 secret service attack on the Greenpeace vessel K Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in 1985, in which the This book starts with a bang: the French

ship’s photographer was killed.

As captain of that ship, Peter Willcox is still haunted by that event — and the dramatic opening to this account of his four decades of service with the environmental organisation underlines the huge risks run by the Greenpeace vessel crews in their varied protest actions.

Now the most experienced master with Greenpeace, Peter Willcox has clocked up more than 400,000 sailing miles in his battles on behalf of the environment. He has taken on anything from whale killers to nuclear bomb testers, and was jailed for two months in Russia when his ship was seized following a protest against oil drilling in Antarctica.

The book maintains a rattling pace as he explains how he ended up on the frontline of the

environmental struggle — having been brought up in a family with strong sailing and activist credentials. At the age of 20, he embarked on his seafaring career as second mate on the sailing sloop Clearwater, which had been bought by the folk singer Peter Seeger to protest at pollution of the Hudson river.

He followed this with a spell on the educational square-rigger Regina Maris, gaining lots of seatime and experience in the principles of navigation.

From there, it was a small step to a post as deckhand on the original Rainbow Warrior — a former trawler that had been built in 1955.

Successive chapters describe diverse campaign voyages to such places as Peru, the Marshall Islands, Japan, Turkey, Sweden, Greenland and the Philippines — engaging in headline-grabbing actions in confrontations with naval ships, whalers and timber carriers.

These recollections are interspersed with little snippets of background information and anecdotes, many of which relate to seafaring. Peter Willcox started as a volunteer crew member and became one of the first seafarers to be paid by Greenpeace — although he notes that the rewards

Adorned with colourful artwork and contemporary photography, the book captures what life onboard these luxury vessels would have been like at the turn of the 20th century.

Across eight insightful chapters, it gives the reader plenty of new and interesting information, not only about the White Star Line, but also that fascinating period of British maritime history.

Hard-working vessels from a fascinating maritime era The ‘Big Four’ of the White Star Fleet

By Mark Chirnside The History Press, £25 ISBN: 978 07509 65972 fwww.thehistorypress.co.uk

K

Celtic’s in the Big Four. You read that right, but this is not a discussion of the state of British football — it’s one of the four ships that White Star Line launched in the early 1900s.

Alongside Celtic (1901) were Cedric (1903), Baltic (1904) and Adriatic (1907). The quartet served for a combined 110 years and carried around 1.5m passengers on the Liverpool to New York and Southampton to New York routes during their time in service.

In his book — The ‘Big Four’ of the White Star Fleet — Mark Chirnside relates the history of the ships — which were, in many ways, the forerunners of the more revered Olympic class vessels.

For example, features including a gymnasium and Turkish and electric baths were trialled on Adriatic before their use on Olympic, Britannic and Titanic.

Charting their history from civilian passenger ships to armed merchant cruisers and troop ships in the First World War, the book explores the adventures and experiences passengers and crew had onboard over the decades.

31_books_SR edit.indd 31

Appealing opportunity to wallow in nostalgia Great Passenger Ships: 1950-1960

By William H Miller The History Press, £19.99 ISBN: 978 07509 63077 fwww.thehistorypress.co.uk period in shipbuilding history.

K It was a decade that saw shipyards The 1950s were truly a great

rebuild and renew passengership services across the globe, with

many breaking records on an unprecedented scale.

Capturing the magic of that bygone age is William H Miller and his entertaining title Great Passenger Ships: 1950-1960. This coffee-table book pays homage to the vessels of the day and chronologically navigates its way through the period, capturing some of the finest vessels afloat.

It tells of a time when cruising the world was for the wealthy, and these liners were state-of-the-art luxury vessels. As the foreword notes, vessels like the Cunard Line’s Caronia were almost one-for-one in terms of crew per passenger, with many of the latter living aboard for months at a time.

of the job are not financial.

There are some interesting reflections on seafaring life — including the enduring value of celestial navigation, the way in which navigational aids differ around the world, pilotage, and working in extreme weather conditions or in challenging waterways such as the Amazon and the Pentland Firth.

There are also some fascinating descriptions of ice navigation and the problems of manoeuvring one of the old Greenpeace vessels with no bow thruster and a very wide turning radius, as well as the quirks of working on a ship with an engineroom telegraph.

While Peter Willcox is clearly sincere in his belief in the value of non-violent direct action, the book makes it clear that he rather enjoyed some of the high-profile scrapes he became embroiled in. Facing the prospect of a lengthy jail sentence in Peru on a charge of piracy, he admits that he hoped it would get him noticed at the Greenpeace HQ so that he got ‘the really cool assignments’.

In another section, he describes how ‘most people feel too powerless to have an effect on the world we live in, but direct actions are wonderful

The author has split the decade across around 100 pages and 18 well-researched chapters. During the work he looks at liners including the United States, Olympia and Gripsholm and their significant impact on the maritime industry of the time.

The book manages to juggle the written word well with artwork and photography from the era, allowing readers who may have sailed upon some of the vessels to enjoy wistful memories of the golden age of great ocean liners.

All the latest in geopolitics and maritime strategy World Naval Review 2017 Edited by Conrad Waters Seaforth Publishing, £30 ISBN: 978 14738 92750

Kuncertain times, Conrad Waters We are living in increasingly

Civil war that changed the maritime world Iron Dawn

By Richard Snow Amberley, £20 ISBN: 978 14456 63463 fwww.amberley-books.com arms race in the American Civil War K accelerated the development of iron-clad and Iron Dawn is the story of how an

iron-hulled vessels — proving their worth to the extent that observers in the British Royal Navy swiftly ceased work on wooden ships.

In a pacey, novelistic style, the book tells of the events leading up to the launches of the pioneering warships Monitor and Merrimack, which met in battle off Hampton Roads, Virginia, in March 1862.

The key figures associated with the vessels

are vividly portrayed, with many colourful characters engaged in the effort to be first into battle with an invincible warship, and even the great Abraham Lincoln playing a part. Many of these people are shown in the book’s plentiful illustrations, and there is also a good selection of ship pictures.

For the maritime audience, there is a reasonable amount of technical information about the construction and testing of the Monitor and Merrimack. However, this is very much a military history, so readers should be prepared for many paragraphs focusing on weapons, naval strategy and battle reports.

Whether or not that floats your (historic) boat, Iron Dawn is still worth a look as a wellresearched account of important events that had a lasting impact on life and work at sea.

educational tools to alert our fellow citizens to a problem, while giving us a chance to do something about it’.

Even if you don’t approve of some of the tactics used by Greenpeace, this spirited book provides a very readable insight into the group’s motives, and also the daunting scale of the opposition ranged against it. Peter Willcox sums it up neatly towards the end as he relaxes in front of a fire at home after being freed from prison in Russia: ‘There’s a longstanding maritime tradition to come to the aid of anyone at sea who is in peril. So when the ocean itself is in trouble, I can’t refuse the call.’

notes in his introduction to this hardy annual, and it’s been marked by an increase in defence spending in many countries. However, he points out, this doesn’t always translate into naval expansion — with countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark scaling back on the size of their fleets.

Split into four main sections, this fascinating book examines trends in maritime strategy and geopolitics over the past year, as well as focusing on issues of particular interest — including technological advances and significant new ships.

The book describes the outcome of the UK’s 2015 strategic security and defence review — which

approved a ‘modest’ increase in RN seafarer numbers at a time when ‘gapping’ of certain standing commitments and the RFA vessels or offshore patrol vessels have been used to make up for its depleted frontline forces.

It also reflects upon the important decision to invest in three new RFA solid support ships — and notes that the delays in delivering the new Tide class ships from South Korea show ‘that it is not only the British shipbuilding sector that can suffer from production issues’.

An in-depth section on the Dutch navy describes the dramatic effect of cuts to the country’s defence budget — which almost halted the introduction into service of its new multi-role support ship Karel Doorman and raised questions about funding for much-needed new tonnage.

There’s plenty of other interesting material to be found here — including a piece by a former merchant seafarer and submariner on submarine escape, rescue, abandonment and survivability, and a feature on the US Navy’s remarkable futuristic ‘stealth ship’ Zumwalt class of guided missile destroyers.

On sale...

Andrew P Muirhead’s Fans of

monthly cartoons in the Telegraph will enjoy the X-rated ed second issue of The Freaky Wave magazine — a highly irreverent collection of cartoons, fake adverts, subversive M-notices and general sending-up of seafaring life.

The back page ‘Christmas appeal’ gives a sense of the contents: ‘Every year literally tens of British Merchant Navy officers and crew transit the far-flung corners of the British Empire transporting untold riches in the form of commodities to the United Kingdom. This includes oil, gas, bananas, cars, cruise ship passengers and chlamydia.’ fPriced at £7 plus postage, the cheeky mag can be ordered from www.thefreakywave.bigcartel.com

15/02/2017 16:23

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

NL NEWS In this month’s Dutch pages:

z Nautilus and SWZ magazine

z FNV and Nautilus tax service

z members meet merchant shipping

z company visit to Jan de Nul Group

z Kotugsmit CBA negotiations

z Nautilus annual meeting and symposium

z Nautilus and mediation

z FNV chairman elections

z Stena Line New Year reception

z MARI-TIME Event in Leeuwarden

z Open door at STC

z International Women’s Day

z Medieval Trigion labour contract

z Nautilus student prize

z Dutch pages via email appreciated

INTERNATIONAL

‘Goed en pittig 2016 voor Stena Line’ A Rectificatie C

In het Telegraph februari nr. stond de verkeerde foto afgedrukt bij het artikel ‘Veel leerzame uitdagingen voor stagiairs op P&O Ferries’.

Hierbij de juiste foto.

Volg ons op Twitter Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat de offshore support vessel industrie weer op kan krabbelen vanuit de huidige malaise?

Ja 60%

Nee 40%

De poll van deze maand is: Denkt u dat de scheepvaartwereld iets kan leren over veiligheid in de luchtvaart industrie? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl_14.2.indd 32

‘We kijken terug op een goed en pittig 2016 voor Stena Line in de Noordzee regio. In 2015 boekten we voor het eerst een positief resultaat en in 2016 hebben we deze lijn goed doorgezet. Qua vrachtvervoer (80% van de omzet) zien we over de eerste 9 maanden al een groei van ca. 4%.

Ons uitgangspunt is vooral door te gaan onze dienstverlening te optimaliseren. En we kijken nu al uit naar de ingebruikname van onze 2e ligplaats in Europoort, begin 2018.’

Dit zei Annika Hult, Route Manager van de Stena Lina North Sea regio, 19 januari tijdens een drukbezochte nieuwjaarsreceptie op de Stena Hollandica. Namens Nautilus waren bestuurders Marcel van Dam, Maarten Keuss en communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie aanwezig.

Plastic vorken en messen uit de vaart genomen

‘Maar we zijn er nog niet’, hield Hult haar gasten voor. ‘We blijven de komende jaren streven naar een beter rendement. Dit ook om de vele voorgaande verliesgevende jaren goed te maken. Optimaliseren, maar vooral ook digitaliseren en duurzaamheid zijn hierbij belangrijke sleutelwoorden. Bij digitaliseren moet u dan denken aan de verdere inzet van big data en aan artificial intelligence. En bij duurzaamheid bijvoorbeeld aan het stoppen met het gebruik van plastic vorken en messen, tasjes etc.’ Hult prees ook de goede samenwerking met alle aanwezige klanten en overige stakeholders. En ook de toewijding van alle ‘hardwerkende’ Stena Line

medewerkers. Tevens stond zij nog even stil bij de verdiensten van de begin vorig jaar ‘te vroeg’ overleden oud-directeur Pim de Lange (69 jaar).

Ledenvergadering nieuwe Stena Line cao

De Stena Line cao verloopt op 31 maart 2017.

Cao-partijen zullen daarom in 2017 bijeenkomen om te praten over een nieuwe ondernemings-cao bij Stena Line.

Cao-onderhandelaar Marcel van Dam: ‘Om binnenkort goed voorbereid over een nieuwe cao te kunnen gaan onderhandelen, nodigen wij eerst onze leden uit voor een ledenvergadering, zodat we gezamenlijk kunnen bepalen met welke voorstellen we de onderhandelingen ingaan. Daarna gaan we met de Stena Line directie aan tafel.’

De ledenvergadering vond plaats op 14 februari aan boord van de Stena Hollandica.

In de volgende Telegraph meer hierover.

Nautilus present op Open Dagen STC 27 en 28 januari weer present A met een stand op de Open Dagen Nautilus International was op

van de STC-Group aan de Lloydstraat in Rotterdam. Diverse ouders, (toekomstige) studenten en leraren kwamen een kijkje nemen. Studenten betalen slechts 3,35 euro per maand voor een Nautilus lidmaatschap.

Hiervoor krijgen zij onder meer de Telegraph en het SWZ magazine maandelijks toegestuurd. En hebben ze — ook als stagiair — recht op de 24/7 sevice van Nautilus worldwide.

Onthulling plaquette 1e Wereldoorlog Antwerpse studenten

Zaterdagochtend 28 januari werd, naast de entree van de Lloydzaal, een speciale ‘teruggevonden’ plaquette onthuld. Aangeboden door de Vereniging van oud-studenten ‘Volle Kracht’ aan het College van Bestuur van de STC-Group. Het betrof een op 11 november 1939 aangeboden bronzen maquette, ter herdenking van het feit dat in de 1e Wereldoorlog (1914- 1918) een aantal gevluchte Belgische studenten van de Antwerpse

zeevaartschool hun opleiding aan de toenmalige Rotterdamse gemeentelijke Zeevaartschool mochten afmaken. In de 80-er jaren verdween de maquette plotseling, om pas onlangs teruggevonden te worden bij een antiquair in Hoek van Holland.

Gastvrijheid voor buitenlandse studenten

Volle Kracht secretaris Frank

Vergroesen: ‘Het is ons als bestuur een groot genoegen, om in navolging van het comité van oud leerlingen uit de dertiger jaren, deze

gedenkplaat thans aan te bieden aan het College van Bestuur van het STC. In onze ogen de erfopvolger van de gemeentelijke Zeevaartschool, waar het maritiem onderwijs op alle niveaus thans wordt gegeven.

Wij zijn er trots op dat in Rotterdam deze opleiding van hoge kwaliteit is gevestigd en dat nog steeds ruimte en gastvrijheid is voor studenten van buiten Nederland.’

15/02/2017 17:22

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Nautilus Jaarvergadering 2017 Maak gebruik van de landelijke Op dinsdagmiddag 20 juni 2017, van 13.00 tot 14.30 uur, vindt de jaarvergadering van de Nederlandse branch van Nautilus International plaats in het Rotterdam Belastingservice Marriott Hotel te Rotterdam.

FNV Nautilus Symposium: Jobs, Skills and the Future

woonadres wachten invullers A van de Belastingservice FNV op uw Vaak op korte afstand van uw

komst om gratis en deskundig uw aangiftebiljet vóór 1 mei 2017 in te vullen!

Vanaf 1 maart tot 1 mei 2017 geeft Belastingservice FNV gratis hulp bij het invullen van uw belastingaangifte en het aanvragen van toeslagen. U kunt hiertoe een afspraak maken bij een van de 500 invullocaties in het land. De afspraakgegevens staan op www. afspraakmakenfnv.nl.

Hoe maakt u een afspraak?

Online. Ga naar www.fnv.nl/ belastingservice of www.afspraakmakenfnv.nl.

Daar kunt u online een afspraak maken. Als u dat hebt gedaan, ontvangt u per email een bevestiging en een overzicht van de gegevens die u moet meenemen naar de afspraak.

Neem de machtigingscode 2016 mee, want zonder de code kan er geen aangifte worden gedaan.

Is de aangifte in 2016 ook door de FNV gedaan, dan ontvangt u automatisch de machtigingscode voor de aangifte 2016 per post thuis. Heeft u die niet ontvangen, kijk dan op www.fnv.nl/ belastingservice hoe u de code kunt aanvragen.

Telefonisch kunt u ook een afspraak maken. Op de site staan alle mogelijkheden. Of u belt met het Contactcenter 088 3680368 (ma. t/m vr. van 8.30 tot 17.30 uur, in de periode 15 februari tot 1 mei).

U wilt uw aangifte door Nautilus laten invullen: Stuur per post of per email kopieën van al uw gegevens naar Nautilus.

(Vermijd het maken van een afspraak.)

Uw aangiftebrief, machtigingscode of Digid codes en volledige gegevens dient u aan Nautilus toe te zenden. De grote hoeveelheid aangiften maken het voor Nautilus onmogelijk de aangifte binnen twee maanden te verwerken. Het is dus van groot belang dat u, als u gebruik maakt van deze mogelijkheid, zelf eerst uitstel aanvraagt en dat ook aan ons meldt!

De eenvoudigste manier om dit te doen is door te bellen naar nummer 0800-0543. U kunt ook een kort briefje sturen aan de Belastingdienst, Postbus 253, 6401 DA HEERLEN o.v.v. uw BSN nummer.

Uw aangifte wordt om bijzondere redenen door Nautilus ingevuld.

Heeft u een erg ingewikkelde aangifte en wilt u die aangifte komen toelichten en/of bespreken?

Dan kunt u zich wenden tot Nautilus.

Samen met u vullen wij de aangifte dan in. Hiervoor moet u wel een afspraak maken.

Let wel: dit is een zeer beperkte mogelijkheid en slechts bedoeld voor complexe aangiften!

De machtigingscode 2016 is en blijft bijzonder belangrijk, want zonder de code kan er geen aangifte worden gedaan! Is de aangifte in 2016 ook door de Nautilus/FNV gedaan, dan ontvangt u automatisch de machtigingscode voor de aangifte 2016 per post thuis.

Niet ontvangen? Belt u dan met de Belastingdienst 088-1236555, geef uw BSN nummer door en vraag de machtigingscode aan.

Jaaropgaven zonder een aangiftebrief, machtigingscode of Digid codes worden niet meer in behandeling genomen!

Goede discussies op ledenvergaderingen F

Handelsvaart- en Spliethoff Groep cao

De Handelsvaart-cao en de Spliethoff Groep cao verlopen beiden op 31 maart 2017. Cao-partijen (werkgevers en werknemers) komen daarom binnenkort bijeen om te praten over een nieuwe sector-cao Handelsvaart en over de nieuwe ondernemings-cao van de Spliethoff Groep.

Vooruitlopend op deze onderhandelingen werden door Nautilus twee ledenvergaderingen gehouden. Eén in Rotterdam eind januari en één in Groningen begin februari. Daarnaast konden de varende leden hun suggesties doormailen, ter bespreking ook op de ledenvergaderingen.

Werkgelegenheid en stagiaires

Nautilus bestuurder en caoonderhandelaar Sascha Meijer:

32-35_nl_14.2.indd 33

‘Om goed over beide nieuwe cao’s te kunnen gaan onderhandelen, hebben we uiteraard eerst met onze leden overlegd. Zoals bekend volgt Nautilus International het loon- en arbeidsvoorwaardenbeleid van de FNV. Onze looninzet zal 2,5 % zijn.

De looptijd is een vast onderdeel van de onderhandelingen.

Voor onze leden staat behoud van Nederlandse werkgelegenheid hoog op de agenda. Net als het plaatsen van stagiaires van de Nederlandse zeevaartscholen. Een belangrijk punt is ook de wens om het 1 op 1 af varen beter mogelijk en betaalbaarder te maken. En ook het ontwikkelen van maatregelen op het gebied van duurzame inzetbaarheid, om gezond (korter) werkend ouder te worden,scoorde hoog in de discussies.

Al met al hebben we nu een aantal goede cao-uitgangspunten om de onderhandelingen met de werkgevers in te gaan.’

Hierna wordt een openbaar toegankelijk symposium georganiseerd, van 15.00 tot 17.00 uur. Met als thema: ‘Jobs, Skills and the Future’.

Nadere informatie over deze middag volgt nog, maar houdt u deze datum vast vrij in de agenda.

Voorstellen indienen

Het is goed om alvast alle leden te wijzen op de mogelijkheid om voorstellen in te dienen. Deze voorstellen dienen het algemene Nederlandse belang van de vereniging te betreffen. Voorstellen over een specifieke CAO of een specifieke rederij worden verwezen naar desbetreffende ledenvergaderingen. Eventuele voorstellen dienen uiterlijk 1 mei a.s. schriftelijk of per email door

het bestuur te zijn ontvangen en zullen voorzien van een

bestuursadvies aan de vergadering worden voorgelegd.

Internationale Vrouwendag: Power to de Vrouw!

A

Op 8 maart is het wereldwijd weer Internationale Vrouwendag. Dit jaar legt de organisatie de nadruk op ‘vrouwen die te maken hebben gehad met geweld en nu krachtig in het leven staan’.

De Telegraph legde aan Noortje Loonen, eerste ‘stuurman’ bij Jumbo The Maritime Heavy Lift Company, actief ook in het Nautilus Vrouwenforum, enkele vragen voor:

Heb jij zelf ervaringen die met dit thema te maken hebben, of ken jij vrouwelijke collega’s met (gewelds) ervaringen?

Noortje: ‘Nee, gelukkig heb ik als vrouw niet van dit soort ervaringen gehad. Ik heb wel een keer niet zo fijn met iemand gevaren, maar dit had niet te maken met het feit dat ik vrouw was. Hier hadden andere, ook mannelijke collega’s, namelijk last van.’

Hoe ervaar jij het leven als ‘vrouw aan boord’?

Noortje: ‘Ik vind het varen leuk.

Als je net als een van de mannen de klussen doet, word je vaak ook als zodanig behandeld. Zo krijg je ook de leuke klussen.’

De zeevaart staat nog steeds bekend als een mannenbolwerk; is dit aan het veranderen?

Noortje: ‘Ik vind toch van wel, ja.

Ik denk dat veel mensen steeds meer wennen aan het feit dat er ook vrouwen varen. En dat dat ook goed gaat.’

Vind jij het goed dat er meer vrouwen in de zeevaart actief worden? Wat zijn de voordelen?

Noortje: ‘Iedereen moet het beroep kunnen uitoefenen wat hij of zij wil en ook kan. Wat de voordelen zijn? Nou, het grootste voordeel is toch wel, dat als je niet leuk met iemand vaart, je een volgende reis je met iemand anders komt te varen. Als je op kantoor werkt, kan dat niet en moet je tegen die persoon aan blijven kijken.’

Heb jij nog tips voor vrouwelijke stagiairs?

Noortje: ‘Jezelf zijn, je best doen en niet bang zijn om iets te vragen. Als je het vraagt, dan

hoef je het niet twee keer te doen, als het fout is gegaan. Maar ja, dat geldt denk ik voor alle stagiairs. En voor de dames is mijn advies: je hoeft je niet uitdagend te kleden. Ze zien heus wel dat je vrouw bent. En denk hier ook vooral aan in moslim landen.’

Ga je nog iets speciaals doen op 8 maart?

Noortje: ‘Ik zit op zee…dus ik ben gewoon aan het werk.’

g Zie ook: www.internationalevrouwendag.nl.

In te sturen naar mschmidt@nautilusint.org.

Elektronische verzending e-Telegraph NL pagina’s wordt gewaardeerd 2017 hebben wij als proef F de 4 Nederlandse pagina’s van de

Vanaf oktober 2016 t/m februari

e-Telegraph naar onze Nederlandse leden(waarvan wij een emailadres hebben) gestuurd. We hebben toen ook aangegeven deze proef begin dit jaar te evalueren. Hiertoe is medio januari een korte enquête uitgezet.

Met een respons van bijna 10% kunnen de uitkomsten redelijk representatief worden genoemd.

Duidelijk is dat over het algemeen deze service goed tot zeer goed wordt gewaardeerd.

De gepubliceerde artikelen beoordeelt men van redelijk goed tot zeer goed en boeiend.

Verder blijkt dat ca. 50% van de respondenten vier Nederlandstalige pagina’s voldoende vindt, maar dat ruim 45% het te weinig vindt.

Mede naar aanleiding van deze positieve resultaten zullen wij doorgaan met deze nieuwe service.

Wilt u de 4 Nederlandse pagina’s van de e-Telegraph voortaan ook ontvangen? g Stuur ons dan een email, met hierin vermeld ook uw lidmaatschapnr., naar infonl@ nautilusint.org.

Wilt u een groter publiek bereiken? Presenteer uw product of service aan meer dan 15,000 maritieme professionele lezers uit Nederland, ter land en op zee!

Spreek met één van onze vertegenwoordigers om uit te vinden hoe wij u het beste kunnen helpen.

Neem contact op met Joe Elliott-Walker van Redactive Media Group T: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 E: joe.elliott-walker@ redactive.co.uk.

15/02/2017 17:23

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

NL NEWS

Op werkbezoek bij Jan De Nul Group in Luxemburg Medio januari bracht Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw een A bedrijfsbezoek aan het hoofdkantoor van Jan De Nul Group in Luxemburg.

Het internationaal vermaarde bagger-, offshore- bouw- en milieubedrijf is wereldwijd aanwezig in 47 landen. In Nederland, bij het bedrijfsonderdeel Dredging and Contracting Rotterdam, gevestigd in Bergen op Zoom, werken ruim 400 medewerkers. ‘Een aantal van hen is lid bij FNV Waterbouw en toen wij onlangs bij DCR op bezoek waren, werden we door de directie uitgenodigd voor een bedrijfsbezoek op het hoofdkantoor in Luxemburg.

Dit om eens wat uitgebreider kennis met elkaar te maken en ook om onze ideeën over ‘duurzaam omgaan met medewerkers’ uit te wisselen’, stelt FNV Waterbouw voorzitter Charley Ramdas. Samen met kaderlid Johan van der Pol, Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw bestuurder Jelle de Boer en communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie maakte hij deel uit van de Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw delegatie.

‘Het was een boeiend en leerzaam bezoek, met name ook vanwege het aldaar aanwezige simulatie trainingscentrum, waar wij zelf ook even konden oefenen’, aldus Ramdas.

Van de kant van Jan De Nul waren bij dit bezoek aanwezig: Bestuurder Dirk De Nul, HR manager Katleen De Geyter, Bestuurder Gery Vandewalle en Director David Lutty.

Dirk De Nul heette de gasten van harte welkom met een lichte en smaakvolle lunch. Hierna werd een imposante bedrijfsfilm vertoond in de riante film- en presentatiezaal.

En namen de gasten vervolgens een kijkje in het hypermoderne simulatie trainingscentrum.

Goede relatie met vakbonden belangrijk

‘Wij vinden het belangrijk een goede relatie te onderhouden met de bonden. Zo hebben we al heel lang een goede relatie met de Belgische vakbonden. Iets dat we ook in Nederland graag willen uitbouwen’, aldus de broer van CEO Jan Pieter De Nul. ‘Sowieso hechten we belang aan het hebben van duurzame relaties.

Zowel met onze eigen medewerkers, alsook met onze leveranciers en andere stakeholders. Dus ook met de bonden. We hebben bij Jan De Nul nog nooit een staking gehad. En dat willen we graag zo houden’, stelt hij glimlachend.

Duurzaam omgaan met medewerkers

‘Inderdaad, duurzaamheid staat ook in het omgaan met onze medewerkers hoog in het vaandel’, valt HR manager Katleen De Geyter haar patron bij. ‘Zo hoor je van andere internationale bedrijven nog wel eens dat ze hun werknemers via allerlei tussenstops laten terugvliegen van het werk. Puur om kosten te besparen. Daar doen wij niet aan mee.’ Gery Vandewalle:’ Wij willen dat onze mensen zich comfortabel voelen bij ons. Zo is de inrichting van de accommodatie aan boord zeer verzorgd en serveren wij ook excellent voedsel.’ Katleen De Geyter: ‘We hebben ook een eigen reisbureau. Want we vinden het belangrijk dat alles professioneel

32-35_nl_14.2.indd 34

gebeurt. En ja, die letten natuurlijk ook wel op de kosten. Maar niet ten koste van alles dus. Wij boeken overigens voor circa 20 miljoen euro aan tickets jaarlijks. Vergeet niet dat we ruim 3.600 man op onze schepen hebben zitten, waaronder zo’n 900 Belgische en 400 Nederlandse werknemers.’

Nederlandse stagiairs aan boord

Jan De Nul werkt inmiddels ook steeds meer met Nederlandse stagiairs. ‘Een goede zaak voor onze Nederlandse studenten’, meent Charley Ramdas.

‘Want we kampen immers in Nederland de laatste jaren met een tekort aan stageplaatsen’. ‘Dat liep eerst wat stroef’, reageert Katleen De Geyter. ‘Ook omdat de stageduur bij ons korter is dan in Nederland. Maar inmiddels hebben we nu goede afspraken daarover met de Nederlandse opleidingsinstituten’.

Dirk De Nul stipt bovendien nog aan dat ‘de jeugd van tegenwoordig’ steeds sneller van baan wisselt. ‘Als ze ergens anders iets beter af denken te zijn, vertrekken ze. Dat is weleens spijtig, want we investeren als bedrijf heel wat in het goed opleiden van onze mensen. Maar gelukkig blijven er nog altijd veel goede mensen loyaal aan ons bedrijf.’

Gesimuleerd baggeren op de Backhoe

Even later krijgen de gasten uitleg in het simulatie trainingscentrum. Hier wordt het eigen personeel regelmatig bijgeschoold in de nieuwste (bagger) technieken. Even later neemt het geprépensioneerde FNV Waterbouw kaderlid Johan van der Pol plaats op de bestuurdersstoel van een moderne Backhoe. Na wat heen en weer gemanoeuvreer lukt het Johan het moderne gesimuleerde baggeren naar zijn hand te zetten. ‘Dat was even wennen ja, maar op een gegeven moment had ik het weer te pakken hoor. Of ik nog zin heb in zo’n klusje?

Nou, het is, na 40 jaar baggeren, mooi geweest voor mij…Wel een gaaf ding trouwens.’

Wereldspeler van formaat

Na nog de nodige boeiende discussies over het vak en het uitwisselen van diverse geanimeerde anekdotes over internationale baggerervaringen tussen Dirk De Nul en Johan van der Pol verlaten de Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw gasten het hoofdkantoor in Luxemburg. Met de afspraak om ook later in het jaar nog eens in het Belgische Jan De Nul kantoor in Aalst te komen kijken. Daar waar het allemaal begon. Oprichter Jan De Nul startte daar als aannemer van civiele werken.

Daar pakte de familie De Nul in 1951 de eerste baggeropdracht aan. Al snel werd het eerste internationale baggerproject binnengehaald. De rest is geschiedenis: in de loop van de jaren groeide Jan De Nul Group uit tot een wereldleider in de Bagger. Met een totale omzet (in 2015) van 2,2 miljard euro, waarvan 1,61 miljard in de Bagger. Met bijna 7.500 werknemers in dienst en opererend in 47 landen is Jan De Nul Group inmiddels uitgegroeid tot een wereldspeler van formaat.

Floris van Os wint Nautilus Prijs Meest Sociale Student A

elkaar doen allemaal. Ook aan boord. Dus voor mij is sociaal bezig zijn een belangrijk uitgangspunt. Mijn eerste stage heb ik gedaan bij rederij Van Dijk/Imke. Voor mijn 2e stage ben ik nog op zoek naar een stageplaats. Ik ben graag op zee.

Wanneer dat gevoel voor het eerst op kwam? Nou, we kregen een keer op de middelbare school in Hilversum een voorlichtingsles over de zeevaart. Daarna was ik verkocht en wist ik nog maar één ding: ‘Ik wil de zee op!’ Daarom ben ik ook in Rotterdam gaan studeren.

Prima school en met Rotterdam als Europa’s grootste haven zit je er met je neus bovenop hier. ’ Of ik weleens van Nautilus had gehoord? Jawel, maar ik ga me er nu maar eens wat meer in verdiepen.’

‘Ik was heel erg verrast, toen ik hoorde dat ik de Nautilus prijs voor ‘Meest Sociale Student’ had gewonnen. Ik vind het wel een eer. Mooi dat daar een prijs voor is en ook dat de leraren hier oog voor hebben.’

MBO-Zeevaartstudent Floris van Os (23 jaar) kreeg de Nautilus prijs overhandigd door Nautilus communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie, tijdens de jaarlijkse bijeenkomst van het uitreiken van certificaten en rapporten van de STC-Group, op 2 februari.

Ruim 90 studenten, waarvan een aantal op stage, kwamen, in gezelschap van familie en vrienden, in aanmerking voor de MBO Zeevaart certificaten en rapporten.

Altijd behulpzaam

In zijn speech, gebaseerd op waarnemingen van een aantal leraren, memoreerde Hans Walthie enkele kenmerkende eigenschappen van de kersverse prijswinnaar: ‘Floris is naast heel sociaal ook eigenlijk een toproeier. Als hij niet zo druk was met school en wat daar bij hoort, zoals vrienden, zou hij in zeker in de sloeproeitop zijn brood kunnen verdienen. In één van de sloeproeiteams van het STC zal hij zeker gemist worden nu hij op stage gaat. Niet alleen om zijn kracht, maar vooral ook om zijn

instelling. Altijd present en bezig om anderen te helpen. Klasgenoten met vragen, of die iets niet helemaal snappen, kunnen terecht bij hem. Hij helpt ze op weg, legt uit en is altijd behulpzaam. Op school is wel eens iemand extra nodig bij het afnemen van simulator toetsen.

Als er iemand ziek is, dan wil Floris best even een medeleerling en/of docenten te hulp schieten. Wel eens tot twee dagen extra hulp toe!’

Beste stagefoto: Niels Both

Tevens werd door de STC-Group de beste stagefoto uitgereikt, met als winnaar: Niels Both. In zijn eerste stage heeft hij met een andere leerling de sludgetank schoongemaakt. Dit vuil wist zelfs tot zijn ondergoed door te dringen…ondanks de speciale overall!

Tot slot werden de aanwezigen verrast door een bruisend optreden van de STC (leraren) Houseband.

Graag op zee

Floris: ‘Ja, je moet het toch met

Middeleeuws Trigion brug- en sluiswachters contract in beeld bij RTL

A

‘Beschamend, ‘wurgcontract’, ‘25% loonsverlaging’, ‘ik voel me gebruikt’

‘Goedkoop’ lijkt ‘duurkoop’ te worden bij Trigion, het bedrijf dat vorig najaar van de Provincie Noord-Holland de gunning kreeg voor de bediening van bruggen en sluizen in NoordHolland. En dat nu op 1 april 2017 verantwoordelijk voor deze bediening wordt. Zoals we al eerder melden, blijkt nu met name het personeel van terugtredend bedienaar ODV Maritiem de dupe te worden van het ‘goedkoop inkopen’ van de Provincie. Ook de veiligheid in Noord Holland lijkt er met een handjevol nauwelijks opgeleide nieuwe brug- en sluiswachters per 1 april bepaald niet beter op te worden.

RTL Nieuws filmt op Nautilus kantoor het juridisch doorlichten van het Trigion contract

Inmiddels bedanken steeds meer goed opgeleide en ervaren ODV brug- en sluiswachters voor de eer om op een 0-uren contract voor Trigion te gaan werken. Op verzoek van RTL Nieuws liep Nautilus advocaat Mieke den Hollander voor de camera het aangeboden Trigion/ Traffic Support/City 360 contract door.

Mieke den Hollander: ‘Ik zie in mijn praktijk bij Nautilus heel wat contracten voorbij komen, maar dit is wel heel slecht. Zo wordt aan de werknemers een 0-uren contract aangeboden en is het aan Trigion om te bepalen of en wanneer je opgeroepen wordt om te komen werken. Verder is

het niet toegestaan, als je niet opgeroepen wordt door Trigion, om voor een ander bedrijf te werken. Dat betekent bij geen oproep: geen inkomen. Behaalde diploma’s blijven, na je vertrek bij deze werkgever, in het bezit van Trigion. En behalve het feit dat dit contract geen enkele zekerheid biedt, is er in het contract ook nog een concurrentiebeding opgenomen, met een boete van 10.000 euro als je na je vertrek bij Trigion voor een soortgelijk bedrijf gaat werken. Het is echt stuitend dat een overheidsinstelling, de Provincie Noord-Holland, dit soort praktijken in de hand werkt door vooral op de kostenbesparing te letten. ODV Maritiem, een goede

werkgever, die in haar werknemers heeft geïnvesteerd en goede arbeidsvoorwaarden aanbiedt, legt het af tegen de goedkoopste aanbieder, die veel slechtere arbeidsvoorwaarden aanbiedt.’

Behoud vaste banen en gelijke loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden?

Op aandrang van de Provincie vond op 7 december 2016 een gesprek plaats tussen ODV Maritiem, Trigion (City360) en Nautilus International.

Doel van het gesprek: de overstap van 24 ODV-werknemers met een vast dienstverband naar Trigion.

Behoud van vaste banen, gelijke loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden en indien mogelijk in een cao-afspraak, stonden hierin centraal.

Nautilus ODV bestuurder Daan Troost: ‘Kort na dit gesprek kwamen de ware bedoelingen van Trigion, Traffic Support en City 360 naar buiten. Een aantal ODV werknemers solliciteerden op de functie brug-/ sluiswachter. Reacties die ons bereikten van de kant van de mensen die hadden gesolliciteerd: ‘Beschamend’, ‘vernederend’, ‘wurgcontract’, ‘25% loonsverlaging en ‘ik voel me gebruikt!’. Uiteindelijk, ook na een aantal niet nagekomen afspraken van Trigion op voorlichtingsbijeenkomsten blijkt nu dat het merendeel van de brug- en sluiswachters geen trek meer heeft om bij Trigion aan de slag te gaan.

ODV Maritiem heeft zich gelukkig inmiddels bereid verklaard zoveel mogelijk werknemers, die hier nu de dupe van zijn, intern binnen het bedrijf van werk naar werk te gaan begeleiden.’

Inmiddels is bekend geworden dat Trigion onder druk van de acties en media aandacht een nieuw en beter contract zou hebben aangeboden. ‘Beter’ in de zin van een aantal vaste uren per week.

Het blijft echter nog steeds op minimumloon niveau en met een concurrentiebeding. Bovendien gaan de mensen, bij een full time baan, er nog eens ruim 600 euro bruto op achteruit.

Het moet dus nog veel beter voordat de ODV werknemers hiervoor kunnen tekenen.

15/02/2017 17:23

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS

A

Hoe App je je langs Port State Control..?

Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw In deze rubriek worden steeds vakbondszaken belicht waarin F Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw een actieve rol spelen ten behoeve van de leden.

Dit keer betreft het: Stichting Schip en Werf de Zee (SWZ) en SWZ Maritime

SWZ is de eigenaar en de uitgever van de titels Schip & Werf de Zee en SWZ Maritime. Het bestuur van SWZ wordt gevormd door de participanten in SWZ, die elk een aantal bestuursleden benoemen, waaronder ook een Nautilus bestuurslid.

SWZ Maritime wordt uitgegeven door de Stichting SWZ, waarin participeren de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging van Technici op Scheepvaartgebied (KNVTS) en de Stichting de Zee. SWZ Maritime is tevens het verenigingsblad van de KNVTS. De redactie van het blad bestaat uit een aantal hoogwaardige vakmensen uit het veld. Een (bezoldigd) hoofdredacteur, aangesteld door het SWZ bestuur, voert samen met de eindredacteur dit enthousiaste en deskundige team aan.

Vakblad voor technische professionals

SWZ Maritime is inmiddels al meer dan 130 jaar een vakblad voor technische professionals in de scheepvaart. Het vakblad biedt maandelijks de nieuwste ontwikkelingen en actualiteiten op het gebied van scheepvaart, waarvan meerdere malen per jaar een uitgebreide special.

Ook kan er gekeken, gelezen (online SWZ Magazine) en gesurfd worden op de SWZ Maritiem website: www.swzonline.nl Leden en abonnees ontvangen ook nog 2 x per

maand de SWZ Nieuwsbrief.

De doelgroepvan SWZ Maritime bestaat uit: leidinggevenden, constructeurs, zeevarenden, studenten maritieme techniek en deskundigen op het gebied van de maritieme, nautische en offshoretechniek.

Ruim 1.000 Nautilus leden, die hiervoor per maand 2,85 euro extra betalen, zijn geabonneerd op het blad.

Uitkomsten lezersonderzoek positief

Begin vorig jaar werd een lezersonderzoek gehouden, waaruit bleek dat verreweg de meeste lezers (zeer) tevreden zijn met het blad, alsmede met de gepubliceerde artikelen. Wel wordt er op dit moment gekeken naar een mogelijk nieuwe uitgever en/of naar een nieuw contract bij dezelfde uitgever. Net zoals bij de meeste magazines het geval is, lopen de inkomsten verkregen uit advertenties de laatste jaren terug. Een werkgroep, bestaande uit SWZ bestuursleden, inclusief ons Nautilus bestuurslid, voert op dit moment onderhandelingen over het nieuwe uitgever-contract.

Gezamenlijk optrekken bij caoonderhandelingen Kotugsmit achterbanraadplegingen F gehouden voor alle varenden bij

24 en 31 januari 2017 werden

KotugSmit. Het waren gezamenlijke bijeenkomsten van (oud-)Smit en (oud-)Kotug werknemers en hun vakbonden FNV Havens en Nautilus.

Tijdens de vergaderingen werd teruggekeken op de cao-historie van beide bedrijven en het fusietraject tot dusver.

Nautilus Binnenvaartbestuurder en cao-onderhandelaar Carl Kraijenoord: ‘Bij Smit was al jarenlang sprake van geregeld arbeidsvoorwaardenoverleg met externe vakbonden. Dit waren van oudsher de vakbonden die de belangenbehartiging van andere havendiensten — de zogenaamde ‘dokkers’ (laden en lossen)- voor hun rekening namen, zoals FNV Havens. In het familiebedrijf Sleepdienst Adriaan Kooren was dat toch anders. Daar lag de leiding van het bedrijf helemaal in handen van de familie. Deze had het wel goed voor met hun werknemers, maar legde dit liever niet zwart op wit vast in teksten of cao-artikelen. Zo bleef dit ‘goeddoen’ een gunst van de werkgever aan de werknemer en werd het nooit een recht, waarop (door de werknemers) aanspraak kon worden gemaakt.’

Eén cao voor alle werknemers Carl Kraijenoord: ‘Het samengaan van deze twee bedrijven zorgt nu bij alle betrokken partijen — werkgever,

32-35_nl_14.2.indd 35

werknemers en vakbonden- voor spannende tijden. Zeker nu de werkgever heeft aangegeven dat de organisatie van het werk (de operatie) gebaat is bij zoveel mogelijk hetzelfde pakket aan arbeidsvoorwaarden; vastgelegd in één cao voor alle werknemers van de vloot.

De belangrijkste vraag aan onze achterban was dan ook: Hoe gaan we nu verder?’

Gezamenlijk optrekken Carl Kraijenoord: ‘De Kotug-cao loopt nog tot en met 31 december 2017 terwijl de Smit-cao op 31 december 2016 afliep. Ook was in laatstgenoemde cao een principeafspraak opgenomen dat alle werknemers met een contract bij Smit-Crew nu eindelijk onder de cao zouden worden gebracht. Hiermee hadden alle FNV-leden ingestemd.

De eerste gedachte was dan ook om die belofte eerst waar te maken in een nieuwe cao en daarna te harmoniseren met de Kotug-cao. Na een goede inhoudelijke en levendige discussie werd unaniem besloten om gezamenlijk op te trekken. Wel werden hieraan enkele voorwaarden verbonden, die inmiddels aan de werkgever zijn kenbaar gemaakt.

Binnenkort gaan wij hierover als gezamenlijke vakbonden een eerste gesprek afspreken met de werkgever.’

(Redactie: tijdens het ter perse gaan van de Telegraph moest het gesprek nog plaatsvinden; meer hierover in het volgende nummer.)

Op 26 januari werden op de NHL Hogeschool in Leeuwarden, op uitnodiging van het Maritiem Instituut Willem Barentsz ‘de bakens verzet voor veiligheid op zee’. De ruim 100 bezoekers, waaronder ook namens Nautilus voorzitter Marcel van den Broek en communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie, konden hier deelnemen aan diverse workshops. Met als centraal thema: Hoe kun je, vooral op een vernieuwende, interactieve wijze, de veiligheid op zee vergroten?

Studenten van het Maritiem Instituut Willem Barentsz, in samenwerking met studenten Serious Gaming en rechten, onderzoekers en vertegenwoordigers van het bedrijfsleven demonstreerden hier hun nieuwste vindingen.

Boeiend MARI-TIME event in Leeuwarden

Royal Wagenborg zet nieuwe App in

Zo konden de bezoekers van de Workshop ‘PSC 2.0; App je langs Port State Control (PSC)!’ zelf met deze nieuwe App aan de slag en in discussie met de makers ervan.

Projectleider Roelof Jorritsma: ‘Doel van de App, ontwikkeld in samenwerking met Royal Wagenborg, is om daadwerkelijk een bijdrage te leveren aan meer veiligheidsbewustzijn van de bemanning. Dit dient uiteindelijk ook te resulteren in minder aanhoudingen van Nederlandse schepen tijdens PSC.’ Niet alle workshop bezoekers bleken even enthousiast over het gebruik en de gebruikersvriendelijkheid van deze app. ‘Zelf vind ik deze App niet zoveel toevoegen. Technisch zitten er wel leuke dingen in.

Maar belangrijker vind ik nog dat veiligheid integraal onderdeel uitmaakt van de bedrijfscultuur aan boord. Op mijn schip zorg ik er constant voor dat alles in orde is. Of ik nou wel of niet de inspectie aan boord krijg. Daar heb ik geen App voor nodig’, aldus Red Box 2e machinist Yorick Kruiswijk. Andere deelnemers gaven aan wel meerwaarde in de App te zien. En mede ontwikkelaar Royal Wagenborg

gaat de App binnenkort testen en inzetten op haar schepen.

Help, de kapitein verdrinkt!

Ook de workshop ‘Help, de kapitein verdrinkt’ trok veel belangstelling. Want, aldus lector Welmoed van der Velde en haar studenten: ‘De kapitein dreigt steeds meer te verdrinken in een zee van papier. Veel regels, certificaten en formulieren beogen de veiligheid op zee te vergroten. In werkelijkheid leiden ze de kapitein juist af van zijn

taken op de brug. Onze Marof studenten laten zien hoe het beter kan.’ De workshop bezoekers konden zelf zien hoe het werkt met een innovatief ‘permit to work system’ en digitale STCW certificaten.

Juridische consequenties

Marcel van den Broek, door de dagvoorzitter gevraagd naar zijn kijk op deze nieuwe ontwikkelingen: ’De digitalisering van ons vak neemt een steeds hogere vlucht. Dat zie

je ook in de ontwikkeling naar zelfvarende schepen. Het is imponerend te zien wat er allemaal qua data alleen al bij komt kijken. En ga het dan maar eens allemaal implementeren, met al die verschillende partijen en stakeholders. Denk alleen maar aan de juridische consequenties. Wel fascinerend om te zien hoe de Marof studenten er mee bezig zijn hier.

Een pluim is ook op zijn plaats voor de organisatoren. Het was al met al een inspirerende middag.’

De inzet van mediation bij arbeidsconflicten

A

Mediation is een vorm van conflictbemiddeling.

Een onafhankelijke bemiddelaar gaat samen met u en de andere partij op zoek naar een oplossing voor een probleem.

Het kan worden ingezet bij het oplossen van burenruzies, zakelijke geschillen, maar ook bij het oplossen van arbeidsconflicten.

Mediation bij arbeidsconflicten is nergens in de wet verplicht gesteld.

Niet bij arbeidsconflicten zonder ziekmelding en ook niet als er arbeidsongeschiktheid aan de orde is. Dat lijkt misschien logisch. Het gaat om bemiddeling, het bij elkaar brengen van de strijdende partijen en hun belangen. Als je niet bemiddeld wenst te worden, heeft het weinig zin naar een bemiddelaar te gaan.

Echter een werknemer met een conflict kan niet altijd zonder gevolgen weigeren om aan

een bemiddelingspoging deel te nemen, of zich contraproductief op te stellen.

Niet in staat om met trossen te slepen De werknemer, de heer Dos Santos*, lid van Nautilus, zit er wat stilletjes bij, als hij zich meldt op het kantoor van Nautilus.

Zijn vrouw voert het woord.

De heer Dos Santos werkt in de Binnenvaart op een sleepboot (met een Zeebrief) en heeft last van artrose in zijn rug. Sinds november 2016 zit hij ziek thuis. De werkgever zet ons lid onder druk om weer te gaan werken en met behulp van de Arbodienst wordt hierop aangestuurd. Echter de heer Dos Santos acht zichzelf helemaal niet in staat om met trossen te gaan slepen. Het lopen naar de slaapetage is al een hele opgave.

Er ontstaat een conflict met de

werkgever; deze stelt mediation voor. Door het hele gedoe wordt de heer Dos Santos enorm geraakt en hij wordt er depressief van.

De mediation komt vervolgens schoorvoetend op gang.

Depressie De werkgever stuurt aan op terugkeer naar het werk en bagatelliseert de problemen van ons lid. Het betreft volgens de werkgever een arbeidsconflict wat met behulp van mediation opgelost kan worden. De werkgever gaat echter voorbij aan de redenen van de arbeidsongeschiktheid: artrose en klachten aan het bewegingsapparaat.

Uiteindelijk lijdt het conflict tot een depressie.

Het is bijzonder betreurenswaardig dat de Arbodienst en de mediator alleen oog hebben voor de argumenten van de werkgever, maar ja, vaak is het: ‘wie betaalt, die bepaalt’.

Kan ik mijn eigen werk weer doen?

Ons lid wilde niet dat wij direct voor hem in de bres zouden springen. Dan zou de situatie wellicht escaleren.

Wel hebben we ons lid geadviseerd om een deskundig oordeel aan te vragen bij het UWV; met de vraag: ‘Kan ik mijn eigen werk weer doen?’.

Hierdoor krijgt ons lid duidelijkheid over zijn arbeidsongeschiktheid.

Het oordeel van het UWV is weliswaar niet bindend, maar kan van pas komen, mocht het conflict escaleren en wij wel voor ons lid in actie moeten komen tegen deze werkgever. g Neem contact op met Nautilus Kortom, mediation kan een werknemer niet weigeren, maar is er meer aan de hand, zoals arbeidsongeschiktheid met als gevolg een arbeidsconflict, neem dan contact op met Nautilus: infonl@nautilusint.org Tel.: +31 (0) 10 477 11 88. *Een gefingeerde naam

15/02/2017 17:23

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

APPOINTMENTS

FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS - CELEBRATING 125 YEARS with a long established reputation for being a leading provider of training to the Maritime industry.

MARITIME COURSES Masters Orals: 2 May, 19 June | Chief Mate: 8 May | HND to Chief Mate: 8 May | FD to Chief Mate: 2 May, 19 June | ECDIS Generic: 15 May, 19 June | HELM (M): 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr, 17 Apr | NAEST (M): 3 Apr, 9 Apr | VTS Operator (2 Weeks – VTS Induction and Simulator): 20 Mar, 10 July | VTS Refresher: 14 Mar, 4 July | Oil Tanker Safety: 10 Apr, 31 July | Gas Tanker Safety: 17 Apr, 24 July |

FOR MORE INFORMATION E maritime@blackpool.ac.uk T 01253 779 123 W blackpool.ac.uk/nautical

STCW UPDATING Personal Survival Techniques Updating £170 | Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Updating £210 | Advanced Fire Fighting Updating £185 | Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boat £210 | 1 Day MCA-Approved FRB Updating Course with Capsize Drill £255 | AVAILABLE UPDATING COURSE WEEKS 20 Mar | 3, 24 Apr | 22 May | 19 June ECDIS Generic 15 May | 19 June HELM (M) 27 Mar | 3 Apr | 10 Apr | 17 Apr

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.

Spinnaker Global has been tasked with finding the next Director of the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) With the MNTB being at the forefront of a

background to degree level or above ideally

world leading maritime education sector,

in the field of education, training or maritime.

this position will see you responsible for the

Furthermore, your maritime knowledge

successful leadership and management of the

and experience will be strong, along with a

MNTB with the aim to take the organisation

real passion for training, development and

forward in line with the strategic direction set

education.

by the MNTB and UK Chamber of Shipping.

Applicants will be able to demonstrate a

Leading from the front, you will be

strong commercial aptitude as the ability to

responsible for managing a team to make

develop and increase revenue streams for

sure objectives to continue developing the

the organisation will be vital to its continued

brand of the MNTB are met. You will be able

growth and success.

to bring multiple elements together and put

Suitable applicants are required to have

ideas in to action.

maritime experience. You could have

You will be working with various

spent time at sea, or time ashore. Your

representatives and key stakeholders within

background could be in maritime education

the maritime industry, taking a pro-active

or training. You will be able to demonstrate

stance in making sure that seafarers are

diplomacy and tact, dealing with industry

well trained for their careers ahead within

representatives on all levels.

this ever changing industry.

All candidates must have existing

As an individual you will have an educational

entitlement to live and work in the UK.

If you feel this is the perfect role for you, please contact Laura Phayer - LPhayer@spinnaker-global.com

WWW.BLACKPOOL.AC.UK

Electro Technical Officer – Marine British Antarctic Survey, RRS Ernest Shackleton Full Time / Fixed-Term Appointment (1 Year) Salary in the range of £40,952 to £48,735 per annum

We are currently looking for an Electro Technical Officer to join the RRS Ernest Shackleton.

In this role you will be maintaining the electrical and electronic equipment working closely with the ETO Comms and managing the ships electrical installations.

Purpose • The maintenance of electrical and electronic equipment (with ETO Comms) • The management of the ships electrical installations

Duties • Operation and maintenance of main switchboard and distribution • To ensure that all electrical and electronic equipment assigned to his care is maintained to statutory and Class requirements/standards where relevant, and to comply with the IEE/IET Regulations for the Electrical and Electronic Equipment of Ships with Recommended Practice for their Implementation.

• To operate and execute the planned maintenance system for such equipment.

• To ensure that the ship is ready in all electrical respects for all known operational requirements.

(Including fixed scientific machinery.)

• To diagnose electrical and electronic faults, take remedial action and report.

• To be prepared to react quickly to assigned equipment failure or emergency when alerted.

• To be in the ECR/MCR during “stand-by” periods as required by the Chief Engineer.

• To familiarise himself with the duties of other engineer officers and to assist with mechanical maintenance when required.

• To work closely with the ETO (Comms) and to assist if required in the care and maintenance of Bridge electrical equipment.

• To assist supernumerary staff in fulfilling their electrical requirements.

• To be responsible for the safekeeping, issue, control and requisitioning (through the Chief Engineer) of all spares and stores assigned to his care.

On-line application forms and further information are available on our website at www.bas.ac.uk/jobs These are also available from the Human Resources Section, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET. Tel: (01223) 221508. Please quote reference: BAS 33/17 Closing date for receipt of application forms is: 12th March 2017 Interviews are scheduled to be held on: w/c 27th March 2017 We welcome applications from all sections of the community. People from ethnic minorities are currently under-represented and their applications are particularly welcome.

You will need to be physically capable and medically fit to work in Antarctic conditions.

Nautilus recruitment.indd 36

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

Life admin — it’s unglamorous but essential.

Your pulse will never be quickened by booking that eye test, making pension provisions or searching for cheaper insurance premiums.

But when you take care of the stuff you keep meaning to get around to, you get the peace of mind to enjoy the more exciting things in life.

Get organised with your Nautilus Plus member-only benefits below.

Are you getting the best deals on your gas and electricity?

Nautilus members have access to Member Energy’s free, 100% impartial energy price comparison service which can help you find the cheapest gas and electricity suppliers in your area.

Average member savings in the 60 days 16 March-14 May 2016 was £216.09.* Compare tariffs online or call 0800 410 1249 (quote NTU).

Mortgage advice Arranging a mortgage can be a challenge for seafarers because of their employment circumstances. The right mortgage can save you hundreds — sometimes thousands — of pounds. Lighthouse can help members make sense of the market, sifting through hundreds of options to find the best mortgage for your unique circumstances*.

g *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers and prices subject to change without notice. Lighthouse Mortgage Advice — your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up payments on your mortgage. There will be a fee payable to Lighthouse Financial Advice for this mortgage service.

Other mortgage set-up costs will apply as normal.

Lighthouse Financial Advice Limited is an appointed representative of Lighthouse Advisory Services Limited, Discounted CV writing/personal branding services which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf 92% of shortlisting decisions are based upon the of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd. Member Energy — contents of CVs and 85% of shortlisted candidates Includes every tariff available on the switching market. are checked out on LinkedIn. Having a well written Available for households in Mainland England, Scotland CV and LinkedIn profile is critical! 15-20% discount and Wales only. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of from one of the UK’s leading personal branding, Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd. CV writing and LinkedIn service providers.

Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

15/02/2017 12:04

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

APPOINTMENTS Where’s my Telegraph?

If you have moved recently, your home copy may still be trying to catch up with you. To let us know your new address, go to www.nautilusint.org and log in as a member, or contact our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454 or membership@nautilusint.org

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.

Join us in bringing knowledge, help and hope to the nations!

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

16 March 2017 is the closing date for April 2017.

You can still advertise online at any time.

SEAGOING - TANKER/LNG

Voyage Manager - LNG

Operations Manager

Master

Glasgow - ÂŁ45K

Europe - â‚Ź70-75K

. 3HUP FRQWUDFW

Assistant Technical Super - LNG

Technical Manager

&KLHI 2IĆ‚FHU /1*

London - ÂŁ55K

Europe - â‚Ź65-75K

. EHQHĆ‚WV

Fleet Manager - Containers

Sales Broker

Chief Engineer - LNG

London - ÂŁ75K

Salary TBD

. 86 EHQHĆ‚WV

Marine Superintendent - LPG

Charter Broker

C/O - LPG/VLGC

London - ÂŁ80K

Salary TBD

86 PWK

SEAGOING - YACHTS

Crew Training Co-ordinator

UG 2IĆ&#x201A;FHU P 6DLOLQJ <DFKW

London - ÂŁ30K

â&#x201A;Ź4.5K/mth

SEAGOING - CRUISE

Technical Superintendent - Tankers

6DLO +DQG P 6DLOLQJ <DFKW

Executive Housekeeper -

Glasgow - ÂŁ60K

â&#x201A;Ź2.5K/mth

Sous Chef - $35K

Deputy Harbour Master

QG 2IĆ&#x201A;FHU P 0RWRU <DFKW

Multiple Locations - Salary DOE

â&#x201A;Ź6K/mth

Cruise Director - $85K

Vessel Manager - LNG

Sole Chef - 40m+ Motor Yacht

London - ÂŁ70K

â&#x201A;Ź6K/mth

HR Manager (Seagoing) -

&KLHI 2IĆ&#x201A;FHU P 6DLOLQJ <DFKW

2nd Engineer - â&#x201A;Ź50K

$8K/mth

Sommelier - .

Technical Superintendent

UG (QJLQHHU P 0RWRU <DFKW

ÂŁ80K

â&#x201A;Ź4K/mth

Waiter/ess - $33K

Port Operations Manager

'HFNKDQG P 6DLOLQJ <DFKW

Northern Europe - ÂŁ35-45K

â&#x201A;Ź2.2K/mth

shipping-uk@faststream.com

Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820

seagoing-uk@faststream.com

www.meftraining.org

Nautilus recruitment.indd 37

Gas Engineer

Hamburg - â&#x201A;Ź88K

Shorebased: +44 (0)23 8020 8840

Help may be at hand â&#x20AC;&#x2022; please visit the MEF website for grant funding application forms.

www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

SHOREBASED - YACHTS

SHOREBASED - CRUISE

Are you an unemployed UK seafarer?

Do you need financial support to update your STCW certification?

Maritime & oĎ&#x192;shore specialists

SHOREBASED

Technical Superintendent - Tankers

Maritime Educational Foundation

CV Professionals

www.nautilusint.org

$65-70K - Perm contract 3/3

Senior First Engineer - ÂŁ56K

Housekeeper - Receptionist - $27K

@shippingjobs www.faststream.com

Your first port of call

Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists

n Deck Of½cers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; greg@seamariner.com n Engineers, ETOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Motorman â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mike@seamariner.com n Deck Ratings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; warren@seamariner.com n Catering and On Board Services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nick@seamariner.com

If you would like further information in registering with Seamariner or you would like to discuss your crewing requirements, please contact one of our experienced consultants.

Pritchard-Gordon Tankers (Guernsey) Ltd

Pritchard-Gordon Tankers Ltd, a family owned and managed company, operating British and Isle of Man registered oil tankers of between 5,000 and 12,000 dwt, are seeking experienced and suitably quali½ed, high calibre:

+44(0)23 8084 0374 www.seamariner.com ISO9001:2008 accredited MLC2006 compliant

Senior Deck and Engineering Of½cers

We lay great importance on teamwork and continuity, with a number of senior of½cers having been with the company over 20 years. Our company ethos is to offer a superior service and level of professionalism to our Major and National Oil Company customers in challenging operational conditions.

Voyage lengths are of 10 to 13 weeks duration followed by an equal period of leave. Terms and conditions are competitive and commensurate with rank and experience.

Applications in the ½rst instance to Head of Personnel, Pritchard-Gordon Tankers Ltd, 15 Witney Way, Boldon Business Park, Boldon Colliery, Tyne and Wear NE35 9PE Tel 0191 427 0303 Email personnel@pgtankers.com Website www.pgtankers.com

NOT A MEMBER OF NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL? Join now on our website Fill out the online application at: www.nautilusint.org

15/02/2017 08:20

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices M-Notices, Marine Information Notes and Marine Guidance Notes issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include: MGN 565 (M) — STCW 1978 Manila Amendments: medical certification, hours of work and alcohol limits MGN 565 (M) (Corrigendum) — STCW Manila Amendments: medical certification, hours of work and alcohol limits These two publications were issued in January 2017, then withdrawn on 8 February 2017 and replaced with MGN 566 (M+F).

MGN 566 (M+F) — STCW Manila Amendments: medical certification, hours of work and alcohol limits This note reminds readers that the STCW Convention has been amended. Most of the amendments affect training and certification requirements, and have been dealt with elsewhere, but this notice explains the changes as they relate to hours of rest and alcohol limits for seafarers on UK ships No changes are needed to the main provisions regarding minimum hours of rest, but applications for exceptions must now be approved by the MCA, and must be supported by a collective bargaining agreement or workforce agreement — see paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of MSN 1842(M).

The MCA will only consider exceptions which comply both with a collective agreement and with the limitations in the STCW Code, section A-VIII/1.

Any existing authorised exceptions need to be reviewed to ensure that they comply with the new conditions. If amendments to the terms of these existing exceptions may be required, they must be subject to a fresh authorisation.

Authorised exceptions shall, as far as possible, follow the standard minimum hours of rest, but may take account of more frequent or longer leave periods, or the granting of compensatory leave for watchkeeping seafarers or seafarers working onboard ships with short voyages.

For weekly rest, where an exception is approved: z seafarers must receive a minimum of 70 hours’ rest in any seven-day period z exceptions from the normal weekly rest period (77 hours) shall not be allowed for more than two consecutive weeks z the intervals between two periods of exceptions onboard shall not be less than twice the duration of the exception For daily rest, where an exception is approved:

z the 10 hours of rest required in

any 24-hour period may be divided into no more than three periods, one of which shall be at least six hours in length and neither of the other two periods shall be less than one hour in length z the intervals between consecutive periods of rest shall not exceed 14 hours z exceptions shall not extend beyond two 24-hour periods in any 7-day period z exceptions shall, as far as possible, take into account the guidance regarding prevention of fatigue in section B-VIII/1 of the STCW Code A provision in A-VIII/1.4 states that the minimum rest periods need not be maintained in the case of an emergency or in other overriding operational conditions. B-VIII/1 includes the following guidance on prevention of fatigue: z in observing the rest period requirements, ‘overriding operational conditions’ should be construed to mean only essential shipboard work which cannot be delayed for safety, security or environmental reasons or which could not reasonably have been anticipated at the commencement of the voyage The MCA interprets this to mean that a planned passage under pilotage or the additional work due to cargo operations during a scheduled port call — unless bad weather or unexpected port delays disrupt normal schedules to an unforeseen extent — cannot be considered as ‘overriding operational conditions’ which would justify a breach of minimum hours of rest.

The above regulations on hours of work apply only to merchant vessels, but the following provisions on alcohol limits apply to both merchant and fishing vessels.

MGN 566 reminds readers that It is an offence for a professional seafarer to be impaired by drink (or drugs) while on duty, or at any time if they might be required to undertake emergency duties to protect the safety of passengers.

Among the Manila amendments were provisions introducing mandatory alcohol limits of 0.05% for blood and 0.25 mg/l for breath.

These apply to professional mariners on all UK-flagged ships and to any ship operating in UK waters.

The limits for alcohol in the blood prescribed in UK legislation are expressed differently, so MGN 566 provides a table setting out the STCW and UK limits in both notations to show how they correspond.

The Manila amendments also included a recommendation that all companies should consider the

implementation of a clearly written policy of drug and alcohol abuse prevention including a prohibition on the consumption of alcohol four hours prior to serving as a member of a watch. Guidance on introducing such policies has been produced by the UK’s National Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Committee.

MIN 537 (M) — MLC 2006 2014 amendments: ship owner liability and abandonment of seafarers This notice reminds readers that the amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) relating to shipowner liability for compensation for death, personal Injury and abandonment of seafarers came into force on 18 January 2017.

Both flag state and port state inspections now require evidence of financial security complying with the amendments to be posted onboard ship.

An amendment or addendum to the Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance Part 2 should be made, which should be agreed with the MCA through the appropriate Marine Office.

The MCA has consulted on amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers, etc.) Regulations 2014 to bring them fully into line with the amended MLC. These amendments to UK legislation are expected to come into force in March 2017.

Guidance on acceptable forms of financial security can be found in MGN 480(M) Section 2.

MGN 455 (M) — Support for Maritime Training scheme: revised arrangements MIN 486 (M) — Support for Maritime Training: additional funds of up to £3 million The MCA reports that these two notices (which have featured in past editions of the Telegraph) will now expire on 31 March 2018.

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.

Member meetings and seminars

Pensions

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:

Nautilus Pensions Association meetings provide a focal point for members regarding pensions

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum The first YMP forum of 2017 will coincide with the New Generation Festival for young workers organised by the General Federation of Trade Unions. 7-9 April 2017 GFTU, Quorn Grange Hotel, 88 Wood Lane, Quorn, Leicestershire LE12 8DB The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people at sea.

Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world.

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.

Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.

SINGAPORE Nautilus International 10a Braddell Hill #05-03 Singapore, 579720 Tel: +65 (0)625 61933 Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154 singapore@nautilusint.org

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org Offshore sector contact point Members working for companies based in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil and gas sector can call: +44 (0)1224 638 882 THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org

FRANCE Yacht sector office in partnership with D&B Services 3 Bd. d’Aguillon 06600 Antibes, France Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 nautilus@dandbservices.com www.dandbservices.com SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with dovaston C/Joan de Saridakis 2, Edificion Goya Local 1A, Marivent 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovaston.com

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team.

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges.

In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing trainee officers in line with all

members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company.

The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession.

For further information, members should contact Danny McGowan at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g MNOPF and NPA pension forums Thursday 2 March 2017 at 1030hrs, coffee served at 1000hrs, and a light lunch will be served after the meeting.

Stormont Hotel, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3LP Further meetings have also been scheduled for this year: June 2017, Liverpool, and September 2017, Plymouth. Keep checking the website and register. www.nautilusint.org/en/what-we-say/ events Contact: +44 (0)1293 804644.

Quiz and crossword answersACDB Quiz answers 1. At the start of this year, the Asianowned fleet accounted for 40% of the world total.

2. Chinese shipyards built the most ships last year — a total of 68.

3. The proportion of the world fleet under third party management is between 10% to 15%, according to IHS Fairplay.

4. The Norwegian bank DNB Markets gave the most loans to the shipping industry in 2016 — a total of US$4.12bn.

5. According to a study for the IMO, around 70% of engineroom fires are caused by oil leaks from pressurised systems.

6. BR’s shipping division activities were transferred to Sealink UK in January 1979.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Journalist; 6. Tray; 9. Ducat; 10. Formulate; 12. Our daily bread; 14. One-piece; 15. Gluten; 17. Orange; 19. Muscadel; 21. Hydraulically; 24. Stockyard; 25. Olive; 26. Andy; 27. Pallidness.

Down: 1. Jude; 2. Unclose; 3. No turning back; 4. La France; 5. Seral; 7. Reagent; 8. Yieldingly; 11. Umbilical cord; 13. Monochasia; 16. Suicidal; 18. Android; 20 Daytime; 22. Llama; 23. Less.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Captain D.A. Watt, who won the prize draw for the February cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from February Across: 1. Aspect; 5. Larder; 9. Airlift; 10. Pascal; 12. Special delivery; 13. Reds; 14. Diffidence; 18. Darlington; 19. Etna; 21. Conservationist; 24. Crates; 25. Italian; 26. Reaper; 27. Extent.

Down: 2. Surrender; 3. Elicit; 4. Totalling; 5. Lapse; 6. Rescinds; 7. Evade; 8. Mass produce; 11. Typecasting; 15. Front line; 16. Nutrition; 17. Sidestep; 20. Cobalt; 22. Nurse; 23. Visor.

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Maritime & Coastguard Agency +44 (0)23 8032 9100 www.gov.uk/mca Implements the UK government’s maritime safety policy and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea.

International Transport Workers’ Federation +44 (0)20 7403 2733 www.itfglobal.org A federation of over 700 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries.

Merchant Navy Welfare Board www.mnwb.org Umbrella body for the UK maritime charity sector, promoting cooperation between organisations that provide welfare services to merchant seafarers and their dependants within the UK.

Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport + 31 88 489 00 00 www.ilent.nl Dutch maritime authority (separate from Dutch coastguard).

Merchant Navy Training Board www.mntb.org.uk UK organisation promoting maritime education and training, and providing careers guidance.

Administers the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, under which serving seafarers can volunteer to give careers talks in UK schools.

Seafarers UK (formerly King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers.uk Supports and promotes UK charities helping seafarers from the Merchant Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets.

Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

38_infosprd.indd 38

SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

Useful organisations

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

g Professional & Technical Forum Wednesday 12 April 2017 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs FNV Bondgenoten, Pegasusweg 200, 3067 KX Rotterdam The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification.

The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@nautilusint.org

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund.

SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships.

Seafarers’ Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.org.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers.

Includes the Dreadnought health service.

Seafarers’ Link +44 (0)1752 812674 www.communitynetworkprojects.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

Seatax Ltd +44 (0)1302 364673 www.seatax.ltd.uk Company providing specialist tax advice for merchant seafarers.

Marine Society +44 (0)20 7654 7050 www.marine-society.org UK charity dedicated to the learning and professional development of seafarers.

Offers 120,000 books to ships through its library service, plus distance-learning programmes and scholarship schemes, including the Nautilus Slater Fund.

15/02/2017 16:24

March 2017 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Sandra Silverwood, welfare caseworker

g

You are a retired British seafarer, a bit hard-up and missing the camaraderie you enjoyed onboard ship. Wouldn’t it be great if someone could come round to help with your money worries, check on your health and put you in touch with like-minded friends? Well, if you live in the Southampton area, all you have to do is call Sandra Silverwood.

One of the Nautilus Welfare Fund’s three caseworkers, Sandra has a patch covering Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester and the Isle of Wight. ‘We visit our clients in their homes, so I’ll drive anywhere I’m needed,’ she explains.

She came to the job in 2013 with an ideal combination of skills and experience, having worked for many years as a community support

officer for Rethink, a charity aiding people with severe mental health conditions to live independently. Later in her career, she trained as an advisor with Citizens Advice — helping callers with debt problems, legal issues, benefit claims and access to health and social care.

‘The only problem I had at the Nautilus interview was that I didn’t have a clue about the maritime world!’ she laughs. ‘But I’ve got to know so much since then, thanks to colleagues at Nautilus and the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, and just by talking to ex-seafarers about their lives. They’re such interesting people.’

Most of Sandra’s clients are aged 65 and over, with a few younger people who retired early due to illness, and they usually call her directly to request a visit. The key aim of her

work is to help clients identify and claim the welfare benefits they are entitled to, but she also carries out a holistic assessment of their needs.

‘People might get in touch asking for help with a grant or benefit, but when I visit them, I find loads of other issues,’ she says. ‘So as well as filling in forms with them, I could perhaps arrange for an occupational therapist to come round from the council and set them up with grab rails in the bathroom — something relatively small that can make a big difference to living independently as you get older.’

Why is there a particular need for a caseworker service in the maritime community?

‘I think it’s to do with the seafaring lifestyle,’ Sandra muses. ‘Most of my clients are older men

living on their own, because they were away so much for work that family life didn’t really happen. They may not have built up a network of friends ashore, either — they often seem quite isolated.’

Another reason for having a specialist service is that ex-seafarers are eligible for maritime grants, social clubs and even telephone friendship schemes that are unavailable to the general public. And Sandra knows about them all. ‘It’s very satisfying to tell someone that they qualify for some funding thanks to their years of hard work at sea,’ she says. ‘These are proud people who don’t ask for help lightly, but they’ve earned it.’ g For more information about the Caseworker Service, go to www.nautiluswelfarefund.org.

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

39_infosprd.indd 39

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.

15/02/2017 17:24

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | March 2017

NEWS

Human factors â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ignored in automation debateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Failure to assess the impact of rapid technological change on seafaring could undermine safety, Nautilus warns

P

Safety may be sacriďŹ ced in the growing drive to develop autonomous ships unless more attention is paid to the human element, Nautilus warned a maritime risk conference in London last month.

Speaking at the IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Risk Forum, general secretary Mark Dickinson highlighted the scale of research being undertaken into crewless ships â&#x20AC;&#x201D; pointing out that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a lot of serious moneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is being spent on the development of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shipping systems.

But, he told delegates, there are grounds for concern about the way in which seafarers have been excluded from the debate over the deployment of autonomous ships, despite the potentially huge repercussions for their working lives. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The seemingly relentless torrent of trials and projects that have hogged the headlines over the past year or so have often lacked a sense of the human element,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he said. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It seems that much is being driven by equipment manufacturers and potential service suppliers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with the result that the agenda has concentrated on systems rather than their social and human impact.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr Dickinson said the industry should be looking at ways to use technology to improve working lives rather than simply seeing it as a way to cut crewing levels or reduce costs.

port operations centre opened in Singapore A last month by the French shipping firm CMA CGM. Pictured above is the new navigation and

Housed in APLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corporate headquarters, the Singapore centre is CMA CGMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third navigation command complex â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with similar facilities already running from its base in Marseille and Properly managed, he argued, the transition to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shipping could be used to improve safety by automating many dirty, or dangerous, shipboard jobs and to raise the quality of work onboard by removing a lot of paperwork and administration.

But, he warned, the industry and regulators need to take a pro-

its US office in Miami. The centres run on a 24/7 basis and oversee the operation of CMA CGMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s combined fleet of more than 500 containerships. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Based on live analytics of the vesselsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; operating speeds, ocean currents, weather forecasts and high traffic areas, each centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of experts are empowered to assess, anticipate

active and considered approach to the safety implications of increased automation, and to learn lessons from aviation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; where accident investigators have warned of the way in which high levels of cockpit automation have resulted in pilots having a reduced ability to react to unexpected events.

and mitigate any navigation-related risks to the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vessel operations,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the company said. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Accurate guidance and alerts are provided to deck officers on how vessel routes, speeds and fuel consumption can be optimised across its fleet, while ensuring the safety of its crews and vessels globally.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;There is an urgent need for research now, not down the line, to assess these critically important factors,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr Dickinson warned. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Too often, accidents are written off as being the consequence of â&#x20AC;&#x153;human factorsâ&#x20AC;? when, in reality, issues such as ergonomics, equipment design and training are of crucial signiďŹ cance.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Attention also needs to be paid to the way in which operational and management responsibilities are being taken away from ships to shore-based centres that can â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;micro-manageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; all aspects of vessel operations, he added. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Already we see big data being used to benchmark individual vessel operations and to put pres-

sure on masters and crews to hit performance targets set by other ships in the ďŹ&#x201A;eet,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he noted, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;and the drift of operational and management responsibilities from the ship to shore-based centres that can micro-manage all the vesselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systems is already taking important decision-making capabilities away from masters and ofďŹ cers. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yet there appears to be a dearth of debate about the dynamics and limitations of these new ship-relationships.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; There is also a pressing need for proper scrutiny of the many legal and regulatory challenges posed by increased automation, Mr Dickinson argued. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Smart shipping presents signiďŹ cant challenges to key international maritime conventions and the collision prevention regulations, and questions need to be answered on issues such as system resilience, software quality, the reliability of communications and data links, and cyber security,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he added.

The need for maritime expertise and seamanship skills will continue despite the advances in shipping technology, Mr Dickinson told the conference. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rather than using automation to de-skill seafarers or reduce employment, we should harness technology for a new generation of maritime professionals with new skill sets and new aptitudes,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he concluded.

Training rules â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;are struggling to keep paceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; way that seafarers are trained if the F shipping industry is to avoid the risk of crew Radical change is required in the

competencies falling way behind, Nautilus has warned.

Professional and technical officer David Appleton told the IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Risk Forum that ensuring the competence of seafarers is becoming a growing challenge because of the rapid advances in technology at sea and the shortages of skilled and experienced officers.

Even though there is evidence that as many as 90% of accidents are attributed to human error, he suggested that the shipping

industry often appears to have a higher tolerance of risk when it comes to the training and competence of crews compared with other areas.

But, he argued, the industry will have to overhaul its approach if it is to recruit and retain a new generation of suitably highcalibre personnel.

While the automated ship may still be many years off, Mr Appleton said it was much more likely that the concept of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or semi-automated ships will increasingly come to fruition. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Faster technological development combined with increasing environmental

regulation will result in numerous new systems and pieces of equipment which seafarers must be able to use safely and effectively whilst fully understanding their limitations,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he pointed out. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whichever way it goes, the new ships of 10 to 15 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time and the way of work onboard is likely to be very different from how it is now,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he added. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;There may be fewer seafarers per vessel, but the skills and expertise required by those seafarers is likely to be at a significantly higher level than it is today.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; However, Mr Appleton warned, the regulatory system is struggling to keep

pace with technological advances. The International Maritime Organisation is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;excruciatingly slowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in making the necessary changes to seafarer training and certification, he noted, having taken more than 20 years to make it mandatory for navigating officers to have some kind of training in ECDIS. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Considering the time gap between the introduction of new technology and the corresponding amendments to STCW, it is already very difficult to say with any confidence that somebody is competent to operate a modern complex ship simply because they are in possession of an STCW CoC,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he added.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In future years, it will surely become almost impossible.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; While there are no â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;quick fixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; answers to the problem, Mr Appleton said recruitment of seafarers is likely to become increasingly based on the skillsets they possess â&#x20AC;&#x201D; much of which will fall outside of STCW â&#x20AC;&#x201D; rather than considerations of cost. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Training will need to be seen as more of a holistic continual process where knowledge is kept continually up to date rather than waiting for mandated requirements,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he argued, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;and working conditions will need to change to ensure that the career remains attractive to future generations.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

EAST COAST COLLEGE IS COMING!

GREAT YARMOUTH AND LOWESTOFT COLLEGES ARE JOINING FORCES Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really excited about the launch of East Coast College and wanted to let \RX NQRZ WKDW ZKLOVW RXU QDPH LV FKDQJLQJ \RX ZLOO VWLOO EH DEOH WR EHQHÂżW IURP our comprehensive range of STCW, GWO, Nautical Institute, OPITO and MCA approved training courses at our Lowestoft campus.

We look forward to seeing you at East Coast College in 2017 www.gyc.ac.uk | www.lowestoft.ac.uk/maritime.asp

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15/02/2017 17:24