Nautilus Telegraph October 2016

Viking conquest Maritime Skills Academy opens survival facilities 24

Highest ratings Ferry firm invests in new generation of British seafarers 22-23

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

Volume 49 | Number 10 | October 2016 | £3.50 €3.70

Nautilus protests on Boskalis job losses Dutch-flagged ocean towage F tugs Fairmount Glacier and Nautilus members on the

Fairmount Summit staged a protest against ‘social dumping’ in the European shipping industry while the vessels were berthed in Aberdeen last month.

Around 25 crew took part in the action organised by Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw as part of a campaign against plans by Fairmount Marine and Boskalis to cut 150 maritime jobs in the Netherlands.

The Boskalis group plans to take 24 vessels out of service and make 650 employees redundant over the next two years, blaming the drastic impact of the downturn in core markets. However, it made €440m profit in 2015 and €148m in the first half of 2016, and the Union is urging the company to provide the financial data to show the cuts are justified.

UK urged to rise to training challenge Union and industry leaders warn of need for government support to retain Britain’s global lead

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The UK is facing a growing challenge in maintaining its hard-won reputation as the world’s leading maritime training nation, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson warned last month.

Speaking at the inaugural UK Shipping Summit in London, Mr Dickinson said that significant investment is essential if training facilities are to keep pace with technology — and the government must do more to head off increased competition from other countries.

The summit — organised by the UK Chamber of Shipping — also heard from transport minister Lord Ahmad, who said that the maritime sector ‘is absolutely central’ to the government’s postBrexit industrial strategy and its vision of being ‘a global trading nation with an open economy’.

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But Mr Dickinson told a session on training that the UK cannot afford to be complacent — and urgent action is needed to follow through on last year’s Maritime Growth Study.

The UK rightly applauds the quality of its seafarers, he added, but many countries around the world are seeking to develop a similar reputation for maritime training excellence.

With big data and technology transforming the industry, radical changes in seafarer training will be required, Mr Dickinson argued. But, he stressed, the fundamental need for maritime skills will remain.

‘At a time when ships are evermore sophisticated and complex and the super-sizing of many vessels multiplies the risk consequences of an accident, it is more essential than ever before that we

have highly skilled and experienced personnel operating those vessels,’ he explained. ‘The brave new world will not run on algorithms alone. It needs to be rooted in experience and must somehow embrace the principles and practices of seamanship and ship handling.’

Mr Dickinson said the government must improve its support for seafarer training and help colleges invest in the hi-tech facilities required for the future. ‘Ministers must not see this as state aid, but rather state investment that will be paid back many times over,’ he added.

City of Glasgow College CEO Paul Little said his college has invested more than £200m in new facilities — but finding the money in the age of austerity is a major challenge. While the UK’s maritime training is five to

nine years ahead of other major nations, he warned of the need to plan ahead and not to rely on short-term thinking.

Nigel Lehmann-Taylor, head of UK Shipping for Maersk, said there is no shortage of good young people coming forward to train as seafarers. Maersk has just taken on 34 cadets — selected from a total of 936 applications.

However, he added, shipping companies want value for money and British cadets are the second most expensive to train in the world. He said the government needs to recognise that shipping is ‘a special case’ and secure an agreement between departments to transfer an additional £15m into the Support for Maritime Training scheme.

Kevin Slade, chairman of the Merchant Navy Training Board, said seafarer training is alive and

well in the UK with four colleges specialising in maritime education and a total of 88 STCW training centres registered with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

But he warned that countries like Singapore and India are seeking to take business away from the UK. ‘To keep the UK as a major maritime centre, we need a constant supply of expertise,’ he added. ‘There’s no shortage of applications, but we do need more vacancies.’

Fewer than one-third of UK-certificated officers are UK nationals, Mr Slade pointed out, and the cadet intake ought to rise by at least 50% to meet future needs. He suggested the UK needs a training ship to provide additional berths for seatime. g UK Ship Register plans to delegate statutory surveys to classification societies — see page 27.

International Transport Workers’ Federation maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith said: ‘It is clear that this is another case of crude social dumping — using highly vulnerable workers to do skilled work for low pay. The ITF is fully behind Nautilus International/FNV Waterbouw in opposing and exposing these actions, which are bad for workers and bad for good business.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Sascha Meijer said an emergency meeting of members was being arranged to decide whether or not to accept the company’s offer of fresh talks on a social plan to accompany the planned redundancies.

‘If our members give us that mandate, we will continue with what we were doing — negotiating a good social plan, the core of which will be to avoid unemployment,’ she added.

Picture: Derek Ironside

Inside F Class warriors

Ambassadors take to the country’s classrooms to promote careers in shipping — page 21 F Future vision

Marine equipment firm forecasts more shore-based control of shipping — page 25

F Going green

Japanese NGO leads on sustainable shipping with plans to launch the greenest-ever passenger vessel — page 26

21/09/2016 15:07

02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

MCA planning to hike its charges Union promises to protect members’ interests in consultation on new fees

Golden honour for CalMac stalwart F

Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth has presented one of the Union’s gold pins to Caledonian MacBrayne liaison officer Alex Forrest to honour his 40 years of membership.

Mr Forrest joined the Merchant Navy & Airline Officers’ Association when he first went to sea with Shell Tankers after starting his cadet training at Glasgow College of Nautical Studies.

‘My father was a butcher,’ he says, ‘but we lived on an island and went everywhere on the ferry. That got me interested in going to sea.’

After a year with Shell as a fifth engineer, Mr Forrest moved to CP Shipping in 1977 and served with the company for more than a decade, and for a short period with an agency, before joining CalMac in September 1990.

Now a chief engineer, he serves in a relief capacity — which means working anywhere from Ardrossan to Ullapool — and he has served on almost all the ships in the company’s fleet, including six

months standing by the newbuild Finlaggan in Poland.

‘I like it, even though it is a 260-mile journey from the Isle of Cumbrae to Ullapool,’ Mr Forrest says. ‘You can get a bit stale being in one place all the time and it is good meeting all the different crews, especially as a liaison officer.’

Mr Forrest says he will be 62 in November and his thoughts are turning to retirement. But even after leaving the sea, he will not retire from engineering – as he is involved with the historic vessel Waverley and another paddle steamer on Loch Lomond.

Two family members have also followed him to sea — his son is serving as a third engineer with Bibby and his daughter is a stewardess. Mr Forrest says he has enjoyed being a liaison officer and hopes to find a worthy successor before he steps down. ‘I’ve always been quite an instigator and it’s been interesting dealing with management and working with lots of different people,’ he adds.

Retired master is on the march to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research Feltham is pictured right at F the Nautilus Mariners’ Park welfare Retired ship master Mike

complex last month while training for a 5km fundraising walk for dementia research.

Capt Feltham was preparing for an Alzheimer’s Society Cheshire Memory Walk in the Delamere Forest Saturday 24 September. It’s a cause that is close to his heart, having lost a close relative to the condition.

He spent 46 years at sea — beginning his Merchant Navy career on a coal burner with the former British-India Steam Navigation Company before moving to Denholm’s shipping division, where he worked for 20 years.

Capt Feltham is no stranger to community work —volunteering at the Liverpool Seafarers Centre and serving as secretary for the Liverpool Anchorage Club.

He has received sponsorship from other Mariners’ Park residents, but further donations are welcome and can be made via staff at the Nautilus Care Home.

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Nautilus is urging members to take part in a consultation on Maritime & Coastguard Agency plans to increase many of its fees for seafarer certificates, examinations, ship registration and surveys.

Launching the six-week exercise last month, the MCA said there had been no changes in its fees for the past 10 years — arguing that this has meant that the industry has been effectively ‘publicly subsidised’ for the services it receives.

The gap between costs and income was estimated at £3.7m in 2010-11, the MCA said. It says this conflicts with government policy and it is proposing to recover the full costs of its services and to

eliminate any ‘cross-subsidisation’ between individual fees.

To bridge the gap would mean an estimated 57% average rise in fees for marine services, 17% for ship registration and surveys, and 20% for seafarer training and certification charges, it suggests.

Although the consultation seeks views on a ‘no change’ policy, the MCA warns that the ‘do nothing scenario’ would mean that it would be unable to continue to maintain adequate levels of customer service without government subsidy.

The consultation also points out that the Maritime Growth Study had identified full cost recovery as critical to improving the Agency’s service standards.

‘Recovering realistic costs of providing services which fall to the MCA as regulator will help to provide a stronger financial basis for future improvements,’ the Agency adds.

The MCA says an impact assessment of the survey fee increases suggests that they will not have a significant effect on most shipping companies as they represent only a small fraction of operating costs. And even after the increases, it says the UK survey fees will still compare favourably with many other flag states.

Under the proposals, the cost of an oral examination for a certificate of competency would rise from £210 to £220.

Fees for issuing or endors-

ing an officer’s certificate would rise from £25 to £127, while the cost of a rejected application for a CoC would rise from £51 to £219 and replacing a lost CoC would increase from £58 to £77. In contrast, examination fees for CECs would be reduced.

The MCA says views need to be submitted by midday on 26 October 2016. Nautilus is urging members to take part in the consultation, and senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘The Union will seek to protect members’ interests in its response to the consultation document.’ g To see the consultation document, go to www.gov.uk and enter ‘MCA fees’ in the search box.

Parental guidance updated published updated guidance to F members on their maternity, paternity Nautilus International has

and parental rights as seafarers.

The revisions expand previous advice on a wide range of issues relating to maternity, paternity and parental rights, and reflect associated increased statutory payments.

They also provide practical guidance on the special considerations that must be given to new or expectant mothers who work at night, and actions that must be taken under health and safety regulations if there are deemed to be risks associated with certain working conditions and hours of work.

The guide contains a revised ‘need help’ section which gives a brief overview of how to take your claims to UK employment tribunals, as well as links to further sources of information.

The updated Nautilus booklet also reflects the new M-notice relating to expectant mothers in the Merchant Navy and fishing vessels issued by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency — MGN 522, which replaces MGN 460.

General secretary Mark Dickinson outlined the importance of the guide: ‘Nautilus believes that, in order to grow and prosper, the UK maritime industry should be open and welcoming to male and female workers, and make allowances for people’s lives to change as they get older. Seafarers should, as a matter of principle, receive the same basic levels of employment protection that their shore-side colleagues enjoy.’

The guidance has been written with a focus on UK rights for new and expectant mothers, and UK paternity and parental rights, so it will mainly apply to seafarers working on UK-flagged vessels. If in doubt, members should contact the Union for specific advice.

Essential training for lay reps members and officials A attending the Union’s latest

Pictured above are Nautilus

essential lay representatives’ course — left to right: Guy Taylor; Danny McGowan (senior assistant organiser); Neil Hudson; Tenyon Latter; Brett Forth; Chris Lewis; Neil Nisbet; Lee Moon (senior assistant

organiser); Stuart Spencer; Sean Smith; Steven Gosling (head of strategic development); and Pauline Parry (administrator).

The three-day course — held between 7 and 9 September — took place at the Quorn Grange Hotel in Loughborough. During the course members covered issues

including bullying and harassment at work, representing members and negotiation. g The next lay reps course will take place from 23 to 25 November 2016 at the Quorn Grange Hotel — for further details email reps@nautilusint.org or call +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Charity’s centenary dinner will aid new facilities at Mariners’ Park accommodation and care F facilities for retired merchant seafarers A project to build new

at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park Estate in Wallasey is to be one of the beneficiaries of a series of centenary dinners being staged around the UK by the charity Seafarers UK next year.

The charity is hosting three special celebration dinners to mark the 100 years since it was established as the King George’s Fund for Sailors in response to the large number of

seafarers who were killed or injured during WW1.

The Liverpool Centenary Celebration Dinner in will take place on 23 February 2017 at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. All funds raised on the night will be in support of the new care and accommodation wing being built at Mariners’ Park, due to be completed in March next year.

Designed as an extension to the existing Trinity House Hub, the new building will include 22 two-

bedroomed apartments for retired mariners and dependents and will be called the Seafarers UK Centenary Wing. The charity has already made a £1.17m donation towards its costs.

Seafarers UK will also hold a London Centenary Celebration Dinner on 28 March 2017 at Guildhall, in the City of London, and an Edinburgh Centenary Celebration Dinner in August 2017. g For further details, visit: www.seafarers.uk.

21/09/2016 13:47

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 03

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports REGISTER ROLE: a new person is being sought to spearhead the UK government’s efforts to revive the red ensign fleet after the director of the UK Ship Register left the post after just a few months in the job. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency said former seafarer Simon Barham had resigned for personal reasons and on good terms. The position — which pays up to £90,000 a year — is being filled on a temporary basis by the MCA’s assistant director for business improvement and assurance, Richard Pellew.

Pictured above signing the new Shell handbook are, left to right: SSML director Richard Turner; IMEC CEO Francesco Gargiulo; Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson; Seafarers’ Union of Croatia assistant general secretary Vladimir Svalina; and ITF head of maritime operations John Canias

‘Milestone’ for Shell’s officers Nautilus helps negotiate trailblazing fleet-wide terms and conditions deal

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Nautilus International has signed a ‘milestone’ agreement which covers the terms and conditions and salary scales of all the officers serving with Shell Ship Management.

General secretary Mark Dickinson joined International Maritime Employers’ Council CEO Francesco Gargiulo, International Transport Workers’ Federation head of maritime operations John Canias and Croatian seafarers’ union assistant general secretary Vladimir Svalina to sign the agreement in London last month.

The result of extensive discussions between unions and management, the agreement applies to around 1,000 officers from around 40 different countries serving in the Shell International Shipping Services fleet and the company says it demonstrates its ‘resolve to offer the best terms and conditions of employment that the business can sustain’.

The agreement sets out core terms and conditions for all officers in the fleet, irrespective of nationality, and applies to issues including tour lengths, paid leave, hours of work and rest, sick pay, high-risk areas, and death in service.

The core agreement will be revised every three years, while local pay negotiations will continue on an annual basis.

Richard Turner, managing director with Shell Ship Management, said the company began the process of seeking the agreement because it wanted to simplify the ‘time-consuming and costly’ negotiations for the ‘plethora’ of different nationalities employed.

Mr Dickinson described the discussions as very posi-

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The new agreement has also gained the support of the Maritime Union of India. Richard Turner from Shell is pictured with MUI representative Hormaz Bharucha, when they signed the document in July

tive. ‘When the company first approached us as the main union representing Shell officers, we were not in a good position as the UK cadet programme had been frozen and the outlook for British officers did not look healthy.

‘But from the outset, the company assured us that it saw a sustainable future for UK officers to work on the ships and in its offices ashore, and that it was determined to return to training,’ he added.

Mr Dickinson said Nautilus had worked with other unions, the ITF and IMEC to develop a standard set of consolidated terms and conditions for all officers, with an annex for each country reflecting local variations on salary levels and elements such as bank holidays and pensions.

‘We are very pleased with the result, which not only safeguards the position of our UK members but also delivers a clear commitment to the future,’ he added. ‘It is an excellent example of the benefits of working in partnership.’

Mr Turner said Shell was also

delighted with the outcome. ‘We had so many differences between the original agreements that a lot of people thought this could never be done,’ he admitted. ‘But everyone worked together to push things forward and get it to where it is today, and I am particularly grateful to Nautilus for its support on this project.’

The agreement meets — and in many areas exceeds — the standards set by the International Bargaining Forum (where ITF and IMEC join forces to establish minimum benchmarks) and Mr Turner said that bringing everything together in a single handbook will make things much easier in port state control inspections.

‘We have tried to make it very simple, very clear and easy to read,’ he explained. ‘If you are an inspector, a captain or an officer you will know exactly where you stand.

‘What we have produced is simple, but it is a world-class document that will help us move forward in the future. It is ground-

breaking to bring all of these things together and it delivers transparency at all levels.’

Mr Svalina said he was proud to sign the agreement on behalf of Croatian officers. ‘The negotiations were very friendly and productive,’ he added. ‘I believe this is a special moment in the shipping industry and a big achievement to secure in the current economic climate.

‘The agreement is a tribute to social dialogue and I think it will do much to promote loyalty to the company,’ Mr Svalina said.

Mr Canias said it had been a challenging process to bring so many different agreements into a single document, but the successful result provided an example for other companies with mixed nationality crews. The agreement for officers has also paved the way for further discussions to cover ratings, he added.

‘The good thing is that this is a “working” document which can be improved as we go forward,’ Mr Canias pointed out.

Mr Gargiulo said IMEC was pleased to have played a part in the discussions. ‘I was a great opportunity to work with the ITF and some of its key affiliates,’ he added. ‘We have built upon the IBF agreement, which is the only example of a worldwide agreement with multiple unions, and we have delivered a great result.

‘This is a really significant agreement; it reflects Shell’s position as one of the most progressive members of the IBF and its commitment to be a good employer,’ he added. ‘This is definitely a model for other companies — there are benefits to be had from IMEC membership.’

CARGO WARNING: the International Federation of Ship Masters’ Associations has voiced frustration at the slow progress being made to improve the safety of bauxite cargoes. IFSMA delegates warned the International Maritime Organisation last month of concerns about ambiguities in proposed advice on liquefaction dangers and said masters should be involved in the moisture testing of bauxite prior to loading.

FLAG CHANGE: the International Transport Workers’ Federation has given a guarded welcome to the Cambodian government’s promise to turn its flag into a genuine national ship register. ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith said the flag was one of most disreputable in the world and while reform would be supported, Cambodia had sent ‘mixed messages’ about its intentions for the register.

CLAIMS CONCERN: the first half of this year has seen a further fall in the number of shipping accidents, the Nordic Association of Marine Insurers (Cefor) has reported. However, it expressed concern about the increasing risks of a high-value major loss as a consequence of the growing size and complexity of merchant ships. It also warned of an increase in the cost of fire and explosion claims.

CHEMICAL ROLE: the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Mounts Bay took part in a Danish-led operation last month to transport the last batch of material which could be used to make chemical weapons from Libya.

Defence secretary Michael Fallon praised the RFA’s role in escorting the merchant ship carrying the material.

MLC BOOST: Indonesia’s government has approved the ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention.

Algeria has also signed up to the convention, meaning that the ‘bill of rights’ for seafarers will soon be backed by 80 countries representing more than 90% of world tonnage.

LIFEBOAT CALL: Nautilus has called for radical new thinking to end the loss of life among merchant seafarers taking part in lifeboat drills. The call came after two crew members died and three others were injured onboard the cruiseship Harmony of the Seas.

CRUISE TALLY: for the first time ever the value of global orders for cruiseships during is higher than the tally for all other merchant ships and other civil vessels taken together — with 25 contracts and letters of intention worth a total US$14bn.

SEATRUCK SERVICE: the Irish Sea freight operator Seatruck Ferries has commenced a weekend service between the ports of Bristol and Dublin using a vessel that would otherwise be idle during weekends.

BOXSHIP GROUNDS: the 17,859TEU containership CMA CGM Vasco Da Gama had to have an underwater survey after briefly grounding while approaching the UK port of Southampton.

CONTAINER COMPLIANCE: the World Shipping Council has reported a 95% compliance rate with the verified gross mass box weighing requirements, which were introduced on 1 July.

PLA FIRST: the Port of London Authority is set to become the first UK port to introduce discounts for vessels with low emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and carbon dioxide.

21/09/2016 18:12

04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

NAUTILUS AT WORK

shortreports

Jonathan Havard and industrial F organiser Lisa Carr are pictured with Nautilus national secretary

WAGES WARNING: the TUC has expressed concern over a slowdown in UK wage growth. Official statistics showed last month that average weekly earnings (excluding bonuses) increased by 2.1% in the year to July — 0.2 percentage points down on the previous month. TUC general secretary Frances OGrady said the figures showed a welcome rise in employment, but warned that real wages are only rising because of low inflation. ‘We need investment now to create more decent, well-paid jobs, and an end to the public sector pay cap,’ she added.

STENA LIAISON: Neil Woodward has been appointed as the new liaison officer for members employed by Stena Line and serving on Holyhead/ Dublin routes. He will take up the role from 1 October 2016 when outgoing liaison officer Colm Mooney steps down. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth thanked Mr Mooney for his service and dedication to the role over many years. The next meeting with Northern Marine Manning Services will take place in Clydebank on Tuesday 18 October.

GARDLINE TALKS: Nautilus was set to meet the marine service company Gardline late last month for further talks on a proposed collective bargaining agreement. National secretary Jonathan Havard and senior national organiser Garry Elliott have been involved in the discussions to finalise a memorandum of understanding with the firm.

BW REVIEW: members employed by BW Fleet Management have been asked to provide Nautilus with their aspirations for improved pay and conditions ahead of the company’s 2017 review. The Union will now review the feedback before making a claim to management in the next few weeks.

CEMEX ROLES: nominations for four liaison officer positions for members employed by Cemex UK Marine Limited have closed. The roles for members onboard the Sand Falcon, Fulmar and Heron as well as the Welsh Piper will see the liaison officers in post until 31 March 2019.

members onboard the British Antarctic Survey vessel James Clark Ross during a ship visit in the port of Immingham last month.

Nautilus arranged the visit to provide members with the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues ahead of the forthcoming pay and conditions negotiations, which are due to begin with a meeting on 14 October.

Union backs Stena study leave deal Talks secure improved arrangements for members in the Irish Sea fleet

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Nautilus has welcomed a package of change to improve study leave policy for members serving on Stena Line’s Irish Sea services.

Following talks between the Union and Northern Marine Manning Services, agreement has been reached on a new policy covering the company’s support for members studying for higher certificates.

National ferry organiser Micky Smyth said the negotiations had been held after members raised concerns that NMM’s ‘generic’ study leave policy was more appropriate for deepsea officers and restricted ferry officers from progressing their careers.

‘We considered that the policy was not acceptable and was not fit for purpose in the

ferry sector,’ Mr Smyth explained. ‘After negotiations the company agreed to come back with a redefined and improved scheme.

‘Giving officers the opportunity to train and improve their skills is an essential part of all organisations,’ he added. ‘This update is extremely welcome and provides Stena Line members on Irish Sea routes with the opportunity to progress their careers.’

The new policy means that officers may apply for company support for study if the officers have two years’ continuous employment with the company and hold at least two positive appraisals which recommend study and progression to a higher rank.

It also covers issues including distance learning, short courses, academic courses,

Pay assurances as RMS is kept on

RED VIEWS: members serving in the Red Funnel fleet have been asked to give the Union their views on the contents of the forthcoming pay and conditions claim, ahead of the 1 January 2017 review date.

on pay and allowances for F members serving on RMS St Helena,

Nautilus has secured assurances

HANSON HELP: members employed by Hanson Ship Management have been asked to submit views and evidence to help Nautilus with its submission for the 2017 pay and conditions negotiations.

PLA PAY: members employed by the Port of London Authority (PLA) have been asked for their input on the contents of the 2017 pay and conditions claim ahead of the forthcoming negotiations.

Pictured above is Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth with liaison officer Captain John Cowie onboard the Orkney Ferries vessel Earl Sigurt in Kirkwall. Subjects discussed during the ship visit included the progress of the working party on salaries and leave entitlement

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study periods and successful completion. z Nautilus has met management for ‘full and frank’ discussions about new starting salaries for junior officers employed by Stena Line on North Sea routes.

The Union raised members’ concerns regarding the new rates, and was assured that the new rates are superior to those used by other ferry operators employing non-UK officers and in line with market rates for UK junior officers.

National ferry organiser Micky Smyth said the Union firmly believes that the introduction of these new starting salaries will protect existing rates of pay for all officers currently employed by the company, and will provide future employment for UK junior officers.

which is continuing in service longer than anticipated because of issues with the island’s new airport.

Industrial organiser Lisa Carr said the employing entity for the officers and crew on board the RMS St Helena has changed to VGG (Guernsey) Limited, but members’ terms and conditions will not be affected.

The Union has raised members’ eligibility to receive previously agreed payments for any permanent crew members wishing to resign before

the end of 2016. Those who continue their employment on the RMS will also receive a loyalty bonus payment, payable on 31 December 2016, and will have their original redundancy figure re-calculated on a revised end date to coincide with the date the vessel is planned to be withdrawn from service, currently July 2017.

Management has also accepted the Union’s request for pay talks to be re-commenced because the vessel was not withdrawn from service in July this year. Assurances have also been given on the annual uniform allowance and pension contributions.

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F Pictured above from left to right are: Gemma Griffin, DFDS vice president of HR and crewing; Samantha Udall, Nautilus membership and research administrator; Micky Smyth, national ferry organiser; and Dan Reed, crew manager UK flags, during a meeting at the company’s offices in Whitfield.

Issues discussed included updating the CBA and reviewing the structure of the liaison officer committee in line with other major ferry operators to ensure maximum participation in all future discussions and meetings

Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr and senior assistant organiser Danny McGowan are pictured with Captain Stephen Wright, centre, one of two new liaison officers who have been appointed to represent members employed by Thames Clippers.

Capt Wright has been appointed to represent masters and Ashton

Hills will represent mates. They will remain in office until 31 August 2017.

Two further vacancies still remain to represent CSAs and deck customer service assistants.

Nautilus met the company last month to present the 2017 pay claim, which seeks an above-RPI increase and an enhanced sickness scheme

21/09/2016 18:32

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Fresh talks over CalMac pay row Unions oppose bid to end annual bonus and move from RPI benchmark

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Nautilus was set to take part in further talks with Caledonian MacBrayne at the end of September in a bid to defuse a dispute over this year’s pay and conditions review.

The company agreed to reconvene talks with all four unions after three offers were rejected during earlier meetings — culminating in a proposal for a 1.8% increase this year and a further 1.8% in the second year, with no profit-related bonus.

Management had previously tabled an offer of 1% increases each year for three years, which was then improved to 1.5% each year for two years — both with no profit-related bonus.

Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth said the company’s proposals were totally unacceptable to the unions – in particular the loss of the profitrelated bonus scheme, which has been paid for more than a decade at an established rate of around 1.5%.

Unions also rejected the company’s move to base all future pay offers on the CPI inflation rate

Nautilus national ferry organiser Micky Smyth is pictured with CalMac liaison officers Archie MacDonald and Barry Scott during a pay meeting held between 13 and 14 September

instead of the RPI measure. Management said the successful bid for the routes was based on CPI and pay offers will now be based on this rather than the traditional RPI. Mr Smyth said Nautilus and the other unions believe that

RPI is the right benchmark, and should be the only one recognised for pay awards. ‘Financial analysts indicate that RPI will increase significantly by next year and some projections are indeed that RPI may rise to somewhere in the region of 3.3%,’ he added.

Unions also expressed concern about a ‘divisive and unjust’ move to continue paying the bonus to staff not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which includes all the senior managers and directors.

Unions have pressed the company to make a one-year RPI-plus deal, together with the profitrelated bonus for 2016/17 – with an offer to discuss the future of the bonus scheme later on.

Mr Smyth said he is also waiting for the company to agree a date to discuss other aspects of Nautilus International’s claim that were not discussed at the pay talks. z CalMac has given a commitment to continued investment in officer cadets and ratings apprentices, as well as partnering with local maritime training organisations, to ‘further develop’ its skilled workforce. The pledge was contained in the company’s detailed plans for west coast ferry services following its success in securing the eightyear contract for the lifeline operations.

Fleet Marine vote on plans to give time-on/time-off rotation patterns Lisa Carr is pictured with F (from left to right) contracts

Nautilus industrial organiser

manager Tommy Hanna, liaison officer Wayne Sloan, director of engineering Kevin Denvir and liaison officer Maurice McColgan ahead of pay talks on behalf of members employed by Heyn Engineering Solutions onboard

RV Corystes. During the meeting, management tabled an improved offer including a 1% pay rise, plus a £100 Christmas bonus and four times salary death-in-service benefit for existing pension holders.

Nautilus says the offer is the best achievable via negotiation and has recommended that members accept the package.

Pictured above is Nautilus industrial organiser Lisa Carr with liaison officers and Global Marine representatives during a partnership at work meeting at the company’s head office. Members employed by GMSG have been asked for their views on the contents of the forthcoming pay claim.

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Maritime Services (Bermuda) A are being urged to vote on proposals Members serving with Fleet

for new pay and conditions of service which will see officers moving to a time-on/time-off rotation pattern.

The changes have been tabled following long-running discussions on the company’s Utilisation Project and Nautilus has welcomed the outcome — recommending its acceptance by members.

The proposals will affect deck and technical officers, and all other departments covered by the collective agreement. Key elements include time-for-time working on a 12 week-on/12 week-off ‘Core Sea Working Days’ rotation, together with the retention of annualised pay.

Under the proposed agreement, the extended tour bonus will remain, but paid on an annual basis instead of three- or five-year cycles.

The changes will reduce working days for contracted officers from 243 to 238 — equivalent to a 2.1% pay increase — while officers on 200 or 219 day contracts will remain the same. Carryover for underworked days will be capped at 21 days, with

monthly worked days statements produced.

The company will also launch Planned On Company Business (formerly known as standby) and Managed On Company Business in its new working days policy.

Members now have until midday on 3 October 2016 to vote on the proposed changes. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder said it was ‘absolutely paramount’ that members take part in the consultation on such an important issue.

‘Nautilus International has been closely involved with representatives throughout the development work and negotiations leading to this proposal,’ he added. ‘The Union believes that the changes included in this offer will support improvements in ways of working that will benefit all officers and it is the best that can be achieved through negotiation.’ z Nautilus has welcomed the announcement that a new 180,000gt-plus vessel is to be built for the P&O Cruises fleet.

Due to be delivered in 2020, the 5,200-passenger vessel will be powered by LNG.

shortreports SERCO TALKS: emergency talks between Nautilus and Serco Ferries (Guernsey) Crewing have taken place in a final attempt to avoid a ballot on industrial action. The dispute stems from protracted discussions concerning members’ terms and conditions. Senior national secretary Garry Elliott said the Union and the company were seeking to arrange further discussions in an effort to resolve matters through negotiation, after a consultation exercise showed a majority of members wished to proceed to a formal industrial action ballot. Mr Elliott said he had received assurances that the company is still planning to make an offer for the 2016 pay and conditions review.

RFA PAY: members serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been offered a 1% pay rise for 2016-17, in line with the government’s public sector policies.

National secretary Steve Doran said that the results of previous consultations suggested the offer should be accepted, unless a significant majority of members provide compelling arguments to the contrary. However, he says the Union will seek urgent talks on other key issues, including tour lengths, wi-fi and temporary promotions.

FAIRMONT FREEZE: Nautilus has written on behalf of members employed by Fairmont Shipping Vancouver and serving on MOL vessels to accept proposals for a pay freeze. Industrial organiser Derek Byrne said he had made the decision because no compelling arguments against the offer had been received. The next pay review will be 1 April 2017.

WINDSTAR REVIEW: members employed

by Windstar Management Services have been asked to provide their views on the contents of the 2017 pay and conditions review. Members are being asked to update industrial organiser Lisa Carr on any increases in workloads and responsibilities from the last 12 months in order to shape the Union’s pay claim.

SMIT PROPOSAL: members employed by Smit International (Scotland) are being asked to vote on a 1.5% pay offer. The package has been rejected once before, but the company has refused to improve it.

Members have until midday on Monday 3 October 2016 to cast their vote.

WESTMINSTER OFFER: members employed

by Boskalis Westminster are being consulted on a 1.2% pay offer. The increase relates to the company’s 2016 pay and conditions review and is described as the final offer.

Members have until midday on 3 October to vote on the offer.

SEATRUCK CALL: members serving with Seaway Manning Services in Seatruck Ferries have been asked to give the Union their views on the contents of the forthcoming pay and conditions claim.

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21/09/2016 18:13

06 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

OFFSHORE NEWS

shortreports OSV ALERT: the global offshore support vessel market could decline even further as a result of low demand and excess tonnage, a major bank has warned.

DNB Markets said exploration and production spending is set to fall by between 5% and 12% over the next year — at a time when the global OSV market is over-supplied by more than 2,000 vessels and a lack of scrapping is increasing the glut.

OUTPUT UP: Scottish government statistics show that UKCS oil and gas production rose by more than 21% last year — the largest annual increase since records began in 1999. Economy minister Keith Brown described the figures as encouraging, but noted that the value of sales had declined to £13.4bn because of the low oil price. He said the Scottish government had made £12m available to help workers retrain to alternative employment.

HAVILA CUTS: Nautilus has reluctantly accepted the decision not to reinstate pay cuts for officers and ratings — amounting to 6% and 25% respectively — as part of this year’s pay and conditions review for members employed by Havila Marine (Guernsey). The decision was made in response to the lack of any significant upturn in the oil and gas sector.

DEEP CUTS: members employed by Deep Ocean (Guernsey) have voted to reluctantly accept the company’s proposal of a temporary compensation reduction, equating to 5.5% of the sum of their basic salary, seniority and subsea allowance. Industrial organiser Derek Byrne has written to the company to advise them of the members’ decision.

SEALION CLAIM: Nautilus has submitted a pay and conditions claim on behalf of members employed

by Seahorse Maritime and serving on Sealion vessels ahead of the 2017 pay review. Industrial organiser Lisa Carr thanked members for their views and is waiting for a response from the company.

MAERSK WORK: Maersk Supply Service has won a subsea decommissioning contract from Maersk Oil UK under which 10 anchor handlers, platform supply and subsea support vessels will be deployed at the Janice subsea field in the North Sea in a project scheduled for completion in summer 2018.

BIBBY CHANGE: members employed by Bibby Ship Management (Guernsey) have been advised of the company’s change in name following its purchase by V.Group. The company will now be known as V.Offshore (IOM) Limited.

CHINESE STAKE: China has become the North Sea’s biggest operator, according to a report last month.

The stake held by Chinese state-run firms in the UKCS has prompted concerns over the security of UK energy supplies, the Daily Mirror reported.

SHELL RECORD: Shell has started production at the world’s deepest underwater oil and gas field — some 1.8 miles below the sea surface in the Gulf of Mexico’s Stones Field.

Ocean Supply A warning of redundancy Supply (Guernsey) are at risk F as the company looks at a number of More than 60 jobs with Ocean

redundancies.

Ocean Supply told Nautilus that it looks likely contracts for two of its vessels will not be renewed and there will be a manning review at all levels to reduce operating costs.

Management said that 62 positions are being looked at for possible redundancy options, including four masters, four chief mates, four second mates, five chief engineers, four second engineers, one third engineer, four motormen, four bosuns, 28 AB/EDHs and four cooks.

The company has agreed to seek volunteers for redundancies in the first instance. If the required number of volunteers does not meet the redundancy needs, it will employ a selection matrix to select employees for compulsory redundancy.

Agreement on Technip leave on arrangements for members F employed by Technip (Singapore) to Agreement has been reached

liquidate leave down to a minimum of 80 days.

The company had suspended the facility last year in an attempt to avoid making members compulsorily redundant. However, Nautilus

remains concerned that the risk of redundancy remains and it is working with the company to mitigate the threat.

National secretary Steve Doran said: ‘Frustrations regarding this matter are understandable, and we are most certainly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Union win on Sealion case Judge backs right to pursue employment tribunal claim

P

Nautilus International has welcomed a judgment which upholds the Union’s right to pursue an employment tribunal claim on behalf of members who were made redundant from the Sealion Shipping fleet last year.

Management had claimed that each ship covered by the programme of job losses was an individual ‘business unit’ and that the company therefore did not need to enter into collective discussions on the redundancies.

The tribunal heard that Sealion staff numbers had been cut from about 800 to under 500 between 2014 and 2016, with the number of UK employees being reduced from 213 to 118 over the same period.

Sealion had decided to put ships into lay-up as a result of the slump in the market, and in July 2015 it warned the fleet of the risk of redundancies, stating that because anticipated losses were less than 20 per ship it would be a

deploy its newbulding subsea A support vessel VOS Start, pictured Vroon Offshore Services is to

right, on a contract to support the construction of the Walney Extension offshore windfarm in the Irish Sea. Under the contract with MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, the 4,700gt Dutch-flagged vessel will provide accommodation and work space for up to 60 personnel during work on the project — which, when fully commissioned in 2018, will be the world’s largest windfarm.

VOS Start will also be able to serve as ‘mother ship’ for crew transfer vessels.

06_offshore.indd 6

Pictured right is the 1,771gt multi-role emergency response and rescue vessel Grampian Freedom, which has entered into service in the Craig Group’s North Sea fleet following delivery by the Astilleros Balenciaga shipyard in Spain.

A sister vessel to Grampian Fortress, the 59m Grampian Freedom is built to the IMT 958 design and is equipped with daughter craft and a 15-person fast rescue craft, as well as being able to transfer and store limited deck cargo and provide offshore locations with fresh water and fuel, if required.

case of individual rather than collective consultation.

Nautilus claimed that UKbased officers were entitled to a protective award as a result of the company’s failure to consult over the redundancies in line with the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act. Ruling in favour of the Union, employment judge Andrew Allen said the wording of the seafarers’ employment contracts and the way the redundancy exercise was carried out did not support the company’s contention that each ship was a separate ‘establishment’.

While each ship could be considered as an individual business unit, the judge said it did not necessarily follow that each vessel is the establishment at which the company proposed to dismiss a number of employees.

Although most seafarers served on the same ship for fouror six-week rosters, their contracts did not state any particular

vessel as their place of work, Judge Allen noted.

Some seafarers were transferred to other vessels and others were not considered to be attached to any particular ship.

The judge also ruled that the UK-resident seafarers were entitled to protection from national employment law — pointing to other cases which determined that UK territorial jurisdiction applied when seafarers’ duties began when they left home to join their vessels.

Nautilus industrial organiser Paul Schroder gave evidence at the tribunal and commented: ‘We didn’t want to take this case to court, but felt we had no option because of the company’s failure to engage.

‘This was a very important case about the rights of our members to the safeguards provided by UK employment law,’ Mr Schroder added. ‘We welcome the ruling and the judge’s support for our arguments.’

‘Members can be assured that the liaison officers and myself will continue to do all we can to protect jobs and mitigate effects on pay, terms and conditions,’ he added. ‘Further talks with the employer are imminent, where redundancy terms and issues such as liquidated leave will continue to be considered.’

UK urged to act as Maersk cuts fleet UK shipping minister to call F for urgent action to crack down on Nautilus has written to the

unfair competition in the North Sea following the news that Maersk Supply Service is cutting its offshore support vessel fleet with the loss of some 400 seafarers’ jobs.

General secretary Mark Dickinson told the minister that this was the latest in a long series of cuts in the sector which are having a drastic effect on UK seafarer employment and training and threaten to sink the government’s Maritime Growth Study aims of regenerating the industry.

Mr Dickinson said it was high time for the UK to stamp out unfair competition in the UKCS and to follow the example of other countries who have protected their offshore industries.

‘At the same time as decent companies are being forced to lay up ships and get rid of skilled and experienced seafarers, they are being undercut by unfair competition from flag of convenience ships with exploited crews,’ he added.

The company blamed ‘unprecedented market conditions’ for the decision to reduce the current fleet of 56 vessels by 20 over the next 18 months. Members employed by Maersk Offshore (Guernsey) have been consulted by the Union on voluntary redundancy proposals, and national secretary Steve Doran said Nautilus is committed to reducing the number of job losses.

Following the announcement, a Partnership at Work meeting took place at the start of September to discuss voluntary redundancy terms.

Mr Doran said the Union had sought improvements over and above the statutory minimum and was disappointed that this was rejected.

‘Redundancy is always the last option for us, as maintaining our members’ jobs is our primary concern,’ he stated. ‘However, in situations like this we understand the position the company is in and we must work as closely as possible with them to ensure the best possible outcome is achieved.’

21/09/2016 16:35

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 07

NEWS

‘Don’t let robots squeeze us out’ Nautilus urges TUC to develop policies to address automation challenges

Brexit safeguards are vital, says TUC leader P becoming ‘the bargain A basement economy of Europe’ Britain runs the risk of

following the Brexit vote, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady, pictured above, warned delegates at this year’s Congress.

She urged prime minister Theresa May to ensure that British workers ‘don’t pay the price of Brexit’ — by making sure that jobs and employment rights are prioritised when negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union get under way.

In her keynote address to Congress, Ms O’Grady said research had shown that one of the biggest risks of Brexit was the loss of foreign investment and she urged the government to ‘step up’ to the

threat by giving the go-ahead to major infrastructure projects like the third Heathrow runway.

She told delegates that the last year had seen the biggest government attack on the trade union movement for generations.

‘They planned to slash union funding, strip away our political voice and threaten the democratic right to strike,’ she noted.

‘But we beat them. Not on everything, but in the big battles and it’s not over yet,’ Ms O’Grady added. ‘We’ve got our work cut out to win the democratic right for our members to vote online, to ward off any plans to use agency workers to break strikes and to stop new state powers being used and abused.’

Picture: Andrew Wiard

Nautilus GS is voted back onto TUC’s ruling body secretary Mark Dickinson has F been re-elected to the ruling body of

Nautilus International general

the TUC for the eighth year in a row.

He received 260,000 votes in the elections for the seven TUC general council seats reserved for smaller specialist unions.

‘I am proud to be returned to the TUC general council for a further term,’ Mr Dickinson said. ‘The challenging state of the shipping industry makes it more important than ever that a maritime union is represented at the highest levels of the trade union movement.

‘Our motions to this year’s Congress have highlighted some of the most pressing problems facing members at present and the support of the TUC will help us in our battle to secure effective action to tackle issues such as training and unfair competition in UK waters,’ Mr Dickinson added.

‘I will continue to work to ensure that maritime issues remain high on the TUC agenda, and that trade union issues such as online voting, which will vastly improve our members’ access to democracy, remain a priority,’ he promised.

Euro unions pledge support Europe will stand united with F their British counterparts to defend Trade unions from across

workers’ rights following Brexit, the general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) told delegates at the TUC conference.

Luca Visentini warned Congress that ‘political and business elites will try to keep all the advantages that come from the EU for themselves,

while doing all they can to weaken social protection and workers’ rights’.

But he promised that European unions will fight to ensure that workers’ interests, both in the UK and in Europe, are not damaged by Brexit. And he warned that the EU is at risk of collapsing if it does not increase public investment in jobs, tackle inequality, and stamp out abuses such as zero-hour contracts.

Nautilus Council member Russell Downs introduced TUC Congress to ‘Andy’ the android when putting forward the Union’s motion on the rise of automation last month.

He told delegates at the conference of recent research suggesting that almost 50% of jobs are at risk from automation, with robots now able to cook and serve food, diagnose illnesses, write newspaper articles and pick fruit — even determining which fruits are ripe and which are not.

‘These are not science fiction fantasies,’ he pointed out. ‘It’s happening now, from self-service check-outs at supermarkets to trading programmes on Wall Street which have cut the workforce there by around a third in the past 15 years.

‘So do we all become Luddites and start smashing up the modern equivalents of the weaving machines?’ he asked. ‘I would argue that the lessons of history suggest that “resistance is futile”.’

Mr Downs said unions should instead develop proactive poli-

Russell Downs with ‘Andy’ the android Picture: Debbie Cavaldoro

cies that would help to secure the positive use of technology in the workplace — ‘getting the robots to do all the nasty, boring, dirty and dangerous jobs and ensuring that human workers either work less, or work smarter, or work in more rewarding and quality positions’.

The Nautilus motion called for the TUC to conduct research on the issue and produce a policy and

strategy to assist unions responding to technological challenges.

The motion was seconded by Rachel Garrick, from the Prospect union, who said that growing up in the valleys in South Wales had shown her the ‘devastating’ effects when technology leaves communities and workers behind.

Technological advances are now targeting knowledge-based

jobs, she added, and it is essential that the union movement develops a vision ‘for a sustainable working future that does not succumb to technology but adapts with it’ to create more fulfilling jobs.

Unite delegate Mike Hedges said automation was of particular relevance to workers in the transport industries.

‘Concerns about the effects of technology are as old as technological change itself,’ he added.

‘But it now goes further than ever before. Part of the concern this time around is about the potential for machines to not just do physical work, but mental tasks as well. Whole new areas of work are open to computerisation.’

Mr Hedges added that there was nothing inevitable about automation and therefore unions should not be passive about their introduction. ‘We need technology that improves our lives rather than make us slaves to it,’ he concluded.

The motion was unanimously agreed by the conference.

Congress backs call for action to arrest British shipping’s decline urgently to arrest the continuing F decline in the UK fleet and the loss of The UK government must act

skilled seafarer jobs, Nautilus told the TUC Congress last month.

Delegates at the conference voted unanimously in favour of the Union’s motion on ‘maritime jobs, skills and the future’— backing calls for improved support for the industry and measures to combat unfair competition around the UK coast.

Moving the motion, Nautilus head of strategic development Steven Gosling said Britain remains dependent upon the sea for its economic and strategic wellbeing, but the UK owned and registered fleet now accounts for less than 1% of world tonnage. The number of British seafarers today is less than one-third what it was in 1976 — and, on current trends, will fall by a further third over the next decade or so, he added.

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Steven Gosling speaks on UK maritime skills Picture: Andrew Wiard

‘The government tells us we must trade our way to recovery,’ Mr Gosling told the meeting. ‘But I have to warn you that most of that trade will be

carried on flag of convenience ships — many of them crewed by poorly paid and poorly treated seafarers.’

While the government had

recognised the value of merchant shipping with its Maritime Growth Study report, Mr Gosling warned that thousands of jobs have been lost since it was published last year — many of them in the North Sea. He said it was wrong that members are being faced with redundancy or cuts in their pay and conditions at a time when foreignflagged and foreign-crewed ships were working on the UK Continental Shelf at significantly lower rates.

‘Our members should not have to be competing against SE Asian wages — or even unpaid wages — in the North Sea,’ he added.

Seconding the motion, RMT delegate Billy Jones said the decline of the British merchant fleet had been phenomenal. ‘Although the shipping industry is vital for an island nation, it is on its knees at the moment,’ he added.

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07_news.indd 7

21/09/2016 12:07

08 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

LARGE YACHT NEWS

Former training vessel is on the market for €13.5m Passenger A

An adventure yacht which was originally built to boost seafarer training has been added to the brokerage list of Fraser Yachts with an asking price of €13.5m.

Launched in 2006 as Hanseatic Explorer, the 48m Hanse Explorer was specially designed with accommodation for six crew and 12 trainees, and is the only purpose-built ice class expedition yacht on today’s market.

Shipowner and businessman Peter Harren was the man behind the concept and worked with the German shipbuilding Fassmer to develop the vessel.

Mr Harren had identified what he saw as a major problem in the shipping industry: skilled seafarer

numbers struggling to keep pace with fleet expansion.

As the owner of almost 40 vessels, Mr Harren was well aware of the contribution a well-trained crew can make, and wanted the vessel to actively support the training of professional seafarers whilst at the same time offering a small group of passengers the opportunity to experience a very different luxury adventure.

Hanse Explorer was designed and built to the highest specification with a view to operating ‘real’ expeditions.

With a shallow draft of 4.4m and an E3 ice-class, it can sail and land in areas where many vessels, other than private yachts, cannot. The vessel carries up to 12 passengers.

Supersizing ‘driving up officer qualifications’ Academy director highlights move to unlimited certification, as UK industry warns on skills

P

The growing size of superyachts is resulting in an increasing number of officers upgrading their restricted yacht certificates of competency to full ‘unlimited’ Merchant Navy qualifications.

That’s the view of Lars Lippuner, director at Warsash Superyacht Academy, who notes that officers holding restricted certificate of competency such as the OOW or chief mate (yachts less than 3,000gt) because their job prospects might otherwise be limited as a result of the increasing demand for 3,000gt-plus yachts.

‘We see many yacht officers returning to upgrade their yacht restricted certificates of competency to full “unlimited”

MN qualifications — a demand driven by the increase in the number of yachts above 3,000gt and yachts coded to the Passenger Yacht code, which all require officers with unlimited certification,’ he explained.

Evidence of this growth was highlighted at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, where the average length of boats was 47m — 15m longer than when the event first started.

The increase in both the number and size of yachts has also meant more crew course bookings in general, with Warsash reporting increases of up to 50% in the numbers of students.

‘Upskilling from crew to officer rank, and from restricted to unrestricted officer qualifications continue to be factors that

drive increased yacht sector demand for maritime education and training,’ Mr Lippuner said. z Skill shortages are holding back growth in the British marine industry, companies warned last month. Technical and engineering expertise is in particularly short supply, according to a new report.

Figures published by British Marine at the Southampton Boat Show noted that recruitment across the UK marine sector is set to rise 2% this year — with the majority of workforce growth in boat manufacturing and the equipment supply chain.

The industry’s 4,500 businesses now employ 31,600 people — but 30% complain of critical skills gaps. Many companies are

now taking on apprentices — with superyacht manufacturer Princess Yachts having a total of 91.

British Marine chief executive Howard Pridding commented: ‘The marine industry is dynamic and growing. We offer variety, good pay and opportunities to work at some world-leading companies. Businesses want to take on more staff but a lack of relevant skills is a barrier — and while many of our members are taking on the challenge themselves, more can be done by government to back the industry.

‘We welcome the renewed emphasis on an industrial strategy, but it is crucial that the marine sector forms a central part of any plan and is given the support it needs.’

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

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

hurt after board fall

serious head injuries while using F a powered surfboard off the coast of A superyacht passenger suffered

Italy last year. The passenger suffered a compound fracture to the skull, a hairline fracture to a neck vertebra and a deep laceration when she was struck on the head by the powered surfboard after falling from it while the yacht was anchored off Ischia.

An investigation into the accident, which involved a passenger from the Maltese-registered vessel Namaste 8, has recommended improvements in the design of the boards, as well as reducing their maximum speed limit to reflect the potential lack of skills and experience of users. A flag state investigation concluded that the passenger had probably kept her grip on the board’s control handle after falling into the water. It urged the manufacturers to issue a safety alert highlighting the importance of releasing the control handle after falling from the board, and to consider a failsafe design to ensure the engine shuts down without relying on the rider’s release of the control.

Investigators also noted that the passenger was not wearing a safety helmet even though the manual described their use as mandatory.

The report calls for the manufacturer to ensure that its website only shows users wearing full safety gear.

Bluewater in US move F

The superyacht recruitment and training firm Bluewater has established a 24/7 service following a tie-up with the US-based operations International Crew Training (ICT) and Crew Unlimited.

The two Fort Lauderdale-based companies will retain their staff and facilities, but will now bear the Bluewater brand, delivering a worldwide service and maintaining a database of more than 100,000 crew.

Bluewater says the new arrangements will boost its One Account service, which offers yacht owners and captains an annual subscription to its live recruitment database, with fees returned in the form of training credits to be used at its training centres or onboard.

Formed in 1983, Crew Unlimited was one of the world’s first yacht crew placement agencies, and expanded its services to charters in 2005. ICT has been running for over a decade and moved into state-of-the-art new facilities last year, with bridge, radar and GMDSS simulators and an indoor training pool.

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 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

08_yachts.indd 8

UK firms reveal explorer yacht concept F

Pictured above is Time — a 66m explorer yacht concept developed by the UK firms Henry Ward Design and BMT Nigel Gee. Unveiling the blueprint last month, the two firms said the design ‘expands upon current innovation and takes a fresh look at the boundaries that can be challenged as our technology and expectations

expand’. BMT Nigel Gee has carried out an initial feasibility study for the naval architecture of this vessel, which would be powered by a twin azimuthing drive system with a total power of 3000kW. Time would have a cruising speed of 15 knots, with a range of more than 5,000nm at a passage speed of 12 knots.

The yacht carries a detachable 18m floating lodge, docked within the aft end of the vessel, which can be launched as an independent base for mini-expeditions in harder to reach places.

Time will also have an autonomous drone housed in a hangar in the bow, capable of transporting four guests.

21/09/2016 13:49

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 09

NEWS

First female RFA cadet of the year winner No extension for pictured left as she became the A first female winner of the Royal Fleet Third officer Caroline Waldie is

Auxiliary’s cadet of the year award.

Mrs Jane Walworth presented her with the Richard Jones Quaich, which is awarded annually to the final phase cadet judge to have performed to the highest standard throughout their cadetship and whose overall attainment is judged as outstanding.

Speaking at the second RFA annual awards ceremony, held at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth last month, Caroline said: ‘I am truly delighted to receive this award and I am looking forward to the future challenges and experiences life at sea with the RFA will provide.’

Other awards and medals

presented at the event included Operation Gritrock (Ebola crisis) Certificates to crew members from RFA Argus, the South Atlantic Medal, RFA long service and good conduct medals, and retirement vases.

The RFA Chef and Steward of the year went to CPO(chef) Lee Brooker and CPO(steward) Richard Cook, who served onboard Argus during Operation Gritrock. They each received a total of three awards for their work during the operation and Lee said they were a tribute to the hard work of the department.

Second officer Ian Mason was not only presented with an engraved retirement vase, but also a 40-year Clasp to add to his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Industry unites on SMarT-Plus Bid to increase training support in return for junior officer employment deal

P

Nautilus joined British shipowners and other industry representatives last month for talks on the proposed ‘SMarT-Plus’ scheme to boost seafarer employment and training.

The Union is working with the UK Chamber of Shipping and the Merchant Navy Training Board in an attempt to develop a ‘valueadded’ version of the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) funding scheme.

As part of the follow-up work on the Maritime Growth Study, the Department for Transport is conducting a review of the £15m-a-year scheme and both sides of the industry are seeking improvements that will increase cadet numbers and ensure that more newly-qualified officers get vital experience in OOW roles.

Chamber of Shipping CEO Guy

Platten said it is hoped that ministers will agree to a package that provides a higher level of SMarT funding in return for a guarantee of up to 12 months of employment post-qualification.

‘Employers have been saying that one of the barriers to taking on more cadets is the high cost of training,’ he added. ‘The UK has the second most expensive training costs and while SMarT covered about 50% at first, it is now worth just one-third of the total and has fallen in value in comparison with the EU and other countries’ schemes.’

Restoring the value of SMarT would make a big difference, Mr Platten said, and the scheme could also be adjusted to reward ‘positive behaviour’ by companies who provide jobs for their cadets once they have qualified as junior officers.

‘It would be wrong to ask for more money if we are not prepared to put something back,’ he stressed.

Encouraging owners who usually release their cadets at the end of training to retain them as officers would help to ensure sufficient numbers are coming through to provide crucial maritime expertise ashore, he added.

Early feedback from companies has been positive — and Mr Platten suggested the SMarT-Plus scheme could see the annual cadet intake rise from around 800 to as high as 1,200.

Discussions at the meeting looked at issues including the length of any employment commitment, the availability of training berths and the eligibility of various training schemes for the support.

The government’s review of

SMarT — the first since 2011 — is looking at factors such as the costs of training for officers and ratings and how to overcome any barriers. It is also examining alternative approaches for supporting seafarer training — including the measures taken in other countries — and the ‘value for money’ delivered by the current scheme.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘We are pleased to be working in partnership with the owners in developing the SMarT-Plus package and we hope that this united voice will persuade ministers of the good sense of our proposals.

‘The plans that we are developing are aimed at addressing the core obstacles in the way of a sustainable supply of young British officers and would deliver significant improvements in employment and training,’ he added.

STCW deadlines, Agency warns F

With the deadline for STCW ‘Manila amendment’ refresher training rapidly approaching, Nautilus is urging members not to run the risk of failing to revalidate their certificates by the end of the year.

All officers working at sea must undertake the required updating/ refresher training unless they have recently qualified and their applicable STCW training was completed within the last five years.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency told the Telegraph: ‘We do not believe that significant numbers of UK officers will miss the deadline because we have approved a lot of training providers to meet this requirement and it has been well publicised by the likes of Nautilus and the RMT.’ But the Agency stressed that there is no provision in the STCW convention to extend the deadline. Detailed information on the updating and training requirements are set out in the M-Notice MIN 520. z A Danish company has launched a training package to help seafarers get their STCW refresher training with a minimum of college-based work.

Viking Saatsea says its customisable certification management training (CMT) solutions will help seafarers and employers to keep certificates up to date while at

sea — cutting the number of days needed for land-based training from as many as nine to just one.

The CMT package, which has secured official approval from the Danish Maritime Authority, covers key elements of the STCW courses in personal survival techniques and fire prevention and fire-fighting training.

Viking Saatsea says the underlying software platform can be used for company specific in-house training and certification applications.

Global product manager Rasmus Schmidt said the CMT package would help to ease the looming crisis in compliance with the Manila amendment deadlines’ ‘Right now, the maritime industry is facing a huge land-based training bottleneck,’ he added. ‘This is the consequence of a number of shipowners and operators postponing STCW certification in the hope that legislation may leave a door open. But such delays have been to no avail.

‘The transition period ends on 31 December 2016, leaving just a few months to ensure crew comply with new regulatory requirements, or risk the consequences,’ he pointed out. ‘Moreover, the few remaining classroom seats on land are unlikely to be a good match for crew and vessel schedules.’

Coral Medusa is pictured above A during an intermediate survey at the

hub and propeller shaft, despite having gas vapours from the last cargo. The liners of the tail shaft were replaced and the ship was repainted. Damen has three sites which are certified to repair gas tankers which are not gas-free.

The Dutch-flagged LPG carrier

Damen Shiprepair yard in Harlingen.

The 3,836gt Anthony Veder vessel underwent the survey work, together with repairs to the rudder,

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09_news.indd 9

21/09/2016 12:08

10 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

NEWS

Ballast convention is agreed at last Operators call for ‘pragmatic approach’ to enforcement of discharge rules

New plaque marks P the contribution of old training centres Arboretum, just outside the A village of Alrewas, Staffordshire, is The National Memorial

about as far away from the sea as anywhere in the UK — but it was here, on a very wet Merchant Navy Day, 3 September, that a service was held to dedicate a replacement memorial, pictured above, to five old training ships and nautical colleges: HMS Conway, SATS General Botha, TS Mercury, Nautical College Pangbourne, and HMS Worcester.

Speaking on behalf of all the establishments, Captain David Parsons, chairman of the Mercury Old Boys Association, said: ‘Each prepared young men for careers at sea in the Royal or Merchant Navies, giving them not only a grounding in seamanship and navigation, but also a sense of duty and commitment to their country, their ship and above all their shipmates.

‘Sadly, many sacrificed their lives in the wars of the 20th century,

most at sea, but also in the Army and Royal Air Force. This fitting tribute unites not only them, but the training ships and colleges in which they, and we, spent some very formative years.

‘Sadly, now, only Pangbourne remains in existence, with the others all closing between the late 1960s and early 1980s,’ he added.

‘With that one exception, the other associations are seeing falling membership, due to the age profile.

This has provided a wonderful opportunity to learn how much we have in common and bring us all closer together.’

The memorial, along with others with a maritime background, lies on the edge of the Merchant Navy Convoy — a grove of 2,535 oaks, planted in 1995, to represent every British merchant vessel lost in WW2.

It is the largest single site in the Arboretum and made possible from donations raised by the Merchant Navy Welfare Board.

How STCW courses can help a charity F

A Glasgow-based training provider has pledged to donate £1 from every STCW course booking to the maritime welfare charity Sailors’ Society.

Stream Marine Training books around 700 individuals onto its STCW-approved courses each month at its fire-fighting training facility at Glasgow International Airport, its sea survival pool at Clydebank and its survival craft training facility at James Watt Dock — so the donations are expected to exceed £5,000 after a year.

Chief executive Martin White commented: ‘It was a very natural decision to give something back and there was a feeling of pride for the Stream Marine Training team to support Sailors’ Society. With many of our own team being ex-seafarers, we appreciate the work the charity

undertakes worldwide to improve the lives of the people at the heart of our industry.’

The Sailors’ Society’s corporate partnerships manager Claire Heath said that the charity was delighted to be working with Stream Marine Training in this way. ‘We are always looking for new and innovative ways of partnering with companies to support our work,’ she added, ‘and this is the first initiative of its kind for us.’ z The Sailors’ Society has just funded two new boats which will carry children in remote seafaring communities in the Philippines to a school in Sulangan.

The charity’s deputy CEO, Sandra Welch, said the boats — which can carry up to 30 children — will save them from long dangerous journeys to school and sometimes even having to swim to their lessons.

www.irishseafarerstax.ie

10-11_news.indd 10

The long-awaited international convention for the control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments (BWM) will come into force in September next year after Finland’s ratification last month meant that the 2004 treaty had finally passed the target of being supported by at least 30 flag states with over 35% of world tonnage on their books.

But owners are continuing to raise concerns over the potential difficulties in complying with the regulations — complaining of ongoing uncertainties over the standards of the equipment being fitted to eliminate invasive species in ballast water and the way in which the rules will be applied around the world.

International Maritime Organisation secretary-general Kitack Lim described the development as‘a truly significant milestone for the health of our planet’ —pointing out that the spread of invasive species has been recognised as one of the greatest threats to the ecological and economic wellbeing of the planet.

But owners warned of the pressing need for the IMO to finalise type approval guidelines for treatment systems. International Chamber of Shipping chairman Esben Poulsson said: ‘We must ensure that shipowners can have absolute confidence that the expensive equipment they will soon have to install will be effective in treating ballast water conditions normally encountered

during worldwide operations and be regarded as fully compliant during port state control inspections.’

BIMCO deputy general secretary Lars Robert Pederson said he was ‘deeply concerned about the prospect of our members having to install treatment systems now which later may not be approved for use in US waters.

This is because the US has not yet approved treatment systems that comply to its own, more stringent, national standards.

‘Shipping will have to invest significantly in the installation of ballast water treatment systems by next September — only to find the investment is wasted if their system does not meet US standards,’ he added.

Mr Pederson said BIMCO also fears that systems approved to the present IMO standards are not robust enough to ensure that systems onboard real ships perform to the regulatory requirements to treat ballast water.

Owners are also calling for a ‘pragmatic approach’ to be taken by port state control inspectors when the new rules come in — especially in terms of the standards applied when sampling ballast water discharges, defining ‘viable organisms’ and the levels of salinity and suspended solids.

ICS technical director Jonathan Spremulli said there was a risk that seafarers could be criminalised and owners unfairly penalised if the rules are applied too rigorously.

MN Medal recipients named announcement of the first recipients of the F new Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service.

Nautilus has welcomed the UK government’s

This new state award — with a place in the order of wear — is being awarded to merchant seafarers or fishing vessel crew members who have show ‘exemplary service and devotion to duty’ and have ‘set an outstanding example to others’.

The first 13 medals have been awarded for a range of meritorious service, including: providing operational achievement through leadership, management and sensitivity in a migrant rescue in the Mediterranean in 2015; dedication to seafarer training and removing barriers for those entering the industry; and devotion to welfare work and fundraising support to maritime charities and young seafarers.

Shipping minister John Hayes said he was delighted to announce the first awards. ‘Merchant Navy seafarers and those serving in the fishing fleets

provide a tremendous service to our island nation and it is only right that they are recognised for the vital role they play, often in difficult and dangerous conditions,’ he added.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was pleased the Merchant Navy Medal, which was established in 2005 had now been made an official state award — reflecting the importance of shipping and seafarers to the country.

A formal presentation ceremony will be held in November and nominations for the 2017 awards are now open — more details at: www.merchantnavymedal.org.

The recipients of the 2016 medals are: z Captain Roger Barker, for services to the Merchant Navy z Andrew Dalrymple, for services to the welfare of seafarers z Captain Susan Harrison, for services to the shipping and ports industries

z Captain Nicholas John Jeffery, for services to the promotion of Merchant Navy careers

z Glyn Trevor Jones, for services to the Merchant Navy and the RNLI

z Robert Jones, for services to the Merchant Navy Welfare Board

z Captain Peter James McArthur, for services to the Merchant Navy

z Captain David Stuart McCallum, for services to the Merchant Navy

z Captain Nicholas McIntyre, for services in the rescue of refugees

z Mark Franklyn Morgan, for services to the Merchant Navy and the RNLI

z Captain Derek Peters, for services to the welfare of seafarers

z Captain Philip Rentell, for services to the Merchant Navy

z Captain Roger Towner, for services to seafarer certification and training

New milestone for TS Queen Mary restoration project life to the original Queen Mary A has passed a new milestone, with the

An ambitious project to give new

1933-built vessel entering a drydock in Greenock last month for work to restore the hull, pictured right.

TS Queen Mary is the last remaining Clyde-built turbine steamship and has been bought and returned to Glasgow by a group of enthusiasts who plan to turn the historic vessel into a five-star visitor attraction and cultural centre, moored at a permanent berth.

The hull has been stripped back to the original steel and repainted with specialist coatings provided by AkzoNobel and Jotun.

‘We are now doing all the

underwater paint works, and the white sides up to the upper deck,’ said former Carnival UK chief engineer Ronnie Keir, who is part of the project team.

‘She is going to look good. Her hull is in remarkably good condition for her 83 years — just a few touch-ups.Then the hard work starts —re-fitting the interiors. So lots more fund-raising is required,’ he added.

‘It’s been a long slog from securing the ship and getting her ready for the tow and the tow itself. But we are getting there.’ g The Friends of TS Queen Mary charity still needs to raise £1.75m to complete the project. To donate, visit: www.tsqueenmary.org.uk.

21/09/2016 12:08

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 11

NEWS

Royal tributes paid to Arctic Convoy crews

New 24/7 telemed service for shipping

meeting British and Russian F WW2 veterans as they gathered in

The Princess Royal is pictured

Arkhangelsk, Russia, 75 years to the day since Britain’s first Arctic convoy steamed into the northern port.

During her two-day visit, Princess Anne took part in a series of events to pay tribute to the thousands of seafarers who took part in the campaign, visited the Vologda cemetery, where more than 100 seafarers and soldiers from the UK were buried, and presented a British state award — the Arctic Star Medal — to Russia’s North Sea Museum.

The princess praised the role of merchant ships in delivering vital supplies and equipment to the Soviet

communications company has A launched a new telemedicine service A leading maritime

that is designed to provide seafarers with fast, effective and interactive first aid support from ashore.

Marlink’s XChange Telemed package has been developed to enable live video medical consultations onboard thanks to 24/7 real-time access to doctors at compatible public Telemedical Maritime Assistance Service (TMAS) centres or appointed private medical organisations.

Marlink says the XChange Telemed uses its global multi-band Sealink VSAT services and has been designed to meet new MLC requirements for onboard health and medical treatment and should help shipowners avoid costly medevacs or vessel diversions.

The package includes a reinforced, vibration-proof hard-case with CE-certified medical equipment, an intuitive touch-screen user interface and a HD camera. Medical equipment provided includes electro-cardiograph, blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter and one or several of the following options: Otoscope, dermascope, stethoscope, glucometer and thermometer.

Clear instructions and reference diagrams are enclosed to assist the remote user with data capture, viewing and sending.

The service also provides doctors onshore with full, secure web portal access to patient medical data, in line with the strictest European medical authority standards.

‘XChange Telemed is a complete, fully managed telemedicine service that significantly improves and facilitates remote medical consultation by providing an integrated hardware and communications platform to enable a direct, real-time link to professionals onshore,’ said Marlink maritime president Tore Morten Olsen.

Shipping security experts

— and Lagos in particular.

Dryad Maritime’s half-year report on global maritime crime notes an increase in the number of cases in which stowaways have attempted to hide onboard vessels primarily bound for Europe.

‘Incidents this year have highlighted that ship’s rudder trunking is a favoured place for stowaways to conceal themselves,’ it adds.

Top-level industry conference warned against ‘squandering’ investment in officer training

P

Providing good quality onboard communications to crew members is one of the most effective ways in which owners can safeguard the recruitment and retention of seafarers, an industry conference heard last month.

Speaking at the International Chamber of Shipping’s annual conference in London, Anglo Eastern (UK) managing director Douglas Lang said vital feedback on the factors which seafarers rate as important to their working lives had been gathered during research into the new ICS/BIMCO Manpower Report.

The study is the latest in a series which began in 1990 in an attempt to quantify global supply and demand for officers and ratings. Mr Lang said the new report is the most thorough ever undertaken — extend-

In one case, 12 stowaways were found onboard a bulk carrier bound for Spain. The Bahamas-flagged African Osprey had to return to Lagos mid-way on its voyage after the men were discovered in an unused cabin when they banged on the door after being affected by fumes from hazardous material stored in the room.

‘Mariners and shipowners should ensure that thorough onboard security checks are conducted prior to departure from ports throughout west Africa,’ the report adds.

Alert after drugs bust F

A maritime risk management firm has expressed concern after Australian customs seized 95kg of cocaine from the cruiseship Sea Princess in the port of Sydney.

Three Canadian passengers were arrested after drugs worth an estimated A$30m (€20m) were found in their suitcases.

Gerry Northwood, chief operating

10-11_news.indd 11

Picture: Reuters

Owners ‘must do more to improve retention’

Stowaway warning have warned over a series of F stowaway incidents in Nigerian ports

Union between 1941 and 1945. ‘It is so important that we continue to remember and honour that sacrifice made by you, our veterans,’ she said.

The Arctic convoys were described as ‘the worst journey in the world’

by British prime minister Winston Churchill. More than 3,000 seafarers were killed and 85 Merchant Navy and 16 Royal Navy ships were sunk during the four years in which they operated.

Some 1,400 merchant ships took part in the 78 convoys that ran to the Soviet Union between August 1941 and May 1945 carrying tanks, aircraft, fuel, ammunition, raw materials, and food.

officer with the security firm MAST, said the incident highlighted the need for ‘robust’ and cohesive security protocols for passenger shipping.

‘It is just as important that steps are taken to stop the narcotics making it onboard the vessel in the first place, as next time in might be just as easy to smuggled weapons or explosives onboard,’ he warned.

ing to research on the reasons why seafarers go to sea and leave the sea — and is much more accurate than previous versions.

We say that seafarers are our greatest asset, but we should know how many we have, where they are and what we are doing with them,’ he pointed out. ‘One of the biggest challenges was getting information from the big seafarer supply countries.’

This year’s report estimates the global supply of seafarers as 774,000 officers and 873,500 ratings, he added. Demand for officers outstrips supply by around 16,500 — and Mr Lang described this as a manageable shortage. ‘It is a small imbalance and we have managed much larger imbalances before without any major impact,’ he suggested.

However, Mr Lang told the meeting,

the most important part of the study concerns future projections — and if these are correct the industry will face a serious shortage of officers within a decade. On current trends, the gap between supply and demand will rise to 92,000 by 2020 and as much as 147,500 by 2025.

‘On the basis that it takes 10 years to get a senior management level officer, now is the time to start acting,’ Mr Lang warned. ‘We have the time to take action.’

Increasing regulatory requirements mean that the number of officers needed by the industry is growing, Mr Lang said.

They are ‘chasing promotion’ much earlier than they used to, he added, and the way in which they are trained needs to be reassessed in the light of technological advances.

‘Training has never been more important,’ he stressed. ‘The equipment on ships is more complex than ever before and multi-skilling is as never before. What we are asking of the seafarer has never been greater than it is at present.

‘Retention is vital,’ he added. ‘The amount of money that goes into seafarers today is enormous, but far too often we squander that investment by not doing enough to retain them.’

Mr Lang said feedback from seafarers surveyed as part of the research into wastage and retention had shown the need to improve onboard connectivity and close the gap between sea and shore. ‘The new generation of seafarers are very tech-savvy,’ he added, ‘and the industry has yet to catch up with their expectations.’

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21/09/2016 12:09

12 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

HEALTH & SAFETY

Seaman died in fall Nautilus concern at fatal rivercruise crash from pilot ladder F into the sea while trying to set up F a pilot ladder in force 8 to 9 winds off

A seafarer died after being swept

the Dutch coast last year.

An investigation into the incident — which involved the 38,364gt containership Chopin — concluded that the vessel’s pilot boarding arrangements were not in compliance with SOLAS Convention requirements.

The Cyprus flag state investigation report also states that the AB failed to adequately assess the risks of the work and made an ‘inappropriate decision’ to not adjust the length of his lifeline.

The seafarer was standing on the lower platform of the starboard side combination ladder, trying to pull the pilot ladder closer to the gangway, when he was washed into the sea off Flushing Roads by a wave. He

was recovered by colleagues after 10 minutes, but was found to have died as a result of thoracic injuries as a result of being repeatedly banged against the ship’s side shell by the waves.

The report notes that the seaman had failed to adjust the length of his lifeline and to wear a helmet.

The rigging of the pilot transfer arrangements was also not being supervised by an officer, as required

by SOLAS. The German managers of the vessel were urged to provide fittings to ensure the proper attachment of the pilot ladder to the ship’s hull in combination mode and to make a series of improvements to its safety management system — including close supervision of pilot ladder rigging by an officer.

Call for standard tug connection routines investigation report has A expressed concern over the lack of A Swedish marine accident

national and standardised procedures for connecting ships and tugs.

The report concluded that a lack of planning and poor communications were key factors in a collision between the 357gt tug Bonden and the 29,874gt car carrier Asian Breeze in the port of Malmo in March last year.

Investigators found that the collision occurred after the tug had to make an emergency release of the towline as the Singapore-flagged car carrier was approaching the harbour entrance. The ship’s pilot had not been informed beforehand that the vessel’s bow thruster was out of order — leaving him with insufficient time

to properly prepare for the arrival into port.

The report also notes that the pilot was communicating with the two tug masters in Swedish, which was not spoken by the car carrier’s crew.

Although the pilot was translating for the ship’s bridge team, they had problems in following the sequence of events.

The report recommends the introduction of standardised national procedures for communications between pilots and tug crews, standard national routines for connection procedures between ships and tugs, and the use of English — or a common language understood by all parties — for all national pilotage operations.

Mis-declared cargoes alert responsible for 27% of cargoF related incidents onboard ships, the Mis-declared cargoes are

UK P&I Club has warned.

Accurate information is vital, UK Club risk assessor David Nichol said, yet mis-declaration or non-declaration of dangerous goods by shippers is second only to poor packaging as a cause of cargo incidents.

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12-13_h+s.indd 12

‘It is imperative for the safety of the ship and crew that all necessary steps are taken to handle and stow dangerous goods in such a way that reduces the risk of an emergency incident and that, in the event of fire, the crew have the information they need to respond quickly with the appropriate fire-fighting measures,’ he added.

Nautilus International has expressed concerns over safety following the deaths of two river cruiseship crew members in an accident on the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal last month.

The two Hungarian crewmen died when the retractable wheelhouse of the Swiss-flagged Viking Cruises vessel Viking Freya struck a railway bridge.

The company has launched an inquiry into the causes of the accident, which occurred in the hours of darkness.

Nautilus members and officials said this was latest in a ‘catalogue of accidents’ on inland waterways — highlighting the need for a strong safety culture in the sector, high standards of training, measures to curb fatigue, and modern navigational aids. Picture: Reuters

US study reveals shortfalls in VTS Vessel traffic services officers found to lack key knowledge and experience

P

Nautilus has welcomed the results of a US safety study which calls for significant improvements in the country’s vessel traffic services.

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) highlights shortcomings in training and experience of US Coast Guard VTS staff, widespread variations in VTS practices, and a failure to measure the effectiveness of the system.

The NTSB noted that an average of 18% of collisions, allisions and groundings between 2010 and 2014 occurred inside the 12 USCG VTS areas. ‘The most common causal factor assigned to these accidents by the Coast Guard was inattention errors by the mariners involved, which suggests that an opportunity exists for the VTS system to further reduce the risk of these types of accident by taking a more proactive role in traffic management,’ the study says.

Investigations showed the Coast Guard had not developed a standard method to measure the safety performance of the VTS system and

that the centres did not collect and use data on traffic, incidents and near-misses in a consistent way.

Many of the VTS watch supervisors and operators were reluctant to use their authority to direct ships, the study noted, and this was often the result of widespread misunderstandings about the extent of VTS authority and ‘ongoing staffing and experience deficits’ in the workforce.

On-the-job training was found to be inconsistent, and because not all watch supervisors are required to achieve a VTS operator qualification, the USCG could not guarantee their proficiency in skills such as detecting and recognising traffic conflicts and other unsafe situations. Some of the VTS watchstanders were found to lack confidence in applying the navigation rules when unsafe situations are detected because of a lack of knowledge of the regulations.

The research also found that cooperation between pilots and the VTS operators ‘is often adversely affected by a negative perception of

VTS expertise because most VTS watchstanders are not licensed mariners with work experience on commercial vessels’.

The study says the USCG has not been enforcing the use of standardised VTS phrases and message markers ‘which can lead to miscommunication with mariners during safetycritical situations’.

The report contains 21 recommendations to improve VTS performance and safety. ‘Variance within a single safety system is itself a potential hazard and mariners travelling from one VTS to another must be able to rely on consistent Coast Guard services,’ said NTSB chairman Christopher Hart. ‘The recommendations contained in our safety study, if acted upon, will improve the effectiveness of the VTS system throughout America’s waterways.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This is extremely interesting and relevant research. A similar study in the UK would be very useful, given that it is a matter of choice as to which type of VTS is adopted by a port.’

‘Milestone’ for LNG bunkering Insurers alarmed at F

A Dutch-flagged ship has taken part in the world’s first shipto-ship LNG bunkering operation between two independent oceangoing vessels, pictured right.

The 15,600 cu m Anthony Veder LNG tanker Coral Energy bunkered the 15,000dwt Danish-flagged oil/ chemical tanker Ternsund in an operation carried out at the entrance to the Swedish port of Gothenburg last month.

Jean-François Segretain, technical director with the classification society Bureau Veritas said: ‘The ship-to-ship bunkering between Ternsund and Coral Energy represents a significant milestone in the adoption of LNG as marine fuel.’

BV, which classed both ships, said the operation ‘opens the way for shipto-ship bunkering around the world’.

rise in STS accidents

for owners and operators to F improve safety procedures following Marine insurers have called

a sharp rise in the number of accidents involving ship-to-ship (STS) operations.

The Shipowners P&I Club said it dealt with 83 collision cases involving STS operations last year and has had to handle a total of 81 collision claims so far this year. It also expressed concern at claims arising from poor cargo practices onboard tankers during STS operations.

The club warned that an increase in the number of ships being laid-up is reducing the available sea room for STS operations, with approaches to ports and anchorages becoming increasingly congested.

In a safety bulletin last month, it called for careful planning of STS operations and urged seafarers to ‘exercise due caution while manoeuvring to berth alongside the mother vessel’.

It stressed the need for thorough consideration of factors such as traffic density, availability of good holding ground, weather conditions and local port regulations when selecting a safe STS transfer area.

The club said owners should review their procedures and ensure suitable training is given to the crew involved in STS work, with emphasis to be laid on establishing proper communication channels at all levels of operation and ensuring that all equipment being used is available and compatible.

21/09/2016 15:07

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 13

HEALTH & SAFETY

MAIB warns on lone working Officer died during ‘hazardous repair’ to fuel pipe onboard UK-flag dredger

P

Hanson Aggregates has been urged to review its safety management system after an engineer officer died while trying to fix a failed fuel pipe on one of its dredgers last year.

And a UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report on the fatal accident raised ‘significant concern’ over official guidance on standards for overalls for work in fire-risk areas — warning that the relevant M-Notice ‘might have led to an unfounded confidence that a cotton garment would provide a recognised level of fire protection’.

Third engineer Anthony Jones died after suffering severe burns in the engineroom fire onboard the UK-flagged suction dredger Arco Avon in August 2015.

The 3,474gt vessel lost all power as a result of the fire and it was forced to remain at anchor for nine days, 12 miles off Great Yarmouth, with its dredging equipment partially deployed until it could be towed to a repair yard.

Investigations revealed that the fire started when Mr Jones — who was alone in the engineroom — used a portable angle grinder while attempting to remove a securing bracket to make temporary repairs to a leaking low pressure fuel return pipe on the main engine fuel system.

Sparks from the grinder ignited atomised fuel from the leak and the officer’s dieselsoaked clothing, causing a fire that took the crew 40 minutes to bring under control and which caused significant damage to the engineroom power cabling and control systems.

The report notes that Mr Jones had apparently decided to fix the fault on his own, despite a requirement for risk assessments and permits to work to be completed.

‘By acting alone, without any other members of the crew being aware of his intentions, the third engineer compromised both his

Arco Avon was forced to remain at anchor with its dredging equipment partially deployed Picture: MAIB

own and the rest of the crew’s safety,’ it adds.

‘It is not known why the third engineer attempted such a hazardous repair on his own and without informing the bridge watchkeeper or the chief engineer of either the problem or his intentions,’ the report says. ‘However, the onboard routines for lone working in the engineroom specifically allowed maintenance to be carried out during the watch.’

Investigators said the onboard culture of routine lone working, together with Mr Jones’s professional pride and confidence in his ability to complete the repair had probably driven him on to do the job.

The report also expresses concern that the hot work hazards of using angle grinders are not properly reflected in current industry guidance and it notes that the

Maritime & Coastguard Agency has taken action to revise and update the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers.

Inspections after the accident found that a combination of vibration and corrosion had resulted in the loosening of pipework brackets, with some failing completely. The defective pipework, below the engineroom floor plates, had gone undetected because it did not form part of the vessel’s planned maintenance system and because of the ‘discretionary nature’ of the classification society survey, the report points out.

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘If maintenance work is expected to be carried out by a ship’s staff, there should be at least two people in the engineroom, and this should be reflected in the safe

US Coast Guard cautions against over-reliance upon autopilots against over-reliance on A autopilot systems following a series Seafarers have been warned

of accidents in US waters — and evidence that some crew members are using the systems so that they can leave the bridge for extended periods.

A safety alert issued by the US Coast Guard highlights a number of accidents which had the potential to cause multiple fatalities and serious environmental damage — most notably offshore support vessels colliding with rigs or other vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.

12-13_h+s.indd 13

‘Autopilot systems can reduce the monotony of steering by freeing up the helmsman to step away from the helm in order to perform other minor pilot house tasks and gain different navigational viewpoints,’ the bulletin notes. But over-use can cause watchkeepers to become engrossed in other tasks, leading to inattentiveness and distraction, it warns.

‘It should come as no surprise that when an inattentive operator meets with extreme circumstances, he or she usually has no time to take corrective actions,’ it adds. ‘Also, in some past

incidents, when there was time to take corrective action, the operator’s lack of system knowledge hindered the need to rapidly change over from autopilot to manual steerage mode.’

The Coast Guard calls for caution over autopilot use in areas of high traffic density, conditions of restricted visibility, or any other hazardous navigational situations.

It says owners should conduct periodic training to ensure that crews are properly versed in the operations and limitations of the autopilot system.

manning certificate issued by the flag state.’

MAIB chief inspector Steve Clinch added: ‘The sad death of an experienced officer serving on a UK-registered ship serves as a salient reminder of the risks that crews can be exposed to when policies and procedures designed to mitigate such risks are not followed, and recognised safe systems of work are allowed to lapse.

‘Robust risk assessments and safe systems of work are important barriers that prevent marine accidents,’ he added. ‘Everyone, from the individual seafarer to the senior company executive ashore, needs to develop shared company safety cultures that make the use of risk assessments and safe systems of work an unquestioned part of life when working on board UK registered vessels.’

Systems failed during blaze on giant boxship has been blamed for a fire F onboard what was the world’s biggest An undeclared hazardous cargo

containership off the coast of Spain a year ago.

Investigators also ruled that poor build quality had contributed to the failure of the crucial fire-fighting systems as crew battled to extinguish the blaze onboard the 18,800TEU Barzan only five months after the ship came into service.

The 195,636gt United Arab Shipping Company vessel was around 60nm off Cabo Finisterre, bound for Felixstowe, when the fire began in one of the 10 cargo holds.

Crew members managed to bring the blaze under control despite the failure of the CO2 system and the starboard side drenching system. The vessel was diverted to Rotterdam, when the port’s fire brigade finally extinguished the blaze a week after it started, Maltese flag state accident investigators were unable to determine the actual cause of the fire, but said that damage to the ship’s structure in the area where it began showed that ‘there must have been some explosive force’ consistent with undeclared dangerous cargo being incorrectly stowed and becoming heated.

‘The only explanation of not declaring the container as IMDG cargo would have been to avoid paying the freight costs associated

with its carriage and its additional paperwork,’ the report states. ‘Such a practice is dangerous and can put the life of the crew, the vessel and the environment at risk.’

Investigations revealed that the CO2 system had failed to function properly because of leaks — one of which, in the CO2 room, could have been fatal had crew members not managed to escape.

The starboard fire main line also leaked during the fire-fighting and had to be isolated — meaning that the ship lost about half its capability to fight the blaze in the cargo hold.

Subsequent checks found that the coupling on the starboard fire main was incorrectly and/or poorly fitted and the report says that problems identified in the CO2 system had cast doubts about the quality of the workmanship when it was installed at the shipyard.

Investigators noted that the yard — Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, of South Korea — had since met the DNV-GL classification society to identify issues in workmanship and testing procedures and steps had been taken to ensure that similar defects were eliminated from other vessels.

The report commends the crew’s fire-fighting efforts in the face of the failure of equipment and says the successful work to contain and prevent the fire spreading was the result of a recent drill in which they had simulated a cargo hold blaze.

One-size fire-fighting suits may not fit all...

F

Nautilus has warned against a ‘one size fits all’ approach to the provision of fire-fighting suits on merchant ships.

‘Members are reminded that firefighting suits should be comfortable and of good fit for men and women of different sizes, so as not to endanger the person wearing them and to aid a successful outcome of an incident,’ said senior national secretary Allan Graveson.

‘It is important that the outfits and footwear are suitable for the designated person/s on the muster list,’ he added. ‘If they are considered inadequate, the company should be

informed using the recommended procedures.’

Mr Graveson said members can also raise concerns at safety committee meetings and ensure that these are recorded in the minutes.

It may also be necessary to raise a non-conformity in accordance with the company’s policy for implementation of the ISM Code, he added.

‘If the equipment is not suitable for enclosed space rescue, the company should similarly be informed,’ Mr Graveson stressed. ‘And if concerns persist, members should contact the Union or the Confidential Human Incident Reporting Programme.’

STCW Training Courses Proficiency in Fire Prevention and Firefighting £450.00 Proficiency in Advanced Fire Firefighting £550.00 Updated Proficiency in Fire Prevention and Firefighting £195.00 Updated Proficiency in Advanced Firefighting (Route 1 & 2) £175.00 Tanker Firefighting Training £140.00 To discuss training dates for individual or group bookings contact:

T: 0151 296 5000/5043 W: www.merseyfiretraining.co.uk E: suzannewaite@merseyfire.gov.uk Course prices are subject to VAT

21/09/2016 12:09

14 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

INTERNATIONAL

shortreports

New MSC Cruises ‘megaship’ floated out

CREW REVOLT: Ukrainian special forces were deployed to the Turkish-flagged cargoship Mehmet Unlu after the vessel sent a distress call, reporting that the master and three other seafarers had been wounded by two crew members who had cut off the power and taken five of their colleagues hostage. A team from Ukraine’s SBU special operations unit was sent to the ship, 11nm off Odessa, and released the crew and arrested the two ‘mutineers’. Five injured seafarers were taken to hospital for treatment.

FRENCH INCREASE: the 12 maritime schools in France have reported an increase in new students this year. September’s intake totalled 1,916 young people — up from 1,859 last year. Seafaring unions have expressed concern that only 10% of the new recruits are women — a figure which has remained static for years — and owners are in discussions about ways in which more female trainees can be taken on by the industry.

EXPEDITION ORDERS: Hamburg-based Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has ordered two 16,100gt expedition cruiseships, each with a capacity for 240 passengers and 170 crew. Scheduled for launch in April and October 2019, the vessels will operate polar cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica and to warm water destinations such as the Amazon.

UKRAINE BAN: foreign seafarers serving on ships visiting ports in Crimea face a three-year ban from Ukraine, the country’s authorities have warned. Any seafarers found to have visited Crimea in the previous three years face a fine or up to 15 days imprisonment if they are caught trying to enter Ukraine.

SAMSKIP EXPANDS: Rotterdam-based Samskip has acquired Norway’s Euro Container Line to expand reefer activity and strengthen its presence in Scandinavia. The €2.5m deal is set to increase Samskip’s total annual Norwegian volumes from 55,000TEU to 90,000TEU. BUILDING CUTS: unions have warned that South Korea’s ‘big three’ shipbuilders — HHI, SHI and DSME — have cut 3,000 jobs so far this year in response to a slump in new orders. It is feared that as many as 6,000 posts will go this year as part of restructuring measures.

ASIAN BOOST: Royal Caribbean International is boosting its capacity in SE Asia by 30% over the next year, with plans to deploy three cruiseships to operate a total of 55 cruises with 200,000 passengers over an eightmonth season.

ENGINEERS INJURED: two engineer officers were airlifted to hospital after an explosion in the engineroom of the Madeira-flagged product tanker Weichselstern off the German port of Hamburg last month.

COMPANY FINED: the South Korean operator Doorae Shipping has been fined US$275,000 and given three years’ probation for failing to maintain an accurate oil record book onboard its tanker B Pacific.

out at STX France’s Saint-Nazaire A shipyard is the first in a series of new Pictured left after being floated

‘megaships’ being built for the Swissbased operator MSC Cruises.

Due to enter into service in June next year, the 167,000gt MSC Meraviglia will be followed by MSC Bellissima, which is scheduled for delivery in spring 2019.

Both vessels will be able to carry up to 4,500 passengers and are being built as part of a US$10bn plan to expand the MSC Cruises fleet by 10 ships over the next decade.

Picture: Eric Houri

IMO authority ‘under threat’ Shipowners warn of growing risk of regional regulation

P

Shipowners have warned that the global regulatory regime for the industry is at increasing risk because of regional challenges to the authority of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Speaking at the annual International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) conference in London last month, the new ICS chairman Esben Poulsson said operators need to respond to the growing threat to the IMO’s role in setting worldwide rules for the industry.

‘Unless we are very careful, IMO could eventually be reduced to merely rubber-stamping decisions which in reality will have been taken elsewhere, whether in Europe, the United States or by the emerging powers in Asia,’ he warned.

Mr Poulsson said the pressure

on the IMO was, in part, the result of political developments such as environmental concerns and ‘zero-tolerance’ attitudes towards pollution.

‘We must be proactive in demonstrating that we are doing everything that we can to achieve a zero accident rate and pollutionfree environmental record,’ he argued. ‘We have to accept that society at large now expects far more from us, and even the smallest deficiencies will no longer be tolerated.’

Mr Poulsson said the IMO’s role was important in setting a level playing field for shipping.

Its decisions are usually made on the basis of ‘technical merits’, he added, but there is a danger that measures developed by the European Union and other regional power blocs will not reflect opera-

tional realities and that a failure to agree rules at the IMO ‘will be playing into the hands of those who advocate short-term solutions’.

One example of this was the current discussion at IMO about the establishment of a global CO2 data collection system, which the EU is seeking to align with its own regional regime for shipping.

Similarly, Mr Poulsson added, nations such as the United States are taking impractical and politicised positions on issues such as the implementation of the IMO Ballast Water Convention.

The ICS leader said owners must do more to improve the image of the industry. ‘Politicians act out of ignorance and simply don’t know about our industry,’ he said. ‘We have a job to do in teaching and information.’

Officer charged with manslaughter facing a manslaughter charge in F Brazil after two Filipino crew members A Russian chief engineer is

died in an enclosed space onboard a German-owned containership in the port of Fazendinha.

Prosecutors said Anton Shcherbak had been accused of causing the death of the two seamen onboard the Liberian-registered Adrian in June 2013 and could face up to six years in

prison if found guilty.

The two seafarers died in a pump room onboard the 16,799gt vessel after being overcome by hydrogen sulphide, losing consciousness and drowning in water which had accumulated in the space.

Brazil’s Federal Public Ministry said the deaths were not intentional but charges were filed after an investigation showed that the chief

engineer had been negligent and international safety requirements had not been followed, with no monitoring of the atmosphere in the space nor ventilation being provided.

The ministry says it plans to use international legal processes to bring the chief engineer to the federal court in Brazil and will also seek oral testimony from the ship’s Ukrainian master.

Unions in fight for tax rules making a joint legal challenge A to a ruling which threatens to end the

Two Indian seafaring unions are

long-standing income tax concessions for crew members working outside the country’s waters for more than 182 days a year.

The Maritime Union of India (MUI) and the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) are taking a High Court case against a judgment by the Kolkata income tax tribunal stating that Indian merchant seafarers had to pay taxes in India.

The two unions have also organised a petition against the loss of the income tax concessions, and say this has been signed by thousands of members.

MUI general secretary Amar Thakur said the unions had hired eminent lawyers and tax consultants to strongly oppose the tribunal’s verdict in the interest of the Indian maritime industry.

NUSI general secretary Abdulgani Serang said the tribunal’s ruling was a ‘direct attack on all Indian seafarers working under very difficult conditions on the high seas, away from their families’.

Other major maritime nations provide special income tax rules for their seafarers, he pointed out.

‘Tax-free income has always been an added attraction for the young Indian aspirants choosing a career at sea. The tribunal’s decision is a major disappointment for them,’ he added.

Engineers facing jail F

Amelie, which is to become the A first containership to convert to LNG,

Pictured left is the 1,036TEU Wes

in a project sponsored by the German ministry of transport.

The six-year-old Antigua & Barbuda-flagged vessel is owned by the German shipping firm Wessels Reederi and presently has a MAN 8L48/60B engine which will be converted by MAN to a 51/60DF dual-fuel engine. A 500 cu m LNG tank will be located in the fore part of the 10,350gt vessel to limit the loss of cargo capacity.

The conversion work, which will be carried out next year, is being overseen by Bureau Veritas.

14-15_int.indd 14

Two Filipino engineer officers are facing up to 20 years in prison in the United States after being found guilty of dumping oily waste at sea.

Engineer officers Rustico Ignacio and Cassius Samson were convicted by a federal jury of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, obstruction of justice, false statements, witness tampering and conspiracy. The court heard that their vessel, the Panama-flagged general cargoship Ocean Hope, had discharged around 10 tons of oily waste into the Pacific last year.

In a separate case, two Greek seafarers from the Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier Gallia Graeca were sentenced to 10 days in prison after being found guilty of pumping oily sludge and bilge water from their vessel last year.

21/09/2016 15:08

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 15

INTERNATIONAL

Stranded crew go home Ukrainian and Chinese crew A members who were stranded on a The last of 117 Burmese,

cruiseship abandoned in Hong Kong since October last year returned home last month after unions helped to recover unpaid wages when the vessel was finally sold.

The Palau-flagged New Imperial Star had been operating as a floating casino in Hong Kong since 2013, and its crew alerted local unions and the International Transport Workers’ Federation to unpaid wages, poor living conditions and shortages in fuel and provisions a year ago.

The 36-year-old ship was detained after failing post state control inspections, and union officials made repeated representations to persuade the Hong Kong-based managers to respond to recurring complaints of owed wages.

In February most of the Chinese casino workers and some of the Ukrainian officers were repatriated with full wages, leaving 46 seafarers on the ship. In April, they began legal action to recover their pay, with help from local unions and the ITF.

A Hong Kong maritime union official talks to crew members onboard the abandoned cruiseship New Imperial Star

The vessel was arrested and sold in August for US$1.4m and union officials said that once court costs, port fees and other charges were met there was sufficient money remaining to settle the claims of the crew.

During their ordeal onboard the vessel, the crew members were provided with food and essential supplies by the three Hong Kong maritime unions and local welfare agencies.

‘This is a really a good example showing how ITF inspectors and local unions assist the foreign seafarers in their port,’ said Jason Lam Wai Hong, of the Hong Kong Merchant Navy Officers’ Guild.

Union wants to make it harder for owners to use foreign masters and officers

P

workers can be a positive measure to supplement the workforce. But the union says it has 15% of its seagoing membership now sitting at home waiting for work.

‘That’s around three times the national unemployment rate,’ said Guild president Captain Russell Petrie. ‘There is absolutely no shortage of qualified masters and officers in New Zealand at the moment, and there’s no way that Immigration NZ should be issuing any work visas for these jobs while there are suitably qualified unemployed New Zealanders.’

The government is reviewing the occupations included on the skills shortage list and the Guild has asked for masters and officers to be urgently removed from it. But the NZ Shipping Federation has recently made a submission in favour of retaining the occupations on the list. The union is currently formulating further

submissions in response to those arguments, but also calling for the review process to be more responsive to labour market changes so that removal of occupations is not such a drawn-out process.

The Guild argues that the ease with which owners can bring in foreign masters and officers makes it hard for NZ seafarers to develop their careers and secure promotions. It also removes the incentive for operators to train NZ seafarers, Capt Petrie added.

The union is encouraging out– of–work members to register as unemployed so that ship’s officers and masters can be included in official data for labour market testing by Immigration NZ. However, it warns that many members report difficulties with Work & Income NZ offices trying to turn them away because there is ‘no category’ for them or because they are not trying to claim a

benefit, but just want to be included in the official statistics.

A final decision on the list is expected to be made by the immigration minister before the end of this year. Meanwhile, the Guild says it is exploring ways in which it can work together with its Australian counterpart to tackle the issues. z New Zealand seafarers have been allowed to ‘ring-fence’ some 30 different types of old or ‘legacy’ domestic certificates under a new certification system effective from 30 September this year.

Maritime New Zealand said the rules would enable some seafarers to continue working in certain trades without increasing their operating limits. However, it warns that any seafarer wanting to ring-fence their ticket in line with the SeaCert framework must register with the authority by 1 September 2017.

Australian unions in visa victory A

The International Transport Workers’ Federation has welcomed a unanimous Australian High Court ruling upholding maritime union complaints against the government’s decision to exempt crews on offshore oil and gas vessels from the country’s visa requirements.

The exemption — which had been given by the government in December 2015 — was overturned by the High Court following a case lodged by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Australian

14-15_int.indd 15

WRECK REMOVED: an operation to recover the wreck of the Dutch vessel Flinterstar from Belgian waters has been completed a month ahead of schedule. The 6,577gt general cargoship partially sank on a sandbank close to the approaches to Antwerp and Vlissingen following a collision with the LNG tanker Al-Oraiq in October 2015. The salvage work was led by Scaldis, a Belgian maritime consortium, but responsibility for the costs of the operation will not be decided until accident investigations are completed.

GROUNDING CLAIM: the Australian government is claiming A$120m (€80m) damages from a Chinese shipowner following an incident in which the bulk carrier Shen Neng 1 ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef in 2010. The vessel’s owners and the P&I Club claim the clean-up costs were ‘unrealistic’ and want damages to be pegged at A$23m. But the Australian government argues that the bulker severely damaged or destroyed an 115,000 sq m area of the reef.

NZ urged to end ‘shortage’ rules New Zealand’s government is being urged to restrict the ability of the country’s shipowners to bring in foreign masters and officers to serve in the national merchant fleet.

The NZ Merchant Service Guild is calling for shipmasters and officers to be removed from the immigration department’s long-term skills shortage list in response to a ‘dramatic rise in unemployment’ among NZ seafarers over the past year.

The Guild warns that deregulation of the shipping industry over the last three decades has seen the NZ merchant fleet fall from 50 ships to just 13. However, during the past year five foreign masters, 32 engineer officers and 26 deck officers were given special skillbased work visas.

At times of genuine shortage, the Guild agrees that migrant

shortreports

Maritime Officers Union (AMOU). Unions had argued that the ministerial exemption was an abuse of process and the five High Court judges agreed, saying the minister had exceeded her authority.

ITF president and MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin commented: ‘Bringing in often exploited foreign workers is a dangerous attack on the rights and safe working conditions of seafarers, regardless of their nationality.

‘The ITF welcomes the decision which helps

rehabilitate Australia’s international reputation for adversarial and destructive attacks on the trade union movement. The offshore industry in any country’s territory must be the domain of the national workforce as it involves the development of that country’s sovereign and public wealth.’

ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith added: ‘This is a great victory for the protection of workers’ rights in the offshore industry all over the world.’

PONANT JOBS: the French luxury cruiseship operator Ponant is to increase its seafaring workforce from 800 to 1,300 following a decision to build four new 180-passenger ‘expedition’ vessels. The 10,000gt vessels will operate French flag and the company says around half of the new seafarers it plans to recruit will be French nationals.

LNG DRIVE: three companies —France’s Engie, and Mitsubishi and NYK Line of Japan — have launched a joint operation called Gas4Sea to promote the use of LNG as a marine fuel. Gas4Sea begins operations this month with a purpose-built 5,000 cu m LNG bunkering vessel to operate at Zeebrugge and other nearby ports.

EMISSION TARGET: Euro-MPs are backing plans to include shipping in the European Union’s emissions trading system (ETS) with effect from 2021. Operators would be required to buy ETS allowances or pay an equivalent into new climate funds to support carbonsaving retrofitting and innovative technologies.

INDIAN AID: India’s shipping ministry has announced plans to increase coastal shipping services with a package of aid to improve the country’s ports. The scheme aims to cut delays for ships through improved berthing facilities, more efficient cargo and passenger handling, and dredging of important channels.

SHORE POWER: four Baltic ports — Tallinn in Estonia, Stockholm in Sweden, and Helsinki and Turku in Finland — have signed an agreement to take a common approach to providing onshore power supplies to berthed ferries in a drive to reduce harmful emissions.

ROUTE RE-OPENS: a ‘motorway of the sea’ linking the French port of Montoir with Gijón in Spain is set to re-open at the end of the year, after the European Union granted a €1m subsidy for the ro-ro service.

BIG SWITCH: the world’s biggest ship, the 441,600dwt tanker TI Europe, is switching from the Belgian flag to the French RIF international register.

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21/09/2016 15:08

16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

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The way forward for UK seafarers’centres Good news from Northern Ireland Ireland Port Welfare A Committee held a breakfast at the Back in June the Northern

Belfast Harbour Office to highlight its work to companies and agencies working in the Port of Belfast. The event was also under the auspices of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and it was nice to see that it was well attended.

Also on that same day, the keys to a replacement car from the vehicle replacement programme for port chaplains was handed over to

Seamen’s Christian Friend Society Belfast by the deputy harbour master of Belfast and chairman of the Northern Ireland Port Welfare Committee, Captain Paul Hayes.

The picture shows Pastor Samuel Cowan, SCFS Port Chaplain in Belfast; Mervyn Jeffers, SCFS Council chairman; Peter Tomlin, MNWB deputy chief executive; Captain Paul Hayes; and Archie McAvoy, SCFS. SAM COWAN (Pastor) SCFS Belfast World Mission On Our Doorstep

Anthony Frederick Fryer: call for witnesses from Cunard in 1950s Mr Anthony Frederick Fryer, who F served with Cunard Line as an electrical We act on behalf of the family of

officer onboard Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth between 1952 and 1956.

Unfortunately, this gentleman passed away due to the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in December 2013. He was not diagnosed in his lifetime and accordingly was not able to give full and clear evidence of his exposure to asbestos.

It is our belief that Mr Fryer was exposed to asbestos whilst working in

particular in the enginerooms of the above vessels between the above times.

Unfortunately, due to the passage of time we are not able to trace any witnesses who can confirm the conditions on those vessels at the time and whether asbestos exposure would have occurred. We would be grateful if anyone who may have worked on the vessels could provide evidence to help support this claim. Contact me at 01904 152 7464 or email hsb@corries.co.uk.

HOWARD BENNETT Corries Solicitors, York YO1 9XF

Have your say online Last month we asked: Do you think officer trainees could do more training on simulators as a way of dealing with the problem of insufficient berths for dets? cadets?

No 45% Yes 55%

This month’s poll asks: Do you think an aviationstyle system of ship traffic control is inevitable?

Give us your views online, at nautilusint.org

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 16

P

The excellent article in the September Telegraph — ‘A mission to help mariners relax’ — clearly articulates ‘the way forward’ for seafarers’ centres in North America. In fact, the article highlights many parallels, along with the challenges facing those voluntary societies here in the UK and probably elsewhere with a long history of port welfare provision. These traditionally run and maintain seafarers’ centres, offering similar services to those offered by our American counterparts.

The Merchant Navy Welfare Board is the umbrella organisation for maritime charities that support merchant seafarers and their families in the UK and Gibraltar. At the request of some major national charities, including the Apostleship of the Sea, Mission to Seafarers and the Sailors’ Society, the Board is undertaking a review of all centres where they are operated in partnership.

The process began by carrying out a survey of the needs and aspirations of seafarers when they are in port. We received almost 1,000 responses that unequivocally demonstrate that seafarers not only welcome centres, but also greatly value the work of the port chaplains and volunteers who visit their ships. Both are seen as a pivotal and integral to every aspect of welfare support.

The provision of seafarers’ centres in the UK was started by philanthropists who saw a need to provide a safe haven for seafarers when on shore leave. That same ethos continues today.

In times gone by, most centres were self-financing, with income derived from donations, as well as bar and shop sale profits. The demise of the British seafarer has seen support from public donations and legacies diminish correspondingly. Restrictions on alcohol, smaller crew sizes, fast turnarounds and limited shore leave have all had a huge impact on seafarers’ centre usage and income.

Over the last two or three decades the emphasis has been placed on providing improved access to communications. Initially this was through low-cost phone cards, but more recently via SIM cards and free internet access. That said, UK seafarers’ centres have adapted well to the maritime communications challenge. Nonetheless, as the IT revolution in port-based welfare provision continues apace, crew access to internet aboard ships is increasingly common.

The internet is, however, by no means, available on every ship

Felixstowe seafarers’ centre in eastern England

and even when it is available, it is often quite limited, which can heighten the need for shore leave to contact family and friends.

Centres do, of course, have shops, refreshments, games, DVD and book libraries, warm clothing and, above all, a place in which to relax. Some are also acting as parcel drops from online outlets.

In some ports, close to city centres, where there are numerous safe places for seafarers to enjoy a break away from their ship, the need for traditional manned centres might be less apparent.

In other places, with few local amenities, a seafarers’ centre is usually the only place they have a chance to visit and leave behind the confines of their ship.

Being able to generate sufficient footfall and subsequently enough income to provide services is challenging, but crucial to ensuring sustainability and justify the centre. Pivotal to that process, particularly in large ports, or remote quays, is access to reliable transport provision. Equally important are the volunteer drivers who keep the

vehicles on the road, as well as volunteers working in centres, all of whom are a great source of support and ‘added value’ to the work of the societies. That said, unmanned centres, normally within port boundaries, where security can be monitored, are becoming an increasingly common and much valued provision.

On arrival in port, a ship is given a keypad access code which allows crew members unlimited use of the facility on 24/7 basis at times convenient to them and their families.

Local support is fundamental and MNWB has a long and almost unique tradition of managing port welfare committees, covering our entire coastline. These bring together all organisations that have a responsibility for the welfare of seafarers. Many ports, through the goodwill of the port authorities and ship agents, raise levies from the ships which are used to support the centre and/or chaplains in that port. The committees are key to verifying need and helping to support centres and ship visitors. In fact, seafar-

ers’ welfare boards and port welfare committees are covered in Regulation 4.4 of the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which has now been ratified by 77 countries including the UK (one notable exception, to date, is the USA).

The International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network has commissioned and funded MNWB to use its expertise to undertake a project to assist and mentor the establishment of more boards around the world.

In the first year of this we have successfully supported the establishment of 11 of these, the most recent being Savannah, Georgia — the first in the United States.

As the number of boards grow, so will the understanding of the need to support for seafarers’ welfare around the globe.

DAVID PARSONS Chief Executive Merchant Navy Welfare Board

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21/09/2016 15:53

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17

YOUR LETTERS THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD

www.thefreakywave.com

Merchant Navy Day should spur UK to invest in shipping out by myself, in Liverpool Parish A Church, for the Merchant Navy Day The following poem was read

service. It was written by Barrie Youde, an ex-Mersey Pilot, now a solicitor. MN Day went off very well in Liverpool. The weather was great and we had a good crowd attending at the Church and on the Pier Head.

CAPTAIN MJ FELTHAM Mariners’ Park, Walllasey

Black Salt exhibition: can you help?

Merseyside Maritime Museum F and currently we are working on the I’m one of the curators at the

Black Salt exhibition for September 2017.

The exhibition will tell the story of black seafarers who worked on British ships. Sailors of African descent have been part of crews sailing from the

United Kingdom for at least 500 years, but their contribution to the country’s maritime identity is often marginalised or overlooked. We want to tell their untold story.

I am hoping to make contact with black seafarers, active and retired, who would be interested in talking about their careers. And also if they have any

items we can loan for the exhibition?

I can be contacted by phone, 0151 478 4455, or email: Rebecca.Smith@ liverpoolmuseums.org.uk.

REBECCA SMITH Curator of Maritime Art National Museums Liverpool Merseyside Maritime Museum Albert Dock L3 4AQ

New publications to mark Pangbourne centenary P

As I am sure you are aware, Pangbourne College/The Nautical College, Pangbourne produced more than 1,100 officers for the British Merchant Navy over the years and we would like to draw the attention of the Nautilus membership to a number of recent things related to the College.

1. In March a handsome illustrated history of Pangbourne College 1917-2016 was published (Pangbourne College: Spirit in Changing Times) in connection with the College’s centenary.

It charts the evolution of the school from its Devitt & Moore roots in 19th century merchant shipping. Copies of the book may be purchased through the college shop at shop@pangbourne.com.

2. In June the Old Pangbournian Society published The Old Pangbournian Record. This is a compilation of 1,250 OP obituaries and death notices 1917-2016 and includes many accounts of lives in the MN. It may be read free of charge on the OP Society website www.oldpangbournian.co.uk where it is displayed in a separate section under the ‘About Us’ section.

3. Ian Dear, an OP, has just published the first-ever history of the Rescue Tug Service covering its activities in WW1 and WW2.

It is called The Tattie Lads and may be bought online through Amazon or from the publishers, Bloomsbury. Although nominally part of the Royal Navy, the RTS was almost entirely staffed by officers and ratings drawn from the MN.

4. On 3 September the memorial plaque commemorating the wartime contribution of the five leading MN officer training establishments — Conway, Worcester, Pangbourne, Mercury and General Botha (South Africa) — was re-dedicated at a service at the National Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire.

5. Throughout 2016-17 Pangbourne College will be holding a series of events to celebrate its centenary. Any OP or member of the Pangbourne community is welcome to attend. A full list of these events is available to read on www. pangbourne.com/centenary.

ROBIN KNIGHT Hon. Vice President The OP Society

7th Edition Whether you already have a Ballast Water system implementation plan or not, this full and comprehensive guide will provide the information on the regulations and equipment options available that you need to make the transition to full compliance.

Nor Cheshire Cheese nor porridge oats nor puddings black from Bury. visit to the Midlands at the end of A August: ‘This country has always been The prime minister said during a

one of the greatest trading nations.’

For centuries ships have carried goods to and fro our ports. Today, the sea remains our lifeblood, some 95% of UK trade being carried in ships.

Saturday 3 September was Merchant Navy Day and buildings were flying the Red Ensign to salute our merchant seafarers, and on the following day there was the annual national service at the Merchant Navy Memorial, Tower Hill.

Nelson stated that his first duty was the protection of trade and Churchill’s primary concern in the Second World War was the U-boat peril — essential supplies were lost as ships were sunk.

UK governments must never forget that our island nation is reliant on warships to protect our sea trade. The Fleet — the Royal Navy and support ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, manned by merchant seafarers — has

and the oil price, engineers have A been facing more unemployment in

With the downturn in the mining

BY CAPTAIN NADEEM ANWAR REVISED BY DR LINDA CHURCHER

£275

16-17_lets_SR edit.indd 17

How is it done? You might well ask.

How do we feed ourselves?

How do the supermarkets fill their cabinets and shelves, With coconuts and mangoes and the best New Zealand lamb?

We do not live on Bara Brith nor joints of Wiltshire ham,

Foreign shipping. Foreign flag, with hieroglyphs upon it.

No Merchant Navy of our own.

And nobody to run it.

We still are most dependant on our friends across the sea.

Without a fleet, no Brexit will protect our liberty.

For liberty does not exist for any island nation Which cannot feed its people without help and supplication.

Charter parties, rates of freight, most strictly written down, Mean nothing if there is not some allegiance to the Crown.

Allegiance? What is that you say?

What is it that you mean?

That other nations all should bow and scrape before the Queen?

Of course I don’t. Of course they won’t. That is the point I make.

We need to build a Merchant Fleet — and quickly. No mistake.

too few ships, with not one duty fewer than in 2006, 1986 or 1966. Our naval service, with only 25,000 sailors all told, cannot properly do its centuriesold job of protecting trade on the high seas and in home waters, let alone defend the realm and 14 overseas territories while contributing to NATO, to humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

One ship can only be in one place at one time. Some ships have worrying manning shortages, some are alongside too long in our naval bases.

Let’s man the fleet properly and order new frigates and new RFA support ships from British shipbuilders before the year is out.

Ensigns flying proudly overseas show Britain means business and warship visits are a useful ally to trade delegations.

Theresa May must be a Theresa Will — more ships on their way, more ships under way.

LESTER MAY (Lt Cdr RN, rtd)

Engineers hard hit by job crisis down under

BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT

Witherby Seamanship International 4 Dunlop Square, Livingston, Edinburgh, EH54 8SB, Scotland, UK

THE BREXIT FLEET, by Barrie Youde A Brexit is a Brexit and a shipping fleet’s a fleet.

We are an island nation and each one of us must eat.

We cannot feed ourselves, because our numbers are so many.

We carry not much freight today in ships. We have not any.

We can’t survive on whisky and a smile from Mary Berry.

We must rely on shipping, then, from every foreign nation, Or sixty-million bellies learn the meaning of starvation.

Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227 Fax No: +44(0)1506 468 999 Email: info@witherbys.com Web: www.witherbyseamanship.com

Australia — 800,000 people out of work and only 150,000 jobs.

Manufacturing has collapsed with free trade agreements. Three car companies will close in three years, with more loss of jobs. Marine engineers too — 130 looking for work, but this number could be double for those who do not register. There’s a lack of ships — less than 12 under the Australian flag, down from 97 some years ago.

The offshore jobs have also gone, with companies sending the vessels

overseas. There’s only building construction. But that could dry up.

Beware: people will not tell you the truth. There are plenty of liars, thieves, con artists and crooks around.

Salespersons, police, solicitors and doctors have work, but 1,500 dentists are out of work.

Need I say more? Come to Australia to get skin cancer — 160,000 new cases and approximately 1,400 die each year. Wildlife is rats, cockroaches, flies, spiders, snakes, cane toad and fire ants. In water it is sharks, crocodiles, blue bottles and stingrays.

RODNEY DUARTE mem no 206407

telegraph 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. Display adverts: Joe Elliott-Walker tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6217 joe.elliott-walker@redactive.co.uk Recruitment adverts: Paul Wade tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6212 tel: +44 (0)20 7880 6200 email: paul.wade@redactive.co.uk website: www.redactive.co.uk Although the Telegraph exercises care and caution before accepting advertisements, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before entering into any commitments such as investments (including pension plans). Publication of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation and Nautilus International cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods and services offered in advertisements. Organisations offering financial services or insurance are governed by regulatory authorities and problems with such services should be taken up with the appropriate body.

Incorporating the merchant navy journal and ships telegraph

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

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

21/09/2016 15:53

18 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2015

MERCHANT NAVY DAY

Raising the red duster The campaign to win formal UK government recognition of Merchant Navy Day has been gathering momentum in its second year...

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Nautilus offices in the UK proudly flew the red ensign last month in support of the 16th annual Merchant Navy Day on Saturday 3 September.

The Union backs a campaign by the charity Seafarers UK, the Merchant Navy Association and the Federation of Merchant Mariners to persuade the UK government to formally recognise the day and encourage some 400 local authorities across the country to fly the flag.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he hoped members would also help by urging their local councils to sign up to the scheme.

‘It is an excellent way to raise awareness of both the historic role of the Merchant Navy and the continuing importance of shipping for an island nation,’ he added.

Feedback from Seafarers UK indicates that the event went well this year, with over 350 councils

and other organisations making it onto the Merchant Navy Day Roll of Honour for flying the ‘red duster’. Merchant Navy Day has been marked in the UK and Commonwealth countries since 2000, but this is only the second year of the campaign for formal recognition.

Associated British Ports was a keen participant, ensuring the red ensign flew in each of its 21 ports.

ABP chief executive James Cooper paid tribute to British seafarers, saying: ‘Our job is to keep Britain trading. That would not be possible without the dedicated men and women who today keep alive the proud tradition of the Merchant Navy, ensuring Britain has access to global markets.’

Numerous other ports took part, as did many commercial and charitable organisations: prominent names on the roll of honour included the Four Seasons hotel at Ten Trinity Square in London, the Maritime Archaeology Trust, Royal Museums

London

Greenwich, and Historic Environment Scotland, which arranged for the red ensign to be flown at its heritage sites.

Merchant Navy Day is also a time to remember the service of MN war veterans and pay tribute to merchant seafarers who lost their lives in conflict.

Services were held at key sites of remembrance such as the Merchant Navy memorials in London, Dover, Plymouth and Liverpool (see letters, page 17).

This page aims to provide a snapshot of Merchant Navy Day events around the UK this year.

Nautilus will continue to support the red ensign campaign next year, and Union members are warmly invited to send in high-quality photos of the flag being flown in their area on 3 September 2017. g To see the Merchant Navy Day Roll of Honour and register an event, visit www.merchantnavyfund. org/merchant-navy-day.

Above: The red ensign welcomes a cruise ship to the UK in the ABP port of Southampton Picture: ABP Top: Red ensign on the Tump in St Briavel’s, Gloucestershire, sent in by Nautilus member Roger Stuart

Plymouth

Dover

Day was well supported F in Plymouth, where the red

Walker represented Nautilus at the Merchant Navy Day service of F remembrance in Dover. Organised by MN veteran Donald Hunter, the wreath-

ensign was flown proudly in many locations including the Mayflower Steps (right).

And at a memorial service at the Barbican, standards were raised (above) and wreaths were laid (below).

The commitment in Plymouth to honouring Merchant Navy veterans is so strong that a campaign is underway to raise funds for a larger memorial. This will be sited on Plymouth Hoe alongside the armed forces memorials, and it is hoped that it will be completed by 2020. g For more information and to donate to the fund, go to: www.mnmonument.uk

laying ceremony was officiated by Revd Dr John Walker, and prayers were led

by David Slater, the lead chaplain of the Port of Dover.

Thanks to the Dover & District Merchant Navy Memorial Fund chaired by Mr Hunter, the town has a particularly fine MN memorial — pictured above.

Unveiled in 2008, the 2.8m high memorial depicts a Second World War Merchant Navy seafarer looking out to sea, and faces the western entrance to Dover Harbour.

2 September, the nearest working day to Merchant Navy Day this year F — and they were joined in their celebration of shipping by colleagues visiting Nautilus head office personnel came out to honour the red ensign on

from the Nautilus Netherlands office.

As ever, Merchant Navy

Larne organiser Micky Smyth F (left of picture) was pleased Nautilus national ferry

to see the red ensign flying for Merchant Navy Day in the Port of Larne, Northern Ireland — where he met up with retired Nautilus member Capt James McMullan (right), a former colleague of his from P&O Irish Sea Ferries.

Wallasey

For the second year in a row, Telegraph production editor June Cattini-

London

wreath) represented the Union at the UK national commemorative F service for merchant seafarers at Tower Hill in London on 4 September, the Nautilus assistant general secretary Olu Tunde (pictured laying a

marked Merchant Navy Day by gathering for a service at the memorial F stone outside the Trinity House Hub. Staff and residents at the Nautilus Mariners’ Park retirement estate

18_mn day 2016_SR edit (2).indd 16

nearest Sunday to Merchant Navy Day. The multi-faith service was led by The Revd Canon Ken Peters of the Mission to Seafarers, Fr Alan Griffin of the Apostleship of the Sea, The Revd Bertrand Olivier of All Hallows by the Tower, Ron Maddox of the Buddhist Society and The Revd Malcolm Weisman OBE, life president of the Allied Airforces Chief of Chaplains Committee.

The event also featured a parade with marshals provided by HMS President and music by the band of HM Royal Marines Collingwood. Parade president Commodore Duncan Lamb RFA conducted the official welcome to guests including Admiral the Right Honourable Baron West of Spithead.

21/09/2016 13:49

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 19

NAUTILUS AT WORK

Nautilus Council chairman Ulrich Jurgens (far left) and national secretary Steve Doran (second from left) meeting managers at Vroon All pictures: Debbie Cavaldoro

Steve Doran, RMT official Jake Molloy and Ulrich Jurgens

Solidarity on the North Sea U

‘I have come to Aberdeen to find out more about the current situation in the offshore industry,’ said Ulrich Jurgens on his first day in the UK’s oil capital.

‘I hope to find out if we at Nautilus can improve our role here and see whether we can improve our support for members and companies going through the downturn in the oil price.’

DAY 1 Ulrich jumped straight in with a meeting with Andrew Rodden, the offshore operations director for V.Ships. Mr Rodden explained that the situation was indeed difficult and had been for some time.

He acknowledged there had been many job losses — especially among contracting seafarers who had not been in permanent employment before the slump. The additional bad news, he said, was that the upturn is still some way off, as order books are low and much of the overdue maintenance work has been completed.

Next was a meeting with the Aberdeen Seafarers Centre port chaplain, Reverend Howard Drysdale, who showed Ulrich around the facilities and gave a few examples he had heard from seafarers about the effect the downturn was having on them.

Towards the end of the day the team headed to Peterhead Harbour to attempt some ship visits. Thick fog delayed the trip meaning they arrived just as a Subsea 7 vessel with Nautilus members onboard was about to sail.

‘It was a very interesting first day,’ said Ulrich, from Peterhead Harbour. ‘I was told that of some 2,000 North Sea ves-

Onboard the Seven Osprey

19_ulrich_SR edit.indd Sec1:19

Last month, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson asked Nautilus Council chairman Ulrich Jurgens to visit Aberdeen to learn how the oil price crash is affecting members and whether recovery is in sight. DEBBIE CAVALDORO finds out how he fared... sels, around 1,000 are currently laid-up and therefore companies and seafarers are competing very hard for any business that is left.

‘I can understand that this creates a lot of fear among the remaining seafarers. It seems that some management decisions from the past came back to bite everyone when the oil price went down.’

DAY 2 The second day kicked off with a meeting at Vroon, where Ulrich met Oddveig Bakken, Deeside Crewing manager, and James Parsons, chartering manager. They concurred in general with the views of V.Ships on the future, and said that there was no company operating in the North Sea that has not made cuts to the number of staff, pay or benefits. The new tonnage that is about to enter the market was also said to most likely further complicate the employment situation for any existing vessels in the near future.

After this meeting, Ulrich headed over to the RMT union office in Aberdeen and met Jake Molloy, RMT official and vice-chair of the Offshore Coordinating Group (OCG), and Stephen Boyd, Scottish TUC assistant general secretary. The OCG is a group of trade unions representing workers in the North Sea. They work together to organise all employees and

to seafarers onboard Grampian Defiant.

After lunch, he headed back over to Peterhead and met members onboard Seven Osprey, as well as talking to seafarers just leaving a Fletcher vessel at the end of their tour of duty.

Despite the downturn and general fears, the members Ulrich spoke to were happy to be working and expressed their satisfaction with the Union’s work in the sector. The older seafarers among them acknowledged that work in the offshore sector was very up and down and they had learnt from previous peaks to prepare for the troughs.

campaign on their behalf.

The OCG is comprised of representatives from Unite, RMT, GMB, Nautilus International and BALPA. Mr Molloy said that the OCG had originated from members who wanted to see more joint action between the unions operating in the area. He said that the group was not yet one year old, so only a small amount of activity had taken place — but that he hoped that the next year might see more sharing of information and more joint events for North Sea workers.

He explained that the RMT and Unite had members who were currently taking industrial action against the Wood Group following their plans for cuts and he hoped that this would lead to a re-think in the industry about cutting staff before any other cost reductions.

Next, Ulrich met the OCG chair, Tommy Campbell, who is also a Unite official. He said that trade union membership for both Unite and RMT had risen since industrial action at the Wood Group had begun — but they were also braced for further cuts at other companies.

The third visit of a busy day for Ulrich was over to the Technip offices in Westhill to meet Roy Hay, director of offshore HR, Alan Patterson, deputy

director offshore personnel services, and Alan McConnachie, technician and ROV resource manager. Here too there was a grim picture of the offshore sector with fears for the future as upstream exploration investment is at an all-time low.

The company confirmed, however, that it had at least able to prevent compulsory redundancies.

At the end of day two, Ulrich said: ‘The key element that I’ve heard today is that there is a lot of frustration and uncertainty about the future. However, there is also hope because the unions are working together and once there is a full exchange and sharing of information they should be able to help stabilise the situation for members. There was also some positive message from companies, in that they are keen to work with the unions to find a way through these difficult times.’

DAY 3 Ulrich was pleased to get to day three, as it consisted entirely of getting onboard ships and meeting members.

The first stop was Aberdeen Harbour, where he spoke to members and seafarers onboard VOS Pace, VOS Partner and Olympic Ares. He and the team also managed to distribute some union information and copies of the Nautilus Telegraph

Onboard the Vos Partner

Ulrich Jurgens, Revd Howard Drysdale and Steve Doran

U

At the end of the visit, Ulrich said he had learnt much and was keen to work on plans with Mark Dickinson and his staff to see what further support could be extended to members.

‘There are some colleagues out there who have kept pay and most conditions, and only lost some of their previous fringe benefits, but there are others who are now out of work,’ he added. ‘The feedback I received clearly suggests that union membership does make a difference, as without it there is no protection at all when things turn down. The reality, however, is also that members are employed by companies and not by the unions. There is only ever so much a union can do to prevent job losses.’

‘To sum up the trip, I think there are lessons to be learned for everyone who works in the sector, in terms of being a bit more cautious when there is an upturn.

But as one member said when I asked him what the Union could do better — “Can you increase the price of oil?” — and no, sadly, even Nautilus has limits.’

21/09/2016 13:50

20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

MEMBERS AT WORK

Master of the metropolis c

River travel through the UK’s capital is an increasingly popular form of transport. Thousands of people use the River Thames each day to make their way across London but few — you’d imagine — give much thought to those providing the vital service to the city.

Operating one of the river boat services on the Thames is MBNA Thames Clippers. The company — which has a collective bargaining agreement in place with Nautilus for members serving onboard — provides commuter transport links for around 8,500 passengers a day.

Vessels run every 20 minutes between key London piers including North Greenwich for The O2, Greenwich, Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Embankment and London Eye for Waterloo. Passengers board their river craft at one of these piers, and — under the expert stewardship of the crews onboard — navigate the river safely to their desired location. It’s a highly skilled job, but thanks to an in-house training programme, younger mariners have the opportunity to make the step up to senior positions more quickly than they might elsewhere.

One of those to have already earned her master’s licence is Joy McGlinchey. At just 24 years of age she is the company’s youngest — and only female — master, and she told the Telegraph how hard work and dedication got her to the position she’s in today.

‘I had a normal education,’ said Joy. ‘I finished my GCSEs and had a basic Saturday job in a florist.

Back in 2007/08 my dad started tours from Embankment Pier. I started working with him doing a bit of everything really; from PR and marketing to working on the boats.’

After those early introductions to the river service, Joy made a seamless switch to Thames Clippers. Starting out as a deckhand, she worked her way up the ranks and earned a place on the company’s training programme.

‘It was when I started working for my dad that I really thought this career was something that I’d like to do on a bigger scale,’ explained Joy. ‘My dad’s boats only hold 12 passengers, but our largest craft hold 220. My dad pushed me ever since and said if

A Nautilus member has rapidly risen through the ranks to be the youngest master in a growing fleet of passenger vessels on the River Thames. Joy McGlinchey tells STEVEN KENNEDY what it’s like to work on London’s busy waterway…

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Joy McGlinchey Picture: MBNA Thames Clippers

I wanted to do it that I should go for it.

‘I got the position of deckhand in 2010, which was just assisting the mates in their duty — so things like mooring procedures and getting the vessels ready.

I progressed to mate around a year and a half after,’ she recalled.

‘Then I became a permanent mate and I did that for around three years. Whilst becoming a mate I applied — successfully — for an in-house training programme that Thames Clippers has.’

That training programme was the start of Joy’s journey.

The MBNA Thames Clippers Internal BML (Boat Master Licence) course covers a wide variety of subjects, including navigation, locks and bridges, rope work and bridge watchkeeping. After passing the relevant exams, participants sit a local

knowledge endorsement test set by the Port of London Authority as well as receiving passenger endorsements.

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After 18 months of gruelling revision sessions and passing the challenging exams, Joy got her master’s licence — enabling her to command vessels for the company and carry up to 250 passengers on any one trip.

Yet despite the extensive training, taking her first steps onboard as master felt slightly odd — making Joy feel somewhat like a rebellious teenager. ‘It took about a year and a half whilst I was a mate to study to get all my licences,’ she said. ‘Back in January 2015 I got everything and was let loose.’

‘For the course we had to do chart work. Then we had oral exams and a practical exam

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20_thames clippers_SR edit.indd Sec2:20

The feeling is mutual — as Joy is keen to point out — and she lays a lot of her own personal success firmly at the door of the company that has helped her along the way. Now she says that she hopes that other young women can look at what she’s been able to achieve and follow suit in an industry still hugely dominated by men.

‘I’m really proud to achieve my master’s,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t have been able to have achieved it if it wasn’t for the MBNA Thames Clippers in-house training programme. It would have taken a lot longer to have done it myself.

To try and work and study at the same time would have been really difficult if it wasn’t for the support they gave me. It’s something I don’t think I’d have been able to achieve myself.’

onboard. The course did everything from checking the vessels to the master’s responsibility. It was really varied and it gave me an insight into all the potential for larger vessels and seagoing vessels as well.

‘The first time I was let loose on a boat it felt really wrong. When you’re a mate you always have a captain with you. I felt like I was doing something really naughty; like taking your parents’ car without their permission,’ she said.

‘I certainly had a few butterflies doing it. But within three days I got into the swing of things.

Sometimes you don’t realise it’s all passengers downstairs and you just get into the routine.’

Those early nerves are now a thing of the past and Joy is enjoying what the role has to offer. With the crews working a three-on/ two-off shift system, which could be either mornings or evenings, it makes the work interesting and reactive to the city’s needs.

‘If I work mornings I get up, drive to work and then get onboard the vessel and complete the daily checks. We make sure the vessel is suitable for service and then we’ll commence our service from our departure points.

We have loads of different routes and timetables. Our larger boats have four crew members: captain, mate, deck hand and barista.

‘The night shifts are slightly different and it depends what’s going on at the O2 arena. We can wait for Bon Jovi to finish one night or the end of the ATP tennis and wait for the tennis players to go home. It’s quite varied.’

Not surprisingly, Thames Clippers is extremely proud of Joy’s meteoric rise up the ranks and rightfully holds her in high regard.

Sean Collins, the company’s CEO and co-founder, said: ‘We are incredibly proud to have Joy as a member of the team. She has shown unprecedented drive to progress in her role and we are excited to see her continue to succeed. Staff investment and training and development is very important to us — and to me personally — so to see those who start with us as a deck hand and work their way up to master really does fill me with immense pride.’

‘I really hope my story can be seen as something for other young women to look up to. When I first started with the company there were only two female crew members who worked here: a mate and a master. The other master has gone now so I’m currently the only female master at MBNA Thames Clippers.

‘The lack of information for young women and not being able to contact people in the role or higher positions who can say “this is what you need to do” does cause a problem,’ Joy added. ‘I hope by having more females in the industry it can inspire other people to follow in our footsteps.

‘In the future I see myself as still being part of the marine industry; with MBNA,’ she said.

‘There are lots of opportunities here, from senior masters to office and shore-based positions.

The possibilities are there for all different routes. At the moment I just want to concentrate on being on the boats. It’s what I’m enjoying — and long may it continue.’

Thames Clippers vessel approaching the London Eye Picture: MBNA Thames Clippers

21/09/2016 15:09

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 21

MARITIME CAREERS Careers at Sea Ambassadors 2008-2016

Steuart Barlow gives a presentation to a Sea Cadet Mick Caulkin chats to sixth-formers at Aldridge unit in Malta, which has ties to the UK Merchant Navy School in the West Midlands

Capt Bruce Wilson visits his grandson Bradley’s primary school in Cornwall

Fiona Noone speaks at an Inspiring Women event onboard HQS Wellington in London

Scott Edwards runs a stall at Millfield College in Lancashire

Spreading the word Eight years on since the pilot of Careers at Sea Ambassadors, the maritime volunteering scheme is still going strong, hears SARAH ROBINSON...

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It’s long been known that there’s a problem with the visibility of maritime careers in UK schools. Part of the trouble is that teachers and careers advisers tend to have a poor knowledge of the opportunities available, and it’s much harder to arrange work experience on a ship than it is in an office. But it’s also about the absence of role models: the very nature of seafaring means that most people never see mariners in their daily lives, as they might perhaps see bus drivers, doctors, shopkeepers or hairdressers.

So what can be done about this? Around nine years ago, three Merchant Navy organisations got talking and realised they had each come to the same conclusion: there needed to be a programme to help serving seafarers meet young people face-toface and spread the word about maritime careers.

A few meetings later, Careers at Sea Ambassadors was born.

The programme would be run by the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) and backed by Nautilus and the Marine Society & Sea Cadets. Volunteer ‘Ambassadors’ would be recruited from the maritime industry — for

example, by putting the word out in the Telegraph — and they would be supplied with a multimedia presentation to show to children at UK schools and youth groups.

Following a successful pilot in 2008, Careers at Sea Ambassadors was launched nationwide in autumn 2009, and is today more popular than ever. For the last two years, the programme coordinator at the MNTB has been Fena Boyle, a Nautilus member who trained with Trinity House and served as a second mate with Condor and P&O Ferries before coming ashore to work on encouraging other young people to join the industry.

Fena is always keen to recruit more Ambassadors, and has been striving to make the programme as appealing as possible to volunteers. Things have developed and evolved over the years, she points out, and people who weren’t sure about volunteering in the past may now feel that they are more comfortable with the support available and the kind of event they would attend as an Ambassador.

‘We find these days that the majority of requests from schools are for an Ambassador

Ambassadors are provided with an array of leaflets and merchandise

to run a stall at a careers fair rather than standing up and giving a presentation,’ she explains.

‘Presentations are still a part of what we do, but we aim to be as flexible as possible, supporting whatever is needed — and that might include something highly individual, such as an Ambassador contributing to a geography lesson at their child’s school.’

Another good option, she notes, is for Ambassadors to link up with local sailing schools and nautical youth groups such as Sea Cadets and Sea Scouts. ‘How many leisure sailors would have known they could do what they love for a living?’ she points out.

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The MNTB support for the volunteers is as varied as the visits themselves. It ranges from supplying them with banner stands and Careers at Sea merchandise to matching up a new Ambassador with a ‘buddy’ so the two volunteers can gain confidence by carrying out their visits together.

Fena’s recent efforts have focused particularly on building a sense of community and mutual support among the Ambassadors. ‘It’s really important if you’re giving up your time for this that you’re acknowledged and feel you are part of something,’ she says. Each week, she sends out an email newsletter to let the volunteers know about the latest requests from schools and youth groups, so even if individuals aren’t immediately available to go out on a visit, they stay in touch with the programme.

There has also been strong take-up for the new private Facebook group for Ambassadors, who can get to know each other online and share tips from their own experience. ‘People have

even started to use the group to arrange to meet up for a drink in real life, which is quite a result,’ smiles Fena.

Feedback from Ambassadors helps to shape the way the programme is run, influencing the type of support offered and the development of publicity material and merchandise. The introduction of official Careers at Sea name badges has proved popular, and the volunteers are currently being consulted on the design of a new set of publicity posters.

When it comes to linking up with a school or youth group, Ambassadors can have as much or as little input from the MNTB as they wish. Some make their own arrangements — perhaps returning to the same careers event each year — and just let Fena know when they have made a visit. But particularly when approaching new contacts, many Ambassadors make greater use of MNTB support, and Fena is happy to supply letters of introduction, liaise with organisers, and arrange delivery of Careers at Sea merchandise. ‘We want Ambassadors to feel that they can always pick up the phone or send an email to tell us what they need,’ she stresses.

Ambassador numbers are running at about 280 at the moment, with most visits taking place in port cities. Activity is strong in Hull, Merseyside/North Wales, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Southampton, Dover and Newcastle/South Shields.

But maritime careers aren’t just for people who grow up in ports, and Ambassadors are needed for inland visits.

Fena would like to hear from more female volunteers, too, as there is a particular need for girls to see role models they

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A COMPLETE CREW TRAINING SERVICE STCW - REFRESHER - SECURITY - HELIDECK - LIFEBOAT

Careers at Sea Ambassadors coordinator Fena Boyle: always at the end of a phone call or email to provide support to volunteers

can relate to. ‘When I’ve been to careers events as part of my wider work for the MNTB, I’ve found that many girls are surprised and pleased to learn that they could one day be a ship’s captain or engineer,’ she explains. ‘We also find that all-girl schools and youth groups like the Guides are keen to have a visit from a female Ambassador.’

In addition, younger volunteers are very welcome, she says: seafarers should never assume it’s too early in their career to become an Ambassador, and there are a number of existing volunteers who are cadets or newly-qualified officers.

Looking to the future, Fena expects the programme to continue building momentum, and

sees opportunities for her volunteers to spread their wings: ‘We’re looking to integrate more into the industry, with Ambassadors accompanying us on company visits to talk to maritime employers about how to engage young people’s interest in seafaring.’

Whether they’re in a school assembly, a careers fair, a Sea Cadet unit or a company HQ, the Ambassadors are becoming a force to be reckoned with, and if they have anything to do with it, every child in the country will one day know that a fantastic career awaits them at sea. z To volunteer as a Careers at Sea Ambassador or request a visit to a school or youth group, go to www.careersatsea.org/ambassadors or email enquiry@careersatsea.org.

Contact us today for more information maritimeskillsacademy.com +44 (0) 300 303 8393 shortcourses@vikingrecruitment.com

The Maritime Skills Academy can meet your every need when it comes to training. We offer a full portfolio of MCA accredited STCW training courses as well as professional development courses. We are also an Approved English Marlins Testing Centre.

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22 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

MARITIME CAREERS

Time to take stock of U

The pathway from rating to officer is not an easy one — but it is one that Nautilus continues to support as a way to help British seafarers progress their careers and to maintain the pool of UK maritime expertise.

But new research commissioned by the Union has warned that the future flow of ratings to officer positions is increasingly at risk as a result of recruitment and training shortfalls in the British shipping industry.

The study, produced by the Precious Alliance, forecasts that the overall supply of UK deck ratings could decline by 16% between 2015 and 2021 and that the number of engineer ratings may fall by almost 40% over the same period.

The research was commissioned by Nautilus to inform the work of its JW Slater Memorial Fund — a programme established in memory of former general secretary John William Slater, which has awarded grants worth more than £4.5m to almost 1,600 UK ratings studying for officer certification.

Since its launch in 1977, the Fund has helped almost 400 people to gain their OOW qualifications, and it is presently providing assistance to more than 230 aspiring officers.

‘There is no question that the scheme has been hugely successful and has been the biggest source of support for ratings seeking to progress their careers in the industry,’ said Steven Gosling, Nautilus head of strategic development.

‘However, there is never any room for complacency, and we wanted to look into the background trends that are influencing the continued supply of UK ratings — and, in turn, how these may impact upon the Slater Fund’s future contribution to Britain’s maritime skills base,’ he explained.

The Precious Alliance study examined a wide range of databases and surveyed ratings and employers to assess the numbers aspiring to become officers, and to gauge the attitudes of companies towards the career progression of ratings. The report points to Department for Transport statistics showing that there were 8,830 UK ratings active at sea last year, assuming a retirement age of 62.

Just over half of these were serving in hotel, catering or ‘other’ categories, around one-third were deck ratings and only 8% were employed as engine ratings.

Researchers suggested that the desire to become officers is much stronger among deck and engine ratings than catering and hotel crew.

However, the report notes, there were barely 950 British deck and engineer ratings under the age of 40 serving at sea last year.

The Nautilus Slater Fund is an exceptional scholarship scheme that has helped almost 1,600 UK ratings study for their Officer of the Watch certificate. But the support on offer must keep pace with the changing needs of the workforce, so the Union has commissioned a major study to inform the Fund’s future...

Feedback from ratin than 80% were aware of potential support it cou More than two-third had an interest in beco they entered the shipp 44% said they had qualifications for a cad 13% said they preferred Some said their unwilling to help the status, while others said their qualifications disincentive — especia to support.

More than half we becoming an officer — cited the cost of trainin Other potential problem studies with family life time off work, and deali cut during the training p

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Slater Fund scholar Colin Leggett, who is now an officer in the NERC fleet

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On current trends, the study warns that while the supply of UK deck and engine ratings is expected to increase, it will fail to keep pace with the numbers leaving the industry. The overall supply of UK deck ratings is forecast to fall from 3,691 last year to 3,085 in 2021, and the number of engine ratings is set to drop from 612 to just 376 over the same period.

Researchers gathered feedback from companies employing around one-third of all current UK ratings. Around 90% said they were aware of the Slater Fund and the support it provides, while almost two-thirds said their company provided help to ratings wanting to progress to officer positions.

The most common support provided by these companies was assistance with short courses and additional rostering to widen experience. Some firms paid full tuition costs and salaries during the training period, while others offered paid study leave, additional leave, ‘career breaks’ or arrangements to understudy watchkeeping officers.

Companies supporting rating-to-officer conversions typically reported that between 5% and 7% of their ratings had embarked on OOW training courses in the past five years — and there was a ‘success’ rate of around 75%.

Employers said that deck ratings appear much more likely to undertake officer training

than engineer ratings — with around one-third of companies stating that only deck ratings had embarked on conversion courses.

Some companies said that while they supported the concept of rating-to-officer training, either no suitable candidates had come forward or opportunities for career progression were limited, with junior officer positions rarely being available.

Obstacles to gaining OOW certification included the lack of formal school qualifications, poor maths skills, the difficulty in returning to studies and the challenge of balancing family commitments with the demands of training.

The age barrier reason cited by interested in r Almost two-thirds said t just under half said they current working arrange Around 60% of ratin provided some sort of rise to officer ranks — quarter were not sure ex However, the rep recruitment and emplo that UK rating numb the next five years — r whether employers w ratings to gain officer qu they would have proble Some companies a problems in bridging th and supply for British r and a dwindling pool of employers to implemen However, the report seagoing experience are and ratings who have ‘may well be viewed as p employers’.

The study notes that Slater Fund is high, the gap in knowledge abou of funding available officer training.

The high age profi workforce may also progressing to officer ra majority are likely to re retire.

First DFDS apprenticeshi uncovers a real diamond special.’ That was how Gemma Griffin, I DFDS vice president of HR and crewing for DFDS ‘You just know when you find somebody

DFDS engineer officer trainee Daniel Smith Picture: Phil Medgett

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described one of the first nine apprentices to come through the company’s two-year scheme.

In fact, Daniel Smith is so special that the company has decided to fast-track him into an officer cadetship — and he’s just about to begin his studies at Glasgow.

‘We spotted very early — in weeks in fact — that this guy was not a rating,’ said Gemma. ‘We could already see by his knowledge, his attitude and his behaviour that he was a future chief engineer.’

‘We felt it was therefore important to grab

him whilst he was still in education mode,’ she added. ‘We thought, let’s get him up there whilst he’s still in the trainee mode. We’ve put him on a good salary, as he’ll be going towards 28 by the time he’s qualified — so we wanted him to be comfortable whilst he’s still learning.’

Daniel started his apprenticeship in 2014 when he was 23, and he’s now looking forward to a further three years of learning so he can take the next step up in his blossoming career.

‘The course was good,’ he said. ‘It took a little while getting into it, because at first you have to do all the safety stuff — but once it started getting into all the hands-on work it’s been really good.

‘They asked me a while ago if I was interested

in progressing to be an engineer officer after I’d finished this and I said yes straight away. They then looked into the different routes and a couple of weeks ago I was called in to the office and was told I’m starting a cadetship if I still wanted it.

‘It’s a three-year course,’ he added. ‘The college time is a lot longer and a lot more in-depth. There is a lot more theory to it. What I did here was a lot more practical, but this is much more the other side of the coin. It’s going to be a bit hard but I’m sure it will be fine.’

‘Being fast tracked into officer training is generally unheard of,’ said Glenys Jackson, head of the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB).

‘DFDS have recognised the qualities that Daniel

has got. They — and h career pretty rapidly, w happen because you c had a period of seatim went to the MCA and s have real potential he how they can enable t Despite the plaud perhaps the most mea Daniel’s shoulders cam Smith said that he is d achievements and thi oyster.

‘I’m really proud o well to get to this poin

21/09/2016 17:41

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 23

MARITIME CAREERS

f Slater ratings showed that more are of the Slater Fund and the t could offer them.

-thirds of ratings said they becoming an officer when hipping industry. However, had lacked the academic a cadet training course and rred the work of a rating. eir employers had been them progress to officer s said the cost of upgrading ons was a significant pecially if they had families lf were still interested in er — although 85% of these aining as the key challenge. oblems included managing y life, taking the necessary dealing with a potential pay ning period. rrier was the most common ed by ratings who were not in re-training as officers. said this was an obstacle and d they were happy with their rangements. ratings said their employer rt of support to help them ks — although almost oneure exactly what was on offer. report warns, current mployment trends suggest numbers will decline over s — raising questions as to rs would encourage their cer qualifications if it meant roblems replacing them. ies are already reporting ng the gap between demand tish ratings, the study notes, ol of UK ratings may prompt ement retention strategies. eport adds, the benefits of ce are valued by companies, have converted to officers d as prime junior officers by s that while awareness of the h, there still appears to be a about the type and amount able to support rating-toprofile of the UK ratings also inhibit the numbers cer ranks, it cautions, and the to remain ratings until they

Working conditions may also serve to limit the potential conversion rate, the study adds. ‘It is believed that the majority of British ratings serve on shortsea vessels operating around the UK coast and vessels trading in the UK North Sea offshore industry — thus likely enjoying relatively short tours of duty, equal work roster and leave periods, and a feeling of being close to the seafarer’s home,’ it points out.

‘Once officer status is achieved, there may well be greater pressure to seek employment in the international trades, where longer tours of duty, less leave and reduced communication facilities may not suit them or their family situation,’ the report warns.

Mr Gosling said the study had demonstrated the continued value of the Slater Fund and the strong desire of significant numbers of ratings to rise up the ranks. ‘We can’t afford to close off any channel of career progression, and the demographics of the UK seafarer population shows the pressing need for much greater investment in recruitment and training.

Will employers still be keen to encourage ratings to train as officers if they struggle to replace them when they have been promoted?

“

”

‘In recent times, we have responded to changes in the industry by expanding the scope of the Slater Fund to tap into new areas of seafaring expertise, such as electro-technical officers and superyacht crews,’ Mr Gosling pointed out.

‘With the Slater Fund, Nautilus has done more than the rest of the shipping industry to support ratings into officer positions, and we are determined to ensure that it continues as a core component of the training ‘This is a really important study, and we will be meeting with the report authors to discuss the results and to consider how the findings can be put to best use,’ he added.

The long view to build a crew K

On a warm September morning, nine families boarded a ferry in Dover — not for a day trip or a holiday on the Continent, but for a very special celebration.

Amongst the families were nine smartly dressed individuals with wide smiles plastered across their faces — and with good reason. Each had just undertaken a two-year apprenticeship with ferry operator DFDS, and this day marked the successful completion of their training.

The nine — made up of seven deck and two engine apprentices — sat, listened to speeches from their tutors and colleagues, accepted the applause and finally passed out in an emotional ceremony; all to the backdrop of the waves crashing behind them as Dover Seaways cut its way across the English Channel.

‘We’re here for the graduations of our nine apprentices,’ explained Gemma Griffin, DFDS vice president of HR and crewing. ‘They’ve been through the apprenticeship scheme with us for two years. Today they graduate and tomorrow they’ll be able-bodied seafarers, deck and engine.’

The scheme is a first for DFDS and was the brainchild of Gemma and her colleagues. It aimed to address what continues to be the elephant in the room for the industry: the ageing workforce and the problems for employers when those crews come ashore for the final time.

Assessing the tonnage strategy for its Channel services and unwilling to leave things to chance, DFDS conducted studies into its seafaring workforce and looked at a variety of ways to plug the ever-widening hole.

‘It was our light-bulb — or alarm — moment,’ says Gemma.

‘The average age of our seafarers here is somewhere around 50 and we realised something needed to happen.’

The answer was the apprenticeship scheme — although Gemma stresses that it is not a ‘quick fix’ to the problem. ‘When we first started

There’s been a massive decline in the number of UK ratings over the past couple of decades. But some companies are investing in the future — and STEVEN KENNEDY heard how DFDS is delivering a new generation… looking at this in 2012, we had a different two-year programme and we had seven guys, and only two of them survived it,’ she said. ‘They just couldn’t settle into the life at sea. It made us realise that we didn’t get our recruitment and induction stage right. In fact I’d say we got it very badly wrong. After that — and it wasn’t a knee-jerk decision — I very quickly said we need an apprenticeship scheme.’

With the idea decided upon, DFDS took steps to investigate how the apprenticeship would be delivered.

Working with the maritime school at North Kent College in Gravesend as well as other marine organisations — including the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) — the finer details of the programme were ironed out and the nine recruits took to the classroom for the first time in 2014.

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From that moment their time was split between learning the theory side of the industry, as well as an intensive period at sea. During the course the deck apprentices learnt skills including operating ships’ helms and being a part of the bridge watchkeeping team, whilst the two engineering apprentices took time studying propulsion and engine maintenance, repairs and fabrication.

‘We took the group on and delivered the underpinning

knowledge in three phases,’ said Stephen Watkins, curriculum manager at North Kent College’s National Maritime Training Centre.

‘They did an initial one-month training phase with the safety courses along with an industry introduction. They then had a sea phase and came back to the college for the middle phase. They then carried on with their knowledge training and further courses — the survival craft course and enclosed spaces course — and went away for a third sea phase before coming back for their final college sessions.’

The nine apprentices came from a variety of backgrounds and spanned almost four decades in age; from the youngest just turning 19 to the oldest who was 50. Three of the group were already working onboard for DFDS in the catering and hotel departments.

One of the apprentices passing out as efficient deck hand (EDH) was 50-year-old Patricia Brizuela.

Argentinian-born, but also of Polish decent, Patricia had sailed in South America in her youth. However, coming to England had not given her the opportunity to progress her career as she’d hoped — until DFDS gave her the chance to make the move.

‘I was working for DFDS for six years in the catering department, but I wanted to work in the deck department,’ she said. ‘I’m a sailor and sailing is my life. I built a yacht in Argentina from scratch and I am an

hip scheme d in Daniel and he — want to progress his pidly, which normally wouldn’t e you can’t convert until you’ve seatime as a qualified rating. DFDS A and said “Look, we believe we tial here” and they have looked at able that transition to take place.’ plaudits from his tutors and peers, st meaningful praise falling on ers came from his father. David he is delighted with his son’s nd thinks the world could be his oud of Daniel and he’s done really s point,’ he said. ‘He left school

22-23_spread_SR edit.indd 23

and thought there were no jobs for youngsters. He wanted to be a plumber for a while but couldn’t get an apprenticeship doing that. He’s then come to this and loved every minute of it.

‘He’s always been interested in cars and bikes, although he never showed any interest in working on mine when it goes wrong! I never came home to find him with his head under the bonnet of my car.

‘But I think he can go as far as he wants to go.

He’s a laid-back guy, but if there is something he wants to do he’ll stick at it. He’s young still, so he has plenty of time to work his way up and achieve what he wants to achieve.’

The magnificent nine: first graduates of the DFDS apprenticeship scheme Picture: Phil Medgett

ocean yacht master.

‘Getting the apprenticeship was a dream come true. I am more than happy to have the opportunity that DFDS gave me and I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved,’ she added.

‘Many people tried to tell me that I was crazy to do this at my age, but I love the sea and I love being a sailor.

I always felt I belong to the deck department.

‘For me though, this is the first step,’ Patricia said. ‘I want to go all the way. I want to apply for the Slater Fund to help with the next step if possible.’

Far from being thrown in at the deep end, DFDS has arranged for a six month easing-in process to ensure that the nine don’t feel the weight of the job solely on their shoulders from day one.

‘I’m a really strong believer that although you’re qualified today it doesn’t mean you’re fully fit to do the job,’ said Gemma. ‘I don’t want for these guys to go in and get the same pressure that our normal ABs get.

What we’ve agreed is that they’ll do six months’ sea time as an EDH first because that’s a tiny stepping stone to give them the breathing space and let them learn the job properly.’

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It was a proud day for each of those passing out, as well as for their families and for those who had got to know them during their two-year apprenticeships. Also at the event were the next batch of apprentices — among them 19-year-old Robert Watson, from Dover.

‘What got me interested in a career at sea was just seeing how everything works,’ said Robert. ‘The fact that it’s working at sea and it’s a different life to what you can get at home is exciting. We are starting the course this month and I’m really looking forward to the whole thing.

I’m the only one in my family to have ever gone to sea, so I just can’t wait to get started.’

While she admits to being sad to see her first group move on, Gemma says she is looking forward to the new apprentices continuing the good work of their predecessors and believes each has the attributes to be successful.

‘We look for two things when we are getting the cadets in,’ she explains. Attitude and behaviour. You can teach them anything else, but if you don’t have the right attitude and the right behaviours then you’re not the right person for us.’

‘We don’t advertise these positions,’ she adds. ‘People are knocking on our door for them. Everybody is coming from somewhere that we know.

‘Getting the next group here today was a way to show the new guys that it is a big deal,’ she said.

‘We wanted them to see the climax to the work they’ll do over the next two years. It’s important that they see that when people like the MNTB, the Chamber of Shipping, RMT, Nautilus and the Department for Transport all turn up to celebrate their achievements it’s something the industry as a whole is extremely proud of. I’m sure they’ll all do a great job.’

21/09/2016 18:14

24 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

SEAFARER TRAINING

Putting Dover on the map added. ‘When you look at a map of the UK, you can see there is a very large section without any training establishments — yet it is an area which is home to Europe’s busiest ferry port and thousands of seafarers.’

Europe’s busiest ferry port has had a surprising lack of maritime training facilities — until now…

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Nautilus International has welcomed the formal opening of a new state-of-the-art seafarer training facility in Dover.

The first phase of the Viking Group’s Maritime Skills Academy (MSA) was opened by Maritime & Coastguard Agency chief executive Sir Alan Massey and UK Chamber of Shipping chief executive Guy Platten last month.

The £3.5m Marine Survival Complex features a 16m by 12m training pool, a fire ground and classroom facilities — providing a wide range of safety, personal survival, fire-fighting, first aid and security courses.

A parallel facility in Dover docks offers MCA-approved courses for survival craft, rescue and fast rescue boats and training for tender operations.

The second phase of the

The £3.5m Marine Survival Complex

development — due to be completed by 2020 — will include bridge and engineroom simulators, high voltage training,

and conference facilities for 120 delegates.

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented:

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COLLEGE PLYMOUTH UNIVERSITY

‘It is great to see such investment in new facilities and it serves as a vote of confidence in the future of UK seafarer training. We congratulate Viking for having the vision and the drive to deliver this superb resource.’

Viking is already training almost 3,000 seafarers a year and the opening of the new complex should take the numbers as high as 7,000 next year. Its in-house trainers cover a wide range of STCW courses, as well as refresher training and professional development.

A new partnership with the aviation specialists MAST is paving the way for a full suite of helideck safety training courses — including helideck procedures and emergency response, helicopter landing officer, refuelling and aviation awareness, and fire-fighting.

‘We are really proud of what we have achieved here,’ said MSA recruitment and HR director Mark Jaenicke. ‘We have tried to create a modern, flexible,

advanced and vibrant training environment which is open to everyone. We have a background in cruise shipping and superyachts, but this is focusing on all sectors.

‘We believe the academy will be meeting a real need,’ he

Viking MD Dieter Jaenicke, who founded the company in 1988, said: ‘It has been a long journey to this point, but we believe this will put Dover on the global map, delivering training excellence.’

Mr Platten described the facilities as world-class and said such investment was vital if the UK is to remain a global leader in seafarer training. ‘These things don’t just happen — they require vision and tenacity,’ he added.

‘The UK needs to enhance its training capacity and training has to evolve to meet the needs of the industry today and tomorrow.’

Sir Alan Massey also noted that global competition in the maritime sector is ‘hotting up’ and some countries are competing on the basis of cheapness. However, he argued, quality remains critical — especially with new ‘cuttingedge’ and complex shipping.

Sir Alan said Mr Jaenicke had every right to feel proud of what he had achieved. ‘Words and visions come cheap,’ he added, ‘but what is much more difficult is to turn words and visions into successful actions and results.’

Officially opening the Maritime Skills Academy: (L-R) Jill Jaenicke; Dieter Jaenicke; Guy Platten; Sir Alan Massey

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Mark Jaenicke, MSA recruitment and HR director

21/09/2016 18:00

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 25

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

Our future starts today Technology is transforming the way shipping operates — and, properly managed, could help to improve seafarers’ lives by cutting out tedious paperwork, the head of a major ship equipment firm said last month…

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An aviation-style system of ship traffic control is inevitable — and a shake-up in training and regulation is required to smooth its path, a former ship’s officer told delegates at the SMM maritime trade fair in Hamburg last month.

Frank Coles, chief executive with the maritime equipment firm Transas, said there is growing demand for coastal surveillance of shipping movements — and this will develop into ship traffic control, with countries monitoring and managing the passage of all ships through their territorial waters.

‘Security and safety are issues that have been raised, and the cyber-security and piracy risks are never far from discussion in the safe passage of a ship,’ he said. ‘Considering this alongside the need for environmental and monitoring, and the reality of a controlled ship traffic becomes a much more strident vision.’

Mr Coles — a master mariner who served at sea for 12 years — said shore-based fleet operations centres (FOCs) are growing in number and sophistication, increasing the potential for sharing or removing decision-making from ships.

As FOCs develop further, it is essential that training evolves to ensure that land-based controllers and the ship operators understand the dynamics and limitations, he warned.

‘STCW regulations will have to consider the training requirements and the manning regulations to distinguish and consider ships that have an element of FOC control,’ he added.

Mr Coles suggested there are still many regulatory, cultural and technological challenges to be resolved before the vision of crewless ships becomes a reality. ‘We are not yet at a place where today’s sys-

Instead, he argued, technology can be used to make ship operations more efficient and safer — using automation to remove ‘the monotony of administration’ and to provide shore-based oversight and decision-support.

Mr Coles said there is a clear desire within the industry for shared decision-making and to have ‘the paper-pushing tedious roles pushed ashore’. Transas research has shown that more than 70% of ship owners, operators and managers believe that it would be helpful to have shared input/operational responsibility between onboard crew and shore-based personnel at all times, he added.

Feedback gathered by the company over the past year showed 36% considered that shared operational decision-making would make crews feel more supported, against 20% who thought it might disempower them and 13% who felt it would de-skill them.

Only 4% reckoned that seafarers would never be willing to accept operational decisions from ashore, against 30% who thought they would be willing and 47% who felt they would only accept such decisions in certain circumstances.

Transas chief executive Frank Coles

THESIS wasn’t designed to de-skill crew. It helps return their focus to the job they trained for

“

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tems could provide for an autonomous ship in closequarters situations,’ he said.

Almost half the owners and managers surveyed considered that a ship traffic control system would probably improve safety at sea, while 29% were unsure and 15% were opposed.

Mr Coles said shipping is now ‘awash’ with technological innovation, big data and decision-support tools; and there is limitless potential for data sharing.

However, he warned, there is a danger of an uncoordinated and fragmented approach to making the most out of ‘mega data’ such as ECDIS, ship stability, voyage planning, weather forecasts, fuel consumption,

engine performance and bridge alarm systems.

In response to these developments, Mr Coles said his company has produced THESIS — the Transas Harmonised Eco System of Integrated Solutions — a data infrastructure package which provides shared access and a practical information flow for users such as navigation and engineer officers, shore fleet operations, trainers, and port and flag state control authorities.

Mr Coles said the system would provide a single point of connectivity for the wealth of data being produced by sensors, alarms and other equipment and would help to deliver ‘truly integrated operations that exponentially improve efficiency and safety throughout’.

Sharing this data will provide a complete oversight of operating parameters for all equipment onboard a ship, while also sharing knowledge and expertise across fleets and helping to ensure that early action is taken before small issues become large problems.

Automating key reporting, regulatory and performance criteria would cut the paperwork burden, Mr Coles promised. ‘THESIS was not designed to deskill crew,’ he added. ‘It helps to return crew focus to the specialist job role functions for which they were training and it gives the crew superior decisionsupport tools to enable them to perform their roles with greater knowledge and skill.’

Keeping YOU safe at sea Courses include: STCW Refresher Courses: • Full Course - (Route 1) £645 • Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting Refresher - £235 • Advanced Fire Fighting Refresher (Route 1) £175 & (Route 2) £285 • Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats Refresher (Route 1) £115 (Route 2) £200 • Personal Survival Techniques Refresher - £120

Book online now Early booking is advisable Courses available most weeks. Please call or email for available dates.

www.stc.ac.uk/marine Call us on: 0191 427 3772 or Email: marine.safetytraining@stc.ac.uk

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/SouthShieldsMarineSchool

@ssmarineschool

21/09/2016 17:38

26 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

GREENER SHIPPING

Holidays with less harm A Japanese NGO is planning to build the greenest-ever cruiseship — to serve as a flagship for a sustainable shipping industry and to show how operators can transition to a more environmentallyfriendly future…

Artist’s impression of the planned Ecoship Picture: Peace Boat

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A Japanese organisation has revealed detailed plans to build a new ‘green’ cruiseship to spearhead its work to promote sustainable shipping and to operate educational voyages.

The Tokyo-based not-for-profit body Peace Boat has been using

ships for more than 30 years to promote its messages of ‘positive social and political change’ and best practices in responsible travel. The organisation presently operates one vessel — the 35,265gt Ocean Dream and runs three or four round-the-world voyages every year.

Now it is moving to build its own vessel — a 55,000gt ‘Ecoship’ that will use cutting-edge technology to minimise its environmental impact and to demonstrate how the shipping industry could transition to a low-carbon future.

Peace Boat has worked with

Supporting seafarers in need and their families To find out about our work or to make a donation visit www.seafarers.uk phone 020 7932 0000 or email seafarers@seafarers-uk.org

Seafarers UK (King George’s Fund for Sailors) is a Registered Charity, no. 226446 in England and Wales, incorporated under Royal Charter. Registered in Scotland, no. SC038191

26_peaceboat_SR edit.indd Sec2:26

designers and engineers from around the world to produce detailed plans for the ship, and last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the classification society DNV GL to develop the project.

The organisation says it is currently in a tender process with a number of shipyards and is aiming to start construction early next year. The Ecoship’s first world voyage is being scheduled for spring 2020, with plans to visit more than 25 countries over a 91-day period.

‘Peace Boat has been sailing since 1983 on our educational and advocacy voyages for peace and sustainability,’ says co-founder and director Yoshioka Tatsuya.

‘We have used chartered ships to date and have become increasingly determined to close the gap between our message and the reality of operating a cruiseship.’

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The global shipping industry is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, he notes. ‘While the cruise industry represents only a tiny fraction of world shipping, it must contribute to the agenda of solutions and also has the greatest potential to raise awareness and effect change.

‘We know that cruising is very visible to the public and it therefore has both great potential and great responsibility to make changes that will accelerate sustainable innovation,’ he adds.

‘The cruise industry is growing so fast, particularly in East Asia, and the need to mitigate the environmental impact of such expansion is very important,’ Mr Tatsuya points out. ‘Through its technical characteristics and in the programmes that it carries out, we hope it will encourage a model for “green” cruising and further innovations in the cruise industry.’

Peace Boat says its ‘futureproof’ vessel will carry up to 5,000 passengers and around 600 crew. The ship will operate educational voyages around the world, as well as hosting exhibitions of green technology in up to 80 ports per year and serving as a

floating laboratory to contribute to ocean, climate and green marine technology research.

Key requirements in the Ecoship plans produced by the Spanish naval architects Oliver Design were to develop a high-performance vessel with the lowest possible energy needs, a ship with no generator utility when alongside, and a vessel with better than standard air emissions and zero emissions into water.

The cruise industry is growing so fast in East Asia that it is very important to mitigate its impact

“

”

The vessel’s design was finalised last year after a three-year process, which took a wholesystem integrated design approach on the basis that elements of a system work best when they are specifically designed to complement, rather than to compensate for, each other.

The ship’s design utilises what are known as biophilic principles — using nature-based concepts such as a hullform based on the shape of a humpback whale and a non-toxic and anti-fouling hull coating that mimics a fish’s skin.

The aerodynamic upper hull has been designed to conserve fuel while sailing, and an air bubble hull lubrication system will be used to reduce the resistance between the hull and seawater.

The vessel will also have 10 masts to harness wind energy,

which will produce an average of 4% of the necessary propulsion power and up to 10% under optimal sailing conditions. Ten retractable wind turbines will deliver some 300kW with wind speed of about 12 m/s — and in good wind conditions, 30% of the in-port hotel services’ energy needs could be supplied by wind power.

The ship will have 10 photovoltaic panel-covered sails and a 6,000 sq m top-deck solar farm which will generate more than 750kW of power in low-wind conditions. It is intended that this system will supply 100% of the electricity needed to light passenger cabins and exterior public areas.

There will be ‘radical’ waste heat recovery systems to recycle around 80% of the energy normally lost in the air and in the water, which aims to halve electricity load. The system will use smoke gas turbo generators, adsorption chiller plants, fresh water generators, domestic water heating and LNG-cooled HVAC chiller water circuits.

A closed-loop water system will purify and re-use water, and the ship will also incorporate kinetic floors and a self-sustained garden that uses recycled garbage and wastewater.

The Ecoship will have a hybrid engine which will use LNG as its main fuel but will also be capable of running on bio-fuels, including methane. The podded vessel will have an optimised cruising speed of 17 knots.

Overall, Peace Boat says the ship will emit 40% less CO2 than conventional vessels, while also eliminating both NOx and SOx emissions.

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The organisation says it is presently in negotiation with different shipyards and will decide the builder ‘very soon’. As the tender process is underway, finalised costings are not yet available.

‘The majority of the building costs will be organised conventionally, with some portion of the finance being also raised through impact investment and sponsorship,’ it adds.

‘Peace Boat is Japan’s largest cruise organisation and has been running social business cruises for over 30 years, whereby passengers buy tickets for the voyages, and those sales cover the costs of running the ship as well as Peace Boat’s additional activities. The same proven business model will be used for the Ecoship.’

Mr Tatsuya says Peace Boat has built up more than 30 years’ experience of worldwide ship operation and this has fired his vision of building a ship to run as a ‘floating planet’ to demonstrate the possibility of a sustainable world.

‘The success of Ecoship, with its CO2 reductions and renewables use, will provide evidence that viable maritime transitional solutions to decarbonised economies exist,’ he added. ‘Public outreach — every time Ecoship sails into a port — will result in worldwide awareness of the necessity and financial feasibility of improving shipping’s footprint.’

21/09/2016 15:51

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 27

MARITIME AUTHORITIES

Delegation is the way for the MCA Plans to open up statutory flag state survey work to classification societies have been revealed by the UK government as part of its moves to reform the red ensign and the work of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency…

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The UK has begun its programme to make the red ensign register more ‘customer-friendly’ with a move to allow classification societies to carry out statutory survey work.

Announcing the move at the inaugural UK Chamber of Shipping Summit last month, interim UK Ship Register (UKSR) director Richard Pellew said the move would improve service to shipowners while freeing up Maritime & Coastguard Agency surveyors for more ‘high-value survey and inspection responsibilities’.

Mr Pellew said delegating survey work to six ‘recognised organisations’ would not compromise safety and the move

would be underpinned by a robust risk assurance process to maintain rigorous oversight of standards. ‘We are not giving up on quality — we are just looking at a better way to do things,’ he added.

Mr Pellew said the government’s Maritime Growth Study had recommended last year that the UKSR should have a greater commercial focus and MCA surveyors needed to be more consistent and responsive.

MCA chief executive Sir Alan Massey added: ‘The growth study report was extremely timely, because numbers on the fleet were going down but quality was staying high. You can have as much qual-

A Maritime & Coastguard Agency surveyor at work. The government says delegating more surveys to class will free up ‘in-house surveyor resources’ for other work, such as enhanced port state control, oversight of higher risk shipping, and investigation and enforcement Picture: MCA

ity as you want, but if you only have one ship in the fleet it is not much good.’

Under the introductory phase, delegation of surveys will be based on risk profile and initially restricted to low-risk and standard-risk vessels following analysis of factors such as port state control records.

The work will be carried out by six classification societies — Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas, ABS, DNV-GL, Class NK and Rina.

These recognised organisations already undertake a limited amount of survey work for the UK, but the move to full delegation will extend this to MLC surveys, ISM audits, and ISPS inspections.

Dick Welsh, head of the Isle of Man Registry, said various MARPOL and SOLAS survey work was already being delegated to class and this development

would serve as ‘the final piece in the jigsaw’.

Mr Pellew said the move would improve service to owners, as classification societies could be on a ship anywhere in the world within 24 hours.

O

In a keynote speech to the summit, transport minister Lord Ahmad said the government was determined to drive through the recommendations of the Maritime Growth Study and to ensure the UK remains a world-leading maritime centre.

‘We cannot expect to grow the UK flag on reputation or history and if we stand still we will find ourselves moving backwards,’ he warned. ‘That is why the government is absolutely determined to press on with the transformation of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Work is

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Lord Ahmad said there were ‘encouraging signs of progress’ on the growth study proposals and ‘a great deal of work is underway identifying the future skills needs of the maritime sector and how best to support those needs’.

He said the government has two reviews under way — one to assess how many seafarers will be needed in the UK in future and the other to ensure the Support for Maritime Training scheme (SMarT) is still fit for purpose.

‘I know that there is much we get right but there is also much more to do,’ he concluded. ‘Our competitors want our business and they have shown themselves to be determined, flexible and agile in their pursuit.’

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21/09/2016 18:02

28 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

MARITIME HISTORY

We will remember them A century ago, British merchant ships and fishing vessels were facing dire threats during the First World War. Commodore MALCOLM WILLIAMS, chief executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, reflects on the largely unrecognised role of seafarers and fishing vessel crews during the conflict…

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Commodore Malcolm Williams, chief executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society Picture: Shipwrecked Mariners

On Tower Hill in London lies a well-kept secret: three monuments. The first lists the ships and the names of 11,900 merchant seafarers and fishermen who lost their lives during the First World War and who have no known grave but the sea; the second, the 24,000 who lost their lives in the Second World War; and the third, the 17 who perished in the Falklands.

Yet the service that takes place at this memorial on Remembrance Sunday is never covered on national television — and you will not even find the memorials on a current A-Z map of London.

I want to focus on the First World War. The recent 100th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Jutland rightly celebrated a strategic victory and remembered the huge loss of life in securing it, and it is a natural focus for the losses the Royal Navy sustained throughout that war. But for the British Merchant Navy and fishing fleets there is,

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of course, no comparable single focus for remembrance — just individual actions and stories of determination, initiative, courage and endurance, which sadly our country has largely forgotten.

Britain entered the war with 9,500 vessels, grossing 11.5m tons. With a further 1,500 vessels from the Dominions, this made up 48% of the world’s shipping.

Throughout the war the mercantile marine continued to export manufactured goods and coal from Britain, and brought in the raw materials required for manufacturing, as well as other essentials, including food, munitions, horses and troops.

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Losses were severe. In August 1915, 84 British merchant ships and fishing vessels were sunk, and by April 1917, this number had risen to 210, with 1,139 lives lost in that month alone. The bravery and valour of the mariners was never more starkly illustrated than in the encounter between the British merchant ship Otaki and the German merchant cruiser Möewe.

On 19 March 1917 the refrigerated cargo ship Otaki, with a British crew of 72 and with Archibald Bisset-Smith in command, was outward bound from London to New Zealand to pick up a cargo of lamb. With an unusually high speed of 15 knots, she was armed with a 4.7 inch gun aft.

Some 300 miles north of Madeira, Möewe and Otaki sighted each other simultaneously. Bisset-Smith became suspicious, swung his stern towards the Möewe and rang for emergency full ahead. Otaki scored the first hit at 2,000 yards — the shell exploded below the waterline near the Möewe’s bows, and shortly afterwards another shell went into the Möewe’s engineroom and coal bunker. But soon the situation was reversed.

Otaki was hit by 22 shells, and 20 minutes after the duel began she was on fire from stem to stern.

The gun had been knocked out and the gunners were killed. With darkness coming on and his ship

settling by the stern, the captain decided it was time to abandon ship. Having supervised the placing of the wounded in the boats, he returned to the bridge and went down with his ship. It wasn’t until 1919, following a press campaign, that he was posthumously awarded the VC. Captain Frederick Parslow’s spirited defence of the Anglo-Californian against U39 was similarly courageous.

But let us not forget the fishermen. By the end of the war nearly 1,500 trawlers and 1,400 steam drifters had been requisitioned for various tasks — particularly minesweeping and anti-submarine work. A total of 675 fishing vessels were lost.

In 1917 the armed fishing smack Nelson was hauling her nets during the morning when the skipper,

In April 1917 alone, 1,139 seafarers and fishermen lost their lives

“

”

Thomas Crisp, spotted a surfaced U-boat at 6,000 yards which began firing, scoring several hits. Nelson was holed and Crisp lost both his legs. He called for the confidential papers to be thrown overboard and dictated a message to be sent by the vessel’s four carrier pigeons: ‘Nelson being attacked by submarine’ — and, anticipating his imminent death, ‘Skipper killed.

Send assistance at once.’ Nelson was abandoned and the crew spent the next two days adrift, but one pigeon made it to Lowestoft and they were rescued. Thomas Crisp was awarded the VC. The vital contribution of the merchant vessels and fishing fleets to the war effort was recognised

by King George V when in 1928 he said that the mercantile marine was henceforth to be known as the Merchant Navy — the fourth ser-

vice. It is now the red ensign that flies as the fourth flag on the Cenotaph, and our monarch is ‘Master of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets’.

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From 1914 to 1919 (mines are no respecters of dates), the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society assisted some 51,000 sailors by providing clothes, food, accommodation and rail warrants allowing them to return home to their loved ones. It also provided assistance to 2,656 widows, 4,724 orphans, and 1,122 aged parents for whom the loss of the only breadwinner was devastating.

To commemorate their contribution, we have produced a short video recognising the vital importance of merchant seafarers and fishermen to the war effort.

We are hopeful that this year, and in years to come, our national broadcaster, the BBC, will include the Remembrance Sunday service at Tower Hill in its schedule to honour the men of the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets and their vital contribution to two world wars and the Falklands. Their sacrifice and bravery should not be forgotten. g Since 1839, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society has provided financial assistance to fishermen, merchant mariners and their dependants who have suffered hardship, misfortune or poverty as a result of loss, accident, illness, disability, unemployment or face difficult circumstances in retirement. In 2015, grants worth a total of £1.4m were given in more than 2,000 cases of need. g To watch our commemorative video, or to donate and help the lives of mariners and their dependants facing financial hardship, visit www.shipwreckedmariners.org.uk. Follow us on Twitter @ShipwreckedSoc. g Following a campaign by Merchant Navy representatives reported in the Telegraph last year, the Geographer’s A-Z Map Company has pledged to add the memorial at Tower Hill to future editions of the London A-Z.

Full course listing: www.lloydsmaritimeacademy.com/ntdlm Lloyd’s and the Lloyd’s Crest are the registered trademarks of the Society incorporated by the Lloyd’s Act 1871 by the name of “Lloyd’s”.

Remembering the fallen at Tower Hill Picture: Shipwrecked Mariners

28_shipwreck_SR edit.indd Sec2:28

21/09/2016 13:51

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 29

SEAFARER TRAINING

If we don’t adapt, we’re out of a job How can seafarer training keep pace with the rapid advances in shipboard technology?

ROB GALE, an instructor with ECDIS Ltd, sees signs of hope…

I

We are asking ourselves more and more about how well-prepared traditional maritime institutions are to provide training for modern seafarers operating on evolving new ships with varied new equipment. How relevant and appropriate are the varying BTM, BRM and CRM syllabuses offered around the world?

Unfortunately, initial outlay for a new simulator is expensive.

An average 360-degree FMB costs over £300,000. In conjunction with rapid changes in marine technology, this is putting pressure on colleges to adopt several of the 38 different manufacturers of ECDIS alone for their simulators.

This raises the question of whether these institutions can reasonably keep pace with the current demands of training the industry as a whole. We have to approach the dangerous question of how effective a bridge training course is, if it does not use any of the actual bridge equipment fitted to the student’s vessel.

Yes, we could argue that the courses can still teach the principles of navigation — but surely the closer we are to practising on our actual equipment, the better. Imagine an aircraft training centre that teaches pilots how to fly in a simulator with no equipment similar to their actual aircraft. Would we still be happy to get onboard assuming the first time the pilot worked through the ‘what if’ equipment and team failures was during a real emergency or accident at 35,000ft?

environment for bridge training To provide a solution, we need to establish the main problems: 1. Ships now sail to and from many more coastal ports and marinas than ever before. Can all simulators replicate this?

2. Who is the modern seafarer and what are his/her training requirements? Does the modern seafarer require more training than seafarers of the past?

3. Does the classroom/simulator environment actually work?

Since coming ashore, I have

ence for the seafarer in line with their actual vessels. This is not a complaint, as it is very much the job of the training institutions to adapt and provide a solution.

However, the industry must accept the implications of this investment, which is hard for many during times of austerity.

Another significant evolution is the variety of new emerging ports and the reality that modern vessels may be used to travel anywhere, at any time. This leads to the need for training centres

to practise on. A video can be found at www.ecdis.org/ituSim. The third element of making modern and relevant simulator training courses is ensuring that the course and simulators reflect the needs and learning requirements of the modern seafarer.

The recently published 94-page ECDIS Type Specific White Paper (free to download at www.eMaritimeGroup.com) deals directly with the needs of a modern seafarer using a model established by an education consultant called

modules such as simulated cyber attacks during ‘at sea’ exercises on the BTM course, and cyber security.

Like it or not, the average age of seafarers is steadily falling and their needs are also changing from traditional ones to more current problems.

An indicator of this is that younger seafarers consider an internet connection and Facebook availability almost as important as pay! Research and development trials have begun

”

There are currently 75,000 SOLAS-registered vessels operating at sea that require bridge team and resource training. As a result of the sheer number of vessel types and bridge interfaces and, of course, different navigation systems, there is huge demand for preparing current and future seafarers with the most realistic

29_ecdis_SR edit.indd 29

to eliminate or reduce the risk of these happening.

Richard North, a well-respected marine investigator from Marine Accident Digital Investigations delivers the investigation module of the new bridge team management course at ECDIS Ltd. He states: ‘We are all aware that the marine industry is a reactive one.

To attempt to curb this philosophy we must understand what is currently failing the system. By engaging shipping companies and using this information we

“

Change isn’t coming, it’s already here — but perhaps not spread as evenly as we would hope

”

can help provide specific training material and be proactive in raising awareness through courses such as bridge team management.’

An example of this would be the recent addition of voyage data recording modules as part of the BTM course.

I

“

Can a simulator replicate every port?

Does the classroom environment actually work?

ECDIS instructor Rob Gale

Research into the usability of different ECDIS systems is being carried out at the ECDIS Ltd training centre, in cooperation with Bournemouth University

taken a role as an instructor for navigation and bridge systems.

There are obvious issues we seafarers face — in particular, the emerging and swiftly changing world of technology. As a seafarer, now ashore as an instructor, I have been able to look at some of these problems in greater detail and from a different perspective — and see both sides of the fence.

Maritime training facilities not only have to make international bridge equipment systems ‘talk’ to each other, but also overcome the issues of the multiple operating systems used at sea from Windows to Linux and Apple, so that their simulators reflect the real world.

Further to this are the varying range of ergonomic options needed when creating full mission bridge simulators, to create the most realistic experi-

to help seafarers practise some of these new ports prior to arrival.

I

There may now be technological advances to assist. Trevor Linn, the CEO of Turbulent, explains: ‘Port creation technology has become so advanced and efficient that some companies like ours can create detailed ports tailored to the customer’s needs and timeframes using methods such as satellite imagery to provide detail to an environment as technology continues to advance.’

A good example of this is a recent successful project in Turkey where several sectors, from tankers to tug operators, coordinated the construction of a new simulator complex, custom-built to their exact requirements, which produced hundreds of miles of bespoke simulated areas

Prensky titled Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.

An extract of the Type Specific White Paper reads: ‘What are the expectations of the seafarer we are procuring this equipment for, and what is their capacity to learn and use safely? If we follow Prensky’s model, a digital native seafarer is one born after 1980, with technology in his hand. Essentially, here in 2016, a 36-year-old seafarer is the first generation of mariners “in command”. Perhaps this marks the current generation of seafarers as the “transformation generation” and it’s the last chance for traditional seafarers to pass on (or not) their methods, ethics, and ideology before they have gone forever.’

The new bridge training syllabus is starting to reflect this notion of e-Navigation and modern seafarers’ concerns. It has new

to assess the impact of bridge training on both younger and older seafarers.

Admiral Nick Lambert, a nonexecutive director at ECDIS Ltd, has been a keen participant in the development of training syllabuses to suit the transition to digital native seafarers. ‘Research through the eyes of current seafarers enables us to really understand their cognitive behaviour, and as a result we can establish and provide the right training to really harness the potential of a bridge team,’ he says.

I

Recent reports have indicated that almost 96% of maritime accidents are due to ‘human error’. The MAIB and other investigative bodies are working together with companies and colleges to look into incidents, attempting to understand ways

New ships, new ports, new skills, new officers and a next generation of simulators are without doubt making bridge training courses more effective. Change isn’t coming, it’s already here — but perhaps not spread as evenly throughout the world as we would hope.

A colleague of mine, Mark Broster, was recently presented with the Royal Institute of Navigation Fellowship by the Duke of Edinburgh ‘in recognition of his significant and innovative contribution to the development of modern digital navigation and bridge team training in the global maritime industry’. His passion is ensuring that seafarers receive the best and most comprehensive training, without cutting corners to save money or time. He is not alone in this quest, and there is significant work taking place all over the world to adapt to the needs of modern ships and seafarers. It would appear that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

If we do not all adapt, we run the risk of being swept away with the digital tide. As we know, technology and tide waits for no one.

21/09/2016 18:32

30 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

OFFWATCH ships of the past

Burma’s great river fleet

by Trevor Boult the old Flotilla lay/Can’t you ‘ear F their paddles chunkin’/From Rangoon

‘Come you back to Mandalay/Where

to Mandalay?’ — thus Rudyard Kipling immortalised the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company — IF — of Burma.

After four paddle steamers, sent by the Bengal Marine to Burma to help prosecute the Second Burmese War, were taken over by private enterprise in 1865, they became the foundation of the greatest river fleet the world has ever known. The Irrawaddy River is one of the great natural highways of the world and the key to prosperity in both Lower and Upper Burma.

The Flotilla played a vital role in the short Third Burmese War of 1885 and contributed significantly to the economic development of Burma. From its inception the Flotilla attracted men of the finest calibre to serve afloat and ashore; locally engaged from Chittagong or Burma itself.

Most from overseas came from Scotland.

The company had a shaky beginning, the director stating that, having started with a very loud trumpet blast ‘we are now humiliatingly performing on a penny whistle!’ But it did manage to maintain the government contract without default and to build on the business.

Soon the Flotilla was sufficiently robust to deploy steamers on a regular fortnightly service between Rangoon and Mandalay.

Two accompanying ‘flats’ — shallowdraught barges with covered decks — were towed by steamer; one at each paddle-box.

Over time the technique was established of keeping the steamers moving and leaving the flats at various stations to work cargo.

A huge diversity of cargo was carried, such as bales of cotton, blocks of jade, marble Buddhas, elephants, motor cars, sewing machines, soap and whisky.

Upper Burma had been an independent sovereign territory. A great exchange of trade was allowed to develop between it and British Lower Burma. Amicable relations

The 1977 book about the Irrawaddy Flotilla

by Alistair McCrae and Alan Prentice showing steamer Nepaul on the cover

were maintained with the Burmese Court during the lifetime of ‘the old King’. The accession to the throne of King Thebaw was heralded in by cold-blooded massacres and studied disregard of his treaty obligations.

The final outcome was the annexation of Upper Burma by Britain in the Third Burmese War. The Flotilla was involved in evacuating Europeans from Mandalay and delivering the ultimatum to King Thebaw, which he refused. A force of 10,000 soldiers, plus artillery, on arrival in Rangoon from India was transferred directly to IF steamers and flats, to transport the expeditionary force upriver. Unconditional surrender was achieved in less than three weeks. Thebaw, together with his Queen, was conducted by Flotilla steamer en route to exile in India.

Until 1886, when searchlights were introduced, night steaming was seldom

practised. To observers, their effect was mesmerising: ‘The river scene stood out as a flat picture up to several miles ahead and colours were vivid, with the green of the jungle and the white and gold of the riverside pagodas.’ Of their captains you find: ‘a plain man, with weariness written about the corners of his red eyes... And they run their ships with a skill and daring of which they are wholly unconscious.’

By the late 1880s competition for traffic between IF and the state-owned railway had become intense. Carriage of crude oil from the central Burma oilfields assumed importance. Special tank flats and towing steamers were deployed in this trade.

In the early 20th century the Flotilla operated the largest new-build shallow draught river side-paddle steamers ever to exist. They remained the last word for the Express Service between Rangoon and Mandalay until 1942. Their engines enabled them to tow two laden flats. They were licensed to carry 4,200 passengers and the 600-mile passage in the low water season took five days or less.

In the First World War, 89 Flotilla vessels — manned by volunteers — were requisitioned for the Mesopotamia campaign along the River Tigris: most were ‘run to death’. Replacing fleet losses, the 1920s brought a peak of prosperity to Burma. The IF then exceeded 600 craft.

In the Second World War, Burma was overrun by Japanese armies. The IF contributed to the British retreat. Over a period, virtually the entire fleet was scuttled to deny its use by the enemy. An understated official diary entry reads: ‘worked all night sinking ships and paying wages.’ At the last, special demolition forces which destroyed vital refineries were carried safely by Flotilla steamers out to the last ships held for their escape to Calcutta.

The calamitous events of 1942 essentially marked the end of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. In 1948 Burma achieved independence, after which the Flotilla Company was nationalised.

Telegraph prize crossword The winner of this month’s cryptic crossword competition will win a copy of the book Down by the Markes by Mike Gough (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.

During the past year, the merchant fleets of the world increased by almost 10.1m tons gross, but the British fleet increased by a mere 11,000 tons. In contrast, the Liberian fleet increased by over 3m tons and the Japanese by 2.75m tons. If present trends continue the day may not be far away when Britain will have to give up to Liberia its position of owner of the world’s largest merchant fleet. The decline of the British share of world tonnage has been going on for 60 years now, but it had become sharper in recent years. To keep up with modern developments, such as containerships and more sophisticated vessels for special trades, British shipping will require a great deal of capital and far-seeing and competent management MN Journal, October 1966

25 YEARS AGO Nearly 250 officers’ jobs are at risk under shock cutback plans revealed

by Sealink Stena Line. The proposals — which have been condemned by NUMAST — also involve the closure of the Folkestone-Boulogne service, a pay freeze until 1993 and 2.2 crewing in all ports. Management have warned that the company’s survival depends upon the implementation of the cuts, which would see the loss of 115 officers’ jobs in Folkestone, 41 in Dover, 48 in Stranraer, 13 in Fishguard, nine in Harwich and two in Southampton. Many of the job losses will be created by the company’s plan to cut passenger services department numbers to minimum safe manning levels as well as by introducing new crewing arrangements The Telegraph, October 1991

10 YEARS AGO Cargo owners, charterers, banks, insurance companies and P&I clubs could be called to account in a new phase of the International Transport Workers’ Federation campaign against flags of convenience. Speaking at the International Shipping Federation conference in London last month, ITF general secretary Stephen Cotton said unions want to ensure that such key players within the shipping industry behave in a responsible manner. He said the ITF’s recent congress had decided to carry out a systematic review of the FoC campaign and to examine ways in which developments such as the growth of second registers have affected it.

Mr Cotton said now is a good time to intensify the campaign because of the serious questions about security posed by a system that provides a ‘corporate veil of secrecy’ The Telegraph, October 2006

THEQUIZ 1

Roughly how many ship transits of the Suez Canal took place last year?

2

Only 20% of German-owned ships are on the country’s main register. Which flag has the biggest share of the fleet?

3

Whose fleet has more tankers on its books — Cyprus or Malta?

4

What was the TEU capacity of the largest containership 20 years ago?

5

Which ship held the North Atlantic Blue Riband for the longest period?

6

The author Joseph Conrad was a merchant seafarer.

What was the highest rank he attained?

J Answers on page 42.

Name: Address:

Telephone:

Membership No.:

Closing date is Friday 14 October 2016.

QUICK CLUES 1.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

16.

19.

21.

22.

24.

25.

26.

1.

2.

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30_offwatch_SR edit.indd 30

50 YEARS AGO

Across Bare (11) Musician (7) Chat (7) Nameless (9) In the vicinity (5) Requirement (4) Studier of space (10) Learner (10) Attempt (4) Bird (5) Dumas hero (9) Holy sayings (7) Labour (7) Subjugated (11)

Down Twinkle twinkle little star ...

(2,5,3,5) Magical being (5) Portions (7) Tooth (7) Fracture (8)

6. Incey wincey spider climbed up the waterspout … (4,4,3,4) 7. Twist (6) 8. Dealer in chuckies (6) 15. Left-handed boxer (8) 16. Container (6) 17. Acrobat (7) 18. Dish (7) 20. Rob (6) 23. Antelope (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES 1.

9.

11.

12.

13.

14.

16.

Across Spitting images of late campanologists (4,6) So EU, after a mixed gin, on some rocks (7) Content to rock PM’s bag (9) Leaves for Canada (5) Actual translation of Lear (4) Niece slept badly through plague (10) Saw in mind’s eye the boxer in six bob second hand version

(10) 19. Knock toe against the end after a smoke (4) 21. Did some snooping amongst Reno’s education sector (5) 22. 500 or 1,001 Conservative party beds (9) 24. Labour’s painful experience of halving trap ahead of benefit (7) 25. For preparing egg, fish died left right and even centre (7) 26. Without decent attention to the flavour (11)

Down And state Stalin’s teeth might get into without help (6,9) 2. A small greenhouse fruit’s in tiny bits (5) 3. Get back to original state, with remainder on mineral deposits (7) 4. “I have perceived a most faint --- of late” (King Lear) (7) 1.

5. Complementary outfit for performance (8) 6. Yes upset about state of madness Internet provocateur employed in supermarket (8,7) 7. Ring moulded with iron and slipped on here (6) 8. Member of Dead Sea people, seen scattered around south east (6) 15. Come down to earth with religious service for the continent (8) 16. Fair title Thackeray could pride himself on (6) 17. Enjoy when glued in place (6) 18. Trouble with listeners (7) 20. Sounds like farm buildings for retail staff (6) 23. Flower of pre-technological revolution, without the trial (5) J Answers on page 42.

21/09/2016 13:48

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 31

MARITIME BOOKS

How merchant ships founded an empire A Low Set of Blackguards: The East India Company and its Maritime Service 1600-1834 (Volume one, The Heroic Age 1600-1707)

By Captain Richard Woodman ISBN 978 09954 98402 Limited edition paperback available from the author for £15 + P&P — richardwoodman@btinternet.com Also available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle, £4.99 multinational companies, it can be easy to K forget the East India Company — a British firm In these days of globalisation and

initially established to pursue trade with the East Indies which ended up accounting for half of global trade and ruling significant chunks of India with its own private armies.

Former Trinity House master Richard Woodman concentrates on the ships and the seafarers who made this remarkable operation so successful in this new two-volume work, sub-titled The East India Company & its Maritime Service.

The first volume, The Heroic Age, covers the first century of the East India Company’s existence,

from 1600–1707, by which time it had fought off competition and swallowed its rivals.

In the introduction, Capt Woodman notes the strong claim for the company to be considered as the pioneer of global capitalism — or as a ‘protopost-modern corporation’ — and its power was something that puts today’s multinationals into the shade, ruling over many millions of people, issuing its own coinage and controlling a standing army of more than 200,000.

The sea was core to its success, and Capt Woodman is keen to ensure that the largely unappreciated contribution played by ships and seafarers is properly recognised — the book covers the early struggles to establish trading stations throughout the India seas, with a big focus on the remarkable achievements of its ships.

He tells of their pioneering hydrographic survey work, testing and improving methods of navigation and perfecting ways of carrying valuable cargoes over long distances and in testing conditions — whilst also dealing with the twin ravages of piracy and scurvy (not to mention

The book runs to almost 250 pages, with more than 175 pictures, charts, and illustrations further explaining the crucial methods to maintaining safe operations. Capt Todorov breaks down all manner of issues, such as damage reports and how lashings should be distributed.

The work will prove indispensable to ship officers, operators, managers, superintendents, and surveyors, as well as anyone involved in the operation of ro-ro ships.

Nice photos, shame about New to ro-ro? the analysis Here’s all you need to know Ro-Ro Handbook: A practical guide to roll-on roll-off cargo ships

By Capt Delyan Mihaylov Todorov Schiffer Publishing, US$34.99 ISBN: 978 07643 51235 f www.schifferbooks.com onboard ro-ro ships and car K carriers have relied heavily on their

Newly-appointed senior officers

training, wits and common sense when dealing with issues during their first trips. Until now no guide has been made available to ease them through some of the tricky situations that could await them.

Realising this gap in the market existed, and thinking back to his own experiences, Captain Delyan Todorov — who started his seagoing career in 2002 and took command of a ro-ro in 2010 — took it upon himself to create the first all-encompassing handbook.

Ro-Ro Handbook: A practical guide to roll-on roll-off cargo ships is a comprehensive guide detailing the procedures for the safe and efficient operation of such ships — from loading and unloading at dockside to navigating the open seas.

Thirteen chapters cover everything from ship development, ports and terminals, hold ventilation, cargo-handling equipment, transport regulations and ship handling to fire safety and maintenance.

31_books_jcw edit_SR edit.indd 31

Andrea Doria and Other Recent Liner Disasters

By William Miller Amberley Publishing, £14.99 ISBN: 978 14456 61292 fwww.amberley-books.com

can go by without a new K title from William Miller, and his

It seems that barely a month

latest work continues his well-worn fascination with passenger shipping by cataloguing some of the most

attacks from rival navies).

In another parallel with modernday business practices, the East India Company was not a ship-owning entity — it actually chartered-in appropriate tonnage, setting specifications covering vessels and their crew which bound them exclusively to the company’s service.

Interestingly, Capt Woodman points out, by the late 18th century the company was providing pensions for some of its seafarers and also tolerated a form of trade union amongst its ships’ commanders.

The book underlines the way in which the East India Company had mastered the art of long, blue-water voyages well before the Royal Navy, and how merchant ships managed to pave the way for the British empire. The ‘blackguard’ title is drawn from a comment made by an insubordinate midshipman, and while Richard Woodman says the book is not intended to restore the reputation

the significance of the incident, and how — despite investigations being ‘buried’ by the authorities — it left a legacy of improved radar training for officers.

Other incidents — which range from Normandie to Costa Concordia — are treated with less depth, and while the book has some good photographs, it lacks a coherent oversight to fully explain the safety issues that affect the industry. A concluding chapter with careful analysis would have made it a much more interesting read.

notable disasters to have affected the sector. Stretching the understanding of the term ‘recent’, the book delves back as far as the 1940s in its examination of more than 30 major casualties, charting a mix of fires, groundings, collisions and wartime attacks.

Most of the case histories are dealt with in a couple of pages, but the book has the Andrea Doria at its core — marking the 60th anniversary of the sinking of the Italian liner, with the loss of 46 lives, following a collision with the Swedish American vessel Stockholm. Mr Miller notes

Mylne’s vision of elegance and speed Great Yacht Designs by Alfred Mylne, 1921-1945

By Ian Nicolson Amberley Books, £19.99 ISBN: 978 14456 49085 fwww.amberley-books.com dramatically over the K years, and the reason forr

Yachting has changed

of the company company, he wants readers to form their own opinions on whether such a description is merited.

Certainly, he notes, the achievements and failings of the company’s seafarers throw a light on many other aspects of British social life at the time.

Replete with impressive detail, the book should appeal to readers interested in maritime history in Great Britain and India.

we’ve seen over the last century is the graft and vision of one man: Alfred Mylne the First, who designed exciting, beautiful yachts which have won many races over the past 120 years.

Now, across 20 chapters and 128 pages, author Ian Nicolson takes a look at some of the best vessels created between 1921 and 1945 in the beautifully-illustrated book Great Yacht Designs by Alfred Mylne.

Combining well-researched writing with some wonderfully dated concept art, Mr Nicholson looks at yachts including Melmore, Blue Peter, Faith and Caleta — later renamed Atlantide.

Each of the vessels has cruised far and wide, and many still traverse the oceans to this day.

and with today’s access to self-publishing K and e-books, it’s easier than ever to share that

Most seafarers have a great story in them,

tale with the world. For Mike Gough, it was his own coming-of-age in the Merchant Navy that drove him to put pen to paper, and he has produced a vivid memoir of his time as an apprentice deck officer in the 1950s.

Written in the third person as the story of the English teenager ‘Mike’, the account is probably fictionalised to a degree, in the sense that all our memories are reconstructed and influenced by later experiences. But the narrative will ring true to maritime readers, and will no doubt prompt

some wry smiles of recognition, especially from those who started out in the mid-20th century.

Down by the Markes starts with Mike’s first taste of the sea as a 13-year-old, when he spent three gruelling weeks working on an Arctic-bound Hull trawler (recruited via his school as some kind of pre-Health & Safety work experience placement). This made him determined not to stay in the fishing industry, but the sea itself still appealed, so upon finishing school he managed to secure an apprenticeship with the cargo shipping company Buries Markes.

From then on, the story follows a course similar to most MN memoirs, as Mike finds his feet onboard, making friends and enemies, and learning his trade as he explores the world.

The young man’s return home is also fondly remembered, with his discovery that local girls are attracted by his uniform, and that everyone he knows is impressed that he has visited the United States.

Made on the Isle of Wight

By David Williams The History Press, £20 ISBN: 978 07509 67549 hotbed of industrial invention K and ingenuity — and this nicely-

some of the innovations

The Isle of Wight has been a

An initiation tale that will strike a chord with maritime readers Down by the Markes

By Mike Gough Mike Gough Publications, £12.99 ISBN: 978 09572 95469 Also available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle f www.mikegoughpublications.co.uk

The story of an island’s impressive industry

the bbookk iis a well-written All iin all, ll th ll itt andd enjoyable account of a time that seems both familiar and remote, and it leaves the reader wishing that some pictures of Mike’s adventures had been included — something to consider for a future edition, perhaps.

written book aims to shine a light on the somewhat hidden history of its impressive output.

Unsurprisingly for an island, much of this output was marine-related — ranging from submarines to brigantines. One yard alone, White’s, produced more than 2,500 vessels in its 100-year lifespan.

The Isle of Wight was also the home of the hovercraft. Not only were 108 produced on the island, but it also served as the stage for the development and testing work, utilising the expertise built up by the Saunders-Roe company in its production of flying boats.

Well supported by some marvellous archive photography, the book includes some fascinating nuggets — including a passengercargo airliner developed for the P&O Line, a prototype jetski, the ‘cockleshell’ canoe, early electric cars and a remarkable series of ‘amphibian aircraft’.

21/09/2016 15:51

32 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

NL NEWS

Nederlandse pagina’s per email Vanaf deze editie van de Telegraph zullen wij, bij wijze van proef, naar zoveel mogelijk leden met een emailadres de Nederlandse pagina’s als pdf sturen. Het is de bedoeling om deze proef uit te voeren t/m januari 2017.

Daarna zullen wij u vragen om een korte enquête in te vullen of u er prijs op stelt om de

Nederlandse pagina’s per email te ontvangen.

Het belangrijkste gegeven is dan wel dat we van iedereen een juist emailadres hebben. Dus is uw emailadres gewijzigd of heeft u het nog niet aan de ledenadministratie doorgegeven en u wilt graag deze pagina’s ontvangen: geef uw emailadres dan door. Dank u wel.

Met zijn allen lid geworden van FNV Waterbouw FNV Waterbouw voorzitter F Charley Ramdas en adjunct Op 16 september brachten

bestuurder Jelle de Boer een bezoek aan boord van de

Kaliwaal 41. Sinds kort zijn hier alle medewerkers lid geworden van FNV Waterbouw. Daarom ook vond hier aan boord een eerste kennismaking plaats.

Wij hebben Facebook.

Volg ons ook!

Bezoek www.nautilusint.org

Volg ons op Twitter

Geef uw mening Vorige maand vroegen wij: Denkt u dat stagiairs meer training op simulatoren kunnen doen, om zo het probleem van onvoldoende stageplaatsen te ondervangen

Nee 67%

Ja 33%

De poll van deze maand is: Denkt u ook dat een soort luchtvaart controlesysteem voor het scheepvaartverkeer onvermijdelijk is? Geef ons uw mening online, op nautilusint.org/nl

32-35_nl.indd 32

De FNV kiest 15 maart voor Echte Banen en een solidaire samenleving A

Op 15 maart 2017 mogen we in Nederland naar de stembus. De FNV, waarbij ook Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw zijn aangesloten, heeft een duidelijke agenda: Nederland is toe aan meer zekerheid, kwaliteit en koopkracht met Echte banen en een solidaire samenleving met meer gelijkheid.

Zo’n drie op de vier Nederlanders is de groei van het aantal onzekere contracten meer dan zat. Verder willen zij meer kwaliteit en hogere lonen.

Senioren en uitkeringsgerechtigden willen fatsoenlijke koopkracht, zekerheid en een goede kwaliteit van leven. De FNV vindt dat de economie aangejaagd moet worden door te investeren in de kwaliteit van de samenleving en door mensen meer zekerheid en koopkracht te geven. Daarom kiest de FNV voor zekerheid, kwaliteit en koopkracht door Echte Banen en een solidaire samenleving. De FNV roept de politiek en alle stemmers op deze keuze te vertalen in hun verkiezingsinzet en stemgedrag.

vakbeweging om de Wet Werk en Zekerheid en de Wet Aanpak Schijnconstructies te vertalen naar meer Echte banen en minder onzeker werk. De theorie ligt er, nu de praktijk nog. Payroll kan gewoon verboden worden. z Stop de verdringing — Stop de verdringing van Echte banen door: cao ontwijking, premie shoppen, schijnzelfstandigheid, werk zonder loon in de uitkering en nep stages. Laat Nederland Europees koploper zijn in gelijk werk = gelijk loon! z Een solidair stelsel — We willen een solidaire samenleving met een stelsel dat zekerheid geeft op basis van rechten in plaats van gunsten. Een samenleving die we met elkaar bouwen in plaats van eenzaam overgeleverd te zijn aan pech en de grillen van commerciële verzekeraars. Sociale partners willen dit stelsel mede vorm kunnen geven, ook om van werk naar werk en scholing goed vorm te geven. we willen een generatiepact dat jeugdwerkloosheid aanpakt en minder werken (deeltijd) voor ouderen mogelijk maakt.

Meer kwaliteit!

Meer zekerheid!

z Meer Echte Contracten — Start

een offensief samen met de

z Meer Echte banen voor een betere samenleving — In Nederland is werk genoeg, als we er met zijn

allen in willen investeren. Dus kies voor meer Echte banen, minder werkeloosheid en een betere kwaliteit van de samenleving door te investeren in milieu, onderwijs, zorg, veiligheid, infrastructuur, innovatief industriebeleid, cultuur en al het andere wat ons land krachtig en mooi maakt. z Ruimte voor vakmanschap — Nederlandse werkers willen kwaliteit kunnen leveren. Dit kan met voldoende collega’s, ruimte voor vakmanschap en scholing.

Dit gedijt het beste in Echte banen waarbij de werkgever en de werknemer in elkaar en in de arbeidsrelatie investeren. z Beter combineren werk en zorg — Het leven is meer dan werk, werknemers willen meer zeggenschap om werk en privé beter in te delen. De FNV pleit o.a. voor tien dagen kraamverlof voor de partner van de moeder. Als we aan het werk zijn, willen we onze kinderen toe kunnen vertrouwen aan goede kinderopvang en scholing en onze ouderen en zieken aan goede zorgverleners. z Minder ziekte door werk — goed werk is goed voor mensen, slecht werk maakt mensen ziek. Minder werkdruk meer collega’s!

We willen meer zeggenschap van werknemers over hun

arbeidsomstandigheden en meer arbeidsinspecteurs die ingrijpen als het mis gaat. Verder wil de FNV een lobby voor veilig en gezond werk in Nederland en in Europa.

Meer koopkracht!

z Meer Koopkracht voor werknemers. De Nederlandse Bank zegt het, de binnenlandse markt heeft het nodig en de werknemer is er dringend aan toe: meer Koopkracht! Jong volwassenen krijgen dankzij de acties van FNV Young and United al een mooie loonsverhoging per 2017-2018 (de eerste stap naar heel loon), nu de rest van Nederland nog. ZZP’ers moeten een eerlijk tarief kunnen vragen, ook om zich te kunnen verzekeren. z Meer Koopkracht voor senioren en uitkeringsgerechtigden — Ook onze senioren en uitkeringsgerechtigden lopen ernstig achter, zij willen meer koopkracht. z Eerlijk belasten rijken en multinationals — Het verschil tussen arm en rijk is te groot.

Miljonairs kunnen te makkelijk onze belastingen ontduiken, net zoals de grote multinationals.

De gewone werknemer en het midden- en kleinbedrijf betalen hierdoor te veel. Het belastingstelsel moet eerlijker.

21/09/2016 16:37

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 33

NL NEWS

Piraterij: belangrijk A wetsvoorstel VVD wederom een Algemeen F Overleg (AO) Piraterij in de Op 23 juni 2016 vond er

Tweede Kamer plaats. De uitkomst van het overleg was uitermate teleurstellend. Er bleek bij de Kamercommissie van Defensie geen meerderheid te zijn voor het beleidsvoornemen van het Kabinet om private gewapende beveiliging aan boord van zeeschepen mogelijk te maken.

Wel of geen Kamermeerderheid?

Het Ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie had voor het AO aangegeven dat zij alleen tot het opstellen van wetgeving zouden overgaan in het geval er een Kamermeerderheid zou zijn. Kamerleden van de Kamercommissie van Defensie vroegen tijdens het AO aan de minister van Defensie wederom om de mogelijkheid van kleinere VPD (marine) teams te onderzoeken, terwijl Defensie al meerdere malen had aangegeven dat het probleem niet in de grootte van de VPD teams zit, maar in de tijd, die het aanvragen van de diplomatieke toestemming van het land waar het VPD team aan boord gaat duurt.

Hier kan Defensie geen invloed op uitoefenen, waardoor Defensie voor schepen in de spotmarkt niet snel genoeg een VPD team kan leveren. De Kamerleden lijken dit -ondanks ons uitvoerige uitleg tijdens bezoeken aan Kamerleden en tijdens het Ronde Tafelgesprekniet te (willen) begrijpen.

VVD wetsvoorstel naar Raad van State

Gelukkig vindt de VVD het besluitvormingsproces in dit dossier veel te lang duren en gaat Tweede Kamerlid Han ten Broeke (VVD) een wetsvoorstel indienen om op korte termijn wettelijk te regelen dat rederijen onder strikte voorwaarden op schepen onder Nederlandse vlag private gewapende beveiligers mogen inhuren om zich te beschermen tegen piraterij. De verwachting is dat het wetsvoorstel op korte termijn naar de Raad van State zal worden toegezonden.

Niettemin blijft er natuurlijk wel een Kamermeerderheid vereist. Wellicht dat er na de verkiezingen sprake zal zijn van een andere Kamersamenstelling en er alsnog een meerderheid voor het wetsvoorstel zal zijn.

Boskalis traineert onderhandelingen over sociaal plan!

Op 14 september 2016, stond een onderhandelingsronde gepland tussen Boskalis en Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw over Fairmount en de Baggerdivisie.

Echter, kort hiervoor heeft Boskalis deze afspraak onverwacht afgezegd.

De geplande poortactie ging wel door. Inmiddels heeft Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw Boskalis dringend verzocht een nieuwe afspraak te maken voor overleg (meer hierover in de Telegraph november).

Zo’n 25 met ontslag bedreigde (vooral) Nederlandse opvarenden van de zeeslepers Fairmount Glacier en de Fairmount Summit gaven 31 augustus in de haven van Aberdeen (Schotland) een ‘sociaal signaal’ af aan Boskalisdirecteur Peter Berdowski.

De bemanning hield een ‘speciale brandoefening’ en gebruikte daarbij spandoeken.

Op de spandoeken stonden teksten als ‘Boskalis: Einde Hollands Glorie’, ‘Boskalis met Fairmount op ram(p)koers’ en ‘Protect Jobs, Skills and the Future’.

Hiermee gaf de bemanning van de Glacier en de Summit een ‘duidelijk sociaal signaal’ af aan de Boskalis directie. Het signaal luidt: ‘Heroverweeg de reorganisatie plannen. Want na het gesprek met de vakbonden op 25 augustus, bleek dat het er ernstig op lijkt dat Boskalis deze kille sanering gewoon door wil drukken.’

Protestactie 31 augustus in Aberdeen

Zeevarenden Fairmount Glacier en Summit geven sociaal signaal af

‘Boskalis geen sociale werkplaats’

FNV Waterbouw voorzitter/ Nautilus secretaris Charley Ramdas: ‘Na onze eerste protestactie op 17 augustus voor de poort bij Boskalis in Papendrecht, gaf CEO Peter Berdowski onder meer als commentaar dat ‘Boskalis geen sociale werkplaats was’. Die opmerking is bij veel Boskalis en Fairmount medewerkers behoorlijk in het verkeerde keelgat geschoten. Zo zet je hardwerkende werknemers, die jarenlang mee hebben gebouwd aan dit ‘Hollands Gloriebedrijf’ niet aan de kant. Daarom ook wilde de bemanning van de Glacier en de Summit een ‘duidelijk sociaal signaal’ afgeven aan de Boskalis directie om hun reorganisatieplannen serieus te heroverwegen.’

Vlootbezoek/ ledenvergadering

Tevens vond er op deze dag een vlootbezoek en ledenvergadering aan boord van de Fairmount Glacier plaats. Namens FNV Waterbouw/Nautilus waren adjunct bestuurder Maarten

ITF steunt Nautilus International/ FNV Waterbouw inzake Boskalis reorganisatie

F

Ook de internationale vakbond voor werknemers in de transportbranche (ITF) is solidair met Nautilus International/ FNV Waterbouw in hun strijd om Boskalis te verhinderen vakbekwame zeevarenden te ontslaan.

De ITF stuurde een internationaal persbericht uit op 30 augustus, wat door diverse internationale maritieme- en transportbladen werd gepubliceerd. In Nederland onder meer door het Nieuwsblad Transport.

Enkele quotes uit dit persbericht: Sociale dumping

Jacqueline Smith, maritieme coördinator van ITF: ‘Boskalis blijft nog steeds winst maken, dus het is duidelijk dat dit een geval is van botte sociale dumping — ze laten kwetsbare werknemers specialistisch werk doen voor lage lonen. Het bedrijf misbruikt zeevarenden door hun salarissen te verminderen zonder rekening te houden met de gevolgen voor de werknemers. De ITF staat volledig achter Nautilus /

32-35_nl.indd 33

FNV Waterbouw bij het aan het licht te brengen en aan de kaak te stellen van deze praktijken. De door Boskalis voorgenomen maatregelen zijn zowel slecht voor werknemers als voor de bedrijfsvoering.’

Nautilus International blij met ITF steun

Algemeen secretaris van Nautilus International, Mark Dickinson, voegde daar aan toe: ‘Als er mensen ontslagen moeten worden als gevolg van werkvermindering, dan moet Boskalis ons de financiële gegevens verstrekken waaruit blijkt dat dat inderdaad onvermijdelijk is. Pas daarna kunnen we met hen de dialoog aangaan om ervoor te zorgen dat de betrokken werknemers intern worden herplaatst. Iets wat gemakkelijk te realiseren zou moeten zijn binnen een mondiaal bedrijf als Boskalis, met meer dan 8.000 mensen in dienst. Totdat ze hierin voorzien, zullen we tegen deze plannen blijven vechten. We zijn erg blij met de steun van de ITF die we daarbij krijgen.’

Keuss en communicatie adviseur Hans Walthie aanwezig. Het bezoek van de bond werd zeer op

prijs gesteld. Zoals een van de bemanningsleden opmerkte: ‘We krijgen natuurlijk veel

informatie via e-mail, maar direct contact spreekt veel meer aan en is erg belangrijk. Daarom is het goed dat de bond aan boord komt.’

De leden — en ook niet-ledenvan de Glacier en de Summit werden bijgepraat over de stand van zaken rondom de reorganisatieplannen van Boskalis en het gesprek daarover met de bonden op 25 augustus.

Aan het eind van de vergadering bleek dat nagenoeg alle aanwezigen instemden met het verhogen van de druk op Boskalis om de kille saneringsplannen van tafel te krijgen.’

Nieuwe cao Jumbo Crew Services A

Nautilus International heeft een nieuwe cao afgesloten met Jumbo Crew Services (JCS). Op 31 augustus waren de leden van JCS in meerderheid akkoord met het onderhandelingsresultaat, nadat ook een schriftelijke peiling onder de niet aanwezige leden een positieve uitslag te zien gaf. De looptijd van de nieuwe cao is 11 maanden; van 1 mei 2016 tot en met 31 maart 2017.

Anciënniteiten beleid

Gedurende de looptijd van de cao wordt, alleen voor de officieren functies, in overeenstemming tussen partijen een nieuwe beloningssystematiek vormgegeven. Ingangsdatum in beginsel 1 april 2017.

Vaste gage

Belangrijkste resultaten: Gageverhoging:

De gehele gagetabel en afgeleide emolumenten worden voor deze cao niet verhoogd. In ruil hiervoor zullen er gedurende de looptijd van deze cao geen gedwongen ontslagen om economische redenen plaatsvinden.

WW- en WGA reparatie:

De duur en hoogte van de WW (werkloosheid) en de WGA(arbeidsongeschiktheid) worden gerepareerd conform de afspraken hierover in het Sociaal Akkoord van april 2013 en in de

brieven van de Stichting van de Arbeid van 24 december 2013 en 11 juli 2014 zijn gemaakt. Caopartijen schatten in dat de private aanvullende WW/WGA in 2016 en 2017 0,2% van het SV-loon kost. Dit kan oplopen tot 0,75 %. Werknemers nemen de volledige premie voor hun rekening.

Levensfasebewust personeelsbeleid:

Per 1 januari 2017 wordt voor zeevarenden een Persoonlijk Ontwikkelings Budget (POB)

ingevoerd. Dit budget is niet gericht op werk- of ontwikkelingsgerichte scholing naar keuze van de werknemer, maar op duurzame inzetbaarheid van de werknemer binnen of buiten de functie, het bedrijf of de sector. Het kan worden ingezet voor de inkoop van een opleidings- of ontwikkelingsprogramma gericht op individuele trajecten. Het budget voor zeevarenden is 750 euro, voor de HWTK en 1e stuurman 1.000 euro en voor de kapitein 1.500 euro per jaar.

Ook overleggen partijen gedurende de looptijd van deze cao over het voorstel om een gedeelte van de vaste overwerkvergoeding van 50% in de gages te verwerken, waardoor alle officieren (behalve HWTK en kapitein) en alle gezellen een hogere vaste maandgage hebben.

Maritieme Arbeidsverdrag 2006

De mantelovereenkomst en de individuele arbeidsovereenkomsten in de cao worden aan de afspraken en terminologie uit het Maritieme Arbeidsverdrag 2006 aangepast.

Daarnaast wordt de kapitein in het cao reglement opgenomen.

21/09/2016 16:37

34 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

NL NEWS

Nautilus lid Douwe Pentenga gekozen tot jongerenambassadeur Nieuwe cao Greenpeace onlangs een nieuwe 3-jarige F cao afgesloten met Stichting Nautilus International heeft

Greenpeace Council (SGC). De looptijd van de nieuwe cao is van 1 januari 2016 t/m 31 december 2018.

Belangrijkste resultaten: Gageverhoging

Elk jaar, per 1 januari, zal de werkgever voor alle rangen een gageverhoging doorvoeren volgens de cost-of-living allowance (cola) afspraak. De gageverhoging is gebaseerd op de CPI alle huishoudens in november van elk jaar. Per 1-1-2016 was dit + 0,7%.

De gageverhogingen voor de komende jaren worden per 1-2017 en 1-1-2018 vastgesteld.

Functies en loonschalen

Ter verduidelijking zullen enkele functies andere benamingen krijgen. Deze wijzigingen worden in de gageschalen in het reglement opgenomen .

Werkgelegenheidafspraken en werkzekerheid

De Wet Werk en Zekerheid (WWZ) is van toepassing op deze cao.

Het reglement wordt hier op aangepast. Per 31 december 2016 dient een minimum van 50% van de bemanning te varen met een vast contract.

Verlof op voorhand

Door de toepassing van de Wet Werk en Zekerheid zijn de mogelijkheden bij het aan- en afmonsteren van bemanning minder flexibel geworden. Om hier een werkbare invulling aan te geven zijn de afspraken over het toekennen van verlof op voorhand als volgt gewijzigd: a. Op verzoek van de werknemer: tijdig schriftelijk aanvragen en met redenen omkleed. De werkgever zal trachten deze verlofaanvraag toe te wijzen, rekening houdend met de belangen van andere bemanningsleden en de dienst aan boord. b. Op verzoek van de werkgever: tijdig schriftelijk aankondigen met onderbouwde redenen. Maximaal 20 verlofdagen op voorhand per reis. Dit wordt verrekend met het balanstotaal van de opgebouwde verlofdagen van het bemanningslid.

In het laatste kwartaal van 2017 wordt deze 20-dagen regeling geëvalueerd. Er wordt overlegd, als blijkt dat dit aantal van 20 naar beneden kan worden bijgesteld.

Repatriëring

In het reglement en de arbeidsovereenkomst wordt de tekst van de repatriëring volgens de Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) toegevoegd.

A

De maritieme sector heeft op 2 september vier nieuwe Young Maritime Representatives (YMR) gekozen.

Onder hen ook Nautilus lid Douwe Pentenga (3e van links op de foto), student (22) aan de Hogere Zeevaartschool in Amsterdam. De vier jongerenambassadeurs gaan komend studiejaar met andere jongeren in gesprek, om hen te interesseren voor een carrière binnen de maritieme wereld.

Wereldhavendagen

Douwe Pentenga, blij verrast met zijn uitverkiezing: ‘Ik schatte de kans op 50/50 dat ik gekozen zou worden. Eind juni had ik, met andere kandidaten, al een pitch gegeven voor een aantal mensen van onder meer Nederland Maritiem Land. Dat ging best wel goed ja. Ik heb verteld dat ik al van jongs af aan een ‘waterman’ ben. Ik zit niet voor niks ook op de zeevaartschool. Cool dat ik het nu geworden ben ja. We konden gelijk al aan de slag tijdens de Wereldhavendagen (2 -4 september). Zoals bij de opening van de eerste ‘drone-haven’ bij de RDM campus. We zijn ook nog aan boord van de Zr. Ms. Zeeleeuw geweest. Een van de onderzeeboten van de marinevloot. En we waren present op het ‘Maritime

by Holland Jongerenplein’.

Binnenkort komen we bij elkaar om verdere activiteiten uit te stippelen. Verder lijkt het me erg leuk om, vooral via de social media, andere jongeren te interesseren voor de maritieme wereld. Nederland is van oudsher

Foto: Erik Jansen Fotografie

een maritieme natie. Daarvoor zijn steeds nieuwe mensen nodig.

Door enthousiast te vertellen over mijn ervaringen hoop ik voor de gehele maritieme sector jongeren enthousiast te kunnen maken.’

Zeeschepen door achtertuin

Douwe leefde als kind met zijn ouders op een woonboot aan een zijtak van het Noordzeekanaal. De zeeschepen voeren daar bijna door zijn achtertuin. Op jonge leeftijd al behaalde hij zijn zeildiploma’s. Hij doorliep zijn eerste twee studiejaren snel en wist tussentijds ervaring op te doen bij Royal Wagenborg. Het

derde studiejaar van de zeevaartschool stond grotendeels in het teken van de varende praktijk, waar Douwe voor Anthony Veder koos, die voornamelijk met gastankers vaart. Hij wil ook graag zijn tweede varende stage, aan het einde van het vierde leerjaar, bij deze rederij voltooien.

Jongeren interesseren voor maritieme sector

De verkiezing van de jongerenambassadeurs vond plaats aan boord van het marineschip Zr.Ms. Rotterdam.

Douwe, Djente Gorter, Peter Paul

van Voorst en Sharon Zwart kregen daar te horen dat zij waren gekozen uit een selectie van twaalf kandidaten. De uitslag van de verkiezing werd bekend gemaakt door de Voorzitter van Nederland Maritiem Land, Wim van Sluis. Hij nam gelijktijdig afscheid van de drie jongerenambassadeurs, die het afgelopen jaar de sector hebben vertegenwoordigd.

Netwerkorganisatie Nederland Maritiem Land, organisator van de YMR-verkiezing, wil met de jongerenambassadeurs meer jongeren interesseren voor de maritieme sector.

‘Zeebenen in de Klas’ zoekt nieuwe ambassadeurs A

‘Zeebenen in de Klas’ is op zoek naar (oud-)zeevarenden die gastlessen willen geven aan groep 7 en 8 van het basisonderwijs.

Aankomend schooljaar 2016/2017 start de achtste editie van ‘Zeebenen in de klas’. Om ook dit jaar weer succesvol te laten verlopen, zoeken wij kapiteins, loodsen, stuurlieden en werktuigkundigen om basisschoolleerlingen te interesseren voor het zeevarende beroep. Jaarlijks worden er ruim 300 basisscholen bezocht, verspreid door heel het land.

Virtuele tour

De gastles duurt doorgaans een uur tot anderhalf uur. Met ingang van dit schooljaar wordt er een virtuele tour door een schip aan het lesprogramma toegevoegd. Door middel van deze tour is het mogelijk om de leerlingen mee te nemen door alle ruimtes van het schip, inclusief de brug en machinekamer.

Aan het eind van de presentatie stellen de leerlingen tal van vragen.

Hoe bestuur je een schip? Hoe woon

32-35_nl.indd 34

en werk je aan boord van een schip?

Wat gebeurt er als je ziek wordt? Is de zeevaartschool een leuke opleiding en hoe is het om zover van huis te zijn?

Iets voor u?

Bent u geïnteresseerd? Neem dan contact op met de projectcoördinator ‘Zeebenen in de klas’, mw. Caro Cordes. Per e-mail bereikbaar via zeebenenindeklas@gmail.com, of telefonisch op 0594-213958.

Arbeidsovereenkomst voor onbepaalde tijd dankzij Nautilus

A

Een van onze leden kwam bij ons met de mededeling dat hij van zijn werkgever te horen had gekregen dat hij na zijn aflossing niet terug hoefde te komen, omdat het project ten einde kwam.

‘Project’ Taskforce Arbeidsmarkt Zeevarenden

De campagne ‘Zeebenen in de Klas’ is een initiatief van de Taskforce Arbeidsmarkt Zeevarenden (TAZ) een samenwerkingsverband tussen de Koninklijke Vereniging van Nederlandse Reders (KVNR), Nautilus International, Nederlands Loodswezen, Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij (NVKK) en het Nederlands zeevaartonderwijs. g Meer informatie: www.zeebenengezocht.nl

Ons lid werkt via een uitzendbureau op platformen in de Noordzee. Dit doet hij al drie jaar. Zijn eerste twee contracten waren arbeidsovereenkomsten voor de duur van 1 jaar, die aansluitend zijn overeengekomen.

Het derde contract werd echter ineens gewijzigd naar een contract op projectbasis…

Het enige woord dat gewijzigd werd in dit contract was het woord ‘project’. De enige reden waarom het contract in een projectcontract was omgezet, heeft volgens ons te maken gehad met het feit dat op 1 juli 2015 de wet is gewijzigd. Met onder andere consequenties voor de zogenaamde ketenbepaling.

Oude situatie voor 1 juli 2015

Voor arbeidsovereenkomsten voor bepaalde tijd, die elkaar met tussenpozen van ten hoogste 3 maanden hebben opgevolgd en een periode van 36 maanden, deze tussenperiode inbegrepen, hebben overschreden, geldt met ingang van die dag de laatste arbeidsovereenkomst als aangegaan voor onbepaalde tijd.

contract een contract voor onbepaalde tijd wordt.

Uitzendkrachten

Voor uitzendkrachten is het van belang om te weten dat bovenstaande wetsartikelen van toepassing worden, zodra zij 26 weken in dienst zijn van het uitzendbureau. Van toepassing ook op ons lid, die, toen dit speelde, al ruim twee jaar in dienst was.

Nieuwe situatie na 1 juli 2015

Voor arbeidsovereenkomsten voor bepaalde tijd, die elkaar met tussenpozen van ten hoogste 6 maanden hebben opgevolgd en een periode van 24 maanden, deze tussenperiode inbegrepen, hebben overschreden, geldt met ingang van die dag de laatste arbeidsovereenkomst als aangegaan voor onbepaalde tijd.

Voor beide bepalingen blijft daarnaast van toepassing dat na drie opeenvolgende arbeidsovereenkomsten (tussenpozen inbegrepen), het vierde

Werkgever erkent fout

Wij hebben de werkgever er op aangesproken dat ons lid al 2,5 jaar in vaste dienst was en dat ontslag wegens beëindiging van het project niet aan de orde kon zijn. De werkgever erkende uiteindelijk zijn fout en heeft ons lid nu een contract voor onbepaalde tijd gegeven! g Vraagt u zich ook weleens af of het wel allemaal goed gaat met uw arbeidsovereenkomst? Dan is het altijd goed contact op te nemen met Nautilus: Tel. : 010 – 4771188, of infonl@nautilusint.org

21/09/2016 16:37

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 35

NL NEWS FNV Waterbouw bezoekt Van den Herik’s nieuwste clean ship Nautilus International en FNV Waterbouw vakbondszaken belicht, F waarin Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw In deze rubriek worden steeds

een actieve rol spelen ten behoeve van onze leden.

Dit keer gaat het over: Platform Maritiem

Bestuurders van Nautilus NL nemen vier keer per jaar deel aan het Platform Maritiem. Dit is een overleg over sociale zekerheid, arbeidsmarkt en zorg. Deelnemers zijn onder meer vertegenwoordigers van de werkgevers in de zeevaart, de waterbouw en de visserij, medewerkers van het UWV en de Stichting Scheepvaart en vakbondsbestuurders van CNV en Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw.

Varende professionals

In het overleg worden door het UWV recente ontwikkelingen in de sociale zekerheid toegelicht. We bespreken of deze specifieke aandacht vragen voor onze sectoren. De bijzondere werk- en leef situatie van varende professionals vraagt vaak aanpassingen in beleid of uitvoering.

Ook bespreken we lobbyonderwerpen die we gezamenlijk onder de aandacht van de overheid brengen. Zo zijn enige jaren geleden met succes bijzondere voordelen geregeld voor de deelnemers aan onze sectorale ziektekostenverzekering AZVZ. Dit omdat zeevarenden net als zeevissers en baggeraars een groot deel van het jaar buiten Nederland verblijven en dus minder risico op geneeskundige kosten in Nederland

hebben. De kosten in buitenland komen voor rekening van de reder, die hiervoor is vrijgesteld van de werkgeverspremie in de Zvw premie (6,75%). Voor de zeevarenden vertaalt zich die lagere kostendruk in een korting van 10% op de basisverzekering en een korting van 65% op de aanvullende verzekering.

Van werk naar werk

Onderwerpen die op dit moment voorwerp van bespreking in het Platform zijn, zijn de reparatie van het derde jaar WW en de subsidiemogelijkheid vanuit de overheid voor sectorpilots over ‘van werk naar werk’ en ‘regie WW’.

Beide landelijke afspraken uit het Sociaal Akkoord van 2013, waarvoor de FNV zich hard heeft gemaakt en waar dus ook Nautilus de ambitie heeft om hier invulling aan te geven. Ook bespreken we welke partijen we als sector het meest geschikt vinden om nautische professionals te begeleiden bij transities in het geval van ziekte of werkloosheid. En samen met het UWV bespreken we regelmatig of er nog meer maatwerk mogelijk is voor begeleiding van de (gelukkig beperkte) groep werklozen in onze sectoren. Voor de komende tijd staat verder op de agenda of we een gezamenlijke visie kunnen ontwikkelen op ‘leeftijdsfasebewust personeelsbeleid’. Ook gaan we spreken over de landelijke afspraak om extra banen te creëren voor arbeidsgehandicapten, in relatie tot de specifieke kenmerken van onze sectoren.

g Kijk voor meer informatie op: www.scheepvaartnet.nl

Een dagje duurzaam baggeren met de Charlock A

De zomerzon schijnt. Stoere Hollandse wolkenluchten drijven over de Noordzee en zetten koers landinwaarts. In de haven van IJmuiden gaat de nieuwe aflosploeg voor de ultramoderne hopperzuiger Charlock van Van den Herik aan boord van de Zeemeeuw. Onder hen ook Van den Herik directeur Isolde Struijk en haar gasten: Nautilus/FNV Waterbouw bestuurder Sascha Meijer en Telegraph verslaggever Hans Walthie.

Sascha Meijer: ‘Wij willen als Nautilus en FNV Waterbouw bestuurders regelmatig ons gezicht laten zien aan boord. Het is goed om zelf te ervaren hoe het er aan toe gaat in de praktijk. En het is altijd leuk en boeiend om onze leden en ook hun collega’s te spreken in hun eigen leef- en werkomgeving.’

Vooroeversuppletie voor Noordzeekust

De Charlock, op 6 februari dit jaar gedoopt in Harlingen en gebouwd door Barkmeijer Shipyards, is vanaf maart bezig haar eerste project uit te voeren bij een vooroeversuppletie voor de Nederlandse kust, nabij Bloemendaal-Zandvoort. De kust wordt daar met zand gevoed door onder water evenwijdig aan de kust een zandberm aan te leggen. Deze zandberm wordt zeewaarts tegen de buitenste zandbank neergelegd.

Vervolgens wordt het zand door wind, zee en stroming geleidelijk langs de kust en richting het strand verspreid. Bij storm breken zandbanken de golven en wordt het strand minder door golven aangevallen. Het project is in opdracht van Rijkswaterstaat.

Clean ship

In this month’s Dutch pages: z Nautilus services: Maritime

Platform z Thanks to Nautilus: better labour contract z Piracy legislation debate z Young maritime representative: Douwe Pentenga z Boskalis protest actions z ITF backs Nautilus on Boskalis action z Fleet visits: Charlock & Kaliwaal z FNV on general elections z New CBAs for Greenpeace & Jumbo z KIWA: STCW certificates z Ambassadors for primary schools

32-35_nl.indd 35

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.

De classificatie van het schip betreft een ‘clean ship’, waarmee bij de investeringsbeslissing vooruitgelopen is op het akkoord van Parijs.

Het ontwerp van de nieuwe hopperzuiger is uitgelegd op duurzaamheid: minder brandstof (CO2 reductie), minder uitstoot (uitlaatgassen, stikstof en zwavel) en past meer bij de huidige eisen van de maatschappij.

Isolde Struijk: ‘Wij zijn continu bezig met de toekomst van het bedrijf. Daar hoort ook het investeren in een clean ship’ bij. Maar we investeren als familiebedrijf ook in onze medewerkers. Door een goede begeleiding, goed communiceren en het bieden van trainingsfaciliteiten. Veel van onze mensen blijven lang bij ons werken. Je kunt in deze branche niet zonder goede, loyale vakmensen.

Nu met het in de vaart brengen van de Charlock hebben we ook gelijk een nieuwe club vakmensen aangenomen. Dat is goed voor de werkgelegenheid en ook goed voor ons. Hoe ik tegen vakbonden aankijk? Het is goed dat ze er zijn. Bij ons als familiebedrijf lopen veel van onze mensen snel naar binnen voor een persoonlijk gesprek. Maar in bepaalde gevallen spreken sommigen dan weer liever met de vakbond. Zolang we goed blijven communiceren met elkaar zie ik vooral voordelen.’

Touwladder

Na een half uurtje varen met de Zilvermeeuw zet kapitein Martin van den Berg zijn gasten af aan boord van de Charlock. Er zit nog geen bagger in de beun. Via de touwladder komt iedereen aan boord. De reddingsvesten gaan af en de bagage wordt aan boord getakeld.

Uitvoerder Fransjan Valat kijkt goedkeurend toe. ‘Ik coördineer hier het gehele logistieke gebeuren tussen wal en schip. Transport, taxi’s, spullen aan boord, voeding, contact

met de leveranciers, met de wal, noem maar op. Leuke, dynamische job. Het contact met mijn nieuwe collega’s loopt lekker en we worden ook goed ondersteund door kantoor.’

Machinist/HWTK Ko van Amersfoort staat op het punt weer terug naar wal te gaan. ‘Ik ben op 1 januari begonnen hier. Ik heb overal al gewerkt. Voor onder meer Jan de Nul, Boskalis en Spliethoff. Hier doen we het met een kleine bemanning. Ook het schip zelf is zo efficiënt mogelijk gebouwd. We varen op zo schoon mogelijke brandstof. Wat wil je nog meer. Mooi toch?’

Mooie baggerklus

Pipe Operator Miko Heil, vorig jaar afgestudeerd als stuurman waterbouw op het STC Rotterdam, vindt het ‘superleuk allemaal’.

Ik werk hier nu nog via een uitzendbureau, maar ik hoop dat ik kan blijven en vast word aangenomen. Ik ben mede verantwoordelijk voor het baggerproces. Spannend dat ik nu in praktijk kan brengen wat ik allemaal op school geleerd heb.’

Pipe operator Niels van der Werff is de beun aan het volzuigen. Hij kijkt nauwlettend op de pijpstand aanwijzing en overziet tegelijk het gehele proces vanuit zijn operator stoel. ‘Ik bagger al zo’n jaar of tien. Ruim vier

jaar nu voor Van den Herik. Je hebt natuurlijk je instrumenten, maar intuïtie is ook belangrijk. Ik zeg weleens ‘je moet onder water kunnen denken’. En het schip zo recht mogelijk houden natuurlijk. Verder heb ik in Dubai nog eens mee mogen baggeren om een compleet nieuw eiland te maken. Dat was ook gaaf…er gaat eigenlijk niks boven een mooie baggerklus!’

Samen sta je sterker

Kapitein Julian Jager komt bij Bore (ferries) vandaan. ‘Ja, daar was het vorig jaar ineens afgelopen met ons allemaal. Ze stopten er gewoon mee. De stekker ging er uit. Goed dat ik al jaren lid was van Nautilus, want ik ben prima geholpen op juridisch terrein. Als afbouwkapitein ben ik ook betrokken geweest bij de afbouw van de Charlock. Bij Bore was ik meer kapitein, hier zie ik me meer als operator. Maar ook als bestuurder en als gezagvoerder. Is weer heel anders ja. Maar tegelijkertijd weer een nieuwe uitdaging. En het geeft toch ook wel voldoening dat je weer een stukje Nederlandse kust aan het opbouwen bent. Dat de mensen daar aan land geen natte voeten krijgen. Ik ben al ruim 25 jaar lid van de vakbond,ik zeg altijd tegen collega’s: “samen sta je sterker”.’

21/09/2016 18:33

36 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS

Could you help to steer a course for Nautilus?

Full members (including cadets) are invited to stand for election by 21 November to the Nautilus International Council...

A

A First, check on the table right that there is a

Many members are concerned about the challenges ahead in our industry and have ideas for helping Nautilus International to meet those challenges. Members are therefore encouraged to stand for election to the Council, which is the Union’s governing body.

The Council is also the Trustee of the Nautilus Welfare Fund, which is the registered charity administered by Nautilus.

vacancy in your category. Then fill in the top half of Form A and get four other full members — also paid-up and from the same national branch as you — to add their names, addresses, membership numbers, signature and date of signing in the appropriate space, to reach head office by 1700 hrs on Monday 21 November 2016.

A If you can’t personally get the signatures of your

A The Council is made up of serving members like

yourself, each elected to serve a four-year term.

23 of the 32 places will be for members of the UK branch, eight places will be for members of the Netherlands branch, and one from the Switzerland branch.

Elections are held on a rolling basis, which normally means that just about half the Council places come up for election each year.

The table right shows the number of seats and also those vacancies which are for election in 2017.

It also shows the split between NL, CH and UK. Full paid-up members (including cadets) in categories for which there are vacancies are entitled to stand for election.

supporters (they may sail on different ships, for instance) fill in the top half of Form A yourself and send it to head office.

Ask your supporters to fill in Form B and send it in separately — both forms must reach head office by 1700 on Monday 21 November 2016.

All eligible full members were sent the Council and General Secretary election nomination papers by the deadline of 19 September 2016.

A

Veel leden maken zich zorgen over de uitdagingen waar onze branche voor staat en hebben ideeën die Nautilus International kunnen helpen bij het aanpakken daarvan. Daarom moedigen wij

onze leden aan om zich verkiesbaar te stellen voor de Council, het bestuurslichaam van de Union.

De Council is ook de Trustee van het Nautilus Welfare Fund, de officiële liefdadigheidsinstelling van Nautilus.

A De Council bestaat uit actieve leden, zoals u, die

elk voor een termijn van vier jaar worden verkozen.

23 van de 32 zetels zijn voor leden van de Britse vestiging, acht voor leden van de Nederlandse vestiging en één zetel voor de Zwitserse vestiging.

De verkiezingen rouleren, wat betekent dat doorgaans nagenoeg de helft van de Council-leden jaarlijks opnieuw moet worden verkozen.

De tabel toont het aantal zetels en de vacatures voor de verkiezingen van 2017. De tabel toont ook de zetelverdeling tussen Nederland, Zwitserland en het VK. Betalende leden (inclusief studenten) in de categorieën waarvoor vacatures bestaan (meest rechtse tabel), mogen zich kandidaat stellen.

A Allereerst controleert u of er een vacature is in

uw categorie. Daarna vult u de bovenste helft van formulier A in en zorgt u ervoor dat vier andere

VOOR KANDIDATEN

Nomination form A

FOR SUPPORTERS

Nomination form B

Nominatieformulier A

This form MUST be completed by the candidate and in addition may be used by one or more supporters.

It MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 21 November 2016, to: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

This form can be completed by one or more supporters. More than one form can be used. The candidate MUST, in addition, complete, sign and return a Form A. Forms MUST be returned, by 1700hrs on Monday 21 November 2016, to: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Dit formulier MOET worden ingevuld door de kandidaat en mag eventueel worden gebruikt door één of meer steunbetuigers.

Retourneer het ingevulde formulier UITERLIJK op maandag 21 november 2016 om 17.00 uur t.a.v.: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD, VK. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CANDIDATE

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

IN TE VULLEN DOOR DE KANDIDAAT

Electoral Category

Electoral Category

FOR CANDIDATES

Name

Mem No

Kiescategorie

Name of Candidate I wish to support Naam

Candidate’s Address

Address

Adres

Postcode Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Candidate’s Mem No

1. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Name

Mem No

I wish to stand for election in the 2017 Council elections. I declare that I am a full member of Nautilus International in the above mentioned category and am in conformity with the rules of the Union.

Address

Signature

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Signature

Date

1. Name Address

Mem No

Name

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

2. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

3. Name Address

Mem No

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

4. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

4. Name Address

Mem No

Address

Postcode Rank Signature

Tel no Company Date

Date

TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPPORTERS

2. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Mem No

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

3. I wish to support the nomination of the above named for election to the Council in the election category shown. I confirm that I am a full member from the same national branch.

Name

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

IN TE VULLEN DOOR STEUNBETUIGERS Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ volgens statuten Nautilus International) ben.

1. Naam Adres

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

2. Naam Adres

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

3. Naam Adres

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

4. Naam Adres

Lidnummer

Postcode Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

Mem No

Address

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Name

Postcode

Ik stel mij verkiesbaar voor de Councilverkiezingen 2017. Ik verklaar bij deze dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ volgens statuten Nautilus International) van Nautilus International in de bovenstaande categorie ben en aan de regels van de Union voldoe.

Address

Nautilus Council Elections 2017

36-37_elections.indd 36

Lidnummer

Mem No

Postcode

Tel no

Rank

Company

Signature

Date

Nautilus Council Elections 2017

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2017

21/09/2016 18:34

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 37

NAUTILUS ELECTIONS betalende leden (van dezelfde nationale vestiging als u) hun naam, adres, lidmaatschapsnummer, handtekening en datum op de aangewezen plaatsen invullen. Stuur dit formulier dan op naar het hoofdkantoor, waar het uiterlijk om 17.00 uur op maandag 21 november 2016 binnen dient te zijn.

Mitglieder sind daher dazu aufgerufen, sich für die Wahl in den Council zur Verfügung zu stellen, der das leitende Organ der Gewerkschaft ist.

Der Council ist zugleich Treuhänder des Nautilus Welfare Fund, einer eingetragenen und von Nautilus verwalteten Wohltätigkeitsorganisation.

A Als u zelf de handtekeningen van uw supporters

A Der Council besteht aus dienenden

niet kunt verkrijgen (bijvoorbeeld omdat ze op andere schepen varen), vult u de bovenste helft van formulier A zelf in en stuurt u dit naar het hoofdkantoor.

Vraag uw supporters om formulier B in te vullen en dit apart op te sturen. Beide formulieren dienen het hoofdkantoor uiterlijk om 17.00 uur op maandag 21 november 2016 te bereiken.

Alle in aanmerking komende betalende leden krijgen van de Council en van de General Secretary de benoemingsdocumentatie toegestuurd vóór de uiterste datum van 19 september 2016.

A

Viele Mitglieder sind besorgt über die Herausforderungen in unserer Branche und haben Ideen wie Nautilus International diese Herausforderungen erfolgreich meistern kann. Die

Seefachleuten, wie du selbst; die Mitglieder des Council werden für eine Amtsperiode von vier Jahren gewählt. Von den 32 Sitzen sind 23 reserviert für die Mitglieder der Sektion in Grossbritannien, acht Sitze für diejenigen der niederländischen Sektion und ein Sitz für ein Mitglied der Schweizer Sektion.

Wahlen für einen Sitz im Council werden kontinuierlich abgehalten. Sprich: Alle zwei Jahre steht die Hälfte der Sitze des Council zur Verfügung.

Die Tabelle zeigt die Anzahl der Sitze und auch die für die Wahlen in 2017 frei werdenden Sitze.

Die Tabelle zeigt zudem die Aufteilung zwischen Grossbritannien, den Niederlanden und der Schweiz.

Vollwertige Mitglieder (einschliesslich Kadetten) in den Kategorien, in denen Sitze frei sind (siehe Tabelle rechts) sind berechtigt, sich zur Wahl zu stellen.

VOOR STEUNBETUIGERS

A Prüfe zuerst, ob es in deiner Kategorie eine Vakanz gibt. Fülle dann die obere Hälfte des Formulars A aus und finde vier weitere Vollmitglieder — die deine Mitgliedsbeiträge ebenfalls vollständig bezahlt haben und der gleichen nationalen Sektion angehören wie du — die dich unterstützen und in den entsprechenden Feldern ihre Namen, Adressen, Mitgliedsnummern, Unterschriften und das jeweilige Datum der Unterzeichnung angeben; das Formular muss spätestens bis Montag, 21. November 2016 um 17 Uhr im Hauptsitz eintreffen.

2017 Elections

A Wenn du die Unterschriften deiner Unterstützer

nicht persönlich einholen kannst (weil diese beispielsweise auf anderen Schiffen dienen) fülle die obere Hälfte des Formulars A selbst aus und sende es dann an die Zentrale.

Bitte deine Unterstützer, das Formular B auszufüllen und es separat einzusenden — beide Formulare müssen bis spätestens Montag, 21.

November 2016 um 17 Uhr im Hauptsitz eintreffen.

Alle teilnahmeberechtigten Vollmitglieder erhalten die Nominierungsunterlagen für die CouncilWahl und dessen General Secretary spätestens am 19.

September 2016.

FÜR KANDIDATEN / KANDIDATINNEN

Total UK Seats Seats

NL Seats

Total No. 2017 Total No. of Seats Vacancies of Seats

CH Seats

2017 Total No. 2017 Vacancies of Seats Vacancies

Category 1. Navigators, inc.

Shipmasters

13

10

5

3

1

0

0

2. Engineers inc.

ETOs/Elec/RO

11

9

6*

2

1

0

0

3. Ratings

2

1

0

1

1

0

0

4. Inland Navigation

2

0

0

1

0

1

0

5. Other Particular Categories inc.

Hotel Services & Shore-based members

4

3

2

1

1

0

0

TOTALS

8 4 32 23 13 1 0 * including 2 by-elections for 2 yr period

FÜR UNTERSTÜTZER

Nominatieformulier B

Nominationsformular A

Dit formulier kan door één of meerdere steunbetuigers worden ingevuld. Er kunnen meerdere formulieren worden gebruikt. Daarbij MOET de kandidaat een Formulier A invullen, ondertekenen en retourneren. Retourneer het ingevulde formulier UITERLIJK op maandag 21 november 2016 om 17.00 uur t.a.v.: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD, VK. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Dieses Formular MUSS vom Kandidaten oder der Kandidatin ausgefüllt und kann ausserdem von einem oder mehreren unterstützenden Mitglieder/n benutzt werden.

Eingabeschluss: 17.00 Uhr am Montag, den 21. November 2016, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London, GB-E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Dieses Formular kann von einem oder mehreren Unterstützern verwendet werden.

Es kann mehr als ein Formular eingereicht werden. Der Kandidat / die Kandidatin MUSS ausserdem das Formular A ausfüllen, unterschreiben und einsenden.

Eingabeschluss: 17.00 Uhr am Montag, den 21. November 2016, an: Nautilus International Head Office, 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London GB-E18 1BD. tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015

Invullen in BLOKLETTERS

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

Bitte in BLOCKSCHRIFT ausfüllen

VON DEN KANDIDATEN / DER KANDIDATIN AUSZUFÜLLEN

VON DEN UNTERSTÜTZERN AUSZUFÜLLEN

Wahlkategorie

Wahlkategorie Name des Kandidaten/der Kandidatin, den/die ich unterstützen möchte

IN TE VULLEN DOOR STEUNBETUIGERS Kiescategorie Naam van de kandidaat die ik ondersteun

Name

Adres van kandidaat

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Postcode

Naam

Lidnummer

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf Datum

2. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International) ben.

Naam

Postleitzahl Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Hiermit erkläre ich meine Kandidatur zur Ratswahl 2017. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied der oben genannten Kategorie in der Nautilus International bin und die Bedingungen der Statuten und Reglemente erfülle.

Adres

Handtekening

Kandidatenadresse

Lidnummer kandidaat

1. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International) ben.

Lidnummer

Adres

Nominationsformular B

Unterschrift

Kandidatenmitgliedsnummer

1. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Datum

VON DEN UNTERSTÜTZERN AUSZUFÜLLEN Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

1. Name Mitglieder-Nr Adresse

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Unterschrift

Datum

2. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse Postcode

Tel.nr.

Rang

Bedrijf

Handtekening

Datum

3. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International) ben.

Naam

Lidnummer

Adres

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

2. Name Adresse

Mitglieder-Nr

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Unterschrift

Datum

3. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

3. Name Adresse

Mitglieder-Nr

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Postcode

Tel.nr.

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Rang

Bedrijf

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Handtekening

Datum

Unterschrift

Datum

4. Ik ondersteun de nominatie van de bovenvermelde persoon voor de Councilverkiezingen in de vermelde kiescategorie. Ik bevestig dat ik een regulier lid (‘gewoon lid’ in statuten Nautilus International) ben.

Naam

Rang Handtekening

Tel.nr.

Bedrijf Datum

Councilverkiezingen Nautilus 2017

36-37_elections.indd 37

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

4. Name Adresse

Mitglieder-Nr

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Tel. Arbeitgeber Datum

Lidnummer

Adres

Postcode

Land/PLZ Dienstgrad Unterschrift

Nautilus Ratswahlen 2017

4. Hiermit erkläre ich, dass ich die Nomination des oben genannten Mitglieds zur Ratswahl 2017 in der besagten Kategorie unterstütze. Ich versichere, dass ich ein Vollmitglied derselben nationalen Sektion bin.

Name

Mitglieder-Nr

Adresse

Land/PLZ

Tel.

Dienstgrad

Arbeitgeber

Unterschrift

Datum

Nautilus Ratswahlen 2017

21/09/2016 16:39

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

SEAFARERS’ RIGHTS

Yes, it does apply to shipping Under the banner of ‘Respect, Responsibility and Remedy in the Maritime Environment’, the charity Human Rights at Sea staged a special conference last month. Maritime PR professional JACK WILLIAMS reflects on the key messages from the day…

J

London has just staged the first ever conference focused solely on the issue of human rights at sea. This is a vast topic, taking in many of the concerns that have troubled the maritime sector for years — slavery in the supply chain; modern-day piracy; human trafficking; and the migrant crisis.

As a communications professional advising organisations within both fishing and shipping, what struck me most from the day was the reputational risk businesses are taking in ignoring human rights. There is, and always has been, a clear business case for treating your workforce, and those you come into contact with, as people with inviolable rights.

The International Maritime Human Rights Conference was organised by charity Human Rights at Sea and supported by organisations across the maritime spectrum, from Seafarers UK to the National Federation

of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO).

The day was divided into four sections. The first part of the day set about laying the context for the conference, with talks from the organisers, shipowner George Tsavliris, Kuba Szymanski at InterManager, the Migrant Offshore Aid Station and an association of fishing companies, the PFA. The second part of the day focused on businesses’ responsibility in upholding human rights — both for their employees and the people and communities they interact with.

Session three of the conference looked at maritime welfare and was principally concerned with seafarer welfare. Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Chris Wood and Royal Fleet Auxiliary officer cadet Sarah Stevens both spoke about diversity at sea, including the lack of role models for female seafarers and the position of LGBT rights within a

global industry.

There was also a presentation from King’s College London Professor Neil Greenberg, who — because of the danger involved in the profession of seafaring — spoke about stress and trauma and the psychological impacts they can have on workers. Did you know that a ‘psychological debriefing’ following a traumatic event can actually do more harm to the individual?

The final part of the day focused on investigating and resolving human rights abuses at sea. One of the world’s leading academics investigating the field of human trafficking, Parosha Chandran, shared her experience and the history of how UK legislation has been created and amended since 1772 to protect against slavery.

We also heard from Debasis Mazumdar, from St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry, who discussed the responsibility of flag states in monitoring the wel-

Unpaid seafarers are one of the causes of shipping’s ‘image problem’

fare of seafarers operating under their flag.

The day’s mantra was ‘human rights apply at sea, as equally as they do on land’. Of course it is true that working at sea is different from working on land.

There are legal quirks and regulatory confusions that just don’t happen ashore. For one thing, seafarers are the only group of UK workers who are excluded from the full protection of the

WERE YOU AWARE that following the successul outcome of a judicial review in respect of two Seatax clients, (brought before the Courts by Nautilus in collaboration with Seatax Ltd as expert advisors on the Seafarers Earnings Deduction), it was deemed that the two Seatax clients did have a legitimate expectation in applying the only published Revenue Practice with regard to the application of a day of absence in relation to a vessel sailing between UK ports. HMRC did not want to accept this practice (although referred to in their very own publications) but have now accepted that expectations of a claim based on such practice would be valid until the published practice is withdrawn.

Following on from this, HMRC have now confirmed that this Practice is withdrawn as of the 14 February 2014. Seatax was the only Advisory Service that challenged HMRC on this point.

WHY TAKE CHANCES WITH YOUR TAX AFFAIRS? Let Seatax use their knowledge and 35 years experience to ensure you do not fall foul of the rules Please visit our website for full details of the case.

OUR FEES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Annual Return ...................................................................................................... £215.00 inclusive of VAT at 20% NAUTILUS members in the UK sailing under a foreign flag agreement on gross remuneration can obtain a 10% reduction on the above enrolment fee by quoting their NAUTILUS membership number and a 5% reduction on re-enrolment.

or ite, e now r W on re ph r mo : fo tails de Elgin House, 83 Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 2ES. Tel: (01302) 364673 - Fax No: (01302) 738526 - E-mail: info@seatax.ltd.uk www.seatax.ltd.uk

38_rights_SR edit.indd Sec2:38

National Minimum Wage and equal pay legislation. Moreover, a factory owner in Scunthorpe could not choose to up and move his factory and workers to Dusseldorf when new, unappealing legislation is brought in. But that’s exactly what shipowners do when flagging out.

Human rights, however, are non-negotiable. Any business found to infringe the rights of a human being will not just face legal penalties, but will face the punishment of the public court too. A reputation is hard won but easily lost.

For UK-listed companies alone, reputation is worth £1.7 trillion. That’s according to research by BDO LLP and the Quoted Companies Alliance, which found that, based on the impact on sales, share price and employee morale, small and mid-sized businesses attach 28% of their value directly to reputation. This compares with the 2015 UK Reputation Dividend Report, which indicated that 30% of the market value of the FTSE 100 is attributable to reputation.

J

Today’s consumers demand that the brands they do business with are ethical and responsible. It’s no longer enough to say you have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. Businesses must demonstrate this through action. The saying ‘to do well, you must do good’ has increasingly been embraced by businesses in all sectors. Any charity connection needs to be relevant and genuine. BP’s recently-ended and long-standing sponsorship of the Tate is an example where a CSR scheme feels unnatural and therefore insincere.

But it isn’t just about appeasing the public at large. Successful business owners rely upon their workforce. Nowhere is this clearer than in the maritime sector, where we have a 16,500 shortfall of trained officers. Simple business economics tells us

that where there is demand, but low supply, prices go up. The seafarer is today an expensive commodity. Businesses need to appeal to seafarers as much as the other way around, by showing themselves to be good employers.

While there are examples of bad businesses in the maritime world, holding on to pay and driving down working conditions, this exists in all industries.

Fortunately, many seafarers are afforded protection by governments, maritime organisations and unions such as Nautilus International and the International Transport Workers’ Federation. Where protection is limited, and the conference highlighted in detail, is with the current migrant crisis. By its very nature, this has created the conditions where human rights abuses including slavery and trafficking can take place.

And yet, there is a human reason as well as a business case to operate responsibly and ethically. The International Maritime Human Rights Conference successfully brought together maritime experts and professionals from across this vast sector to discuss the issue, and that is to be applauded.

That migration, trafficking and piracy were debated alongside working conditions for employed and protected seafarers shows the wide range of challenges faced by this vital industry. So my question and my concern is this: ‘Can they really all be viewed though the same lens or does that risk the apparent weight of the problems acting as a deterrent to effective action?’

21/09/2016 18:33

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 39

APPOINTMENTS

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

13 October 2016 is the closing date for November 2016.

You can still advertise online at any time.

CV Professionals Maritime & oσshore specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk

SEAGOING - YACHTS

SHOREBASED Asst. Technical Super - LNG London - £55K + Bens

Technical Manager - Yachts Europe - €65-75K pa

Technical Superintendent - Tankers Bremen - €80-90K

Sales Broker - Yachts Salary TBD

Technical Super - Mixed Fleet Glasgow - £70K + Bens

Charter Broker - Yachts Salary TBD

Sole Chef - 40m+ Motor Yacht - €6K/mth

Vessel Manager - Tankers Denmark - Competitive Package

Technical Super - Tankers Cyprus - €80K + Expat Bens

&KLHI 2IƂFHU 80m+ Sailing Yacht - $8K/mth

HSEQ Superintendent - Tankers London - £70K

Technical Super - LPG London - £75K + Bens

UG 2IƂFHU 100m+ Sailing Yacht - €4.5K/mth Sail Hand - 100m+ Sailing Yacht - €2.5K/mth QG 2IƂFHU 90m+ Motor Yacht - €6K/mth

3rd Eng - 100m+ Motor Yacht - €4K/mth Deckhand - 90m+ Sailing Yacht - €2.2K/mth 2nd Eng - 90m+ Motor Yacht - €6K/mth

Vessel Manager Cumbria - £55K Technical Superintendent - RO-RO Glasgow - £55K + Bens Vetting Superintendent - Tanker Hamburg - €90K

Bosun - 90m+ Motor Yacht - €5K/mth

SEAGOING - CRUISE

SEAGOING - TANKERS

1st Engineer - Cruise - €64K

Master - LNG - £80K + Bens

2nd Engineer - Cruise - €50K

&KLHI 2IƂFHU Chemical Tanker - £65K + Bens

Technical Superintendent - Cruise Germany - €85K

2nd Engineer - Cruise - £37K

Marine Superintendent - Cruise Germany - €85K

Cruise - £41K

2nd Eng - LPG/VLGC - $10-10.8K/mth

Chief Electrical Engineer

2nd Eng - VLCC - $65-75K + Bens

Technical Superintendent - Cruise England - £80K Operations Manager - Yachts Europe - €70-75K pa

Chief Engineer - LNG - $95K + Bens

Hotel Services Engineer

Cruise - $70K

Chef de Partie - Cruise - £15K

100s more jobs on www.faststream.com

Crew Purser - Cruise - £17K

Shorebased: +44 (0)23 8020 8840

Search for ‘Faststream Seafarers’

shipping - uk@faststream.com

Seagoing: +44 (0)23 8020 8820

@faststreamsea

seagoing - uk@faststream.com

www.faststream.com

Leading Marine Recruitment Specialists We are seeking all ranks of seafarers, offshore and shore based personnel and in particular:

Your first port of call Address: First Floor Unit 7, Hythe Marine Park, Shore Road, Southampton, SO45 6HE UK Telephone: +44(0)23 8084 0374 Email: recruitment@seamariner.com

To advertise contact Paul Wade on +44 (0)20 7880 6212 or email paul.wade@redactive.co.uk.

Senior Deck and Engineering Of½cers - All vessels All ranks - RoRo / RoPax Tug/Multicat Crew - All ranks Senior Of½cers - Tankers All Crew for temporary assignments If you would like further information in registering with Seamariner or you would like to discuss your crewing requirements, please contact one of our experienced consultants.

www.seamariner.com

ISO9001:2008 accredited and KvK and MLC compliant Reg Co number: 2745210

As a member of Nautilus, don’t forget you have access to the Nautilus Plus member benefits scheme, offering you fantastic discounts on a wide range of products and services.

Fdiscounts designed to support members, both personally and professionally. This month’s highlighted

We like to call them your home essentials — but call them what you will!

offers include: We know how stressful home improvements and household admin can be, and how much time it takes to ensure you get the best deal for the right price. That’s why Nautilus Plus has put together a range of products and services, to reduce the stress that home life can bring.

Hotpoint Privilege Purchase Club With Nautilus Plus you can now enjoy great savings on pre-discounted appliances Whirlpool, Hotpoint and Indesit Appliances via the Hotpoint Privilege Purchase Club. All prices include free UK delivery and free disposal/uplift of your old appliance.

Nautilus Plus is a special package of benefits and

MyCashbackCards - Retail Cashback Fancy earning cashback when you shop at the supermarket?

With MyCashbackCards you can earn between 3% and 15% cashback at over 50 retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Currys PC World, B&Q, Argos, Boots, House of Fraser and H Samuel to name just a few*.

100% impartial energy price comparison 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 sixty days 16 March – 14 May 2016 was £216.09.* g Members can access these benefits, plus many more, via Nautilus Plus on the main Nautilus website: www.nautilusint.org.

*Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Offers subject to change without notice. Nautilus Plus is managed on behalf of Nautilus by Parliament Hill Ltd.

Nautilus recruitment.indd 39

20/09/2016 14:42

40 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

APPOINTMENTS

DIRECT ENTRY NAVAL SERVICE OFFICERS

254222BR 254224BR

The Irish Naval Service has a number of opportunities for Bridge Watchkeeping Officers (Operations Branch), Marine Engineering Officers and Electrical Engineer Officers.

These are vital positions and we are looking for highly motivated individuals who combine professional skills with leadership ability and the desire to take their careers to exciting new places.

Successful candidates will be appointed to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant.

Candidates must possess the following qualifications:

Operations Branch A Department of Transport Certificate of Competency (Deck Officer) Class 1, 2 or 3 with watchkeeping experience or a recognised Naval Watchkeeping Certificate or a marine qualification that is deemed by the Minister for Defence to be at least equivalent to the specified qualifications.

UNTIL 1 JANUARY 2017

DECK: CK K: Update Upda Upd Up da date to STCW 2010

ENGINE: GINEE: Update Updat Upd Up to STCW 2010

ETO: O:: New New Ne certificate

HELM HE ELM

HELM HE ELM

ETO certification cert rttifi ific ficatio ca

Those revalidating their current COC will not be required to undertake additional HELM training.

Those upgrading to next certificate are required to provide evidence.

is only required if designated as an ETO. There is the option to redesignate e.g. Electrical Engineer without certification.

ECDIS Simu Simulator ula lato lat tor ttraining tor ra

HIGH VOLTAGE VOL OLLTA TAG GE H GE High

ETO Thos Those osse se seekin seeking

course, NARAS, or NAEST achieved after 1 Jan 2005 required for ships fitted with ECDIS otherwise negative endorsement.

voltage certificate or qualifying sea service for operational level.

Management level high voltage certificate for second or chief engineer.

– otherwise negative endorsement.

ETO certification should contact iamiexemption@ hotmail.co.uk to determine which exemptions they are entitled to. Full funding is available through the Slater Fund.

A Department of Transport Certificate of Competency (Marine Engineering Officer) Class 1 or 2 with relevant experience or a marine qualification that is deemed by the Minister for Defence to be at least equivalent to the specified qualification.

Electrical Engineering Branch A recognised Bachelor Degree (Honours) programme at level 8 or higher of the National Framework of Qualifications in either Electrical or Electronic Engineering. The degree must be accredited with Engineers Ireland (EI). Or a marine qualification that is deemed by the Minister for Defence to be at least equivalent to the specified qualification.

Candidates must be under 32 years of age on Saturday 31 December 2016.

For more information, including terms and conditions and to apply, please visit www.military.ie

STCW Certification requirements

Marine Engineering Branch Those revalidating their current COC will not be required to undertake additional HELM training.

Those upgrading to next certificate are required to provide evidence.

4

IN ADDITION: seatime requirements for revalidation — 12 2 months in preceding five years or three months in preceding six months plus valid ENG1.

For these working ashore = 30 months in the previous 5 years in an acceptable occupation.

5

IN ADDITION: appropriate tanker endorsements — subject to revalidation.

6

REFRESHER TRAINING — required every five years for certificates held.

The MCA will wil not require evidence when revalidating prior to 1 Jan 2017 but from this date it is a requirement that certificates are held and carried on board.

Nautilus recruitment.indd 40

20/09/2016 14:42

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 41

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RATINGS ;I EVI OIIR XS LIEV JVSQ Motorman, Stewards and AB’s [MXL 'VS[H 1EREKIQIRX GIVXM½GEXMSR JSV %H ,SG [SVO SR 4EWWIRKIV *IVVMIW

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Nautilus recruitment.indd 41

20/09/2016 14:42

42 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

SHIP TO SHORE

M-Notices Maritime Shipping Notices, Marine Information Notes, Marine Guidance Notes and other bulletins issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency recently include:

bulletin warning that lighting and domestic appliances can produce signals interfering with vital communications equipment onboard ship. The full text of the bulletin follows.

MGN 556 (M+F) — The Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 2001 The purpose of this note is to specify the requirements for health and safety signs and signals at work arising from the implementation in the United Kingdom of European Commission Directive 92/58/EEC, by the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 2001 which came into force on 15 February 2002.

MGN 556 (M+F) replaces MSN 1763 (M+F), and the guidance it supplies has been updated to reflect recent legislative changes relating to the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals.

The guidance in MGN 556 also reflects the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Health and Safety)(Amendment) Regulations 2014 — known as the MLC Health and Safety Amendments.

The MLC Health and Safety Amendments, which do not apply to fishing vessels, require the shipowner to ensure that all those working on a ship are covered by health and safety measures, whether or not they are considered to be ‘employed’ by the company.

Full details of the regulations on safety signs and signals — including pictures of the signs to be used — are given in the annexes to MGN 556.

The information covers the minimum requirements for: z safety and or health signs at work (general) z signboards (general) z signs on containers and pipes z the identification and location of firefighting equipment z signs used for obstacles and dangerous locations and for marking traffic routes z illuminated signs z acoustic signs z verbal communication z hand signals

Introduction It is essential that a vessel can properly receive GMDSS communications including safety broadcasts, working channels and AIS signals when fitted. There have been several cases where interference from onboard lighting has blocked reception of weaker radio signals, but other equipment may also do this. Masters, marine inspectors, owners and operators should be aware of this issue and take appropriate action.

Safety Bulletin 8 — Interference with maritime radio reception by onboard equipment In addition to M-Notices, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency last month issued a safety

Sources of interference Electrical/electronic equipment and its cables may interfere with radio reception. The installation of products designed for domestic use is not always compatible with marine radio reception. Even installations of type-approved equipment may cause a problem if too close to a receiving aerial or improperly installed.

The MCA is aware that lighting installations using compact fluorescent or LED lamps in deck lights and navigation lights have been found in some cases to interfere with radio reception.

Interference from fluorescent lamp installations tends to affect lower radio frequencies, e.g. NAVTEX and MF and possibly HF. Interference from LED lighting installations tends to affect higher frequencies, e.g.

VHF including AIS. No effect on satellite communications has been noted from such installations.

There may of course be other sources of interference onboard.

Impact An affected vessel is able to transmit radio messages in an emergency, but may fail to receive follow-up communications. This may delay the arrival of appropriate help. Without good reception, a vessel may not be able to help others in an emergency or may miss safety broadcasts.

Similarly, more distant AIS targets may not be detected, update rarely or disappear.

Identifying interference The symptoms of interference are not the same on all GMDSS equipment and it is simplest to look for changes below that occur when

an interfering source is switched on. Clearly this is most obvious when there is only one interference source.

Radio telephone: while listening to a weak station, a sudden loss of reception or audible interference.

If the squelch is properly adjusted and therefore quiet, sudden noise or bursts of noise are common, but not certain. Interference may affect only one channel/frequency, or many channels/frequencies.

DSC reception: marked increase in failure to receive DSC messages, e.g. position request reply, routine calls.

Navtex: marked increase in garbling or loss of text.

AIS reception: marked loss of distant targets, although this can also be due to a very high number of targets. On a graphical display, there is a time delay before a target disappears, which is commonly the period between updates from that target.

Actions requested Masters, marine inspectors, owners and operators should be aware of this safety issue and take appropriate action.

Note, any radio transmissions made especially to check or isolate this issue should be at low power, should not interfere with normal operation of distress or safety channels and should not involve coastguard stations.

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 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: g Professional & Technical Forum Tuesday 27 September 2016 at 1300hrs for 1330hrs in Hull.

The Forum deals with a wide range of technical, safety, welfare and other professional topics of relevance to all members, including training and certification.

The meeting is open to all members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Sue Willis: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 protech@nautilusint.org

Contact Nautilus International Nautilus International welcomes contact from members at any time. Please send a message to one of our department email addresses (see page 17) or get in touch with us at one of our offices around the world.

For urgent matters, we can also arrange to visit your ship in a UK port.

Please give us your vessel’s ETA and as much information as possible about the issue that needs addressing.

SINGAPORE Nautilus International 10a Braddell Hill #05-03 Singapore, 579720 Tel: +65 (0)625 61933 Mobile: +65 (0)973 10154 singapore@nautilusint.org

Northern office Nautilus International Nautilus House, Mariners’ Park Wallasey CH45 7PH Tel: +44 (0)151 639 8454 Fax: +44 (0)151 346 8801 enquiries@nautilusint.org Offshore sector contact point Members working for companies based in the east of Scotland or UK offshore oil and gas sector can call: +44 (0)1224 638 882 THE NETHERLANDS Postal Address Nautilus International Postbus 8575 3009 An Rotterdam Physical Address Nautilus International Schorpioenstraat 266 3067 KW Rotterdam Tel: +31 (0)10 477 1188 Fax: +31 (0)10 477 3846 infonl@nautilusint.org

FRANCE Yacht sector office in partnership with D&B Services 3 Bd. d’Aguillon 06600 Antibes, France Tel: +33 (0)962 616 140 nautilus@dandbservices.com www.dandbservices.com SPAIN Yacht sector office in partnership with dovaston C/Joan de Saridakis 2, Edificion Goya Local 1A, Marivent 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Spain Tel: +34 971 677 375 recruitment@nautilusint.org www.dovaston.com

College contacts Induction visits See www.nautilusint.org event section for dates of upcoming college visits by the Nautilus recruitment team.

For further information, email recruitment@nautilusint.org or call Lee Moon on +44 (0)151 639 8454.

Industrial support for cadets An industrial official is appointed to each of the main nautical colleges.

In addition the industrial department is responsible for representing trainee officers in line with all

members that we represent; please contact the Union on +44 (0)20 8989 6677. Your enquiry will then be directed to the relevant industrial organiser for your employer/sponsoring company.

The union also facilitates a Young Maritime Professionals Forum to provide an opportunity for young members to engage in discussions on the specific challenges facing young workers in the maritime profession.

For further information, members should contact Danny McGowan at ymp@nautilusint.org.

g Women’s Forum Monday 3 October 2016 at 1000hrs UK Branch Conference 2016 Radisson Blu, Cardiff, Wales The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing women in the industry and encourages female participation in Union activity.

Open to all female members.

Contact Lisa Carr: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 women@nautilusint.org

Quiz and crossword answersACDB

Quiz answers 1. There was a total of 17,483 ship transits of the Suez Canal last year, compared with 17,993 in 2010.

2. Liberia has the biggest share of the German fleet — 48% by tonnage and 33% by ship numbers.

3. Malta has significantly more tanker tonnage on its register than Cyprus.

4. The largest containership in 1996 was the 6,418TEU Regina Maersk.

5. The Cunard liner Mauretania, from 1907 to 1929.

6. Joseph Conrad attained the rank of master mariner, gaining his UK certification in November 1886.

Crossword answers Quick Answers Across: 1. Unfurnished; 9. Pianist; 10. Chinwag; 11. Anonymous; 12. Local; 13. Need; 14. Astronomer; 16. Schoolgirl; 19. Stab; 21. Pewit; 22. Musketeer; 24. Agrapha; 25. Travail; 26. Downtrodden.

Down: 1. Up above the world; 2. Fairy; 3. Rations; 4. Incisor; 5. Hairline; 6. Down came the rain; 7. Sprain; 8. Eggler; 15. Southpaw; 16. Sappan; 17. Gymnast; 18. Risotto; 20. Burgle; 23. Eland.

This month’s cryptic crossword is a prize competition, and the answers will appear in next month’s Telegraph.

Congratulations to Nautilus member Derek Forward, who won the prize draw for the September cryptic crossword.

Cryptic answers from September Across: 1. Ambience; 4. Aspiring; 10. Bagatelle; 11. Aisle; 12. Eyebrow; 13. Trellis; 14. Catch; 15. Nicotine; 18. Mandible; 20. Rusty; 23. Perturb; 25. Abstain; 26. Crumb; 27. Leeboards; 28. Rudeness; 29. Adonis.

Down: 1. Ambience; 2. Leg rest; 3. Watershed; 5. Spectacle cases; 6. Image; 7. Insulin; 8. Grease; 9. Blowing bubbles; 16. Threshold; 17. Hypnosis; 19. Aground; 21. Sharron; 22. Spacer; 24. Urban.

To suggest an organisation which could appear here, email telegraph@nautilusint.org

Maritime & Coastguard Agency +44 (0)23 8032 9100 www.gov.uk/mca Implements the UK government’s maritime safety policy and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea.

International Transport Workers’ Federation +44 (0)20 7403 2733 www.itfglobal.org A federation of over 700 unions representing over 4.5 million transport workers from 150 countries.

Merchant Navy Welfare Board www.mnwb.org Umbrella body for the UK maritime charity sector, promoting cooperation between organisations that provide welfare services to merchant seafarers and their dependants within the UK.

Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport + 31 88 489 00 00 www.ilent.nl Dutch maritime authority (separate from Dutch coastguard).

Merchant Navy Training Board www.mntb.org.uk UK organisation promoting maritime education and training, and providing careers guidance.

Administers the Careers at Sea Ambassadors scheme, under which serving seafarers can volunteer to give careers talks in UK schools.

Seafarers UK (formerly King George’s Fund for Sailors) +44 (0)20 7932 0000 www.seafarers.uk Supports and promotes UK charities helping seafarers from the Merchant Navy, Royal Navy and fishing fleets.

Often organises places for maritime fundraisers to enter marathons and other charity challenges.

42_infosprd.indd 42

SWITZERLAND Gewerkschaftshaus, Rebgasse 1 4005 Basel, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)61 262 24 24 Fax: +41 (0)61 262 24 25 infoch@nautilusint.org

UK Head office Nautilus International 1&2 The Shrubberies, George Lane South Woodford, London E18 1BD Tel: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 Fax: +44 (0)20 8530 1015 enquiries@nautilusint.org

Useful organisations

Swiss Maritime Navigation Office +41 (0)61 270 91 20 www.smno.ch Swiss maritime authority.

g Young Maritime Professionals Forum Monday 3 October 2016 at 1000hrs UK Branch Conference 2016 Radisson Blu, Cardiff, Wales The Forum provides guidance to Nautilus Council on the challenges facing young people in the shipping industry and on the issues that matter to them.

Open to all young members (UK, NL & CH).

Contact Danny McGowan: +44 (0)20 8989 6677 ymp@nautilusint.org

International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network +44 (0)300 012 4279 www.seafarerswelfare.org Global organisation providing a 24 hour, year-round multi-lingual helpline for all seafarers’ welfare and support needs, as well as an emergency welfare fund.

SAIL (Seafarers’ Information and Advice Line) 08457 413 318 +44 (0)20 8269 0921 www.sailine.org.uk UK-based citizens’ advice service helping seafarers and their families with issues such as debt, benefit

entitlements, housing, pensions and relationships.

Seafarers’ Hospital Society +44 (0)20 8858 3696 www.seahospital.org.uk UK charity dedicated to the health and welfare of seafarers.

Includes the Dreadnought health service.

Seafarers Link +44 (0)1752 812674 www.communitynetworkprojects.org Telephone friendship project connecting retired UK seafarers at home through a fortnightly telephone conference service.

Seatax Ltd +44 (0)1302 364673 www.seatax.ltd.uk Company providing specialist tax advice for merchant seafarers.

Marine Society +44 (0)20 7654 7050 www.marine-society.org UK charity dedicated to the learning and professional development of seafarers.

Offers 120,000 books to ships through its library service, plus distance-learning programmes and scholarship schemes, including the Nautilus Slater Fund.

21/09/2016 15:52

October 2016 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 43

JOIN NAUTILUS

The face of Nautilus Bert Klein, industrial officer

g

When Nautilus members seek help from Bert Klein, they are fortunate to be speaking to someone who is both a trained seafarer and an experienced union official.

After studying at the maritime college at Delfzijl, he got his start as an AB on a small ship designed for sailing on the sea and in inland waters, and used the experience to become a certificated nautical officer.

He then sailed with Seatrade on reefers (refrigerated containerships) and with Jumbo Shipping on heavylift vessels.

But when health issues forced Bert ashore, he had to think hard about how to stay in the industry.

‘I was unfit for sailing and at that point

I saw the problems you can have with your employer and social institutions,’ he recalls.

‘So when I saw a call for new employees in the magazine of my union, I applied for the job in 1997.’

That was the year when the Dutch officers’ union VKO joined with the ratings’ union AVZ to form FWZ (Federatie van Werknemers in de Zeevaart).

And Bert has stayed with the Union through many subsequent changes, witnessing the renaming of FWZ to Nautilus NL in 2006, the creation of the transboundary union Nautilus International in 2009 and the transfer of Swiss members from Unia in 2011.

Through it all, he has remained dedicated

to getting the best deal for union members, and his day-to-day work is exactly what should be expected of an industrial officer.

‘I help members with their issues which they have with their employer, social security benefits, pensions and so on,’ he explains.

‘Besides that I negotiate several CBAs (collective bargaining agreements) in the inland waterways sector, the offshore sector and the tanker sector, and I participate in several committees.

The best thing about his job is the contact with members, he says.

‘Every day new issues come in, and although these issues are sometimes the same, the way towards resolving them is

different every time. So you can see every day is a new challenge. But the best feeling after a day’s work is when you save someone’s job!’

Bert is drawn to the sea in his free time, enjoying walking along the beach on stormy days. He also likes going to concerts, reading books and watching football on TV. Happy in his life and work, he says his wish for the future is simply ‘to continue our service on the same or at a higher level’.

But it turns out he does have an idea up his sleeve for an innovation at the Union. ‘I would like to see the development of a Nautilus International app,’ he explains. ‘Something which would give the member all the topics of his or her membership in one view.’

Wherev er you are , so are we

Join now

CALL NOW TO JOIN NAUTILUS ON: UK: +44 (0)151 639 8454 NL: +31 (0)10 477 11 88 CH: +41 (0)61 262 24 24

Join today so we can be there for you too!

Pay and conditions Nautilus International is the first truly trans-boundary trade union for maritime professionals, reflecting the global nature of the industry. We negotiate with employers on issues including pay, working conditions, working hours and pensions to secure agreements which recognise members’ skills and experience, and the need for safety for the maritime sector.

Legal services Nautilus Legal offers members a range of legal services free of charge. There are specialist lawyers to support members in work related issues and a number of non-work related issues. The Union also has a network of lawyers in 54 countries to provide support where members need it most.

Workplace support Nautilus International officials provide expert advice on work-related problems such as contracts, redundancy, bullying or discrimination, non-payment of wages, and pensions.

Certificate protection Members are entitled to free financial protection, worth up to £118,500, against the loss

43_infosprd.indd 43

of income if their certificate of competency is cancelled, suspended or downgraded following a formal inquiry.

training. The Union is affiliated to the TUC in the UK, FNV in the Netherlands and SGB/USS in Switzerland.

Extra savings Members can take advantage of many additional discounts and benefits organised at a local level. These include tax advice, insurance discounts and advice on pension matters. In the Netherlands, discounts are organised through FNV, and trade union contributions are mostly tax-friendly, entitling members to receive a significant part of their contributions back.

In touch As a Nautilus International member, help is never far away — wherever in the world you are.

Officials regularly see members onboard their ships and visit cadets at college. Further support and advice is available at regular ‘surgeries’ and conferences. The Union has offices in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam and Basel.

There are also representatives based in France, Spain and Singapore.

International representation Nautilus International represents members’ views on a wide range of national and international bodies including the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA).

We work at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on key global regulations covering working conditions, health and safety and

Join us today…

Call +44 (0)151 639 8454 Visit www.nautilusint.org Email membership@nautilusint.org g For the full range of member benefits visit www.nautilusint.org

OR g Speak with our membership department on +44 (0)151 639 8454

Your union, your voice The Union represents the voice of more than 22,000 maritime professionals working in all sectors of the industry at sea and ashore — including inland navigation, large yachts, deepsea and offshore.

For members, by members Nautilus International is a dynamic and democratic trade union offering members many opportunities to become actively involved and have your say — at a local, national and international level.

21/09/2016 16:39

44 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2016

NEWS

UKHO warns on ECDIS problems

UK sees red for MN Day London, Lord Mountevans, is A pictured outside London’s Guildhall on The Lord Mayor of the City of

Merchant Navy Day last month.

The historic building was one of more than 400 public places flying the red ensign on 3 September following a campaign by the charity Seafarers UK. Lord Mountevans — who headed the government’s Maritime Growth Study — arranged for the flag to be flown from the Guildhall, which is the home of the City of London Corporation.

Hundreds of local councils and other civic buildings also flew the flag and arranged ceremonies to mark the UK’s continuing dependence on ships and seafarers.

Merchant Navy Day has been commemorated in the UK since 2000 but this is only the second year it has been actively promoted by Seafarers UK, with the support of the Merchant Navy Association and the Federation of Merchant Mariners. g Full report and more pictures, see page 18.

the UK Hydrographic Office F (UKHO) for shipowners and managers Nautilus has backed a call from

to do more to arrest an increase in electronic chart-related detentions.

The UKHO warned last month that ECDIS training and familiarisation issues need particular attention as port state control inspectors around the world intensify their scrutiny of vessels using electronic charts as the primary means of navigation.

‘With a growing majority of the global fleet having completed the switch to digital navigation, evidence is emerging that the number of ECDISrelated issues during inspections and audits is on the rise,’ it said.

Thomas Mellor, the UK’s head of OEM technical support and digital

standards, added: ‘ECDIS can deliver tremendous benefits for safe, compliant and efficient navigation.

However, once installed, ship owners, operators and managers must fulfil their responsibilities for its ongoing use, including compliance with all relevant regulations. This includes updating their bridge procedures, upgrading their ECDIS software to the latest IHO ENC standards and, above all, ensuring that bridge teams are trained and certified in the operation of ECDIS and in line with the requirements of port state control inspections and audits.

‘There can be any number of reasons for non-compliance, ranging from inadequate detail in the ship’s safety management system,

a failure to use the latest electronic navigational charts for the voyage plan, or a bridge team unfamiliar with the use of ECDIS,’ he added.

‘Whatever the reason, the penalties can be severe, whether through the costs of a delayed onward voyage or the impact on an owner’s reputation of a failed SIRE inspection,’ Mr Mellor warned. ‘Most importantly, every incident of non-compliance is a potential threat to the safety of that ship and its crew, as well as other traffic and the marine environment.’

Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘We have argued consistently that in addition to generic training, specific training is necessary, and familiarisation is not good enough.’

Union helps UK cadets caught on Hanjin ship Union urges flag state and UK authorities to help end ordeal of trainees trapped on ship after company collapse

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Nautilus has been providing advice and assistance to four British officer trainees who have been stranded onboard one of the containerships caught up in the collapse of the South Korean shipping company Hanjin.

The four cadets — Ruaridh Hanna, David Gorniak, Graeme Deacon and Gavin McPhail — are among an estimated 2,500 seafarers who have been unable to leave their ships while they have remained in international waters to avoid arrest by creditors.

Three of the Clyde Marine cadets — who are sponsored by Zodiac Maritime and are studying at City of Glasgow College — joined the Liberia-flagged Hanjin Louisiana in May and were due to leave the 40,855gt vessel on 2 September.

With food supplies running low, it had been hoped that the

officer trainees — who are all on their second phase of seatime — would be allowed to leave the ship while it was off Sri Lanka at the start of the month.

But Hanjin Louisiana was instructed to slow steam towards Singapore instead and Nautilus called for the companies, the flag state and the UK authorities to arrange for the four members to be taken off by a vessel that was due to bring fresh supplies to the ship.

The South Korean government said Hanjin had been ‘continuously monitoring conditions on its vessels’ — but arrangements had been made to take emergency supplies to ships that had either been arrested, refused entry into certain ports or drifting in international waters.

‘It’s been a difficult time, but we have been bearing up,’ Ruaridh said. ‘The food has actually been good and well prepared, although

One of the scores of Hanjin containerships caught up in the legal aftermath of Hanjin’s move to seek bankruptcy protection lies outside the US port of Long Beach last month Picture: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

we ran out of fresh fruit and veg, flour and eggs — which made breakfast rather interesting.’

The four British cadets are

part of a crew of Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Polish, Montenegrin, Filipino and Indian nationals.

‘It’s not been easy onboard when we get bad news, as it brings everyone down,’ Ruaridh said. ‘We are all getting towards the end of our tether. It’s sometimes very hard to not let your head drop, but having the other guys around makes it a lot easier.’

‘The worst bit is not having coherent communications from all the different parties,’ said David. ‘When you go to sea you do expect that this sort of thing might happen, but not knowing what is happening and when you are going to get home is not good.’

‘It’s a pretty incredible situation,’ Graeme added. ‘At first we didn’t realise how serious it was until were learned from the BBC News how many ships were affected. You can feel a bit rubbish at times, especially when you think of all the hundreds of jobs that are on the line.’

All four said the experience

has not deterred them from wanting to continue their training and to qualify as officers. ‘I am 100% committed,’ said Gavin. ‘My older brother is working on cruiseships and is having a great time.’

Nautilus national secretary Jonathan Havard said the Union is working with Clyde Marine and Zodiac to ensure the cadets are able to return home as soon as possible.

‘They have been placed in an appalling situation through no fault of their own, and we are doing everything we can to get them repatriated so that they can get back to their families and then resume their studies,’ he added.

‘The fact that they are all determined to continue their training shows their deep commitment and we are hugely impressed by their mature and sensible response to the events they have been caught up in.’

“EXCELLENT COURSES TAUGHT BY TUTORS WITH KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE” STCW • ECDIS • GMDSS • HELM • MEDICAL • DP • TANKER • GWO • OOW • CHIEF MATE • MASTER

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21/09/2016 18:14