Seafarers have rights too

 

Late in 2019 rumour of a virus started to emerge from China – later named Covid-19 and to spread the world and become a global pandemic.  Across the world, governments took steps to contain the virus, through various means, some quickly, some less so.  A lot of countries introduced ‘stay at home’ rules and closed down airports and ports to prevent ingress and egress of people, who may carry the virus, increasing the spread.

One of the effects of these steps was to stop the movement of ships in and out of port, and with that, an estimated half a million seafarers were stranded at sea.  They were stuck in a place they didn’t want to be – and there was no way out.  Hundreds of thousands of seafarers were unable to repatriate to their home countries, were unable to take shore leave, were unable to see their families.  In fact they were effectively imprisoned on their vessels.  At the same time, those seafarers who would have expected to take on voyage contracts were unable to do so.  A large percentage of seafarers, a workforce of around two million people, come from developing countries (around 14% come from the Philippines) and being unable to take on a sea contract meant being unable to provide for their families. 

Rather than being at sea for agreed contractual periods (which is a maximum of eleven months per voyage), the seafarers were stuck.  Many worked on commercial ships keeping the supply chain between countries intact.   Under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, companies engaged in the maritime industry have a clear responsibility to respect the human rights of seafarers in all economic decision making.  These guidelines were only published in May 2021, by which time the pandemic had been raging, the seafarers suffering for many many months, their human rights impacted.

The supply chain managed to continue to deliver essential goods round the world, the industry stayed afloat – just like the seafarers.  Cargo ships carry around 80-90%% of all global trade, around 50,000 merchant ships trade internationally.  As crew have not been designated key workers, the seafarers have no additional rights to travel, or to medical care or to vaccines.  This although the ships carry raw materials, finished goods, fresh produce, for delivery to supermarkets, where drivers and supermarket workers have been deemed essential.

However, the impact of this extended period at sea, both physical and mental, has taken its toll on the world’s seafarers.   Many are considering whether the risk of going to sea is worth it, and at what potential cost to the global supply chain?

Since restrictions have eased, some shipping companies, for example Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, have facilitated seafarers leaving their vessels, provided hotel rooms, vaccination programmes and repatriation services.   However, some companies have failed during the pandemic, leaving seafarers at sea, without salaries, or support or a way to get home.  Still stuck, and still not wanting to be.

 

(This story interested me because there were at least ten cruise ships moored out in Poole Harbour at the height of the pandemic.   I was out in a boat circling the vessels and wondering what was happening.  So I knew about this crisis a long time ago.  But I expect a lot of people have never thought of it.  The picture has at least three cruise ships.)