NAUTILUS P01 NOVEMBER 2009.qxd - Nautilus International

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16 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2009 YOUR LETTERS What’s on your mind? Tell your colleagues in Nautilus International – and the wider world of shipping. Keep your letter to a maximum 300 words if you can – though longer contributions will be considered. Use a pen name or just your membership number if you don’t want to be identified – say so in an accompanying note – but you must let the Telegraph have your name, address and membership number. Send your letter to the Editor, Telegraph, Nautilus International, 750-760 High Road, Leytonstone, London E11 3BB, or use head office fax +44 (0)20 8530 1015, or email telegraph@nautilusint.org [ STAR LETTER We will pay for wage cuts Has the Nautilus membership thought through the implications of the motion regarding the International Maritime Employers’ Committee proposals for a 10% cut in FoC wages? How can any of our members be supportive of anything put out by the IMEC? If members of this gouging and exploitative organisation are able to secure an agreement to cut wages of seafarers, this is a cartel action. This should be, and may be, illegal and is certainly immoral. Many seafarers working on FoC ships are already horribly exploited, with long voyages, unreliable conditions and uncertain payment regimes. The shipping business has always been governed by the most harsh free market forces: freights, price of steel, cost of slipway time, price of fuel and demand for services. Seafarers’ wages or lay-offs have been abundant when freights were low and A brush with success! Congratulations to Nautilus member Angelo Bayada — winner of last month’s competition to find the best caption for the Ocean Village photograph of Basil Brush on the bridge. His entry: ‘Cap’n! We’ve dropped the hook on a Yes 46% ship scrappage or ship lay-ups common. Now shipowners who have enjoyed the highest freights on record for years are seeking to squeeze the seafarer. They will have spent their increased bonuses and emoluments, the brokers have had a heyday. All the leech industries have sucked the host dry and now the seafarers — but only the so-called national flag seafarers — want to see their colleagues, unfortunate enough to have to work on FoC vessels, take a cut. I am actually pretty disgusted because I left the national flag during the 1969-1970 reorganisation when containerisation reduced the national fleet to around 20%. Remuneration to the officers went up by the rate of inflation and the European seamen were pushed out of the business bit by bit. Many of my contemporaries, trained to the highest standards by Blue Flue, P&O, NZS, Shell and BP (and a host of others), were obliged munitions dump! Boom, boom!’ Runner-up was Mike Owen, whose entry was: What did the cannon say to the pirate? Answer: ‘BOOM, BOOM!’ Boom, boom! Have your say online Last month we asked: is the shipping industry doing enough to cut exhaust emissions? No 54% This month’s poll asks: Does the Maersk flag-out spell the end of the UK and Dutch fleet revival? Please give us your views online, at nautilusint.org to flag out or go home. The readjustment was inevitable but salutary. So what’s behind this FoC business? The owners want to be free to move assets wherever they pay less tax, pick up crews wherever they find them, but not pay the competitive wage. Wage bargaining is the business of the unions and this is another example of them flopping over in front of the owners by even posing this question in this non-representative form. It looks very much like a ‘softening up’ process. I only hope the Filipino, Indian, and Chinese wage negotiators have a bit more courage. The quality of FoC captains, chiefs, officers and hands is high and the shipowners need them — so let them pay the going rate. If the freight market is poor, let the wages fall to a natural level (each owner making his individual commercial decision about what to offer and who to keep or send home) and when the market is high again let them rise to attract the best. The owners created the shortage by negligence towards training. FoC officers very often have to pay for training out of wages. We white men do not have a superior right. We are common seafarers with or without tickets, we must compete on a level field. This way the owners may start to do some of the right things and not try to impose a cartel both immoral, and possibly by UN/ ILO rules illegal. Rejoice in free enterprise for all. Please don’t expect owners to respect any informal quid pro quo to wage negotiators, nor to their fellow members once the competition starts again. Remember: every wage cut to a fellow seafarer raises the potential for low-cost competition for your job. ROBERT OGDEN mem no 102115 Shipmates Looking to get in contact with a colleague from way back when? Members should visit www.nautilusint.org/ Time-Out and click on Shipmates Reunited Duty raids worthwhile? You may be already aware of this, but for your interest I attach an article from Torbay’s local newspaper — the Herald Express. Headlined, ‘Tankers in duty-free swoop’ it tells how supertankers anchored off Tor Bay for the past few months waiting for the price of oil to rise were boarded by UK government officers. The 200 crew members have brought a big boost to the Bay’s economy, the report states, but last week their long stay came to the attention of the Borders Agency, Challenge for fitness award At the Physical Initiative this year we were able to respond to what many crews were looking for, apart from a pay rise a physical challenge that pushed them in to doing some regular and valuable exercise when they were at sea. So at the beginning of August we launched the Seafarers’ Challenge, which does just that. There are several activities that involve the use of some basic exercise equipment that many ships will have, and for those that don’t there are other exercise challenges that can be carried out without any equipment. Not only can the seafarer compete against his/ her shipmates, but we have designed a website to allow everyone taking part to see how they are doing in relation to other ships and other companies who are taking part. The activities that register points are: treadmill running, exercise biking, rowing, deck walking, stair climbing, push ups and sit ups. Crews are asked to send us photos of their ship and their top man/woman for each month, and these are published on our website at www.physicalinitiative. co.uk under the Seafarers Challenge tab (Team UBUD are seen here posing after putting in some whose officers were not happy that the crews continued to pay duty-free prices for their bonded stores while being in British waters for so long. ‘They are believed to have boarded the tankers and sealed the bonded stores, leaving the crews to pay full prices from the mainland,’ the report states. ‘It is thought the stores will remain sealed until the tankers leave British waters.’ Bearing in mind that none of these ships are British registered, and are no doubt manned by low paid crews, I have two questions to ask about this article: 1) Was this exercise a worthwhile use of taxpayers’ money? 2) Is this yet another example of seafarers still being treated as second-class people? Does this now mean that we can now no longer feel superior when we complain about the attitude of Immigration Officers in the USA towards British seafarers? ROBERT KNIGHT (Retired Shipmaster) mem no 145558 useful scores!) The aim of the competition is to gain points by the number of minutes spent doing the exercises in blocks of five, 10 or 15 minutes, or more for those really going for it! So far we have ships competing from Maersk, BW Shipping, North Star and Golden Bay, but we need more crews to take part. If enough ships join the Challenge we hope to provide a reward weekend for those who have done the best over the year (the competition runs from Aug 2009 to Jul 2010). You can download posters and scoring charts from our website easily, and then email us the results every month and we will do the rest. Take the initiative — do the Challenge! ANDREW NEIGHBOUR Director, The Physical Initiative Ltd Best source on SD14s Not being a member, but always able to read a copy of your interesting publication, the following article really interested me. This was in the August issue, Off watch/Ships of the past by Trevor Boult, which was an article on SD14s. I have always had an interest in this class of vessel and have an almost complete history list of all vessels built. I am also in possession of a book by John Lingwood, called SD14, The Complete Story. This is excellent for the history buffs and, if still available, should be a must for followers of this class. Once again many thanks for a great publication. IAN TEMLETT Debate! Have something to talk about with others at sea? Members can take part in our seafarers’ discussion forum. Visit www. nautilusint.org/Time-Out and click on Debate Well done to Nautilus Having just read the September Telegraph, I felt that praise was due. Although long retired, I still find the Telegraph a wonderful read. May I, through your letters column, thank and offer congratulations to newly-elected Council member Clive Evans, for the nice words and also congratulate Nautilus International, their officials and committee on the continuing achievements in advancing ETO training. May I also take this opportunity to congratulate Mark Dickinson and Paul Moloney for their ‘promotion’, wishing Brian Orrell a long and happy retirement. This would apply to Peter McEwen, but I understand he is remaining at work looking after my pension! On a sad note, I must add my condolences on the passing of Eric Nevin and John Newman, who along with Brian provided so much help during my years on Council, while promoting the cause of the ETO. Thank you, and bon voyage to all who know me. ROD CLAYBURN mem no 120330 MARINE TAX SERVICES (CARDIFF) LTD complete service for mariners run by certificated ex-officer qualified accountants always available computerised 100% claims and forecast projection will writing service available 26 High Street, Barry CF62 7EB, South Glamorgan, UK Tel. Barry (01446) 739953 MARINETAX@YAHOO.COM Established 1974
yal Alfred 6 x 2.indd 1 20/2/09 14:17:46 November 2009 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 17 YOUR LETTERS Cadets’ pay is a bit of a joke What is really giving me some concern at the present time is the level of pay I and the other cadets receive from for the company sponsoring us. What I would really like to know is how the tonnage tax allowance scheme set by the government works. I have heard that the government pays sponsoring companies £15,000 a year to take on British cadets and that this £15,000 is to be passed onto the cadet. I have also heard that the government grants companies tax allowances of up to £15,000 a year per cadet and that it is up to the individual companies how much of this allowance they pass onto the cadet. I and my colleagues have just started at Warsash. When we were informed how much the accommodation is costing it came as one hell of a shock. Once the cost of accommodation is deducted from my monthly allowance, I have £55 a week to pay for everything else — ie food, transport, electricity, college equipment, and all of life’s unforeseen costs. I don’t believe I lead a lavish lifestyle, but this sum is a bit of a joke. If we were working and earning this amount in wages no doubt we would be able to claim benefits to increase the take-home pay. Depending upon the answer to my question above, surely the government — who I believe set the terms and conditions for the scheme — could step in and do something about it? NAME & NO SUPPLIED SENIOR NATIONAL SECRETARY ALLAN GRAVESON COMMENTS: SMarT funding is designed to encourage companies to recruit and train officer trainees (cadets). Funding is currently worth in excess of £17,000 for a three-year cadetship. It costs an average of around £42,000 to train a UK officer. For companies who choose to be in the tonnage tax scheme, the difference is made good with tax allowances. THE VIEW FROM MUIRHEAD Work at sea has become slavery telegraph STAFF editor: Andrew Linington production editor: June Cattini reporters: Mike Gerber Sarah Robinson web editor: Matthew Louw ADVERTISING Century One Publishing Ltd Arquen House, 4-6 Spicer Street St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4PQ Sales: Oliver Kirkman tel: +44 (0)1727 739 184 fax: +44 (0)1727 893 895 email: ollie@centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk website: www.centuryonepublishing.ltd.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 College Hill Press Limited 37 Webber Street, London SE1 8QW. We’re now on Facebook. Become a fan Visit www. nautilusint.org Follow us on Twitter THE ROYAL ALFRED SEAFARERS’ SOCIETY BELVEDERE HOUSE provides quality nursing care, residential and sheltered accommodation primarily for Seafarers and their dependants offering modern en suite rooms and sheltered flats set in 14 acres of lovely Surrey countryside. For further information, please contact the I am a plain seafarer — a captain, merchant one. I was not gifted from the maker to be an EU state’s citizen or language-bearer, so I hope to be forgiven for mistakes, languages and stylistic. But as an active seafarer who has sailed the seas more than 40 years, I have seen things and have much to say. Having read the Telegraph carefully, two sorts of articles have attracted my attention — piracy and fatigue — as a source of high risk and danger. As to piracy, do we need arms on the vessels? Yes, we do! I’m working within the area where the pirate threat exists and if you, as a pirate, have even a suspicion that the crew may have a shooting item you will probably say to yourself easy money is a good thing, but it’s not worth my own life. A good deal of us were in military service before, and some still belong to hunters’ clubs, so it is wrong to say we are fully ignorant in handling a weapon. Two or three AK47s or M-16s, self-loading Enfield or Heckler & Koch, simple and robust, and personal pistols for the officers to be stowed and secured in steel Chief Executive, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt OBE, Head Office, Weston Acres, Woodmansterne Lane, Banstead, Surrey SM7 3HA. Tel: 01737 353763 www.royalalfredseafarers.com Reg Charity No 209776 Est 1865 box in the captain’s cabin until the clock strikes will be a good assistance for seafarers. Much more useful than the ISPS bulky folder, which may be best tossed into the muzzle of attackers or beating stupid heads of shorebased theoreticians. As to the second problem, fatigue, the articles were warm, kind and full of regret for the poor seafarers, and some with the declaration to make scientific explorations. But why, I ask, did no one did not put a question about working hours? Let us cast a glance on a common coaster, many of which cross European waters — from Antverpen to Bilbao for instance. What we can see? Six or sometimes five crew members, exhausted by the heavy weather, by the overnight washing of the holds, movable bulkheads, maintenance work, watchkeeping and ISPS, finally entering the port and thankful that the vessel is alongside. So, we start to rest. Loading takes a few hours only with all hands on deck for ropes and windlasses (six ropes minimum, as per harbour rules). At the same time, the bunkering is in progress, victuals, water receiving, garbage disposal, PSC, FSC, customs, owner’s audit, stores supply — need I say more? Yes! Administration! A huge heap of paper, countless checklists as a fig-leaf to cover the known spot, plus service to equipment, expiry date of documents prolonging and hundreds of other urgent works. Let me see someone, who has enough of shamelessness to say it is your time, lad, have a rest! And the same for all of us! Rest hours on paper look nice! Watch schedule — six after six, and in darkness I, as a captain, have to suck from my finger a lookout. And we all lie — yes, we kept an AB for lookout. It is not a secret and all parties — owners, operators, and port authorities know it. Know it, but do nothing to change the situation. Minimum safe manning is acceptable only for a very short A service for seafarers and their families FREE, FAST & CONFIDENTIAL period when there is an unexpected shortage of crew (due to illness, death or so on) for two or three days, for instance — but not for the constant handling of the craft. If we really wish to diminish danger and stop the seafarers’ torture, an eight-hour working day or three full watching shifts (two plus two plus two) should be implemented. Ships with less than nine crew members should be prohibited to sail for trips exceeding three days. This should be strongly controlled by the state authority and in case of a breach of this rule, the owner and operator should get a sensible penalty. It is time to leave aside any sort of hypocrisy and lies and say loudly that work at sea has become drudgery — slave labour, though well paid. And a shameful spot on the face of the modern civilisation. YURIY B Master Mariner Russia Immediate telephone advice is available on many subjects, including: Welfare Benefits Tax Credits Housing Employment Pensions Debt (including Council Tax) Consumer Immigration Relationship & Family GENERAL SECRETARY Mark Dickinson MSc (Econ) HEAD OFFICE Oceanair House 750–760 High Road Leytonstone, London E11 3BB 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 DEPARTMENT EMAILS general: enquiries@nautilusint.org membership: membership@nautilusint.org legal: legal@nautilusint.org Telegraph: telegraph@nautilusint.org industrial south: industrialsouth@nautilusint.org industrial north: industrialnorth@nautilusint.org central services: centralservices@nautilusint.org welfare: welfare@nautilusint.org professional and technical: protech@nautilusint.org Nautilus International also administers the NUMAST Welfare Funds and the J W Slater Fund, which are registered charities. 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