Navigare 4 - Sjøfartsdirektoratet

A variety of welfare activities
Thanks to the
enthusiasts
And then Christmas is upon us, with its ceremonies
and traditions. For those of us, however,
who work here up north, either along
the Norwegian coastline or out at sea, December
is also the start of a period of polar
nights and challenging weather conditions.
We must show consideration for each other, so
that we are able to weather the storms this
year too.
It is the ILO-Convention 163 that regulates which welfare
services Norway is required to off er. Th e Convention was
ratifi ed by the Norwegian Parliament in 1993. Th e year 2007
is now coming to an end and the Norwegian Maritime
Directorate will soon deliver its evaluation to the Ministry of
Trade and Industry of how the Seamen’s Service should be
organized in the future. We have been asked to look at our
services both abroad and along the Norwegian coast.
Th e shipping trade has undergone radical changes since
the Seamen’s Service was established sixty years ago. Th e
last years’ reduction in laytime, the ISPS-code and restrictions
on shore leave alone has made the conditions for seamen
more diffi cult.
Whereas the changes within the shipping trade have
been close to a revolution, the Seamen’s Service has perhaps
had more of a quiet evolution. From a welfare organisation
of close to 150 employees in the early 70s, we now
have 12 people working with welfare fulltime, at our main
offi ce and at our three welfare stations abroad. In addition,
we have agreements with a number of enthusiasts, both
private individuals and Seamen’s Churches, out in the
world and along the coast of Norway, who all do a great job
for seafarers. I am impressed, and the response from the
seafarers is positive. Even with a substantial cut in resources,
we are still able to maintain a varied service.
Th e Seamen’s Service will manage this time also, but
without enthusiasm and dedicated employees, there would
not be many welfare activities. Our statistics on fi lm subscriptions,
book exchanges, photo competitions and sports
activities – just to mention some of the activities the Seamen’s
Service off er – show a steady increase from year to
year. We will get even better – and that is a promise.
We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Nytt fra Rotterdam
Velferdsstasjonen i Rotterdam vil fremover være betjent av
Sjømannskirken, på grunn av sykdom hos vår stasjonsleder.
Kirken vil betjene skipene med velferdstilbud som bokbytte,
utdeling av faks-avis, utenlandske aviser på faks og
fi lippinske aviser og tidsskrifter. De vil også stå for salg av
fi lmen Martha, i tillegg til Illustrert Skipsliste.
Velferdens mobiltelefon samt e-post betjenes også av
kirken. For å gjøre arbeidet enklere for kirkens representanter,
ber vi om at skipene sender faks eller e-post på
samme adresse som før. Dere kan også ringe eller sende en
tekstmelding.
KLARE TIL INNSATS. Sjømannkirken stiller opp når velferdsstasjonen har
behov for vikar. Bak fra venstre: Vaktmester/assistent Gunnar Rafoss, husmor
Britt Flaaten Andreassen, sjømannsprest Britt Aanes Ekhogen, 2-åring Jens
Lian. Foran: 1-åring Hilda Tjøstheim og assistent Yngvar Larsen.
Har du lyst på en ny
bok å lese?
Når du ringer eller sender en
bestilling på en bok eller på
bokesker til skipet, er muligheten
stor for at du treff er på
Line M. Hanssen, den nye
konsulenten i Velferden.
Line holder orden på biblioteket
og tar imot bestillinger på bøker,
linjedåpssertifi kater og grønnkortbestillinger.
Hun kan også
videresende elektroniske nyhetsbrev,
sende brosjyrer eller andre
ting du trenger.
NAVIGARE 4 - 2007 25