Mr. Abdulgani Y. Serang, General Secretary-cum-Treasurer, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), has appealed to Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to immediately look into the ordeal of the seafarers in the hands of pirates and the mental agony, physical sufferings and the financial difficulties of the families of the seafarers in captivity.Mr. Abdulgani Y. Serang called on Mr. Koji Sekimizu, during the latter’s visit to Mumbai, in the presence of Mr. Deepak Shetty, till recently the Director General of Shipping; Dr. Amol B. Kirtane, Deputy Director General of Shipping, and Mr. Vijay Kumar Pandey, Assistant Director General of Shipping.
Mr. Abdulgani Y. Serang put forth the plight of the seafarers, who work under volatile conditions involving great risks to their personal life but still courageously discharge their professional duties, belonging not only to India but also spread across the length and breadth of the whole world.
The other demands and grievances are:
• Seafarers should be treated as a different type of workforce and extended certain benefits to retain them in this profession and also attract more people into this profession. Their role in the world economy should be acknowledged.
• A study should be conducted to extend Income Tax concessions to seafarers throughout the world. Many countries like Denmark, Greece, Sweden, Turkey, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Lithuania, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Portugal and Nigeria give income tax benefits to their citizens who want to become seafarers. This can be done by other countries also, including India.
• Despite resolutions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) regarding continuity of employment, 1976, seafarers still do not have permanency in their jobs. They are still contract workers for years together with the same company. Seafarers should be made permanent similar to shore workers.
• The IMO should make it mandatory to carry trainees on board ships. With the increasing competition amongst ship owners, the trend is to restrict manning to the safe manning levels only.
• The IMO should also make it mandatory for seafarers to be able to access e-mail and internet facilities as a right and not as a favour by the shipping company. Presently, the Indian seafarers have this facility wherever there is a NUSI or MUI agreement.
• Similarly Shore Leave should be granted to the seafarer as his right and not as a favour by the port authorities.
Mr. Koji Sekimizu appreciated Mr. Abdulgani Y. Serang for bringing to his notice in crystal clear terms the untold miseries of the seafarers as they are really genuine and valid. Some of the issues like piracy, training and shore leave have already caught the attention of the IMO, he replied. He forcefully indicated that he himself is a strong supporter of the seafarers who are indeed an important workforce.
Mr. Koji Sekimizu assured Mr. Abdulgani Y. Serang that together with ship owners, Governments, the ITF, the ILO and other stakeholders, he will work for the maximum welfare of the seafarers. He also mentioned that it is important to talk and publicise about the benefits of the shipping industry and particularly of the seafarers among other non-shipping groups who are not aware of the formers’ contribution to the world economy.
Mr. Koji Sekimizu has asked the NUSI to represent the issues of the seafarers in detail which will be addressed by the IMO Secretariat appropriately.
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