Seafaring Today
 In the past, maritime companies were often family
businesses. There was a working relationship between ship
owners and the seafarers they employed. Today, globalisation
means that crews are more likely to come from countries
where labour is cheap. Manning agencies organise recruitment
and contracts. There may be little or no contact between
ship owners and the men and women who live and work on their
ships.
Automation of many aspects of ship operation has led to
crew reductions. This means that individual seafarers must
accept greater levels of responsibility. With as few crew as
possible to handle a ship, opportunities are limited for
coming together to eat or to relax. At the same time,
seafarers often share cramped quarters and lack privacy.
There is pressure to maximise the ship use and minimise
port dues, i.e. the tariff paid for time spent in port.
Therefore ships are likely to spend as short a time as
possible in port, sometimes less than twelve hours. Economic
pressures have also led to job losses among dock workers in
many countries. Now seafarers themselves take part in the
discharging of cargo.
Consequently, seafarers may have little or no free time
ashore. Possibilities are limited for shopping and leisure
especially as modern ports are usually far from town
centres. Short turnaround times mean even fewer
opportunities to contact family and friends at home.
Ship to shore communications technology is developing all
the time. However use of onboard satellite telephones or
email, where they exist, is likely to be strictly limited to
officers or for business purposes only. The majority of
seafarers rely on public telephones, email stations and the
postal system for contact with families.
Lack of access to communications can cause a sense of
isolation. Where crews are drawn from various countries,
there may be barriers of differing cultures, languages and
religions. Seafarers may find it difficult to discuss
personal concerns or share hopes and ideas with their
colleagues. They are especially vulnerable to feelings of
loneliness.
In many sectors, the drive for profit may result in men
and women being treated, not as human beings, but as
machines. Human dignity is disregarded in the “race to the
bottom” in terms of salaries and working conditions. In the
maritime sector, lack of transparency over ownership and
accountability exacerbates these problems. Unscrupulous
owners are able to hide behind Flags of Convenience. |