Young Transport Workers - Conference 2 6 – 2 7 September 2011 Riga

Young Transport Workers - Conference26 – 27 September 2011

Riga

Report on Sectoral SD recommendations

Group B – Maritime transport

1. Key issues and demands from young workers in the sector

A. What are possible reasons why a young worker does not want to start working in the maritime transport sector?

Outcome group exercise:

olittle experience and limited options for practice during studies and later for employment, precarious jobs

Feedback ETF Political Secretary:

•The issue of practice or vocational training has been clearly identified during the « Training & Recruitment » project.

•The related ETF Policy stresses that shipping companies should allocate sufficient training positions to allow cadets to complete their qualifications and enhance their employment opportunities.

•The ETF calls on shipping companies to allocate an appropriate number of training berthes for trainees.

•The ETF asked the European Commission to ensure that there are no obstacles to shipowners maximising trainee berths, e.g. the Tonnage Measurement Convention




obad working conditions of high risk


•There is a specific Working Group in the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on this issue.

•The ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), in the process of being ratified by the Member States at international level (hopefully by 2012-2013), deals with enhancing working and living conditions. The requirements have been transposed in an EU Directive, based on a Social Partners’ Agreement reached between ETF and ECSA.

•The Section’s focus now lays with addressing fatigue (ETF is project partner in www.project-horizon.eu)

•Social Partners are currently working on enhancing the on-board organisation of work (excessive workload, stress, irrisponsible administrative burden).

http://www.project-horizon.eu/




othe health & safety reasons


ETF/ECSA have a specific SSDC Working group on this issue, dealing with:

•Dissemination of EU centralised and comprehensive statistics on deaths and accidents at sea on European level

•Joint initiatives and exchange of best practices on health and safety issues: obesity, nutrition, health and exercise, stress and fatigue

•Encouraging awareness campaigns at national level towards shipping companies and seafarers on on-board responsibilities and obligations stemming from EU legislation

•Monitoring and compilation of initiatives being taken by Member States and Social partners at national level to meet existing requirements, and exchange of best practice

•Discussion on the role of human factors in maritime casualties (working and living conditions; adequate training)




oworking time for seamen and duration of voyages


Working time for seafarers is well regulated at EU level:

•COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 1999/63/EC of 21 June 1999 concerning the Agreement on the organisation of working time of seafarers concluded by ECSA and the (current) ETF

•DIRECTIVE 1999/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 concerning the enforcement of provisions in respect of seafarers' hours of work on board ships calling at Community ports

•Provisions on hours of work and hours of rest in the MLC 2006. ETF is actively involved in the promotion of the ratification and entry into force of the MLC 2006.

However, long working hours are often reported. Furthermore, ETF has a long-lasting demand on crew complement and adequate manning in order to avoid situations where the crew members have to work longer hours to cope with all the operational tasks.




oLack of attractiveness of the job


The ETF Maritime Transport Section organised two relevant projects:

1.« The mapping of career pathes in maritime industries » (2005)

2.« Training and Recruitment in shipping » (2010-2011)

Project materials are available on www.etf-europe.org

The second project made clear that the lack of attractiveness of the seafaring professions amongst Europeans hides a more serious and complex problem:

-A substantial number of maritime academies tend to have more applicants than vacancies available

-The few shipping companies that do train, turn down many more applicants than the limited number of places they can offer

Conclusion: the real problem is a shortage of training opportunities and committed shipowners ready to offer training, secure employment and ongoing careers

http://www.etf-europe.org/




oeducation/training


The ETF Policy on training and recruitment stresses that greater effort must be galvanised to promote better training, facilitate the entry to the profession, enhance continuous career development with a view to promoting mutual recognition and professional mobility.

The ETF promotes e.g.:

•More flexible and blended modes of learning (for initial education and lifelong learning)

•An EU wide recognised seafarer training certificate

•Member States to train seafarers beyond the minimum international standards (STCW)


B. What are possible reasons why a young transport worker stops working in the maritime transport sector?

General feedback ETF Political Secretary:

The decision to stop working at sea can be motivated by many reasons, e.g.

•criminalization of seafarers,

•piracy,

•the restriction to shore leave,

•isolation (small crews and differences between nationalities, need for a more conventional social life),

•long term company loyalty has become rare,

•fatigue associated to high workloads,

•difficult working and living conditions, etc.

In addition, amongst the reasons for quitting work at sea, there is also the shift towards a shore side career, e.g.: a shipping company requests the officer to take employment in the shore side of the organisation; job in the local port administration, etc.




oaccidents


Social Partners plan to address the safety issue, e.g. by disseminating EU centralised and comprehensive statistics on deaths and accidents at sea on European level.


oOut flagging


The MTS is well aware that any claims or political demands need to be carefully worked out to avoid giving shipping companies good reasons to flag out. This concern is therefore mainstreamed in our political work.




oPiracy


This is an issue very high in the agenda of the ITF/ETF. Social Partners at both international and European level are resolute to jointly face this major threat to shipping.

•Best Management Practices have been developed at international level (active support of ITF) with a view to assist companies and ships avoid becoming victims of piracy.

•ETF and ECSA are joining forces to raise the maximum awareness amongst European policy makers: a Hearing will be organized at the European Parliament soon, and a third Parliamentary Resolution is about to be adopted.


C. What changes need to be made in order to attract more young workers to the maritime transport sector and increase the likelihood of a long career in this sector?

General feedback ETF Political Secretary:

The MTS has reached the following conclusion which has been integrated in its political work and lobbying activity:

•Media and awareness-raising campaigns about opportunities available in the maritime industry are useful but not sufficient in solving the problem of the attractiveness of a career in shipping.

•Image campaigns need to be accompanied by appropriate ship-board training and recruitment policies which equally enhance skills for all categories of seafarers; especially targeting ratings and junior officers.

•More and better efforts should be undertaken to render the seafaring profession attractive to women. The shipping industry still lags behind many other industries in terms of reaching out to women and we believe this should be a matter of the highest priority for the maritime industry.



oSalary


•The defence of the right to fair and equitable pay is at the core of the trade union activity.

•There is clearly a downward pressure on the salary of European seafarers, via the Flags of Convenience campaign, the ETF and ITF are tackling the practices to avoid labour regulation in the country of ownership, and become a vehicle for paying low wages and forcing long hours of work and unsafe working conditions.

•On the other hand, salary policies cannot be tackled on European level but has to be dealt with on national level

C. What changes need to be made in order to attract more young workers to the maritime transport sector and increase the likelihood of a long career in this

sector?



oCommunication / IT-facilities on board


•Social Partners are currently addressing ways to enhance on-board communication. This is a work in progress.

•In its lobbying activities, the ETF calls on shipping companies to invest in the access to and use of advanced information technologies to promote better personal communication means for seafarers, i.e. developing technologies for broadband communication suitable for short sea shipping and allowing seafarers to access free internet while at sea.

•It has to be noted that ETF recommends the promotion of e-learning possibilities aimed at improving seafarers’ skills.


sector?



oMore information about the job


•Bottlenecks in the run up to pursue a maritime career are to be found after graduation because of e.g. lack of employment opportunities since third countries’ seafarers are less expensive

•Before communicating towards youngsters, investment to secure employment and ongoing careers is vital. Financial, regulatory and educational barriers to European seafarers’ employment should be removed.


sector?



oWorking times / periods (suitable for « family life »)


•ETF has been promoting the idea of arranging working patterns in order to allow a better reconciliation of working and family life

•e.g. better access to parental leave and alternation of time spent at sea and ashore

•This may contribute to make the shipping industry friendlier to women and enhance female seafarers’ recruitment


sector?

2. Recommendations for the European Sectoral Social Dialogue

A. Which topics would you recommend to discuss in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Maritime Transport?


oFlag state policy

oCreating jobs for European seamen

oMore inspections for ships (salaries, working times)


•The Social Partners’ work programme for 2011 aims at, among others, the proper implementation of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (2006), improving shipboard living and working conditions and the reassesment by the Commission of the regulatory social framework for more and better seafaring jobs in the EU

B. Which topics related to young workers would you recommend to discuss in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Maritime Transport?


oTraining

oThe awareness of collective agreements

oAwareness of the trade unions


•The training issue is part of the ESSD work program

Young Transport Workers - Conference 2 6 – 2 7 September 2011 Riga

Documents

Transcript of Young Transport Workers - Conference 2 6 – 2 7 September 2011 Riga