The Flag of Convenience Action Week has commenced at Kochi Port on Monday highlighting the danger posed by FOC vessels to the seafarers.
The action week, which will conclude on Friday, is part of the ongoing global campaign by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) particularly in Indian and Sri Lankan ports to control the menace of substandard shipping.
Thomas Sebastian, ITF Inspector, said that seafarers and Dockers union such as Cochin Port Staff Association, National Union of Seafarers of India, Forward Seamen Union of India, Maritime Union of India are joining hands to fight against continued growth of FOC vessels.
He was of the view that a co-ordinated action of various stakeholders like Port State Control, crewing agents, port authorities and trade unions can effectively control the menace of substandard shipping and establish minimum labour standard on board vessels.
Besides, the operators of Global Network Terminals can be compelled to respect basic human to trade union rights, he said.
During the Week of Action, select activists of the participating unions will inspect all FOC vessels berthed at Kochi Port including the ICTT at Vallarpadam and respective companies of these vessels will be asked to sign ITF acceptable agreements.
A FOC ship is the one which files the Flag of a country other than the country of the ownership. Ship owners use FOC registers for many reasons like cheap registration fees and low or no taxes at all. FOC registers also enable ship owners to employee a non-unionised workforce on poor salary and service conditions.
The ITF believes that there should be a genuine link between the owner of a vessel and the flag the vessel flies as stipulated in the United National Conventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In case of FOC’s, genuine link does not exist, he said.
Keywords: Flag of Convenience Action Week, Kochi port, Seafarers and Dockers Unions, International Transport Workers Federation,
Comments:
This sort of localized move is meaningless, when shipping is
international, which needs a broader and wider perception. The recent
reports of sub-standard shipping 'PRATHIBA SHIPPING', WAS IT BELONGING
TO THE FLAG OF CONVENIENCE? " while 'No'.
MAKE THE FLAG STATES ANSWERABLE " To also remember IMO having declared
FOC as WHITE LIST. I am of the view, all depends on the needed
regulation of the flag states and the management of the shipping
companies, viewing the profit alone cutting down the necessary costs,
putting the lives on-board in danger, relying on insurance like a
gamble.
As long as the I.T.F. in India are just rubber stamps under the Seafarers Unions of India,the Retired Seafarers and their widows have little hopes for getting their welfare,medical,and pension schemes,for which they are suffering from the past 32 years.
The National Maritime Board(N.M.B.)is misleading the on-going and Retired Seafarers,by snatching away their rights for Pension,medical and welfare schemes,this can only be corrected by including one or two officers from the central government into the National Maritime Board.
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