Maritime News

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The Norwegian Sea Health Conference 2012

The Norwegian Sea Health Conference 2012 takes place in Bergen, 18th – 19th of April 2012.  The Conference presents how the 5 different flag states Isle of Man, Cyprus, Bahamas, The Marshall Island and Norway will implement Maritime Labour Convention.

 

Agenda:

  • How will the flag states implement the convention?
  • Requirements and practice of MLC in the different flag states
  • Will MLC assure level playing field for the flag states?
  • Consequences of differences in implementation
  • Seafarers’ international health certificate

 
ITF Unions Campaign Against “Social dumping” in the North Sea

ITF-affiliated trade unions in Denmark, Norway and the UK – backed by partner unions from around the world – have launched a campaign against “social dumping” in the North Sea oil and gas industry.  The campaign launched in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 7 February with a wreath-laying ceremony at the seafarers’ memorial, raises concern about the increasing number of flag of convenience and so-called “national” registered vessels operating regularly in the North Sea.  The unions say that this development dramatically reduces opportunities for traditional national seafarer jobs, “as companies employ and exploit low-cost labor from countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, India, Romania and Philippines” – a practice known as “social dumping”.

The unions are also “deeply concerned” that vessels registered in the Norwegian 1st registry are now being reflagged because of the unfair competition from other registers, and are replacing Norwegian seafarers with others on wages and working conditions far below Norwegian Standards.  They warn that this could result in no Norwegian seafarers being employed on offshore supply and service vessels operating in Norway.

The unions are calling for “internationally acceptable wage and working conditions for all seafarers on board vessels operating on North Sea continental shelf, regardless of nationality”.

Captain Hans Sande at the Norwegian Officers’ Association said: “All we ask for is fair competition in our own waters.”

The campaign is also being supported by the National Union of Seafarers of India, as well as other ITF affiliates in Croatia, France, Germany, Netherlands and Russia.

 

World Maritime Day 2012

The World Maritime Day Theme for 2012 is “IMO:  One hundred years after the Titanic”, which will focus on the Organization’s roots and raison d’être, i. e. safety of life at sea.

One of the consequences of the sinking, in 1912, of the Titanic, in which more than 1,500 people lost their lives, was the adoption, two years later, of the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (The SOLAS Convention).  The 1914 Version of the Convention was gradually superseded, respectively, by SOLAS 1929, SOLAS 1948, SOLAS 1960 (the first adopted under the auspices of IMO, then known as IMCO) and SOLAS 1974.  SOLAS 1974 is still in force today, amended and updated many times.

This year’s World Maritime Day theme will provide an opportunity to take stock of the developments in maritime safety since that disaster and to examine which areas of ship safety should be given priority in the years to come.

The traditional diplomatic reception to celebrate the Day will be held at IMO Headquarters on 27 September 2012.