Many would look at seafarers’ rights in terms of compliance or non-compliance with ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, and other laws. Such a view is rather narrow. For one, what is not explicity prohibited by law can be considered unacceptable because it is detrimental to a person’s well-being and dignity.
There are more words to denote how seafarers are exploited than one reads in news reports. The following is a list of 20 verbs—single words that I hope will help broaden the discussion of seafarers’ rights to include the less obvious ways these rights are being violated.
There are any number of things one could wish for the shipping world in 2025. But out of prudence, I shall limit myself to three wishes. They all have to do with the rights and welfare of seafarers.
Why would any writer advocate seafarers’ rights for years when there’s no money in it for him? I can give three good reasons for my doing so, and none of them has to do with the fact that seafarers man the ships that transport 80% of global trade
There are good and bad manning agents. From what I have seen up close over the years in Manila, I can confidently say that the bad ones outnumber the good ones. They have no compunction about using seafarers for their own ends, usually to fill their pockets.
I have just published a new edition of ‘How to Protect Your Rights as a Seafarer’, a booklet which I first issued in 2020. This is my humble contribution to the worldwide campaign to promote the rights of those who toil at sea.
The campaign to promote seafarer rights has undoubtedly made giant strides. Like a boat at sea, however, it continues to be buffeted by wind and waves. The following are five things that slow down or even stall the collective effort to advance the rights of those who work at sea.
I have journeyed long enough in the maritime world as a writer to know that things are not always as they seem. Appearances can deceive.
Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). is the foundational document for all human rights laws, including ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. Any discussion on the rights of seafarers and other maritime workers must hark back to it. So how has the shipping world fared in observing its tenets?
Flogging and other harsh shipboard punishments may be a thing of the past, but it would be naive to think that it’s the best of times for seafarers. A litany of sins is still being committed against them — some blatant, others subtle. Major changes in existing laws as well as societal values are in order.
Simply put, an irony is an aspect of a situation which is contrary to what one would normally expect. A seagull perched on a No-Fishing sign is thus ironic. The incongruence between expectation and actuality, which frequently happens in the world of shipping, can be jarring.
It was not too long ago that strident voices filled the air with talk about depression at sea. The hubbub now seems to have subsided. The problem that was said to plague many seafarers, driving some to commit suicide, is no longer a hot topic for discussion.