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Stronger, long-term cooperation between industry, international bodies and governments is required to address the increasing challenges and changes to the maritime labour market in the wake of the pandemic, according to a major new report published this month. Entitled The Perfect Storm, the 36-page report penned by the Hamburg School of Business Administration for the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) looks at the impact of Covid-19 on shipping, seafarers and the maritime labour markets offering some practical solutions for the future. “Ensuring quality labour is the responsibility of employers, unions, national and international regulators. Due to the substandard treatment of seafarers, during the pandemic, the shipping industry is experiencing notable shortages in the workforce, which is expected to increase and place the supply chain under even greater strain,” the report states. Lack of appreciation for the strategic role of seafarers in facilitating world trade meant that they were not prioritised early enough for access to testing facilities and Covid-19 vaccinations. The nature of the global shipping industry requires better international coordination between international organisations, national governments, and other stakeholders to address similar crises in the future, the ICS report urges, going on to warn about the growing shortages of staff at sea. While a longstanding shortage of officers is increasing, oversupply of ratings is also decreasing “Over the last two decades, the seafarer labour market has gradually turned from supply-driven to demand-driven. While a longstanding shortage of officers is increasing, oversupply of ratings is also decreasing,” the study warned. Commenting on the findings of the report, Carl Martin Faannessen, CEO of Manila-based crewing specialist Noatun Maritime, said that border control will remain a state matter; United Nations bodies will have a voice but no control. “The state will do what is necessary, or politically expedient, to protect its population against both real and perceived risks. That population does not include seafarers, even when they are your citizens. It sounds harsh, but the pandemic proved it true,” Faannessen told Splash Extra. Captain Kuba Szymanski, secretary general of InterManager, the international association for third-party shipmanagers, said it was still too early to recognise what impact the pandemic has had on new recruitment. “Of course it does not support the recruitment of young talent to start a career at sea when they can read in the press that seafarers are badly treated and kept onboard for months,” commented Henrik Jensen, managing director of Eastern Europe-focused Danica Crewing Specialists. Jensen argued that despite the bad press in the long term seafaring would still remain an attractive career in the countries where seafarers are traditionally recruited from. “I am more concerned about competition from the IT and engineering industries,” he said. Vinay Gupta, the managing director of Singapore-based shipmanager Union Marine Management Services said the the depletion of the seafaring workforce is not because the employment opportunities elsewhere are abundant. “It is because in this digital age, we have lost the human touch with the very people who make these just in time deliveries possible,” Gupta said, adding: “Unlike the airline crew who dress up as models, the seafarers are often seen in greasy outfits and dirty overalls and unless we change this perception, we give due respect to the seafarers that they rightfully deserve, such reports as this one from the ICS would remain a paper exercise.” The issue of available staff at sea was front and centre at the latest meeting this month of the seafarers committee at the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA). “In some Asian countries and regions, there are fewer and fewer young people willing to work as seafarers. As a result, the number of third mates and fourth engineer officers is decreasing significantly, and the subsequent supply of seafarers is insufficient. Undoubtedly, the epidemic will be accelerating the loss of seafarers, especially young seafarers,” the official ASA communiqué from the meeting stated.

Shipping urged to prepare for potential next pandemic

Covid-19 has had a deleterious effect on seagoing recruitment. Urgent measures need to be carried out now, new report suggests

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