News Update – 25th November to 3rd December
Migrants Killed in English Channel When Containership Hits Dingy | Maritime Executive – 25th Nov
French and British authorities are both reporting that they believed an unnamed containership is responsible for the largest migrant accident which claimed many lives in the English Channel. French authorities are reporting between 27 and 31 people died when the inflatable raft they were in sunk with one person still unaccounted for and only two survivors rescued in what is becoming the latest international incident between the countries.
Danish Frigate Kills Four Pirates in First Gulf of Guinea Engagement | Maritime Executive – 25th Nov
Less than a month after beginning its patrols in the Gulf of Guinea, the Danish frigate Esbern Snare killed four suspected pirates and took four others into custody. The incident, which is the first involving the newly arrived international presence in the region, is being widely hailed as a potential turning point in the regional fight against piracy.
At the White Cliffs of Dover, Shipping Giants Are Paying Below Minimum Wage | Jacobin – 26th Nov
Just 25 miles across the English Channel from France, Dover is one of Europe’s most important ports. Yet massive outsourcing has allowed shipping giants to evade British labor law, putting passengers in the hands of underpaid, overworked agency staff.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/11/white-cliffs-of-dover-shipping-companies-labor-conditions
Maritime association MASSA launches reward scheme for Indian seafarers | Devdiscourse – 28th Nov
If India intends to retain and increase the global share of its highly skilled seafaring workforce, Indian merchant navy officers need to stand out in terms of competence and quality, the release said.The newly launched Reward Scheme for Excellence for Indian seafarers by MASSA will continue to bolster the up-skilling process of the highly skilled Indian seafaring population, it added.
Video: Reefer Boxship Hits Seawall Departing Japanese Port | Maritime Executive – 29th Nov
A reefer cargo ship departing the southern Japanese port of Hakata near Fukuoka made a navigation error, causing it to strike the seawall at the entrance to the port. The bow of the vessel became stuck on the breakwater with reports of a small oil leak.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/video-reefer-hits-seawall-departing-japanese-port
China is imposing quarantines of up to 7 weeks for cargo ship crew, and it’s bad news for the supply chain | Hellenic Shipping News – 29th Nov
China’s strict COVID-19 quarantines are making it difficult for ships to change crews, contributing to lags in the shipping process that could worsen the supply chain crisis.
The White House is taking aim at ‘the cartel of shipping companies’ that control global trade amid supply chain chaos | Insider – 29th Nov
The White House blames shipping companies for inflation and supply-chain issues. “Price-gouging by the ocean shipping cartel” has fueled inconvenience and inflation for Americans, the Biden administration said in an email to reporters. The message is the latest step by the White House to shift blame and ease concerns around heightened inflation ahead of the 2022 elections.
Fresh concerns over piracy in Gulf of Guinea | Global Trade Review – 30th Nov
Last week, the Danish military killed four pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, a global hotspot for piracy. The incident raises fresh concerns about the safety of seafarers and vessels operating in West African waters.
https://www.gtreview.com/news/africa/fresh-concerns-over-piracy-in-gulf-of-guinea/
Let’s not forget: keeping HIV prevention in focus | ITF Seafarers – 1st Dec
Today on World Aids Day the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is urging stakeholders across the transport sector not to lose focus of HIV prevention during the Covid-19 pandemic and let slip the hard-won progress achieved thus far.
https://www.itfseafarers.org/en/news/lets-not-forget-keeping-hiv-prevention-focus
What it will take to make the world’s ships run on time | Economic Times – 1st Dec
For weeks, dozens of vessels have been waiting at anchor offshore. Thousands of empty containers still need to be sent to other ports. And as is the case at many other key ports worldwide, cargo infrastructure is overwhelmed.
Pop-up ports and dockyards are trying to ease supply chain congestion | Quartz – 1st Dec
The overstuffed supply chain is seeping inland in an effort to ease congestion at coastal ports.
https://qz.com/2096855/walmart-turned-an-empty-lot-into-a-pop-up-port-near-los-angeles/
Crew Change Crisis Showing Signs of Improvement, But Variant Risks Uncertain, Neptune Indicator Shows | G Captain – 1st Dec
The number of seafarers working on board ships beyond their contracts’ expiration reached the lowest level since May, but impacts of new variants paint an uncertain picture of what lies ahead, according to the Global Maritime Forum’s Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator.
Filipino seafarers stranded for months in China back home | Philippine News Agency – 2nd Dec
MANILA – Six Filipino seafarers are now back home after getting stranded for at least half a year in southeastern China, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1161590
Diversity in Maritime: Recruiting Alone Won’t Fix It | G Captain – 2nd Dec
While the benefits of cultivating workplace diversity are tangible, the obstacles to doing so are less obvious and more important, and some kinds of companies are poised to get ahead faster
https://gcaptain.com/diversity-in-maritime-recruiting-alone-wont-fix-it/
Major transport organisations warn governments’ knee-jerk reaction to Omicron variant puts supply chain at greater risk | ITF Seafarers – 3rd Dec
World leaders’ knee-jerk reactions to the Omicron variant are putting transport workers and the global supply chain at greater risk of collapse, warn international transport organisations and unions representing road, air and sea transport.
Some sailors are getting vaccinated multiple times in an attempt to comply with the different COVID-19 regulations at ports around the world | Insider – 3rd Dec
Seafarers come primarily from five countries, some of which have not been able to secure enough WHO-approved vaccines. Some sailors have taken to getting shots of WHO-approved vaccines even though they’ve already been vaccinated. The Omicron variant is set to add new complications as governments tighten travel restrictions.
Rebekah Attard | Maritime Assistant
Inspectorate Coordination
International Transport Workers’ Federation
ITF House, 49-60 Borough Road, London, SE1 1DR
Direct Line: 0207 940 9103
www.itfglobal.org | www.itfseafarers.org
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