In an e-mail interview with IPS, Sarah Finke – the Women’s Officer at the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) – discusses some of the challenges faced by women on ships, and the role of unions in this tough sector. The ITF includes 654 unions representing about 4.5 million transport workers in 148 countries.

IPS: The ITF says “millions of women work in the transport industry world-wide”. How many of these are in the maritime sector?

Sarah Finke: We estimate that there are around 23,000 women seafarers worldwide, representing a low 2 percent of the total workforce, and clustered disproportionately in the ferry and cruise sectors, and in service roles. The total number is slowly increasing, as is women’s representation in the ranks of ships’ officers and masters. But it is an unacceptably slow process, and one that trade unions have to lead and drag forward.

IPS: Which countries ‘produce’ more women seafarers?

SF: It largely shadows the situation for men, with the Philippines and Indonesia (the biggest seafaring nations in the world) ranking highest, but also with significant numbers of Eastern Europeans, which reflects that region’s history of cruising and cruise fleets.

IPS: In 2005, at a conference in Rio de Janeiro, a group of 40 female seafarers called for greater attention to job prospects for women and discrimination. “Sexual harassment is a reality for many women at sea,” says a recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) report. Has anything changed?

SF: It will take a new research project to establish an improvement on the ground, but there are hopeful signs. Positive measures on bullying and harassment have been introduced by European ship owners and by unions in the European Transport Workers’ Federation, the ITF’s European arm. There has also been real campaigning by our affiliated unions for equality and against violence towards women.

IPS: They also noted that “the flag of convenience system is a barrier to the promotion of gender equality, and that the effects of outsourcing to ever cheaper labour markets has made the situation worse.” Why is this connected to equality?

SF: Because terms and conditions may be inferior, denying job and promotion opportunities. They are governed by the legislation of the flag state, which may not give any rights at all. Family-friendly policies and measures covering pregnancy and maternity vary widely, along with the right to return to work after having a child.

However, minimum rights in equality and pregnancy are included in ITF approved agreements, which we seek to put in place on FOC (flag of convenience) vessels in order to ensure basic protections for those working on them.

IPS: Could you give an example of the sort of obstacles women encounter?

SF: Two examples with names omitted for obvious reasons: A woman cook on an FOC ship was told verbally by the master that it was time for her holidays and she could sign off the ship for six weeks. She had no written contract. Another colleague secretly told her the managing agent had stated that it was not company policy to employ women on board. The ITF intervened on her behalf and got her reinstated in her job.

A stewardess on another FOC cruise ship, who was four months pregnant, was signed off. She was happy about this but unhappy that the company did not want to pay her repatriation expenses. The ITF got the company to pay.

IPS: According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the estimated number of women at sea in the world remains low, but seafarers’ unions’ female membership is higher in comparison, at around 6 percent…

SF: Probably because there are specific issues regarding woman and work – for example sexual harassment, inequality and maternity right – which unions can help with. The figures also reflect a high number of women in the cruise and ferry sector in Northern Europe, where union membership is traditionally higher than in many other areas. For example around 30 percent of the seafaring membership of the Seko Swedish general workers’ union (the Swedish Union for Service and Communications Employees) are women: 2,754 out of 7,367.

IPS: According to female seafarers, unions need to give women more voice. What presence do they have at the ITF?

SF: The ITF Executive Board has 40 members, of who seven are women. A 30-strong women’s committee advises the Board and provides elected regional and sectional representatives who feed in to all the ITF’s work. An example would be Jaqueline Smith, president of the Norwegian Seafarers’ Union. Nine out of the ITF’s 130 inspectors – who undertake some of the ITF’s most dangerous and difficult work – are women.

IPS: Seafaring is a dangerous profession: accidents happen, ships are hijacked … Do these incidents pose special problems for women?

SF: We’re not aware of many women having been among the pirated vessels, except, possibly on the Faina (hijacked in Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates last year with 20 Ukrainian, Latvian and Russian sailors on board). There were no reports of special problems. Going back beyond the current wave of attacks, there was the case of Deborah Harrison, a British Numast (the National Union of Marine, Aviation and Shipping Transport Officers, now Nautilus), who was used as a human shield by hijackers in Brazil (in 1998), and was shot and seriously wounded as a result (source: www.pww.org).

In terms of volume, 90% of the freight exchanges of Europe with the rest of the world are seaborne. Maritime transport services, including off-shore activities, are essential for helping European companies compete globally. Among EU Member States, short sea shipping is a key element in reducing congestion, ensuring territorial cohesion and promoting the sustainable development of the European continent. With more than 400 million sea passengers a year travelling through European ports, passenger ships and ferry services have a direct impact on the quality of life of citizens in islands and peripheral regions.

Shipping represents one of Europe’s largest export industries, providing deep sea transport services between Europe and the rest of the world, as well as in cross trades between third countries. European shipping is present in all segments of the sector in all regions of the planet. Transport of freight and passengers at sea generated € 24.7 billion in 2006 as a net contribution to the EU balance of payments. In terms of added value, traditional maritime sectors represent a share of 1.09% in the total GDP of the EU-27 and Norway. Maritime transport activities’ related employment in Europe amounts to 1.5 million people. Some 70% of shipping related jobs are onshore – in shipbuilding, naval architecture, science, engineering, electronics, cargo-handling and logistics.

Challenges and opportunities for maritime transport in the next 10 years

The continuous success of European shipping in world markets cannot be taken for granted. A number of major challenges have been identified by experts consulted by the Commission. The current crisis of the international financial system, its impact on the real economy and the sluggish recovery prospects in different parts of the world have affected seaborne trade and thus the different branches of the shipping industry.

Moreover, recent developments in the energy markets, including the cut of pipelines for gas supplies, have underlined the strategic importance of LNG tanker-ships for ensuring a stable and long-term solution to guarantee reliable energy supplies to the EU. In a wider context, those developments remind the importance of the fleet, in all its branches of activity, for the well being of the European citizens and of the European economy as a whole.

Operators involved in the provision of maritime transport services and the European maritime transport as such will face significant challenges in the years to come. They will have to cope with the fluctuations in sea-borne trade, the negative impact of the financial crisis and other external factors, such as the risk of overcapacity in certain market segments, the rise of protectionist measures affecting world trade, environmental concerns related to climate change, volatility in energy and other commodities markets and loss of European maritime know-how because of the scarcity of skilled human resources.

Moreover, competitive advantages given by third countries to shipping businesses entail a real risk of de-localisation of head offices and maritime industries outside Europe. Often the position of European operators is undermined by unfair competition, which results from lax enforcement of safety, security, environmental and social standards in certain parts of the world. Achieving effective governance of maritime affairs and an international fair level playing field for maritime transport remains a crucial challenge to the global community.

Strategic options at European level

The EU’s sustainable transport policy aims at addressing the economic, social and environmental needs of our society. An efficient maritime transportation system is essential for Europe’s prosperity, having significant impacts on economic growth, social development and the environment.

In autumn 2007, after having consulted the main stakeholders of the sector, the Commission started a strategic review of the EU’s integrated maritime policy, examining also the challenges European and international maritime transport will face in the next ten years.

This work has included the conduct of a prospective study analysing trends and signals of change in the maritime sector (the so-called ’shipping scenarios’ for 2018). It has also involved consultation with experts from maritime administrations in the Member States and Norway, as well as advice from a group of senior industry leaders representing different interests within the maritime transport industries.

The prospective study “Benchmarking strategic options for European shipping and for the European maritime transport system in the horizon 2008-2018″ can be downloaded from the following address:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/maritime/studies/index_en.htm

The three basic shipping scenarios for the year 2018 (”Asian Phoenix”, “Break Point” and “Global Fissures”) are briefly described in annex.

The recommendations of the group of senior shipping professionals (see IP/08/760 of 19/05/2008) present an industry opinion on the more urgent issues to be addressed and on the way the EU could intervene. The recommendations can be downloaded from:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/maritime/policy/index_en.htm

In both cases, two major issues guided the reflection:

• By 2018, European shipping transport services should be at least as efficient, reliable and sustainable as today. There should be sufficient transport capacity available and the port and port hinterland capacities should be able to cope with increased cargo volumes.
• By 2018, the shipping industry should be at least as competitive as today, and have an equally strong or better position on the global markets.

Strategic recommendations

Several important conclusions come from this strategic review exercise. First of all, the recovery of the world economy from the current financial crisis would lead to a growth in international trade and will require a maritime transport system able to deliver advanced logistic solutions. Moreover, in a recession period, short sea shipping is a perfect vehicle for stimulating intra-EU trade exchanges and thus supporting recovery of growth in the EU and its neighbouring countries.

Overall, the next ten years may offer a unique opportunity to reinforce the competitiveness of European shipping, and to strengthen its contribution to the objectives of a sustainable European transport policy.

The strategic recommendations concern seven main issues:

• Competitive European shipping: The priority is to achieve and maintain an attractive framework for quality shipping and quality operators in Europe including financial measures. This will help maritime transport achieve sustainable development goals. Such a framework would also help the sector adapt to adverse financial conditions and to the slow-down in growth of the world’s sea-borne trades.
• Human Factor: There is a genuine European interest in making maritime professions more attractive to young people and thus improving employment of seafarers. Positive measures may include facilitating life-long career prospects in the maritime clusters; enhancing the image of shipping; supporting the work of international organisation (IMO and ILO) on fair treatment of seafarers; and implementing simplification measures which aim at reducing the administrative burden on masters and senior ship officers.
• Greener Maritime Transport: The EU should encourage all actors to promote green solutions in maritime transport. The Commission, the Member States and the European maritime industry should be working together towards the long-term objective of “zero-waste, zero-emissions”. The measures announced in the Greening Transport Package should be fully implemented.
• A safe and secure system: We should give priority to the enforcement of existing Community and international rules and the speedy implementation of measures introduced with the 3rd maritime safety package. The work already started should be completed by establishing a comprehensive framework for security measures in terms of prevention, reaction capacity and resilience.
• International Scene: The global challenges faced by the shipping and maritime industries demand convincing answers from the international community. The Commission and the Member States may be a real driving force for change towards a comprehensive international regulatory framework for shipping, adapted to the challenges of the 21st century.
• Short Sea Shipping and Ports: Further economic integration of the EEA Member States and of the neighbouring countries will have positive impact on maritime transport connections within the EU. It should be noted that sea-trade normally grows even in periods of business contraction. In the 2018 horizon, the European economy should recover from the current stagnation. Positive measures in support of short sea shipping should also help intensify sea-exchanges in all the European maritime façades. These measures will include the creation of a European Maritime Transport Space without Barriers the full deployment of the Motorways of the Seas but also the implementation of measures for port investment and performance. In all cases, the principles of open markets, fair competition and greening transport should be respected.
• Innovation and technological development: The competitiveness of the European maritime industries and their capacity to meet the environmental, energy, safety and human challenges is positively influenced by increased efforts in research and innovation. There is wide scope for improving energy efficiency in ships, reducing environmental impact, minimising the risks of accidents or providing better quality of life at sea. In the years to come, innovation and technological research and development in shipping should be further promoted. A framework of reference should be introduced for the deployment of “e-Maritime” services at European and global levels.

The Communication on the EU Maritime Transport Strategy 2018 is addressed to the European Parliament and the Council. In the light of their opinion and conclusions, the Commission will continue to look for concrete ways to implement the recommendations. This work will involve close cooperation with all interested parties (source: http://europa.eu).

The campaign calls on governments, industry and IMO, supported by ILO and other international organizations, to take specific actions, within their areas of influence, to increase the recruitment of seafarers to tackle the problem.

A recent report issued by maritime industry analysts Drewry Shipping Consultants assessed the current shortfall of officers in the global shipping fleet to be some 34,000, against a total requirement of 498,000. Moreover, based on Drewry’s fleet growth projections, and the assumption that officer supply will only increase at the current rate, the report predicts that, by 2012, the officer shortfall will have grown to 83,900.

“As everyone in shipping is aware, the global shortage of seafarers, especially officers, has already reached significant proportions and is now a source of genuine concern to all involved in the industry,” said IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, speaking at the launch of the campaign.

The shipping industry can provide the basis for a fulfilling and satisfying life-long career and the problem is one of recruitment, rather than retention in the profession, he added, noting that this required a shift in the public perception of shipping, particularly amongst the young.

“I have long been an advocate of the need to promote the industry and improve its public image. Outside the industry itself, the wider public has little conscious perception of the vital role that shipping plays in everyday life and this, clearly, needs to change,” Mr. Mitropoulos said, adding that all the organizations associated with the ‘Go to Sea!’ campaign were united in wanting to address concerns over the future supply of quality manpower to the shipping industry and in taking positive steps for that purpose.

Amongst specific calls for action in the campaign document, the shipping industry is urged to take the lead and more can to promote itself through the media, in particular the electronic media. The industry should continue to provide support for and endorse campaigns aimed at improving its image and use some key industry figures as examples of career progression. It is also urged to do more to make life on board and away from home more akin to the life enjoyed by others ashore; to encourage women to work in the seafaring profession; and to promote the industry at non maritime-related events.

Governments are asked to give greater prominence to the maritime perspective, by doing more to support and encourage the shipping industry in any initiatives it takes to enhance its image and to remove adverse actions that may damage that image. Maritime training facilities need to be resourced adequately (both in financial and human resource terms) to ensure a supply of competent seafarers. Governments could do much to promote a wider take-up of a sea career through, for example, recognition of sea service instead of compulsory military service, training of jobless persons and promoting the career for women.

IMO itself will develop a page on its public website highlighting the types of career paths available to seafarers, through links to industry sites. While on missions abroad, where practicable, the Secretary-General will visit maritime and non-maritime training facilities and seafarer organizations to express support and address both maritime and non-maritime Government departments to promote shipping and seafaring. And the ILO, which promotes the objective of decent work for all, has adopted several instruments directly relevant to the campaign and will support it in every way possible (source: IMO.org).

Doris Magsaysay Ho, president and chief executive officer of one of the country’s crewing agencies, the Magsaysay Group of Companies, said on Tuesday that such benefits are solutions to make the circular flow of workers fair and just.

“These policies need to be in place to ensure ethical treatment and processing workers to the country of work,” Richard Evans, country manager of Manpower Inc. Philippines, pointed out at a roundtable discussion at the Global Forum for Migration and Development 2008.

Evans said some civil-society groups are creating long-term global workforce development and knowledge circulation policies that enable developing nations to benefit more from overseas workers’ knowledge and experience.

Ho, a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council, said seafarers deserve tokens because they are in a “unique global architecture.”

Under the placement rule, which is among the reasons why seafarers are in good position, employers allow seafarers to be onboard from six to 10 months with two-month vacation.

But Ho is still outraged by the recruitment regulations in the country, particularly with the maritime industry.

“It’s ridiculous,” she said.

Between this year and 2012, the country would need around 64,000 skilled seafarers to fill in top-level positions.

Ho, however, said that with proper benefits given to seafarers, maritime firms are going to combat the bleak picture in the present labor force.

The International Labor Organization estimated that the present financial crisis is likely to lead to the loss of some 20 million jobs around the world (source: businessmirror.com.ph).

European unions are gathering in Brussels to lobby for increased employment for EU seafarers, standardized working conditions, and against replacement of crew from cheaper labor.

This demonstration is part of a long term campaign and its affiliated unions for a fundamental review of employment for those that are active in the EU maritime sector.

Two days later, October 16, there will be a public seminar at the European Parliament. European commissioners, IMO/ILO representatives, ship owners, ETF members, and other stakeholders are coming together to examine the social dimension of the EU maritime policy.

Philippe Alfonso, ETF Maritime Political Secretary commented: “We need to reverse the decline in the number of EU seafarers and young people entering into a maritime profession. There is no evidence to substantiate that young EU nationals do not wish to seek a maritime career. By providing good living and working conditions and attractive remunerations, the industry can avoid a shortage of skilled personnel”.

He continued: “There is an urgent need to put an end to the discrimination between Seafarers working on board the same vessel on grounds of nationality and/or place of residence. Moreover, European seafarers should no longer be excluded from the EU social and labor legislation applying to other sectors. We are seeking to ensure that their rights are the same as those enjoyed by EU citizens on land.

The ETF hopes that European policy makers are open to the Charter for European Seafarers and for a sustainable maritime industry. The Charters goals are:

• more employment opportunities;
• no social dumping and race to the bottom in salaries;
• equal rights;
• more regulation in the maritime sector including the so-called ‘Manning Directive’;
• safe employment conditions;
• right for social security;
• state pension entitlements.

For more details of the Brussels events and ETF campaign please contact:

Philippe Alfonso, Political Secretary, Maritime Transport, Dockers and Fisheries, ETF.

Tel: +32 (0)2 285 45 84.

Email: p.alfonso@etf-europe.org

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