THE WOMAN SEAFARERS ARE SAFE?
An unexpected
help request from a woman seafarer working as second officer at an well known approved Honkong based with 110 years experienced ship management company having more than 400
ships and 7000 seafarers with lots of awards and accreditation, themselves
claims that pioneers of maritime world and seeing seafaring as career not as
job, is noticed the difficulties of woman seafarer and lead to this article
The incident as on her words that she has an professional friction
with chief engineer officer on ship, also he always passing sarcastic comments
to her which was ignored by her. on a day during bunkering the chief engineer
used abusive words on walkie talkie the same aired which heard all crew members
on duty, next day afternoon the officer shouted to her in front of master and duty AB at bridge and followed a heated argument between both.at the time the master sent down the AB
Quoted same
incident she complained to the master against chief engineer, but as keeping
good relation to the chief engineer the master didn’t responded to the complaint,
the despised lady officer complained to her
company regarding the incident along with chief officer, third officer and duty
seaman’ s signed statements
The
responsible fleet personnel may found difficulties to deal the issue
diplomatically or to take action against chief engineer officer they decided to
sack easily available second officer rather than take action on precious chief
engineer. And company signed off second officer without a notice and reason and this is reported to her just 12
hrs before the departure. Getting notice the lady contacted to office and
requested to not signed off at lome, Togo .the African port which is critical
in crime rating, all requests are vain they signed off as they planned and relieved
from the anchorage and sent her by a boat. The boat left her at jetty
unattended. At jetty few guys came and
started pictures and throwing comments to them at beginning and at last
molested her. by god’s grace she escaped from there and reached Mumbai on her office
and described to the office what she suffered . the great company officials
response was “its quiet normal and it can happen anywhere”.
Its embarrassing
the master and companies irresponsible action as the company and ship following Maritime Labour Convention, and challenging their power above all rules regulation
and administration, the stake holders hold on the administration and the relationship between the company bearers and office bearers of the administration knowing lady officer hesitates to complain this issue to grievance officer and first appellate authority as her passion to the career, if any compliant to the administration she fears her dreams will cremated, will lose jobs from current and other company and also affects her future examination. these are the advice what she got from the industry, and she pointing out whats the favorable action to common seafarer from the administration which her company has stake. all the way the seafarer is suffers
The era
we are passing the united nation and its counterpart International maritime
organisation, International labour organisation and all flag state administration are promoting woman’s
participation in seafaring and giving special consideration to securing equal
access in men and woman in all sectors of shipping. the Busan declaration on
2013is underlined this. the above said incident is require special attention to
all administration to be keenly checked
where our woman seafarers are safe, secured and facing any discrimination at
their work, taking seriously above incident all the administrations and rule
makers to be provide special task and
instructions to the companies and administrations during signing on/off
,work spot they should not be exploited and revenged, attention to be provided
and tracked them continuously at their tenure after leaving home and back. it
should included one of the responsibility of the company to brought back the
woman seafarer safely at her home.
