Insgesamt 1,89 Millionen Seeleute sind weltweit in der Seeschifffahrt beschäftigt. Aufgrund der verbreiteten Billigflaggen-Praxis sind sie nationalstaatlichen Kontrollen häufig weitgehend entzogen und arbeiten unter prekären Arbeitsbedingungen. Obwohl die Nachfrage nach sozialen und umweltbezogenen Mindeststandards im weltweiten Anbau und der Produktion von Waren in den letzten Jahren stark zugenommen hat und mit der Einführung des neuen Lieferkettengesetzes inzwischen auch rechtlich verankert ist, sind die Arbeitsbedingungen auf See noch weitgehend ungeregelt.
Für ihre Verbesserung setzen sich verschiedene Institutionen ein. Wir haben mit drei regionalen Vertreter_innen dieser Organisationen gesprochen und stellen Ihnen in einer dreiteiligen Serie deren Sicht vor.
Ms Freytag, the German Mission to Seafarers is a social organisation run by the Protestant church to provide support and advice for seafarers. It has officially existed in Bremerhaven since 1896. The Seamen’s Club Welcome at Nordschleuse lock near the Container Terminal opened in 2002. What changes have there been over the course of the years?
Over the last 125 years, working conditions in the marine shipping business have changed radically. There used to be hardly any safety precautions on board and a seaman’s work was extremely dangerous. Nor did the crew always have enough to eat in those days.
Today, the shipowners and consequently the crews on board tend to be governed by strict rules and regulations that cover many safety aspects, for instance. Although the working conditions have improved considerably on the whole, the seafarers nevertheless frequently suffer from the stringent regulations which restrict their freedom of movement, amongst other things. The situation has been aggravated since the outbreak of the pandemic: for example, the crews are not permitted to leave their ships when in port or to take planned home leave.
What is the main motive and the mission of your organisation?
One central statement that accompanies us throughout our daily work is: “Mission to Seafarers begins with the realisation that people live and work on board ships.” We believe it is important to keep our eye on the person we are dealing with at the Mission and on board the ships and to see his or her individual needs. It is often not a case of material things, such as a lack of soap or a bar of chocolate, but the need to talk to someone, homesickness, separation from the family and exhaustion. These are the central issues that concern the seafarers. Loneliness can also play a part, because they tend to work in shifts and hardly see each other.
“First and foremost, Mission to Seafarers means providing pastoral care”. That is an integral part of our mission. We approach the seafarers and offer them individual support and advice, regardless of whether this refers to personal things or problems with the shipping company, such as granting them their rights or adequate pay.
What do you do to improve the working conditions for seafarers? What can you achieve from Bremerhaven?
Here in Bremerhaven we often act as a kind of mouthpiece for the seafarers. The working conditions are governed in part by the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) or by the trade unions. The union representatives are the right person to contact when it is a question of labour law. But for many crew members, the obstacles that prevent them from contacting a trade union or shipowner’s representative appear to be almost insurmountable. The people who work at the Mission to Seafarers often hear about these difficulties when talking to the crews and can then try to help. When seafarers have private and/or work problems, we can seek assistance from a wide network of ITF representatives, the port medical service and BG Verkehr, the employers’ liability insurance organisation for the transport industry. Many problems can be solved with the help of that network. Although this may not improve the working conditions in general, it does help in the case concerned. It is very often a matter of clarifying the current rights that apply to the crews and activating the right networks.
Let’s take a look at the future: What will the ideal port or the ideal working world look like in future? What has to change?
At the Mission to Seafarers, our work focuses on the individual person. It is important that every single crew member is well and feels at home on board the ship. It is often just a question of small things that can improve the quality of life for the seafarers. And these elementary needs have to be seen. In their capacity as employers, the shipowners are responsible for taking care of their workforce. A person has to do more than just work. He or she has a right to food and drink, the right to go on shore and the right to adequate self-care. Depending on the size of the vessel, this means not only accommodation, but also things such as amenities for sport and recreation, or a quiet place to retreat to. Newer ships generally fare better in that respect and it would be good if older vessels were gradually refurbished to meet these needs.
Depending on the crew’s country of origin and the shipping company, it is possible to offer shorter intervals between voyages and breaks. Scandinavian seafarers, for example, often have contracts with a rhythm of four weeks, which enables them to achieve a good work-life balance. Because of their employment contracts, crew members from South-East Asia stay on board for between 6 and 9 months depending on their rank. We see that these long contracts frequently cause more stress than the crews can cope with. When you are working a 7-day week, you cannot simply put the need for time off to relax and recuperate on hold for 9 months until you finally have home leave.
It would be good if the shipowners changed the contract terms so that crew members could have shore leave more often. That alone would mean a great improvement.