

(Posted on 25/06/20)
Captain Rajesh Unni, CEO and Founder of Synergy Group, has released a statement to mark this year’s Day of the Seafarer on 25 June.
"The Day of the Seafarer is when we take stock and appreciate the hard-working, professional and frequently heroic souls that make world trade possible. We owe them so much, especially now during this awful pandemic. But this year the Day is clouded with sadness and frustration.
"Today tens of thousands of hard-working seafarers are in a state of constant anxiety that threatens their mental health and general wellness. This awful state of affairs was, of course, caused by coronavirus lockdowns that have seen so many confined to ships indefinitely, and long beyond their legal contracts. But the situation has been exacerbated and prolonged by the inaction of politicians and cruelties of bureaucracy which are preventing crew changeovers so seafarers can return home to their worried families.
"We keep hearing seafarers are key, essential workers. So it is difficult to understand why, even as they deliver the products we need to survive the current crisis, seafarers are being denied basic human rights.
"At present, to all intents and purposes, they are enslaved to global trade. By denying them freedom of movement, seafarers are imprisoned in their place of work.
"The shipping industry has done everything in its power to bang the drum loud and hard about their plight but progress is proving painfully slow.
"We need crew source countries to help us help their citizens. We need a systematic approach to crew changeovers, not ad hoc sticking plasters. We need airports opened up, and aircraft landing slots and clearances granted with far more urgency. We need visas to be fast-tracked. And, more than anything, we need politicians and civil servants to help us cut through the red tape.
"Today, the Day of the Seafarer, is not a day to for empty words about the bravery and commitment of our seafarers, much as we admire and appreciate both. Today is the day when shipping needs help from our political leaders so that we can help our seafarers. Because enough really is enough."
Shi.E.L.D. Services has selected Spinergie as its preferred digitized solution provider to monitor and... Read more
Thousands of cadets and trainees in India will benefit from in-depth wellness training and support thanks... Read more
As shipping continues its journey to decarbonisation, INTERCARGO will host a special forum in Athens... Read more
INTERCARGO was deeply saddened and concerned to hear of the reported appalling missile attack on the... Read more
A new-look Wellness at Sea Awareness Campaign for seafarers, their families and shore staff that &ldquo... Read more
Classification society DNV has entered into a Joint Development Project (JDP) with AL Group and its... Read more
Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and leading classification society DNV have inked a Memorandum of Understanding... Read more
WISTA International, during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 25 October... Read more
Members of INTERCARGO met in Athens last week for the Association’s Annual General Meeting, Executive... Read more
The Columbia Group (Columbia) has opened a new manning agency, Columbia Shipmanagement Vietnam (CSM... Read more