Indian seafarers left in limbo as coronavirus restrictions create chaos in shipping industry

Mon, 05/24/2021 - 15:22 — helmsman

Indian seafarers left in limbo as coronavirus restrictions create chaos in shipping industry
Sonia Sarkar 24 May, 2021 https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3134540/indian-seafarers-l...

Difficulties securing vaccines mean seafarers face job losses as well as obstacles to returning home after finishing contracts
Overworked crew members have been forced to stay on board even after their contracts expired due to a lack of crew change options

This is the fourth in a series of stories about the impact of India’s Covid-19 crisis on the Indian and Chinese economies and the global initiative to restructure supply chains.

O.F., a 44-year-old mariner who works for a Hong Kong-based shipping management firm, planned to be in Goa only until April, as part of a four-month break from his last seafaring stint which lasted for nine months.

But as of last week, he remained in his hometown on India’s west coast, a casualty of the country’s surge in Covid-19 cases
that has resulted in some shipping companies shunning Indian crew for their vessels.

Their decision stems from more than 24 countries including Britain, the US and Australia banning travellers from India
, preventing the companies replacing existing workers on cargo ships. Several major ports in mainland China, Singapore and the UAE have also barred crew changes for ships arriving from India.

O.F. said his company told him to get vaccinated so he could rejoin his vessel. In April, he used the government app to book his first vaccination appointment, which he got only this month. But with India short on vaccine supplies
– only 3.8 per cent of its 1.35 billion population have been fully vaccinated – O.F. will have to wait until August for his second shot.

“The Indian government termed seafarers as key workers last year, but why were we not a priority for vaccination?” he said. “Now I may end up losing this job.”

India is the world’s fifth-largest supplier of sailors after China, the Philippines, Russia and Ukraine, with Indians making up 240,000 of the 1.7 million people crewing some 50,000 cargo vessels. About 14 per cent of Indian seafarers have been vaccinated with at least a first dose. About 1 per cent have been fully vaccinated, media reports said.

Shipping firms have not been banned from hiring unvaccinated seafarers, but many prefer workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and eastern Europe, where more seafarers have been inoculated and the number of new Covid-19 infections is lower than in India.

Chirag Bahri, a senior official with the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network, said more than 60 Indian seafarers had in the past six months called its helpline for financial assistance, while 150 more had inquired about employment opportunities.

“Many who came back home on leave several months ago could not go back to the ship because of the second wave of the pandemic and the delayed vaccination,” Bahri said. “Some of them working in the cruise industry have been out of work because the cruise liners are not operational now.”

Frank Viegas, president of Goan Seamen Association of India, said only 500 of 25,000 seafarers in Goa had been vaccinated.

2
Illustration: Ka-kuen Lau Illustration: Ka-kuen Lau
Illustration: Ka-kuen Lau

This is the fourth in a series of stories
about the impact of India’s Covid-19 crisis on the Indian and Chinese economies and the global initiative to restructure supply chains.

“The Indian government termed seafarers as key workers last year, but why were we not a priority for vaccination?” he said. “Now I may end up losing this job.”

Frank Viegas, president of Goan Seamen Association of India, said only 500 of 25,000 seafarers in Goa had been vaccinated.

“Most companies have asked seafarers to update them about the dates of both doses of vaccine so that they can be called back on the ship but most of them are waiting for their turn,” he said. “As the Indian government is not taking vaccination of seafarers seriously, this will lead to huge job losses.”
India is the world’s fifth-largest supplier of seafarers after China, Philippines, Russia and Ukraine. Photo: AFP
India is the world’s fifth-largest supplier of seafarers after China, Philippines, Russia and Ukraine. Photo: AFP
Chaos for crew and companies

For seafarers and shipping companies, India’s Covid-19 troubles have added to the chaos of the past year.

A surge in consumer demand since late 2020 propelled increased volume from China to the US, leading to record freight rates.

But coronavirus restrictions meant many crew members were unable to disembark at ports of call or even leave their posts for a crew change. Some ended up extending their contracts, which are set at a maximum of 11 months, according to the Maritime Labour Convention, beyond their original tours of duty.

Last year, 400,000 seafarers required repatriation after finishing their contracts. In March alone, there were 200,000.

Karan Kochhar is head of Marine HR, Asia at A.P. Moller – Maersk, an integrated container logistics company which employs more than 4,000 Indian seafarers. He said overworked crew members, “who couldn’t disembark” on time due to a lack of crew change options, were suffering from fatigue and mental stress.

Stuart Neil, communications director of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the trade association for shipowners and operators, said travel restrictions could lead to a return to the peak crew change crisis of last year or worse.

“The reintroduction of travel bans will see a return to the peak crew change crisis of last year, or even higher,” he said.

2
Illustration: Ka-kuen Lau Illustration: Ka-kuen Lau
Illustration: Ka-kuen Lau

This is the fourth in a series of stories
about the impact of India’s Covid-19 crisis on the Indian and Chinese economies and the global initiative to restructure supply chains.

“The Indian government termed seafarers as key workers last year, but why were we not a priority for vaccination?” he said. “Now I may end up losing this job.”

Frank Viegas, president of Goan Seamen Association of India, said only 500 of 25,000 seafarers in Goa had been vaccinated.

For seafarers and shipping companies, India’s Covid-19 troubles have added to the chaos of the past year.

A surge in consumer demand since late 2020 propelled increased volume from China to the US, leading to record freight rates.

Last year, 400,000 seafarers required repatriation after finishing their contracts. In March alone, there were 200,000.
Did UK go slow on India travel ban due to post-Brexit trade ties?
22 May 2021

“The reintroduction of travel bans will see a return to the peak crew change crisis of last year, or even higher,” he said.

To replace crews on time, about 150,000 sailors need to travel by air every month to connect with ships in ports around the world. If shipping companies leave Indian crew members out of this process, it is not necessarily easy to find replacements elsewhere.
The black fungus nightmare facing India’s coronavirus patients
The black fungus nightmare facing India’s coronavirus patients

A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN agency for safety of international shipping, said ships usually required seafarers of specific ranks and availability could not be guaranteed.

“It will also depend on getting current crews, who are due to end their contract, off the ships and repatriated, which is complex,” the spokesperson said. “Many seafarers have faced – and are facing – convoluted journeys across many borders to be repatriated.”

Kochhar of A.P. Moller – Maersk said the firm had not changed its recruitment strategy, but travel restrictions meant that even if Indian seafarers could be deployed to overseas ports for crew changes, it would be a challenge securing visas needed to fly, as most consulates in India have been closed.

“Sometimes, the seafarers also need to be routed over a series of connecting flights travelling halfway across the world to reach somewhere close by to their joining port,” Kochhar said. “Even after reaching the port, the crew member has to follow varied Covid-19 protocols prior to entry to some countries.”