A REPORT from the International Chamber of Shipping has identified Australia as responsible for some of the worst treatment of seafarers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Perfect Storm was commissioned by the ICS and produced by the Hamburg School of Business. It defines the actions governments and international organisations must take to prevent another humanitarian crisis and disruptions to the global supply chain.
The report explores the impact of COVID-19 on shipping, seafarers and maritime labour markets, investigating the impact of national public health policies on shipping labour markets and the supply chain.
The report suggested a healthy and motivated seafaring workforce is needed to support the increasing demand for seaborne trade, noting two years of strain and pressure on seafarers has negatively impacted their mental health and wellbeing.
“At the peak of the pandemic, over 400,000 seafarers were stranded on board ships, as governments overlooked or neglected their crucial role and refused to prioritise them for vaccination, immigration, and travel purposes, whilst an equal number of seafarers could not join ships as planned, to work and support their families,” the report said.
It noted employers, unions, national and international regulators are responsible for ensuring quality maritime labour.
“Due to the substandard treatment of seafarers, during the pandemic, the shipping industry is experiencing notable shortages in the workforce, which is expected to increase and place the supply chain under even greater strain.”
Australia, China, India and Japan were singled out by the ICS for their poor treatment of seafarers at the height of the pandemic.
To gauge countries’ treatment of seafarers, the report focused on their national approaches to shore leave, crew change, medical care, key worker recognition and the provision of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Australia’s position was attributed largely to its heavy restrictions on shore leave and crew change, though seafarers were reportedly able to access medical care on Australian shores.
Though seafarers are now able to receive medical assistance, Australia’s approach to providing it to seafarers has been widely perceived as slow going.
Key findings outlined in the report relate to COVID-19 restrictions hindering the shipping industry’s ability to repatriate seafarers, and “globally diverse and unco-ordinated” governmental action.
Research found governments failed to strike a balance between prioritising national health requirements of the World Health Organisation, and those of the International Labour Organization as per the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.
The report concluded that the lack of appreciation seafarers receive for their role in world trade was a contributing factor in the crew change situation, and that during a pandemic or similar crisis there should be better global co-operation addressing the specific nature of the role of seafarers.
As such, governments, international organisations and the shipping industry were called to recognise seafarers as key workers, sustain global labour standards for seafarers, maintain the role of the IMO and ILO as global regulators, and ensure adequate medical care and equitable access to vaccines.
