«Working at sea is not a yacht trip»

The SUR primary trade union organization of seafarers in Vladivostok  and the Far Eastern Association of Sea Captains have launched the project named  «Introduction to the profession»  for cadets navigators of the Maritime University named after Adm. G. I. Nevelskiy. Variety of topics, from the nuances of the profession to the diversity of the maritime service, will be discussed within the project. The first meeting, where they talked about the system of the flags of convenience and attracting women for the work at sea, was held last week. So, Pavel Mushnyaga, who has worked on foreign ships for many years, spoke about the pros and cons of the flag of convenience. He was lucky being employed in responsible companies and had no problems with his salary. However, there are quite a few examples where everything is exactly the opposite – the payment is scanty, and the crew receives it with a delay. «In such situations, it is important to be able to defend your rights correctly and competently. To do this, you need not only have a good knowledge of maritime and labor law, but also to enlist the support of the Seafarers Union of Russia by becoming a member of it»,-  he said. Indeed, as explained by the chairman of the SUR organization, Petr Osichanskiy, the trade union has long and well-developed methods of considering labor disputes, which are easier and more reliable to resolve in case the collective agreement is concluded. «In addition, the MLC, the Code of Merchant Shipping of the Russian Federation, and other regulatory documents also protect the rights of seafarers,»-he added. The attention of the cadets was particularly focused on the English language. «Today, our graduates work both on the vessels of Russian shipowners and in foreign companies. This means that it is important not only to know your profession, but also to know the maritime language-English. Therefore, you need to study it not only in the office with a teacher, but also in the bunkroom, and in the cabin during voyage, reading books in the original as this is one of the keys to being in demand for work at sea,»- Petr Osichanskiy confidently said. The captain, Tatyana Sukhanova, told about how women have to go to sea today. It is noteworthy that after 2010, when the Manila Amendments to the STCW were adopted, the influx of girls into maritime educational institutions increased dramatically, many of whom successfully joined the fleet. However, according to a number of studies, they do have a lot of problems-from the notorious skepticism to bullying. You can change the situation with a personal attitude, first of all, evaluating the professional qualities of a person. «Working at sea is not a yacht trip. This is hard and dangerous work. The sea is fraught with a huge number of dangers and risks. Unfortunately, they are an integral part of the profession. A special role is played by responsibility in the performance of official duties, because any, even the most insignificant negligence, can be fraught with deadly danger so you can not be on «close terms with the sea», - Petr Osichansky mentioned. After the first meeting, all parties agreed that the project «Introduction to the Profession» definitely needs to be continued.

Based on the materials provided by the SUR primary trade union organization of seafarers in Vladivostok