Seafarers and fatigue, seafarers assist with refugee rescue.

1. GLAD TIDINGS No. 11 PART B
In this edition:
• Life at sea and fatigue
• Meeting with Minister
Anthony Albanese in
Sydney
• Meeting with AMSA
and DEEWR
• Merchant seafarers –
the Good Samaritans
of the oceans
Life at sea and fatigue • AMSA Serious
Accident Report
We know that many serious - Half said that their working
incidents that happen at sea hours had increased over the • No ITF-Trust funding
are caused by sleep past ten years
deprivation and fatigue.
Perhaps the most publicised in - Nearly half surveyed
recent times was the Shen Neng considered their working hours
1 coal ship, running aground on presented a danger to their
the Great Barrier Reef off personal safety
Gladstone. Our MTS Gladstone
people looked after the much- - Some 37% said sometimes their
maligned crew. On that working hours posed a danger
occasion the Chief Officer to the safe operations of their
responsible for the navigation of ship
the ship had managed only a
few hours sleep in 48 hours due - At times false records are
to heavy work commitments being kept to conceal the
when the ship was loading at actual hours seafarers work.
Gladstone port. The hapless CO
is currently serving a two-year We hope that the MLC will make
sentence in a Brisbane prison. It life at sea considerably better
is worth noting that an ITF for the seafarer. We also hope
funded study has revealed that Regulation 4.4 and
some alarming facts regarding Guidelines B4.4.2 will ensure that
seafarers’ fatigue- they get decent shore leave so
that we get the opportunity to
- One in four seafarers said they welcome and support them in
had fallen asleep on watch the short time available before
the ship sails to a foreign port.
- Almost 50% reported working
weeks of 85 hours or more G
L
GLAD TIDINGS 2012 No. 11 Part B
A
D

2. Meeting with Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney
Council members Dennis Obviously he was well aware
Claughton, Dave Ellis and of the how hard life at sea is
myself were fortunate to be and the critical importance
invited to a meeting with of the MLC to help seafarers
Minister Anthony Albanese a improve their working and
few months ago to discuss living conditions. We are
the implementation of the maintaining contact with the
MLC, and the role our Minister’s office as we
organisation might play in continue to explore all
that landmark convention. possibilities that may lead to
The Minister gave us a very outcomes both beneficial to
good hearing and notably our organisation’s ongoing
was very appreciative of the work and the wellbeing of
charitable work that we have visiting seafarers generally.
carried out for over 150 year.
AMSA Serious Accident Report
Please remember to fill in and forward
to the editor the Serious Incident Report
form in the event of your centre having
to handle such an incident. Each month
a copy of these incident reports are sent
to AMSA. The exercise is important as it
helps the government better
understand the scope and importance
of our work- and in turn helps support
our advocacy efforts for greater
recognition and assistance from the
government.
Page 2 GLAD TIDINGS 2012 No. 11 Part B

3. Meeting with the Australian Greens in Canberra
A few weeks back the editor met that Senator Siewert has visited
with Greens’ Senators Christine our Fremantle centre on a
Milne and Rachel Siewert at number of occasions; and that
Parliament House, Canberra. The Senator Milne would consider the
Leader of the Greens and WA appropriate way forward to
Senator Siewert kindly took time encourage and support the
out from their hectic schedules to Government in fully
explore ways in which they might implementing all provisions of the
be able to support the work MLC- particularly those
carried out by MTS particularly in humanitarian provisions
the context of the welfare guaranteeing the safety and well
provisions of the Maritime Labour being of seafarers both at sea
Convention. The editor was able and on shore. The editor was very
to explain the nature and encouraged by the meeting and
importance of our work around is most grateful for the warm
the Australian coastline and welcome he received.
waterways. It was good to hear
Meeting with AMSA and DEEWR
Capt. Dave Ellis our MTS meetings advocating as strongly
Brisbane chair has also been as possible for the rights of
instrumental in arranging seafarers to have access to
meetings with a number of both onboard and onshore
Government representatives welfare services, and underlining
from Australian Maritime the importance of welfare
Welfare Authority (AMSA), practitioners being partially
Department of Education, funded by Government
Employment and Workplace annually to carry out these
Relations and Department of essential services at a level
Infrastructure & Transport. recognised as best practice.
Both the editor and Dave
have attended these
No ITF-Trust funding
As reported to all centres a few trying to maintain the running of
months ago the ITF Trust has vehicles that are aging, needing
announced that it will not be repair and no longer fit for
making any funding grants for purpose. At this stage we do not
the remainder of this year. And it know why the funding has dried
seems that this may continue into up. When further news is to hand
the next year. It goes without we shall pass it on.
saying that some centres will
experience greater hardship
without this source of funding,
particularly those that are
Page 3 GLAD TIDINGS 2012 No. 11 Part B

4. Merchant seafarers - the Good Samaritans of the
oceans
Many will recall the tragic was able to help the mostly
capsizing of a boat carrying young Chinese seafarers with
over 200 refugees in the Indian police interviews, language
Ocean, on 21 June last. A interpretation challenges, some
number of merchant ships on basic counselling and some
route to Australian ports shopping and sightseeing
responded to the distress call to activities to help the seafarers
attempt rescue of the drowning normalise. Fred particularly felt
men, women and children. The for those crewmen who were
crews of these ships were heroic placed in a situation where in
in their attempts to locate and the rescue attempt they could
save victims from the heavy only save some, not all, from
seas- risking their own safety drowning- and were forced to
and lives. Crews from two of decide which ones, a shocking
these ships, the Cape Oceania situation indeed. We
and the WSA Dragon a few acknowledge the bravery of
days after rescuing 12 drowning these seafarers and thank them
refugees, docked at Esperance. for responding to a call well
Fortunately for the traumatised beyond their seafaring duties.
crew members, our MTS Let’s hope that they are
Esperance ship visitor Fred nominated for appropriate
Lochowicz was there to greet awards in due course by the
them. Fred himself spent many shipping industry.
years at sea and well
understood the situation. He
Page 4 GLAD TIDINGS 2012 No. 11 Part B