Brion calls for stronger partnership among maritime ...
Brion calls for stronger partnership among maritime industry stakeholdersLabor and Employment Secretary Arturo D. Brion has called for stronger partnership among various stakeholders in the maritime sector to effectively respond to the fast-changing developments in the global maritime industry.
Speaking at the recent Philippine Manning Convention which sought to address increasing global demand for seafarers, Brion commended the convention’s theme – Joining Hands to Meet the Global Demand for Seafarers Towards a Committed Partnership – as an attestation to the stakeholders’ resolve to face the challenges of the future together.
“We in the government, and the DOLE family in particular, stand ready to be counted as a full participating member of that partnership,” Brion stressed."It must be a partnership that calls for the expansion of our spheres of cooperation beyond the traditional human resources demand and supply considerations of the (maritime) industry.
It (partnership) must embody a social dimension that will allow the pursuit of both economic and social goals and gains for all of the industry’s players – the ship owners, foreign principals, manning agents, the seafarers, and government – who must then look to each other as truly contributing ‘partners’ in the fullest sense of the word,” he said.In a paper presented by AMOSUP President Capt. Gregorio S. Oca at the convention, among the factors cited as causing the crewing crisis was the tendency of a lot of maritime officers to retire at a young age after having attained the highest position in their particular department then opt to take on jobs at shore.
These officers no longer aspire for top positions in both the deck and engine departments as they already are contented with the current positions they hold. Data from AMOSUP indicated that 20-25 percent of those filing for retirement claims are less than 50 years old.
Other significant factors cited in the paper include increasing responsibilities of senior officers and their burdensome administrative functions brought about by new security regulations and reportorial requirements.
These have increased stress and fatigue, pushing these officers to work harder.Brion said that further education and skills training for seafarers would be a good starting place for stakeholders to jointly address.
“A shared responsibility of our partnership may be in this area where the benefits can be common to all the seafarer, his family, ship owners and manning agencies, the industry, and the home country will all benefit as the seafarer expands and deepens his knowledge and skills base.
”He also called on the industry and foreign principals to help search for ways that the remittances of seafarers can be protected against the uncertainties of foreign exchange fluctuations.The effort, he said, will directly benefit the seafarer, his family, and the home country, but indirectly it will also benefit the industry as it will establish seafaring as a reliable career.
He added that it will help in the advocacy of inviting the youth to maritime careers.Brion also cited vital interests of the DOLE that relate to dispute management and labor and employment education.
He emphasized that one of DOLE’s approaches toward dispute avoidance is through education, even as he relayed a plan of launching the “Continuous Labor and Employment Education” to be administered by DOLE regional offices nationwide next year.
Likewise, Brion proposed the establishment of a maritime voluntary arbitration body in consideration of the special nature of maritime labor disputes.The special voluntary arbitration body, he said, will be formed through the designation of ten Senior officials from the DOLE and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as ex-officio voluntary arbitrators from the government side.
“It may be best to start with a small compact group with 10 representatives each from labor, management, and government,” he said as he offered the services of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board as interim secretariat that later on, can be replaced by an independent one supported by the maritime industry.
Speaking at the recent Philippine Manning Convention which sought to address increasing global demand for seafarers, Brion commended the convention’s theme – Joining Hands to Meet the Global Demand for Seafarers Towards a Committed Partnership – as an attestation to the stakeholders’ resolve to face the challenges of the future together.
“We in the government, and the DOLE family in particular, stand ready to be counted as a full participating member of that partnership,” Brion stressed."It must be a partnership that calls for the expansion of our spheres of cooperation beyond the traditional human resources demand and supply considerations of the (maritime) industry.
It (partnership) must embody a social dimension that will allow the pursuit of both economic and social goals and gains for all of the industry’s players – the ship owners, foreign principals, manning agents, the seafarers, and government – who must then look to each other as truly contributing ‘partners’ in the fullest sense of the word,” he said.In a paper presented by AMOSUP President Capt. Gregorio S. Oca at the convention, among the factors cited as causing the crewing crisis was the tendency of a lot of maritime officers to retire at a young age after having attained the highest position in their particular department then opt to take on jobs at shore.
These officers no longer aspire for top positions in both the deck and engine departments as they already are contented with the current positions they hold. Data from AMOSUP indicated that 20-25 percent of those filing for retirement claims are less than 50 years old.
Other significant factors cited in the paper include increasing responsibilities of senior officers and their burdensome administrative functions brought about by new security regulations and reportorial requirements.
These have increased stress and fatigue, pushing these officers to work harder.Brion said that further education and skills training for seafarers would be a good starting place for stakeholders to jointly address.
“A shared responsibility of our partnership may be in this area where the benefits can be common to all the seafarer, his family, ship owners and manning agencies, the industry, and the home country will all benefit as the seafarer expands and deepens his knowledge and skills base.
”He also called on the industry and foreign principals to help search for ways that the remittances of seafarers can be protected against the uncertainties of foreign exchange fluctuations.The effort, he said, will directly benefit the seafarer, his family, and the home country, but indirectly it will also benefit the industry as it will establish seafaring as a reliable career.
He added that it will help in the advocacy of inviting the youth to maritime careers.Brion also cited vital interests of the DOLE that relate to dispute management and labor and employment education.
He emphasized that one of DOLE’s approaches toward dispute avoidance is through education, even as he relayed a plan of launching the “Continuous Labor and Employment Education” to be administered by DOLE regional offices nationwide next year.
Likewise, Brion proposed the establishment of a maritime voluntary arbitration body in consideration of the special nature of maritime labor disputes.The special voluntary arbitration body, he said, will be formed through the designation of ten Senior officials from the DOLE and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as ex-officio voluntary arbitrators from the government side.
“It may be best to start with a small compact group with 10 representatives each from labor, management, and government,” he said as he offered the services of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board as interim secretariat that later on, can be replaced by an independent one supported by the maritime industry.
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