Manning Agency News

New research has found that of almost 5,000 seafarers surveyed, almost 40% have experienced at least one form of unethical or illegal action in violation of international standards relating to worker rights either during the recruitment process or while working at sea.The research report was published by the Institute for Human Rights and Business and Sustainable Shipping Initiative and is based on surveyed data obtained between September 2022 and February 2023.The findings include that 70% (around 1…

Aker Solutions today started trading on the Oslo stock exchange as a leaner and more streamlined company that will build on its strengths in the subsea and field design markets. The company emerges after a spin-off of the Subsea, Umbilicals, Engineering and Maintenance, Modifications and Operations (MMO) businesses of the former Aker Solutions, which has been split into two separate entities to reduce complexity, realize synergies and bring down costs. The other company formed in the separation is Akastor, an oilfield services investment business that will develop the former group's other units, including Drilling Technologies. "The…

The YCF Group has appointed Carsten Gierga as managing director responsible for its activities in Germany. Suwarie Topaz, general manager, has also been promoted to vice-president, global marketing and business development with worldwide responsibilities. The YCF Group of companies includes the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the exclusive administrator of the world’s largest quality ship register, EuroFlag Services (EFS), a Luxembourg-resident company which performs ship registration and management services for shipowners seeking to register vessels under the Luxembourg flag, and EMA Manning Agency, a specialised provider of marine engineers and electricians.

Thome Ship Management of Singapore inks a joint venture partnership with Doehle Danautic, a leading shipping service provider in India. In what is to be seen as a significant further step into India for Thome Ship Management, the group is joining with Doehle Danautic to expand the pool of Indian officers for its tanker, drybulk and offshore fleets reaffirming its long-term commitment to India as a future maritime sourcing hub for qualified Indian officers for worldwide trading. The main driver is to build up the partnership with Doehle Danautic to provide well trained, professional officers for Thome's tanker and drybulk fleets in parallel to its officers provided by existing manning agency relations in India and Sri Lanka.

The Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) writes to condemn crewing agency practice of blacklisting certain seafarers. The report “Construction industry faces claims for compensation over blacklist” (October 19) brings to mind the blacklisting also occurring in shipping. Seafarers are usually recruited by manning agents in labour supply countries such as the Philippines and eastern Europe. Port chaplains visiting seafarers tell of the palpable fear of being blacklisted. Conditions on ships can be tough, so working conditions will have to be pretty tough before a seafarer would even considering making a complaint. The recent Dispatches Channel 4 programme “Cruises Undercover: The Truth Below Deck” also suggested that this may be the case also on cruise ships.

The UK P&I Club’s Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) Programme is proving extremely successful with shipowners and managers and recently completed its 250,000th seafarer examination. Garry Jose G Ramos, who first went to sea in 1997, undertook the 250,000th examination at the scheme’s accredited Angelus Medical Clinic in Makati, the leading business centre in the Philippines. An oiler employed by Döhle-Philman Manning Agency, Mr Ramos passed the examination with flying colours, as he has done on nine other occasions over the past 14 years, and is now free to continue his seagoing career with Döhle-Philman. ”Ensuring that their crews are fit and healthy should be important to any owner or manager.

Online crew management system provider CrewInspector.com signed an agreement with Oceanwide Crew (Humares B.V.) Dutch crew manning agency to provide its proprietary crew management system. The agreement stipulates full database migration of 20,000 seafarer applications and related information such as certificates and seagoing service to ensure smooth transition to the new crew management platform. Additionally, CrewInspector.com delivered recruitment tools with automated functionality to register new vacancies, allocate and offer right seafarers to Oceanwide Crew clients and vessel owners directly from the system. CrewInspector.com will also provide tailored development of expense controlling…

International classification society Bureau Veritas has certified Philippines-based manning agency Maryville Manila Inc for compliance to the Maritime Labor Convention MLC2006 on a voluntary basis. This is the first manning agency to be certified by Bureau Veritas in the Philippines. Claude Maillot, VP Ships in Service Management, Bureau Veritas, says, “The readiness of Maryville Manila Inc. to move towards voluntary compliance and certification under MLC2006 in advance of the convention coming into force demonstrates both the quality of the organization and the forward thinking of its management. We have so far certified one seafarer manning office in the UK and its branch office in India…

Online crew management software provider CrewInspector.com signed an agreement to supply Russian crew manning agency Seawhale Co Ltd with its proprietary crew management system. The contract includes full replacement of manual tools for crew management previously used by Seawhale Co with online platform developed by CrewInspector Ltd, integration of crew managers and agents based in Arkhangelsk, Petrozavodsk, Saint-Petersburg and Vladivostok in Russia and Odessa in Ukraine. CrewInspector.com will also provide ongoing IT development and system maintenance to ensure highest standards of effective and secure crew management are met, followed by implementation of custom requirements anticipated by Seawhale Co Ltd.

Pay incentives and better onboard facilities are key requirements for solving shipping’s worsening manpower crisis, according to the chairman of ’s leading manning forum. Organized by Lloyd’s List Events, the 11th European Manning & Training conference takes place in , on May 20-21 on the back of a prolonged shipping boom that now sees demand for seafarers far outstrip supply. Coupled with the developing world’s increase in better paid jobs ashore, the recruitment crunch is being felt even in major crew supply nations like , where maritime academies are struggling to fill just 1,000 places a year. Conference chairman Capt. Kurt Buchholz, managing director of V.Ships (), acknowledges there is a problem but asks: “Is there really a shortage?