Uk Financial Times News

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.

According to a report in the the UK Financial Times, the British government’s decision to delay production of two new 65,000-ton Royal Navy aircraft carriers could cost an additional $1.7b, driving the cost to $7b per, or 25% higher than when the contract was signed a year ago.