The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) joined
the organizations calling for a resolution to the standoff that has left 41
Indian seafarers, along with additional seafarers from other nations, for
months waiting off a Chinese port. The union is urging the governments of
China, India, and Australia to collaborate to end the stalemate around the berthing
of the coal-carrying vessels in Chinese ports.
A growing trade dispute between Australia and China started
in June with China refusing the shipments of coal into its ports and now
reported to be expanding to timber and possibly other imports. This has left
more than 20 vessels loaded with coal waiting outside the Chinese ports, but
two Indian vessels, in particular, have become the symbol of dispute.
Last week, the Indian seafarers’ union went public over the
dispute calling for a flood of emails to the International Maritime
Organization to highlight the fate of members trapped at sea for up to 20
months. The Jag Anand with a crew of 23 has been waiting since June and the
Anastasia with a crew of 18 has been outside the port since August.
Abdulgani Y. Serang, General Secretary of the National Union
of Seafarers of India, the ITF Seafarers’ Section Committee Asia-Pacific Vice
Chair and an ITF Executive Board member, said that his union and the ITF have
repeatedly raised the issue with the company and official channels through the
International Maritime Organization in recent months.
“We have at hand a humanitarian crisis on board where the
entire crew is fatigued and requires urgent relief. They are mentally and
physically exhausted due to their prolonged time on board,” said Serang.
According to the union, the ships are the innocent parties caught between the
two nations.
The ITF is also using the situation to yet again call
attention to the issue of crew changes and the importance of governments to facilitate
crew movements for the welfare of the individuals. The crew of the Jag Anand
has been aboard between 13 and 20 months.
“All governments – be it flag States, port States, or the
seafarers’ home countries – need to lift their game to make it easier to
perform needed crew changes of this tired and fatigued workforce,” said ITF
Seafarers’ and Inland Navigation Section Coordinator, Fabrizio Barcellona. “It
shouldn’t have to take a geopolitical dispute for Ministers to realize that
there is a major humanitarian crisis on their shores. Having over-contract crew
anywhere in the world is unacceptable and a recipe for human and environmental
disaster,” concluded Barcellona.
The union representatives report that neighboring countries
have offered to buy the coal to help resolve the situation. “We suggested that
if crew change is not possible, then at least the cargo could be discharged so
the ship can move on and sign off the crew at the next convenient port,” said
Serang.
For its part, China continues to reiterate that the vessels
are free to depart. It says they have not been detained by the Chinese
authorities.
The ITF said whatever the reason for the stalemate, the time
has come for the governments to put aside their disputes and focus on
supporting these seafarers caught in the situation by no fault of their own.