Refreshing perspective
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From the article:
" “We need a global strike of all seafarers” because change has never happened without something really bringing the role of the seafarer to the forefront. While we continue to have seafarers who work in squalid and appalling conditions, while nobody in government is willing to stand up, nothing is going to change.” "
“Something needs to change and it won’t happen with a stream of statements of support that have no teeth. “We should be mourning the lack of action not celebrating the weakness of the industry to not take care of its own.”
Just as mentioned in the article, it’s all just “blah, blah”, nothing is going to happen. There’s too many nationalities, cultures, languages & religions involved for any significant portion to act together to make a difference. Philippino & Indonesian nationals would shrug their shoulders & go back to work, Eastern Europeans who distrust everyone for good reason wouldn’t give it a second thought and the nationalities that have it good would never strike against a system they don’t see as broken. From my limited studies of labor movements, they always had a single or a couple of charismatic leaders to carry them. I don’t see that happening in our globally diverse industry. Who can unite the mariners of the world? IMO, these unions & organizations who want change should pay David Hasselhoff, Sylvester Stallone, Angelina Jolie or some other celebrity to champion their cause. I never heard of any of the people mentioned in the article except for the author. If Arnold Schwarzenegger was in front of Congress, the UN or the IMO in the global media complaining about something they would listen. It’s all about marketing.
If Frank Coles wants to organise a strike perhaps he should send some of his money to the poor seafarers in the Philippines and India etc. who would have no money to feed their families.
It’s all well and good for a rich western guy to tell poor people from all over the world to go on strike, but these people are from countries with almost no welfare, if they strike their families will starve.
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The issue is not with what Frank Coles says, it’s what IMO and other organizations are doing (or not doing). Don’t waste my time auditing and vetting if they allow me to carry around the deceased body of my captain for two months.
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