Intercargo shows a strike of the shipping in order to resolve the problem to take it in turns of the crews of the ships



Inadequate. Totally inadequate. They are, to judge from the outcome that up to now they have had, the initiatives of protest assumed from the industry of the shipping in order to speed up the national and international institutions to favor the change of the crews of the ships been profitable extremely difficult from the assumed measures in order to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Now it tries again us the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo), the association that represents the world-wide shipowners that operate fleets of rinfusere, and ago looking on to, finally, it sets in action more decided by the category.

Intercargo has remembered that currently about 300.000 marine ones they are blocked on board of their ships and to an analogous number, that faces also difficulty of economic order as for a long time waiting for to resume the job, must be allowed to be able itself to embark in order to replace crews that are in sea from 1/2 - 17 months. A situation - it has evidenced the international association - that risks to compromises safety of the crews, the ships and the cargo.

"Very soon - it has emphasized president of Intercargo, Dimitris Fafalios - the industry will have to say that "how much is too much is too much"". A phrase that ago to presuppose that the shipowning industry, of which Intercargo is relief member, is by now ready to pass from the words to the facts

Intercargo has found that it is not even possible to imagine which it can be the impact of an interruption of the activities of transport and disembarkation and boarding of the goods if the ships stopped and blocked the commercial exchanges. A perspective that is similar the "naval blockade", to strike of the shipping which wished in recent days from our newspaper which more effective answer by the shipowners in order to safeguard the health and safety of their workers and, therefore, also of their activities(of the 8 July 2020).

Up to now the appeals of the shipowners have fallen in the empty one and little Countries have been activated in order to afford the change of the crews. Blameworthy the absence of Italy, nation that - when ago comfortable - it is discovered marine, with its eight thousand kilometers of coasts and with an economy of the sea that becomes motor of the increase. Censurable the inaction of Paola De Micheli, minister of Infrastructures and the Transports, for which evidently it is impossible, if not to strive first hand, not even not to charge someone if not to resolve, at least to face the problem.

The appeal of Intercargo, if only, ago very to hope. The association has announced that "now they are necessary drastic measures". "The situation - Fafalios has denounced - is reaching absurd proportions. We have assisted to the prohibition of changes of the crew because it has not been possible to execute a Covid test within the interval of 48 hours prescribed before the arrival of the crew, although the travel towards that port lasted three days. In some other nations among those that assert to afford the changes of the crews - it has observed the president of Intercargo - in fact this happen only if the crew can be replaced with citizens of that nation. And these are only some examples".

"The situation - it has added to the vice president of Intercargo, Jay K. Pillai - is going from bad to worse, since the regarding protocols the elaborated essential workers from the IMO, the agency of the United Nations, are not respected by all the States of landing place. About the 35-40% of all the marine ones on board of the mercantile ships lend service very beyond the duration of their Seafarer Employment Agreement and about 10% of all marine the boarded ones lend service for a period comprised between 12 and 17 months. This is inhumane and the nations would have to assume of the full responsibility. Some governments - he has observed Pillai - do not facilitate the change of the crew not even for own citizens. This includes the imposition of all the possible restrictions to the change of crew in their the limitation, Country of origin of the flights and the application of policies that do not allow with the marine ones to fly towards foreign Countries in order to join to the ships. Draft - it has continued Pillai - of a bitter event and cannot be continued so unless the States of landing place that export and import goods do not guarantee that the ships do not leave on board with marine that lend service beyond the limit of the duration established from the international Convention on the marine job. More and more nations forbid the change of the crew, although they receive with favor the goods that the ships carry in order to support the well-being of their community".

The other vice president of Intercargo has very framed this that happens still today in the great part of the nations, included unfortunate Italy: "here by now - Spyros Tarasis has asserted - he speaks himself in order to speak (and in Italy, to governmental level, not even he does not discuss himself about the problem, ndr). All know where they are the problems: with the airlines, with the visas and the sanitary authorities that do not recognize the marine ones as essential workers. But it is not being made nothing and very soon the same industry of the shipping could be obliged/forced to interrupt the commerce of assets that are essential for the well-being and in order all over the world to allow the good operation of the communities".

If the words - those of Intercargo, as the association makes to intend - preannounce those which will be concrete initiatives, many days would not have to pass before to assist to the first international strike of the shipping of the recent history.

Bruno Bellio