FINLANDS SJÖFART ■ SUOMEN MERENKULKU 51 THE GLOBAL SEAFARER Long ago, countries were proud to have their own merchant fleet. Commercial vessels owned in a particular nation would be on that nation’s shipping register and fly that nation’s flag. However, during the 20th century, changes were made to many shipping registers that loosened the required link between the country of ownership and a vessel’s flag. Shipowners began to pick and choose which flag their vessels would fly, based initially on cost savings, but later also on the prospect of an easy ride from certain flag states when investigations took place. This is what came to be known as choosing a ‘flag of convenience’ (FoC). THE IMPACT OF FOCS ON SEAFARERS The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) defines a flag of convenience ship as ‘one that flies the flag of a country other than the country of ownership’. Some FoC registers are better than others, but the very existence of the system creates a lack of transparency and accountability that lowers standards and harms seafarers. According to the ITF, workers onboard FoC vessels are more likely to experience: ● very low wages ● poor onboard conditions ● inadequate food and clean drinking water ● long periods of work without proper rest, leading to stress and fatigue Meanwhile, by ‘flagging out’, shipowners can take advantage of: ● minimal regulation ● cheap registration fees ● low or no taxes ● freedom to employ cheap labour from the global labour market The ITF believes there should be a ‘genuine link’ between the real owner of a vessel and the flag the vessel flies, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). ‘FoC registries make it more difficult for unions, industry stakeholders and the public to hold ship owners to account,’ stresses the Federation. Nautilus supports this view, arguing that members’ interests are best served by the genuine link principle. MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF FOCS Flags of convenience have become so prevalent in the industry that most Nautilus members have probably sailed on an FoC vessel at some point. Because there are so many seafarers affected, the ITF acknowledges that action is needed to improve the daily lives of thousand ds of seafarers onboard FoC vessels today – while still holding onto the aim of eventually eliminating the system. To mitigate the effects on seafarers, the Federation works in several ways to improve the standards onboard FoC vessels. Through bodies such as the International Bargaining Forum, the ITF negotiates agreements with maritime ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith gives her take on flags of convenience in one of the latest episodes of the Nautilus podcast Off course. Download from wherever you find your podcasts.
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