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Monday, September 20, 2004
Cebuano seamen worry over US policy to ban them from leaving boats
CEBUANO international seamen are affected by the decision of the United States to disallow the temporary disembarkation of seafarers without visa.
Lawyer Joselito Pedaria, an inspector of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in Cebu, said the US decision was an offshoot of the bombings of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Pedaria said other countries in the world might follow this US policy.
When a foreign vessel arrives in any port of destination, seafarers are given shore leave to relax and unwind after being at sea for weeks or months.
Pedaria said Filipino seafarers constitute majority of the labor supply in the merchant vessels servicing international trade.
“Some of these Filipino seafarers also have relatives working abroad or already residing in other countries. These Filipino seafarers will miss the opportunity to meet their relatives if they are deprive of shore leave,” Pedaria said.
He said that since the government considers seafarers as heroes because of the billions of dollars in remittance, it should make representation with the US and other countries to allow the shore leave.
Pedaria said international shipping firms, including the International Shipping Federation/International Chamber of Shipping (ISF/ICS), International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko) and the International Association Cargo Ship Owners (Intercargo), have joined hands with ITF to urge the US and other countries to allow shore leave.
Shore leave is provided in the International Labor Organization Convention 185, Pedaria said.
Lawyer Democrito Men-doza, national president of the Philippine Seafarers Union, an affiliate of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, said there is a need to facilitate the provision of shore leave. EOB
(September 20, 2004 issue)
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