MARGAO
The Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) president Frank Viegas has called on Shipping Master, Asst Shipping Master, and chief admin cum accounts officer SWFS and brought to their notice hardships and disrespect faced by seafarers due to the negligence of some companies.
The two sides discussed in detail issues to find a solution so that seafarers get their due rights and grievances redressal addressed and ensure seamen get due attention.
Frank pointed out that the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) addresses the issues and concerns entailing the resolution of grievances of seafarers through on-board complaint procedures as well as onshore seafarer complaint handling procedures.
“A grievance redressal mechanism separately available for Indian seafarers that make for their swift ground-level resolution, will, as a paradigm, effectively, further strengthen grievances redressal for Indian seafarers, as a confidence-building measure by providing wider access to the seafarers to address their grievances,” he said, adding that the present grievances mechanism is proposed to be de-centralised and incrementally strengthened.
He said henceforth, Indian seafarers shall lodge their grievances in the office of the locational MMD/Shipping Master, which is located all across the Indian coast.
“This revamped grievance redressal mechanism for Indian seafarers shall function as under, in super-cession of this office said Crew Branch Circular No 3 of 2011 (F.No.CR/Misc/10/2011) dated July 5, 2011, and MS notice no. 03 of 2013 where submission of grievance can be done at surveyor in charge MMD Mormugao and other designated locations, also can lodge an online grievance redressal mechanism for Indian seafarers as per merchant shipping notice No 6 of 2019,” he added.
The GSAI president further said he also discussed with the officials the misunderstandings among seafarers over the deduction of 10 dollars from seafarers' wages. Various welfare schemes in place under SWFS, survival benefit scheme, invalidity benefit scheme, maternity benefit scheme for female seafarers, besides the old age benefit scheme, family benefit scheme and ex-gratia assistance on death and various issues of seafarers were also discussed.
GSAI president also presented mementoes as a token of appreciation to Mukul Dutta Shipping Master and HS Bowalekar chief administrative-cum-accounts officer SWFS.
