Vol.4 No.5 September/October 2007

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Can’t
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Page 3JSU Execs chat IBF Agreement at Pusan meet
All Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU)’s executives –President Yoji Fujisawa,
ITF Coordinator Shoji
Yamashita, Director Katsuji
Taki and Kanto Regional
Office Deputy Chief Shinichi Tanaka – were in
Pusan, South Korea on July
23-27 to attend the second
round of negotiations forrevising the IBF Agreementfor 2008-2009.
The IBF negotiations forrevising the IBF Framework TCC Agreement were
the third round since theInternational Bargaining
Forum (IBF) was established in 2003 to begin
labor-management talks.
The IBF Agreement covers some 4,000 ships and100,000 seafarers aroundthe world, including some
1,800 ships and 37,000 seafarers affiliated with the
JSU.
About 50 individuals – 25
from the International
Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which represents
workers, and the Joint

Attendees discuss IBF Agreement revisions

Negotiation Group (JNG),
which represents employers– attended the Pusan meeting.
Substantive negotiations
were held on revising the
IBF Agreement after theprevious round in Sydney
and the ITF high-level-officer meeting in Tokyo on
July 4.

FAQ: OVERTIME
Tracking it & getting paid
BY: BAYANI A. JABOLI

Recently we have received
queries from some members
regarding excess overtime.
Perhaps, due to the implementation of various safety
and security regulations,seafarers have to work
more hours than usual inorder to implement thesemeasures. Below are thefrequently asked questions:
Q: When our vessel passes the Malacca Strait, weare ordered by the Masterto take a “pirates-watch”
beyond our regular working
hours. Since this is for thesafety of the ship, is thisconsidered as overtime?
A: Yes. Actually all
watch-keepings are for thesafety of any ship. Overtime
compensation is not payablein cases of emergency workfor the safety of the ship,seafarers and cargo; turning and relieving of watches; lifeboat, fire-fighting
and emergency steering
drills; inspection of quarters
for cleanliness and taking
sights of officers.
To work as an additional
lookout is not emergency
work but a precautionary
measure implemented by
the Master.

Q: Who will record ourovertime?
A: Overtime shall be recorded individually and in
duplicate either by the Master or Head of the Department. Such record shall behanded to you for approval
every month or at shorter
intervals.
Your Master and/or Headof the Department as well
as you must sign bothcopies. One copy shall behanded over to you.
***Some manning agencies
have implemented policies
contradictory to some provisions under the ITF-approved agreements. The
practice of withholding partof the seafarer’s shipboard
pay has been gaining theattention of the ITF inspectors.
However, many seafarers
are reluctant to complain
due to their fear of being
blacklisted by the manning
agency.
Q: While our manning
agency sends 80 percent of
my basic wages to my allottee, I only receive theamount of US$210/month

During a general assembly held July 25-26, the
ITF insisted it would
never discuss during therecent round, the issue of
ITF policies concernedwith beneficial ownershipcountries, and demanded
the JNG withdraw its
request.
It was confirmed, as a

as cash advance from myshipboard pay (20 percentof my basic wage plus overtime compensation) and mycompany withholds the rest
until I sign-off. The reason,
accordingly, is to avoid
being robbed in case of an
attack by pirates. Is thiscorrect?
A: No! As per JSU agreements and the POEA regulation, 20 percent of yourmonthly basic wages plus
your overtime compensation
shall be payable onboard,unless you decide to sendsome of it to your allottee orto another account in yourcountry.
It is absurd for them tosay that the reason to withhold your money is to prevent pirates from robbingyou.
***
Q: When I signed-off fromthe JSU-AMOSUP CBA
covered vessel, I went to
AMOSUP to update myprovident fund contributions. However, the AMOSUP informed me that mycompany remitted no contribution into my account.
What should I do?
A: Inform the manning
agency about the nonremittance of your provident
fund contribution. Whatever happens, inform theAMOSUP legal department
regarding this matter for
legal action.

consequence, that the issue
would not be handled during the round.
In respect to the issue ofestablishing a fund for promoting the employment of
ratings of developed countries, which it had demanded, the ITF negotiated with
the JNG to have it resolved,
indicating it would be willing to expand the total crew
cost (TCC) fund frameworkand that it would make it
voluntary to employ ratingsof advanced nations, without forcing shipowners to doso.
Meanwhile, the JNG did
not agree with the ITF as it
had not reached internal
agreement whether theissue would continue to behandled as part of their central bargaining session, or it
would be discussed regionally after the central bargaining session is concluded.
Stressing once again that
it would be impossible tohave agreement without
resolving this issue, the ITF

urged the JNG to work on it
again.
As for wage hikes, theITF declined the proposal
made by the JNG to increase only officers wages,
the ITF demanded once
again for an increase of 10
percent on the TCCs.
On July 25, two different
working groups held discussions: 1) one was responsible for the proposal
made by the JNG in respect
to the Athens Policy (theITF’s policy for operating
European ferries); and 2)
the other, the International
Labor Organization (ILO)’s
Maritime Labor Convention.
However, both groups
failed to reach agreement
during the recent round; assuch, they decided to have
the JNG and JNG secretariats continue discussions
until the final round in September.
It was confirmed the next
round of negotiations would
be held in London on Sept.
26-27.

Ship visits to go full steam ahead

JSU staff waiting to help the seafarers

BY: BAYANI A. JABOLIWith the recent entry to
the union of new JSU International Service Staff (ISS),
the JSU will now have more
personnel who would be
able to visit more vessels
covered by the various JSU
agreements. Since June
2006, only four Filipino ISS
were working for the union,
two were assigned at the
JSU Kansai Regional
Branch in Kobe while theother two were assigned at
the JSU Headquarters inTokyo.
Three new ISS officiallyjoined the JSU in September 2007, and we are expecting another two ISS
trainees to officially join us
within a few months. By
then, the total number ofFilipino staff at the JSU
will be nine (two union officers and seven ISS) not including the two Liaison
Officers from the AssociatedMarine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) and thePhilippine Seafarers’ Union(PSU) who are presently
working at the JSU Headquarters. It is expected thatsome of the ISS will beassigned to JSU branches
located in major ports in
Japan
The hiring of the JSU ISS
dates back to July 1995
when two senior Filipino
officers were hired by theunion to work in Japan andthe number was increased
to four in 1997. Again in
2000, another two joined,(Continued on Page 4)

(2)M A R I T I M E N E W S /W A R N I N G S

MOL to train 5,000 Filipino mariners
Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.
(MOL) will train during thenext four years some 5,000
Filipino mariners to help
beef up its seagoing workforce worldwide.
This is part of the expansion program the carrier isundertaking to bolster its
operating fleet, which number 705 vessels.
MOL will provide training
at the Magsaysay Instituteof Shipping (MIS), thetraining center in Dasmarinas, Cavite, it founded in
1993 through a joint venture agreement with thePhilippines’ Magsaysay
Maritime Corporation andFairmont Shipping (Canada) Ltd.
Completion of the training in 2010 will raise thenumber of Filipino seafarers serving MOL’s ships to15,700 from 10,600 people,
representing some 70 percent of the company’s total
seagoing workforce.
This will help bolster thePhilippine government’s
jobs generation bid targeting 6 million to 10 million
employed by 2010.
To increase the number oftrainees from 240 to 400
people annually, about

Spirit of MOL training vessel

PHP100 million (US$2 million) has been allocated torenovate the MIS so thecenter’s floor area can beincreased from about 5,700
square meters to 8,900
square meters. The work
also calls for increasing thenumber of classrooms from
14 to 22, and construction of
a 3,250-square-meter dormitory that can accommodate 350 trainees and staff.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had inaugurated
this dormitory. The numberof MIS training kitchenswill increase from two tofour rooms where trainees

will receive instructions in
onboard cooking.
To provide more training
space, MOL reported it will
increase the project sitefrom 28,000 square meters
to 31,400 square meters.
The company also plans tohire an additional six
instructors with onboard
practical experience to bolster its faculty of 15 instructors.
Education of MIS trainees
goes beyond providing maritime technical skills as
they are also trained inleadership, analysis, judgment and communication in

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007

preparation for their expected advancement tohigher posts as captains,chief engineers and shoreside marine superintendents.
MIS also offers training
courses to upgrade skills ofveteran marine officers andcrew members.
“Filipino seafarers play
key roles in operation of
MOL vessels worldwide,”
said the company, which
adapted the principles ofmaintaining safe navigationand environmental protection.
According to MIS, aJapanese shipping company
founded the country’s firstseafarer training center.
About 2,000 of its graduates
are now serving MOL andits partners.
The MIS recruits candidates from selected Philippine maritime schools andoffers them a three-monthtraining course prior toassignment to vessels. The
institute’s graduates willserve as cadets on shipsthat MOL and its partners
operate.
A year later they are entitled to take the examination
for certificate of competency
after which successful candidates become qualified as
deck officers or engineer
officers of vessels.

wide shortage of marine
officers, personnel serving
on Indian vessels are being
lured to more lucrative jobs
on foreign ships.
Indian shipowners complain that there is notenough experienced crew to
run ships or provide shore
support.
Lack of manning skills
coupled with crew shortage
has been blamed for leading
to poor ship maintenanceand hence maritime tragedies.

Philippine Sen. Richard Gordon has joined
the Filipino seafarers intheir fight against thecontroversial Management Level Course(MLC) set on them by theProfessional Regulations
Commission (PRC) Marine Boards.
In his senate privilege
speech given Sept. 4,
Gordon questioned the
PRC on their implementation of additional units
to be earned by Filipino
seafarers before they canfully start working.
“Why is this being
done?” he asked. “Whysingle out the merchantmarine profession for thisstricture?” The one-time
SBMA chairman now
joins seven maritime industry groups, namely,
the Conference of Maritime Manning Agencies(COMMA), the Crewing
Managers Association of
the Philippines (CMAP),
the Seaman Party Inc.
(SPI), the United Filipino
Seafarers (UFS), thePhilippine Maritime Institute Alumni Association Inc. (PMIAAI), theVisayan Maritime Academy Alumni Association,
Inc. (VMAAAI), and theIntegrated Marine Deckand Engine Officers
Association
Inc.
(IMDEOA), against the
mandatory implementation of the course.
The industry groups
claimed that the PRC ispushing the MLC upon
the strong and persuasive lobby of some training centers with themembers of the PRC
Board for Marine Deckand Engine Officers.
They believed that thetraining centers stand to
gain profit at the expenseof the Filipino seafarers.
The seafarers’ organizations opposed the new
PRC requirement on thefollowing grounds:• The topics covered by
the course are alreadypart of the curriculum ofmaritime schools;• The courses, which
are upgrading programs,
should be optional;• The courses, whichcost PHP42,000 (US$910) for the six-weekcourse for marine deck
officers and PHP52,000($1,130) for the eightweek course for marine
engineers, are an added
financial burden for Filipino seafarers;• The courses are notneeded to comply with
the STCW Convention;and• The courses were
pushed by training centers on the PRC Board
for Marine Officers.

Lloyd’s Register - Fairplay web links

Source: Balitang Marino(PNA)

Indonesia gov’t Philippine vice president to support OFW fixed forex rates
adopts seafarer’s
Philippine Vice President 15,000 OFWs worldwide posal depends on the volNoli de Castro has endorsed and circulated in the Inter- ume of the transaction and
ID scheme
a letter for President Gloria net as well.
their ability to organize
The Indonesian government has approved verification of nine centers for Seafarers’ Identity Documents
ready for its imminent ratification of the ILO Seafarers’ Identity Documents
Convention (2003).
Indonesian seafarers organizations stated that they
are hoping that the ratification would take affect assoon as possible so Indonesian seafarers and vessels
can enter U.S. ports.
Hanafi Rustandi, chairman of the Indonesian Seafarers’ Union, stated thatthe immediate ratification
would remove Indonesia
from the United States’
blacklist.
As an aid to the Islamic
country, the United States
has given Indonesia US$400,000 to set up centers
to process seafarers’ ID,
although the cost would balloon up to a $1 million.
The centers are located at
the ports of Tanjung Priok,
Belawan, Tanjung Emas,
Tanjung Perak, Balikpapan, Makassar, Bitung andSorong.
Rustandi added that Indonesia’s ratification would
pave the way for an estimated 15,000 Indonesianseafarers to man merchantships bound for the UnitedStates.
Source: Fairplay

Arroyo coming from overseas Filipino workers thatseeks to establish a preferential foreign exchange rate
for legitimate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) thatis above the 10 percent prevailing market value.
According to the proposal,
OFWs want a fixed PHP50(US$1) rate for migrant
workers instead of the varying daily market price.
Primary signatories to theletter, Ronnie Abeto, an
OFW based in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, and former
overseas financial analyst
Miguel Bolos spearheaded
the petition signed by

Abeto, the senior action
officer of V-Team Advocacy
and Community Service
said the group is proposingthat the Philippine government put up a stabilization
fund to address the pesodollar exchange rate fluctuation.
De Castro said he would
endorse the letter to thepresident and would monitor the progress of therequest.
He would also look into
the possibility of the group's
proposal for the government
agreement with financial
institutions.
The viability of the pro-themselves, he said.
Executive
Secretary
Eduardo Ermita earlier
said the administration was
studying the proposal tohave a fixed exchange rate
for OFWs.
According to him, there
have been talks with the
Department of Finance andthe central bank regarding
the matter.
Ermita has also statedthe president is meetingwith local and foreign businessmen to discuss theimpacts of the strong peso
and other pressing concerns.
Source: Balitang Marino

Shortage has India kicking around foreign recruitment idea
India is actively considering a proposal to allow foreign crew to man Indian
ships, to beat the growing
shortage of Indian marine
officers.
The shipping ministry,
which has tabled the proposal in response to continued pressure from domestic shipowners, has written
to the external affairs,
home and defense ministries seeking theirapproval.
The external affairs ministry is reported to haveagreed to the proposal but
replies from the other two
are awaited before a final
decision is made.
Indian shipping lines are
currently facing an acuteshortage of officers, estimated anywhere between
950 and 1,500, and double
the figure two years ago.
The shortage may increase alarmingly as Indianowners have embarked on amajor fleet expansion program for the next three orfour years.
With a reported world-

Seafarers get
valuable ally infight against MLC

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007

S E A FARERS C O R N E R

Mr. Sandman got you down?
• Waking up frequently
during the night• Waking up too early inthe morning• Waking up tired
Causes of Insomnia:

Insomnia means never having to use your alarm clock

Insomnia means you havetrouble falling asleep or
staying asleep, or you wake
too early.
You wake feeling unrefreshed and you feel tired
during the day.
For some people, insomnia lasts a night or two. For
others, it tortures them formonths or even years. Doctors used to think of insomnia only as a symptom of adisease such as depression
or anxiety or a result ofchronic pain. However, research shows it may be a
condition by itself.

Insomnia might also be
related to lifestyle. Do you
go to bed too late? Do you
exercise too close to bedtime? Do you drink caffeinated coffee after dinner?
Prognosis

Insomnia is usually treatable whether it is a symptom of a disease or a condition itself. Getting treatment for an underlying condition, lifestyle changes andmedication may help.
Symptoms of Insomnia:• Difficulty falling asleep

Acute insomnia can bebrought on by:• A stressful event.
• Environmental disturbances such as noise or heator cold.
• Disruption of thesleep/wake cycle, from jetlag or caring for a newborn.
• Side effects of certain
medications such as somecough and cold remedies.
Chronic insomnia can becaused by:• Asthma, rheumatoid
arthritis or other chronic
pain conditions, and congestive heart failure.
• Mental health disorders
such as depression, anxiety
or chronic stress.
• Some medications forhigh blood pressure, decongestants and antidepressants.
• Caffeine, nicotine, alcoholand “recreational” drugs.
• A sleep disorder such as
sleep apnea or restless leg
syndrome.
• Excessive worrying.
• Disruption of sleep/wakecycle from shift work.
• Poor sleep habits.
• Perimenopause or meno-

All you need to know about onboard use of
automated external defibrillators (AED)
As part of the JSU welfare-related activities, themanagement committee,
consisting of JSU and
IMMAJ members, decided
to distribute AEDs to 500
commercial vessels coveredby the JSU’s ITF-approved
agreements.
The management committee accepted applications
this September. Below is a
simple introduction on thislife-saving device.
What is an automatedexternal defibrillator?
An automated external
defibrillator (AED) is aportable automatic device
used to restore normal
heart rhythm to patients in
cardiac arrest.
An AED is applied outside the body. It automatically analyzes the patient’s
heart rhythm and advises
the rescuer whether or nota shock is needed to restore
a normal heart beat. If thepatient’s heart resumes
beating normally, the heart
has been defibrillated.
When is it used?
An AED is used to treat
cardiac arrest. It is a lifesaving device because cardiac arrest is a sudden condition that is fatal if nottreated within a few minutes.
Heart attacks and otherconditions can cause ventricular fibrillation. In ventricular fibrillation, theelectrical signals in thelower part of the heart are
uncoordinated and ineffective.
Very little blood is
pumped from the heart tothe body or the lungs. If
ventricular fibrillation is
not treated, it will result in
Cardiac Arrest.
You can find AEDs inpublic places, such as airports and office buildings(public access AEDs). Doctors sometimes recommend
home defibrillators forpatients with heart disease.
How does it work?
An AED consists of asmall computer (microprocessor), electrodes, andelectrical circuitry. The
electrodes collect information about the heart’s
rhythm. The microprocessor
interprets the rhythm.
If the heart is in ventricular fibrillation, the microprocessor recommends a
defibrillating shock.
The shock is delivered byadhesive electrode pads,
through the victim’s chest

wall, and into the heart.
There are special low-powerelectrode pads for use on
children.
What will it accomplish?
The AED delivers an electric shock that stuns theheart momentarily; stopping all activity. This gives
the heart a chance to restart normal electrical activity and resume beating
effectively.
What are the risks?
Most trained users canoperate AEDs safely. Thereis some risk of electric
shock to the operator andothers if the operator has
not been trained to avoid
touching the patient. Otherrisks include skin burns
from the electrodes, abnormal heart rhythms, andblood clots.
When should it not be
used?
The device should not be
used in a patient who has apulse. It should also be
avoided under conditions
where the patient cannot be
isolated from other people(for example, in the standing water of a rowboat thatis filled with passengers
who are either touching thepatient or the water).

(3)

pause.
• Incontinence, which may
require more trips to thebathroom during the night.
Medications that may cause
insomnia• Antihistamines (cold andallergy medications). Thesemay disrupt the quality ofyour sleep.
• Antihypertensive (highblood pressure medications).
• Beta-blockers (heart medication).
• Hormones (thyroid medications and birth control
pills).
• Asthma medications(inhalers and theophylline).
Treatment of Insomnia:
Simple Things to Try WhenYou Can’t Sleep

There are many steps you
can take that may help you
overcome insomnia and geta good night’s sleep. Someof these strategies are listed
below:
1. Follow the rules of good
sleep hygiene
2. See a doctor. This isespecially true if your symptoms are new. Because
many of the causes of insomnia are due to medical
disorders, the doctor canhelp you sort this out. In
many cases, consultation
with a sleep specialist willhelp.
3. Take a warm bath.
This often helps. Bringing
heat to the muscles often
relaxes them and lets you
get to sleep.

4. Get a massage. Again agood muscle relaxing technique. However, make surethat whoever is doing the
massage knows how to do
it. Causing pain neverhelped anyone get to sleep.
5. Listen to music. Actually, any soothing noise(played softly) in the background may help. Rap or
heavy metal music is probably not the way to go.
Rather light, or relaxing,music helps many people
sleep.
6. Drink warm milk. Milk
has L-tryptophan, an aminoacid that helps bring on
sleep. Adding honey canoften help. However, if
dairy products give you
diarrhea, then skip thisone.
7. Drink herbal tea. Make
sure that this is decaffeinated.
8. Sleep on a firm mattress. This is a no-brainer.
Sagging or poor quality
mattresses can lead to difficulty maintaining sleep.
9. Sleep with your headfacing north (magnetic) andfeet facing south. Some people swear by this.
10. Count something. The
old counting sheep technique works as long as thesetting in your mind is apeaceful,slow-moving
scene. Concentrating on amental image often relaxes
the rest of the body andallows you to fall asleep.
11. Relaxation techniques. These are often very
useful.

VOICES fromSEAFARERS“With the implementationof the ISM and ISPS codes,
everybody’s workload has
significantly increased. In
the near future, more regulations for compliance will add
more burden. We suggest
the JSU negotiate for seafarers six-month contracts withassurance that we will berehired after two months
off.” — CAPT. FEDERICO T. CANETE W/ THE OFFICERS OF MV
PROGRESS ACE
CAPT. RENANTE B. LADINES and the crew of
MV NEW NADA thankthe JSU ISS for taking
the time to visit their
ship in Osaka, Japan.
The crew appreciates theship visitations and theinformation they received from the union.
CAPT. RENE G. JUNTADO, Master of
AZUL LIBERO thanks the JSU for the
early delivery of AED (automated external defibrillator).

“On behalf of the Myanmar crew of MV
LADY MADONNA, we appreciate thevisit by the JSU union officer and JSU ISS,and for the important information andupdates on our agreement. We hope that
the JSU will continue to support us and all
the Myanmar nationals who are membersof the JSU CA.” — CAPT. MYINT LWIN

(4)I N F O R M AT I O N /AD V I S O R I E SSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007

Lack of an MMSI will
ICC looks to take USCG tells mariners to identify themselves vices.
make some of these devices
inoperable, such as AIS, ora bite out of crime
incapable of operating adThe U.S. Coast Guard has “Statistics show that many require the MMSI to identi- vanced features or distresswith new hot line warned mariners to make mariners in distress do not fy the user of the device. alerting capabilities of the
The ICC International
Maritime Bureau has
launched a dedicated hot line
for “seafarers, port workers,
shipping agents, shipyard
personnel, brokers, stevedores and all concerned parties” to report “any information
that
they
may
have/seen/heard/known etc”
relating to maritime crimeand security.
The hotline will be based at
the IMB's Piracy Centre in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as
this already maintains a 24
hour watch receiving piracy
reports from around theworld. Reports will be passed
on to relevant authorities forfurther action.
A spokesman said that all
information received will betreated in strict confidence.
The IMB would like to know
its sources would not disclosethem.
He added that the IMB
was unsure what sort andquality of information it
would get but he saw parallels with the start of the piracy reporting service which is
now established as the maincontact point for vessels
reporting attacks.
An IMB statement addressing seafarers and othersin the industry says: “Maritime crime and security concerns us all and with yourhelp, we can try to minimise
the risks and help save lives
and properties.”
The maritime security hotline can be contacted 24
hours a day,every day at:
Email: imbsecurity@iccccs.org Telex: MA 34199
IMBPCI
The IMB was establishedin 1981 to act as a focal pointin the fight against all typesof maritime fraud, malpractice and piracy. The United
Nations (UN) International
Maritime
Organization(IMO) in its resolution A 504(XII) (9) adopted on 20
November 1981, has among
other things urged all governments, interests and organizations to exchange information and provide appropriate co-operation with the
IMB. icpo – interpol

Ship visitations–(Continued from Page 1)

increasing the number tosix. However, one ISS resigned in 2005 and anotherone in 2006, to pursue theirmaritime careers in shipping companies.
The activities of the JSU
ISS are focused in serving
nondomiciled members of
the JSU. Ships visitations
are done regularly to makecontact with the seafarers,
giving priority to communication as a bridge between
the JSU and the seafarers.

sure they enter their 9-digit
Maritime Mobile Service
Identity (MMSI) number
into marine radios equippedwith Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and Automatic
Identification Systems(AIS).
The Coast Guard says:

properly identify themselves nor provide a precise
location when radioing forhelp which delays rescue
services in arriving at thescene quickly and providing
the assistance needed.” It
adds that many marine
communication devices

Unique story proves PRC’s Yunnan
province is not to be overlooked
China’s economic growthhas been attracting attention
in recent years, and the number of foreigners visiting thecountry for sightseeing, business and school has been
increasing year by year. In
Yunnan province, which may
not be known very well toJapan, live people of 26 different ethnic groups – e.g., Han,
Yi, Bai, Nakhi and Hani.
Yunnan hosts a larger number of ethnic groups than any
other province in China.
Yunnan province, which isin the subtropical-climate
zone, offers good naturalenvironments for a variety ofanimals and plants.
There are some 16,000
species of animals and plants
living in Yunnan province,
which is, as such, called an
animal and plant paradise.
Yunnan attracts Chinese
people who live travel, and I
myself have been to theprovince twice.
It seems there are 18 odd
stories in Yunnan, and that
Chinese people from otherprovinces, therefore, cannot
necessarily understand theprovince’s too much oddness.
The stories include the following:
1) Chicken eggs are soldindividually, bind with straw
cords.
2) There is food called “erkuai,” which are steamed ricethat is pounded.
3) There are so many mosquitoes.
4) There are places wherestone pillars rise up toward
the sky.
5) Straw hats are used as
pot lids.
6) Dresses for all seasonscan be seen throughout theyear (because in Kunming,
which is located at high altitudes, temperatures are very
different from night to day).
7) Women are all hard
workers, specializing in agricultural work.
8) Local people have a custom of smoking water tobaccowith bamboo pipes.
9) Horses are small but
tough.
10) Local residents have acustom of eating grasshoppers when they drink.
11) Delicious gourds areavailable throughout theyear.
12) Yunnan people brag
about locally produced highquality tobacco, but it is so
expensive that commoners
cannot buy.
13) Yunnan is proud of its
agricultural products because they are valued highlyboth domestically and internationally.
14) Cars are faster andmore convenient than trainsas there are many steep
mountains.
15) Men carry babies on
their backs very frequently.
16) There are many limestone caves in mountainareas.
17) Locals eat rice noodle,
called “mi xian,” quite often.
18) As the climate is gentle
all year round, flowers gloom
all the time.
Are they interesting toyou? Actually, Yunnan province is so attractive a sightseeing spot that it is not too
much to say it is a paradisein China.

Yearly, more than 400 shipvisitations are conducted by
the ISS and the opinion of
the seafarers is always considered by the JSU as animportant element in devising its policies dealing with
the nondomiciled members.
Face-to-face communication between the ISS andseafarers makes an honest,
frank and fruitful discussion on various issues related to the seafarers and theunion.
With the implementationof free e-mail access on vessels covered by the JSU
agreements, the ISS havebeen receiving many

queries via e-mail from seafarers.
Other than reports oftrouble onboard ships,
through e-mail, many seafarers just want to inquire
about their retirement contributions or other unionrelated issues.
Since other ships don’t
call at Japanese ports, we
encourage nondomiciled
members to contact ususing their free e-mailonboard. In Japan, we will
try to visit you soon and
expect us to give you thelatest information regarding maritime and union
matters.

Yi Song
JSU staff

The USCG and the National Global Maritime Distress and Safety System(GMDSS) Task Force is concerned that many users ofthese devices are not obtaining, registering and/or
properly entering their assigned MMSI into these de-device. The Coast Guard
cautions: “Leaving the
MMSI unprogrammed, entering a false identity or not
updating a previously-programmed device with yourown identity may delay arescue and under certain
situations is unlawful.”TESDA’s certification of maritime
workers to go digital with new system
The Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) will computerize its assessment andcertification process for maritime industry workers suchas seamen and ship repair and maintenance personnel.
TESDA director general Augusto Syjuco said they wereadopting the move in a bid to strengthen the integrity ofthe process as well as expedite the assessment and certification of the workers.
“We are aware that the present system has grown outdated and so we are integrating a simpler but still efficient system in place,” he said.
The system upgrade will involve the online verificationof documents and digitization of photos, signatures andfingerprints – entailing the building of an information
database of all certified skilled sea-based workers.
“The system upgrade is expected to shorten the processing period from seven to four days,” Syjuco said.
He said the computerization of the process will prevent
tampering and proliferation of fake certificates that may
jeopardize the agency’s entire program of skills assessment and certification.
Syjuco added that TESDA is anticipating a higher volume of applicants for maritime jobs due to the growing
demand for maritime workers. Foreign employers often
ask technical-vocational workers to present a skill certification from TESDA.
“We are talking here of a minimum 350 applicants forassessment per day. By the end of the year, the system
must be fully integrated in Luzon and ready for duplication in the Visayas and Mindanao regions,” he said. Phil.
Star

LETTER fromHEADQUAR TERSJSU continues to protect rights, seafarers
For the purpose of protecting rights and employmentsof as many foreign seafarers
as possible, and improving
working conditions and welfare, the All Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU) has strived toorganize such seamen not
only in its daily routines, butalso in other times, by promoting flag-of-convenience(FOC) and port-of-convenience (POC) activities incooperation with port andharbor labor unions.
As of the end of July 2007,as a consequence, the number of commercial vessels towhich the JSU/AMOSUP
CBA for Japanese Flag is
applied had reached 97; theIBF JSU/AMOSUP-IMMAJ
CBA, IBF JSU-IMMAJ CA,
and IBF JSU/PSU-IMMAJ
CA, 1839; the ITF-JSU/AMOSUP CBA and ITF-JSU
CA, nine; and the JSU CA
for Near Sea, 185, while thenumber of non-domicile special members had grown to
43,228 from 44 countries.
The JSU endeavors tomaintain or even improve
working conditions for its
non-domicile special members in International Bargaining Forum (IBF) andother negotiations. It visitscommercial vessels that haveagreed on the IBF Agreement on a daily basis. In
case unpaid wages are pointed out, the JSU, as a labor
union that has concluded theagreement, comprehensively
reviews it to have it complied.
ALL JAPAN SEAMEN’S UNION
15-26, Roppongi 7-Chome,
Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel.: (03) 5410-8320
Fax: (03) 5410-8336
E-mail: iss@jsu.jp
Internet: http://www.jsu.or.jp
Publisher: Masaru Mio
Send inquiries to the attentionof Mr. Masanobu Makizoe,
Director, Foreign Trades Dept.