Vol. 15 No. 6 November/December 2018

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Voicesfrom theSeafarers
Page 3

JSU begins work on new action plan
President Morita re-elected JSU President at the JSU 79th Annual
General Assembly at Hotel Mariner’s Court Tokyo on Nov. 6-9, 2018

Mr. Yasumi Morita
President

Mr. Yoshiyuki Ikeya

General Director, Int’l Affairs BureauT

he All-Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU) organized its 79th annual
nationwide
generalassembly at the Hotel Mariners’
Court Tokyo on Nov. 6-9, 2018.
On the first of the four-day gathering, discussions were held on activity and accounting reports forthe union’s 73rd year, and on thesecond day, on Bill 1, which is adraft of an action plan for the 74th
year. On Day 3, the JSU’s International, Fisheries and Domestic affairs bureaus held their respective
meetings, and after discussing Bill
5 on Day 4, delegates elected a newlineup of Central Executive Board
Committee members.
Mr. Yasumi Morita was re-elected as JSU’s president upon which
his new administration began
working to realize its new actionplan.
The 79th annual general assem-

Mr. Kenji Takahashi

Mr. Shinichi Tanaka
Acting President

Mr. Mitsuharu Matsuura
Acting President

General Director, Fisheries Affairs Bureau

General Director, Domestic Affairs Bureau

Mr. Hidehiko Hiraoka

Mr. Hiroyuki Tachikawa
General Director, Policy Bureau

General Director, General Affairs Bureau

Mr. Junzo Suzuki

bly was kicked off at 9:30 a.m.
on Nov. 6. After the delegatessang JSU’s anthem, Mr. Hiroyuki
Tachikawa, a member of the Central Executive Board Committee,
gave the opening address.
Mr. Akito Kamogashira, head of
the JSU Kansai Regional Office,
was appointed as the chairman of
the meeting, and Mr. Masayuki
Takahashi, head of the JSU Tohoku Regional Office, and Mr.
Hironaka Saito, head of the JSU
Shikoku Regional Office, both as
vice-chairmen. Mr. Kamogashiratook the stage and to ask attendees
to hold constructive discussions.
On the morning of Day 1, congratulatory messages were given
by guests from the government,
bureaucracy and related organizations. They included Mr. Masashi
Adachi, parliamentary vice-minister from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tour-ism (MLIT); Mr. Seishiro Eto,
president of Kaiji Shinko Renmei,
or the Association of Lawmakers
for Promoting Maritime Affairs, (amember of the Liberal Democratic
Party, or LDP, and the House ofRepresentatives); Mr. Wataru Ito,acting secretary-general of Komeito; Mr. Hideaki Yamaguchi,
deputy director-general of theFisheries Agency; Mr. Yuichiro
Tamaki, leader of the Democratic
Party for the People (DPFP); Mr.
Seiji Osaka, deputy chief of the
Political Affairs Research Council
from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ); Mr.
Kunihiko Muroi, secretary-generalin the House of Councilors for
Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party); Mr. Seiji Mataichi,
chair of the Social Democratic
Party (SDP); Mr. Goshi Hosono,a member of the House of Representatives; Mr. Shinji Morimoto,a political advisor to the JSU (amember of the House of Councilors and the DPFP); Mr. Jun Kurai,
chief of the Port Management Division at the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government’s Bureau of Port andHarbor; Mr. Rikio Kozu, presidentof the Japan Trade Union Confederation (Rengo); and Ms. Chiyoko
Sakai, president of Zenkoku Kaiyu
Fujin Kai, an association of seafarers’ mothers, wives and sisters.
Leaders from the International
Transport Workers’ Federation(ITF) traveled from around theworld to attend the general assembly, including Mr. Paddy Crumlin,
ITF president; Mr. Stephen Cotton, ITF general secretary; Mr.
Conrad Oca, president of the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines(AMOSUP); and Mr. Johnny
Hansen, president of the Norwegian Seafarers’ Union (NSU).

On Day 1, the JSU’s 79th annual nationwide general assembly
exchanged views on activity andaccounting reports for the union’s
73rd year. When votes were taken,
the reports were both approved by
an absolute majority. On Day 2, an
action plan draft for the 74th year,
or Bill 1, was proposed, and discussions were held on it. On Day 3, theunion’s International, Fisheries andDomestic affairs bureaus met for respective meetings. On the last day,Bill 5, which was budget and facility development plans for the 74th
year, was submitted and discussed.
It was also approved by an absolutemajority as a result of votes taken.
An election was also held on
Day 4, at which Mr. Morita wasreelected. The JSU, then, took its
first step to realize items set forthin its new action plan under the
initiative of its new administration
led by Mr. Morita.

MARITIME NEWS(2)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

Manila leads pact on seafarers’ rights

ClassNK, TÜVRheinland sign
sia’s leading seafaring 10 national governments in the and explore how the region could tries for leading the fight for thenations, meeting in region, shipowners and seafarers’ develop resources, knowledge and fair treatment of seafarers, ITF cybersecurity
Manila have agreed unions, aims for the proper and expertise about them.
general secretary Stephen Cottonon their first regional effective implementation of the InAsia is the largest supplier of sea- said: “Now the hard work begins. services pactstatement on the fair treatment of ternational Maritime Organization farers to the international fleet and We must create an implementationA

seafarers.
The “Manila agreement”, whichcomes out of a meeting organized
by Seafarers’ Rights International(SRI) and with the participation of
the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment, more than(IMO) and International Labor
Organization (ILO) Guidelines on
the Fair Treatment of Seafarers.
The Manila meeting, sponsoredby the ITF and the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, agreed to raise awareness of the IMO/ILO Guidelines

therefore essential to international
trade. Recognizing the seafarers’role, the agreement acknowledges
that they need special protection,
especially in the event of a maritime accident.
Congratulating the Asian coun-

plan to roll out the statement toensure that every seafarer feels thebenefits of what has been agreed.”
He added that: “Other regions
should follow suit, and the ITF is
ready to work with them.” (Source:
ITF Seafarers)

ICS calls for revised training, certification standards
Speaking in Manila, the Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Esben
Poulsson, has called for a comprehensive revision of the IMO
STCW Convention which governs global standards for the training and certification of around 2
million merchant seafarers.
STCW was reviewed in 2010
with the adoption of the “Manila
amendments” but the previous
major overhaul of the STCW regime was last undertaken by IMOMember States over 25 years ago.
Mr. Poulsson said, “It’s now
commonplace for employers toroutinely provide additional training and assessments prior to thedeployment of many officers holding STCW certification, whichraises questions as to whether theConvention as currently draftedis still fit for purpose in the 21stCentury.
“A fully revised STCW regime
would allow the industry to adapt
much more effectively to technological developments including
increased automation. It should
provide a structure of sufficient
flexibility to hit the moving targetof a changing world fleet, and mayneed to develop a more modular
approach to competency accumulation and certification. The arrival of new technology is alreadychanging the functions that seafarers perform on board and the skills
and training they require.
“A revised STCW should seek
to improve transparency and therobustness of implementation oversight. The so-called STCW whitelistof nations that have communicatedinformation to IMO about compliance now serves little real purpose
as it includes virtually everyone.
ICS would not wish to tear up thewhitelist without a suitable replacement but there has to be a moretransparent and robust monitoring
system of national implementation
to ensure that STCW continues todeliver competent and quality seafarers,” Mr. Poulsson said.
He explained that ICS increasingly views the STCW 2010
amendments as an interim revision which had added some
new training and certification
provisions without making thestructural changes needed to ac-

commodate new developments
in training or the competencesthat would be required to operate
ships in the future.
He recalled that during theearly 1990s, IMO had responded
positively to industry requests toaddress serious concerns about
training standards in many of the
newly emerging seafarer supply
countries, many of which now
had world class training institutions. He said “With the involvement of all industry stakeholders,
we think the time is now rightto consider the next comprehensive revision of STCW akin tothat completed by IMO Member
States back in 1995.” (Source: International Chamber of Shipping[ICS])

Maritime UK updates code for autonomous ships
Maritime UK has launched an
updated version of the industry
Code of Practice for autonomous
vessels.
The UK Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group (MASRWG) firstpublished the Code of Practiceto global industry-wide acclaimin November 2017. While nota legal text, the Code has beenused by manufacturers, service
providers and others as part oftheir day-to-day work. Many
manufacturers have reported clients requiring compliance with
the Code as a basis for contractual negotiations.
The Code of Practice provides
guidance for the design, construction and operation of autonomous maritime systems.
While the first version was majorly focused on the design andmanufacture of vessels, the updated version adds new guidanceon the operation of autonomous
vessels, with particular focus on
skills, training and vessel registration. The world of maritime
autonomy is developing fast andthe Code of Practice has informed
and been used by a wide rangeof companies and organizations
around the world.
The UK Industry Code of Practice has been prepared by the UK
Maritime Autonomous Systems
Working Group. James Fanshawe,
the group’s Chair said: “The wholeindustry is moving at a very fast
speed and it’s really importantthat there are guidelines available
to underpin that development ina safe, efficient and sustainable
way. I thank the working groupfor its tremendous efforts in delivering critical updated guidance sosoon after the first version, ensuring we’re keeping pace with global
developments.”
Harry Theochari, chair-elect ofMaritime UK said: “I’m delighted
that the UK has developed suchtimely and relevant guidance after delivering the first code just
12 months ago. The UK is a realleader in maritime autonomy, andthat position owes much to theleading role we play in the debate
around regulation. We will workwith government to strengthenthat position through the Maritime Sector Deal and look forward to the publication of its longterm strategy for the sector, Maritime 2050.
Dan Hook, Senior Director – Business Development at
L3 ASV said: “The UK is a wellestablished leader in smaller autonomous vessels. When compa-

nies like ours start to look towardscaling that technology throughto larger ships, this code of practice will be hugely valuable. Thisis really a code of best practice. If
we use the Code when building
and commissioning systems, andif we train our people and run ourcompanies in line with the Code,then we really will be developinga global culture of responsibility.
So this helps industry growth andI think this helps the UK to maintain its position as a world leader
in this space.”
Robert Carington of the UK
Chamber of Shipping is secretary
to the MASRWG: “The Chambersupports how the Code of Practice shows that industry is taking alead in developing and continuing
the UK’s thought leadership anddevelopment in maritime autonomy” (Source: Maritime UK)

Leading classification society
ClassNK and TÜV Rheinland
have concluded a worldwide partnership agreement for cybersecurity services.
ClassNK is a classification society which carries out surveys tohelp ensure the safety of vessels
and marine structures, and has
many achievements involving thecertification of ship equipment.
TÜV Rheinland is a global leader
in testing, inspection and certification services providing digital
services for safety, cybersecurity
and privacy. The partners had
signed agreements in 2012 forwind turbine certification and in2015 for test and product certification.
With their most recent partnership, both parties have agreed tocomprehensively collaborate injointly developing and delivering acybersecurity certification scheme
for the maritime industry globally to further ensure the safetyof vessels. Under the agreement,
ClassNK will first team up with
TÜV Rheinland to work on the
cybersecurity guidelines that target
onboard software currently being
developed by the society. This partnership will also bring efficient andpragmatic cybersecurity certification services to meet the maritime
sector’s needs.
ClassNK President and CEO
Koichi Fujiwara said, “Throughthe new partnership, we will do everything possible to overcome thecybersecurity challenges of the industry by combining TÜV Rheinland’s abundant expertise and oursociety’s accumulated knowledge
and experience on management
systems for ship operations as wellas the structure, machinery andother components of ships themselves.”TÜV Rheinland’s Chairman Dr.
Michael Fübi said, “The priority
for TÜV Rheinland is to continue
delivering its mature cybersecurity services to the maritime sector
across the globe to protect shareholder investment from cyberattacks and strengthen confidenceof regulators and governments.”(Source: ClassNK)

Marina executive order strengthens bodies administrative authority
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) led the signing of
the Implementing Rules andRegulations (IRR) of the Executive Order (EO) No. 63 thatfurther strengthens the authorityof Marina as the single maritime
administration, specifically in theimplementation of the Standardsof Training, Certification, andWatchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers 1978, as amended.

The Philippine Coast Guard(PCG), Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) and the Department of Health (DOH) alsojoined the signing ceremony in
Manila on October 23, 2018.
In the signed IRR, the Marina
shall be responsible for the preparation, evaluation, inspection andapproval of maritime higher education programs, while both of
the agencies shall jointly review

of all existing policies, standards
and guidelines governing maritime
education programs.
Marina, in coordination with
CHED, shall also be responsible
for the implementation of approved Maritime Higher Education Programs such as monitoring,verifying and surveillance.
Moreover, the Marina and DOH
shall jointly establish the policies
and standards for medical fitness,requirements for recognition of
medical practitioners and procedures for the issuance of medical
certificate. Regular monitoringand surveillance of assessment activities conducted by recognized
medical practitioners shall also beensured by both agencies.
Finally, Marina and PCG shalljointly establish the control procedures, without prejudice to thePort State Control functions of the

PCG. For their part, the PCG shallverify Filipino cadets undergoing
Shipboard Training onboard all
ships calling Philippine ports.
On September 21, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the
Executive Order No. 63 strengthening Marina’s administrative
power over the implementationof the STCW for Seafarers 1978,
as amended. (Source: Manila Bulletin)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

SEAFARERS’ CORNER(3)

VOICES from SEAFARERS

C/O Richmond A. Lataquin and crew of
M/V SIMURGH
Our previous shipmates had disembarked to be with
their families on the Christmas Eve. On behalf of them,
we gratefully applaud the JSU ship visitation in informing us of the forthcoming wage increase which would takeeffect on the New Year of 2019. It is with pleasure to say,
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to all seafarers celebrating this yuletide season onboard.

Capt. Lorenzo T. Chua and crew of M/V CAPE HOPE
On behalf of the officers and crew, we are grateful to the
JSU efforts in sparing us time visiting our ship. We wish
the spirit of Christmas will reach each and every seafarercelebrating this yuletide season onboard. Thank you, JSU,
for your kind and caring support.

Capt. Johnny V. Sidayon and crew of
M/V GREAT PERSEUS
We are glad and blessed of being visited by the JSU staff
on board. Thank you so much of the support and gifts that
we received from All Japan Seamen’s Union. With suchgenerosity, we praise and greet everybody with sound;“MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROPEROUS NEW
YEAR”

Capt. Edwin I. Tan and crew of M/V SALINASWe thank JSU staff in sharing us their time visiting ourship and for the advance Christmas gift they had given us.
With your generosity and continuous support, we were
inspired to work safely on board.

Capt. Henry S. Cuevas and crew of
M/V GLOBAL HERO
Thanks to the JSU continuous support of improving theworking conditions of all seafarers. We hope of meeting
you again on our next voyage in Kobe, Japan. AdvanceMerry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Capt. Limwell H. Gabiosa & crew of
M/V JP VERDURE
We appreciate the JSU staff visitation of our vessel here
in Kawasaki port. From the brief explanations which wasrendered, we found that this union is sincere in letting us
understand the JSU activities and policies for all non-domiciled special member. Mabuhay and Merry Christmas.

Capt. Elpidio Henry T. Fetiza and crew of
M/V GLOBAL LAGUNA
A high salute and praise to the JSU staff in visiting ourship in Kobe. Their spectacular support and care had
made us proud as officers and crew. In return, we wish youof all the best in work and Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year to everyone.

Capt. Michael R. Estorosas and crew of
M/V BAI CHAY BRIDGE
We, the officers and crew would like to express our sincere and warmest greetings on this season. “ADVANCEMERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO
ALL”.

Capt. Renato A. Semine and crew of
M/V NYK DEMETER
Thank you in visiting the port of Kobe and bringing
us some gifts and updated news from All Japan Seamen’s
Union. We enjoyed the friendly conversation and advises
conducted by the Filipino JSU Staff to our colleagues andcrew. Optimistically, future meeting has been arranged on
our next voyage. Good luck!

C/O Jourlan C. Eballar and crew of
M/V GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE
With your regular ship visitation it shows our rights andwelfare as seafarers are being protected by the union. We
are hoping JSU will continue their commitment in improving the lives of the members. Merry Christmas andHappy New Year.

Officers and crew of M/V HESTIA LEADER
We are grateful to the JSU staff ship visitation, likewisesome souvenirs were distributed with surprise to the ship.
We wish this union would continue giving support andwelfare to our fellow seafarers. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Capt. Christopher Marcum M. Alair and crew of
M/V TRANS LEADEROur heartfelt gratitude goes to the JSU staff, who visited
our ship and bringing us the latest news and information
about the next fiscal year. We gladly sensed, the new wage
increase is inevitable to be implemented this coming January 2019. On this occasion, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

ADVISORIES/WARNINGS(4)

New minimum wage for
seafarers around the worldS

eafarers around the world should see an uplift
in their wages following a new international
minimum wage deal agreed by the ITF andthe International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) at a
meeting to review the minimum wages for seafarers as per the Maritime Labor Convention 2006
(MLC).
The minimum wages agreed in Geneva will be
the basis of negotiation between social partners
to provide seafarers with an increase with theircontractual conditions. The agreed uplift in Able

Seafarer wages will see the minimum wage increase by US$27 (4.5 percent) in three stages overthe next three years—an increase to $618 from
July 1, 2019, then US$625 from January 1, 2020
and a final increase to US$641 from January 1,
2021. The wage rise was based on current consumer price changes and the impact of the fluctuation of the US dollar.
Although the shipowners were strongly opposed
to a significant wage increase, the final outcome was
acceptable to both parties. (Source: ITF Seafarers)

BIMCO adopts 2020 bunker clauses
BIMCO has developed two 2020
bunker clauses that deal with general compliance and the transitional period for an early December
release.
The Global Marine Fuel Sulfur
Clause for Time Charter Parties
was approved by the Documentary
Committee at its meeting in Copenhagen on November 13, 2018.
“It is very important that the
new sulfur clauses are ready wellin advance to allow the parties toprepare ahead of January 1, 2020,”
says Peter Eckhardt, chairperson of
the drafting committee and Headof Chartering and Operations at
Reederei F. Laeisz.
“The Global Marine Fuel Sulphur Clause for Time Charter

Parties will help them do exactly
that, as it sets out the obligations
and responsibilities of owners andcharterers to comply with MARPOL Annex VI sulfur content requirements,” Eckhardt says.
The clause states that charterers
are obliged to provide fuel thatcomplies with MARPOL requirements, grades and specifications
set out in the charter party, and it
is a general compliance clause. It
also states that charterers must use
suppliers and bunker barge operators who comply with MARPOL
and that shipowners will remain
responsible for the fuel management.
The second clause discussed at
the Committee meeting in Co-

penhagen deals with the transitional period from the end of2019 to the beginning of 2020.
The two clauses will be publishedas one package.
The clause focuses on cooperation between owners and charterers to minimize quantities ofnoncompliant fuel on board by
December 31, 2019.
It states that any remaining
noncompliant fuel on board afterJanuary 1, 2020 has to be removed
no later than re-delivery or March
1, 2020—whichever comes first.
It also states that removal of noncompliant fuel must be done at thecharterers’ cost, while tank cleaning must be done at the cost of the
shipowners. (Source: BIMCO)NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

Diet and exercise keys to seafarers’
mental and physical health at sea
Healthy food and physical exercise
onboard should become a part ofevery seafarer’s life as maintaining
good health at sea is challenging
and most crew members spend
more time onboard than at home.
Food onboard is considered
as a critical welfare issue for crew
members. According to Skuld P&I
Club, a healthy, nutritious andlow-fat food program provides
seafarers with the required energy
to perform their duties, protect
their health and fight any fatigue
symptoms. On the other hand,
if not handled properly onboard,food can be a significant cause of
diseases and foodborne outbreaks.
Unfortunately, healthy, nutritious
and low-fat food might be more expensive compared to more greasy
food, and the managers might not
be eager to increase their food budget, according to Geir Jørgensen,
Senior Vice President, Global Headof Loss Prevention at Skuld.
One solution is to work closer
with the food suppliers or thesea catering services being used.
Many of them provide services
such as training for the chiefcooks, setting up suggestions forweekly menus and they will also
help to ensure a good inventory
control. A good inventory control
will lead to less food waste whichis good for the environment andit gives more value out of the victualing budget.
Benefits of healthy food onboard:• Controls weight: Flag statesmight have different BMI requirements• Reduces fatigue• Reduced risk of diseases, suchas heart disease, stroke and diabetes• Increases life expectancy• Better mood
Besides having focus on thefood, managers will benefit frommotivating their seafarers to conduct physical exercise onboard.
Sports onboard is not only goodfor the physical health but it can be
fun, it is social and it can also be ateambuilding effort.
Benefits of physical exercises onboard:• Physically and mentally stronger• Less stressed• More balanced• Better sleep• Better digestion• Stabilizing blood sugar• Gives self-confidence
Ship managers who facilitate
tasty, healthy and nutritious foodonboard as well as physical activities will benefit from this. A
healthy and fit seafarer is a safe andhappy seafarer. (Source: SAFETY4SEA)

ITF: tragic seafarer death proves that lashing should be left to dock workers
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and European Transport Workers’ Federation(ETF) have extended their deepest condolences to the family of aseafarer killed in Dublin, Ireland,
while lashing and securing containers, and said this case proves
how vital it is that this kind ofwork is done by dock workers, notseafarers.

Dennis Gomez Regana, fromthe Philippines, died after a container struck him at Southbank
Quay on Wednesday November
14, 2018, when he was doing lashing work while container lifting
operations were underway. He wason board the MV Francop, which isunder a known flag of convenienceregistry.
ITF maritime coordinator Jac-queline Smith said: “Our thoughts
go out to the family, friends andfellow crew members of Dennis
Gomez Regana. But let’s be clear,
he never should have been put inthis dangerous position.
“When a ship gets to port theseafarers on board have done theirwork, they should be maintaining
their ship and resting. The very lastthing they should be doing is thedifficult and dangerous work oflashing and securing containers.
The work should be left to dockers
who have the training and experience to do it more safely.”
ITF dockers section representative Peter Lahay added: “The ITF
and ETF are clear that it is betterfor dockers and seafarers if thiswork is done by dock workers.
Lashing is dockers work, full stop.

“We must put an end to unscrupulous shipowners and port operators putting pressure on seafarers
to do lashing and securing. I hope
they take notice of this tragedy today and change their ways, if they
don’t then more seafarers will be
seriously hurt or killed. We lookforward to reading the report andrecommendations of the Irish authorities.” (Source: ITF)

ISWAN, North P&I Club launch helpline for seafarers as part of its ‘Mind Matters’ campaign
ISWAN (International Seafarers’
Welfare and Assistance Network)
has launched a confidential helplinefor crew in partnership with themarine insurers North P&I Club,

as part of its “Mind Matters” campaign.
The campaign aims to raiseawareness of seafarers’ mental healthand wellbeing at sea. The new con-fidential helpline, Mind Call, isavailable to crew on board vessels
covered by North P&I Club and isavailable 24 hours a day, 365 days ayear. ISWAN says, “the Mind Callteam speaks a number of languages,
making the experience as comfortable as possible for seafarers”.
Seafarers can telephone thehelpline at +441912353917, orInterManager urges crew to help identify enclosed space solutions
InterManager, the international
trade association for the shipmanagement sector, has launched acampaign to encourage seafarers
to think about safety issues whenworking in enclosed spaces and to
identify measures which they believe would reduce risks.
Announcing the campaign during this week’s Crew Connect eventin Manila, Capt. Kuba Szymanski,
InterManager secretary general,
said: “The shipping industry has
produced a wealth of rules, pro-cedures, guidelines, leaflets, etc.,
concerned with the risks of working in enclosed spaces aboard vessels and yet seafarers are still dying
while engaged in these activities.
“We want to hear from the seafarers themselves to find out why
fatal mistakes are still being made?
Are we missing a trick here? Is
there something we haven’t taken
into consideration?”InterManager aims to eradicate
or minimize unnecessary risks tolife by seeking opinions from thepeople working in enclosed spaces.
Capt. Szymanski explained: “Wewant to know what approach thosefacing these risks think should betaken. Please tell us what you
think is the best solution? Is therea simple, user friendly procedure,change or technology gadget
which would be universally beneficial for colleagues working in
enclosed spaces?”
InterManager has established acommittee to consider seafarers responses with a view to producing

industry guidelines and sharing
best practice. Committee members
include numerous shipping industry professionals with experiencein dealing with Health, Safety,
Environment, & Quality (HSEQ)
matters.
In return for their assistance,
seafarers could earn a Macbook Air
as a prize for the best response andUS$2,000 for their vessel’s welfare
fund. Responses should be received by January 1, 2019.(Source:InterManager)email and live chat at <www.mindcall.org>
Campaign resources are available
for seafarers at: www.mymindmatters.club (Source: ITF Seafarers)

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: Hiroyuki Tachikawa
Send inquiries to the attention of
Mr. Hiroyuki Watanabe,
Director, Foreign Trades Dept.