Vol.4 No.1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1, 2007

New Year Message
From President
Fujisawa

Youji Fujisawa
President

I would like to offer mywish for a happy New Yearto all JSU non-domiciled
special members.
My name is Youji Fujisawa. I assumed the post of
JSU president when theunion held the 67th annual
meeting of its National Congress in Tokyo last November.
I would like to take thisopportunity to stress that
the JSU is firmly determined to do everything in its
power to enable each andevery one of its 42,000 nondomiciled special members
to fulfill his/her duties safely
and securely.
You may be asking yourself how we plan to achieve
this promise. To begin with,the union has decided to hire
additional non-Japanese
staff. This move will make iteasier for us to serve theneeds of our non-domiciled
special members. Most
importantly, we will havemore opportunities to communicate with non-domiciled special members,

JSU Secures
Rise in Food
Allowance
The JSU met with the
IMMAJ on Dec. 18, 2006,
and successfully negotiatedan increase in the foodallowance by US$0.50 from$5.50 to $6.00 effective Jan.
1, 2007.
The agreement applies tothe IBF JSU/AMOSUP-IMMAJ CBA, IBF JSU/PSUIMMAJ CA, IBF JSU-IMMAJ CA, ITF JSU/AMOSUP CBA and ITF JSU CA.

ensuring that the JSU andits special members continue
to work hand in hand.
You may be wondering
when this plan will be put
into action. I can report that
we have already begun thehiring process, having
received recommendations
for possible candidates fromour counterpart labor unions
and other organizations.
Next, we will also endeavor to improve labor conditions in an effort to raise thestatus of our non-domiciled
special members at theInternational Bargaining
Forum (IBF), which wasestablished jointly by theInternational Maritime
Employers’ Committee (IMEC), the International Mariners Management Association of Japan (IMMAJ) andthe International Transport
Workers’ Federation (ITF).
The IBF is expected tohold negotiations for the
2008-2009 business year in
October.
As indicted in ITF policies,
we are also confident thatsolidifying partnerships withour counterparts in the maritime sector – beneficial
owners, seafarer supply andother countries and regions– will help to cement a firm
foundation upon which the
future of non-domiciled special members will be based.
We realize we have very
big missions to complete.
However, we believe that
nothing is beyond our reachso long as we help eachother and work in harmony.
We hope that 2007 will be
the start of a new age of
security for all seafarers anda great year for non-domiciled special members.

The previous food allowance was implemented many
years ago, and had neverbeen raised. We received
suggestions from seafarers
to negotiate for an increasein their food allowance as
the price of provisions has
increased worldwide. We
hope this increase will provide seafarers with a sufficient supply of healthy food.
The JSU also revised the
IBF JSU/AMOSUP-IMMAJ
CBA initiated in 2007, raising the Training Levy Fund
by US$3.00 from $15 to $18;
the fund element for “education and other” was reducedby $3.00 to compensate.

I
N
S
I
D
E

Are You
Safe
From
STDs
Page 3National Congress Agrees
Action Items for 2007
The All Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU) convened the67th annual meeting of its
National Congress at Hotel
Mariners’ Court, Tokyo,
from November 7 to 10,
2006.
A total of 384 delegatesparticipated in a series ofextended discussions during
the congress, and in the end
reached agreement on new
action items for the coming
year. The focus of these
items is placed firmly on
stabilization of employment
and improvement of working
environments.
The policies incorporate
important challenges, suchas 1) maintaining order atsea, 2) stabilizing members’
livelihoods, 3) exploring new
business fields, 4) developing broadband systems atsea, 5) responding to theasbestos issue and 6) securing and educating a newgeneration of seafarers.
As regards policies concerned with our non-domiciled special members, decisions were made on several
action items, among which isthe plan to hire additional

non-Japanese staff. These
new employees will help us
improve the services provided to our 42,000 non-domiciled special members.
On the fourth and final
day of the congress, attendees elected members of theCentral Executive Board
Committee, the president,
vice-president and five general directors.
The JSU and its new Central Executive Board Committee re-emphasized theirdetermination to achieve theunion’s goals in 2007.

Norimasa Ohuchi
Vice-President

Hideo Ikeda

Suezo Kondoh

General Director
International Affairs Bureau

General Director
Fisheries Affairs Bureau

Kenji Takahashi

Masaru Mio

General Director
General Affairs Bureau

General Director
Domestic Affairs Bureau

Takashi Miyake
General Planning OfficeCentral Executive Board
Committee

IBF JSU/AMOSUP-IMMAJ CBA(effective from Jan. 1, 2007)

Article 13: Contribution to Seafarer’s Training,
Upgrading of Skill and Education Project
Previous 13.2: “The company agrees to contribute financially
fifteen U.S. Dollars (US$15.00) per Seafarer of complement
covered by this agreement per month as “Training Levy”
to this project.”
Revised 13.2: “The company agrees to contribute financiallyeighteen U.S. Dollars (US$18.00) per Seafarer of complement
covered by this agreement per month as “Training Levy”
to this project.”M A R I T I M E N E W S /W A R N I N G S(2)Many Ports Still Fail to ComplyWith ISPS Code: ‘Fairplay’Specialist maritime publication, Fairplay, has learned
that some ports are still notin compliance with theInternational Ship and Port
Facility Security (ISPS)
Code, noting that security atthese facilities is regarded
as sub-standard.
A feature in a recent edition of Fairplay magazine
included interviews withgovernment and private-sector security experts who said
that some ports have notbeen able to meet ISPS criteria. Reasons for this fail-ure were said to be financial
and/or as the result of authorities’ inability to grasp
the code’s general requirements. The publication indicated that the problem wasmost acute in developing
countries.
The U.S. Coast Guard
acknowledged that teams
visiting ports under its
International Port Security
Program have found substandard facilities and areworking with the ports to
help them come into compliance, according to Fairplay.

North Sea
Emissions
Countdowntion of Pollution from Ships,
1973, as modified by theProtocol of 1978 relating
thereto (MARPOL 73/78).
In a SECA, the sulphur
content of fuel oil used
onboard ships must notexceed 1.50 percent m/m.
Alternatively, ships must fit
an exhaust gas cleaning system.
The Baltic Sea SECA has
been implemented and operational since May 19, 2006.
Other amendments toAnnex VI and the NOx
Technical Code, which wereadopted on July 22, 2005
and entered into effect during November last year,
relate to the conduct of surveys and issuing of certificates. (Source: Lloyd’s Register/-Commercial vessels operating in the North Sea haveless than a year to demonstrate compliance with new
standards for exhaust emissions.
The North Sea SOx Emission Control Area (SECA)
will come into effect on Nov.
22, 2007, one year after theentry into force of related
amendments to Annex VI
Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from
Ships of the International
Convention for the Preven-

Fairplay)

It noted that a website
maintained by the Baltic
and International Maritime
Council (BIMCO) and thatdraws on input from visiting
masters shows that some 10
percent of port and port
facilities have sub-standard
security.
“And with no mandatory
audit or verification scheme
in place, and the fact that
the IMO’s own voluntary
audit scheme excludes security compliance, the only
apparent verification of
ISPS compliance comes as
ports subscribe to advanced
ISO certification,” Fairplay
said.
The report urged masters
to consider raising theirships’ MarSec levels whencalling sub-standard ports.
It may spare them from PSC
boardings and inspections
on subsequent visits to the
U.S. and EU. (Source: Lloyd’s
Register/Fairplay)

Register/Fairplay)

NYK Shipmgmt Opens S’pore Center
NYK Shipmanagement
has opened a dedicatedtraining center in Singapore
to provide advanced training
to senior officers.
The center, launched latelast year, has bridge, engine
room and cargo handlingsimulators and will provide

Excessive working hours onboard ships pose serious safety hazards and dangers to thehealth and well-being of seafarers, a six-year study has concluded.
Key findings of the study include the following:* Almost 50 percent of seafarers taking part in the study reported working weeks of 85
hours or more.
* Around half said their working hours had increased over the past 10 years, despite
new regulations intended to combat fatigue.
* Almost 50 percent of seafarers taking part in the study consider their working hours
present a danger to their personal safety.
* Some 37 percent said their working hours sometimes posed a danger to the safe operations of their ship.
* One-in-four seafarers said they had fallen asleep while on watch.
The report recommends a range of measures to address the problem, including areview of the way in which working hours are recorded, better fatigue management
training, an industry standard for measuring fatigue, and an auditing tool to assess thesignificance of various risk factors.
The U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Health and Safety Executive sponsored the study, with support from a seafarers’ union and the Seafarers’ International
Research Center at Cardiff University. (Source: MaritimeGlobal Online)

German shipowners arefacing pressure to reverse
the recent trend of leaving
the domestic register, withgovernment and trade union
representatives threatening
to walk away from the country’s national maritime pact.
The association of German
ship owners was forced tocommit to the reflagging ofanother 80 ships at the 5th

National Maritime Conference in Hamburg on December 4 in exchange for a continuation of the tonnage tax
and reduced income tax
rates for German seafarers.
The aim is to have 500
ships under the country’s
flag by 2008 and 600 by
2010, provided that shipping
markets do not collapse.
Frank Leonhard, chair-

Philippines High Court Rules
On Seafarer PEME Status
The pre-employment medical examination (PEME)
does not determine a seafarer’s true state of health, thePhilippine Supreme Court ruled in a decision handed
down in November.
This decision means that a seafarer cannot rely on his
PEME, which some P&I clubs are making mandatory forcrew on member companies’ fleets, to prove that an illness was acquired during employment.
In the case in question, NYK-Fil Shipmanagement
faced a claim of US$60,000 for permanent total disability
after a company doctor found a boatswain to have septic
arthritis and a vascular necrosis of the left hip.
The seafarer had complied with a requirement toundergo a PEME, and at the time was advised by a government doctor not to engage in manual labor that would
entail prolonged standing, running and carrying heavy
objects.
The labor arbiter awarded disability benefits of $6,530
or equivalent grade of half of grade 9 disability. But thelabor court, known as the National Labor Relations Commision (NLRC), awarded a total of $60,000 due to negligence and the seafarer’s inability to pursue his career.
The Court of Appeals affirmed the NLRC ruling, but
NYK-Fil took the case to the Supreme Court and argued
that the appellate court failed to consider that the seafarer suffered from the condition before commencing his
employment. It said that the condition limited, if notnegated the company’s liability.
The Supreme Court ruled that “disability arising froma pre-existing illness is not compensable.” (Source: Lloyd’s

Fatigue Threatens Crew,
Vessel Safety Says Report

German Owners Catch Heat
Over Re-Flagging SlothJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007

man of the German shipowners’ association, got
strong opposition when hesuggested that the numberof German-flagged ships
might decline even further.
“This is not due to a lackof determination within theindustry. There are simply
no German captains available,” he warned.
The association promised
it would contribute 50 percent of its annual membership fees to training institutes and universities inorder to train German masters. (Source: Fairplay Daily News)

advance training for up to
450 senior merchant marine
officers every year.
NYK is expecting a 50 percent increase in manpower
needs by 2010 and desperate
to recruit foreign officers as
the domestic pool continues
to shrink.

NYK Shipmanagement
recently received a training
award from Singapore’s
Maritime and Port Authority. Encouragement from the
MPA along with locationand infrastructure paved theway for the training center.
(Source: Lloyd’s Register/Fairplay)

Sanko Line, Baliwag Agree
Training Partnership
Sanko Line of Japan isincreasing its stake in maritime education and training
in the Philippines by setting
up a partnership with amarine academy owned by
Baliwag Navigation.
Sanko president and chief
executive Takeshi Matsuiconfirmed in early Decemberthat both training equipment and funding would be
provided for Baliwag Maritime Academy.
Sanko’s move is part of its
strategy to secure manpowerfor its expanding fleet. Witha fleet of 121 bulkers,
tankers, container and LPG
carriers, Sanko is awaiting

Master Charged
For Ignoring
Pax in Distress
A master was charged on
Nov. 29, 2006 with failure to
render assistance to persons
in distress within the Federated States of Micronesia
Exclusive Economic Zone.
Zhang Xiaohui, master ofChinese fishing support vessel Hai Shun, faces a penalty of US$100,000 and/or one
year in jail if convicted.

delivery of 89 newbuilding
bulkers and tankers over the
next three years.
Matsui said it was Sanko’s
first direct tie-up with a
Philippine academy, although they have been sourcing
cadets from eight other maritime schools to develop
future officers.
Apart from increasing
cadetship level, Sanko is
adding the number of vessels to be fully-manned by
Filipinos, which currently
stand at 16 vessels. “Wehave 25 ships on order thatwill be fully-crewed by Filipinos,” he said. (Source: Lloyd’s
Register/Fairplay)

Four lost passengers
allegedly encountered Hai
Shun on August 5 in the
open Pacific Ocean, but thevessel allegedly did not offer
assistance. The four spent
another 29 days at sea
before being rescued.
Col. Pius Chotailug, chiefof Federated States ofMicronesia’s Police, said:“This is a very clear breachof not only national andinternational law but it is afundamental obligation of all
mariners to render assistance to one another in distress.” (Source: NsNet Online)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007

S E A FARERS C O R N E R(3)For Your Health: Be Smart! Stay Safe from STDs
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections
that have one thing in common: they are transmitted
from person to person
through sexual contact.
STDs are caused by a variety of microorganisms – bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa (a type of single-celledorganism) and other parasites. There are scores of
STDs, but most have low
incidence rates.
The common bacterial
STDs include syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. The
common viral STDs arehumanpapillomavirus(HPV) infection, viral
hepatitis, genital herpes,
molluscum contagiosum andHIV/AIDS, while the mostcommon protozoal STD is
Trichomoniasis.
Many of the microorganisms that cause STDs can betransmitted by means aside
from sexual contact. HIV
and viral hepatitis, forexample can be transmitted
by blood transfusion, andinjections or pinpricks with
infected needles. Some STDs
such as HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia canpass from mother to fetus
during pregnancy or atbirth.
Most of the agents that

“Seafarers are subject to infectious diseases, both as a result of shoreand shipboard exposure. In the developed countries it is claimed that noother occupational group has a higher prevalence of infectious diseases
than seafarers. Like other transport workers – and in the same way as
migrant workers – seafarers have higher rates of sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs): a review of studies of STDs among seafarers showed
rates of gonorrhea in different national groups of seafarers were
between five and 20 times as great as the national average prevalence
for males. Prior infection with STDs such as gonorrhea and chancroid is
known to increase transmissibility of HIV.” – International Labor
Organization

cause STDs are very fragile(except for the hepatitis
virus which is hardy) andsurvive only very briefly
when outside the humanbody. They are also unable
to penetrate the skin andcan enter the body only
through the mucous membranes or by inoculation.
Furthermore, it is not possible to acquire any STD
from a sexual activity with aperson who is not carrying a
disease. Thus, STDs should
really be easy to prevent, yetthey are one of the mostcommon of the communicable diseases.
Syphilis is caused by abacterium (T. pallidum) thatis highly contagious. The
disease goes through several
stages if untreated. The firststage is characterized by apainless sore on the penis orvulva, which disappears
spontaneously. The second
stage is heralded by a skinrash that appears weeks
after the painless sore has
healed. In the third stage,
the bacteria attack the various organs of the body suchas the brain and cardiovascular system and may cause
infirmity and even death.
Gonorrhea is caused by
the bacterium Nisseria gonorrhea. Among males, it isusually easy to detectbecause of its unmistakable
symptoms – discharge of pus
from the penis and painful
urination that start two toseven days after exposure.
Gonorrhea is a leading cause
of infertility. Sometimes it
spreads and affects otherorgans of the body including
the joints and the heart.
Chlamydia is more common than gonorrhea andsyphilis. Chlamydial infections are usually asymptomatic (i.e., without symptoms.) The signs and symptoms, if they occur, become
noticeable between four to
28 days after sexual intercourse with an infected partner. In men, they include
mild burning sensation in
the urethra (urinary passageway) while urinating
and minimal clear or cloudy

penile discharge. In women,
the symptoms are usually
milder and include frequentand painful urination andvaginal discharge.
Human Papillomavirus(HPV) infections are themost common STDs. A family of viruses that has morethan 100 members or types
is responsible for HPV infections. Some types cause genital and throat warts. Someare associated with cancer,
notably of the cervix, butalso of the anus, vulva, vagina, throat and penis. The
HPV that cause cervical cancer are different from thosethat cause genital warts.
Viral hepatitis is causedby any of five known types ofhepatitis viruses — A, B, C,
D and E. Of these, A, B andC can be sexually transmitted. Viral hepatitis can befulminant during its acutestage. In addition, types B
and C hepatitis can become
chronic, progressively damage the liver, and eventually
produce cirrhosis (severe
scarring).
Ultimately, over a periodof many years (20-30 years)
the liver fails. Liver cirrhosis is also a predisposing factor for liver cancer.
How can STDs be prevented? Indulge only in monogamous sex with a partner
who has no STD, or practice“safe sex,” which essentiallymeans using condoms during the sex act. (Source: Manila
Bulletin)

Crewmembers of M/V Ibi wish their families, the JSU
and AMOSUP and their manning agency, NYL-Fil, a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
They also offer their thanks to everyone responsible fornegotiating the new CBA.

JOKE CORNER

We, the crewmembers of M/V Ultra Ace, express our appreciation for the activities
being undertaken by Filipino JSU ISS on behalf of JSU members.
With the implementation of the ISPS Code, crewmembers are having a hard time making it out of the ports they visit. As such, we welcome visitors who give us updates
about the maritime industry and our home country.
– Romeo N. Basiano, Master, Ultra Ace

Pirates hijack a vessel and contact the shipowner,
demanding millions of dollars for the safe release of thecrew and the ship.
Pirate leader: If you don’t pay us, we will kill all theseafarers and sink the ship.
Shipowner: Oh! Please don’t kill the crew! Please
don’t sink the ship!
Pirate: The choice is yours.
Shipowner: Oh! Please don’t kill the crew on theship! Do it somewhere else! (Inspired by Hero)I N F O R M AT I O N /E V E N T S(4)LETTER
from
HEADQUARTERS

Your Welfare
Our Concern
With the ranks of JSU
non-domiciled members increasing, we are recruiting
ten additional Filipino International Service Staff (ISS)to augment the activities ofthe present team of four.
We consider ship visits by
ISS an important bridge
between members and theUnion. The present JSU ISS
have been receiving queries,
questions, comments andsuggestions from JSU nondomiciled members regarding their working conditions
not only through ship visitats but also through e-mails
and telephone calls. We
expect the new ISS to be inaction to serve you this year.
Meanwhile, the JSU is
cooperating with AMOSUP
for the construction of another Seamen’s Hospital, thistime in Davao City, Mindanao. We are also cooperating with the Philippine Seafarers’ Union (PSU) on theconstruction of a six-story
building in Cebu City thatwill serve as a Mariners’
Home and Training Center.
As there is shortage of officers, the training center willcontribute to enhancing thecompetency of future officers
and ratings.
Many seafarers have been
asking if there is a JSU
office in Manila. The JSU
launched operation of a welfare office in Manila in 1991.
Our JSU Manila Welfare
Office is located on the 6th
floor of the JSU-AMOSUPMariners’ Home, 1765 Dr. A.
Vasquez cor. J. Nakpil Sts.,
Malate, Manila. In thePhilippines, you may inquireat this office by dialing(02)527-2291. A Japanese
JSU staffer is assigned tothis office as manager andwill gladly entertain any
queries regarding the JSU.
If vessels covered by JSU
agreements have yet to implement new provisions – i.e.
the approved wage level, freee-mail access for crewmembers and monthly seniority
allowance – please let us
know. We encourage all JSU
non-domiciled members to
inform JSU staff of any
issues regarding the JSU
agreement. Contact details
appear below. It is our desirethat your working and living
conditions are in accordancewith the agreement.
We wish you a safe voyage
and harmonious relationships onboard.
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.

IMMAJ, PJMCC Discuss
Future Seafarer Supply
On Oct. 26 and 27, 2006, a
conference entitled “Working Together to Meet the
Challenge for a Stable Supply of Seafarers,” was heldbytheInternational
Mariners
Management
Association
ofJapan(IMMAJ) and the Philippine-Japan Manning Consultative Council (PJMCC)
in Tokyo, Japan.
The conference, aimed tofoster strong cooperative
ties, was attended by shipping and government representatives of the two countries.
The chairman of the
IMMAJ, Nobuo Kayahara,stated that 80 percent of theseafarers working aboard
Japanese ships are Filipinos. Because it is expected that the Japanese fleet
will expand by some 500
ships over the next four
years, Japanese shipping
companies may require inexcess of 8,000 new Filipino
seafarers to man these bot-toms.
This number of seafarers
cannot be achieved without
the commitment of thePhilippine Government andmanning agencies. Becauseof the rapid increase of theworld’s merchant fleet, thestable supply of seafarers isa critical issue, not only for
maintenance of the Japanese merchant fleet, but also
for sound development of theworld merchant fleet.
Arturo Brion, Secretary,
Philippine Department ofLabor and Employment,
assured the leaders of theJapanese maritime industry
that the Philippine Government will carry out specificaction plans to address various concerns of the shipping
companies.
Yasuhisa Tsujimoto, senior managing director of the
IMMAJ, proposed in his
speech a Philippine-Japan
Joint Project wherein Japan
would offer technical assistance after determining

whether Japanese ways of
educating and training
would be effective in thePhilippines.
Capt. Gregorio Oca of the
AMOSUP and other Filipino
speakers tackled important
issues regarding the shortage of qualified Filipino officers.
At the end of the conference, the IMMAJ andPJMCC agreed to sustain
their cooperation in ensuring a stable supply of Filipino officers serving
onboard Japanese ships.
Bothorganizations
acknowledged the need todrill down on related issues
and to draw up measuresfrom mid- and long-term
perspectives in order to
respond to the impending
shortage of seafarers. They
also assured that the relationship between the maritime industries of Japanand the Philippines would
be strengthened and would
continue to prosper.

JSU International Service Staff attending the 67th National Congress held in Tokyo,
Japan (from left): William C. Mambalo, Ernesto T. Quijano, Eduardo E. Galang andBayani A. Jaboli.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007

New Cook
Trainees
On Nov. 20, 2006, theJSU-owned Hotel Mariners’
Court Tokyo held a graduation ceremony for six Filipino cook-trainees.
The six trainees belong to
the 13th class to undertakethe year-long training program, which is supported by
the JSU in coordination with
the Japan Transport Cooperation Association.
The cook-trainees havestudied the preparation ofWestern and Asian cuisine.
They are expected to join the
fleet of Japanese ships under their sponsoring manning agency, Barko International in Manila. Unitra
Maritime Co., Ltd. is theprincipal in Japan.
Three Philippines manning agencies – Barko International, Magsaysay Maritime Corp. and Leonis Navigation – are the usual sponsors of the cook-trainees.
While learning to prepare
various foods, the trainees
also observe the way Japanese work, their culture andstudy basic Japanese language. This knowledge willallow them to feed mixed
Japanese and Filipino
crews, preparing healthyand delicious food for everyone on board.
Many previous trainees
are now Chief Cooks onboard Japanese vessels, afact that Philippine Labor
Attache Reydeluz Conferido
noted in his congratulatory
speech.
The president of the Japan
Transport Cooperation Association noted that ship’s
cook is one of the most important members of thecrew.
The new president of the
JSU, Yuji Fujisawa, congratulated the trainees and advised them to nurture theirexperience in Japan and use
it as a tool in pursuit of a
successful shipboard career.
The six graduates are Joel
A. de la Cruz; Richard G.
Amores; Armando V. Hipulan Jr.; Saturnino S. Lope;
Corpuz V. Noble; and Bon
Bryan G. Sunga. We lookforward to meeting them in
the galley soon. (By ISS B.A.
Jaboli)

October 2006 Deadly for Seafarers;
Kashima Port Site of Three Casualties
The month of October
2006 proved to be one of thedeadliest ever in the Port ofKashima, Japan, as one
Capesize vessel was lost and
two were grounded.
During a storm on Oct. 6,
2006, ore carrier Giant Step
went aground offshore
Kashima Port while trying
to weigh anchor; extreme
weather prevented her fromcompleting the maneuver.
The vessel grounded on asand bar and was then subjected to excessive force on
her hull caused by strong
winds and heavy swells. She
broke into three sections.
Of the 26 predominantly

Indian crewmembers, 13
were rescued by Japan
Coast Guard helicopters, 3
drifted ashore alive while 8
were confirmed dead and 2
went missing.
On October 24, strong
winds and heavy swells
again hit the Pacific coast ofJapan. The Hong Kongflagged Ocean Victory and
the Panama-flagged Ellida
Ace were both berthed anddischarging cargo when, as aprecautionary measure, they
were ordered to head for the
open sea.
Ocean Victory, laden withore, ran aground close to thesouthern side of Kashima’s

breakwater while Ellida Aceand her cargo of coal ladenwent aground just north of
the breakwater.
All 20 Filipino crew of Ellida Ace and all 24 Chinesecrew of Ocean Victory wereairlifted to safety by theJapan Coast Guard helicopters. Speculation is thatorders for the ships to reposition offshore came too late
to be accomplished safely.
Crewmembers of Giant
Step and Ellida Ace are all
JSU non-domiciled members
and therefore are qualified
to receive compensation inaccordance with JSU agreements.

Some JSU staff visitedand provided assistance tosurvivors of Giant Step
immediately after thetragedy. On October 28, theISS and JSU staff visitedthe crew of Ellida Ace andGiant Step including an
Indian Fitter who was stillat the hospital. The JSU
provided each survivor an
Accident Benefit amounting
to ¥30,000 and ¥50,000 condolence payment to the families of every dead or missing
seafarer. The above payments are separate from thecompensation provided by
the agreements. (By ISS B.A.
Jaboli)