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Vol. 5 No. 1 January/February 2008

Message fromJSU President
Yoji Fujisawa

New Yearmessage tonondomicile
members
HAPPY NEW YEAR to allof our nondomicile special
members and their families.
I am sure that you are informed of our activities toprotect your rights and employment through our education and advertisement
work, such as visits to ships
by our staff in charge ofinternational affairs and the
publication of our bimonthly
Maritime Journal.
To enhance communication between nondomicile
special members and the
JSU, we have decided tolaunch English-language PR
magazine JSU Oceangate
International in April as astep forward in our education/advertisement work in
the hopes of briefing union
activities as well as the shipping and fishery business,
mainly in the Asia/Pacificregion.
In respect to circumstances surrounding theoceangoing shipping industry, in which you are interested more than anythingelse, a rapid enlargement infleet size has led to a shortage in human resources.
In particular, the shortageof capable licensed officers is
so serious that safe operations could not be maintained.
To promote activities toprotect basic rights, labor
conditions and employment
for seafarers who work onboard Japanese commercial
vessels regardless of nationality, as such, the JSU willcontinue to solidify its partnerships with the ITF andother seamen unions, andwork harder to develop
FOC/POC campaigns andother daily routines.
We would be happy if ouractivities contribute to making our non-domicile special
members and their families
even happier.
I hope that 2008 will be agreat year for all of you.
Yoji Fujisawa
President
All Japan Seamen’s Union

Takingpreventive
measuresagainst AIDS
Page 3

JSU to revise ‘Japanese Flag’ agreements
2008-2009 revisions to address wages, paid leave, disability and death compensation, etc.
The JSU had decided torevise JSU/AMOSUP CBA
for Japanese Flag, JSU/PSU
CA for Japanese Flag, JSU
CA for Japanese Flag andother agreements that guarantee labor conditions andbasic rights for its nondomicile special members whoworks onboard Japaneseflagged commercial vessels inaccordance with successive
rises in the ILO minimum
basic wage for AB seamen,
which was agreed when the
Joint Maritime Committee(JMC) of the ILO convened ameeting of its seafarer wage

committee February 2006,
and details of an agreement
on a revision on the IBF
Agreement for 2008-2009.
An approval was obtained
when the JSU’s Central
Executive Board Committee
held its third meeting Nov.
28, 2007.
Currently, the JSU’s
regional offices are working
to conclude the revised agreements with Japanese shipping companies.
Main points of the revisions will be as follows:
1) The ILO minimum basic
wage for AB seamen, which

is US$515 now, will be raised
to $530 from Jan. 1, 2008
and $545 from Jan. 1, 2009.
According to by-occupation
rates in the ongoing basic
wages, the monthly minimum wage scale will be
altered.
2) The number of paid
leave will increase from eightdays to nine days.
3) The amount of compensation for disability and lossof life (death in service) will
go up by eight percent.
4) The amount of foodallowances will be $6 a day.
5) The amount of subsis-

VICTORY‘JP Verdure’ dispute settled

O

n Jan. 7, ITF Coordinator Shoji
Yamashita visited Shinwa Kaiun
Kaisha’s Hong Kong-flagged FOC
vessel JP Verdure, which was moored at
the Tachibanawan thermal power stationof Electric Power Development Co. Ltd. (JPower) in Anan, Tokushima prefecture.
As the two-and-a-half-year-old dispute
over the conclusion of the ITF agreement
for the Hong Kong-flagged FOC vessel
between the JSU and Shinwa Kaiun had
been completely settled, the coordinatorvisited the ship to brief the background to
the settlement and win understanding
from the crew.
Smile and Victory Sign

On Dec. 28, when the New Year wasaround the corner, the JSU and Shinwa
Kaiun agreed that the shipping company
would comply with the ITF’s FOC policies
and conclude the ITF and JSU agreements,
both of which took effect from Nov. 27, 2007,of its Hong Kong-registered FOC ships, JP
Verdure (manned solely by Filipinos) and
Pacific Eternity (manned solely by Chinese).
Shinwa Kaiun also agreed to pay differences in wages between those set forth in
the current agreements it had signed forthe ships and those incorporated in the
ITF/IBF, JSU and IMMAJ agreement toall of the 161 crewmembers retroactively
from when they were completed (2004 and2005).
Crew Agree on Activities
to Follow ITF FOC Policies
Welcoming the agreement, the Philippine seamen of JP Verdure gave their consent to the activities to observe the ITF’s
FOC policies, on which the JSU, port andharbor labor unions, and Australianunions, which are members of the ITF, hadworked.
When coordinator Yamashita explainedthat Shinwa Kaiun will pay the wage differences, they shouted for joy. When briefings were made on wages laid down in the
new ITF/IBF, JSU, and IMMAJ agree-

Crew celebrate after Shinwa Kaiun
agrees to sign ITF agreement.

ment, which will take effect from 2008, theshouts became louder.
JP Verdure plays an important role inmeeting Japan’s energy demand, transporting coal from Australia to Japan.
The coordinator realized from the crew’s
facial expressions that Shinwa Kaiun’s
agreement had developed a new labormanagement relation, which would enable
them to provide high-quality transport service under fair labor conditions, taking the
ITF policies into consideration and meeting international labor standards.
Always Keeping Eye
Due to deregulation in ship registration
requirements, Hong Kong- and Singaporeregistered ships have become no different
from FOC vessels.
However, concluding agreements for Hong
Kong- and Singapore-flagged vessels fortheir ships will not put shipowners at ease.
As seafarers working onboard Hong
Kong- and Singapore-registered ships
receive wages that are lower by 30 percent
than those described in the ITF agreement,
it could develop a hotbed of unfair competition with those working on FOC vessels.
Therefore, ITF inspectors and offices inJapan and the rest of the world always
keep an eye on Hong Kong- and Singaporeflagged vessels for fairness to seamen andport/harbor public order. (Oceangoing Sea-

tence allowances will be $54(to apply for JSU CA for
Japanese Flag only).
6) In accordance withagreements on hours of duty,
loss of life, and welfare mutual benefit plan and old age
financial assistance, etc., aswell as in IBF regional negotiations, wordings will be
reviewed and altered inclauses whenever needed.
Agreements that will takeeffect from 2010 will berevised according to negotiations for revising the IBF
Agreement to be made in2009.

New WEScenters open
in three cities
Opening ceremonies were
held at WES (Walk-in Examination System – see related
story on Page 4) examination
centers Dec. 17 in Iloilo andDec. 18 in Cebu and Davao.
Representing the Philippines, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)
Chairperson Leonor TriponRosero, PRC Commissioner
Dr. Ruth Rana-Padilla,
AMOSUP President Capt.
Gregorio Oca and PJMCCPresident Eduardo Manese
attended the ceremonies,
and from Japan, JSU President Yoji Fujisawa wasinvited.
The grand ceremonies werealso attended by representatives of the IMMAJ andmany PRC-related local organizations, as well as otherJapanese and Philippine parties concerned with maritime
affairs.
The WES is one of computerized systems for examinations for obtaining professional licenses.
As a fully computerized
online seafarer examination
system, providing two-consecutive-day examinations
twice a week, it is outfit withworkstations (computersused in exams) that allow
users to make online registrations and payments, andauthenticate examinees fromfingerprints.
Believing that they willcontribute to improve thequality of its nondomicile
special members, the JSU
donated from a foundation

farers Department)

WES, See Page 3(2)MARITIME NEWS/WARNINGS

Favorable judgment in Viking Line ruling
ECJ approves right to act collectively
In respect to the prolonged
legal battle between theInternational Transport
Workers’ Federation (ITF)/the Finnish Seamen’s Union(FSU) and Viking Line, theEuropean Court of Justice(ECJ) on Dec. 12 ruled that it
would approve collective
actions as part of labor’s fundamental rights.

US awards
8 Filipinos inpollution case
Eight Filipino seamen
received a cash reward of
US$730,000 from the
U.S. government for their
help in prosecuting theowners and officers of two
ships that illegally
dumped sludge oil andcontaminated wastewaterin U.S. waters.
“The cash reward washanded out during a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy. But at the requestof the seamen fearing fortheir careers, their names
were withheld,” said anembassy statement.
The Federal District
Courts of Puerto Rico andJacksonville, Fla. authorized the cash rewards
which are in line with a
U.S. government program that provides forrewarding persons who
help in the prosecution ofenvironmental law violators.
The U.S. Embassy
statement said that theFilipino seamen, whowere dismayed at theorders given to them by
their ship officers, reported to U.S. Coast Guard
the illegal discharge ofpollutants including
sewage, oil and chemicals, from two vessels in
U.S. offshore waters off
Puerto and Florida in
May 2006.
Earlier, the seamen testified on behalf of the
U.S. government at a
grand jury proceeding
and will testify if calledat trial.
“As a result of the seamen’s cooperation, theowner of the vessels andthe ships’ officers pleaded
guilty to all charges,” aU.S. government official
said.
The U.S. government
hopes that the public announcement of the
reward will encourageother seamen to cooperate in prosecuting people
who damage the environment.

The ITF had appealed
against the 2004 decision by
the Commercial Court in
London, which said that
actions taken by the ITF and
the FSU to protect the employment of seamen of
Viking Line’s Rosella violated the operator’s goodwill
and freedom of service provision.

“We welcome the court’s
assertion – ‘the right to takecollective action for the protection of workers is a legitimate interest which, inprinciple, justifies a restriction of one of the free movement rights’ – that the rightto take collective action,
including the right to strike,is a fundamental right,
which forms an integral
part of the general principles of community law,” said

ITF General Secretary
David Cockroft.
“It’s now up to the Court ofAppeal to apply this guidance to the particular facts ofthis case.
“Challenging the Commercial Court’s complete negation of fundamental tradeunion rights has been a long,expensive and arduous process for us, but this decision
proves that we were right todo so,” he added.

was adopting to fill thegrowing need for maritime
officers.
The IMEC is a group of
shipowners who altogether
own some 6,500 ships, employing about 50,000 Filipino
seafarers.
Apart from the scholarship,
Dearsley said IMEC would
also be training ratings (nonofficers) with officer’s licenses
already at sea so that they
could function as officers;
give “enhancement” trainings
to cadets not at sea; and convert mechanical and electrical engineers into marine or

spilled 2.19 million liters ofmarine fuel killing local
wildlife and destroying thecoastline of the Guimaras
Islands.
Single-hull tankers thatcarry gasoline, jet fuel andother refined petroleum
products would not bebanned as of this moment,
according to Bautista. (Balitang Marino)

al Net)naval engineers.
A scholarship is worth
PHP360,000 each for the four
years, would include tuition,board and lodging, andbooks.
Applicants to the scholarship would need to have ahigh school average grade of
85 percent; and no grade inMath, Science, and English
lower than 80 percent.
Secretary Dearsley addedthat once the scholars graduated, they would be ensured
sea-time training and eventual employment. (Balitang
Marino)Following South Korea’s worst oil spill,government to speed up single-hull ban
South Korea will ban single-hulled tankers from traveling in its waters by 2011,
earlier than the international
regulation that calls for a ban
from 2015, Seoul’s maritime
ministry said at the start of
the year.
A single-hulled tanker was
involved in South Korea’s
worst oil spill in December,leaking around 10,500 tons ofcrude oil after a seaboundcrane mounted on a barge
punched holes in the tanker'shull.
As of January, 43 percentof the crude imported into
South Korea was carried bysingle-hulled tankers.
“Most of the tankers over
25 years of operation will bebanned sometime in 2010,

and we won’t permit themstarting Jan. 1, 2011,” said
Lee Ki-sang, the government official responsible foroffshore operations at theministry.
This is the first time theministry has officially set atime frame for banning thetankers.
The ministry had previously said it was aiming tophase out single-hulled tankers as soon as 2010.
In December 2003, theInternational Maritime Organization (IMO) set 2010 as
the principal cut-off date forsingle-hulled oil tankers,
with a strictly limited provision permitting some vessels
to continue in service until
no later than 2015.

European countries havebeen accelerating efforts tophase out single-hulledtankers, and EU member
countries are to ban vesselsthat are 15 years old or morefrom loading heavy fuel oil
within 200 miles of theircoastlines.
The very large crude carrier Hebei Spirit was about fivemiles outside a South Korean
port on Dec. 7, waiting to
unload its cargo of some
260,000 tons of crude oil from
the Middle East, when it was
struck by a barge.
The discharge was about athird of the size of the 1989
Exxon Valdez spill of crude
oil onto Alaskan shores,
which was the costliest on
record. (Shiptalk)Single-hull vessels face ban in the Philippines
Starting April, the Philippines will ban the entry of
single-hull oil tankers fromdocking in the country’s
waters.
The early ban was sparked
by South Korea’s decision(see story above) to ban single-hull tankers earlier than
expected after the disastrous
oil spill caused by the collision of Hebei Spirit and a

Samsung-owned barge in
Korean waters.
According to Philippine
Transportation Undersecretary Len Bautista, ships
without a double hull won’t
be allowed to dock at theports starting April 1,
2008.
The Philippines also had
its share of oil spills.
In August 2006, Solar

Groups unite
for seafarers’
fair treatment
The International Transport Workers’ Federation(ITF), the International Shipping Federation (ISF) andthe International Chamber of
Shipping (ICS) joined forces
in a new initiative to help
protect seafarers involved inmaritime accidents.
The three organizations,which represent maritime
employers and trade unions
worldwide, announced in
London that they have united to support and promote
the IMO and ILO guidelines
on the Fair Treatment of
Seafarers in the Event of a
Maritime Accident.
As part of the campaign,
the three organizations are
distributing posters (supported by Web sites and leaflets)
worldwide to show seafarers
how the guidelines can help
protect them.
They are also encouraging
their members – national
shipowners’ associations
belonging to the ISF and
ICS, and seafarers’ unions
affiliated to the ITF – toapproach their governments
in order to promote theguidelines and to monitor
how effectively they arebeing implemented.
ISF/ICS secretary-general,
Tony Mason explained: “Asresponsible employers, we
believe its is very importantthat the IMO/ILO guidelines,
which represent the internationally accepted minimum
standard for the fair treatment of seafarers by investigating authorities, are indeed
implemented in practice bygovernments. Seafarers mustbe treated with dignity andrespect, and given access toindependent legal representation in situations where
they may be interviewed orheld following an accident atsea.”
ITF General Secretary
David Cockroft, remarked:“The knee-jerk scapegoatingof seafarers following accidents at sea is a growing concern to us all.
“In recent years the
response of too many national authorities has been toreach for the handcuffs firstand find out what actually
happened last. Incidents likethese prove how vital theguidelines are.”Speaking at a press conference to launch the joint effort
the two men displayed the
Maritime Accidents.
Seafarers – Be Aware!
posters that the organizations are distributing for use
on ships, in seafarers’ missions and in other locations
around the world. These canalso be downloaded fromeither www.marisec.org/
fairtreatment or www.itfglob
al.org/fairtreatment, where
the IMO/ILO guidelines also
appear in full. (Maritime Glob-

Int’l owners offer maritime scholarships
In a bid to fill the acuteworldwide shortage for maritime officers, a group ofinternational shipowners willoffer an initial 50 scholarships in marine or naval
engineering to Filipino graduating high school students
for next school year 20082009 at the University of
Cebu.
David Dearsley, secretary-general of the 125member International Maritime Employers Committee(IMEC), said the scholarship was the fourth type ofintervention that his group

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008

SEAFARERS’ CORNERJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008

(3)

Practice safe sex to protect yourself against HIV/AIDS
By ISS REYNALDO L. PADO

BASIC FACTS ON HIV/AIDS:

During my seafaring days, ourship made a call to a port in SouthAmerica, which is popular to manyseafarers for its bars and beautiful
women. A place seafarers could
enjoy after many days at sea. Whensome of my shipmates invited me to
go to this one parcularly popularnight club, I happily accepted.
I was amazed when I first entered
the club because the ambience wasjust like in the Philippines, mycountry. Most of the customers
were Filipino seafarers and even thefood served were Philippine delicacies. But the most interesting inthat place was of course the beautiful women who welcome the customers with their charm and beauty
I only find in celebrity magazines.
The woman who entertained me
speaks fluent Filipino, my national
language. Prostitution in this place
was rampant and a customer may
pay US$50 to a woman in a single
night. Since then, everytime ourvessel arrives in this port, we go to

HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AIDS is caused by infection with a virus: HIV. AIDS means that the body’s immune system has beendamaged. The immune system fights off infection in the body. When infected, the body reacts by producing antibodies. But these antibodies are not capable of destroying the AIDS virus. This virus evenstarts to destroy the immune system itself.
A damaged immune system cannot combat anymore any illnesses entering the body. The stage
before the symptoms start to appear can vary tremendously, with an average of eight to 10 years. Onlya test in HIV can detect whether someone’s blood contains antibodies to the AIDS virus. In this case,then the person is HIV positive.
The body needs at least six months before antibodies can be detected in the blood after an unsafe
sex to have a reliable result.
People with HIV, look and feel healthy, but they can infect others. HIV / AIDS are easy to avoid, but
impossible to cure. It is transmitted only through: unsafe sex; sharing infected needles and syringes;
blood transfusion with infected blood; and HIV positive mother to her baby during pregnancy.
How can we prevent HIV / AIDS? Abstention from sexual intercourse is the best way or be faithful
to one uninfected partner. Practice safer sex. Use condoms correctly and consistently. A condom protects not only against HIV/AIDS but also from other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
Sail Safely, Safety on Board, Safety Ashore!!!

this same place to enjoy our shore
liberty.
One time when our vessel was inthis port, I went to see a doctor
together with my chief engineer fora medical check, not related to

STDs. We were surprised when the
doctor cautioned us against going tothis popular club. He told us that he
attended a forum regarding the
spread of HIV and that this country
has one of the highest number ofcases of HIV infection. He specifically mentioned the women in the club
we frequented as the greatest sourceof HIV infection in their place. He
informed us that the ratio between awoman and the customers as 1:5,
meaning that a woman may have 5
customers a night.
Imagine, with so many seafarers
not caring to practice safe sex, thechance of HIV infection should bevery high in this part of the world.
Because seafarers have money tospend in these night clubs, it is very
easy for them to fall prey to thisdreaded disease. Seafarers should
be aware of this incurable disease
and should take precautions.
Activist Riza Faith Ybanez quoted in her case study “HIV Vulnerability of Wives of Seafarers” that
faced with the daily risks of negotiating turbulent seas, sailing days or
weeks on end and being in a maledominated occupation, seafarers are
known to indulge in social activities
the moment they dock, which
includes drinking binges and casualor paid sex.

WES, From Page 1

VOICES from SEAFARERS
The recent visit of JSU representatives onboard proved
to be fruitful with exchangesof views and ideas with officers and crewmembers regarding working conditions
on board. Many thanks forthe humane concern of JSU
to its members. More power
to the JSU!
I feel secure and lucky to
be onboard this vessel, covered with a JSU/AMOSUP
CBA. I call on my fellow seafarers to work hard for the
future.
Harmony with fellow seafarers onboard is the key to a
successful seafaring life.
O/S Eyjey L. Jacobe
RYUJINThe growing high cost ofliving everywhere in theworld including my homecountry the Philippines, thelow exchange rate of the dollar to the peso make the seafarers work hard to earnmore. This situation contribute to the stress experienced by seafarers.
Now my New Year’s resolution is to spend wisely andthink for the rainy days.
Just keep on saving and you
will not run out of cash whenever you need it.
Alender P. Oliverio
Chief Cook
FELICITY ACE

Capt. Jose P. Danao, Master of GL PRIMERAAs a professional and dedicated seaman, I wish for all
Filipino seafarers to unite
and continue with their best
effort, dedication, self discipline and commitment to our
profession as one of the bestseafarers in the world.
Remember that what we aredoing now will reflect to thenext generation of seafarers.
I am very thankful andproud to the Filipino Union
Officers Bayani A. Jaboli and
Eduard E. Galang and all
the JSU staff who sacrifice
their own future by faithfully
and restlessly serving theFilipino seafarers on vessels
at Japan port.
Capt. Virgilio I. Echavez
BRILLIANT ACE

for welfare for foreign seafarers US$297,000 to PJMCC,
which supports the Iloilo andDavao WES centers, and$150,000 to the AMOSUP,
which assists the Manila andCebu WES centers.
Local representatives of the
PRC, the AMOSUP and
PJMCC were grateful fromthe bottoms of their hearts to
the JSU grants.
When WES is in full operation, employees working on
ships will have more opportunities to take examinations, and the results will beavailable sooner.
It is expected to help eliminate the ongoing shortage ofseamen as a result of therapid expansion of commercial fleets.
The PRC is a Philippine
government organization in
charge of issuing qualification certificates on 43 professional careers, including ship
officers, medical doctors,
nurses, architects and accountants, and has 10
regional offices across thenation.

We propose that our unions, the JSU and the AMOSUP, allow
the retired members who have served for at least 10 years toavail continously of the Unions’ facilities in the Philippines.
Crew of SHIN ONOE

JOKE CORNER

Capt. J. C. Suyo (left) of OCEAN HIGHWAY emphasizes theimportance of communication between the union and the seafarers and thanked the JSU staff for the visit. He proposed thatcrewmembers’ daily food allowance should be sufficient to maintain a healthy diet onboard.

A commercial vessel was sailing in a pirate-infested sea when
the captain and his crew saw some heading toward them. The
worried crew fell silent but the captain stood tall and called to his
chief mate: “Bring me my red shirt.”
When the chief mate returned, the captain put on the red shirt
and led his crew into battle. The pirates were roundly defeated.
Later that day, the lookout screamed that two pirate ships were
heading their way. The captain, calm as ever, called for his red
shirt and, with his crew, fought off the pirates.
Tired and weary from battle, the sailors were sitting around thedeck that evening recounting the day’s fighting when a cadet
turned to the captain and asked, “Sir, why do you call for your red
shirt before battle?” The captain explained, “If I am wounded, thered shirt won’t show the blood and you men will continue to fightbravely.” The men sat in silence, amazed at his courage.
As dawn came the following morning, the lookout yelled that 10
pirate ships were heading toward them. The men fell silent andturned to their captain for his usual command.
Calm as ever, he bellowed, “Bring me my brown pants!”
Submitted by: ISS John G. CantoINFORMATION/ADVISORIES(4)SOLAS AMENDMENTS
he IMO issued a reminder of the SOLAS AmendTThese
ments which entered into force Jan. 1, 2008.
include a new SOLAS regulation on longrange identification and tracking (LRIT) of ships,
giving SOLAS contracting governments a year to set
up and test the LRIT system and ship operators ayear to start fitting the necessary equipment or
upgrading so that their ships can transmit LRIT
information.
This is among a series of amendments to IMO instruments, which entered into force the same day, covering
training requirements for ship security officers,
launch/recovery of fast rescue boats and including anamendment to the International Maritime Dangerous
Goods (IMDG) Code.
The May 2006 amendments to SOLAS - LRIT
The regulation in SOLAS Chapter V, Safety of Navigation, introduces LRIT as a mandatory requirement for thefollowing ships on international voyages: passenger ships,
including high-speed craft; cargo ships, including high-speed
craft, of 300 g/t and above; and mobile offshore drilling
units.
Ships constructed on or after Dec. 31, 2008, must be fittedwith a system to transmit automatically the identity of theship, the position of the ship (latitude and longitude) and thedate and time of the position provided.
Ships constructed before Dec. 31, 2008, and certified for
operations in sea areas A1 and A2, or A1, A2 and A3, must be
fitted with the equipment not later than the first survey of theradio installation after Dec. 31, 2008.
Ships constructed before Dec. 31, 2008, and certified for
operations in sea areas Al, A2, A3 and A4, must comply notlater than the first survey of the radio installation after July 1,
2009 (but must comply earlier, as above, if they operate within
sea areas A2 and A3).
Ships operating exclusively in sea area A1 and fitted with
an automatic identification system (AIS) are exempted fromthe requirement to transmit LRIT information.
The LRIT system is intended to be operational with respect
to the transmission of LRIT information by ships from Dec. 30,
2008.

Minimum training requirements
for ship security officers
Amendments to the STCW convention and code, adopted
in May 2006 and entered into force Jan. 1, 2008, add new
minimum mandatory training and certification requirements for persons to be designated as ship security officers(SSOs).
The amendments to the STCW convention and to parts A
and B of the STCW code include Requirements for the issue ofcertificates of proficiency for Ship Security Officers; Specifications of minimum standards of proficiency for ship security
officers; and guidance regarding training for Ship Security
Officers.
The amendments also provide that until July 1, 2009, an
STCW Party may continue to recognize personnel who hold or
can document qualifications as ship security officers issued
before the entry into force of the regulation.

JSU hires more Int’l Service Staff
G
iving emphasis tocommunication with
its nondomiciled special members, the JSU hired
Filipino senior officers towork as International Service Staff in 1995.
The number of JSU ISS
has gradually increased as
their ship visitations are
becoming a significant part of
the union’s welfare activities
provided to its members.
The JSU plan to increase
the number of its ISS has
become a reality with thepromotion of five Filipino
ISS trainees after theirthree-month ISS training at
JSU headquarters in Tokyo.
Three were promoted lastSeptember and they arrived
back at JSU headquarters
last December to await theirassignments to other branches of the union located in
major Japanese ports.
Another two ISS trainees
were promoted last January
and we are expecting them toarrive back in Japan once
their visas are granted.

More Filipinos join JSU to provide greater union support.

Also, on Jan. 24, two Filipino Engineer Officers
arrived at headquarters toundergo a three-month ISS
training.
At present there are 11
Filipinos working for the
JSU. Two are union officers,
seven ISS and two ISS
trainees.
We expect them to be
assigned soon to our various
branches to be able to reachmore nondomiciled members
who have yet to meet the
JSU ISS.
The JSU ISS are always
ready to answer queries
regarding CBA and union
related matters.
They are also ready toassist and advise on work
related problems.
Please extend your cooperation when the JSU ISS visit
your vessels.

FAQ: WALK - IN E XAMINATION S YSTEM (F F

OR ILIPINO M ARINE O FFICERS )Q: What is WES?
A: WES is the acronym for
Walk-in Examination System.
Q: Who will benefit from WES?
A: For now, those who will takethe Officer-in-Charge of an
Engineering Watch (OIC-EW)
and Officer-in-Charge of a Navigational Watch (OIC-NW)
examinations for Marine Engineer and Deck Officers, respectively.

Fast rescue boats

Q: Where can they take theWES?
A: WES is currently available
at the PRC Central Office only,
but will be available soon in
PRC-AMOSUP Development
Center, PRC Cebu City, PRC
Iloilo City and PRC Davao City.
Management Level WES is now
under preparation and soon beavailable.

Amendments to part A of the STCW code, also entering into
force on Jan. 1, 2008, add additional training requirements forthe launching and recovery of fast rescue boats.
The amendments were adopted in response to reports of
injuries to seafarers in numerous incidents involving thelaunching and recovery of fast rescue boats in adverse weather
conditions.

Q: If I take the walk-in-exam,
how soon will I know the result?
A: Result of the exam will beknown immediately after theend of the last subject, in a matter of seconds or less than aminute.

Amendments to the IMDG Code

Q: How often do they hold thewalk-in-examinations?
A: It is a two-day examinationand is given every Tuesday andWednesday and/or Thursday
and Friday of the week.

Amendments to the IMDG (Int. Maritime Dangerous Goods)
Code (Amendment 33-06) also went into force Jan. 1, 2008.
The amendments include those prepared on the basis of
proposals received from member governments and organizations and those prepared by the U.N. Committee of Expertson the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally
Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.
The amendments include changes relating to the requirements for transport of ethylene oxide with nitrogen up to a
total pressure of 1 mpa (10 bar) at 50ºC (UN 1040); polymeric beads (UN 2211); plastics moulding compound (UN3314); ammonium nitrate (UN 1942) and ammonium
nitrate fertilizer (UN 2067); segregation provisions for class
8 acids and alkalis when not in limited quantities; and the
packaging of articles containing dangerous goods in limited
quantities.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008

Q: What to wear on examination
days?
A: Complete uniform withshoulder board (without headgear).
Q: What are the requirements?
A: The general requirements for
OIC-EW and OIC-NW are:• Birth certificate from theNSO (National Statistics Office)in SECPA (Security Paper).
• Transcript of Records withscanned picture, complete dateof graduation, special ordernumber and remarks “FOR
LICENSURE EXAMINATIONPURPOSE.”• Medical Certificate from
DOH Accredited Medical Clinics.
• NBI clearance which is valid
during the last six (6) months.
• Community Tax Certificate(cedula).
• Certificate of Sea Service(PRC Form No. 5) duly notarized.
• POEA Contract if Sea Service is on foreign-going vessel
and Notarized Crew List for
Domestic sea service.
• Seafarer’s Identification
Record Book
• Examination Fee: PHP900
Q: Are there other specificrequirements for the Marine
Engineer Officers?
A: Yes, there are:• Engine Room Simulator
Course (ERSC) and Assessment
Certificate for Marine Engineer
Officer (Optional)• For BSMarE graduates,
Company Certificate with one
year accumulated sea service as
Engine Cadet, Engine boy,Apprentice Engineer, oiler,
wiper, motorman and two years
accumulated sea service for nonBSMarE graduates.

Q: How can I apply?
1. You can apply through the
PRC
Web
Portalwww.prc.gov.ph. The portal will
guide you step by step throughthe procedure.
2. Be ready with the scanned
image of all required supporting
documents in any of the following formats: *.jpg and *.tiff
3. If already registered in the
PRC portal, login using your
Username and Password.
4. Fill out registration form.
5. Apply for examination.
Select Profession.
6. Provide all required info:
Education, Training, Others.
7. Provide your email address.
Online notifications will be sent
to you by e-mail.
8. Attach (electronically)scanned supporting documents
and click the “SUBMIT” button.
9. Check your e-mail box for
the Application Acknowledgement.
10. Proceed to PRC to present
original documents.
11. Pay Online or pay to PRC
cashier.
12. After payment of Examination Fees, go back to theMarine Deck Officers Division
for photo and Biometric Registration.

ALL JAPAN SEAMEN’S UNION
Q: Are there other specificrequirements for the marine deck
officers?
A: Yes, there are:
• Ship Simulator and Bridge
Teamwork (SSBT) and Assessment Certificate (Optional)• Must be a BS Marine Transportation (BSMT) graduate forDeck Officers with one year
accumulated sea service as Deck
Cadet, Apprentice Mate, Deck
Boy, Ordinary Seaman and
Able-bodied Seaman.

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: Takashi Miyake
Send inquiries to the attentionof Mr. Masanobu Makizoe,
Director, Foreign Trades Dept.