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Commission Task Force on maritime employment and competitiveness fails to produce ambitious and decisive recommendations
20 July 2011
A European Commission Task Force investigating obstacles both to entry the maritime profession by European youngsters and their recruitment by European employers has failed to deliver the radical measures needed to avert the unfolding maritime skills crisis, ETF has warned.
Chaired by Sir Robert Coleman, who once ran the transport directorate in Brussels, the working group – whose members included shipowners, maritime union officials and academics -- was established just over a year ago and has produced a 21-page report addressing EU maritime employment and competitiveness.
The Task Force was charged with investigating the causes of EU seafarer shortages and to examine ways in which investment in high quality employment in the maritime industry can be secured without reducing the international competitiveness of the EU shipping industry.
The report notes the scale of the decline in the EU maritime skills base and looks at issues including market access, career development, working and living conditions and state aid measures.
Some positive proposals which cannot compensate the failure to deliver any substantive measures
Philippe Alfonso, ETF Political Secretary for Maritime Transport, described the report as a mixed bag. ‘It certainly contains some welcome, interesting and positive proposals,’ he added. ‘However, the Task Force appears to have lacked the courage to produce the concrete and substantive measures that are needed if Europe really is going to get to grips with its maritime skills crisis and prevent the continued downwards drift in employment and the shift of maritime services to SE Asia.’
Mr Alfonso said the ETF can only agree with some uncontroversial generalities as mentioned in the Task Force report, i.e. improve the image of seafaring, ensure the fair treatment of seafarers following maritime accidents, safeguard rights to shore leave, raise the standard of onboard communications and combat fatigue. He said the report also recognised the long-standing campaign by EU seafaring unions to end the exclusion of seafarers from key directives, including those covering employer insolvency, European Works Councils, transfers of undertakings and consultation with employers. However, it had appeared to have overlooked the application of the collective redundancies directive to seafarers.
ETF disappointed at the lack of courage in addressing issues such as the manning conditions and the review of State aids to maritime transport
The ETF also welcomes the Task Force proposals for measures to regulate the manning conditions of vessels providing offshore-related services to installations in member states’ territorial waters of economic zones. But unions are highly disappointed that the Task Force rejected the concept of reviving the proposed ‘manning directive’ to regulate terms and conditions on intra-EU services and had also shied away from proposing strict links between state aids and the employment and training of EU seafarers.
‘Whilst its recommendations would hardly make a substantial difference, they have to be seen as largely cosmetic and ducking the real fundamental issues,’ Mr Alfonso added. He further stressed: ‘It is significant that the tone used throughout the report exudes the same obvious lack of enthusiasm as the content. There are no strong pleas, let alone innovative ideas, but rather a widespread sense of powerlessness and resigned acceptance that there is little we can do to enhance jobs security for European seafarers.’
Social Dialogue cannot substitute to regulation by EU policy makers
Furthermore, ‘It is too easy to pass the difficult questions over to the social partners,’ he pointed out. ‘It has to be recognised that there are limitations to the social dialogue process and it is no substitute for effective legislation.
‘Regulation is essential if we are to stabilise the EU maritime industry and to create a sustainable future,’ he stressed. ‘We have to prevent social dumping of low-cost labour and stop the race to the bottom that is fuelled by the constant pressure to cut costs.’
Now the ball is in the Commission’s court and it remains to be seen whether it will build upon the too few positive proposals made by the Task Force. It is, however, the ETF’s fervent wish that the Commission will seek to go beyond that and show greater political courage.
The ETF will further carry out a thorough analysis of the whole set of recommendations by the Task Force and will soon release a detailed position paper in this respect.
For further information, please contact the ETF Political Secretary for Maritime Transport, Philippe Alfonso (Tel: +32 (0)2/285 45 84; p.alfonso@etf-europe.org) or
Rémi Gelmini, Secretary for the Maritime Transport Section (Tel: +32(0) 2/285 45 83; r.gelmini@etf-europe.org)
ENDS
For more information please contact:
European Transport Workers' Federation
Rue du Marché aux Herbes 105, Boîte 11
B-1000 Bruxelles
Telephone: +32 (0)2 285 46 60
Fax: +32 (0)2 280 08 17
Email: etf@etf-europe.org
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