It will be one of the positive features of this dreadful pandemic period to hear the sound of ship horns today. If all goes to plan, ports around the world will resonate to a cacophony of deep growls and hoots from the world’s fleet on 1 May.
They will be paying a noisy “thank you” to an estimated 1.6m seafarers for keeping trade rolling despite the challenges of Covid-19.
May Day has traditionally been celebrated since the 19th century as International Workers’ Day.
Guy Platten, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said sounding ship horns was a fitting tribute.
“Our seafarers are the unsung heroes of global trade and we must not forget the contribution that they are making every day to keep our countries supplied with the goods we need,” he said.
Seafarers have had to make a lot of extra sacrifices in recent weeks.
In many cases, they have been forced to remain on board their ships past their time because crew changes have not been allowed.
There are harrowing stories from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) of crew members who need emergency medical evacuation being refused permission by port authorities.
Unsung heroes, indeed, especially when they are carrying essential medical supplies, manufacturing components and food.
But ship crews in their “normal” working life ensure vessels sail safely and successfully from one port to another, making profits for their employers, as well as serving communities.
Most seafarers no doubt enjoy what they do, but it’s noticeable that ratings are often recruited from countries where other jobs are scarce.
There are not many professions in which you have to list possibly being kidnapped by pirates as one of your workplace concerns
Being at sea, especially on deepsea tonnage, involves working thousands of miles from home for long periods, often on relatively modest pay levels.
There are not many professions in which you have to list possibly being kidnapped by pirates as one of your workplace concerns.
Suitable gesture
It would be a suitable gesture if ships sounded their horn every May Day, so everyone — including the shipowners — was reminded who ultimately makes this vital industry tick 365 days a year, every year.
It is a bit like the clapping that goes on in British streets every Thursday evening to thank those working in the National Health Service and other vital sectors.
When I see government ministers clapping on TV, I have mixed feelings. It is great that they pay homage to health service staff each week, but it is more important that in future these vital workers are paid properly and celebrated properly every day. This has not been the case in the past, when reasonable demands for higher wages or affordable housing have been ignored — nor is it the case in the maritime world.
Good and bad employers
There are many terrific employers in the shipping industry, but there are some lousy ones as well — and everyone knows it. That needs to be addressed in this new era of worker appreciation.
The shipowners who abandon their crews in far-flung places when vessels are arrested, for example, should face sanctions.
The ones who get their seafarers to set sail on substandard vessels that are then held by port state control officials, they should be penalised too — and certainly not allowed to hide their identities behind a raft of brass-plate names and addresses.
But it has been positive to see the ICS and the ITF jointly campaigning for seafarers to be redefined as “key workers” and for certain airports to open for the safe movement and repatriation of crews.
This is the time to highlight how shipping and its workforce keep the wheels of global commerce moving. It is a good story that needs to be told, loud and proud, so that governments and policymakers take the industry more seriously in times to come.
Too often shipping is taken for granted because it is “out of sight, out of mind” for politicians and the public, leaving it without the lobbying power of many land-based industries.
So if I am lucky enough from my inland location to hear those ship horns sounding today, I will celebrate — and hope to be doing the same thing next year.
