Seafarers and their representatives say that the International Maritime Organization's Day of the Seafarer is a tone-deaf way of "celebrating" crew at a time when hundreds of thousands of people who work at sea are stuck in limbo.
The comments come in light of the disjointed international response to recognising seafarers as key workers and the lack of a coordinated global effort to bring workers home, which has caused a worldwide crew change crisis.
This year's Day of the Seafarer campaign calls on governments to take action and formally recognise seafarers as key workers "and to provide them with the support, assistance and travel options open to all key workers during the pandemic", according to the IMO, which organises the annual campaign.
"Just like other key workers, seafarers are on the front line in this global fight. They deserve our thanks," IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim said. "But they also need — and deserve — quick and decisive humanitarian action from governments everywhere, not just during the pandemic, but at all times."
This was echoed by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who on Thursday called on countries to recognise seafarers as key workers and provide travel assistance "to ensure safe crew changeovers and repatriations".
Not enough?
But the feeling among seafarers still remains that not enough is being done.
One UK-based seafarer, who wished to remain anonymous, told TradeWinds that normally he would be positive about the Day of the Seafarer, but "they've got it all wrong this year".
"[The IMO] have got the mood wrong and pretty much lost all respect they had from seafarers and revealed themselves to be what we suspected them of being: an owners' body hiding in plain sight," he said.
When asked what his message would be to the shipping community with respect to the crew change crisis, he said: "Stop with the platitudes, take action."
"Shipowners claim to have powerful friends," he said. "It's time to call in some favours."
This feeling was echoed in an impassioned video statement (see below) on Thursday by Mark Dickinson, secretary-general of seafarers' union Nautilus.
"It doesn't feel like a celebration today," Dickinson said.
