Team Herald
MARGAO: The Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) brought to the notice of shipping authorities the hardships seafarers faced due to some companies’ negligence and disrespect towards them.
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On Saturday, GSAI President Frank Viegas met Shipping Master Mukul Dutta, Assistant Shipping Master Binish Varma and Chief Administrator H S Bowalekar in Mumbai, wherein he discussed in details to find a solution so that the seafarers get their duly rights and grievances redressal must be addressed so that the seafarers get due attention.
As informed by Viegas, the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) addresses the issues and concerns entailing the resolution of grievances of seafarers through on-board complaint procedures, as well as onshore seafarer complaint handling procedures.
He said a grievance redressal mechanism separately available for Indian seafarers that make for their swift ground-level resolution, will, as a paradigm, effectively, further strengthen grievances redressal for Indian seafarers, as a confidence-building measure by providing wider access to the seafarers to address their grievances.
“Therefore, the present grievances mechanism is proposed to be decentralised and incrementally strengthened. In that light, henceforth, Indian seafarers shall lodge their grievances in the office of the local MMD/Shipping Master, which is located all across the Indian coast,” said Viegas.
This revamped grievance redressal mechanism for Indian seafarers shall function as under, in super-cession of this office said Crew Branch Circular No. 3 of 2011 dated July 5, 2011 and M S Notice No. 03 of 2013 where submission of grievance can be done at Surveyor-In-Charge MMD Mormugao and other designated locations, also can lodge an online grievance redressal mechanism for Indian seafarers as per Merchant shipping Notice No. 06 of 2019.
Also discussed were some misunderstandings among seafarers over the deduction of 10 US dollars from seafarers’ wages. As per clarifications regarding Merchant shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules 2016 promulgated vide Ministry of Shipping, Government of India Gazette Notification No. GSR 169 (E) dated February 15, 2016, he informed.
“The said contribution shall not be deducted from the payment of the seafarer. Hence such welfare fund contribution to be made by RPSL becomes payable from the second quarter of 2016 i.e from 01.04.16 the welfare fund contributions of Rs 500 per month for foreign going foreign flag ships, Rs 400 per month for Indian flag foreign going ships, Rs 200 per month for Indian flag home trade ships and also coasting ships to promote the welfare of seamen,” he urged.
The various welfare schemes in place under SWFS, survival benefit scheme, invalidity benefit scheme, maternity benefit scheme for female seafarers, the old age benefit scheme, family benefit scheme,ex-gratia assistance on death and various issues pertaining to seafarers were also discussed.
