VietNamNet Bridge – Tran Minh, 35-year-old captain of the Pacific Express based in northern Hai Phong Port has worked at sea for 13 years.

Captain Tran Minh steers the Pacific Express. Working conditions for sailors may change for the better as Viet Nam has become the 37th nation to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention.

For every 12 months on the job, he spends only two months at home with his family. He is re-united with his family about every two weeks, but only for a few hours.

"It's a harsh job," he said. "Dangers always lurk."

"When I was at college at the Hai Phong–based Viet Nam Maritime University, I never imagined myself facing so many difficulties," he said.

The Pacific Express, which has a crew of 21, is frequently at sea, mostly operating around Southeast Asia, particularly to and from Hong Kong.

Minh has two sons, both at primary school. His wife, who is also a university graduate, quit her job after they had their second son to take care of the family.

"I'm worried about my sons who are growing up," Minh said about not having enough time to keep an eye on his children.

He said he once considered quitting, adding that every seafarer wanted to move to on-land work after years of working on the sea.

Bui Tien Dung, 41-year-old fellow seafarer agreed about the more stable working environment onshore.

Dung worked at sea from 1995-97, but quit to run a family business. When the business did not succeed, in 2008 he was forced to return to seafaring.

"Once you shift to offshore work, you never want to return," he said.

Dung also has two sons, one of whom is oly three years old. Similar to Minh's case, Dung's wife also stays at home to take care of his family.

Seafaring is considered a dangerous profession without adequate compensation in Viet Nam.

Nguyen Nhat, director of the Viet Nam Maritime Administration, said there was a serious imbalance between supply and demand of maritime workers, especially senior staff.

He said that the current treatment of maritime workers was not attractive enough to build a seafarer's commitment.

Since 2008, the country's maritime industry has faced many difficulties due to the global financial crisis.

"Most ship owners have been forced to sell some vessels, cut costs, slash staff and cut down on salaries and bonuses," Nhat said

He predicted that the gloom in Viet Nam's maritime industry would linger for at least another two years - and that the list of bankrupt ship owners would grow.

Working conditions for sailors, however, may change for the better as Viet Nam has become the 37th nation to ratify the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006.

This establishes minimum working and living standards for all seafarers. The country's ratification of the convention was officially signed on May 8.

According to Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, director of ILO's International Labour Standards Department, the MLC provides the first global standards on minimum age, employment agreements, hours of work and rest, payment, on-board medical care, health and safety protection, accident prevention and social-security protection.

Specifically, the convention sets 16 years as the minimum age for a sailor. It also states that they be paid at no greater than monthly intervals and in accordance with any applicable collective agreement.

In addition, the convention rules out that every 24-hour work period must contain 10 hours of rest.

Particularly, it states that health care must be comparable to that available to workers ashore, including prompt access to medicine, medical equipment and facilities for diagnosis and treatment.

"Under the Convention, every seafarer will therefore have the right to a safe and secure workplace that complies with safety standards, fair terms of employment, decent working and living conditions on-board ships," said Doumbia-Henry.

Today, August 20, marks the official start of the convention globally. But for Viet Nam, it will not become law until May 8 next year.

Once the convention is binding, it is expected to benefit about 27,000 Vietnamese seafarers who work on domestic ships or foreign-flag ships.

The ILO claims the convention will help ensure fair competition and a level-playing field for owners of ships flying the flags of ratifying countries.

Gyorgy Sziraczki, country director of ILO in Viet Nam, said the organisation would provide assistance to bring the convention to life.

Viet Nam has less than a year to prepare, and it will not be easy, according to maritime experts.

Minh from the Pacific Express said many ship owners in Viet Nam could not afford to meet the MLC requirements on salaries, bonuses, and facilities.

As for the Pacific Express, Minh said the ship would be refurbished to bring it up to the standard.

Experts claim it will take time before the MLC becomes effective in Viet Nam, given the current economic difficulty and the fact that Viet Nam lacks legal regulations protecting the rights of maritime workers.

At present, maritime workers are subject to the regulations of the Labour Code regarding minimum wages, living conditions and health insurance.

Do Duc Tien, deputy director of the Viet Nam Maritime Administration, said a separate set of standards was needed because the profession was more difficult and dangerous than others.

Source: VNS