Handbook of Rights and Concerns for Mariners

Conditions aboard ship can be brutal for some mariners, especially those from Third World countries working on flag of convenience (FOC) ships. Roberto Tiangco discovered this firsthand after he volunteered to help at the Halifax, Canada, Mission to Seafarers. He became concerned, and then angry, about the many commonly occurring difficulties faced by mariners on FOC ships. This book, written by Tiangco and Russ Jackson, addresses the problems and provides a comprehensive approach to their solution.

A self-help guide for mariners in job-related distress, the book presents information in plain English about recruitment, employment contracts, wages, living conditions, work environment, health and medical care, repatriation, abandonment, accidents, and so forth. Graphic examples taken from Roberto Tiangco’s experience at the Mission to Seafarers and from various seafaring publications are recounted, allowing mariners to identify with the issues involved. For example, they can imagine (if they had not already experienced it) being told there was no clean bedding or towels aboard ship or that the crew must fish for their food; they can envision discovering that all the toilets and showers are inoperable for the length of a voyage.

The national and international laws applicable to employment of mariners are covered in detail in this carefully researched work, and the nations that are signatories to the various laws and conventions are listed so mariners can be sure the rules apply to them. Then practical solutions are offered for the situations involving each type of problem. This will be an invaluable guide to help mariners avoid falling into harm’s way.