Written by
Nick Blenkey
With a severe seafarer scarcity looming worldwide, it’s not excellent news for recruitment that the newest Seafarers Happiness Index, printed this week by the Mission to Seafarers, reveals, for the fourth successive quarter, an extra drop in seafarer happiness for the fourth quarter of 2023, elevating severe issues over situations for all these working at sea.
Based mostly on a survey undertaken with the assist of the Commonplace Membership and Idwal, the brand new report reveals an total fall in seafarer happiness to six.36 out of 10. This compares to six.6 in Q3, 6.77 in Q2 and seven.1 in Q1 2023, and represents a substantial decline over the course of the yr. Whereas that is an enchancment on the eight yr low of 5.85 reported in April 2022, that is fourth successive quarter to indicate a decline in seafarer happiness. The This fall 2023 survey outcomes present a variety of causes for this worrying pattern, however frequent causes for concern expressed by seafarers participating within the survey embrace feeling overburdened, underappreciated and disconnected, in addition to issues over an absence of shore depart and an incapacity to contact household.
This fall in happiness is pushed by a lower in sentiment throughout most areas of life on board lined by the survey, with onboard connectivity being the one notable facet that confirmed enchancment. Nevertheless, frustration was expressed by some respondents over what appears to be unfair inconsistency in vessel connectivity, with some vessels in the identical fleet having higher web entry than others.
Respondents to the This fall 2023 Seafarers Happiness Index survey additionally expressed concern over an absence of social interplay and a rising sense of isolation. While seafarers acknowledge the advantages of spending high quality time with their colleagues, far more must be finished to create focal factors that present time and house collectively, which in flip helps to construct a way of togetherness and a workforce ethos onboard. Seafarers additionally reiterated their issues about stagnating wages, that are failing to maintain up with inflation, and an absence of coaching alternatives.
The rising safety threats to the lives of seafarers are additionally mirrored within the outcomes of the survey. It’s clear that the escalating dangers to seafarer security from piracy, terrorism and conflict dangers are having an influence on crew welfare. It is usually including to the workload burden on seafarers, as a result of ramping up of safety duties in greater danger waters. The survey additionally highlighted the significance of warlike operations space funds. Nevertheless, there’s prone to be a lag between the responses and the official designation of those areas. As such, the Q1 2024 survey ought to reveal the true influence of those modifications.
Wanting again at 2023, says the Mission to Seafarers, it’s clear that the emergence from COVID was not accompanied by a return to pre-pandemic situations for seafarers, regardless of an preliminary restoration in seafarer happiness in 2022. Prolonged contracts, diminished employment phrases, downward stress on wages and rising workload calls for have undermined welfare and dealing situations. In flip, seafarers proceed to name for motion on shore depart, connectivity, coaching, variety, recreation, and psychological well being assist, as a way to see their working lives remodeled into extra sustainable, equitable, and fulfilling careers.
“Following the uptick in seafarer happiness in late 2022 after the lifting of COVID restrictions, it is rather disappointing to see the downward pattern in happiness over the course of 2023,” mentioned Canon Andrew Wright, Secretary Common of The Mission to Seafarers. “If there was ever any complacency concerning the circumstances going through seafarers across the globe, these outcomes certainly dispel that. We all know that some ship homeowners and managers are doing improbable work to put money into the wellbeing of their crew, however sadly the general image stays regarding.”
Obtain the total Seafarers Happiness Index report for This fall 2023 HERE
